1. Talk about a time when you stood up for your faith in a hostile environment. What happened?
Ask two people to read aloud Daniel 1:1-21, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage.
2. The book of Daniel begins with the besiege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Lesson writer Mark Scott observes, “God used wicked governments like Babylon to discipline his people and preserve a remnant for the sending of the Messiah.” Have you ever experienced God’s love through his discipline? Explain.
3. Nebuchadnezzar had his officials choose a select group of young Jewish captives to be indoctrinated into Babylonian culture and teaching before entering the king’s service. Daniel and his friends were a part of that group. Why do you think the king did this, and what challenges do you think this represented to Daniel and his friends?
4. Why do you think Daniel “resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine” (v. 8)? What was at risk?
5. When Daniel’s first request was dismissed (vv. 8-10), he went to a second official who granted his request (vv. 11-14). What does this say about Daniel’s commitment and persistence?
6. At the end of Daniel’s proposed test (vv. 12-14), he and his friends “looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food” (v. 15). What part do you think God played in this and what does it teach us about God’s faithfulness today?
7. In a hostile and pagan environment, Daniel and his friends excelled beyond all their contemporaries in wisdom and understanding (vv. 18-20). How can you seek God’s wisdom today to serve him in a culture that largely ignores him?
8. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Daniel 2:1-3, 17-23, 26-30, 47-49. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
The public failure of famous Christians doesn’t prove that God’s power isn’t real. Instead, it reveals to us where we should and shouldn’t expect to find the most remarkable displays of God’s power.
We can be flexible about many things, but in Scripture God has given us bedrock, unbending truths that don’t change no matter how much time passes or culture shifts.
The public may have lost confidence in higher education more generally, yet I believe we may be entering another golden era in Christian higher education.
Someday we will lay down our WOMBATs and our treasured accomplishments. What will matter most then? Clinging to Christ and the cross.
For the Christian, a new year means another growth step to take, another goal to set, and more fruit to bear in God’s kingdom.
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