PK 485 The Lord regarded with approval the firmness and self-denial of the Hebrew youth, and their purity of motive; and His blessing attended them. He "gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams." The promise was fulfilled,
"Them that honor Me I will honor." 1 Samuel 2:30.
PK 487 At the court of Babylon were gathered representatives from all lands, men of the highest talent, men the most richly endowed with natural gifts, and possessed of the broadest culture that the world could bestow; yet among them all, the Hebrew youth were without a peer. In physical strength and beauty, in mental vigor and literary attainment, they stood unrivaled. The erect form, the firm, elastic step, the fair countenance, the undimmed senses, the untainted breath - all were so many certificates of good habits, insignia of the nobility with which nature honors those who are obedient to her laws.
If you obey the health law, God is going to bless you physically, mentally, spiritually. One of the greatest ways to develop the character after the character of Jesus is the health message. The health message is the one of most powerful means, which God has bestowed to His people to develop the character. What you put in your body will affect the whole system and you cannot perceive God’s will clearly, you cannot discern clearly, thus you are going to make wrong choices.
1:16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
Melzar had confidence to give them vegetarian diet
Honor of Daniel and His Friends (17-21)
VERSE [17] As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. [18] Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. [19] And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. [20] And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. [21] And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.
1:17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
Daniel’s obedience prepared him to understand visions and dreams. If you are intemperate in your diet, you will not understand God’s word or prophecies. Skill in all learning and wisdom—faithful to God’s balanced education: mental and spiritual not only physical. Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. History repeating, looking backward—anybody receive a special gift to understand visions and dreams? Joseph. There are similar characteristics between Joseph and Daniel. Joseph had characteristics of our Savior, he was rejected but then became kind of like a savior for those who rejected him. Daniel was captured and a slave but in the process of the movement of delivering God’s people
God wants us to strive to be the best intellectually, spiritually and morally. You should strive in your academics to do your best. If you can’t spell learn to spell, math, reading, grammar, do your best.
be in legislative halls that is ok. This chapter is really highlighting true education. What will help us stand in the last days? True education. What will cause us to fall? Babylonian education.
1:18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
“end of the days” – At least after three years.
Dan 1:5 …three years...at the end thereof they might stand before the king…
Day = Year
1:19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.
“The king communed with them – Nebuchadnezzar was the one who ultimately judging these young men. That shows you how intelligent man he was. Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t fool. For you to personally examine the most intelligent, brightest minds of the world, you better have some upstairs. Nebuchadnezzar himself would do it. He wouldn’t trust someone else to do it.
“stood they before the king” – The book begins with Daniel standing before an earthly king and it ends with Daniel standing before the Heavenly King. He was being judged and examined by an earthly king. It ends with Daniel being judged by the Heavenly King.
Conclusion: Overall theme is diet. Diet comes up again in chapters 4 & 10.
1:20 And in all matters of wisdom [and] understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians [and] astrologers that [were] in all his realm.
God is asking us to come up higher. We can all be like Daniel and his friends. Don’t be discouraged if it takes pain to train ourselves
“Ten times better than all” – These guys weren’t just “smarter.” They were “Ten times” smarter than any body in the entire realm of Babylon! They were the smartest people in the world!
In acquiring the wisdom of the Babylonians, Daniel and his companions were far more successful than their fellow students; but their learning did not come by chance. They obtained their
knowledge by the faithful use of their powers, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They placed themselves in connection with the Source of all wisdom, making the knowledge of God the
foundation of their education. In faith they prayed for wisdom, and they lived their prayers.
God has got certain prerequisites that you must meet. So you pray for it, and live out your prayers.
Cooperate with God and fulfill it. They didn’t just pray; they actually lived out their prayer. Lot of times we pray, and assume that God is going to do it all. And we wonder why we don’t get the victory when we fail to realize that we have a part, and God is not going to do our part for us.
PK 485 They placed themselves where God could bless them.
They were not being presumptuous. They were actually cooperating with God, fulfilling the conditions that He required of them, in so doing, they placed themselves where God could bless them.
Last minute rush: here comes midterm, here comes final, and somehow 30 seconds prayer ascends to heaven, “Now, God bless me.” That’s presumptuous. We need to “place” ourselves where God can bless us.
They avoided that which would weaken their powers, and improved every opportunity to become intelligent in all lines of learning. “I will just eat whatever I want to eat, do whatever I want to do, and listen to whatever I want to listen to. God is still going to bless me though.” It doesn’t work that way.
PK 486 Constantly praying, conscientiously studying, keeping in touch with the Unseen, they walked with God as did Enoch. True success in any line of work is not the result of chance or accident or destiny. It is the outworking of God's providences, the reward of faith and discretion, of virtue and perseverance. Fine mental qualities and a high moral tone are not the result of accident. God gives opportunities; success depends upon the use made of them. While God was working in Daniel and his companions "to will and to do of His good pleasure," they were working out their own salvation.
Philippians 2:13.
Today, somehow, if you bring out that kind of concept, “We have to work out our own salvation,”
automatically they will say, “Uh-oh, you are a legalist.” It would be true if all we stated were that you and I have to do it, and not give other part. But read Philippians, after Paul says, “work out your own salvation,” then it goes on and says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Phil 2:13. Humanity and divinity combined, there is a power and victory.
PK 486 Herein is revealed the outworking of the divine principle of co-operation, without which no true success can be attained. Human effort avails nothing without divine power; and without human endeavor, divine effort is with many of no avail. To make God's grace our own, we must act our part.
His grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort.
You can never gain victory, you can never obtain true success in Christian life, unless you learn the principles of cooperation with God. That was the success of Daniel and his three companions: they knew and understood the concept of cooperation with God. They knew that they could never succeed in life unless God’s principles are given, the conditions to meet the principles of success, they knew they had to cooperate with them, then God would bring them blessings.
PK 487 A noble character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors or endowments of Providence. It is the result of self-discipline, of subjection of the lower to the higher nature, of the surrender of self to the service of God and man.
Somehow, this lie is going on; “We are going to sin until Jesus comes. You can’t help, don’t you? You got a fallen nature. When He comes, our character will be changed, then, we will be like Jesus.”
What they are saying is that character is not result of God-man cooperation, but it’s simply God’s gift when He comes.
1:21 And Daniel continued [even] unto the first year of king Cyrus.
This is over 70 years. This chapter is giving an overall picture of who Daniel is—how he was
honored and remain in high position, all because he purposed in himself that he wouldn’t be defiled by the king’s food. Ten times better than all the best people of Babylon—these were powerful in all things. We can be the head and not the tail. How to help young people to be the head? Be faithful to God in little things and He will make you great.
You can see a sermon from this chapter: Global application: Great Controversy; Gen – Jesus – Paul – Revelation, the whole Bible. Try to look at the concept and look it up throughout Genesis to
Revelation and you can see the whole picture—beginning to the ending.
God laid this Foundation: Before you can properly understand Daniel, you must have balanced education. To be spiritually effected in terms of growth and development, we need to experience how Daniel lived.
Chapter 2 – The King Dreams of Empires
Daniel chapter one was about the test of diet in the Babylonian palace. This chapter is another test to which Daniel will face. When studying book of Daniel chapter two, keep in mind, the biggest focus when you study, is to study the character and the life of Daniel. And what kind of things or test he had to go through. So remember that. Because whenever you study a book like this (Daniel 1 and 2) and when Daniel is the main figure or character, you must study his life. And always have this in mind. Always look for a list. When I say list, meaning, by studying Daniel 1, you can have a list of things that describe the character of Daniel. Daniel is like this . . . Daniel is like that . . . so 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . . make a list. And sometimes, you may not know this, but many times in the Bible God describes one thing with different ways. So you need to be able to catch those things. So make a list. So in Daniel 2, what do we know about Daniel in Daniel chapter 2? First of all, verse 1. The second chapter of Daniel is fundamental to an understanding of the rest of the book and of the book of Revelation. In the kindness of God it is remarkably pleasant to read and easy to understand. Like the first chapter, its profound message is delivered to us as a story. It is best read in one sitting. We will have comments following. Throughout the book of Daniel, there are many death decrees. We can also expect that this will also be the case in the last days.
Chapter Outline
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream and Death Decree (1-13)
Dream Revealed to Daniel (14-30)
Dream Revealed and Interpreted to King (31-45)
Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God (46-49)