In the Bible, 17-year-old Daniel had 9 incidents of pointing the people to his God, so Daniel got blessings, not for himself, but for the others. Can you list those 9 episodes with citations of the Bible verse numbers? Daniel was a POW, who was selected by the King to serve as fortune tellers among his 3 friends.
In the Bible, the story of Daniel, particularly in the Book of Daniel, recounts several key moments where Daniel’s faith in God is demonstrated, and through which he points people to God. Here are nine significant episodes that reflect this theme:
1. **Daniel refuses to defile himself with the king’s food and wine**
Daniel chooses to remain faithful to the dietary laws of his faith, seeking permission to eat only vegetables and drink water, trusting God for the outcome. God blesses him and his companions with better health than those who ate the king's food.
- **Daniel 1:8-16**
2. **God gives Daniel and his friends knowledge and wisdom**
Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, are blessed with wisdom and understanding far beyond their peers, and Daniel is given the ability to understand visions and dreams.
- **Daniel 1:17-20**
3. **Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue**
When King Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream and no one can interpret it, Daniel seeks God's help. He reveals the dream and its meaning, pointing to the sovereignty of God over the kingdoms of the world.
- **Daniel 2:17-28**
4. **Daniel glorifies God after interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream**
After interpreting the dream, Daniel praises God publicly for revealing the mystery and attributes all the wisdom and insight to God.
- **Daniel 2:19-23**
5. **Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God after Daniel’s interpretation**
After Daniel reveals and explains Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the king recognizes the greatness of Daniel’s God, praising Him as "the God of gods and the Lord of kings."
- **Daniel 2:46-47**
6. **Daniel’s friends are saved from the fiery furnace**
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, and are thrown into the fiery furnace. God delivers them, and their miraculous survival leads Nebuchadnezzar to glorify God once more.
- **Daniel 3:16-29**
7. **Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream of the great tree**
In another dream, Nebuchadnezzar sees a great tree being cut down. Daniel interprets the dream as a prophecy about the king's impending humiliation, again pointing to God's sovereignty. Nebuchadnezzar eventually acknowledges God's power.
- **Daniel 4:19-37**
8. **Daniel interprets the writing on the wall for Belshazzar**
During a feast, King Belshazzar sees mysterious writing on the wall. Daniel interprets it as a message from God, foretelling the fall of Belshazzar’s kingdom. This reinforces that the ultimate authority belongs to God.
- **Daniel 5:17-31**
9. **Daniel is saved from the lions’ den**
After refusing to stop praying to his God, Daniel is thrown into the lions' den. God miraculously saves him, and King Darius declares that Daniel's God is the living God who endures forever.
- **Daniel 6:16-27**
In these episodes, Daniel consistently points others to the power, wisdom, and sovereignty of his God, leading even pagan kings to acknowledge God's greatness.
