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Daniel 1 Bible Study
Do You Know Who You Are?
One of our most persistent problems in living the Christian life is that we forget who we are. We begin life as
someone's son or daughter, and along the way we become the friend of our friends, a student to our teachers, an
employee to our boss, and so on. To some people we're someone to please, to others someone to sell something to.
It's no surprise, then, that we should be confused at times about our identity. But we're not entirely innocent in this
confusion. For at the heart of our identity, where it should be shaping and directing all the rest, is the call of God to
be His people. That call arises from our very creation - we were made in God's image, with all that entails - and it
comes with new life and force in our redemption - we were rescued from slavery so that we could be free to live in a
way that truly reflects God and does what He desires in the world.
In our Bible study together we're going to consider what happens when a few of His people accept their vocation as
servants of God, even in the face of great and seductive challenges.
Read Daniel 1.
1. As the story begins, what events have taken place? (see 2 Chronicles 36:15-23)
a. What does the author highlight about the conquest of Jerusalem?2
·
What impact would the destruction of the city have on the various people involved?
·
What impact would the looting of the temple have on the various people involved?
b. If you were there at the time, who would
seem to be in control of events? Why?
c. Whom does the narrator see in control? Why might Daniel and his friends see what's really going
on?3
2. In what ways does the king take control of the lives of Daniel and his friends?4 What was
Nebuchadnezzar attempting to do by assuming such control?
a. What determines the extent to which Daniel accepts this control?5
b. How does he go about trying to solve the problem?
3. Given the circumstances and length of challenge that Daniel and his friends encountered, how would
you summarize their actions towards God?
a. How does God respond to Daniel's loyalty to Him?
b. What particular blessings does He give? with what results?6
c. What does Nebuchadnezzar think about God at the end of this episode?7
4. What people or organizations in your life seem to have control or power over what you do? over what
your future holds?
5. What challenges to believing God is the real ruler over all have you been facing?8
6. Let's pray, thanking God for not leaving us without a witness to Himself in the midst of circumstances
which seem to say He's dead or defeated. And let's pray that our identity in Him would become surer
and more definite, so we'd be able to respond confidently and faithfully to the challenges we face.
Daniel 2 Bible Study
The God Who Shows and Tells
When we left Daniel and his friends yesterday, they had just passed the kings personal examination at the
head of the class, and had entered his service. God had given them the favor they needed with those over
them so they could freely live the distinctive way He wanted. He had blessed them with understanding and
academic success. And He had given Daniel a particular ability to understand what visions and dreams
mean.
Read Daniel 2
1. Describe Nebuchadnezzar's trouble.
a. Why does he change the rules on his assorted advisors? What reason does he give?
b. Why do you think this matters now when it appears not to have bothered him before
2. How is Daniel impacted by the king's death decree?
3. Compare how Daniel reacts to the other wisemen in Nebuchadnezzar's court.
a. To what do the magicians appeal? What steps does Daniel take?
b. The astrologers tell Nebuchadnezzar that "No one can reveal [your dream] to the king except the
gods, and they do not live among men." How does Daniel's praise to God refute this presumption?
4. Let's look at Daniel's interaction with the king:
a. Describe the dream and its meaning.
·
What does the dream reveal to Nebuchadnezzar? to Daniel? How would the dream's
content further encourage Daniel in his present situation?
]
·
In what ways does Daniel publicly acknowledge God's role in answering the dream?
5. What is the king's response, and what does it reveal about him? Reading the first couple verses in
chapter 3, how much has Nebuchadnezzar understood the dream's lesson?
The statue is erected and
the dream begins to be fulfilled.
6. Do you find much comfort in the truth that God has won (via the cross) and will win (via Christ's
triumphant return)? How does God's victory shape your daily thinking and action?
7. What do we learn about the interaction of our vocation and our faith from this chapter?
a. How convinced are you that God will bring glory to himself through you and your work?
b. What lessons regarding faithfulness to God can we carry away from this chapter?
8. Let's take some time to pray (may want to solicit specific ways to pray from the group)
a. for those in power in our world and in your life, that God will trouble them and reveal Himself to
them, even through us.
b. for us. that God will give us confidence in His victory. that our God would continue to give us
faithfulness in serving Him within our work.
Daniel 3 Bible Study
The God Who Delivers His Faithful Servants
In the last study, we left Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel with a revelation of the future. Nebuchadnezzar's
kingdom is revealed as the greatest among human domains, subsequently followed by subordinate, lessor
kingdoms. All of these kingdoms will be smashed and overshadowed by God's kingdom which grows
and lasts forever. Today we look more closely at what Nebuchadnezzar has learned from his dream
regarding his kingdom and God's.
Read Daniel 3
c. Silently and briefly scan over Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream (2:26-45).
d. What does Nebuchadnezzar do, in chapter 3, on the heals of Daniel interpreting his dream?
Why does he does erect an enormous statue?
e. Compare the dream's statue to Nebuchadnezzar's. What is different between the two? How
does this further help illuminate his intentions in erecting the statue?
9. Who are commanded to bow down before the statue? Why does Nebuchadnezzar have the leaders
of his kingdom do so?
a. Who denounces the Meshach, Shadrach, & Abednego? Why do the astrologers denounce them
to the king?
Remember Nebuchadnezzar finds the three Jews superior to the astrologers (1:20), Daniel is
able to interpret the king's dream, the astrologers are inept (2:10-12), and the three Jews were promoted
above astrologers because of Daniel's interpretive success (2:49).
10. What dilemma do Daniel's three friends face as a result of the statue and Nebuchadnezzar's
decree? What choices are they given by Nebuchadnezzar?
a. How would you characterize their response? Why do they seem indifferent about their
potential death? What is at stake for them?
11. What results from their obedience? How are others around them effected by their allegiance to
God?
a. the soldiers
b. the astrologers
c. Nebuchadnezzar
12. What have we further learned about how God intends to topple Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and
establish His own from this chapter?
13. What further lessons about the interaction of our vocation and our faith are learned from this
chapter?
a. What lessons regarding faithfulness to God can we carry away from this chapter?
14. Where do we find ourselves vulnerable to disloyalty towards God's Kingdom?
a. What risks do you face today in faithfully serving the Lord's Kingdom?
b. How has God surprised you by intervening in situations where you might otherwise
compromise your allegiance towards Him?
15. Let's take some time to pray:
a. for situations that you feel at risk in faithfully honoring God
b. for obedient steps you're presently taking at work or other arenas, to honor God and further
His Kingdom
Daniel 4 Bible Study
1) Do a bit of backtracking. What do we know thus far about Nebuchadnezzar? How would you
describe him? May want to read past snippets from Daniel. [see 1:3-4 & 18-20; 2:12, 46-49; 3:1-6,
13-14, 19-20, 28-30]
2) Read Daniel 4
3) Who is recounting this story about Nebuchadnezzar? Did you notice a change in the narration during
the story? Why does it change?
4) How would you describe Nebuchadnezzar's attitude towards God at the beginning of his recounting of
what's happened to him in verse 4 and following?
5) Why do you think Nebuchadnezzar looks to Daniel last to interpret his dream even though he shown
past proficiency?
6) What is the central reason that Daniel gives for God "cutting down" Nebuchadnezzar? What advice
does Daniel give Neb. in order to avoid this disaster?
7) Why do you think Neb. refuses to follow Daniel's advice? Why is acknowledging that God is
sovereign over all kingdoms so important to God?
8) How would you describe how God has changed Nebuchadnezzar in verses 1-3 & 34-37? What do you
think is required to acknowledge God's sovereignty?
9) What are some of the things in our world or in your personal realm which deny that God is all-
powerful, sovereign, and in control? How can we pray for God to bring glory to himself in those
situations?
10) In what ways do you struggle to acknowledge that God is Lord over all? How does Daniel's courage
and God's work in Nebuchadnezzar encourage you to trust in Him?
11) Pray for no.'s 9 & 10 and any other ways we can pray together.
Daniel 5 Bible Study
1) The events in this chapter take place in 539 B.C., the year of the fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persian
army led by Cyrus the Great. Babylon's empire had been greatly reduced by this time, but Babylon
itself was still considered impregnable. It had 20 years of food supplies and the Euphrates River
flowed through the heart of the city, so that no embargo could effect them.
2) Read Daniel 5
3) From verses 1-4, describe the setting of chapter 5. What is happening? Describe the king's attitude
towards his party guests and towards God.
4) What is similar in this whole event to Nebuchadnezzar's dream(s)? How is each king's reaction
similar?
5) Daniel is again called upon to act as an interpreter. This event happens nearly 70 years after Daniel's
initial exile into Babylon. He is an old servant of God's in Babylon.
6) Why does Daniel refuse the king's offerings of a prize for interpreting the message?
7) Describe how Daniel speaks to the king. Why do you think Daniel is so courageous and unrelenting in
his criticism of the king?
8) How does he treat Belshazzar differently from Nebuchadnezzar? What is it about Belshazzar's actions
that are abhorrent?
9) Have you had a situation where money, power or similar devices have been dangled before you as a
temptation to refuse doing what is right before God? Where are the places you find the world and its
forces pressing in on your convictions about righteousness?
10) Why does he recount the incident with Nebuchadnezzar to the king? What other sins does he call
Belshazzar to account for in verses 22-24?
11) In both Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar's dreams (chaps. 4 & 5) God deals decisively with the
arrogance of rulers. Why does God despise this sin so? Why is the combination of arrogance and
leadership so lethally evil?
12) How do you think a secular historian would recount the downfall of Belshazzar's kingdom? How
would their account differ from Daniel's?
13) What lessons does this chapter teach us about God's sovereign control over authorities and about how
we should view historical events such as the fall of leader?
14) Pray in response:
· For humility of the president, senators/reps., your mayor, & governor, any impending elections
· For our seeing politics and history through the eyes of God's sovereignty
· For graceful, powerful responses to leaders affronts to God's holiness
Daniel 6 Bible Study
1. Can you describe the public Christian you must respect? Why?
2. Review together what Daniel has gone through up to this point of his life.
a. What challenges has he faced?
b. How has his governmental service impacted others?
c. What words or phrases would you use to describe his character and actions?
3. Read Daniel 6 (ask a few people to help give a dramatic reading of the passage; Daniel, Darius,
satraps, narrator)
4. What character traits in Daniel did Darius note, thus leading him to promote Daniel? What character
traits of Daniel lead the satraps to set their plot for Daniel? What is ironic about this?
a. What do we learn about the interaction of public service, vocation and personal godliness from
Daniel's example?
5. What do you notice about the satraps interaction with Darius? How are their actions in contrast to
Daniel's?
6. In what ways is Darius culpable for Daniel's plight? What impact does Daniel's plight have on him?
7. Why does Daniel continue to pray openly to God? What is at stake for him that leads him to act in this
manner?
8. How are Darius' actions, subsequent to God delivering Daniel, a reversal of the evil intentions of
Daniel's enemies? How has God used Daniel's deliverance to impact Darius? What is Darius
convinced about God from this incident?
9. What personal examples of godly faithfulness in the public world have challenged or shaped your life?
10. Where do you find it especially difficult to allow Christianity and vocational service to interact?
11. How can we pray for an advancement of Daniel-like faithfulness and seamless interaction between life
in the marketplace and following Christ?
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