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Greetings listeners. Have you ever felt pressure to hide your faith or tempted to compromise just a little so things go more smoothly? That's exactly the kind of pressure Daniel faced, not from people trying to change his beliefs, but from situations that tested his commitment. Quietly, gradually and personally, he was taken from his home, given a new name and trained to serve a foreign king, and still he held on to his identity as God's servant. He didn't make little compromises to survive.

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The book of Daniel isn't just about dramatic miracles or big moments. It's about choosing faithfulness in the day-to-day, even when no one else is watching. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, jackie Adewale, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where, weekly, we break down the basics of the Bible into understandable, bite-sized chunks. In our last episode in our series on the prophets, we explored the book of Habakkuk, where we asked God why are you silent? Today, we'll meet a prophet who speaks less and lives more. His name is Daniel and his life is a picture of faith under pressure. Now let's set the scene.

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The book of Daniel opens during one of the darkest chapters in Israel's history Israel's history. It's around 605 BC and Jerusalem, the heart of Jewish worship and identity, has been invaded by the Babylonian Empire, the most dominant power in the world at the time. Babylon didn't just defeat the city. They plundered the temple, humiliated the royal family and forcibly removed the brightest young men from Judah's noble families. These exiles were taken hundreds of miles away, into a culture that didn't honor their God and didn't share their values. If you want more background on how God's people ended up in exile, check out our earlier episode on the exile. The link will be in the show notes. At this point in history, the Babylonian Empire was at its height ruthless, wealthy and highly organized, but it wouldn't stay in power forever. But it wouldn't stay in power forever. Eventually, Babylon would fall and the Persian Empire would take its place under rulers like Darius and Cyrus. And in the middle of all that upheaval Jerusalem falling, babylon rising and God's people being displaced we meet a young man whose life would outlast empires. His name was Daniel. Most scholars believe he was a teenager, probably 15 or 16 years old, when he was taken from his home in Judah and relocated to the city of Babylon. The name Daniel means God is my judge, and throughout his life Daniel would live out that name, answering not to kings but to God, along with three close friends, hananiah, mishael and Azariah.

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Daniel was chosen for Babylon's elite royal training program. These young men came from noble families and were described as handsome, intelligent and quick to understand. We see that in chapter 1, verse 4. They had everything Babylon was looking for in future leaders. But their training wasn't just academic. It was about reprogramming their identity New language, new clothes, new customs, even new names. Daniel was renamed Belteshazzar, which means bell protects his life, a name that honored one of Babylon's gods. It was a clear effort to reshape his loyalty. But Daniel never forgot who he was or whose he was. He would go on to serve under four major kings Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar of Babylon, and later Cyrus and Darius of Persia.

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And through it all, daniel remained faithful, not by preaching or confronting rulers, but by consistently living with wisdom, integrity and courage. Unlike prophets like Jeremiah or Isaiah, daniel's message didn't come through public declarations. It came through his life. In fact, daniel is one of the only major figures in the Bible about whom nothing negative is said. He was respected by kings and honored by heaven. The prophet Ezekiel, his contemporary, even listed Daniel, alongside Noah and Job, as examples of righteousness. We see that in Ezekiel 14, verses 14 and 20. Daniel became God's voice, not just to his people, but also to the most powerful non-Jewish rulers of the world, announcing God's plans, interpreting dreams and visions and pointing forward to a future kingdom that would never be destroyed.

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Now there's something unique about the book of Daniel that's easy to miss in our contemporary translations of the Bible. It was originally written in two different languages. Written in two different languages. Chapters 1 and 8 through 12 are written in Hebrew, the language of the Jewish people. Chapters 2 through 7 are written in Aramaic, which is the common international language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, similar to how English functions today in many global settings. Scholars have offered different theories for this bilingual structure. Some suggest it simply reflects Daniel's own background he was educated in both Hebrew and Aramaic, so the writings reflect his world. Others, like Wendy Witter and Albert Barnes, propose that the language shifts might relate to the intended audiences Hebrew for God's people and Aramaic for the surrounding nations and their rulers. While there's no single agreed upon explanation, what's clear is this Whether the shift was for linguistic, literary or theological reasons, it serves to show that God's message isn't limited to one group. It's a message for his people and the watching world.

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Now let's get into what's contained in this book of Daniel. The book spans the full 70 years of the Babylonian exile. It was written to encourage God's people by revealing that, despite appearances, god is still in control, both during the exile and in what's still to come. The book falls into two distinct halves. The first half is chapters one through six. We'll focus on these particular chapters during this episode. These chapters are mostly narrative. These chapters are mostly narrative describing events associated with Daniel and his three friends living faithfully in a pagan empire. Even if you've never heard of the fiery furnace or the lion's den, each encounter shows how God's people can remain loyal in a world that doesn't share their faith. Here are four major themes we'll find in this half of the book Faithfulness under pressure, god's miraculous protection, pagan kings acknowledging God's greatness no-transcript. Each of these historic episodes reminds us that God is sovereign even over kings and empires. The second half of the book of Daniel consists of chapters 7 through 12, and we'll focus more deeply on these chapters in part two of this episode on Daniel. What happens in this section of the book is a shift from narratives of events to visions, vivid, symbolic pictures of future kingdoms, global conflict and God's final victory. This type of writing is called apocalyptic literature, a word that simply means unveiling or revealing. Though the two halves are very different, one full of narrative accounts and the other full of visions, they share the same central message God rules over all, he overrules human pride and he will ultimately overcome human evil.

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Now let's walk through the major moments of the first half of Daniel, chapters 1 through 6. Starting in chapter 1, this first episode might not seem dramatic at first glance, but it sets the tone for everything that follows. Daniel and his three friends have just arrived in Babylon. They've been chosen for the king's elite training program, and part of that includes eating food from the royal table Lavish, tempting meals straight from the palace kitchen. But there's a problem. This food would likely have been offered to Babylonian gods and could include meat that violated Jewish dietary laws. For Daniel and his friends, eating it would mean quietly going along with the values of the empire around them. So what do they do? They politely ask for a different menu, just vegetables and water. It may seem like a small thing, but it was a bold choice and it showed who they were truly loyal to, and God honored their quiet, consistent faithfulness At the end of their training, daniel and his friends were found to be wiser and more capable than any of the other young men. Now, chapter two.

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The next major moment comes through a dream, one that deeply unsettles King Nebuchadnezzar. He knows it means something important, but none of his wise men, magicians or advisors could explain it. That's when God steps in through Daniel. Daniel prays in through Daniel. Daniel prays, and God not only reveals the dream itself, but also its meaning. The king had seen a massive statue made of four different materials gold, silver, bronze and iron, mixed with clay. Each section represented a different empire that would rise and fall. But then in the dream, a rock not cut by human hand strikes the statue and shatters it. That rock becomes a mountain that fills the earth. What does it all mean? Daniel explains Human kingdoms come and go, but God's kingdom will outlast them all. It won't be built by human power, but by God himself. Nebuchadnezzar is so moved by this truth that he honors Daniel and acknowledges the greatness of Daniel's God. He also promotes Daniel to a high position in his government.

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Now, in chapter three, the spotlight shifts to Daniel's three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, better known by their Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a massive golden statue on the plain of Dura and commands everyone to bow down and worship it or face being thrown into a blazing furnace. For most people the choice was simple bow or burn. But these three young men stood their ground. They refused to bow, no matter the cost. Their answer to the king is one of the boldest declarations of faith in all of scripture, of faith in all of scripture. Our God is able to save us, but even if he doesn't, we will not serve your gods or worship the image you've set up. So they were thrown into the fire, but something incredible happened. Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace and saw not three men but four walking unharmed in the flames. The fourth looked like quote a son of the gods, unquote. God delivered them completely and once again Nebuchadnezzar was forced to recognize the power of the God of Israel, giving honor to the God who rescued his servants from the fire.

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Now we'll move on to chapter four. In this chapter we hear from Nebuchadnezzar himself. He shares a second dream, this time about a great tree that reaches to the sky, visible from all the earth. But the tree is cut down by a heavenly messenger, leaving only the stump. None of his advisors could explain it. Once again, daniel is called in. Daniel interprets the dream with both courage and compassion. He tells the king plainly you are the tree. Then he warns him if he doesn't humble himself, god will. Then he warns him if he doesn't humble himself, god will.

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A year passes, but Nebuchadnezzar doesn't change. Then, just as Daniel had said, it happens. The king loses his sanity and lives like a wild animal until he finally looks up and acknowledges that heaven rules. Looks up and acknowledges that heaven rules, the king is restored to his throne. But, more importantly, he's restored to a right view of God. He says of God, quote his dominion is eternal dominion. His kingdom endures from generation to generation, and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. We see that in chapter 4, verses 34 and 37.

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Now let's move on to chapter 5. We're going to fast forward several decades. Babylon is about to fall and a new king, belshazzar, is on the throne. One night, during a lavish feast, belshazzar crosses a dangerous line. He brings out the gold and silver cups taken from God's temple in Jerusalem and use them to toast pagan gods.

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In the middle of the party, something terrifying happens. A mysterious hand appears and writes a message on the wall. No one can read it. None of the wise men have a clue what it means. Finally, someone remembers Daniel, now an older man long out of the spotlight. He's brought in. Daniel reads the words and interprets them with bold clarity. The message is from God. You've been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is over. Kingdom is over. And that very night Babylon falls to the invading Persians. Belshazzar is killed. The empire shifts just like that. Now here's a side note. This is where we get the phrase the writing is on the wall, a modern way of saying that trouble is coming or something is about to end. That expression comes straight from this biblical moment.

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Now, chapter six. By this point, in Daniel's account, the Babylonian empire has fallen. The new world power, persia, is in charge. King Darius now rules over the region and he holds Daniel in high esteem. In fact, Daniel has risen so far in the Persian government that some of the other officials become jealous. They know they'll never find fault in his work, so they go after his faith. They convince the king to pass a law saying that for 30 days no one can pray to any god or man except the king himself. If they do, they'll be thrown into a den of lions.

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Daniel hears about the law and keeps right on praying. He doesn't make a scene, he just continues, as always, to pray to God three times a day by his window. He's arrested and, despite King Darius's anguish, he's thrown into the lion's den. Early the next morning, the king rushes to the den and calls out, hoping for a miracle. And there it is Daniel is alive. God shut the lion's mouths. Overjoyed Darius lifts Daniel out and justice is quickly turned on. The plotters, the very men who schemed against Daniel, are thrown into the same den and don't survive. That phrase thrown to the lions it comes straight from this moment. It's still used today when someone is pushed into a tough situation with little support, to a tough situation with little support.

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Now let's pause and look back. Let's see what Daniel, chapters 1 through 6, teach us. In a foreign land, far from everything familiar, daniel didn't just survive. He thrived, not because he blended in, but because he stayed true. Quiet, courage, steady faith here's what his life teaches us.

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Faithfulness matters. Even small choices, like what you say yes to or no to shape your soul. Two God is in control over kings, cultures and crises, he's on the throne. Three prayer is powerful. Daniel didn't need a pulpit, just a window. And four even if deliverance doesn't come, god is still worthy of trust and through every challenge, the events in the book of Daniel circle back to one core truth God is sovereign, he rules over kingdoms and he honors those who stay faithful right where they are. If this episode inspired you to read the book of Daniel or helped you see Daniel in a new way, consider sharing it with someone you know. You never know who might need the reminder that faith still matters, especially when the world says otherwise. Next time we'll step into the second half of the book Daniel's wild visions, strange beasts, powerful symbols and what they reveal about God's plan for the future. They reveal about God's plan for the future. Until then, keep reading, keep seeking and keep growing in your faith.