SERMON NOTES 3-9-2025
The Book of DANIEL
Dilemmas, Diplomas, Diets, and Dreams
Daniel 1:3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.
Daniel 1:6-7 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:
Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Azariah was called Abednego.
Daniel 1:17 God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.
Daniel 2:48 Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men.
Daniel 2:49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.
- Dilemma (1:1) During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
God’s people must look at every supposed
“setback” as a “set up”.
- Diploma (1:4) “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning,
are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve
in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and
and literature of Babylon.”
- Diet (1:8) But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food
and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for
permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.
Proverbs 23:2 While dining with a ruler, pay attention to what is put before you.
If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat; don’t desire all the
delicacies, for he might be trying to trick you.
- Dream (2:1) Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep.
He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he
demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed.
Daniel’s Interpretation
Daniel 2:31-35 “ Your Majesty, as you were watching, suddenly a colossal statue appeared. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. The head of the statue (Babylon) was pure gold, it’s chest and arms (Medo-Persia) were silver, its stomach and thighs (Greece) were bronze, its legs (Rome) were iron, and its feet (Divided Nations) were partly iron and partly fired clay. As you were watching, a stone broke off without a hand touching it, struck the statue on its feet of iron and fired clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”