Tag: bsf exile and return lesson 5

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 4: Daniel 6:1-18

September 24, 2025September 1, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Daniel 6:1-18

Daniel was gaining position within King Darius’ empire, making the satraps jealous. They determined to find charges against him. They tricked the king into issuing a decree that anyone worshipping anyone else but him should be thrown into the lions’ den. So, Daniel was caught worshipping God, and the King had to throw him into the lions’ den.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 4: Daniel 6:1-18

11a) The fact that Daniel could interpret dreams. The fact he was loyal and not corrupt. And, he was good at his job. His character was above others’.

b) God blesses those who do His work above all else. Excellence trumps culture. Character is super important.

12a) They were jealous of him and wanted to be the king’s favorite. They wanted the power and influence with the king that Daniel had.

b) All mankind is fallen and sinful. They do evil unto others for their own personal gain. Only God can save us from ourselves. Their actions reveal a heart that is fundamentally self-serving, views excellence as a threat, uses deception as a tool, and is willing to corrupt systems of law and religion to achieve its own envious and power-hungry goals.

13) Daniel still prayed to God despite the edict. His life would not change, nor would his devotion to God. He knew God would save him if it was God’s will.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 4: Daniel 6:1-18

Such a powerful example of mankind’s nature at its worst and how to respond in a Godly way.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 4: Daniel 6:1-18

History records do not record Darius’ name. However, experts believe this was another name for a different ruler.

Daniel was not sinless, but he operated with integrity to the point that the satraps could find nothing he had ever done wrong.

The satraps used Darius’ pride to trick him. The edict could not be changed because the people believed the king spoke to the gods, and the gods were never wrong.

Darius knew it was his fault he was tricked, and he felt guilty over it since he couldn’t sleep. He probably liked Daniel and honestly did not want him harmed.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Daniel 6:1-18 sets the stage for a dramatic test of faith by showcasing how political jealousy can weaponize the law to target religious integrity.

The interpretation of its key elements is as follows:

The Conspiracy of Jealousy: Daniel’s exceptional competence and trustworthiness as an administrator provoke the envy of his rivals. Unable to find any fault in his professional life, they conspire to use his unwavering religious devotion as a weapon against him.
The Idolatrous Law: The decree forbidding prayer to any god or man except King Darius for 30 days is a trap. It forces a direct conflict between civic obedience and divine worship, demanding an allegiance to the state that is due only to God.
Daniel’s Uncompromising Faithfulness: Knowing the decree is law, Daniel does not change his lifelong habit. He continues to pray openly toward Jerusalem, demonstrating that his devotion to God is a consistent, non-negotiable part of his life, not a reaction to the crisis. His act is one of faithful consistency, not political defiance.
The Powerless King: The story highlights the irony of King Darius, the most powerful man in the empire, being trapped by his own irrevocable law. He is greatly distressed and tries to save Daniel but is rendered helpless by his own prideful decree.

In essence, this passage establishes a clear conflict between the integrity of a faithful man and the jealousy of a corrupt system. It pits the unchangeable law of the Medes and Persians against Daniel’s unwavering commitment to the higher law of his God, setting the stage for a divine intervention.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 3: Daniel 5:13-31

September 23, 2025September 1, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Daniel 5:13-31

So, King Belshazzar called Daniel before him to interpret the writing on the wall. Daniel turned down all rewards and interpreted the message. He told him that his father was given greatness but was prideful, so he was humbled. He did not learn from his father’s experience, so God is sending him a punishment.

The inscription was: mene, mene, tekel, parsin, which meant that God has numbered his days of reign. His kingdom will be given to the Medes and the Persians. That very night, King Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at age 62.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 3: Daniel 5:13-31

7) God. God is in control of everything, everyone, and every destiny.

8 ) Daniel did not need anything; he had everything he needed in God. Plus, he may not have wanted to take from a pagan king. It also showed that he spoke the truth, not influenced by rewards. Daniel interpreted because he may have seen it as his duty to do so, and it would glorify God when the truth came to pass.

9) The rule was the same. They were both arrogant and prideful and forced to acknowledge God in heaven. But the main difference was that King Nebuchadnezzar respected God. His sin was pride, whereas Belshazzar committed blasphemy against God. God corrected Nebuchadnezzar; he punished Belshazzar.

10) Empires don’t stand; God does. Nothing is for certain. Anything can happen. Circumstances can change literally overnight. In today’s world, the same. Anything can change, so our job is to pray and let God handle it all.

What’s striking is the suddenness of Babylon’s fall. The empire collapsed in a single night, not from weakness, but at the very height of its arrogant and blasphemous feast. Its end was a swift, direct fulfillment of God’s prophetic judgment, proving human power is an illusion before divine justice.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 3: Daniel 5:13-31

Great lesson on how God determines outcomes. He also holds those who should know better (aka Belshazzar) to a higher standard.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 3: Daniel 5:13-31

Daniel knew that Belshazzar should have known not to mess with God, based on his father, King Nebuchadnezzar’s, experience. He was without excuse.

Each of the words on the wall stood for a short sentence.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Daniel 5:13-31 describes the solemn delivery of a divine, final judgment against a blasphemous king and its immediate, violent fulfillment.

The interpretation of its key elements is as follows:

Daniel’s Rebuke of Willful Pride: Before interpreting the words, Daniel boldly rebukes King Belshazzar. He highlights that the king’s sin was far worse than Nebuchadnezzar’s, because he knew the story of his predecessor’s humbling yet chose to act with even greater, defiant arrogance. This establishes the theme of accountability for known truth.
The Divine Verdict: The words on the wall—MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN—are interpreted as a final legal verdict from the court of heaven:
- MENE: God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.
- TEKEL: You have been weighed on the scales of justice and found morally and spiritually deficient.
- PARSIN: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
The Swift and Irreversible Judgment: Unlike the warning dream given to Nebuchadnezzar, this message contains no offer of repentance. It is a final sentence. The prophecy’s fulfillment “that very night” with Belshazzar’s death reveals the terrifying swiftness and finality of God’s judgment when a line of defiant blasphemy is crossed.

In essence, the passage demonstrates that God is a righteous judge who holds leaders accountable. While He can be patient, His judgment against those who know the truth and willfully mock Him can be sudden, absolute, and historically precise.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 2: Daniel 5:1-12

September 22, 2025October 3, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Daniel 5:1-12

King Belshazzar of Babylon gave a royal banquet. Here, he drank from the gold goblets that Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Suddenly, writing appeared on the wall. The King was scared and wanted to know what it would mean, promising the interpreter to be promoted to the 3rd highest ruler in the kingdom.

The queen or queen mother told him to call for Daniel, who was the chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners in his father’s time. He could interpret it.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 2: Daniel 5:1-12

3) King Belshazzar of Babylon was King Nebuchadnezzar’s son. He was a pagan, but revered his gods and wanted to celebrate them. He is an arrogant, indulgent king whose spiritual life is defined by active blasphemy. He deliberately defiles God’s sacred vessels to worship lifeless idols, showing contempt for true divinity. His instant terror at the supernatural writing reveals his proud bravado was a fragile facade, spiritually bankrupt before true power.

4) Suddenly, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace.

5a) She showed him respect and then told him not to be afraid, for Daniel could interpret dreams as he did under King Nebuchadnezzar. She told her husband to call him to explain the riddle.

b) She began with respect. She offered a solution based on past successes. She was calm and cool-headed.

6) King Nebuchadnezzar learned that God in Heaven was above all other gods and should be respected. He should have learned that God humbles the proud. Therefore, King Belshazzar should not have defiled the gold goblets from the temple. He should expect judgment.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 2: Daniel 5:1-12

It’s funny to me how all these pagan kings still worshipped the pagan gods after our Lord in Heaven proved to them their falsehood.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 2: Daniel 5:1-12

Nebuchadnezzar ruled for 43 years. His son, Belshazzar, became king after several other failed kingships. The secular record does not have a ruler named Belshazzar. Therefore, Bible scholars believe that Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, the last recorded ruler of Babylon from 556-539 BC. Nabonidus ruled from afar, so some believe Belshazzar to be the ruler in Babylon at this time. The term “father” was common for “ancestor” or “predecessor.”

King Belshazzar committed sacrilege against God. He was trying to bolster his people since they were under attack.

When the writing on the wall appeared, King Belshazzar was terrified. He probably knew he had committed sacrilege and would now pay the price.

In addition, King Belshazzar saw the very hand of God. That, in itself, is terrifying. God’s actions in Scripture are often symbolized by His hand (Psalm 37:24; 95:4; Isaiah 5:25)

King Belshazzar was technically 2nd in command since he was a stand-in for the real king at the time.

The woman could have been the King’s mother. She knew Daniel had “the spirit of the holy gods,” which was often used by Nebuchadnezzar to describe Daniel (Daniel 4:8-9, 18).

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Daniel 5:1-12 sets a scene of peak arrogance and blasphemy, which is met by a terrifying divine intervention, once again proving the bankruptcy of worldly wisdom.

The interpretation of its key elements is as follows:

The Blasphemous Feast: King Belshazzar’s drunken decision to use the sacred vessels from God’s Temple in Jerusalem to praise his own lifeless idols is a deliberate act of contempt. It represents a new level of hubris, actively mocking the God of Israel, unlike Nebuchadnezzar, whose sin was primarily self-glorifying pride.
The Writing on the Wall: The sudden appearance of a disembodied hand writing a cryptic message is God’s immediate and terrifying response. This supernatural judgment intrudes directly into the pagan feast, shattering the king’s arrogance and filling him with mortal fear.
The Failure of Worldly Wisdom: For the third time in the book, the most brilliant minds of Babylon are rendered completely powerless before a divine revelation. They cannot read or interpret the message, reinforcing the theme that human wisdom and religion have no access to the secrets of God.
The Remembrance of God’s Prophet: The queen mother’s recollection of Daniel serves as the turning point. It highlights that God’s true servant is only sought out as a last resort, when all human systems have failed, setting the stage for Daniel to once again speak with divine authority.

In essence, this passage illustrates that there is a line of blasphemy that, when crossed, invites immediate and terrifying judgment. It is a prelude that silences all other voices to make way for the one true word from God.

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