Daniel (2)

Why? The exile of Judah was the consequence of the nation of God’s people who would not heed God’s persistent warning and continued breaking His covenant with them. They were guilty of idolatry. God sent prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied to their people about the impending judgement. The historical account of this is recorded in 2 Kings 24:1-4 . God is making Nebuchadnezzar His man to bring about discipline on His people. However, among the southern kingdom of Judah, there remained a few of God’s people who were faithful. So we ask again, why would God discipline His people?

Transition: Maybe your asking a similar question today? Perhaps, you have trusted Christ and seek to follow Him, but it seems like your in a season of discipline?

Point: God gives discipline as a demonstration of His love.

Turn over to the New Testament book of (Hebrews 12:1-11) Read!

To us, it may seem incomprehensible that these delicate, young, tender, royal descendants of Judah should be enslaved in Babylon. That God would give them to be subject to the indoctrination of the Chaldeans. We would do well to remember that..

God’s discipline, even in exile, is good.. is loving.. is evidence of belonging… is purifying. God was revealing His faithfulness by disciplining His faithful to continue growing in faithfulness.....God’s discipline is testifying.

Transition: This truth reminds us that God’s ways are perfect and good. It reminds us that He keeps His promises. And it corrects any false notions of discipline we may have. God gives discipline, but also notice that God…

God Gives Favor

Verses 8-9 tell us that.. (Read)

What we discover here is the outworking of the wisdom that King Solomon gave hundreds of years before… in Proverbs 16:7

Proverbs 16:7 ESV

When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Daniel and his friends are displaying a deep conviction for holiness, and God is being faithful to provide for them. This was something spoken of by the prophet Isaiah approximately 100 years before Daniel and his companions are in Babylon..in ,Is. 33:15-16 .. keeping in mind that Isaiah is saying this to Daniel’s people in the context of a warning of judgment.

Isaiah 33:15–16 ESV

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

Daniel purposed in his heart to not defile himself with the King’s food and drink. It wasn’t the food and drink that would cause him to be defiled, but rather the intentions of King Nebuchadnezzar to seduce them into adopting the ways of the Babylonians. Remember, Nebuchadnezzar intention is to conform these young men to be under his control so that he can use them to advance his kingdom.

Illustration: This reminds me of the scene in Lewis’ book, “The Lion , the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Where Edmund is lured away into the snatches of the White Which with the flavor of Turkish delights. He yields to the temptation only then to be used as her slave and betray his siblings.

Must notice, these young men are not abstaining from the king’s food and drink because it is unclean, but rather because the king is. The problem wasn’t the food, the problem was the king’s intent. In chapter 10 we discover that years later Daniel is eating meat and drinking wine. This helps us to understand that Daniel’s determination was a result/evidence of God’s gift to him. He wasn't proving himself. He wasn’t attempting a revolt. He was acting in response to God’s favor, not to receive it.

By the grace of God, these young men were able to politely, and persistently come up with a plan to show their keepers that even though they were enslaved they would not be defiled by trusting the king’s provision. Rather, they would entrust themselves to their true King. The core of the battle was not about the type of food and drink, but rather the place those “Turkish Delights” would take in their heart.

The gospel gives us the equipment needed to drill down into the meaning of defilement and devotion. Hebrews 11:32-40 explains this. (Read)

Hebrews 11:32–40 ESV

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Daniel was a believer. His faith in the promises of God commended him to God. What was true of Daniel here at a young age facing the King’s food, remained true of him in his 80’s facing the King’s lions. Hebrews tells us he was trusting God’s promises that were to come. We are here today because these promises have come, they are fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In the same way that Daniel give evidence of His faith in his resolve to not be defiled, so too Jesus has resolved our impurity problem of sin. Through His death and resurrection He accomplished everything necessary for sinners to be commended through our faith in Christ alone.

Daniel chapter 1, is not teaching us a moralistic faith, but rather devotion that comes from the gift of God by trusting in His Son Jesus Christ. Daniel and his friends were guarding their hearts from the idolatry of trusting an earthly king for their daily sustenance.They are trusting God’s promises by setting down in their hearts to not worship the king.

Transition: Daniel and his friends knew exactly why they were in the king’s court, why they were being given his opulent food, why he insisted on their education. And they were unwilling to defile themselves.

Where did this insight come from? These are young boys of 10 or 12 years old. How did they posses such discernment and wisdom?

God Gives Learning and Skill

God gave them learning and skill. (vs. 17)

Daniel and his friends are evaluated by King Nebuchadnezzar and found to be 10 time better than any of his pagan sorcerers and magicians. This is an obvious reminder of the superiority of God’s kingdom over and above the demonic kingdom of evil.

At this point, Daniel and his companions are temperately accepted by the earthly King, but as we will see, their faith will continue to be tested. They are proving to be examples to their people of what it means to be faithful to their faithful God. After a blessed life of testing the final joy is found in God’s promises, not our present state of being.

Original recipients: Those returning to Judah after the exile were compromising their relationship to God by defiling themselves and intermarrying with Canaanites. No doubt, God is using Daniel’s writings and example to showcase the need for resolve, for growth in holiness.

This is a Warning for us as well: God’s people (even the church) have a history of being drastically influenced by our culture and adopting, conforming to the practices of the World. Perspective: Why are we here? To be displays of God’s glory. Every facet of our lives being used to pint to the glory of God. Loving Him with our heart, mind, and strength... and loving our neighbors by staying true to our convictions. Holiness.

We are living in Babylon. What will keep us resolved for purity/ holiness? How can we remain vigilant to keep ourselves unstained by the world? We desperately need wisdom for discerning these things and yielding temptation. The Scriptures give clear instruction ...

When God’s grace awakens us we are ignited to be devoted to holiness. James 1:27 tells us that…

James 1:27 ESV

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

The recipients of God’s gift of faith will practice “pure and undefiled religion in His sight” … standing in front of the presence of God is far more important than standing in front of earthly kings. And God says that true faith will be evidenced in true function; Namely love for others (orphans and widows) and pursuit of purity. (unstained by the world) Un-defiled religion/faith comes from an undefiled heart. Remember Mark chapter 7 where Jesus teaches that it is an undefiled heart that produces undefiled activity. When a heart has been made clean by the unmerited love of Christ, the overflow of that heart is determination for growing in grace. This is why we must be born again. This is why true religion in the sight of God, starts with the Gift of God granted to us by the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself settled the problem of defilement, and the Holy Spirit continues to grant wisdom and skill to those who have trusted in Christ.

Daniel and His friends show us how those who are commended by God through faith are propelled to set in our hearts to be pure. Even though enslaved, Daniel and his friends were not willing to subject themselves to the earthly King provisions. They may be slaves to an earthly king, but their allegiance and devotion is to God alone. Rather, they would trust God who gave them learning and skill to live in a hostile land.

Closing: These boys were given to King Nebuchadnezzar by God. This demonstration of loving disciple helped to reveal their true identity. They did not forget or reject their royal line as sons of Judah.

For those of us who are of the royal priesthood, sons and daughters of God, we have been made able to walk in worshipful obedience to Christ. To pursue holiness, without which no one will see God. We need never forget our true identity and when presented with the delicacies of this world, the course of abstinence may very well be the pathway as we determine in our heart to remained undefiled. Oh Church, beware of the temptation to adopt or adapt to Babylonian practices and philosophies.

Initial Observations:

Who? Daniel, companions, God, King Nebuchadnezzar, Chief of eunuchs, other youth, steward, king Cyrus

“God gave”.. favor and compassion with eunuchs. learning and skill.

Daniel’s resolve to not be defiled. Was there anything according to the law of God that would defile these boys spiritually/morally? Or was this a conviction of preference to not be polluted with Babylonia delicacies? Do we really know what the daily portion that king ate and the wine he drank?

For Daniel to not want to “defile” himself with the food and drink there must have been something about it that was not right. Maybe sacrificed to idols, maybe unclean according to God’s law.

Hard to resist a good competition. Even in this (food battle), God won.

Keep in mind the time frame Daniel is living, and then what Jesus taught about defilement. “Not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out.”

Ten. 10 days and 10 times more wisdom and understanding.

Words

Resolved= To set down in his heart. Convictions.

Defile= morally or ritually impure. Pollute, desecrate, or stain.

God gave= caused to have

favor= (hesed) graciousness, loyalty, joint obligation, gentleness

compassion= feeling of love, tender affection, sympathy

assigned= counted something specific

servants= slaves

better= having desirable qualities

learning= perception and reasoning

skill= success in comprehension

literature= writings

wisdom= applied knowledge, technical skill, shrewdness

Daniel understanding= discernment

visions and dreams= hazon & halome

magicians= sou-saying priests who cast spells

enchanters= those practicing sorcery

in all his kingdom= dominion

The Problem: Defilement

The Solution: God gives. In contrast to what the king gives.

Another irony… In his pride, King Nebuchadnezzar is attempting the very thing that God is using him for. God will win this battle.

How is it that these boys would display such resolve to deny the King’s food and drink? God gave them favor, and they trusted the promises of God. Parental Application Point: (Deut. 6:4-)

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