Daniel for his tender years showed the love of God in his life. He was among the children that were carried to Babylon during the captivity by Nebuchadnezzar. Himself and three other Hebrew children were selected at the order of the king. Children in who was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful  in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding of science, and such as had the ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

• Dan. 1:1-5 – The Babylonian invasion, the king’s selection criteria, and the three-year training program with royal food.

But Daniel proposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat and wine. He requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. God’s favor was on Daniel to change the king’s orders. So Daniel, Shadrach, Mishael and Abednego made a deal with the prince of the eunuchs to allow them only pulse and water for ten days if they did not look better they had to return to the king’s meat and drink. So at the end of ten days verse 18, they were brought before the king. The king communed with them and these 4 youths had no match in everything, in all matters of wisdom, understanding that the king required of them. They were ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all of Babylon. Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Favor from God.

• Dan. 1:8-10 – Daniel’s resolution to not defile himself and God’s gift of favour with the chief official.
• Dan. 1:12-13 – The proposal for a ten-day test of vegetables and water.
• Dan. 1:18-20 – The result: they appear healthier and prove ten times wiser than all other wise men; Daniel gains understanding in visions.

Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that no one could interpret. Some of the dreams he did not remember but wanted his magicians, astrologers and sorcerers and wise men to tell him or face death. In Daniel 2:10, they answered the king that no man on earth can shew the king of a dream he could not remember. And the king passed a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed including Daniel and the three other Hebrews. Daniel requested of the king a few days to come up with the answer. So, Daniel and the other three Hebrew youths  desired mercies of the God of heaven. Then was the secret to the king’s dream revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel saved the killing of all the wise men in Babylon as he gave the king the interpretation of his dreams, Daniel a man of the captives of Judah. Daniel told the king that what men cannot do or interpret, but there is a God that revealeth secrets in heaven. He interpreted other dreams for the king.

• Dan. 2:1-3, 10-13 – The king’s impossible demand and the death sentence for all the wise men.
• Dan. 2:16-19 – Daniel asks for time and pleads with his friends for God’s mercy; the secret is revealed in a night vision.
• Dan. 2:27-28 – Daniel testifies to the king: “There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets.”

After the death of Nebuchadnezzar his son Belshazzar became king. He did not honor the God of heaven in his ways and forsoke people like Daniel. One night the king was having a great feast and he ordered the gold and silver vessels his father took out of the temple of God in Jerusalem and they used them to drink wine. The king, his wives, and his concubines and his princes. Daniel 5:5, In that same hour came a finger of a man’s hand, and wrote upon the wall and the king saw the finger that wrote. His countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him and his knees smote one against another. He called all the wise men, astrologers, magicians, soothsayers and no one was able to interpret the writing on the wall. The queen mother when she had it remembered Daniel and asked her son the king to send for him. She said forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel.

• Dan. 5:1-5 – The blasphemous feast and the appearance of the hand writing on the wall.
• Dan. 5:7-8 – The wise men fail to interpret the writing.
• Dan. 5:10-12 – The queen mother reminds the king of Daniel’s unique gifts.

Daniel was called and on arrival the king offered him gifts for coming to interpret the writing on the wall. Daniel said to the king let thy gifts be to thyself and give thy reward to another: yet I will give you the interpretation. You have lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessel of his house before thee. And have thyself, thy lords, thy wives and concubines have drunk wine in them and praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified. Then part of the hand was sent from him and the writing was written on the wall. MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. The interpretation by Daniel was God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it; Thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. God favors interpreting the hand writing on the wall. The same night the king proclaimed Daniel the third ruler of the kingdom. But that same night the king was slain by the Medians and Darius became king.

• Dan. 5:13, 16-17 – Daniel is summoned and refuses the reward.
• Dan. 5:22-28 – Daniel’s indictment and the interpretation: MENE, TEKEL, PERES (numbered, weighed, divided).
• Dan. 5:30 – Fulfilment: Belshazzar is slain that very night.

Daniel was cast into the lions’ den through a conspiracy by his fellow princes who hated that he worshiped his God faithfully. In Daniel 6;7, we find that Daniel found favor with the king Darius but the treacherous fellow presidents and princes got the king to pass a law against calling or making any petition to any God, except the king for thirty days.. They knew they could not get Daniel in and corruption, except trying to contradict his faith and worship of his God. The king signed the decree without thinking about it.

• Dan. 6:1-5 – Daniel’s excellence and the conspiracy of the other administrators.
• Dan. 6:7-9 – The deceptive decree to pray only to the king; the king signs it.

Daniel continued in Daniel 6:8 to worship and give thanksgiving to his God as always, facing Jerusalem and his windows open and on his knees. These wicked men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. They reported to the king of the decree that Daniel had broken the law and the consequence was to be cast into the lion’s den, hungry lions. But the king said to Daniel, “Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.” The king was sorrowful and went to his palace, and passed the night fasting, no music played and his sleep went from him.

• Dan. 6:10-11 – Daniel prays openly, as was his custom.
• Dan. 6:14-18 – The king tries to save Daniel but cannot revoke the decree; Daniel is cast into the den; the king fasts and lies awake all night.

Daniel had no issues with the lions, the anointing of God upon Daniel kept the lions friendly, that they watched and kept company with him all the night. Whether he sang or prayed is anybody’s guess. The lions lost their ferociousness and played around with Daniel as if he were one of them. If the Lord was in the fiery furnace of fire with the three Hebrew children; then maybe the lions saw the Lion of the tribe of Judah standing there all night with Daniel. That was an act of God. Early the following morning the king ran down to the lion’s den and called on Daniel, (verse 20). He answered and was brought out alive and calm. His accusers at the order of the king were cast with their wives and children into the lion’s den where the lions killed them instantly as their hunger returned from a far journey.

• Dan. 6:19-23 – In the morning the king finds Daniel alive, preserved by God’s angel.
• Dan. 6:24 – The accusers and their families are cast into the den and killed.

God loved Daniel very much for his faith, deep devotion and consistent prayer life, integrity. And obedience to God’s commands and did not compromise his faith in God at any time. God showed him the future up till the white throne judgment. He was not associated with any sins of men and reminded Israel that it was time to return to Jerusalem after seventy years according to the prophecy of Jeremiah the prophet.

• Dan. 9:1-3 – Daniel studies Jeremiah’s prophecy of the 70 years.
• Dan. 10:11-12 – God commends Daniel for his dedication and prayers.
• Dan. 12:13 – God’s promise to Daniel at the end of his visions.