Set on God's Sovereignty - Daniel 1

Commitment - video games on the phone.

The Background

Daniel 1:1-2

Daniel 1:1–2 NASB95

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along 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 he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.

~ 605 bc - 1st wave of Judean Exile

2nd - 597 bc

3rd - 588 bc

~ 722 bc - Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to Assyria and is dispersed.

Deut 28-30 (~1400 bc)

Dt 28:15

Deuteronomy 28:15 NASB95

“But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

No rain in the Land - thus, the Land will not sustain you

No help against enemies - thus, your enemies will defeat you

Exiled to another land to serve other gods.

Nebuchadnezzar brought back holy artifacts and placed them in ‘the house of his god’ to show sovereignty

Daniel 1:3-4

Daniel 1:3–4 NASB95

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

Also brought back the best of the best of the people

some royal and some noble

youths - 15-20 years old

no defect or blemish

good-looking

showing intelligence…endowed w/ understanding and knowledge - an ability to learn

to eventually serve in king’s court

some say hostages to make rest of Jews submit to authority

but seems like training to be delegates to govern Jews

Had to learn the LITERATURE and LANGUAGE of the Chaldeans

the culture, the history, the academics

Daniel 1:5

Daniel 1:5 NASB95

The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.

A seemingly nice provision.

Choice food and wine- from the king’s supply.

3-year Program and then a guaranteed job.

Daniel 1:6-7

Daniel 1:6–7 NASB95

Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.

New identities

Daniel = “God is my Judge”

Belteshazzar = “Lady, protect the king”

Hananiah = “Yahweh has been gracious”

Shadrach = “I am fearful”

Mishael = “Who is what God is?”

Meshach = “I am despised, contemptible, humbled”

Azariah = “Yahweh has helped”

Abed-nego = “Servant of Nebo”

Let’s take a second and digest this. How would you feel about all this?

Taken into captivity by foreign power as consequence for SIN. Your nation’s sin - the sin of idolatry.

Taken from rest of your people to be indoctrinated into the culture and academics of the foreign, heathen nation.

Taken as a trophy and given new names to be a reminder to your people of this nation’s god’s sovereignty over your God.

What about us? How can we relate?

We are aliens, strangers, non-residents.

1 Peter 2:11

1 Peter 2:11 NASB95

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

Philippians 1:27

Philippians 1:27 NASB95

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Philippians 3:20

Philippians 3:20 NASB95

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

We are indoctrinated with the culture and academics of our generation.

Pursuit of Happiness (vs pursuit of holiness)

Evolution outside of the church

Universalism inside of the church

Let’s keep going.

Pt 1 - FAITH in ACTION

Daniel 1:8

Daniel 1:8 NASB95

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.

But Daniel MADE UP HIS MIND.

'Resolved’ - NIV

‘Determined’ - the Message

MADE UP - to put, set, arrange, lay

MIND - the heart; also used (fig.) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything: (Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Vol. 2, p. 58). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

that he would NOT DEFILE HIMSELF

Defile - pollute, stain, desecrate.

King’s food

maybe some was ‘unclean’ food - prohibited

maybe wine was ‘strong wine’ - prohibited

most likely due to sacrificed to idols

associates those who eat it with that idol

so he SOUGHT PERMISSION from commander to not eat the food

Faith lead to action!

Daniel 1:9-10

Daniel 1:9–10 NASB95

Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.”

God blessed Daniel’s obedience. God’s sovereignty over this pagan people - the very thing they are trying to prove doesn’t exist - is made evident.

Not a ‘safe’ request.

Daniel knew what was right and wrong. It mattered more to him to faithfully obey God than to be safe.

Romans 6:23

1 Cor 15:3-4

NOTHING IS WORSE THAN SIN!

Pt 2: How do you view God’s Word?

Is it more important to you to be rightly related to God, or to be rightly related to the world?

Dt 8:3

Deuteronomy 8:3 NASB95

“He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.

Dt 32:47

Deuteronomy 32:47 NASB95

“For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”

The Provision

Daniel 1:11-16

Daniel 1:11–16 NASB95

But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. “Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

God provided for them physically

Daniel 1:17-20

Daniel 1:17–20 NASB95

As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.

God provided for them mentally/academically.

This is a story of trusting in God’s sovereignty. Who is the authority in your life. Who have you set your heart to serve?

Daniel 1:8 NASB95

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.

Daniel 9:20–23 NASB95

Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. “At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.