Slides from day 2 of my teaching on Daniel at Bible & Culture 2015 (www.bibleandculture.org). This session looks at the structure of Daniel and chapter 1.

1. DANIEL
Day 2: chapters 1 & 2

2. Monday: bit.ly/BC2015-dan1
bit.ly/BC2015-med1
Prophets information: bit.ly/prophet_info

3. Structure

4. A
A’
B
B’
Chiasm

5. A God vindicates his faithful servants (1)
B Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: 4 kingdoms (2)
C God rescues his faithful witnesses (3)
D Warning for king; redemption (4)
E Warning for king; judgment (5)
F God rescues his faithful witness (6)
G Daniel’s dream: 4 kingdoms (7)
H Details of post-Babylonian kingdoms (8)
I Jerusalem restored (9)
J More on post-Babylonian kingdoms (10–12)

6. 2 Nebuchadnezzar’s
dream: kingdoms
10–12 Writing of
truth
1 Daniel refuses to
compromise
5 Writing on the
wall
9 Jerusalem:
discipline/restoration
4 Nebuchadnezzar:
discipline/restoration
8 ‘None can deliver
out of his hand’
7 Daniel’s dream:
kingdoms
6 Daniel refuses to
compromise
3 ‘No god can deliver
out of his hand’

7. Daniel 1

8. Genre
genre = type/style of writing

9. Hebrew Narrative

10. • Why do you think there is so much
narrative in the Bible?
• How are Hebrew narratives different
from contemporary narratives?

11. originally for listening to

12. repetition

13. fast pace

14. internal connections

15. Plot

16. sequence of scenes

17. scenes usually only have 2
characters

18. Scene 1: Jerusalem (1:1–2)
characters: Nebuchadnezzar
and God
Scene 2: Babylon: Daniel & friends (3–17)
characters: Daniel/friends and
(a) chief official; (b) guard
Scene 3: King’s palace, 3 yrs later (18–21)
characters: Daniel/friends and
the king

19. each scene must be read in
context of the whole

20. the big context is God’s
promises and intention

21. plot = crisis and resolution

22. climax
setting
occasioning
incident
preliminary
incidents
rising
tension
beginning of
resolution
outcome
conclusion
resolution

24. Characters

25. characters are not
described in detail

26. look at what they
say and do

27. Dialogue

28. pay attention to when dialogue
starts

29. pay attention to characters
restating things

30. Structure

31. look out for changes of scene

32. pay attention to repetition

33. c Refusing to be defiled; a test (8–16)
a’ Historical conclusion: triumph of Cyrus (21)
a Historical introduction: triumph of
Nebuchadnezzar (1–2)
b’ The young men excel in their training
(17–20)
b The young men taken for training (3–7)

34. Triumph of
Nebuchadnezzar
(1–2)

35. ‘‘And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of
Judah into his hand, with some of
the vessels of the house of God. And
he brought them to the land of
Shinar . . .
Daniel 1:2, ESV

36. Training for the
king’s service (3–7)

37. ?
What do you think the Babylonians’
intentions were? What would they have
wanted Daniel and his friends to learn?
(Daniel 1:1-7)

38. tablet recording delivery of
gold to Babylonian court
© British Museum. Used by permission.

39. Atraharsis
Epic
© British Museum. Used by permission.

40. Babylonian
omens tablet
© British Museum. Used by permission.

41. model sheep liver
© British Museum. Used by permission.

42. Importance of names
Daniel = God is my judge
Belteshazzar = May Bel protect his life
Hananiah = the Lord shows grace
Shadrach = command of Aku
Mishael = Who is what God is?
Meshach =Who is what Aku is?
Azariah = The Lord helps
Abednego = servant of Nabu

43. Refusing to be
defiled (8–16)

44. • The king faces a problem he cannot
solve
• The king’s sages fail to resolve it
• The hero is called in and succeeds
• The hero is rewarded

45. Excelling in training
(17–20)

46. ‘‘It was a remarkable process and one
which challenges all of us. Rather
than avoiding or running from their
second-choice world they pursued it
and gave it their very best. They
headed for the centre of the volcano,
the heart of the storm, the vortex of
all their fears…

47. ‘‘For these men, the way to face
Babylon was to become skilled and
powerful insiders – not ‘separated’
outsiders. When they chose this
way they rejected pouting, self-pity,
resentment and self-consumption…

48. ‘‘The fact that Babylon was a place of
dislocation, pain and
disappointment did not compel
them to make a negative response to
this pagan world. Being servants of
God in Jerusalem or Babylon alike
demanded living well before him.
VivThomas
Second Choice (Paternoster, 2000) p. 22

49. v.20: ‘ten times better’
– hyperbole

50. For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather
than burnt offerings.
Hosea 6:6

51. Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a
bird —
no birth, no pregnancy, no
conception.
Even if they rear children,
I will bereave them of every one.
Hosea 9:11

52. Cursed be the day I was born!
May the day my mother bore me not
be blessed!
Cursed be the man who brought my
father the news,
who made him very glad, saying,
‘A child is born to you – a son!’
Jeremiah 20: 14–15

53. Triumph of Cyrus
(21)

54. ‘‘The sovereign Lord, who guided the
faithful Daniel and his friends to
positions of power in Babylon, will
guide his faithful people even in
exile.
Sidney Greidanus
Preaching Christ from Daniel

55. Daniel 2

56. • Genre
• Plot
• Scenes
• Characters
• Dialogue
• Structure
• Theme/goal

57. www.tonywatkins.uk