Thrive: Exile(Daniel)

Background info

Daniel is the last of the major prophets section in the bible

He has been deported to Babylon after judah has been conquered. He is a young man of nobility.

Daniel can basically be split up into two sections the first half is narrative based and the second half is prophetic based

The Israelites are going into exile for 70 years because of rebellion to the LORD

Daniel in exile will serve 5 kings and two different empires

Daniel 1:1–3 “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—”

Daniel will not conform

Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”

Daniel 1:9–16 “Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.”

after their training Daniel and his friends will be the best of his class.

the food of the kings table was likely unclean for a jewish person following the torah

Daniel and his friends will be in Babylon and will work for her but they will not become Babylon. there is a separation in identity but also ethics and morals. They will not get ahead as the Babylonians will do.

his beliefs

his practices

Daniel does not want power

Holds to conviction

Do not fear man

the story of writing on the wall, it seems Daniel has been forgotten but has not lost his courage. What we see in the lions den is just how Daniel is

Daniel 5:17 “Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.”

If we want to thrive in times of trouble, we need to stick and hold onto our convictions. When we become like the world we have lost. We thrive by placing God first and the world does not do that. Even when we stand up to our peers or authority

We cannot be afraid of people more than God.

Daniel endures

He is almost killed multiple times

the story of Neby Nebs dream

him in the lions den

the furnace

people will constantly plot against him and even succeed but through it all Daniel and his friends do not waver

Daniel 3:17–18 “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.””

James 1:2–4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

endurance is the test of our faith

endurance matures us

We need to take one step after another. Always consistent.

Everything around daniel will change multiple times. His world will come crashing down again and again because sin is in the world. Daniel’s faith is consistent through it all. We can imagine daniel will go through some failures that we do not see. he is human but he will always come back to God.

Daniel Prays

it never waivers

Daniel 6:10 “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

from the beginning to his first dream he interrupts to the den of lions and it being outlawed.

Prayer steadies us

Prayer is powerful beyond belief

prayer is how we endure and do not conform. It is our reliance on God daily. It is nit just something you should do as a christian but what is needed for christian life.

Prayer is how we know God’s will, How we align our thoughts with His thoughts, Our desires with His desire, how anxiety fades, God for some reasons often answers our prayers. But also it is how we get to know God. It is our primary way have of having a relationship with him

Conclusion

Some of us feel like Daniel, and we can take solace that God was there for Daniel and He will be there for you.

others of us do not right now but will sometime soon. Start doing what Daniel does now because when the hard time comes it will be much harder to start the habits and desires, you will be too caught up in the situation.

All of us should feel something like Daniel because this world is not our home. We are here now but our home is where Jesus is if we are in him.