Welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. I'm so glad you're here today. We're going to continue our series called Unshakeable.

Rick is taking us through the book of Daniel, and that's so we'll be equipped to handle whatever curveball life throws at us, even the most difficult trials.

Okay, here's part one of a message called,

Are You Learning from Those Who Came Before You? Here's Rick.

We've been looking at the life of Daniel, who lived about 2,500 years ago. At 15 years of

age, he was taken as a prisoner of war to the Babylonian Empire with about 25% of the Jewish nation.

But there he just continued to pass every test of life.

And when he was 85, 70 years later, he is the second most powerful man in the most powerful

empire in the world.

Now, we don't have time to review all of what's happened.

But in Daniel chapter 5, where we are now,

King Nebuchadnezzar, who was the most famous Babylonian king, built the great hanging walls of Babylon.

He's died, and he reigned for 45 years.

And now his grandson, a guy named Belchazar, is the king.

Belchazer was a terrible leader, an absolute terrible leader.

He was a party boy.

He was a spoiled royal brat.

And all he liked to do is drink and party with his friends.

And so sensing weakness, I'm setting up where we're going,

the two biggest enemies at that time,

the Meads and the Persians, joined together, Darius the Mead and Cyrus the Great,

and they came to besiege this great walled city of Babylon.

...