Change Your Identity
Book of Daniel | The Sovereignty of God • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsNebuchadnezzar takes Jerusalem captive, brings the young men into his palace and this for one reason, to change their identity. This is a picture of what the world wants to do to us. It wants to change our identity through indoctrination.
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Introduction
There are times when God stops being merciful and graceful with His people. There times in which God brings judgment on His people, because they refuse to listen. The book of Daniel records such a time as this and so much more. Throughout the book of Daniel, arguably the most organized book within the cannon of Scripture, we find judgement, restoration, apocalyptic literature, but above all else we find the sovereignty of God on display within every chapter.
The importance of the book of Daniel is beyond question as seen through its use in the book of Revelation. Every chapter of Daniel is quoted within the book of Revelation and only two chapter within Revelation do not quote Daniel to some degree.
Daniel would come into Babylonian captivity as a teenager and would prophecy until his 80s. His prophecy would run in unison with others such as Jeremiah, Nehemiah, and Ezra. As we come to our text, one cannot help but be reminded of God’s word to His people through the prophet Jeremiah, when God told him to tell the people of Israel that He, God, would use the enemy to bring judgment on them, but before it was all said and done, He would judge the enemy.
Come, let us take a journey through the annals of time and be reminded of God’s sovereignty.
Focus Passage
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 handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, 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.
3 Then the king told 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,
4 youths in whom there was no impairment, who were good-looking, suitable for instruction in every kind of expertise, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to serve in the king’s court; and he ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
5 The king also allotted for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and ordered that they be educated for three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.
6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7 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.
Outline
A Battle for a Generation (vv.3-4)
3 Then the king told 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,
4 youths in whom there was no impairment, who were good-looking, suitable for instruction in every kind of expertise, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to serve in the king’s court; and he ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Israel has rebelled against God over and over. They have ignored Jeremiah’s word to repent. God has enacted the judgement that He declared would take place.
5 I have made the earth, mankind, and the animals which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight.
6 And now I have handed all these lands over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have also given him the animals of the field to serve him.
As we find within our text fulfillment of this prophecy which will lead to 70 years of captivity, In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, 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 (vv.1-2).
As this judgment begins to take root, some of the young men are taken captive for personal use within Nebuchadnezzar’s service. Truly, we in...
A Battle for a generation - ‘...to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles...’
Why get them at a young age? Because they are easy to influence and malleable. They can succumb to peer pressure more easily.
You can get them young, they are can easily be swayed as their brain has not fully developed.
There is a reason why 80% of those that are going to be saved are done so by the age of 13.
A Battle for indoctrination - ‘…good-looking, suitable for instruction in every kind of expertise, endowed with understanding and and discerning knowledge, who had ability to serve in the king’s court...’
A Battle for change - ‘…he ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans...’
Enticement from the Enemy (v.5)
5 The king also allotted for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and ordered that they be educated for three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.
Enticed from the enemy’s best provisions - ‘…allotted from them a daily ration from the king’s choice food...’
The enemy tries to entice us with three sources
Our desires
Our eyes
Our pride
These temporal items were on display to young teens being brought into captivity, the king’s choice food
All this temporary though, but enemy uses it over and over and we continuously follow after it
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17 The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.
Enticed from the enemy’s best education - ‘....ordered that they be educated for three years...’
Enticed from the enemy to serve him alone - ‘…at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service...’
Change Your Identity (vv.6-7)
6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7 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.
The enemy wishes to captivate you
The enemy wishes to indoctrinate you
The enemy wishes to change your identity - ‘…the commander of the officials assigned new names to them...’
Names mean something. All throughout my growing years, I was told repeatedly remember your name. Each of these young men were identified their name
Daniel - ‘God is my judge’
Hananiah - ‘Yahweh is gracious’
Mishael - ‘Who is what God is’
Azariah - ‘Yahwe is help’ or ‘will help’
Nebuchadnezzar wished for their identity to change
Daniel’s name was changed to Belteshazzar - ‘Bel/Marduk protect him’
Hananiah’s name was changed to Shadrach - ‘command of Aku (moon God)’
Mishael’s name was changed to Meshach - ‘who is what Aku is’
Azariah’s name was changed to Abed-nego - ‘servant of Nebo’
Every name given to each of the Hebrew children was to pervert their Jewish name in paying honor and respect to God. Now they were being called names that honored pagan deities. This is what the enemy wishes to do. He wishes to pervert our relationship with God and our identity in God.
Conclusion
Realize we are in the battle of a lifetime, the battle for a generation. There is a reason why so many attacks are taking place on the family, and it has slowly been infiltrated into our schools. Satan knows if he can get them young, he can change their identity and claim their soul. We are at war. We are at war for a generation. Why are we not fighting as if we are at war.
Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior? If so, are you fighting for the next generation to know Him? Or have you checked out? We are on the front lines. We are fighting for our God and for the souls of those children and adults around us. We are truly in a battle for a generation.