The Book of Daniel, Prophetic Book of a Sovereign God, Daniel 1:1-2 - Lesson 2

As we study the book of Daniel we will find that Daniel, unlike the other prophets, reveals the details of God’s plan for both the nations and Israel.

Daniel provides the overall knowledge of the plan of God concerning the nations from his time to the time of Jacob’s trouble, a time yet to be seen.

It gives the believer comfort as to the truthfulness of God’s word for every prophesy of Daniel up until this day has been accurately and minutely fulfilled in every detail.

There is no reason therefore to doubt the Bible as to prophecies that have not as yet been fulfilled.

The Bible is established as God’s word and God’s word will be carried out.

Daniel describes some of the historic events which took place during Judah’s seventy-year exile in Babylon.

In addition, Daniel’s prophecies show future events from the time of Daniel to the establishment of God’s kingdom in the future.

Daniel’s prophecies describe events which took place during the 400 silent years between the Old and the New Testaments, and provide a connection between the two portions of scripture.

Daniel is not only a book of future prophecy, it is a book which clearly shows the fulfillment of prophecy.

The captivity of the Jews and of Daniel, as well as his ministry to Babylonian kings, is the precise fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, from the time of Moses to Daniel’s time.

Daniel deals with things which have happened, which are still going on now, and which will happen during the remainder of the Gentile age and on into the period known as the time of "Jacob’s trouble" or the time of the great tribulation.

This book is particularity valuable in our teaching of young people for it gives to Christians an example of a godly man, who was faithful from his youth to the end of his life.

This book shows us that a Christian can live a godly life in this ungodly world and not only live, but have a great impact upon the society in which he lives.

Daniel and his friends were the smallest of minorities and in spite of that was able to stand alone for God when it was at the risk of their lives to do so.

He was separated but he was not isolated.

He did not hide in order to save his skin.

It is tempting for those of us in Christian ministries to hide in the ministry and thereby avoid taking a stand in this evil world.

But this was not the case with Daniel and his friends and because of this he has much to teach us about faithfulness in times of suffering and adversity, about leadership, and about the sovereignty of God.

Daniel is a reminder of God’s faithfulness, even when men are unfaithful.

God did not bring Judah into exile and leave them unattended for they were still his people and were there for His good purposes.

Daniel shows how God can work in our lives, even through those who are unbelievers and who are opposed to God’s people.

Now lets get into the book!

Daniel 1:1-2,  In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. ²And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar (shin-awr') to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

What is written here in these two verses has a prophetic background.

So the beginning of Daniel introduces us to one of its main themes, that of prophesy.

As we study the book of Daniel we will find that Daniel is the source of future prophesy but we will also find that Daniel is the source of fulfilled prophesy.

These verses concern the part of Israel known as Judah, the southern kingdom as opposed to that known as Israel or Ephraim.

The northern kingdom had already been conquered and the people scattered, over 115 years before the exile of Judah.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, as the instrument of God, has besieged the land and carried off in captivity Daniel, his people and part of the vessels of the temple.

Now this should have been no surprise to the people, for this captivity was foretold by God as part of the covenant relationship of God with Israel.

Before the nation Israel crossed the Jordan to possess the promised land of Canaan, God renewed His covenant with this people, promising to bless them for obedience to His law and to curse them for disobedience.

This curse included captivity:

We can read of this is Deuteronomy 28:15, 32,36-37,  But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: ……..Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand. ……..The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.

And further in Deuteronomy 28:49-50,  The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;  A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the young:

The northern kingdom had already suffered this fate at the hands of the Assyrians.

This was also foretold by God in 1 Kings 14:15-16,  For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger. ¹⁶And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.

This foretelling was realized in Israel in:

2 Kings 18:9-12,  And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it. ¹⁰And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. ¹¹And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes: ¹²Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.

Look again at the first two verses of Daniel and remember the vessels that were carried to Babylon.

Even in this detail prophesy is fulfilled.

Remember that during the reign of Hezekiah Judah was delivered by God from Assyria.

Hezekiah later became deathly ill and by his plea to God was given another 15 years to live.

The king of Babylon heard of his recovery and sent him a greeting which resulted in a visit to Jerusalem and a showing off of the riches of Jerusalem including the vessels of the temple.

For this, Isaiah rebuked Hezekiah and gave this prophecy of Judah’s downfall at the hand of Babylon:

2 Kings 20:16-18,  And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.  Behold, the days come (this would take place in Daniel’s day, about 90 years later), that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.  And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

So go no further than the first two verses of Daniel and you see that God’s promises and prophecies concerning Israel and Judah were literally and precisely fulfilled.

God is good to us.

He says look what has taken place in the past and learn from that, that I am always faithful to my word and will fulfill my promises exactly as I have said.

And in the case of Israel and Judah God’s promises turned out to be the curse of scattering and exile.

Daniel is also the source of future prophecies and because of the fulfilled prophecies that Daniel attests to we know that future prophecies are also certain to come about.

Let me read the first two verses again:

Daniel 1:1-2,  In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.  And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

Now also notice the sovereignty of God in these verses.

Daniel, recognizing the hand of God in all of this, assures us that this action was taken to fulfill God’s purposes and promises.

There are people who claim to foretell the future and they are right in some cases.

But this does not make them sovereign.

The sovereign is sovereign because he not only foretells the future but he brings about or determines the future.

Judah was vanquished because it was the will of God for them to be vanquished.

God drew Nebuchadnezzar as his instrument to carry out his promise to Judah.

So another theme of the book of Daniel is God’s sovereignty and we will see it displayed throughout the book as God reveals prophecies to the kings of Babylon, some of which are fulfilled in their lifetimes.

Testimony of God’s power, authority and sovereignty was always given by Daniel to the kings.

Daniel never claimed power to himself but always attributed it to his God.

God’s sovereignty was recognized even in the times of deliverance of Daniel from the lion’s den and his three friends from the fiery furnace.

Remember the three friends refused to bow down to a lesser king, a king with only earthly sovereignty.

Daniel was always quick to lift up His God as sovereign over the gods of the Babylonians for Nebuchadnezzar challenged his sovereignty in the very taking of the temple vessels.

To the victors go the spoils and the spoils mentioned in the first two verses of Daniel were the vessels taken from the temple.

There was more to that than just taking some golden vessels, for these vessels were symbols of the God of those vessels.

In those days wars that were waged between nations were wars waged between gods.

The nation that vanquished another nation assumed that their gods were the greater gods.

In this Nebuchadnezzar is throwing down the gauntlet.

My god is the greater god.

The god of Israel’s vessels are in my god’s house which proves my god the greater god.

In those days any battle was a battle between the gods of the nations engaged in warfare.

So we can expect to see this battle continue in the book of Daniel and we will see that Daniel waged this war in every opportunity he was given.

We are to remember that no one battle determines the outcome of the war.

And so this is true in this book for we will see the battle won by the God of Israel when Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the victor:

Daniel 4:34-37,  And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?  At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.  Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

Nebuchadnezzar, like Israel, had become proud in the position and power God had given.

Nebuchadnezzar, like Israel, was humbled for a time, and then restored to give praise and glory to God.

And, as this was so with Nebuchadnezzar, it will also be so with Israel.

But Daniel was one of those men who lived a humble life, a life in which God needed not to humble or abase and he is given to us as an example of a man who pleased God.

He was not a man who exalted himself a man that God promises to abase but he was a man humble whom God promises to exalt.

I know that God will bless our lives as we study and apply the message of this great book if we study it for His glory.