Daniel And His Companions

The name "Daniel" means "Judgement of God", Dan means judgement, and "El" = God. At a young age, Daniel was carried off to Babylon where he was trained in the service of the court under the authority of Ashpenaz. Daniel became famous for interpreting dreams and rose to become one of the most important figures in the court and lived well into the reign of the Persian conquerors. He retained his high position there and had influence in the decision to restore the Jews to their homeland. His lived around 530 B.C. Daniel and his companions Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, did righteous exploits (An act or deed, especially a brilliant or heroic one.) during the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews. Daniel and his companions (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.) during their training in Babylon were appointed a certain food and wine, which was contrary to the law given them by God through Moses. Daniel 1:8-17 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. Then said Daniel to Melzar, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse (It must mean herbs or vegetables grown from seeds.) to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances (Appearance, visage, or face.) be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel (A.K.A. Belteshazzar) had understanding in all visions and dreams. These men stood on the scriptures and would never deviate from them for anyone or anything. Their first priority was God. After three years of training in the Babylonian arts they stood before the king. And he found them ten times better than all the astrologers that were in all his realm. Their dedication to God was to be greatly tested later on, as we shall see. King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake (Insomnia) from him. He called all the court wizards together and said tell me my dream and it's meaning. They said tell us your dream first. His response was that they had only lying and corrupt words ready for him. Besides this, he plainly forgot it. Afterwards he was upset and called for all the wisemen to be put to death. He was not a patient person. Daniel went in to the king asking for some time to pray and seek the face of God. This was granted to him. He and his friends all prayed, with God revealing the dream and it's meaning to him thereafter. He told the king that God revealed the dream and showed it with the interpretation. A great statue was made of four parts. There were to be four kingdoms. First was Babylon then the Medes/Persians, following them Greece, and lastly Rome. Of course he put that in another way. Finally, the stone of the mountain that crushed the statue was seen as God rising and taking control of the world. Daniel 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. The king was pleased made him to rule over the providence of Babylon and he asked for the promotion his friends also. In a story or study you should verify the accuracy of it. This is scripturally correct to do so. It does not question my integrity, rather it shows that you know that I know. Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. I guess some people never learn. He commanded all to fall down and worship it when his band played the music. The companions of Daniel were accused of not worshiping the idol and asked by the king if that was

so. Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. He then got angry and had his mighty men throw them into a burning fiery furnace. They were terminated by the flames though bound up. It's because the king increased the intentsity greatly. The king wanted examples to be made of them so that all should fear not to worship this golden idol. Finally these men were cast into the furnace. A surprise waited all there. Daniel 3:24-27 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. The king reversed himself saying that their God was blessed being much greater and nobody could speak against God or would be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill. These men stood up to the bully. They said they were not careful to answer him. In other words, they could less what the king said because no matter what, they were not bowing down to anyone or anything except the living God. As Paul said, for to me is Christ and to die is gain. They counted all things but loss except for the excellency of God almighty. To die simply put them in his presence. These were not mad men, but instead people sold out to God. The kingdom of God was real to them, as by their faith they lived as it was already restored. Hebrews 11:13-16 explains this out further. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. The heroes of faith all focused on the eternal aspects and not this present world. Later on this same king became prideful and though forewarned by God to repent through Daniel, he was humbled by God for a time. Nebuchadnezzar was later reinstated as king. His son lost the kingdom because he disrespected for God. The Medes took over with Darius as their king. He preferred Daniel and made him over the many (Hundred and twenty princes and three presidents of whom Daniel was first or the highest official in the kingdom after the king himself.) These jealous guys got together and planned Daniel's death. As he was faithful in all of his duties, these had to look to his personal beliefs in God to find fault. Daniel 6:6-9 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. They tricked the king into signing the bill by his personal vanity. Daniel always prayed to God. Just as Cornelius in Acts 10. Both of them by their prayers and service to God, had angels (Which are God's messengers.) dispatched to answer them. Cornelius was told to

send men to get Peter. He would speak the words of life to them. After hearing and believing the Gospel, Cornelius and his men received the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of unknown tongues. Afterwards were commanded to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. He is Lord of all. (Acts 10:36) Let's return back to Daniel 6:10-14. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. But he could not and had to throw Daniel, his friend, into the lion's den. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. He was worried about the fate of his friend. Daniel 6:19-24 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den. All that will Godly will suffer. 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. These suffer here but reign as kings in the next life. I say this by faith. This world is temporary. God views it as a vapor. Here today and gone tomorrow. 2 Peter 3:11-12 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. If all I had was this present time and world, I would scared. The things that are coming ahead of us are terrible ones. It will become like Satan's playground. Evil is not being restrained because the vilest things are lifted up as something normal. Mockers of God are multiplying along with every sexual act seen as justifiable. (Along with the diseases they give to the players of this game of Sexual Russian roulette.) When the present president of the U.S. (Obama) shuns the day of prayer and Christianity, (Even denying it, saying the America is no longer based on Christianity. It soon may not be, as he completes his personal agenda.) but instead promotes Gay and Lesbian agenda's; something really wrong is happening. The whole world is held together by God and his people. For if there is no salt or perserevant then it would be eradicated by fire. Even as God already promised never again to flood it, the rainbow being a marker of his promise. The great deceiver or Satan has plans of lying to all and help send those who will not follow God, into Hell with him. It was made

originally only for him and the demons who rebelled against God. Yet if he can convince many not to hear nor receive the word of God by whatever means possible, (Such as false teachings or man made doctrines which save nobody. Or even outright acceptance of him by promising someone something that he will never really deliver.) then will he of accomplished his goal. Many people are so busy that they have not time left for God. B stands for being. U for under. S for Satan's. Y for yoke. Take time for Jesus as he took time for you at Calvary. There he died for every sin ever that will be done. If you reject Christ and his free offer of salvation by his grace and your active faith, (As shown in obedience to his commands. Repentance and baptism in Jesus name is one of them. If you obey all the rest of them without this one then you still will remain lost. A good moral person, but still unsaved by God's terms. Acts 2:38 is for everyone with no exceptions.) then you will pay the penalty. The wages of sin is death. Your sins will find you out. If you sow to the flesh you'll reap the same. Nobody by their own personal work can do enough to be born again. It is by water baptism and ensuing entrance of the Holy Spirit afterwards, that we are saved and sealed unto the day of redemption. Many false teachers have said other plans of salvation that are contrary to the word of God. Search the scriptures and see what actually happened in the book of Acts. Only a few will stand against the flood of the ungodly. Religions tell you what you can do to get God on your conditions. The word of God says to forsake all and put him first, following him on his terms. Nobody wants discipline but the easiest way possible. Everyone will fail God at some point in their life. The true follower of God will continue despite set backs and outright failures. Satan will remind them of their faults to perhaps discourage that person. Guilt or remorse will follow and consume us. (As Judas never learned this lesson.) That is if we forget that what God remembers no more, so should we. We are told to press on. If we turn back God will not have any pleasure in us. That is what Satan desires the most. Misery loves company. There is a peace like a river and joy unspeakable that is full of glory, available to all. Jesus will never reject anyone who comes to him in faith. The only people who are rejected are those who will not live for him because of whatever they place above him. He must become the center of your life. This does not mean to drop everything and go live in a cave. Instead, give him your all and he will meet you where you are. If you live in a palace or in a dungeon. No matter where you are at or who you are; he is there waiting for your response. Nothing or nobody can take away what he has saved. Satan must first gain his permission to afflict any Christian. And only you can decide to leave him. As he has never forced any person from the dawn of time to serve or love him. The only one who waits to steal, kill, or destroy you is Satan. God has come to give all abundant life. Sin is pleasurable and deceitful, yet it yeilds the fruits of death. By trusting and obeying him you'll see his way is better than our way. It's entirely up to you. God bless you always in Jesus name.