Connecting And Reflecting Experience
ICE-BREAKER
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What’s in a name? – Look up the alleged meaning of your
first name at www.behindthename.com
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What is one of the most memorable dreams you have ever had?
Today’s Reflection Questions
Series: “Not What I Imagined”
Title: “Serving God in a Pagan Nation”
Text: Daniel 1 &2
QUESTIONS:
CONNECTING
TO THE TEXT
1.
How were the
four Hebrew men chosen and trained for the King’s service? Dan. 1:3-5
2.
Why might Daniel
have considered the King’s meals capable of “defiling” him? Ps. 106:8 &
141:4
3.
What ways could
Daniel see God working in his difficult situation? Dan. 1:9, 17, 20
4.
If Daniel was
placed in three years of training (1:5) and Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (2:1) was in
his Second year, then what does that tell you about Daniel’s status with the
King at the time of the revealing and interpreting the dream?
5.
What was the
interpretation of the dream? 2:36-45
6.
Does it seem
strange that God would bless Nebuchadnezzar even though he was such a demanding
King? 2:5-13
7.
What facts
regarding God did Daniel recall in his prayer? 2:20-23
REFLECTING
UPON OUR LIVES
8.
Have you ever
gotten a sense that God has caused someone to show favor toward you?
9.
Have you ever
had such difficult times that the facts about God that Daniel mentioned in his
prayer seemed impossible? 2:20-23
10. Does it seem
strange that Daniel spoke up to save the lives of enchanters, magicians, or
diviners?
CONNECTING
WITH OUR CHURCH
11. How can our
church have a greater influence on people that are “in service” in “pagan”
nations? (military
men & women and missionaries - Compile some ideas and send them to the
office tlcc@timberlakechristian.org ).
Next Sunday’s Lesson (11/ 19)
Series: “Not What I Imagined”
Title: “Surviving the Fire of Civil
Disobedience”
Text: Daniel
3
QUESTIONS:
1. Where do you think Nebuchadnezzar got the idea of a
big gold image? Dan. 3:1 & 2:31-38
2. How big was the celebration? Dan 3:4
3. How did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego phrase their
defense? Dan. 3:16-18
4. Did the king pledge allegiance to the God of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?
Daniel = “God is my judge” – Belteshazzar
= “Who lays up treasure in secret”
Hananiah – Shadrach = “Command
of Aku" (Aku was the Babylonian
moon god.)
Mishael – Meshach = “Guest of a
king”
Azariah – Abednego = “Servant of
Nego” (Nego was a
Babylonian god.)
Dan
1:1-2:23
1:1 In the third year of
the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar
king of
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz,
chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the
royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect,
handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to
understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach
them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount
of food and wine from the king's table. T
6 Among these were some from
8 But Daniel
resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked
the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor
and sympathy to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, "I am
afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why
should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king
would then have my head because of you."
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief
official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please
test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and
water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who
eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you
see." 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days t
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge
and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could
understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to
bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The
king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael and Azariah; so
they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding
about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all
the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year
of King Cyrus.
Daniel 2
2:1 In the second year
of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could
not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and
astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When t
4 Then the astrologers answered the king in
Aramaic,"
O king, live forever! Tell your servants the
dream, and we will interpret it."
5 The king replied to the astrologers, "This
is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and
interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into
piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will
receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and
interpret it for me."
7 Once more t
8 Then the king answered, "I am certain
that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have
firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream,
there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and
wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream,
and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
10 The astrologers answered the king, "There
is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and
mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer.
11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except
the gods, and t
12 This made the king so angry and furious that
he ordered the execution of all the wise men of
14 When Arioch, the
commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and
explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged
them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so
that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of
"Praise be to the
name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times
and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and
knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows
what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of
you, you have made known to us the dream of the
king."
NIV