Daniel 1:1-21 Daring to Believe
Last
week we began our Study in the book of Daniel.
A) Introduced to an amazing
Young man
Recap
on the setting: RD V1-7 605BC –
B)
In the midst of that invades
Still
Satan’s plan today
A)
Satan knows that the real wealth of a nation is not its silver and its gold –
the wealth is its youth –
B) Still Satan’s
plan today – He is after our youth
C)
V.4 When it says that they were to teach them the language and the Literature
of the Chaldeans - - that has
religious overtones to it
D)
There were tremendous things for these young men to learn in
E)
But they were to learn the Language and the ways of the Chaldeans which is not education it is
indoctrination
Nothing
has changed in
A) Our Culture is set up in
such a way that it is not really there to inform
you – but rather it is there to form you
B) In our places of learning
today there is as much indoctrination going on
as there is education.
C) Indoctrination is there
to move you away from the things that you hold dear.
1) And Primarily to move you
away from the truth – Especially God’s truth.
D) that is what
indoctrination is about: There is a lot of that going on in Colleges &
Univ. across
Listen
to this list of Classes offered at the following learning institutions – this
is what your dollar is paying for Parents
A) These are classes
currently being offered or that have been offered in the recent past
·
·
·
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Yale: Intro to gay and lesbian societies
·
Corneal: Gay fiction
·
·
·
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Standford: Homosexuals, Heretics, witches and
werewolves
·
Wesleyan: Pornography and the writings of prostitutes
·
·
·
UCLA: Lesbian and Gay lit before Stonewall – and after
Stonewall
·
UCLA: Queer Musicology “sexual difference and gender identities in music
·
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John Hopkins: Mail order brides
People
understand when Colleges and Universities start offering those kind of classes
– that is indoctrination
A)It
is Satanic in origin - and what
is really scary is now those type of things are being taught in Public and now
High Schools, middle schools and even some elementary schools –
Aa) Where the students don’t
have a choice to take those classes as an elective – that
is indoctrination
B) There is an Satanic
agenda behind those type of studies that is to undermine the truth of God’s
word
1) Satan and his forces are
getting aggressive –
C) We are in a
That
was also
A) V.5 Tells us that
B) Eat the kings delicacies and exposed to the kings wine – For 3 yrs they would be living large
1) Exposed to the finest
things that
C) Often why a Drug dealer
will give some kids drugs the first time for free – once they experience that
high – then he has them hooked
1) Now they are addicted
- and then he owns them.
D) That is what
We
left off last time in v.8 where we read that Daniel purposed in his heart not
to defile himself by eating the Kings delicacies nor drink his wine
A) The word Defile means
that this was a religious conviction
B) Not a personal thing –
Vegetarian or Lactose tolerant
C)
This was about Daniels walk with God – and this is where he draws the
line.
1) Change his name – no
problem He knew Who He was –
2)
Learn about Babylonian culture – and Language and religion
1) That was Ok – He was
grounded in the truth.
D) He knew who the real God
was!
But
ask him to do something that would result in Sin – something that would affect
his relationship with God.
A) What was the big deal
about the food – 2 things – 1st The king would no doubt serve food that was unclean according to the Law of Moses
B) 2nd In
1)
For both of those reasons – To participate in eating the food would be a
defilement of his walk with God.
C) That is where Daniel
draws the line –Good example to follow
1) Where do you draw the
line – what do you say yes to and what do you say no to.
D) Is it sin – Will it defile
your relationship w/ God? – and if it is not sin will it weigh you down –
For
the rest of the evening I want us to consider how Daniel made this stand and
what it resulted in.
A) How did this young man 14
– make such a powerful decision.
#1
An Unnatural strength:
A) This didn’t happen because
Daniel was a superboy
B) Purposed in his heart =
pull together: This is the idea Daniel drew from something inside of him and
made a Stand
C) He drew from everything
that as a young man he had been taught about Jehovah God –
1) Everything He by faith
had embraced to be true about His God – and that became the source of His
supernatural strength
D)
E) Hebrew 11:6 “But without faith it is
impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and
that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
His
faith in a Holy mighty God was His source of Strength
A) Same as David – on a
Human level David was no match for Goliath – but David wasn’t trusting in Human
strength – but Divine -
B)
The Source of Daniel’s strength came from what His faith in God
1) – that is what He drew
from
C) Similar idea stated for
us –
3 as His divine
power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have
been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these
you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.
Peter
is telling us that when we get saved God has given to us everything we need to
rise above the Culture and live a life of godliness
A)
Made us partakers of a Divine nature – power and resources that are
based on exceeding great and precious promises.
B) God gives that to us
through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the word of God
C) We have to learn as
believers to draw from what God has given to us and placed with in us. To stand
upon His grace –
D) Which is
why Peter continues V.5
5
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue,
to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance,
to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly
kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who
lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that
he was cleansed from his old sins.
A) But this is what we need
to understand – we are not adding to our faith from anything outside of God –
or His word
1) Not apart from God – His
virtue – He called us by glory and virtue
B) I am simply drawing upon
what God has already placed into by bank account
–
1) The rest of the things
mentioned here correlate to the fruit of the Spirit that Paul laid out in
C)These are all things that
God has placed in us by His spirit – So adding to our
faith – is simply building upon what God has placed in us
D) Think of it this way:
Building a house – God lays a foundation – but he also supplies all of the
bricks and Mortar to build – just sitting there
1) You are supplying that
foundation with what He has already provided
That
is the picture the scripture is painting here about Daniel when it says he
purposed in his heart –
A) He was drawing upon in
faith everything He believed to be true about Jehovah – His deliverance – His Care- His holiness
B) What is amazing though is
Daniel does this without the Knowledge of Jesus as we know it
1) Without the indwelling of
the Spirit as we know it.
C) So Daniel drew from an
unnatural strength – that resulted #2 in an Unashamed Boldness
This was a bold request that Daniel made – because in it he
was made against the most powerful King on earth at that time.
A) Daniels faith was in the
King of Kings
B) Daniel made this request
because he was not ashamed of his God
C) Just think how easy it
would have been for Daniel to think that God had
let him – down.
1) He lost everything!
Parents, home, culture, siblings
D) But Daniel was not
ashamed of His God -
I
witness a lot of pp who sing praises – when things are going good and who get
so mad at God when things are going bad
A) I wonder how many
professed Christians were cursing God after Monday’s market collapse?
B) It would have been easy
for Daniel to be embarrassed – in the eyes of the Babylonians –their gods had
just defeated the Israelite God
1) Took the temple treasures
from
C) But V.2 tells us – Daniel saw the big picture – God gave
A person who sees the big
picture – a person who believes that God is Sovereign – their faith will not be
shaken.
Psalm
119: 46 says “I will speak of your testimonies also
before Kings and I will not be ashamed.”
Daniel had that kind of
character that stands fearlessly and boldly before Kings, before rulers,
A)
And speaks the truth that undaunted spirit of complete and utter commitment to
God.
Jeremiah
called it being valiant for the truth.
Ezekiel
said it was like setting your face like flint.
1 Chronicles 12:8 says it's "setting your face like a
lion."
One
Commentator put it this way: “He has a holy
fearless courage that knows no shame, he is glad to bear the name of God, he is
glad to stand for the word of God and he is glad to obey God's word no matter
who he's talking too.”
So
Daniel relying upon and unnatural strength results in an unashamed boldness –
that results in a #3 unearthly protection V.9
9 Now God had
brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.
A) The natural thing we
think when we are faced with making a godly stand – is if I do that I am going
to take a lot of heat from men
1) But from God you will be
under a lot of protection.
B) Proverb 16:7 says when a
man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with
him.
C)
Daniel wasn’t about to compromise to gain something with men and lose something
with God.
Professor
John Walvoord makes this observation about V.9 The King James Version implies
that this predated his request. It is more probable that it occurred at the
time the request was given, as brought out by the literal rendering of the
Hebrew, “God gave Daniel favour” and so forth.
As
Young puts it, “The sequence of ideas is historical.” The word “favour” (Heb. hesed)
means kindness or good will. The translation “tender love” (Heb. rahami‚)
is a plural intended to denote deep sympathy.
Walvoord
concludes - It is clear that God intervened on Daniel’s part in preparing the
way for his request.
D) This was an unearthly
protection: God moved on the heart of Asphenaz
But
even though Asphenaz really liked Daniel and his 3 friends – He feared the King
more – V. 10
And the chief
of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who has appointed
your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the
young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the
king."
A) Ashkenazi is thinking
about his head –
B) But that doesn’t stop
Daniel - #4 He has an unhindered persistence.
C)At this point it could
have been easy for Daniel to go to his buddies and say Hey we tried – they are
not budget –
1) We are going to just have
to eat of the Kings food and God is just going to have to understand.
D)
He could have found 100 ways to rationalize the situation and give into the
pressure – but that is not what He does.
But Daniel is
unhindered in his persistence – and looks for another option
11 So Daniel said to the steward whom the
chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12
"Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables
to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be examined before you,
and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's
delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants." 14 So he
consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.
A) Test: ten days – Daniel is believing that God was
going to honor his stand and so he says – let’s do a test
B) Daniel believes in the
faithfulness of God – I know that God doesn’t want me to sin – so here is a
test
C) Singles: Unhindered in your persistence - Don’t compromise – God is faithful – don’t
settle for a non Christian or lukewarm believer
Here
we see a wonderful spiritual principle.
Sin produces doubt, fear, questioning,
hesitancy. Righteousness produces confidence and security.
And
Daniel in a sense is saying "I'll put my life on the line because I
believe that if I obey God he will honor that obedience."
A) The point is Daniel says if
I obey God and do not violate the laws and take the highest spiritual position,
I believe God will honor that.
Chosen
to Cheat – Men with their Jobs –
Reasonable
test – God will honor that by allowing you to be more productive
Daniels
Unnatural strength that led to an unashamed boldness, and an unearthly
protection
That resulted in him having an unhindered
persistence – ultimately resulted in #5 Un-measurable blessing.
15 And at the
end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the
young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. 16 Thus the steward
took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and
gave them vegetables.
Fatter- That is why I don’t
like Vegies – make you fatter – Biblical
You're
thinking of four little plump teenagers, no, the term has to do with being
full, healthy.
It
has to do with being filled out and proportioned appropriately. Having
strength.
In
other words: They didn't suffer from the substitute food at all.
A) They benefited,
why? Because vegetables are better than the other stuff?
B) No because God's direct
intervention made this possible.
Now
the overseer probably loved this because he continued to withhold their food –
probably feasting on it himself
A) If anyone was getting fat
literally it was probably that guy and his family-
Bringing home the kings food
every night
B) See the continuation of
God’s un-measurable blessing –
17 As for these four young men, God gave
them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had
understanding in all visions and dreams.
18 Now at the end of the days, [17 now] when the king had said that they should be brought in, the
chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Then the king
interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all
matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he
found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who
were in all his realm.
Ten
times more wise; this is going to cause a lot of Jealousy and grieve amongst
the “wise men” of
A) These 4 are going to have
targets on their back –
B) Think about how it would
go over if President Bush or the new Prez announced – Chief advisors were 4 17
year olds
1) Condi, Hilary – berserk
21
Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.
A) Chapter 1 ends with this
little sub note – God’s blessing upon Daniel runs through 4 Kings –
Darius Goes -
B) Daniel continues to be
God’s man in this important place for 70yrs
1) Because of the Stand He
took at 14 – God honored it
Now this is what I want you to see – here is this guy who could have
said my life is over – captivity – taken from family – Horrible
A) But instead he realized – w/
God nothing happens by accident – God had a plan – God was working –
B) God had given him special & Unique giftings that would be used
in
C) What is God doing in your
life – What has changed ?
1) Purpose tonight to no matter what to follow Him