Daniel 10:12

“12Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.”

Introduction: What can we learn from the book of Daniel? First, we can learn that we are not in CONTROL! Everything is not under our CONTROL!! But isn’t it good to know that our God is in CONTROL!!! Several learning lessons can be developed from the book of Daniel.

1. We like Daniel, have to learn to come UNDER AUTHORITY! (Dan 1:8-2:1f)

“8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

“13I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

2. We like Daniel, have to learn to live a life of HUMILITY! (Dan 4)

{Nebuchadnezzar had to enroll in God’s humility class 101, because he thought he built Babylon by himself}

“34And 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: 35And 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?”

{Peter writes about humility.}

“Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

“6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” (1Peter 5:6,7)

{I heard about a man who was given an award along with a medal for being humble…. when he put it on ……and was showing it off……they took it AWAY!}

3. We like Daniel, have to learn about God’s SOVEREIGNTY! (Dan 5)

“3Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem”

“5In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.”

“and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: 24Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 25And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

{God always has the final say so; He is in Control}

4. We like Daniel, have to learn to face ADVERSITY! (Dan 6:1f)

“10Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 11Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”

“19Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 21Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. 23Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.”

{Regardless of his circumstances and threats of persecution, Daniel kept his daily habit of prayer to the living God}

• Daniel was despised
• The decree sent by the king
• Daniel’s devotion
• Daniel down in the den of hungry lions
• Daniel’s deliverance

5. We like Daniel, have to learn to prepare for the ENEMY! (Dan 7:7, 8, 24, 25)

” 7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”

“24And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:”

6. We like Daniel, have to learn to look forward to the fulfillment of Bible PROPHECY! (Dan 9:24-27; Dan 11:1-45)

“24Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

**Looking ahead, one can see the Bible will be FULFILLED in the future (v 27)

7. We like Daniel, have to learn about the urgency of ETERNITY! (Dan 12:1-3)

“2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

Conclusion: Studying the book of Daniel reveals some interesting insights for daily living. Dealing with “Authority, Humility, Sovereignty, Adversity, the Enemy, Prophecy, and Eternity” are pertinent issues we face today. Yet, discovering how Daniel dealt with these challenges and was “Blessed” by God certainly prepares and equips us with godly wisdom to overcome our obstacles. Like Daniel, we can conclude with ASSURANCE & CONFIDENCE that our God is in Control! Therefore, “DARE to be a DANIEL”…..”DARE to STAND ALONE”….”DARE to have a PURPOSE TRUE”….”DARE to make it KNOWN”!