looking for Daniel

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 1:14-16


- So Daniel is right!

- They look better!

- Practical knowledge is efficient!

- Don’t forget it!

- It is not because the majority does it that it is the best!

- On the contrary!

- It is never good to follow trends or fashion!

- You may become a modern slave!

 

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Looking for Daniel

Daniel 1:17

- Thus the four youths are favored by God!

- But Daniel is more favored!

- It means he has something additional!

- Is it his faithfulness?

- His relationship with God?

- We have seen that he was the one who took the lead to preserve their traditions and faith!

- It is not by luck!

 

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Looking for Daniel

Daniel 1:18,19

- The time arrives when the youths are presented to the king and he finds the four youngsters to be the best!

- There we see the importance of giving a good education to our children!

- It also requires time to spend with them!

- And being able to communicate with them from their birth!

- You can’t let others do all the work!

- It doesn’t work!

 

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Looking for Daniel

Daniel 1:20,21

- But they are not only better!

- They are ten times better!

- So it goes far beyond the normal system!

- Youngsters can learn a lot during this period of their lives!

- And teaching them about Yah.weh is essential!

- But a God with whom they can develop a personal relationship!

- It is quite different from what modern society does in general!

- It is also a reason why we are where we are!

- Once again, can you imagine the difference!

- Ten times better!

- It is unbelievable!

- No comparison is possible!

- Once again, it shows the importance of teaching our children about Yah.weh!

- When I say teaching about Yah.weh, it means really teaching!

- In such a way that they can think by themselves!

- In such a way that they can defend their faith!

- In such a way they can communicate with Yah.weh!

- In such a way they can develop a personal relationship to Yah.weh!

- Of course, it means hard work!

- But parents must show the way!

- Otherwise, it doesn’t work!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 1

- In this chapter we are told about 4 youngsters who are brought to a foreign country with a different culture and religion and everything!

- They are alone!

- Apparently, they don’t have their own family!

- And they show themselves exceptional!

- And they will keep going in the same direction!

- Thus once again it definitely shows the importance of a good education where the parents must be 100% active!

- And Yah.weh must be the cement!

- It is so different from today!

- It is so different from our modern society!

- The question is what is really the modern society!

- I can only see a regression!

- And the word regression is far from what reality is!

- When scientists speak about evolution, I would say the same but in the other direction!

- Modern society means superficiality!

- And learning about Yah.weh has nothing to do with that!

- On the contrary!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel


Daniel 2: 13,14

- “discreetly and cautiously”: Daniel is young but he is careful!

- He knows how to behave!

- And he is not afraid: he knows who he serves, that is Yah.weh who protects him!

- As usual he takes the lead of his companions!

- Once again, education is essential and the younger the better!

- When I say education, I am not speaking about school!

- I am speaking about home!

- I am speaking about parents!

- I am speaking about personal relationship with Yah.weh!

- It must be the basis on which to build the rest!

- I am speaking about solid foundations!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 2:15,16

- When Daniel learns about what is going on, he goes straight to the king!

- Once again he is not afraid!

- Once again he takes the lead!

- He does everything!

- We remember that the king could see by himself that Daniel and his companions are far better than the rest!

- Thus when Daniel goes to speak to the king, he pays attention to him and he gives him time!

- Once again, Yah.weh shows us the way!

- Once again, Yah.weh shows us the importance of education related to him!

- If Yah.weh doesn’t have a share in the education of our children, we can forget it!

- We can only have what we get today!

- Nothing!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel


Daniel 2

Daniel then goes to his house and informs his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the matter.

- It seems that Daniel is more reactive than his companions!

- Because he asks the officer of the king!

- Then he goes to the king and asks him to grant him time!

- And he finally informs his companions of the situation!

- He is a man of order and well organized!

- Thus we can imagine he is really efficient at his job!

- It is quite different from today’s way of doing things!

- Every verse tells us about Daniel’s specificity!

- He is unique!

- There is no one else like him!

- As a consequence, he is the example to follow!

- And as a young man, as an adult and as an old man!

- But is it possible to speak about Daniel as an old man!

- In the same way, can we speak about the faithful ones as old men?

- They all show the same mind regarding their God Yah.weh!

- They always keep straight in their boots!

- Yah.weh is their life buoy!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 2:18

Daniel asks his companions to pray to Yah.weh so Daniel can get the interpretation of the dream so Daniel and his companions and all the wise men of Babylon may be saved!

- That’s definitely interesting!

- Daniel is an able man!

- He is probably the best!

- He knows he has a good relationship with Yah.weh!

- But he doesn’t stop from asking the help of his companions by praying to Yah.weh!

- It is definitely exceptional!

- We can understand why he is called “precious man”!

- He is always reactive!

- He is a team player!

- He is always efficient!

- And all this comes from the beginning!

- It is completely different from today!

- Our modern society looks like an old man who is completely lost!

- And this old man is not reactive, he is not a team player, he is not efficient!

- What a regression!

- And they call it progress!

- Only old men who live in the past!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 2:19

- Daniel is also a “precious man” because he is humble!

- As soon as Yah.weh sends him a vision, he prays to thank him!

- He knows who he is and who Yah.weh is!

- May we remember this passage!

- HUMILITY!

- Mankind will never understand the value of this word!

- But it is as valuable as gold!

- But this dying world has no more value!

- Soon Yah.weh will bring back values in the new promised land!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel


Daniel 2:20-23

- As soon as Daniel is told about the king’s vision and its interpretation he prays to Yah.weh to thank him!

- He knows everything he has, it is because of Yah.weh!

- He speaks about Yah.weh’s wisdom and mightiness!

- He also mentions his companions!

- He never forgets anybody!

- He is precise!

- Every detail has its importance!

- He leaves nothing to chance!

- Once again, Daniel is an incredible example to follow!

- He has incredible faithfulness!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 2:24

- Daniel goes to Arioch who is in charge of killing the wise men of Babylon!

- And he tells him not to kill the wise men!

- And he tells him to take him in before the king!

- And he will tell him the interpretation!

- Daniel knows he must act fast!

- It is a question of life or death!

- But he first took the time to thank Yah.weh!

- It is the most important thing to do for him!

- Then he goes directly to Arioch!

- Thus he shows he cares about all human lives!

- He doesn’t want anyone to be killed!

- Daniel gives the first place to Yah.weh!

- What about us?

 

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Looking for Daniel

Daniel 2:25-28

- Daniel first starts by saying that nobody was able to answer the king!

- Then he tells him there is only one who can do it!

- And it is Yah.weh!

- As we can see, as usual, Daniel explains carefully and with details that it is Yah.weh who can do it!

- He always highlights Yah.weh!

- He never speaks about himself!

- Where is Yah.weh today in our so-called modern society?

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 2

- Once again, Daniel highlights Yah.weh the Revealer of secrets!

- Then he is clear about himself!

- He has no greater wisdom than anyone living!

- Once again, Daniel shows his humility!

- It must have been very different from the other wise men of Babylon!

- And humility has something to do with it!

- And Yah.weh has something to do with it!

- And Daniel’s education has something to do with it!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 2

- So Daniel tells about the king’s dream and then its interpretation!

- Before telling the interpretation to the king, Daniel tells him that Yah.weh gave him all what he has!

- And he enumerates all the things he has!

- We can say it is also a warning to the king!

- Because if Yah.weh gave him all what he has, he can also take it!

- And he will take everything!

- The king, because of his power, thinks nobody can take him what he has!

- The Israelites did the same!

- They did not listen to Yah.weh!

- And he took everything he had given him!

- Are we going to do the same?

- Or will we listen to him?

- It is the same with the next promised land!

- Getting into it is a privilege!

- We must deserve it!

- We won’t get into it without doing anything!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 2

- Thus the king pays homage to Daniel!

- He acknowledges the power of Yah.weh!

- But he won’t listen to his warning!

- He won’t change his attitude!

- And in due time he will pay the price for his pride!

- It was the same for the hebrews!

- And it will be the same for mankind!

- Only individuals can listen to Yah.weh!

- And they will be saved!

- The others will die as usual!

- Human intelligence versus human stupidity!

- Of course, as usual, human intelligence is rare and human stupidity is widespread!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 2

- Daniel is blessed as he serves Yah.weh faithfully!

- And he is not selfish because he asks the king for a position for his three companions!

- For him details are important!

- And he doesn’t neglect anything or anyone!

- Imagine a foreigner becoming one of the most important characters in Babylon!

- Of course, we Remember Joseph in Egypt!

- It is a similar case!

- In Yah.weh’s promised land, everyone will be required to participate in the reconstruction just as in the case of Jerusalem!

- Thus Yah.weh is looking for faithful servants who are active and useful!

- He doesn’t need people who are good to nothing and useless!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 3

- Like Daniel, his three companions are faithful men to Yah.we and thus excellent examples for us!

- We don’t know anything about Daniel!

- That’s strange because he is one of the most important men of Babylon!

- Nebuchadnezzar is brutal!

- But he can easily change his attitude when something happens!

- Here, Daniel’s three companions are saved by Yah.weh!

- And he gives them a higher position!

- So they are also blessed because of their faithfulness!

- He doesn’t accept anyone’s disobedience but when somebody does it and survives, he can only recognize it!

- Thus he is pragmatic!

- Faithfulness leads you to find and keep the right direct, without going to the left or to the right!

- You just keep straight away!

- It is evidence!

- No evidence, no faithfulness!

- It requires hard work, no lazinessI

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 4

- Nebuchadnezzar is warned by God through visions but he doesn’t care so he pays the price!

- It was the same with the Israelites!

- It is the same with humanity!

- And humanity doesn’t care!

- And all the time Yah.weh gives time to people so they can change!

- But there is always a limit!

- Thus people will have to pay the price when God strikes humanity!

- It will be a shock!

- But the majority never understands!

- It’s always the same!

- So why lamenting!

- When someone doesn’t listen and pays the price even with death, that’s life!

- There is no need to be sad!

- People are adults and thus they make a choice!

- And the way we live shows what we choose!

- Then we can’t say I didn’t know!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Daniel

Daniel 5

- Once again a good example we may try to remember as a warning!

- Those who don’t care about God will pay the price!

- Belshazzar didn’t listen and was killed!

- We may remember the meaning of Tekel, that is “you have been weighed in the balances and found lacking.”!

- It can’t be clearer even if human beings don’t want to listen!

- Thus everyone will be weighed in the balances!

- Let’s also remember how Daniel reacted!

- He didn’t care about privileges!

- He just wanted to serve God faithfully!

- Making the right choice at the right time!

- If you make the right choice at the wrong time, you are dead!

- If you make the wrong choice at the right time, you are dead!

- Remember: Yah.weh’s time is not man’s time!