Heavenly Living in Hostage Times

Introduction

Before we even begin, who would like to take a crack at what the book of Daniel is about?

-Primarily the Sovereignty of God

-12 Chapters spanning the exile. Who was exiled? Who was exiled? Who captured them? Who was taken and what was taken?

-Chaps 1-6-incidents that happened to Daniel & his friends.

-Chapters 7-12 4 visions Daniel saw in his old age. Prophecy. Dreams.

Some of the visions the Lord gave Daniel were prophesied and happened. Other events are in the future that have not come to pass yet. Why would you think that is important to note?

-Great story in Daniel-Daniel in the Lion’s Den

-time span from 605 BC when Nebuchadrezzar first occupied Syrian-Palestinian region and defeated the Egyptian army to the third year of King Cyrus of Persia in 537 BC. This is the time frame of the captivity that is covered in the book of Daniel.

Daniel provides an insider’s view of Judah’s experiences in the land of Babylon.

Daniel 1:1-7

Daniel 1:1–7 NKJV

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. 3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. 6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

Prayer

Message

Every time we come together our hero is always God. God is the Creator, the Creator of Time, humanity and all living things. And, he works them for His purpose. We learn that life is not just happening randomly. God’s providential hand is engaged in this life.

God’s Intervention

“and the Lord gave”

Daniel 1:1 “1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.”

2 Kings 24:1-2 “1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And the Lord sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servants the prophets.”

2 Chronicles 36:5-7 “5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.”

Jeremiah 25:1 “1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),”

Jeremiah 52:12–30 NKJV

12 Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13 He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire. 14 And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around. 15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poor people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. 16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers. 17 The bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the carts and the bronze Sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all their bronze to Babylon. 18 They also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the bowls, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered. 19 The basins, the firepans, the bowls, the pots, the lampstands, the spoons, and the cups, whatever was solid gold and whatever was solid silver, the captain of the guard took away. 20 The two pillars, one Sea, the twelve bronze bulls which were under it, and the carts, which King Solomon had made for the house of the Lord the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure. 21 Now concerning the pillars: the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, a measuring line of twelve cubits could measure its circumference, and its thickness was four fingers; it was hollow. 22 A capital of bronze was on it; and the height of one capital was five cubits, with a network and pomegranates all around the capital, all of bronze. The second pillar, with pomegranates was the same. 23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates, all around on the network, were one hundred. 24 The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers. 25 He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, seven men of the king’s close associates who were found in the city, the principal scribe of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city. 26 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27 Then the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land. 28 These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Jews; 29 in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred and thirty-two persons; 30 in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty-five persons. All the persons were four thousand six hundred.

Daniel 1:2 “2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.”

Confined and Compartmentalized Religion

“Took some of the articles”

These were worship articles from the temple worship.

“into the treasure house of his god.”

These were treasures, but treasures in a different sense for Babylon. There was a monetary worth due to the metals in the articles.

What do you treasure in genuine worship that you do not see from yester year? What is the wrong treasures to seek when you come to worship?

Daniel 1:3 “3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles,”

We will crank it down a little bit. If you trace back to the beginnings of Babylon, where do we read of its origination?

Genesis 10:8-10 “8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”

Turn with me to Genesis 11.

Genesis 11:1–11 (NKJV)

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

10 This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. 11 After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

Isaiah prophesies to King Hezekiah that the Babylonians will take the articles in the King’s house.

2 Kings 20:17-18 “17 ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord. 18 ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ””

God gives us many treasures, but when we throw those treasures in a toy box, they get confused with the best treasure.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-nego.

“some of the children of God”-

Do you ever ask why are you where you are? Why did some brought to Babylon and some left?

Why did I get a promotion and Sam did not? He was more qualified than me. Or, we reverse that. I’m more qualified and yet He was chosen. God has a different plan. Do not over think it.

Daniel was a royal. They chose nobles.

Daniel 1:4 “4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.”

You must determine what God has given you that can in some cases be unique to you, but what is characteristic about you that you think God can use in you?

Heavenly living in Hostage times is using His gifts and talents to meet the battles.

Daniel 1:17 “17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”

God was going to use this gift in the life of Daniel and the people of Israel and Gentile and for us.

Daniel 2:2 “2 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.”

Daniel would face worldly influences and he would use those gifts the Lord had instilled in Him to flourish in hostage times.

Has God placed you in a hostage setting?

How can you offer heaven to those about you that you question God for placing you there?

Heathens about you need heaven even though you may feel you are hostage to a bad situation.