Faith Under Fire

Text: Daniel 1:1-8a

PPHC Revival 2/20/07

Objective: Satan has a plan for your destruction…to bring you down. However, God is working in that same trial to bring out the best in you so that you may shine in the darkness and lead others to Christ.

I. The COMMAND to Bring Forth the Seventy to Babylon  (v. 3)

 A. Ashpenaz, the King’s Servant (Nebuchednezzar)

  1. To bring back certain of the C. of Israel, the King’s seed, and princes (cream of the crop)

   a. The King’s seed = literal meaning (the seed of the kingdom)

  2. These were held under the tight supervision of Ashpenaz, the chief eunuch.

  3. *(Spiritual aspect) Satan dispatches his demonic host to snare/bind mankind, God’s seed  (Eph. 6)

   a. Jn. 10:10-   “The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy...”

II. The PURPOSE of Their Deportation

 A. To be liaisons (lee-a’-zons - go-betweens) between himself and the land of Judah 

  1. Having tasted the pleasures of the king’s court…

   a. Nebuch. would use them to influence their own people to get what he wanted achieved

   b. *(Spiritual aspect) Satan may attempt to seize your children or spouse in order to manipulate them strategically against you to cause you to bow at his commands or pay tribute to him and hinder you from God’s purposes.

 B. Nebuchadnezzar held them as hostages in his courts

  1. This guaranteed the loyalty of Judah to him...there would be no uprisings, no revolts

 C. He made eunuchs out of all of the 70 captives  (as prophesied in Is. 39:7)

  1. (Nebuchadnezzar’s thinking)... “they are unable to produce offspring for themselves, they’ll offer their devotion to me”

III. The METHOD of His Design

 A. These young men were roughly 14 - 16 yrs. of age  (Pulpit Commentary)

 B. They were handsome, skilled in determining riddles, & possessed the ability to discern (v. 4)

 C. They were to be schooled in the Chaldean language  (v. 4)

  1. 3 languages of that day:  (Pulpit Commentary)

   a. Aramaic - used in ordinary business & diplomacy

   b. Assyrian - used in writing historic and legal documents

   c. Accadian -(Chaldean) “the sacred tongue” - from this originated magical formulas and

rituals of Babylon and Ninevah...involved astronomy (study of planets / stars), astrology

(study of planets / stars coinciding w/the occurrence of events), magic, & interpretation of

dreams / omens.

IV. The TRIAL of Their Faith

 A. Their Names were Changed  (v. 7)

  1. Daniel (God is my Judge)  >  Belteshazzar (Whom Baal favors)

   a. Ba’al = “lord’ or “master”; What did it feel like to be branded with a name such as this?

   b. The king was attempting to distance these young men from their upbringing.

   c. Rom. 10:9  if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus

  2. Hananiah (The Lord has been gracious)  >  Shadrach (servant of Aku “sun god”)

  3. Mishael (Who is equal to God)  >  Meshach (Who is like the moon god)

  4. Azariah (The Lord has helped)  >  Abednego (servant of Nego (Venus / morning star)

    a. The king surrounded himself w/names that were favorable towards his kingdom.

    b. Therefore, he gave them names w/an element of a Babylonian god in it.

 B. They were to Eat Food from the King’s Table  (v. 5)

  1. To most youth, this would be an extremely attractive offer as most teens desire popularity.

   a. Today: make-up @ 10 yrs. old; French manicures, finger rings & toe rings; noses pierced,

tongues pierced, navel pierced; young boys want rims that move when the car stops;

Glass-pacs that will turn the heads of all the girls and make the boys envious…they want

attention!!

  2. Daniel was allowed to eat at the king’s table.

  3. [Custom] – Meat was often swine; or meat from which the blood had not been drawn; A

portion of the dinner and wine were first offered as a sacrifice to a pagan god.

  4. Daniel knew that if he partook of that meal, he would defile himself before God  (v. 8)

   a. Lev. 17:10-14 – “I will set my face against the soul that eateth blood…”

• “Today, young theologians are taught that they should co-exist. Modern advice given to young men such as the Hebrew boys would be, ‘Participate! Sit at the king’s table: nibble on his meat; sip his wine…‘you might be able to win him.’ But thank God they didn’t have modern professors to advise them…they only had the God of their fathers.” Daniel    Oliver B. Greene 

 C. Daniel Purposed in His Heart not to Eat the King’s Meat / Wine  (v. 8)

  1. At that time, he did not know what his stand might cost him…it might be his life??

  2. Purpose originated in his heart...in his heart there was a FOUNDATION...purpose was laid

on that!

  3. That foundation was created by mom and dad, and by being instructed by Law of God

   a. This is why we need parental teaching of God’s Word, Spirit-filled Sunday School teachers;

not a time for baby sitting.

  4. Mom and dad wasn’t around now; in a foreign country where no one knew him

(temptation to just fit in )

 D. Daniel Requested Pulse (peas/beans/lentils) The Diet of a Common Man  (v 12)

  1. Corpulence (fatness) was regarded as a sign of nobility. The king would want those that

were corpulent in his presence as people would note that they were being fed from the

king’s table...THESE WERE being fed from the KING’S table!!!

  1. *(Spiritual aspect) Satan may attempt to make you feel that you have to have THE best of what the world offers to be successful...however, God is able to make up the balance that you may lose here when you’re sacrificing for the advancement of His kingdom and glory.

 E. The Four Hebrew Children were Favored by the King  (v. 18)

  1. They were 10 times better in the king’s eyes than the all the others that ate from the king’s

table.

  2. They were set up as rulers in the King’s kingdom

• Our God is the same God who watched over Daniel – and if we dare to BE a Daniel, God will do for US what He did for Daniel.