Purposing The Heart

Set up

When anyone mentions Daniel to you what do you normally think of? Probably Daniel and the Lions Den, right?

Daniel is an interesting book filled with history and prophecy, mystery and intrigue. Kings, eunuchs, beasts, angels, yes lions, but also horns that talk and ultimately end times prophecies.

The book of Daniel begins around 605 B.C. and as we go along we will see that just because there are chapters 1-12, they don’t follow a chronological order. We know that because of the many references as to which year of which king is mentioned. The book of Daniel is also the only book in the bible that is written in two languages, Hebrew and Aramaic.

I do find it interesting that some theologians are critical as to whether Daniel was the actual author of the book. Some of their complaints seem silly because other authors use some of the same ways of writing.

One of their issues is that they claimed that the events in some chapters, where it comes to the historical acounts of the prophecies Daniel predicted, with God’s help, were too accurate to have been written before the actual event but isn’t that just like our God to be accurate. This does nothing but solidify my faith in the origin of the book. That and Jesus himself references Daniel’s prophecy in Matthew 24.

All that being said, Daniel starts out by describing some “world events” namely the exile of Judah. Remember, Israel had been divided into two kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom.

The Northern Kingdom kept the name Israel and the Southern Kingdom became known as Judah, which is where we get the term Jews. The northern kingdom never had a good, God fearing King while Judah had some good God fearing kings but more bad than good. Both kingdoms rebelled against the Lord and so both were eventually and at different times, taken into exile. Israel in 722 B.C. and Judah starting in 605 B.C. and finishing up in 587 B.C.

Let’s get started reading and then we can dive in a bit further.

Indocrination

Daniel 1:1–2 ESV

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 vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.

History: Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem because the Pharaoh of Egypt invaded Babylon. In response, the young prince Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at Charchemish, then he pursued their fleeing army all the way down to the Sinai. Along the way (or on the way back), he subdued Jerusalem, which had been loyal to the Pharaoh of Egypt. This happened in 605 B.C. and it was the first (but not the last) encounter between Nebuchadnezzar and Jehoiakim. There would be two later invasions (597 and 587 B.C.). In case your curious, these accounts can be found as well in the Babylonian Chronicles that were finally published in 1956 after 4 decades of the translation of the tablets being forgotten. These Chronicles document the first 10 years of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign.

2 Kings 24:14–16 ESV

14 He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war.

This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that was written 100 years prior to the exile.

Isaiah 39:7 ESV

7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Daniel 1:3–4 ESV

3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

Taking vessels from the temple is one thing but taking God’s people, especially the royal family, nobility, and the prime youths of the palace meant that The king had an mission. Indoctrination.

Nebuchadnezzar demonstrated that he was a wise administrator and a shrewd tactician. Taking these young men as hostages reminded the people back in Jerusalem that they should not revolt against the recently imposed Babylonian rule. - Guzik

Daniel 1:5–7 ESV

5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: Daniel tells us about four of these youths, and their new Babylonian names.

The name Daniel (meaning God is my judge) was changed to Belteshazzar (meaning Bel’s prince).

The name Hannaniah (meaning Beloved by the LORD) was changed to Shadrach (meaning Illumined by Sun-god).

The name Mishael (meaning Who is as God) was changed to Meshach (which may mean Who is like Shach, which some believe was a Babylonian goddess corresponding to Ishtar or Venus).

The name Azariah (meaning The LORD is my help) was changed to Abed-Nego (meaning Servant of Nego).

The purpose of the food, names, and education was simple. This was an effort at total indoctrination, with the goal of making these young Jewish men leave behind their Hebrew God and culture. Undoubtedly, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to communicate to these young men, “look to me for everything.”

This is the same transaction that takes place in our lives when we come to faith in Jesus.

Colossians 1:13–14 ESV

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We are no longer called condemned we are forgiven.

We are no longer sons of disobedience or children of wrath, we are made alive in Christ, called saints, a royal priesthood. We are called sons and daughters of the most high God.

Here the King is attempting to do the opposite of what Yahweh carries out.

Daniel and his friends as we will see, refused, insisting that they would look to God.

Daniel’s Response

Daniel 1:8–9 ESV

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,

In the face of fear, Daniel chose to fear God more than man. Daniel resolved, other translations describe his response as he “purposed his heart” that he would not defile himself. Daniel didn’t just accept what was commanded or told him by the chief of the eunuchs. Daniel purposely and intentionally chose to follow God and not man even when it meant disobeying the pagan king.

So, whats wrong with the kinds food and the kings wine? More than likely, it had been offered as a sacrifice to the Babylonian pagan God’s.

Ironically Islam was being started around this same time in 610 B.C. in the area that is now known as Saudi Arabia when the angel Jibril visited the prophet Muhammad. This new religion started by, what I believe to be another fallen angel, spread all throughout the middle east and now stands not only against God’s people, but they literally desire to annihilate Jews from the face of the earth.

There was a real threat of punishment. Ancient kings were well known for the severe and often sadistic punishments against those who crossed them. Nebuchadnezzar was capable of great cruelty. He murdered the sons of one king of Judah before the king’s eyes then immediately gouged out the eyes of the king, so his last memory would always be the murder of his sons (Jeremiah 39:6-7). Other rulers of Judah were literally roasted to death over a fire (Jeremiah 29:22).

Look what happened to Daniel because of his resolution to not defile himself but keep himself holy. God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of his enemy.

That is all we need to know. Does it mean that nothing bad ever happened to Daniel? We know that’s not true. What it means is that when God’s people purpose their hearts to be holy and serve the Lord we will receive the favor of the Lord, which in our day and age means that He will accomplish much through us because he has accomplished much within us!

Daniel also didn’t make things worse for himself. Instead of throwing a fit, he asked if he could eat and drink something different than the king ordered. This is the Lord accomplishing this compassion through Daniel.

Daniel 1:10–16 ESV

10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

So, is the moral of this story that we should all be vegans? NO! What it means is that when we purpose our hearts to serve the Lord, to set ourselves apart from the world and be different set apart and holy, God will use that to reveal Him and His power a majesty to those in the world that are lost and far from Him, because His desire is to bring them close to Him so they can come to faith in Him. We will see that play out in some ways in this book.

“I think that a Christian man should be willing to be tried; he should be pleased to let his religion be put to the test. ‘There,’ says he, ‘hammer away if you like.’ Do you want to be carried to heaven on a feather bed? Do you want always to be protected from everybody’s sneer and frown; and to go to heaven as if you were riding in the procession on Lord Mayor’s day?” (Spurgeon)

Results of God’s Favor

Daniel 1:17–21 ESV

17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

These young Jewish men gave themselves to the LORD in a remarkable way and God blessed them in a remarkable way. J. Edwin Orr remembered something Billy Brice said to him: “Edwin, if Christians would only give over and above their reasonable service, the Lord would give over and above the usual blessing.” Daniel and his friends understood this principle, and God blessed them for acting on it.

This shows that purity of heart and faithfulness to God come before enlightenment in divine mysteries. Daniel would later receive great revelation, but now he simply showed himself a dedicated follower of God.

These young men from Jerusalem were immersed in the study of Babylonian culture, literature, and religion; yet they remained faithful to God. The work of the prophets like Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk was not in vain. They were in Babylon, but not of Babylon.

Daniel had a long, successful career in the worst of circumstances. He worked for tyrants who thought nothing of killing their staff and advisors, much less of firing them. His employer suffered the worst kind of hostile takeover when the Medo-Persian Empire conquered the Babylonian Empire. The seeds of his great success are evident in the very first chapter of the Book of Daniel.

1 Peter 1:13–23 ESV

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

Communion