Analysis.

  I. Daniel’s History, Chs. 1-6.

   1.  His youth and education, Ch. 1.

   2.  Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s image dream.  Ch. 2.

   3.  In the fiery furnace.  Ch. 3.

   4.  Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s tree dream, Ch. 4.

5.  Interpretation of the hand-writing on the wall for Belshazzar, Ch. 5.

   6.  In the Lion’s den, Ch. 6.

 II.  Daniel’s Vision of the Kingdom, Chs. 7-12.

   1.  The four beasts, Ch. 7.

   2.  The ram and the he-goat, Ch. 8.

   3.  The seventy weeks, Ch. 9.

   4.  The final vision, Chs. 10-12.

For Study and Discussion. (1) Make a list of the various visions of Daniel and become familiar with the contents of each. (2) Make a list of all the passages that refer to the fact of Daniel’s praying and point out some of the specific prayers with their answers. (3) Point out the different attempts to overthrow or kill Daniel and tell the cause, by whom he was opposed and how he escaped. (4) Make a list of the different symbols such as the lion and learn the description given of each symbolic animal. (5) Point out the several decrees made by the different kings and learn what led to the decree, how it affected Daniel, how it bore upon the worship of the people of his nation, how it affected the worship of Jehovah, etc. (6) The difficulty and possibility of right living in bad surroundings. (7) The openness of Daniel’s conduct. (8) The elements of strength of character displayed by Daniel. (9) The inevitable conflict between good and evil.

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Chapter XVIII.

Hosea and Joel.

Hosea.

The Prophet.  He is called the “Prophet of Divine Love.”  His name, Hosea, means “Deliverance.”  He was a native and citizen of Israel and followed Amos whom he may have heard in Bethel.  He was a contemporary with Isaiah and bore faithful testimony to corrupt Israel in the North while Isaiah prophesied at Jerusalem and was to Israel what Jeremiah became to Judah.  He was prepared for his work through the lessons which he learned from the sins of his unfaithful wife. (1) Through the suffering which he endured because of her sins, he understood how God was grieved at the wickedness of Israel and how her sins were not only against God’s law but an insult to divine love. (2) In love and at great cost he restored his wayward wife and in that act saw a hope of the restoration and forgiveness of Israel.  His ministry extended over more than sixty years and was perhaps the longest of any on record.  It continued 786-726 B. C., covering the last few years of the reign of Jereboam II, to which Chs. 1-3 belong and the period of anarchy following.

The Style and Method.  His style is “abrupt, uneven, inelegant,” but also poetical, figurative and abounding in metaphors.  His writings must be interpreted with great care to get what is meant by his symbolic speech.  He reminds one of modern reformers and revivalists.  Through all the anger which the book reveals we see also the surpassing beauty of reconciling love.  One sees everywhere that the supreme goal to which Hosea moves is the re-establishment of Israel’s fellowship of life and love with Jehovah.