The Book of Daniel

                                                                                                

I have a nephew, Daniel Reed, he was taken from us, why we do not know. Whether an accident or by deliberate means is our ever haunting question. He was shot in the woods, not far from his home and died alone so we may never know the truth. But God knows and he will reveal to us on judgment day. His parents, my brother Billy and his wife Alice, are amazing to me. They really had great trust in the Lord that he would carry them through and He did, in His ever faithful way. Daniel name means"God is my judge".
I am starting my bible study today, and it is the book of Daniel. So, I will read and study this book for my nephew, Daniel. We miss and love you everyday.
Dan.1:3-7 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and toteach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel,Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
Dan.1:8-16 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king." Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
Dan1:17-19 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and his sleep began to allude him. In all the kingdom, there could be found not one wise man who could give the interpretation. The King was furious and demanded all the wise men which included Daniel and his companions, be put to death. Daniel asked what the order was and the King's captain told him. Then Daniel asked to meet with the King. He then told his companions to pray for mercy to the God of heaven concerning the mystery.
Dan.1:26-29 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?" Daniel answered the king and said, "No wise me enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be.
Daniel spoke what God had revealed. Daniel won the Kings favor and was made ruler over Babylon and all the wise men of Babylon. But Daniel wanted to stay with the King so he requested that his three companions,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, instead be appointed.
The King ordered a golden image to be made for the people to worship. Anyone found not doing so was to be sent to the burning firey furnace. The people began to tell the King that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not bow to the golden image. The king was furious and demanded they go to the firey furnace. Their reply follows:
Dan.3:17-18 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

Then the rest of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego follows.

Dan.3:22-23 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

Dan.3:24-25 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods."

Dan.3:26-28 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.