Daniel and the Covenant

Bible Camp Day 1

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Main Point: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you Js. 4:8a

Intro- Why? Why were the Israelites going into captivity?

Context

Long before Daniel and all of the people went into captivity, God laid out in the covenant the Law and outlined blessings and curses. When the Law of the covenant was given to Israel they agreed to follow God according to words written by Moses.

Illustration: If you get a job, part of the job description and expectation is that you get there on time. If you do not what happens? Eventually there are going to be consequences. You will lose payment for that hour, get a warning by your boss, or may get fired. The Israelites had entered into a covenant with God and that they would serve Him. Yet there were continually breaking this covenant with other gods and idols.

Dt. 28:58 “If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, 59 then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Dt 28:58–59). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Dt. 28:64 “And the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. 65 And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Dt 28:64–65). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Dt 30:1–3). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

21 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.”

3 Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. 7 Afterward, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.’

8 “And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. 10 For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.’

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Je 21:1–10). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Daniel Taken to Babylon

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. 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. 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.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Da 1:1–7). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

There were several deportations of Jews to Babylon both before and after the fall of Jerusalem, and it appears that Daniel and his three friends were taken in 605 when they were probably fifteen or sixteen years old.

Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be resolute (p. 13). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor.

These four youths were faithful to seek out after God in the midst of their captivity. God saw this and blessed them for their faithfulness.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jas 4:8). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Application: It matters how we react when things fall apart. How we respond in that moment matters.

Old Covenant = Do we have a covenant with God?

Anyone who is a believer in Jesus Christ has made a covenant with God. Whenever someone surrenders their life to Jesus they enter into covenant with God. Whenever our world falls apart think back to the covenant that you have made with God.

While the country was falling apart, when their communities were devestated, their temple burned, and they were prisoner to a foreign power, God had not forgotten them.

Parallel to us

What are things that could happen in our country?

Country falling apart = war, bad politics, unrest and riots

Communities devestated = hurricane Sandy, other natural disasters

Temple burned = destruction of local church

Prisoner in foreign land = not likely but we could be captured, kidnapped, or held hostage

Does our covenant to God remain intact in these situations? Yes it does. What should we do when we doubt God's goodness and faithfulness?

Remember how God has provided for you in the past. Remember how God has been faithful to all people He covenants with. Study the Scriptures and see if there is anywhere that God has been unfaithful. You will see that God is faithful and that He will not abandon you, so don't you abandon Him.