Summary #35

Weekly Summary
Ezekiel - Daniel

We left Ezekiel taking a "vision tour" of the new temple, following through all the rooms. He ends with a last vision: Water flowing from the temple through the land, bringing restoration to everything it touches. Finally, Ezekiel takes down the orders of how the land will be divided between the tribes and people.

Finally, we finish with this exile prophecy and move back to the story of Israel and Judah in the land of Babylon. The book of Daniel opens with Nebuchudnezzar besieging Jerusalem, and Daniel and three of his friends being taken into the king's house -- they will be given new names, eat the king's food, educated, taught the language, and then presented to the king. Daniel, however, will not "defile" himself, and makes a deal with the steward: he and his friends will eat only vegetables, and after a time they will see if they are as strong as those who eat the fine meals that come from the king's table. Lo and behold, they are stronger, smarter, and all-around better than those who ate the king's food. Daniel and the three were elevated to the position of "Wise Men".

Then the king had a dream, and demanded that it be interpreted by his wise men. They asked what the dream was, but he told them that they would also have to tell him the dream. That stumped them...they stalled for more time, but the king totally called them on it, and told them that if he didn't get an interpretation pronto, they would all die. Well, no answer was found, and so they came for the wise men. Daniel, however, had heard nothing of this crisis, and asked to be given a chance to interpret the dream.

God gave Daniel the dream and the interpretation in a vision, and the guard brought Daniel before the king, where he told the king that the vision and interpretation had come not from wise men or sorcerers, but from the only true God. And so Daniel and the other three were spared.

Then comes a very familiar story: Nebuchudnezzar set up large golden idol, and commanded that all people bow down to it at a certain time. Malicious rumors were circulating about the Jews and their tendency to not fit in very well, and this didn't do anything to help it. Daniel's three friends - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were discovered not bowing down, and their punishment was to be thrown into the furnace. Nebuchucnezzar was reluctant, but ordered them tossed in, after giving them a chance to bow down. They declined, and into the fire they went, but instead of burning up, a fourth figure appeared with them, and they emerged alive, giving credit to the only true God. The king commanded respect for this God, and promoted the three to provincial governors.

Daniel goes on to interpret another of the king's dreams, and when a human hand appeared out of nowhere to write on the wall during one of the king's banquets, Daniel interpreted that, too. The king LOVED Daniel, and promoted him to a very high office. However, he made many enemies, and they made sure to point out Daniel's failure to bow down to the idol the king constructed. After having his hands tied, the king sent Daniel into the den of lions as his punishment. But when Daniel emerged unscathed, once again giving glory to God, the king relented, and also praised God.

Daniel receives several visions that he shares with the exiled Israelites, and continues in the court of the king. Read on this week to find out what comes next.