Lesson 1 -Be Strong and of Good Courage (Part 1)

This is a lesson I prepared for a Small Group series on the book of Daniel in the Spring of 2025. The lessons are meant to be a mix of teaching and interactive discussion in the group. This is an outline of my presentation that guided the teaching and discussion. It was adapted from the Christ-centered Exposition Series – Exalting Jesus in Daniel by Daniel Akin and from Be Resolute (Daniel) by Warren Wiersbe.

View Daniel Lesson Series

Daniel 1:1-7

Main Idea: Even in times of great trial and opposition, Christians must remain faithful to God and his gospel, imitating Christ’s own steadfastness as he endured persecution and death for our sakes.

Theme: Sovereignty of God in all things. The Book of Daniel encourages God’s people to trust in God’s providence.

Application: As you read and think through these verses, how does our world today reflect the world at Daniel’s time? How is it different? How is it the same?

1. God may sovereignly send you to a difficult place to spread his name among the nations (1:1-3)
   “Sometimes God may allow hardships to reach us because he wants his mercy to reach beyond us.”
   • God Works in Spite of the sins of his people (1:1-2)
     • “God is at work even through the sins of his people.”
     • “So wise and powerful is our God that He can permit men and women to make personal choices and still accomplish His purposes in this world.” (Wiersbe)
   • God works as he scatters his people (1:3)
     • “Intended to strip the nation of its best and brightest.”
     • “These young men were superior in every way, ‘the brightest and the best,’ prepared by God for a strategic ministry far from home.” (Wiersbe)
     • Instead, “this is a divine invasion of enemy territory!”
     • “Israel will be oppressed and her people scattered, but the nations will now have a witness among them to the one true and living God.”
2. Be prepared for the challenges non-Christian cultures will throw at you to lead you away from God (1:3-7)
   “Just like Daniel and his three friends, we face pressure from every direction to force us to conform to the mind-set and the spirit of the age.”
   • Isolation (1:3)
     • “The first step in making Babylonians out of the four Hebrew teenagers was isolation from their homeland, family, and friends.”
   • Indoctrination (1:4)
     • “They were enrolled in an educational indoctrination school for three years.”
   • Assimilation (1:5)
     • “Conversion required total immersion into the world of Babylon… Such an immersion would wear them down and eventually win them over.”
   • Confusion (1:6)
     • “Changing names in the ancient world was a huge deal. It went to the identity and core of who a person was.”

Name Change

• Daniel “God is my judge” >> Belteshazzar “Bel protect his life”
• Hananiah “the Lord shows grace” >> Shadrach “command of Aku (moon god)”
• Mishael “Who is like God” >> Meshach “Who is as Aku is?”
• Azariah “The Lord is my help” >> Abednego “Servant of Nego”