Daniel 1
Tony Garland · Citado em PreceptAustin
Daniel 1
Garland - In the record of Babel, as minimal as it is, we see the first human king and kingdom in direct rebellion to the commands of God resulting in judgment. In Babylon of the end, we will see the last human king and kingdom in ultimate rebellion to the commands of God resulting in the final judgment of all human kingdoms to be replaced by the Millennial Kingdom ruled by Messiah Following terms are synonyms - Babel, Babylon, Shinar, Chaldean/Chaldea Resources Related to Babylon: Art and pictures related to Babylon Babylon - History and Religion (related article) Babylonian Chronicle - "The Babylon Chronicle for the years 605-595 BC, describes the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BC, the so-called “second deportation,” the first being in 605 B.C. when Daniel and his companions where taken to Babylon (Da 1:1-5)." Biblical Argument for the Rebuilding of Babylon - Dr Charles Dyer - 43 page treatise Babylon in Bible Prophecy - Thomas Ice (Dispensational perspective) What is the Identity of Babylon in Rev 17-18? - Andy Woods? (Dispensational perspective) Who is the Great Harlot Babylon - Kay Arthur Besieged (More literally "laid siege") (06696) (tsûr/sur) has the basic meaning to enclose or to confine. It conveys the ideas of to lay siege, to secure, to tie up or bind (2Ki 5:23, Ezek 5:3, Dt 14:25), to surround. The most common meaning of tsûr is to lay siege, usually to a city, by surrounding it and cutting off its supplies. To “encircle and enclose a fortified area as an aggressive military strategy to defeat a city or nation.” The word does not necessarily denote an actual battle but emphasizes taking control of a city. For example, David's men besieged Rabbah (2Sa 11:1; 1Chr. 20:1); Nadab laid siege to Gibbethon (1Ki. 15:27) Omri to Tirzah (1Ki. 16:17). Saul attempted to surround David at Keilah (1Sa 23:8). The Assyrians under Ben-Hadad besieged Samaria (1Ki. 20:1; 2Ki. 6:24f). Shalmaneser V laid siege against Samaria (725BC 2Ki 18:9) which fell after three years (722BC). Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem in 597BC (2 Ki. 24:11) and 588BC (Jer. 32:2; 37:5). Instructions to Israel regarding siege tactics appear in Dt. 20:12, 19. 2Sa 20:15 describes the strategy of building ramps to overtake a walled city. Ezekiel built a "siege model" to illustrate the fate of a besieged Jerusalem (Ezek 4:3). In a stunning indictment of God's people, the Lord Himself prophetically foretold He would lay siege to Jerusalem/Ariel (Isa. 29:3). Tsûr is used in a metaphorical sense of enclosing or surrounding (Song 8:9), where Shulammite's brothers announce their resolve to garrison or encircle ("barricade") their little sister. In Ps 139:5, the psalmist acknowledges that the Lord has " enclosed me behind and before," which is a picture of the Lord's continual presence and protection. Besiege - Webster says it means to To lay siege to; to beleaguer; to beset, or surround with armed forces, for the purpose of compelling to surrender, either by famine or by violent attacks; as, to besiege a castle or city. To surround (a fortified area, esp. a city) with military forces to bring about its surrender. TWOT - This root means to make secure a valuable object, such as money (2Ki 5:23)... Applied to military action it means to relentlessly attack an opponent’s stronghold. Every effort was made to shut off supplies (especially water, cf. II Sam 12:27) from the city and to prevent the people from escaping. The tactics included building a mound to reach the wall and using battering rams and towers to breach it (cf. II Sam 20:15; Ezk 26:8f.). The inhabitants of a besieged city were threatened by both sword and famine; therefore, some surrendered to the enemy in order to preserve their lives (Jer 21:9). Without great discipline, tension inside the city mounted as prices for anything resembling food soared (II Kgs 6:25). It took the Assyrians three years to capture Samaria (II Kgs 17:5). Sometimes armies lacked the capacity to move from victories on the battlefield to take a stronghold (II Kgs 16:5). (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament- R Laird Harris, Gleason L Archer Jr., Bruce K. Waltke) Tsûr - 38x in KJV - Ex 23:22; 32:4; Deut 2:9, 19; 14:25 (= put in a bag, take, i.e., place an object into a bag, as an extension of laying siege to a city); Dt 20:12, 19; Judg 9:31; 1 Sam 23:8; 2 Sam 11:1; 20:15; 1 Kgs 7:15; 15:27; 16:17; 20:1; 2 Kgs 5:23; 6:24f; 12:10; 16:5; 17:5; 18:9; 24:11; 1Chr 20:1; 2Chr 28:20; Esth 8:11; Ps 139:5; Song 8:9; Isa 21:2; 29:3; Jer 21:4, 9; 32:2; 37:5; 39:1; Ezek 4:3; 5:3; Dan 1:1. KJV renders tsûr - besiege 21, lay siege 3, distress 3, bind 2, adversaries 1, assault 1, bags 1, beset 1, cast 1, fashioned 1, fortify 1, inclose 1, bind up 1; 38. NAS renders tsûr - barricade(1), besiege(3), besiege*(1), besieged(1), besieged*(10), besieging*(5), bind(2), bound(1), enclosed(1), laid siege(1), lay siege(1), laying siege(1), set(1), stirring(1), tied(1). Note that NAS uses a different Strong's number for Ex 23:22; Deut 2:9, 19; Esther 8:11 [rendered adversary(1), attack(1), harass(2)] and Baker says tsûr in these contexts signifies "A verb meaning to attack, to harass, to be an adversary. It refers to attacking persons, putting them under duress, opposing them. God would serve as an adversary against the enemies of His people (Ex. 23:22 where Lxx = antikeimai = to be set over against, to be opposed to someone, to be hostile toward). It refers to harassing or oppressing a people or nation (Deut. 2:9, 19 where Lxx - echthraino = be at enmity with in both verses); or even to attacking them (Esther 8:11 where Lxx = antikeimai), in context with God’s approval." (Complete Word Study Dictionary- Old Testament) Daniel 1:2 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. Lord gave - Da 2:37,38; 5:18; Dt 28:49, 50, 51, 52; 32:30; Jdg 2:14; 3:8; 4:2; Ps 106:41,42; Isa 42:24 Along with some of - Da 5:2; 2Chr 36:7; Jer 27:19,20 Shinar - Ge 10:10; 11:2; Isa 11:11; Zech 5:11 -- Synonyms = Babel, Babylon, Shinar, Chaldean/Chaldea He brought the vessels - Da 5:2,3; Jdg 16:23,24; 1Sa 5:2; 31:9,10; Ezra 1:7; Jer 51:44; Hab 1:16) THE ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD Lord (Adonai) (Septuagint = kurios [word study]) is the name for God indicating that He is the supreme Master. The use of this name in this verse indicates that He is in complete control of removing kings (and kingdoms) and establishing kings (and kingdoms) (Da 2:21-note). The fact that the Lord is in control is emphasized throughout the book of Daniel (eg, see Da 2:37,38; 5:18). But God is a God of great compassion and in the midst of His righteous wrath (the defeat and exile of Judah), remembering mercy (cp Hab 3:2-note), "granting favor and compassion" (Da 1:9) as well as "knowledge and intelligence" (Da 1:17) to His chosen servants. Related Resources: Adonai - My Lord, My Master Study of Sovereignty - note verb reign! God reigns! Proverbs 21:1 (Note by Charles Bridges) The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. We see the Sovereign Hand of God in the disciplinary action on Judah in a parallel passage... He (Jehovah) brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans (Nebuchadnezzar) who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand. (2Chr 36:17,18, 19, 20, 21) Gleason Archer... the theme of God's absolute sovereignty is here implied. It continues to dominate the entire Book of Daniel, along with the accompanying theme of God's unwavering purpose to bring his people back to repentance through disciplinary suffering, so equipping them spiritually for restoration to the Land of Promise. The divine motive behind all this dreadful humiliation, suffering, and loss was redemptive and altogether in harmony with God's promises given to the generation of Moses (Lev 26; Dt 28; cf. also 2Chr 36: 14-21). (Ibid) Nebuchadnezzar thought he conquered Judah with his military campaign and siege (Da 1:1), but Daniel records that the victory was given by the Lord, a truth all believers must continually keep in mind as they fight the good fight of faith. As David wrote... Some boast in chariots, and some in horses (King Nebuchadnezzar trusted in his power), but we will boast in the name of the LORD (Ps 124:8), our God (by faith we lay hold of His supernatural power). (Ps 20:7-note, cp Pr 21:31, Ps 33:17, 18, 19, 20-note, Ec 9:11, Is 31:1, 2Chr 16:7, 8, 9, King Jehoshaphat = 2Chr 20:15, 16, 17, 18, 19-22, David against Goliath = 1Sa 17:45, 46, 47, Hezekiah = 2Chr 32:7, 8) Judah refused to heed the warnings of her prophets or the fate of her idolatrous sister Israel and continued to practice idolatry. Finally, God gave Judah into the hands of the land of idolatry! If you continually pursue idols, beware, for God may just give you what you want! Daniel 1:1,2 is not only a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy to Hezekiah (alluded to above [see note] - 2Ki 20:16, 17, 18) but is also a fulfillment of a prophecy recorded by Moses (Dt 28:49, 50, 51, 52). WHY WAS JUDAH TAKEN INTO EXILE? Through Jeremiah, Jehovah summarized Judah's sin declaring that... My people have committed two evils: (#1) (the sin of "omission") They have forsaken Me , the fountain of living waters, (#2) (the sin of "commission") to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (Jer 2:13) Comment: In ancient Israel there were two major sources of water, running streams of fresh, clear and cool water and large pits called cisterns. The landowners would dig cisterns to collect rainwater adding a coat of lime plaster in an attempt to insure the cistern would hold water. However frequently cracks would develop and the water would leak out, not to mention that this water was brackish. How sad that in a similar foolish way Israel abandoned Jehovah, the "fountain of living waters" (Ps 36:9; Pr 16:22; Isa 55:1; Jn 7:37, 38, 39) to make for themselves powerless "gods" (cp Lev 26:1 where Hebrew word for "idols" = literally "something worthless", cp Ps 96.5; Is 2:8; Hab. 2:18-note)! Nothing twists and deforms the soul more than a low or unworthy conception of God. -- A W Tozer The sins of Judah which eventually resulted in the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586BC were... (1) Idol Worship in place of Worship of the One True Living God - cp Dt 32:15, 16, 17 where "Jeshurun" is another name for Israel. (2) Failure to observe the Sabbaths for the Land for 490 years. - Every seventh year the Jews were to keep the Sabbath year and allow the land to rest (cf Lv 25:4). Judah was reaping the harvest of conforming to the mold of the pagan world, rather than obeying God's clear instructions! (3) Manasseh's great sin was also a factor leading to the final destruction of Jerusalem. Note these crucial hinge words in 2 Kings 21:11-12 2Ki 21:11+ begins with "BECAUSE" This term of explanation introduces the reason for the judgment that God announces in 2Ki 21:12. It explains why God is about to bring calamity on Jerusalem and Judah. Manasseh did not merely sin personally but he corrupted the spiritual life of Judah, which ultimately led to national judgment. 2Ki 21:12+ begins with "THEREFORE" - A fitting term of conclusion to Manasseh's evil regime, reaching backward and gathers up a long list of deliberate violations of the Mosaic covenant by Manasseh. Therefore introduces God’s judicial conclusion ("bringing...calamity on Jerusalem") based on the reasons stated in the previous verse. It signals that the coming judgment is the logical and inevitable result of Manasseh’s sins described in 2 Kings 21:11. Manasseh's evil (even in face of his personal repentance) made divine judgment a moral necessity. Manasseh's wickedness was so great that he was blamed for the fall of the Southern Kingdom! 2Ki 21:11 begins with "BECAUSE" which introduces the reason for God's "calamity" judgment in the next verse 2Ki 21:12. There are at least 3 other verses which demonstrate that the "calamity on Jerusalem" was directly related to Manasseh's sins despite the fact that he himself experienced personal repentance and revival (2Ch 33:11,12,13+)! Tragically, the spiritual damage to the nation had already been done and could not be undone! Note each passage below has the explanatory hinge word "BECAUSE OF..." Jeremiah 15:4 “I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth BECAUSE OF Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem. 2 Kings 23:26-27+ However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, BECAUSE OF all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. 27 The LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’” 2 Kings 24:3-4+ Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight BECAUSE OF the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive. TAKEAWAY One leader can shape the spiritual direction of an entire nation for generations. COUNTDOWN TO CAPTIVITY Tony Garland summarizes the countdown as follows... #5 - Josiah - Josiah begin his reign while a boy of only eight (2Ki 22:1) and reigned for 31 years. His reign was patterned after the godly king Hezekiah. He initiated repairs to the temple whereupon the high priest Hilkiah rediscovered the Book of the Law which had been neglected for many years (2Ki 22:8 - Ed note: Where was the Book of the Law was lost? In the very place it should have had preeminence. Beloved, is this not what we see in pulpits across America where there is a veritable dearth of delivered doctrine that is fully "sound" = Greek in 2Ti 4:3+). Upon reading the Law, it became apparent just how far Israel had neglected her duties causing Josiah to repent of the ungodliness of the nation. But it was “too little too late”—God confirmed through the prophetess Huldah that judgment would not be averted (2Ki 22:16, 17+). (This could also be known from the prophecy previously given to Hezekiah that Babylon would eventually cart off Israel’s treasures and some from among her people: 2Ki 20:12-18+) Nevertheless Josiah continued following closely in the footsteps of his great-grandfather Hezekiah by instituting religious reforms. Observe (1) All of the last 4 kings after Josiah were evil. (2) Three of those kings were sons of Josiah, the godly king. One cannot help but wonder why they were not positively impacted by the "revival" that occurred during their father Josiah's reign! Another young man named Daniel seems to have been at least in part the fruit from that last great revival in Josiah's day. Daniel would have been very young, but his parents would certainly have experienced the revival associated with finding the Book of the Law. However, where Scripture is silent we must tread lightly and not speculate too far a field! It's just good "food for thought". #4 - Jehoahaz (note) (Shallum-note) - After the death of king Josiah, his son Jehoahaz reigned. He proved to be an ungodly king who reigned for only three months before being deposed by Pharaoh Necho and taken to Egypt where he eventually died (2Ki 23:31-34+; 2Chr 36:1-4+; 2Ki 22:1-12+). 605BC 1st Deportation from Judah (Daniel 1:1, 2Ki 24:1,2,13+; 2Chr 36:5-7+) #3 - Jehoiakim (aka Eliakim) - After deposing of his brother Jehoahaz, Eliakim was appointed as a vassal king by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt and renamed Jehoiakim. Like his brother before him, he was an evil king (2Ki 23:37+). He reigned 11 years. It was during his reign that Daniel was taken captive to Babylon. In his 4th year (Jewish mode of dating, the 3rd year from the Babylonian mode of dating a regal reign), the Battle of Carchemish (Carchemish - Wikipedia) also took place at which time Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt which marked the beginning of Babylon’s ascendancy over Egypt in the region of Palestine (Jer 25:1; 45:1; 36:1; 46:2 = the 4th year of Jehoiakim = the Jewish mode of dating the regal reign. Contrast the phrase in Da 1:1 - the 3rd year of Jehoiakim = the Babylonian mode of dating the regal reign). The other notable result of the battle of Carchemish was the final defeat of Assyria which made Babylon the leading world empire at that time. Thereafter, Jehoiakim was made vassal king of Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar until late 601bc when Nebuchadnezzar suffered defeat while advancing on Egypt whereupon Jehoiakim switched allegiance to Egypt (2Ki 24:1). This proved to be a fatal mistake when in 598bc Babylon attacked Jerusalem and Jehoiakim was killed. As an aside John Whitcomb notes that "It was once a commonplace of negative criticism to deny that Nebuchadnezzar could have besieged Jerusalem in 605 B.C. In 1956, however, a cuneiform tablet was published that revealed that Nebuchadnezzar "conquered the whole area of the Hatti-country after the Battle of Carchemish in May-June 605. The term Hatti-country covers all of Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine." (See his excellent comments on Daniel 1:1 thru first part of Da 3:19 in Daniel- Everyman's Bible Commentary - Page 25) 597BC 2nd Deportation from Judah Ezekiel and 10,000 (2Ki 24:8-17+, Ezek 1:1-2+) #2 - Jehoiachin (aka Jeconiah, Coniah) - Upon the death of his father Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah or Coniah) reigned for a period of three months before he surrendered to Babylon. After surrendering to Babylon, he was deported and his uncle, Mattaniah was installed as vassal king and renamed Zedekiah (2Ki 24:12-16+). Treasures were carried out from the king’s house and the temple (2Ki 24:13+) in fulfillment of the Word of the Lord given to Hezekiah by Isaiah (2Ki 20:16-19+). Ten thousand captives were taken to Babylon (2Ki 24:14+), including Ezekiel (Eze 1:2) and Mordecai’s great-grandfather Kish (Esther 2:5, 6+). Jehoiachin was imprisoned in Babylon until the reign of Evil Merodach (who reigned after the death of Nebuchadnezzar). He remained in Babylon and was provided for by the king (2Ki 25:30+). 586BC 3rd Deportation from Judah Razing of Jerusalem and the Temple (2Ki 25:1-12+) #1 - Zedekiah (aka Mattaniah) - The final king to reign over Judah was Zedekiah, who reigned for 11 years as a vassal king subject to Babylon. Like all the kings following Josiah’s reign, he was evil. When a new Egyptian Pharaoh (Hophra) came to the throne in 588 B.C., Zedekiah took the occasion to rebel against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar responded by the siege which led to the final downfall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the city and temple, and the deportation of the majority who were left. In fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecies that Zedekiah would be taken to Babylon but never see it, his sons were killed before him, his eyes were put out, and he was taken to Babylon where he died (Jer 39:6, 7; 52:9, 10, 11; 2Ki 25:6, 7+ cf. Eze 12:13; 17:16). After capturing Jerusalem, the Babylonians burned the leader‘s houses and the temple and broke down the city walls. (Daniel - Introduction Part 7 - with slight modification) Land of Shinar - In southern Mesopotamia (Ge 10:10+), site of the Tower of Babel (Ge 11:2+) and continued in Scripture to have "the nuance of a place hostile to faith...the place to which wickedness is banished" (Zech 5:11). Babylon = Babel = Shinar = Chaldea Brought the vessels into the house of his god - Symbolic gesture demonstrating Babylon's pantheon of gods was great than Judah's God. His god - Some translate gods plural which would certainly be appropriate as by some accounts there were more than 100 Babylonian gods (polytheism = literally "many gods"). The chief Babylonian god was Marduk (or Bel , related to Baal = lord, master) along with Nebo (incorporated in Nebuchadnezzar's name). It is little surprise that God inspired Daniel to specifically use His Name Adonai or Master. Not only had Isaiah predicted the sacking of Jerusalem (predicted about 702BC), but he also prophesied the fall of Bel (Isa 46:1) at the hands of Cyrus the Persian in 539BC, in a sense then describing the beginning and the end of the Babylonian empire (although the final end will not occur until Rev 18:21). As a typical polytheist and clever diplomat, Nebuchadnezzar took no chances with Israel's God, Jehovah, and carefully enshrined His sacred vessels in Marduk's temple in Babylon. Contrast the treatment accorded these vessels sixty-six years later by Belshazzar (Dan. 5:1-4). After the fall of Babylon, King Cyrus (Ezra 1:7) and King Darius (Ezra 6:5) encouraged the Jews to carry these vessels back to their Temple in Jerusalem. Whitcomb observes that "Nebuchadnezzar shrewdly took enough of the sacred vessels to demonstrate the superiority of his god over the God of the Jews but left enough in the Temple so the Jews would be able to carry on their ceremonies unhindered and thus be less likely to rebel against their new overlord. In 586 B.C., however, totally exasperated by the disloyalty of the Jewish kings and rulers, Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the sacred vessels to be destroyed or carried off to Babylon (2Chr 36:18). (Whitcomb, J. Daniel Everyman's Bible Commentary). TODAY IN THE WORD Daniel 1:1-2; Jeremiah 25:1-14 - During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land. - 2 Kings 24:1 New Year's Eve, 1999, saw the Y2K worriers stocking up on bottled water and canned goods; the turn-of-the-millennium enthusiasts planning extravagant celebrations to usher in the year 2000; and the history purists insisting there was no reason to get excited. These mathematically precise folks argued that the third millennium wouldn't begin until the two-thousandth year had ended and 2001 had begun. In other words, the year 2000 could be the turn of the millennium only if there had been a year zero. A look at the accounts in Daniel 1 and Jeremiah 25 presents a similar conundrum. Did Nebuchadnezzar lay siege to Jerusalem in the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign (Jer. 25:1) or the third (Dan. 1:1)? Some scholars believe that the Babylonians didn't begin numbering a king's reign until the year after he took the throne. The ascension year would essentially be that king's “year zero,” while Hebrew writers would have referred to it as year number one. Other reasonable explanations exist, but it does make sense that Daniel was trained to use a Babylonian numbering style. Daniel didn't blindly accept everything about the Babylonian culture, most notably their pagan religion. He was caught in a peculiar situation, as the prophecy of Jeremiah describes. After the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians, Daniel's native nation of Judah had been unwilling to listen to the Word of the Lord—and judgment for their sins was sure. Daniel was taken to Babylon after the first of three major attacks on Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's forces. He had been forcibly taken to live in exile. For Daniel, the hope of returning to his homeland wasn't good. Jeremiah foretold that the Babylonian exile would last for seventy years (Jer. 25:11). God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to take the people of Israel, the articles of the temple (Dan. 1:2), and something even more surprising: the role of God's servant (Jer. 25:9). TODAY ALONG THE WAY - The authenticity of Daniel is disputed by people who refuse to accept the possibility of the supernatural elements of the book: miraculous rescue, inspired wisdom, and predictive prophecy. Although we may say with our mouths that we accept those truths, believers are sometimes reluctant to open our hearts to God's supernatural intervention. As you study this month, make room for the possibility that God will use you each day as He did Daniel, miraculously and boldly in a land of doubt. John
Daniel 1
Garland - Daniel's name means either “God is judge” or “God is my judge.” Like Cyrus, who Isaiah prophesied was named by God (Isaiah 45:3), I believe Daniel's name was specifically arranged by God in order to underscore a primary theme of the book: the judgment of the nations (both Jew and Gentile). (Daniel - Introduction Part 2) Daniel - The Hebrew name is found 28x in OT - 1Chr 3:1; Ezra 8:2; Neh 10:6; Ezek 14:14, 20; 28:3; Dan 1:6ff, 17, 19, 21; 8:1, 15, 27; 9:2, 22; 10:1f, 7, 11f; 12:4f, 9 John
Daniel 1
Garland - Although there can be little doubt that the young men disliked their assigned names, they realized that what they were called by other people would not change their devotion to the One True God. They wisely determined not to take a stand because it would not compromise their walk with God. Thus, the young men demonstrate great wisdom at an early age. Besides, they had precedent for accepting a foreign name—Joseph in Egypt. The Jews seemed to accept as a matter of course the fact that they were required to have foreign names in addition to those in Hebrew. For example, Joseph was given an Egyptian name by Pharaoh (Ge 41:45), and Hadasseh is known by her foreign name, Esther (Est. 2:7).... Many Jews in New Testament times had Greek as well as Hebrew (or Aramaic) names. An example is Peter (Greek), who is called Cephas in Aramaic (cf. John 1:42). Saul is also better known by his Roman name, Paul.206 This is an important principle: believers are not called to take a stand on things where God has not specifically spoken, but to seek peace where no principle of God is directly violated (Rom. 12:18) (“Sometimes Christians argue over the things where God hasn’t spoken, while allowing the things He has spoken to slip under the rug.”—Jeremiah, The Handwriting on the Wall: Secrets from the Prophecies of Daniel, 32.) Daniel 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. made up = purposed in KJV: Ru 1:17,18 1Ki 5:5 Ps 119:106,115 Ac 11:23 1Co 7:37 2Co 9:7 Defile - note this is repeated - Lev 11:44, 45, 46, 47 Dt 32:38 Ps 106:28 141:4 Eze 4:13,14 Ho 9:3,4 Ac 10:14, 15, 16 Ro 14:15, 16, 17 1Co 8:7, 8, 9, 10 10:18, 19, 20, 21,28, 29, 30, 31 A CHOICE CHOICE! SETTING THE COURSE AND CHARACTER FOR DANIEL'S ENTIRE LIFE! Have you ever heard the saying "We make our decisions and our decisions turn around and make us"? Certainly this proved true in Daniel's case, just as in Joseph's (Ge 39:9, cp Ge 38:21), Ruth's (Ru 1:16, 17), Moses (Heb 11:24, 25, 26, 27) and a host of other saints many nameless and unknown, except to God Who will cause them to shine forth like stars throughout eternity (cp Da 12:3). A choice in time yields a destiny in eternity. It is interesting that many of these "destiny changing" decisions are made when we are younger, like Daniel and his 3 friends. We are who we are today because of decisions and choices we made years ago. Two roads diverge in the woods. Which one will we follow? Elisabeth Eliot, a very wise saint, once said "Does it make sense to pray for guidance about the future if we are not obeying in the thing that lies before us today? How many momentous events in Scripture depended on one person’s seemingly small act of obedience! Rest assured: Do what God tells you to do now, and, depend upon it, you will be shown what to do next." Indeed, God blessed Daniel's obedience exceeding abundantly beyond all he could have ever asked or thought! Next time you come to a spiritual (ethical, moral) crossroads, ponder what Daniel's purposing in his heart on such a seemingly small matter. A moment of disobedience may see small to us on earth, but it is huge to God and could have untold ramifications. Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey! Baldwin has another thought on why Daniel may have refused the food noting that "by eastern standards to share a meal was to commit oneself to friendship; it was of covenant significance...The defilement he feared was not so much a ritual as a moral defilement, arising from the subtle flattery of gifts and favors which entailed hidden implications of loyal support, however dubious the king's future policies might prove to be. (Ed Note: One is reminded of Jesus in Re 3:20-note which clearly speaks of a spiritual intimacy associated with sharing a meal. Dining conveys the idea of intimate fellowship in Lk 19:5, 6, 7; John 13. See also Covenant The Oneness of Covenant which discusses how the sharing of a meal was a symbolic gesture in a covenant relationship) It is a mistake to think that the "small choices" don't impact on our lives. What may seem small to us (the refusal to eat the king's food) proved to be a watershed event in that led to the good hand of the Lord upon Daniel's life for the next 60+ years! The impact of "small" bad choices is well illustrated by the giant redwood tree. Ray Pritchard tells the story of such a tree... This week I read about a 400-year-old redwood that suddenly and without warning toppled to the forest floor. What caused the death of such a majestic giant? Was it fire? Lightning? A strong wind? A post-mortem examination revealed a startling cause. Tiny beetles had crawled under the bark and literally eaten the fibers away from the inside. Although it looked healthy on the outside, on the inside it was virtually hollow and one day finally collapsed. The same thing happens when we refuse to stand our ground for Christ. Every time we compromise something bad happens in our soul. Eventually the little decisions add up and we become hollow on the inside even though we may look great on the outside. Don’t let that happen to you. Godly convictions yield God-given rewards. Here is the final lesson. What starts with Daniel ends with God. What starts with courage ends with a lifetime of blessing. Look what God did for this courageous teenager: God protected Daniel (when he proposed the test) God prospered Daniel (during the test and afterward) God promoted Daniel (in the eyes of the King) I cannot read this story without thinking of the words of God to Eli in 1Samuel 2:30b, “Those who honor me I will honor.” I told you in the beginning that this was the crucial event of Daniel’s life. It may not have seemed important at the time, but his decision not to eat the King’s food shaped the next 60 years. We talk about Daniel 2500 years later precisely because of his decision. If he doesn’t make the right choice, the rest of the book never gets written, and he becomes a forgotten Jew in Babylon who looked and acted just like everyone else. I know that in terms of scientific progress, the world has changed since Daniel’s day, but God has not changed. God’s Word has not changed. And the world still tries to seduce us. The good news from Daniel 1 is that it is possible to live for God in high school, in college, at work, and in your career. Daniel has shown us the way. (Dare to be a Daniel - sermon by Dr. Ray Pritchard - November 1999) Some lasting principles (from Insight for Living)... (1) Inner conviction can overcome any outer pressure to compromise. (2) God-honoring convictions yield God-given rewards. ANOTHER TREE ILLUSTRATION - It started as a seedling on the slopes of the Colorado Rockies some 500 years ago. For centuries it had stood tall, enduring violent winds, lightning strikes, blizzards, even avalanches. Now, however, the once-towering tree is just a mound of decaying wood. What caused its demise? A horde of beetles had attacked it, gnawing away until that skyscraper of nature surrendered to those tiny pests and toppled over. That's also the tragic story of many Christians. For long years they stood tall for God. They resisted temptations, weathered crises, and were bold in the strength divinely provided. But little sins began to eat away at their lives--little lies, little compromises with greed or lust, sins that gradually eroded their character. And suddenly they fell. Nothing between, like worldly pleasure, Habits of life, though harmless they seem, Must not my heart from Him ever sever-- He is my all! There's nothing between. --Tindley A big fall begins with a little stumble. (I would add a blessed life can begin with what may seem like a little obedience!) Refusing The Easy Way Looking out the window of an airplane, you can see the winding paths of rivers below. Except for some man-made waterways, all rivers have one thing in common—they all are crooked. The reason is simple—they follow the path of least resistance. Rivers find their way around anything that blocks their flow because they take the easy way. The same can be said for some people. Because they fail to resist the devil, they yield to temptation and deviate from the path God would have them follow. Unlike Daniel, who “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8), they bend to worldly pressures and compromise what they know is right. Writing to followers of Christ, John said that we can be victorious in our struggle against evil, because “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Rather than being overcome, we can be overcomers. Nothing should deter us from the course God wants us to travel. We don’t have to yield to any temptation or foe. The Holy Spirit who lives in us will strengthen us so that we can remain steadfast. We need a strength to keep us true And straight, in everything we do; We need a power to keep us strong When we are tempted to do wrong. —Anon. You won't go astray on the straight and narrow way. TAKING A STAND... NO MATTER THE COST! The OT has a number of examples of men and women who took a "Daniel-like" stand at a pivotal moment in their life circumstances, none more dramatic than Ruth the Moabitess' reply to Naomi (who was trying to coerce Ruth into going back to "her people" the pagan Moabites)... But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me." When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. (Ruth 1:16, 17, 18-note) But Daniel - "But" always marks a contrast (see importance of analyzing this term of contrast), and in this case instead of "going with the flow" or "taking the easy road", Daniel and his 3 friends chose the "narrow road". Is it any surprise that "God granted Daniel favor"? From Genesis to Revelation the way to experience the "good hand of the LORD", the blessing of the LORD, is to conduct one's self in obedience to the revealed will of God. Jesus reaffirmed this basic Scriptural principle in Luke declaring... On the contrary (to Lk 11:27), blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it. (Lk 11:27, cp Ezra 7:9, 10-note) Reading the Word is not enough. We must heed (obey) what we read. And here is where the problems begin to arise as one "tries" to obey in their own power only to fall into the subtle trap of legalism and self-effort. Under the New Covenant, believers have the Holy Spirit to enable obedience to the revealed will of God in the Word of God, but we must learn to walk by the Spirit (Gal 5:16-note). DANIEL SET HIS SAILS FOR ETERNITY: HE MADE UP HIS MIND! Made up his mind - NAS Marginal Note = set upon his heart. Literally "placed it on his heart". ESV = Daniel resolved that he would notbdefile himself" See articles on the importance of our spiritual heart - HEART. Give Me An Undivided Heart Heart - Kardia (Greek Word Study) Heart - Leb, Lebab (Hebrew Word Study) Integrity - A Whole Heart - especially as seen in the life of Daniel! Proverbs 4:23 Commentary The word rendered "mind" in the NAS is the Hebrew word for heart (Hebrew = leb; Septuagint = kardia [word study]), which in Hebrew thought was the center of reason and decision in Hebrew. The heart was the deepest seat of one's emotions and decisions. The heart in the OT often refers to one's thinking, feeling, choosing - mind, emotions and will. Think of the heart as the control center (like an "Air Traffic Controller") of one's thoughts and actions (conduct, behavior). Richison - The word “purposed” carries the idea of decided resolution. Daniel’s character was already formed for following God before the test came to him. The phrase “purposed in his heart” could be translated “laid upon his heart.” Daniel put himself under the full commitment to follow his heart. PRINCIPLE: An all-consuming purpose to live for the glory of God will enable us to meet spiritual tests of life. (Daniel 1:8 - Bible Exposition Commentary) Gleason Archer - Rather than break faith with God, Daniel was willing to risk expulsion from the Royal Academy with the disgrace and danger that entailed. His priorities were firm. (Ibid) Chapter 1 could well be entitled "Daniel Uncompromising Man in a Pagan Land" Jerry Bridges - We need not only a commitment to holiness as a total way of life, but frequently a commitment regarding specific areas of temptation. Job made a personal covenant not to look lustfully at young women (Job 31:1). Daniel resolved not to defile himself with forbidden food, even though from the king’s table (Da 1:8). These two Old Testament saints are commended by God Himself as among the most righteous who ever lived (Ezekiel 14:14); yet both found it necessary to make a commitment regarding some specific area of temptation. Job found his temptation in his own breast; Daniel found his in his particular circumstances. Both responded with a commitment to obey God. They lived up to their convictions. A W Tozer - The Set of Our Sails - Daniel 1:8 - Though we do not hear much of it in this age of spineless religion, there is nevertheless much in the Bible about the place of moral determination in the service of the Lord. “Jacob vowed a vow,” and it was the beginning of a very wonderful life with God.…Daniel “purposed in his heart,” and God honored his purpose. Jesus set His face like a flint and walked straight toward the cross. Paul “determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).…These are only a few of the many men … of the Bible who have left us a record of spiritual greatness born out of a will firmly set to do the will of God.…Let us, then, set our sails in the will of God. If we do this we will certainly find ourselves moving in the right direction, no matter which way the wind blows. Dwight L Moody - I CAN imagine men saying to Daniel, “Look here, young man, you are too puritanical. Don’t be too particular; don’t have too many religious scruples. Bear in mind you are not now in Jerusalem. You will have to get over these notions, now you are here in Babylon. You are not now surrounded by friends and relatives. You are not a Jerusalem prince now. You have been brought down from your high position. You are now a captive. And if the monarch hears about your refusing to eat the same kind of meat that he eats, and to drink the same kind of wine that he drinks, your head will soon roll from off your shoulders. You had better be a little politic.” But this young man had piety and religion deep down in his heart; and that is the right place for it; where it will grow; where it will have power; where it will regulate the life. Daniel had not joined the company of the faithful few in Jerusalem because he wanted to get into “society,” and attain a position: it was because of the love he had toward the Lord God of Israel. Wake Up Your Mind - (Daniel 1:8) - Great people usually aren’t smarter, richer or more talented—they’re just more committed. Before you can make a real commitment to anything, you have to overcome three problems: First, the security trap. Insecure people don’t take risks! They always have a “Plan B” in case God doesn’t come through; they depend on things rather than on Him. Next, the success problem. When you’ve had some success, you want to guard it. You want people to continue thinking well of you, so you start living defensively. Then, there’s the satisfaction problem. Listen, “I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” (Revelation 3:15). If your life is not touched by need, how can you be moved by the needs of others? Great commitments are made in dark hours. When the Battle of Britain began, Churchill rose and said, “Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties and so bare ourselves that, if the British Empire lasts for a thousand years, men will say—this was their finest hour.” Make your commitment because it’s right—not because it’s easy. It was after Daniel committed himself that. (Bob Gass - A Fresh Word for Today) So he sought permission - This could have cost him his life for we see in Daniel 3 the king did in fact cast Daniel's 3 friends into the fire for refusing to bow to his image. CRISES: GOOD TESTS OF OUR CHARACTER Remember that this is a time of crisis in Judah, and the "opportunity" to rise to the top in Babylonian government and society would have been a great temptation (we have no record of any of the other "youths" taking an uncompromising stand like Daniel). Times of crisis help to hone and develop one's character, but such times also test the mettle of our character. In other words, how we respond when difficulties arise says a lot about our character and our trust in God's sovereignty. You've probably not been ripped from your native country, the comforts of your home, your family and taken to a foreign land, but you have doubtless experienced many "smaller" crises (but not small to you!). How have your responded? Your answer says much about your belief in God and your character. Remember, reputation is what others think of you, but character is what God knows is true of you (cp 1Sa 16:7) Daniel faced the same challenge every believer of ever age faces...to obey the command of God not to be "conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2-note) As Phillips paraphrases Romans 12:2 "Don't let the world ("Babylon") around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice ("make up your mind", "purpose in your heart") that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity." WHAT WERE THE PRESSURES TO CONFORM? (1) Spiritual pressure - Daniel was in the birthplace of idolatry and false religion (Rev 17:6) (2) Intellectual Pressure - Three years in the "University of Babylon" which must surely have included courses in "astrology" and other pagan practices. (3) Peer Pressure - While we have to be careful when the Scripture is silent, Daniel has no record that other Jewish youths refused to bow to the pressures of the wealth and power of Babylon. After all when you're in Babylon, you do as the Babylonians do. No. Not everyone did. Specifically not Daniel and his friends. They had their priorities straight! The question that comes to mind is "Who do you want to please?". Do you want to please your peers, mere men or do you want to please the Almighty God? (cp 2Co 5:9-note) That he might not defile himself - Daniel did not downplay this issue and choose a strong word, emphasizing the point that he was bold and courageous, not fearing the king. The idea of "defile" is that of polluting or staining something (cp Jas 1:27) How do you feel when you are watching TV or a movie and they take the Name of "Jesus" in vain, even using it as a curse word? Even more convicting, how to you respond? Do you "come apart from them" (cp 2Co 6:17 - The major part of this quotation (after the Lxx with several changes) is from Isa 52:11. The reference in Isaiah is to the captive nation leaving Babylon and returning to their own land, but the spiritual application is to the separation of the people of God today. God commands His people to “come out,” which implies a definite act on their part. Get out, escape for with your life like Joseph when he fled from Potiphar's wife Ge 39:12! Flee! 2Ti 2:20, 21, 22, 1Co 6:18 Isa 52:11; Jer 51:6 Rev 18:4 Nu 16:21,26,45 Ezra 6:21, 10:11, Pr 9:6 Note command come out of "Babylon" Isa 52:11, Jer 51:45; Rev 18:4.Nu 33:51-56 cp Ex 23:24,33; 34:13; Dt 7:2,5; 12:3; Jos 11:12; Jdg 2:2) Paul gave a similar charge to his half Jewish young disciple, Timothy Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things (false teachers, false teaching), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified (set apart), useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee (present imperative = Command to do this continually.) from youthful lusts, and pursue (present imperative = Command to do this continually) righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (Do you observe anything that reminds you of Daniel 1? Was he by himself?). (2Ti 2:21-note, 2Ti 2:22-note) Gleason Archer - By their early refusal to disobey God, they prepared themselves for future greatness as true witnesses for the one true God in the midst of a degenerate pagan culture. It is significant that precisely in the matter of forbidden food, in which Satan successfully tripped up Adam and Eve (Ge 2:16, 17, 3:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), these four Hebrew youths passed their first test with flying colors. (Ibid) DANIEL'S UNCOMPROMISING LIFE LED TO AN UNASHAMED BOLDNESS John MacArthur emphasizes that Daniel 1:8 and the succeeding passages emphasize that Daniel had an unashamed boldness, and that this God pleasing trait is mentioned directly or indirectly a number of times in Scripture, for example see Ps 71:15, Da 3:13, 14,15, 16, 17, 18, 1Pe 4:16, Ps 119:46, Php 1:27, 28, 29. Dare To Be a Daniel by Philip Bliss (Vocal version of Dare to be a Daniel) (Children singing) Standing by a purpose true, Heeding God’s command, Honor them, the faithful few! All hail to Daniel’s band! Refrain Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone! Dare to have a purpose firm! Dare to make it known. Many mighty men are lost Daring not to stand, Who for God had been a host By joining Daniel’s band. Refrain Many giants, great and tall, Stalking through the land, Headlong to the earth would fall, If met by Daniel’s band. Refrain Hold the Gospel banner high! On to vict’ry grand! Satan and his hosts defy, And shout for Daniel’s band. Refrain DARE TO BE A DANIEL Words and Music by Philip P. Bliss, 1838–1876 - But Daniel resolved not to defile himself … (Daniel 1:8) Doubt sees the obstacles—Faith sees the way. Doubt sees the darkest night—Faith sees the day. Doubt dreads to take a step—Faith soars on high. Doubt questions, “Who believes?”—Faith answers, “I.” —Unknown The book of Daniel is really a textbook of instruction and an example of how God’s people can live in difficult conditions and come through victoriously. Even as the Jewish people were living in Babylonian captivity, so Christians today are pilgrims and sojourners in a foreign culture. We, like Daniel and his friends, must exercise our implicit faith in God’s purposes and leading for our lives. We too must resolve in advance that we will not be defiled by the world. And whether our God delivers us or not from the fiery furnace, we will remain faithful to Him (Daniel 3:17, 18). Daniel and his friends also personify for us Christian courage at its best—not merely a desperate type of courage for some emergency situation, but a quiet steadfast courage that enables us to live in a Christ-like manner each day. It takes courage to be an unpopular minority when truth and right are involved. It takes courage to defend God’s name when everyone else is using it in blasphemy. It takes courage to be another Daniel in a godless society. This is another of the fine Sunday school songs by Philip P. Bliss, one of the truly important contributors to both early gospel hymnody and the rise of the Sunday school movement. Bliss, like many other Christian leaders, realized the unusual potential of teaching our youth spiritual truths through appropriate songs. Standing by a purpose true, heeding God’s command, honor them, the faithful few! All hail to Daniel’s Band! Many mighty men are lost, daring not to stand, who for God had been a host, by joining Daniel’s Band! Many giants, great and tall, stalking thro’ the land, headlong to the earth would fall, if met by Daniel’s Band! Hold the gospel banner high! On to vict’ry grand! Satan and His host defy, and shout for Daniel’s Band! Refrain: Dare to be a Daniel; dare to stand alone! Dare to have a purpose firm! Dare to make it known. God is still seeking people who by faith will dare to prove His greatness and will represent Him courageously—regardless of the circumstances. Let this musical line be the desire of your life— (Kenneth Osbeck - Amazing Grace - 366 Inspiriting Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions). Wisdom for the Workplace - Daniel 1:8 - If there was ever a manual for Christians in the workplace it is the book of Daniel. Every time I read this book, I am impressed by Daniel's solid character traits. Before you discount his example, consider some very important details of Daniel's career. He was a foreigner employed in a hostile environment. He worked under some of the most wicked men in history. Very few of his peers shared his values. He served in very high-profile positions with incredible responsibility. He was persecuted for his beliefs. Daniel faced the same challenges that many of us face on a daily basis at our places of business. Don't think everything went smoothly for him. He didn't rise to the top without conflict. He didn't achieve success without paying a price. Daniel's career gives Christians a model for behavior. It is possible to serve God and work in a hostile environment. For most believers, there is no choice. A living must be earned. Like Daniel, we need to have an unbending commitment to God, yet a graciousness in our demeanor. Jesus said we are to be "wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves." There is no record of Daniel talking bad about the king or cutting down a fellow co-worker. If God has called you to the hostile workplace, work efficiently and diligently. Faithfully serve your employer. Get along with your co-workers. If you do, then your life will be a living testimony of Christ. "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16) (Robert Neighbour - Living Water) Daniel's Undaunted Courage - "Therefore he requested the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself" (Dan. 1:8). It was a brave stand followed by a courageous step. How dare he do it! Take his stand contrary to the command of the king and to the customs of the court! Even the prince of the eunuchs feared that his consent to Daniel's unheard-of request, would endanger his own head to the king. But Daniel with much wisdom pled for a ten days' trial — and Daniel won out completely; for at the end of the days the countenances of him and his three friends were fairer and fatter than those of any of the youths, who had eaten the king's meat and who had drunken his wine. There is a word that goes the round these days. "When you are in Rome do as the Romans do." This was wholly obnoxious to Daniel. He believed that when he was in Babylon, he should do as God would have him do, having no fear for the consequences. It would have been the easy thing and the natural thing and the pleasing thing, for him to have graciously accepted the wishes of the king. Was he not a youth thrust by good fortune into the very presence of the king? Daniel might easily have reasoned thus: "I have every possible chance of favor and preferment now with the prince of the eunuchs; why should I spoil it all with my conscientious quibbles? My raising has been faulty, the requirements of my God are too severe. Why should I be different from others? Why spoil my chances?" It is always easy to drift with the tide, to follow public opinion, to do the natural thing. Illustration: We know of a youth who, just before he went to college, spent a while with a civil engineer corps. There were eight in the gang. Most of them young men from the same village. Only one was a Christian. This youth found the habits of the other boys quite contrary to his own. The real test came at bed time; when he had prepared to retire and the time had come for him to kneel down by the bed, as he had done from childhood. It was a simple thing to do? It did not seem so to him. He dreaded the laughter of the others — for all the men were sleeping in one large room. Finally, refusing to side-step his responsibility, and to merely pray under the covers, or even to wait until the light was out; he fell on his knees and began to pray. Some of the boys made fun. One fellow turned a sommersault on his bed and said mockingly, "Now I lay me down to sleep." When, however, the ordeal was over, the other fellows stood up for the one who had dared to pray, and as he crawled into bed, and quiet came on; he heard a still small voice saying: "My son, I want you to preach My Gospel." That was years ago, today that boy is a preacher and he sits here pounding the machine and thanking God as he writes this lesson, thanking God he won out in a very simple but wide-reaching test. (Robert Neighbour - Sermons and Bible Studies) Making a Difference - "Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself. (Daniel 1:8) Would you dare to believe that God, who called you to Himself and equipped you with His Spirit, could work mightily through you? Have you made the connection between the time and place in which you live and God's call upon you? World events never catch God by surprise. He placed you precisely where you are for a purpose. Daniel did not let the temptations of his day interfere with his relationship to the Lord. He knew that to make his life useful to God he must be obedient in all things. Regardless of what the most powerful king in the world commanded, Daniel refused to compromise what he knew God required of him. History is replete with examples of Christian men and women who believed that God would work through them to make a significant difference for His kingdom. God placed Esther strategically in the king's court at a crucial time when she could save the lives of God's people (Esther 4:14). God placed Joseph strategically to become the most powerful adviser to the pharaoh in Egypt and to save Jacob and his family from a devastating drought (Gen. 41:39–40). Are you allowing your surroundings to determine how you invest your life? Or are you letting God use you to make a difference in your generation? Ask God to reveal His purposes for you and His will for your life today. (Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby - Experiencing God Day by Day). Daniel's Holy Purpose - "And Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine that he drank" (Dan. 1:8). Many young men want to have their fling; they seem to have a craze to try out the sinful pleasures of this world. Even Solomon said: "Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure." Solomon also said: "I sought in my heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom." But not so Daniel. Daniel refused to defile himself. Daniel's way proved far the wiser. Solomon sinned in many things. He grievously departed from God. Daniel never did. While, in after years, Daniel said in one of his wonderful prayers: "I prayed unto my God and made my confession, and said * * We have sinned;" the striking truth still remains that Daniel is one of the few characters in the Bible, which are treated with any fullness, against whom not one condemnatory word is recorded. It is utterly false that a young man must sow his wild oats; that he must taste the world in order that he may realize its folly. Young men may live and die without ever having transgressed the highest ideals of rectitude. Nor need any one doubt but that such a course of action always pays — pays immeasurably. How many homes today are wrecked and ruined because the father sinned in the days of his youth. He sowed to his flesh; and his children and his beloved wife, in after years, suffered the harvest of his deeds. Daniel's course is the sane, the safe, and the satisfying course to pursue. It is the best in the end, the best in the beginning, and the best all the way along. It never pays to defile one's self in any way. The young man who smokes, swears, keeps bad company, plays cards, goes to the theater, drinks, gambles, will find out some day to his sorrow, and to the sorrow of all those intimately associated with him, that sin does not pay. The wages of sin is death. Therefore let us, like Daniel, refuse to defile ourselves. Let us "enter not in the path of the wicked and go not in the way of evil men." Let us "avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it and pass away." Sin will darken your countenance, destroy your character, degrade your morals, and lead you to the doom of darkness and eternal despair. (Robert Neighbour - Sermons and Bible Studies) INTEGRITY ENJOYS GOD’S FAVOR - "Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials.” (Daniel 1:9) God’s favor is the rich reward of obedience. God delights in granting special grace and favor to those whose hearts are set on pleasing Him. For example, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” and was spared the ravages of the Flood (Gen. 6:8). Joseph found favor in His sight and was elevated to prominence in Egypt (Gen. 39–41). God granted Moses and the children of Israel favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and they were able to plunder Egypt in the Exodus (Ex. 11:3; 12:36). When Daniel chose to obey God by not defiling himself with the king’s special diet (Dan. 1:8), he demonstrated great courage and integrity. God responded by granting him favor and compassion in the sight of Ashpenaz, the commander of the king’s officials. The Hebrew word translated “favor” speaks of goodness or kindness. It can also include a strong affection from deep within. “Compassion” means a tender, unfailing love. Together these words tell us that God established a special relationship between Ashpenaz and Daniel that not only protected Daniel from harm in this instance, but also helped prepare him for his future role as a man of enormous influence in Babylon. Today God’s favor is the special grace He grants His children in times of need. It is especially evident when their obedience brings persecution. The apostle Peter wrote, “This finds favor [grace], if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly…. If when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor [grace] with God” (1 Peter 2:19–20). Daniel knew that refusing the king’s special diet could lead to serious consequences, but he was more interested in obeying God’s Word than avoiding man’s punishment. He had the right priorities, and God honored his obedience, just as He will honor yours. Suggestions for Prayer: Let the prayer of Moses be yours today: “Let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee, so that I may find favor in Thy sight” (Ex. 33:13). For Further Study: Read Genesis 39. What were the results of God’s favor upon Joseph? (John
Daniel 1
Garland - Living in the Kingdom of Man - Throughout this book, we find Daniel and his companions excelling in their service while immersed in a pagan culture which is man-centered rather than God-centered. Their example shows that, with wisdom, it is possible to resist worldly temptation while walking according to godly principles. If they could do so, then we can do so also. “How does the believer live in the kingdom of man, when he is surrounded 100% by human viewpoint, how does he live? Daniel was a young man who fought his way through the most concentrated dose of human viewpoint a believer had ever seen up until that time. Remember all the other heroes of the faith were men who lived inside the kingdom of God, on Jewish soil, under the priests and the prophets. They had their apostasy but they had the temple to go to. They always had the idolatry of Baalism but they always had the Torah to come back to. Daniel was all alone; Daniel had no priest; Daniel had no prophet to cry on his shoulder. All alone Daniel lived in the world of complete darkness and Daniel came out to be a shining example.” (Robert Dean) “[The Book of Daniel is] written to show us that you don’t need to compromise, you don’t need to give in to some sort of expedient course of action, and you don’t have to go along to get along just to advance in life, that God is the one who’s in control of the believer’s promotion or not, not mankind. It’s not your job, it’s not your employer, it’s not your culture, it’s not the political system, it’s God who is in control, not man.”306 “Daniel’s life serves as a textbook example of consecration to God first and foremost while trusting in Him to resolve the remaining issues.” (Leon Woods) “If we, too, are to understand the Scriptures, I believe that we must travel the path of separation from the world. Nothing more destroys spiritual intelligence than merely floating with the stream of men’s opinions and ways.”(William Kelly) “God receives glory through his captive people who learn to work within a pagan system and yet retain their faith in him. Thus Daniel and his companions assimilate to Babylonian culture when possible without compromising their faith (Steinmann)." (Daniel Defended - Daniel 1) Daniel 1:21 And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king. Da 6:28 Da 10:1) DANIEL'S FAITHFULNESS HONORED WITH LONGEVITY AND HONOR Until the first year of Cyrus the king - Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon in 539BC and Daniel continued as an official under the Persians. The word until does not signify that Daniel died, for Daniel 10:1 takes place in the "third year of Cyrus king of Persia" or approximately 536BC. And so we can deduce that Daniel lived to see the completion of the 70 years of exile in Babylon and the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy that the Jews would be allowed to return to Jerusalem (see Jer 25:11, 12; 29:10, Ezra 1:1, 2, 2Chr 36:22, 23). The venerable pastor Ray Stedman offers this wise counsel regarding our study of the book of Daniel... A second precaution God has taken in Daniel, and even more especially in the book of Revelation, is that he doesn't introduce the prophetic section first, but brings us through six chapters into an understanding of the moral character he requires of the reader before the prophetic program can begin to make sense. In other words, you can't understand the last section of Daniel unless you have lived through and understood what is involved in the first six chapters. There is no way to understand what the prophetic program means unless you first grasp the moral lessons of the first part of the book. There is no way to cheat on this. You can't just read it through, and then turn to the prophetic program and hope to understand. You will find that you get nothing out of it. You really have to carefully analyze these initial chapters, think them through, begin to walk accordingly, and experience them, before the prophetic program comes to life. That is the glory of God's book. You can't understand it with just the intellect. . . The first six chapters are for you if you are a teenager going to school where you are surrounded constantly by those who seem to have no interest in what God is like, or in the things of God. Daniel and his friends were themselves teenagers when they were first taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar and carried off to the land of Babylon. As they began their career of faith, they did so with a total lack of understanding of life and with all the insecurity of a teenager in a hostile environment. The book records in these first six chapters the pressure they underwent as they stood for their faith in the midst of these difficult surroundings. (Daniel - On the Way to the Future) Daniel 2:1-23 Commentary Daniel 2:24-49 Commentary