The Lord has told me to study the Book of Daniel for two main reasons: 

1) He refused to eat the meat offered to him by the king of Babylon and

2) He fasted and prayed and did not quit till breakthrough came.

V 1 & 2 - Part of, not all of, the vessels of The House of God were carried away to Babylon.  Today, we, as God's people,  are "The vessels of the House of God" with most, but not all of us, captive in the "treasure house of his god. A remnant remains free of Babylon's chains.

Daniel was a eunuch. He was free of fleshly lusts and desires.

V 8-16 - They refused the kings meat and drink. If we allow Satan to feed us his "doctrines of devils", if we allow him to care for us in any way, we become deeply compromised.  If we accept his pleasures of the flesh, alcohol, drugs, sex, food, etc. we start on a path that leads to our destruction.  Fleshly pleasures look better than God's physically but never spiritually. God's pleasures last forever, there is no end, while the earth,fleshly pleasures Satan pushes are fleeting, temporary, one day to be replaced by torment eternally. 

V 20 - God's children 10 times better than Satan's- Wow! In matters of wisdom and understanding,  we can't be beat, which makes sense, since the Holy Spirit is in us. We say "I am wise", not "i have wisdom" - there is a difference. 

2:4 - The false are full of arrogance. They lie to the king "we will show the interpretation" not "we will try". 

2:9 - The king sees through their deception, finally. Eventually,  all lies, all corruption, will be exposed for all the world to see, unless they've been repented of and they're under the Blood.

2:15 - God delivers His own, when they most need it, often at a late hour, that all the glory might be God's and God's alone.

2:21 - So true. Donald Trump for instance.

2:20-23 - What an awesome prayer! Knowing God as the "revealer of secrets" is one of my favorite ways to know Him. I love receiving revelations from Him, heart to heart, far more than I like hearing man's voice.

2:24 - Daniel has mercy on the pagan/unsaved so called "wise men" of Babylon, who have 1/10th the wisdom he has. Later, these same "wise men" turn on Daniel and try to have him murdered.

2:27&28 - Part of our purpose, as Apostles and Prophets, is to give God, the only true wise God, glory and honor before the lost, pagan kings of this world. The authorities in this world being used by Satan can be used by God too. He trumps Satan, Satan has the losing hand every time he tries to outwit God.

2:30 - Humility is a key attribute if we wish to continue to be used by God to do his will.

2:34 - The "Stone cut without hands" alludes to something God does, not man. Man uses his hands, all God has to do is speak. God's Kingdom is founded on Him - His ways, His words, His deeds, not man's. Moses was told to build an altar without hands, without hewn stones, nothing of man, nothing originating from man must become a part of our worship and walk with God for man taints and corrupts everything he touches. Man is self-centered, not Christ-centered. Man tries to get glory or honor or wealth or power for himself -  I've personally witnessed it over and over again, give people even a little authority or power and most cannot handle it. Very few follow Francis Chan's path. They become full of pride and they get arrogant. I've seen it in pastor's with very small congregations,  most of whom are family members,  yet still, they're full of pride, reveling in their position, blind to the truth. The stone that was "cut out without hands" which smote the image, is Jesus - the kingdom he smites is Babylon  ( Satan's ruling ptincipality on earth). We are now in the feet of iron and clay (mixed) stage. The world is now full of mixture, holy and profane, wise and foolish, good and evil, Genesis chapter one is all about separation - when we enter into relationship with God, He begins a process of separation in us. Holy from unholy, good from evil, light from darkness. Iron is unyielding, it represents pride  clay is soft and pliable, when wet, it represents humility.  Jesus wants all that is not of him to be separated from us. Remember the tares and the wheat? He wants us to "come out of Babylon and be ye separate" so when he smites Babylon we won't suffer and be punished with her. We won't be "broken to pieces" because we're already broken!

Part two soon