I’m thinking it’s time we do another study on the Book of Daniel. I so enjoyed pulling that book apart and blogging on it before – probably two years ago! Daniel is a dynamic book. I guess you can say the blueprint of the book would be… Chapters 1-6 is about the history of life in Babylon (what has happened), while Chapters 7-12 deal with prophecy (what will happen).
The more Daniel was shown, the more humbly he lived. He was a man who saw the future, and lived for the glory of God. The more we know about the future, the more it should make us live in the present. In other words, we know about the Second Coming of Christ, and that should be our only motivation. Daniel was an uncompromising, godly man in a pagan society. He is positive proof to us that as believers, we also don’t have to compromise in a pagan world—Daniel shows us it can be done. His commitment to God was evident. He persevered, and so can we!
This book is written in a very dark period of Israel’s history. The kingdom of Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom (10 tribes of Israel), and the Southern Kingdom (only 2 tribes – Judah and Benjamin). Both of Israel’s kingdoms were living in moral decay. Daniel and thousands of his countrymen had been led away and taken captive to a foreign land after Judah had been conquered. Daniel found himself smack in the middle of a people who loved only themselves, and had idolatry high on their list of priorities. But in the midst of this chaos, Israel was not forsaken. God sends us a message loud and clear…
God is sovereign. He was in control in Babylon, and He’s been revealing Himself through time and world history. He’s active in the affairs of men, and He controls the destinies of people and nations. As we read Daniel, let’s watch God work. And just know that we can find our security in His sovereignty. So stay tuned for a great study!