Daniel 01 01-21

Daniel 1:1-21

Introduction: Today we live in a postchristian society.

· Different morals

· Different beliefs (no God or wrong god)

· Different goals (self not God)

It is in this society that we are called to stand out in. (To be lights)

· Story: Parental school meeting about sex education

- This man had an impact for God because he took a stand for God and what he believed in.

1. Daniel's New Home

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.

How did this happen?

The sin of the people.
Broken Sabbath, idolatry, & moral apostasy
This was the disciple/judgement of the Lord on the nation of Israel, His chosen people for their sins.
“ And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hands"
The people of God must not think they can live in sin without facing the disciple of the Lord.
Things are not much different for God's people today.

In Daniel's day God judged the nations sin by making them captives in a pagan land, surrounded by evil.
In our day God has left our nation to it's own devices & sin, surrounding us with evil.
Ro 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Ro 1:24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Two different ways that God judges people for their sin. The result how ever is the same.

We become God's people living in a pagan land.

Foreign thinking
Foreign worship

The name of the Lord is dishonoured in the land.
"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. "

A. The Brainwashing of Babylon

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.

If Nebuchadnezzer could retrain the way the leaders of the next generation thought, he could keep Israel subject to himself.* Nebuchadnezzer sent these young men to the University of Babylon.

Chaldeans were wise counsellors of the king. They were taught both religion & science.

To be a Chaldean you were taught the religion of Babylon as well as the system of astrology that formed the basis for both their religion and their science.
The king's official counsellors had to be able to interpret dreams and various omens, because understanding the times and knowing the future were both important to the king's success.

The world wants us to think like it thinks. It wants to retrain the way the leaders of next generation think.
The world uses things like school, media, and literature to give us it's message of the age.

They want to tell that we need to be tolerant of the way others live their lives.
That all religious practice is the same & that all roads lead to the same God
Plus many others things that go against godly living.
All of this is the philosophy of Babylon.

Not all of school, media, or literature is wrong. Yet the world uses these things to retain the way we think.
How Daniel must have turned back to the learning of his youth time & time again.
It is important that we fill our minds with God’s word so that we are not taken in by the world’s thoughts.
Ro 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. B. The pleasures of Babylon

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.

This would have been compromise and sin. Why?

First, the food provided did not meet the food requirements of the Mosaic law in that it was not prepared according to regulations and may have included meat from forbidden animals.
Second, wine and meat had probably been dedicated to idols as was customary in Babylon. Exodus 34:15
The world offers us it’s pleasures. It tries to make us compromise our walk.
Sensual pleasure, Wrong Relationships, Materialistic Gain, Power over others, ect.
To take these sinful pleasures of the world would mean to compromise our walks & relationships with God as Christians.

C. The names of Babylon

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.

Daniel à Belteshazzer

God is my judge - May Bel protect his life

Hananiah à Shadrach

Jehovah is gracious - Command of Aku (moon god)

Mishael à Meshach

Who is He that is God - Who is what Aku is?

Azariah àAbed-nego

The Lord helps - Servant of Nebo (son of Bel)

Their names show us that their parents were devout or at least they wanted to glorify god in the speaking of their names

Everything was set against these young men. They could have compromised and no one would have condemned them.

How was it that Daniel could stand for God while living in Babylon?
What was it that saw him through?
We too live in a pagan land that wants to change us, to lead from living for God to living for self or another God.
Faced with such pressure how do we stand for God while living in a post-Christian Scotland?

2. Daniel's Stand

Nebuchadnezzer sent these young men to the University of Babylon.
Chaldeans were wise counsellors of the king. They were taught both religion & science.

To be a Chaldean you were taught the religion of Babylon as well as the system of astrology that formed the basis for both their religion and their science.
The king's official counsellors had to be able to interpret dreams and various omens, because understanding the times and knowing the future were both important to the king's success.

The world wants us to think like it thinks. It wants to retrain the way the leaders of next generation think.
The world uses things like school, media, and literature to give us it's message of the age.

They want to tell that we need to be tolerant of the way others live their lives.
That all religious practice is the same & that all roads lead to the same God
Plus many others things that go against godly living.
All of this is the philosophy of Babylon.

Not all of school, media, or literature is wrong. Yet the world uses these things to retain the way we think.
How Daniel must have turned back to the learning of his youth time & time again.
It is important that we fill our minds with God’s word so that we are not taken in by the world’s thoughts.
Ro 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. B. The pleasures of Babylon

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.

This would have been compromise and sin. Why?

First, the food provided did not meet the food requirements of the Mosaic law in that it was not prepared according to regulations and may have included meat from forbidden animals.
Second, wine and meat had probably been dedicated to idols as was customary in Babylon. Exodus 34:15
The world offers us it’s pleasures. It tries to make us compromise our walk.
Sensual pleasure, Wrong Relationships, Materialistic Gain, Power over others, ect.
To take these sinful pleasures of the world would mean to compromise our walks & relationships with God as Christians.

C. The names of Babylon

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.

Daniel à Belteshazzer

God is my judge - May Bel protect his life

Hananiah à Shadrach

Jehovah is gracious - Command of Aku (moon god)

Mishael à Meshach

Who is He that is God - Who is what Aku is?

Azariah àAbed-nego

The Lord helps - Servant of Nebo (son of Bel)

Their names show us that their parents were devout or at least they wanted to glorify god in the speaking of their names

Everything was set against these young men. They could have compromised and no one would have condemned them.

How was it that Daniel could stand for God while living in Babylon?
What was it that saw him through?
We too live in a pagan land that wants to change us, to lead from living for God to living for self or another God.
Faced with such pressure how do we stand for God while living in a post-Christian Scotland?

2. Daniel's Stand

B. The pleasures of Babylon

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.

This would have been compromise and sin. Why?

First, the food provided did not meet the food requirements of the Mosaic law in that it was not prepared according to regulations and may have included meat from forbidden animals.
Second, wine and meat had probably been dedicated to idols as was customary in Babylon. Exodus 34:15
The world offers us it’s pleasures. It tries to make us compromise our walk.
Sensual pleasure, Wrong Relationships, Materialistic Gain, Power over others, ect.
To take these sinful pleasures of the world would mean to compromise our walks & relationships with God as Christians.

C. The names of Babylon

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.

Daniel à Belteshazzer

God is my judge - May Bel protect his life

Hananiah à Shadrach

Jehovah is gracious - Command of Aku (moon god)

Mishael à Meshach

Who is He that is God - Who is what Aku is?

Azariah àAbed-nego

The Lord helps - Servant of Nebo (son of Bel)

Their names show us that their parents were devout or at least they wanted to glorify god in the speaking of their names

Everything was set against these young men. They could have compromised and no one would have condemned them.

How was it that Daniel could stand for God while living in Babylon?
What was it that saw him through?
We too live in a pagan land that wants to change us, to lead from living for God to living for self or another God.
Faced with such pressure how do we stand for God while living in a post-Christian Scotland?

2. Daniel's Stand

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, 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."

The king’s choice food would have been tempting. I’m sure it did look good.

The pleasures of the world always do look good.
Sensual pleasure, A Wrong Relationship, Materialistic Gain, ungodly entertainment, all these things all tempting to us at the time.
It would have tasted good going down and filled his stomach, but it would have left his soul empty and feeling separated from God.
This is the same with most sin as well.

We sin because we enjoy it, but than we feel empty & separated from God.

Daniel could have rationalized this sin away. “It’s only food and God will understand”.
We can often try to rationalize our own sin.

I'm going human.
It won't hurt anyone else but myself.
It's not that bad of a sin.
God will forgive me.

Daniel was in a strange land and everyone around him was eating the king’s food. “Even the other Jews”, they might have said, “eat the food; what harm will it do?”
But Daniel let none of this influence him.
So how did Daniel overcome the pressure to sin?

A. Daniel’s Decisiveness

Da 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. NASB

Da 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. KJV

First of all Daniel made up his mind that he would not sin or give in to sin no matter the pressure!* Resolved - sum, The primary meaning of the verb is to put, to set, or to place. - CWD

In other words Daniel set his heart against sin before he was tempted.

Set like a diamond in a ring

Daniel set it in his heart and mind that no matter the cost he would not defile himself.
If we are going to overcome sin and not to fall to temptation we need set our hearts against sin before we are tempted.

If we wait until we are tempted we will not be prepared.
Let our love & godly fear hold our hearts in the place of holiness.

We, like Daniel, must make up our minds that we are going to live holy & for the Lord.
If we do not do this we will be led into living for other things.

Sin
Self
Other

There may have been consequences for Daniel to pay.

Punishment from the king
Being called a fanatic by his peers

There may be for us as well: less money, loss of friends, persecution by non-Christians. B. Daniel’s Motive

The reason why Daniel was so set on holy living was his love & fear of God.

Even though Daniel was in Babylon, a long way from Jerusalem his home, he still loved & feared the Lord above all else.
Let's remember what Daniel's name meant, God is my judge.
Daniel new that God not the king, not the chief of the eunuchs, not his own peers, was his judge. The one who he must answer to.
When we give in to sin it is because we are trying to please the wrong person.
We fear what others will think of us more the Lord.
Or we desire to please someone else besides the Lord.
Not so with Daniel. The chief of the eunuchs feared the king but Daniel feared the King of kings.

Resolved - sum, The primary meaning of the verb is to put, to set, or to place. - CWD
In other words Daniel set his heart against sin before he was tempted.

Set like a diamond in a ring

Daniel set it in his heart and mind that no matter the cost he would not defile himself.
If we are going to overcome sin and not to fall to temptation we need set our hearts against sin before we are tempted.

If we wait until we are tempted we will not be prepared.
Let our love & godly fear hold our hearts in the place of holiness.

We, like Daniel, must make up our minds that we are going to live holy & for the Lord.
If we do not do this we will be led into living for other things.

Sin
Self
Other

There may have been consequences for Daniel to pay.

Punishment from the king
Being called a fanatic by his peers

There may be for us as well: less money, loss of friends, persecution by non-Christians. B. Daniel’s Motive

The reason why Daniel was so set on holy living was his love & fear of God.

Even though Daniel was in Babylon, a long way from Jerusalem his home, he still loved & feared the Lord above all else.
Let's remember what Daniel's name meant, God is my judge.
Daniel new that God not the king, not the chief of the eunuchs, not his own peers, was his judge. The one who he must answer to.
When we give in to sin it is because we are trying to please the wrong person.
We fear what others will think of us more the Lord.
Or we desire to please someone else besides the Lord.
Not so with Daniel. The chief of the eunuchs feared the king but Daniel feared the King of kings.

B. Daniel’s Motive

The reason why Daniel was so set on holy living was his love & fear of God.

Even though Daniel was in Babylon, a long way from Jerusalem his home, he still loved & feared the Lord above all else.
Let's remember what Daniel's name meant, God is my judge.
Daniel new that God not the king, not the chief of the eunuchs, not his own peers, was his judge. The one who he must answer to.
When we give in to sin it is because we are trying to please the wrong person.
We fear what others will think of us more the Lord.
Or we desire to please someone else besides the Lord.
Not so with Daniel. The chief of the eunuchs feared the king but Daniel feared the King of kings.

C. Daniel's Faith

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.

How when Daniel was turned down by the chief of the eunuchs he asked the steward placed over him & his friends.

Daniel knew that it was not God's will to eat this food & sin.
Therefore God would help provide a way to avoid this sin.
This true of us today.
1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Daniel not only had faith that God would deliver them from the food but that God would also bless them for being obedient to Him.
How could they look as well & healthy on vegetables as the other youths when the others were eating the best food in the kingdom?
It would have to be God helping them out. Daniel had faith in God.
Sometimes obeying God takes much faith, because to do so it looks like we will be worse off in the end.
Illustration of faith & obedience:

Abraham -Hebrews 11:8
Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-nego -Daniel 3
Daniel -Daniel 6

Faith in God is key to living for Him in this sinful world.

So what was the outcome of Daniel's faith & obedience to the Lord?

3. Daniel's Light

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. 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.

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.

A. God's Blessing

God honoured their faith & blessed them for their obedience.

They studied the same things as the rest but stood out because God was with them.
The Lord gave Daniel a special gift of understanding visions and dreams.

In the first half of his book, Daniel interpreted the visions and dreams of others, but in the last half, he received visions of his own from the Lord.
By understanding the mind-set of the Babylonian people, especially the king's "magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers" (Dan. 2:2, NIV), Daniel and his three friends were better able to show them the superiority of God's wisdom.

If we want God’s blessing on our lives, homes, work, or ministries, we must obey first.
God will bless in the way we need to live for Him & to standout as a light for Him in midst of the darkness.

B. Daniel's Light

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.

They stood out from their peers.

They stood out because they were different from their peers who ate the king's food & God was with them.
If we want to be lights in our world we must be different.
Php 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
If we let sin in even part of our lives we become ineffective in being light
“…I read a story about a lighthouse keeper who broke a window in his lighthouse. Believing no ships were in the area, he filled in the aperture with a board. The light shone brightly from all sides except one. There was only one “part dark”. Surely it wouldn’t matter. That night a ship approaching the lighthouse on the dark side was shipwrecked. The moral: there must be no “part dark”.”
Holiness causes us to standout from the crowd. Holiness causes us to be lights in the darkness.

21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

God used Daniel in His service for the next 70 years.

Daniel was a shining light in Babylon for 70 years because he chose not to live as they lived.
If we want to used by God in our post-Christian nation we must live holy lives, lives of faith & obedience to the Lord.

If we live like Daniel the Lord will use us as lights in a dark Scotland today.

The choice is ours to make.

To like one of Daniel's peers.
Or to like Daniel & his friends.

Conclusion: Dare to be a Daniel

Determine not to defile your life with the pleasures of Babylon.

I do not know what your king’s choice food might be…

Seek to please God in everything you do.
Obey believing that God will bless.
Dare to be different that we might stand out

God used Daniel in His service for the next 70 years.

Daniel was a shining light in Babylon for 70 years because he chose not to live as they lived.
If we want to used by God in our post-Christian nation we must live holy lives, lives of faith & obedience to the Lord.

If we live like Daniel the Lord will use us as lights in a dark Scotland today.

The choice is ours to make.

To like one of Daniel's peers.
Or to like Daniel & his friends.

Conclusion: Dare to be a Daniel

Determine not to defile your life with the pleasures of Babylon.

I do not know what your king’s choice food might be…

Seek to please God in everything you do.
Obey believing that God will bless.
Dare to be different that we might stand out