October 25

DANIEL 5

King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.² Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his fatherhad taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. ³ Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.⁵ Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. ⁶ Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. ⁷ The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” ⁸ Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. ⁹ Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. – Daniel 5:1-8

DANIEL 5 THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

According to Dr. Constable’s expository note, “Nebuchadnezzar was Belshazzar’s grandfather rather than his father, but the original language commonly used “father” in the sense of ancestor. Belshazzar came to power some nine years after Nebuchadnezzar died. The events of this chapter therefore occurred about 66 years after those in chapter 1, and about 36 years after those in chapter 4. Daniel would now have been in his 80’s when this all happened.”

We will discover later when Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall that this must have been God’s finger that actually wrote a message to the King who defiled the sacred vessels in the temple. For Belshazzar to take out these golden vessels in order to be able to use it in their feasting and worship of their gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron wood and stone is so ridiculously wicked. We witness idolatry and pride run in his blood because Nebuchadnezzar took many years before he acknowledged the one true God.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think Belshazzar took those vessels in the temple?

October 22

DANIEL 4

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! ²⁰ The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, ²¹ whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— ²² it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. ²³ And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ ²⁴ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, ²⁵ that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. ²⁶ And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” – Daniel 4:19-27

DANIEL 4 NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM INTERPRETED

Nebuchadnezzar was pacifying Daniel’s concern over his dream in verse 19. This just goes to show how he has no understanding of his own life. Without God’s knowledge, we will have no way of addressing our sins. We will be unaware of it unless the Holy Spirit convicts us of it. Nebuchadnezzar had no inkling that the tree in his dream and the other details of the story was giving him a prophetic vision of what is to come of him and his kingdom if he didn’t repent of his sins and acknowledge God’s sovereignty.

REFLECTION

• How do you think Nebuchadnezzar reacted to the interpretation of his dream?

October 21

DANIEL 4

¹³ “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. ¹⁴ He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. ¹⁷ The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ ¹⁸ This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

                                                                        – Daniel 4:13-18

DANIEL 4 VISIONS IN A DREAM

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When a man dreams, he sees different images

They are often things he thinks about each passing day

They are mysteries that are hard to understand

These visions in your dream can represent what’s to come.

King Nebuchadnezzar clearly remembered his second dream and this time, unlike the first one, he tells what it was. It is interesting that he first called the others before he called Daniel. It displays the king’s dependence on those who are his people and those whom he is comfortable with. Eventually, he summoned Daniel after not getting any answers from these magicians and other unwise people, pretending to know things. We see that Nebuchadnezzar always reverts back to his foolish counsel even knowing they had no answers. His last resort was Daniel. Often when we dream, there are no logical events that are presented. They are mostly just images that are incomprehensible. In this dream, God was showing Nebuchadnezzar what is to happen to him if he continues with his pride.

REFLECTION

• Do you think dreams mean something? Where do you think they come from?

October 20

DANIEL 4

King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! ² It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.³ How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.⁴ I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. ⁵ I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. ⁶ So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷ Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. ⁸ At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, ⁹ “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. ¹⁰ The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. ¹¹ The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. ¹² Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. – Daniel 4:1-12

DANIEL 4 NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S SECOND DREAM

In this account, we witness how Nebuchadnezzar was impressed with God and seemingly appears like praising him at the start of this chapter. It looks like the Holy Spirit was working in his heart when he declared in verse 3 how great God was and his kingdom was everlasting.  The bible says that no one can confess God’s greatness unless the Holy Spirit prods them to.

When the king had his second bothersome dream, he called for Daniel whom he renamed Belteshazzar, after his god and gave the title of chief of the magicians. Doesn’t that sound like an insult to God? He was impressed by God when his first dream was revealed by Daniel, but not enough to believe him. His heart stayed hardened.

REFLECTION

• What is the difference between just being amazed by God and having true faith?

October 17

DANIEL 3

⁸ Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. ⁹ They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! ¹⁰ You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. ¹¹ And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. ¹² There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.^[c] But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” – Daniel 3:8-15

DANIEL 3 PLOT AGAINST DANIEL’S FRIENDS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When envy strikes an ungodly man, he begins to sow seeds of evil

Because jealousy begets other sins, he opens doors for the devil

He begins to plot against those whom they are insecure about

They feel entitled to clamor for what others have or possess.

The theme of this account has to do with the sin of envy. When Daniel and his friends were given positions in the King’s court, all eyes were on these young men. As servants of God, we will encounter envy from unbelievers. Because they do not have the favor and the blessings that are given to those who love the Lord, these people are teeming with jealousy and envy against them. So, these Chaldeans who noticed that Daniel’s friends didn’t bow down to the King’s golden image, they found an opening to plot to kill them by reporting to the king that they weren’t following the rule to bow down to the image.

REFLECTION

• Cite some instances in the bible when envy led to other sins.

October 16

DANIEL 3

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. ² Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ³ Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁴ And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵ that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶ And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” ⁷ Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. – Daniel 3:1-7

DANIEL 3 MAKING AN IDOL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

To create an idol for oneself is an abomination to the Lord

We bow down only to God and not to anything in this world

When we raise up anything to praise and worship

It is an insult to the Lord who is the Maker of all things.

In this account, we begin to know Nebuchadnezzar. He makes sure that he is the focus of attention and that whatever he creates, must be given adulation. We see in this narrative that he is a tyrant. He wants to be making all the rules and his people following whatever he imposes.

Nebuchadnezzar reminds me of Adolf Hitler who ensures that everyone salutes him and all that he stands for. If anyone disobeys him, they get killed. In Nebuchadnezzar’s case, they will be thrown in the fire and burned.

REFLECTION

·       What are some human idols we make that we need to be watchful about?

  October 13

DANIEL 2

³¹ “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. ³² The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, ³³ its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. ³⁴ As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. ³⁵ Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. ³⁶ “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. – Daniel 2:31-36

DANIEL 2 DANIEL NARRATES THE KING’S DREAM

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The dream showed a great image that was so bright but frightening

Its head was made of gold and its chest and arms were of silver

Its middle and thighs were made of bronze and its legs of iron

Its feet were partly iron and partly clay and broken in pieces

Then all of the materials it was made were all broken

It became like chaff on the threshing floors during the summer.

In this account, God displays his omniscience and power. No human being can read someone else’s mind, let alone one person’s dream. Notice the details of the dream that was explicitly declared by Daniel. In the later part of this chapter, we will also hear God’s interpretation through Daniel what each aspect of the dream meant.

I could imagine Nebuchadnezzar’s jaw dropping shock to hear the details of his dream as if it was a movie being played in front of his very eyes while Daniel narrated his dream. What an extraordinary experience it must have been to witness the magnitude and sovereignty of God through Daniel. Surely, one’s heart will be touched no matter how cold and hardened it is. But, let us see how Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction would be in the following part of this chapter.

REFLECTION

·       How is this narrative more about the divine rather than humans? 

October 12

DANIEL 2

²⁵ Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” ²⁶ 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?” ²⁷ Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, ²⁸ 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: ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. – Daniel 2:25-30

DANIEL 2 DANIEL PRAISES GOD BEFORE A PAGAN KING

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Brave Daniel stands before Nebuchadnezzar

He humbly faced the king without a tinge of pride

He told him that no human can accomplish what he wants

Only his Almighty God who is divine and omniscient can

Daniel praised the Lord boldly before he began to explain

He never took credit for the interpretation of his dream.

In this account, we witness the great courageous and humble Daniel. He had the boldness to approach the king to volunteer to interpret his dream even after the king commanded to kill the wise men of Babylon for not knowing and interpreting his dream. Once again, we are given a glimpse of the impossible demand of the king and his character. His unrealistic expectation from any human being is so apparent in these verses.

We witness an extraordinary scene here because a Jewish young exile of Babylon had the audacity to stand before the king to free those wise men whom the king had ordered to kill. It was God who gave him the revelation and interpretation of the king’s troublesome dream. Only God can do what the king requires from any human being. What is amazing in this scene is that Daniel praised the God whom Nebuchadnezzar had no knowledge of. He exhibited no fear to tell a pagan king about his God’s omniscience.

REFLECTION

·       When have you boldly praised God in front of unbelievers? How did it go?