Daniel 1: Be Strong and of Good Courage

That today but we are going to go ahead and talk about Daniel just a little bit about when time frame, what's going on with Daniel. So the Book of Daniel written at the time of the first wave of Babylonian captivity. There were three waves of Babylonian captivity that the Jews were taken away from Daniel written in the first one to give you a little bit of context Daniel chapter 1/2 in roughly the exact same time as 2nd Kings chapter 24, and so they're looking through the Old Testament. That's that's where the overlap would be. I know some of those books for 2nd Kings 4 2nd Chronicles there. A little dry, but they are interesting in the fact that you can see where other parts of scripture the prophets are referenced and where this is going on in there. So if you want to kind of take back and look at that, that's where that's at. So it's about 605 BC about 605 years before the birth of Christ is about when Daniels taking place. Dana second one is broken into two three different sections. Verses 1 through 7 kind of give us the background on how Daniel and his companions wound up in Babylon. 8 through 16 kind of Telos Daniel's faithfulness to God and then 17 through 21. Tell us how God bless Daniel for his faithfulness and how that faithfulness became a witness to those who did not know God. So let's let's go ahead and take a look and I'll read through Daniel chapter 1 and

look at what the word of God says 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 gave jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand and some of the vessels of the house of God. Any brought them to the land of shinar to the house of is God and place the vessels in the treasury of his God. Then the king commanded ashpenaz the chief eunuch to bring some of the people that you're both have of the royal family and of the nobility use without blemish and good appearance and skillful in all wisdom down with knowledge understanding learning and competent to stand in the king's Palace and to teach them the literature in the language of the called Ian's the king of sign them a daily portion of the food. I got the king 8th and of the wine he drank And they were to be educated for three years and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king among those were Daniel hananiah mishael. Azariyah of the tribe of Judah and the chief of the eunuchs gave them names Daniel. He called doltish Hazard and an eye, he called Shadrach Meshach, IL. He called Meshach and Azariah. He called Abednego. But Daniel love that but Daniel resolved. Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the King's food or with the wine that pee drink. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the side of the chief of the eunuchs and the chief of the eunuchs ended Daniel. I fear the lord my king who assigned your food in your drink. Why should he see that you were in worse condition than the use Uber of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the King. Ben Daniel said to the Stuart whom the chief of the eunuchs have a signed over Daniel hananiah mishael and Azariah. That's your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let your our parents in the appearance of the use who eat the King's food be observed by you and deal with your servant according to what you see. Play listen to them in this manner and tested them for ten days at the end of the 10 days. It was seeing that they were better in appearance and fatter and Flash then all the use who ate the King's food do the sewer took away their food and wine. They were to drink and gave them vegetables. As for those four years God gave them learning. And skill in all literature and wisdom and Daniel understanding and all visions and dreams and at the end of the time when the king had commanded had commanded and they should be brought in the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. And the King spoke with a man among all of them. None was found like Daniel hananiah mishael. Azariyah. Therefore they stood before the king and in every manner of wisdom and understanding which king enquired of them. I found them 10 times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in his all his kingdom and Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus. Would you play with me, please?

Father we thank you.

For this word. We thank you for

the life that we seen Daniel on his faithfulness to you and how hananiah Azariah mishael also were faithful to you and they would not defile themselves while we pray that as we look at your word. We see how important it is to not be defiled a for any reason. That you would teach us to guard our hearts and the guard ourselves as to not defile ourselves before you by the way. Thank you for those are gathered here. We thank you for the opportunities. We have to study and to dig more in to learn about you. We pray Lord speak to our hearts. I pray the father you would speak in spite of me that this be your message and not mine and that you would just bless the hearers in Jesus name. I pray amen.

Let's read and verses 1 and 2 hear of the Book of Daniel King. Jehoiakim was ruling in Jerusalem. Again Bibles all connected it. It's 1-1 fluid story. If you if you know what you're looking for in and how to connect all of that in second Kings chapter 23 verse 36. We see that you're Holcomb did what was evil in the sight of the Lord just like his father's had done before him. And this was a pattern we see in Israel just this week. I I was prepping for my my class My Old Testament class what I'm currently taking and I was in the Book of Judges and threw the Book of Judges. We see just one generation away from The Exodus just one generation away from Joshua walking the people through that the Israelites had increasingly in one generation gotten worse and worse and worse than a fallen farther and farther and farther away from God and in just one generation over several Generations in the Book of Daniel away from that were that divided Kingdom time, but the pattern is still there. That the people of God who he is chosen out of all of the world fall from him repeatedly. And this was what you call welcome Jehovah come it actually says that he did was evil in the sight of the Lord just like his father's had done that this was not a new thing for the people of Israel Ortho the Kings of Israel and Judah to be doing this. This was a pattern that they had in their lives. And what happened was was this long time coming. And told them there's going to be destruction. There's going to be problems. You're going to get it knock it off and and they didn't listen. It's a foreshadowing of the total Destruction. That's about to come to Jerusalem and just a few more years again, this Babylonian captivity of them in waves as they send their armies.

So we see that that's what's taking place in his we looking at it Daniel chapter 1 week. We see that one of the big lessons here. Is it God may sovereignly send you somewhere tough. So you make Proclaim his name among the Nations. I'm sure that is Daniel and Azariah and Misha Ellen and hananiah were hanging out and in doing whatever they were doing in Jerusalem. None of them expected be picked up and shipped off to Babylon. I don't think that that was ever in there. Will this is what's going to happen to us? We're going to go go do this thing. But that's that's what God did these were young men? We forget that to good guys were 13 14, maybe Seventeen at the oldest as they're taking off. They were youths and in that means they weren't soldiers yet. Eye disease were these were not in soldiers. They would have been taken captive in a different manner had they been soldiers. He's working too young to be a fighting age, but they were looked out and saw that to our God is saying that I'm going to use you to go someplace. You don't want to go to spread my message to tell people the truth of me and he says he shows us that here dammit. It's an example. We see the guy me bring you suffering into your life so that you may show you his sovereignty. I'm I'm sure things are probably not too bad the way they're described her that looks like Daniel and his friends were part of possibly the buildings in Jerusalem in Judah. They were they were doing all right for themselves and got saying I'm not anymore. I need you to suffer a little bit. So, you know who's in charge now? We don't like to talk about that. We don't like to hear that God sometimes brings suffering upon us to remind us that he's in charge and we're not But that's what's happening here in some regard did the example here is it God is taking them out of something that they're comfortable with that they they know and are familiar with something that they love. and he's going to bring them to some suffering so that he may have the glory because he is the one in charge. He is The Sovereign holy God and it's interesting to see to that. We see that they're falling people and God is still work in spite of the sins of the people around them. Is finding the young men here these four in particular are Godly young men amongst the nation of people who are not. No reason Babylon was sent there wasn't to show them you need to become Godly again. You're to be a light for me is there is real you to be a beacon among the Nations and you're not. You're living just like those around you. These four young men that is going to work through in spite of the sins of the people all around them.

The beautiful thing here is that though. The people of send God is so faithful to them in their unfaithfulness.

They've been unfaithful to God, but he's still faithful to them. He's not turn his back on them is using this experience to judge his people.

He's using this experience to bring them back to him verse 2.

It was the Lord that gave up all of this as we see here in Reverse to that we see that God is the one who made all of this stuff come about. If the lord gave Jehovah come over to Nebuchadnezzar.

The lord gave it you're my king in Israel. You're my king in Judah, but I'm giving you over to this foreign King because you do not do what is right in my eyes. But God is is is declaring here.

It was the Lord who also gave some of the temple items to the Babylonians as well. There was there was an unpure warship happening in Jerusalem and in those those items those vessels. Or being used to honor God anyway. Remove them from his Temple. So they're taken away and they're they're sent over is Nebuchadnezzar as well in some regard to to the to the Israelites. The things of God being used in a foreign Pagan Temple as part of their worship. This is just God showing them your warships. No different than what these folks are doing. You just do it to my name into file me that way.

The Babylonians here have ever wanted and rub salt in the wound is right since they're wasting our God's are better than your God. It's a beautiful thing about them saying that I'm doing this as a God is going to use Daniel say. True o not true at all. You're going to see things only the god of Heaven can do only the god of creation did can do only Yahweh God and do and it's going to be a neat thing as we watch and we progressed through all 12 chapters of Daniel. Verses 3 and 4 weensy not just the tip items being carried away. But members of the royal family members of the noble class. This this is a pretty common near East Warfare tactic you eliminate soldiers. All right, then if you take off their best and brightest of the month the people and you indoctrinate them into your way of thinking your way of life. That way that that group of people never exist. This is this is this is commonplace Warfare at the time. I'm going to make them servants were going to make them not just their best and brightest were going to make him Unix. So that they are there's no chance of those folks recreating and reproducing and in bringing that Society back that that was a common place. We don't have any indication here in Scripture that happened to Daniel and his friends, but it was not an uncommon practice. Be aware of that. That's the dis taking them away was was part of what they did. Tula sling remove them and then they bring them in the Babylonians, right? Babylon's ranks are going to bring in the best and brightest from Israel put them into their think tanks put them into their strategy Works. They're going to see what the Babylonians don't see here. Is it God at work? They're in their mind singing. Haha. We've done it we've conquered conquered Israel was conquered Judah we're going to take away all their soldiers even eliminated all the men of fighting age. We've eliminated all the women we weave we taking away their their best and brightest we're going to we're going to relieve them and ruin with nothing behind. But God said no. No. No, I got a plan for this. Here Comes watch so God is sending this remnant of faithful followers. He's at work. He's kept his room and faithful followers are going to bring a spiritual Victory within Babylon through this military loss.

And that's important for us to understand. We have Daniel hananiah. Mishael Azariah. And and they show us we have to be prepared to face the challenges of non-Christian cultures and what they're going to throw at us. See our job is to not fall away from God but to leave those who don't know God to faith in God. Daniel and his friends are an example of that happening here. They're prepared to go see that they have a worldview that says God Yahweh is in charge. East Sovereign in all things we don't understand why he's doing what we don't know why it's taking us away from her mom's in our dads are homes our families, but he has we don't know why he's taking us to a foreign country, but he has he's in charge. We're going to honor him because he is The Sovereign God

Even if we don't like it, we're still going to honor him because he is The Sovereign God we're going to learn to like it because it's of God and we love our guys. We're going to learn to them love our circumstances. Well, We're not going to fall victim to our circumstance. We're going to look around and go. Well when in Rome well would be rub it be Babylon winning Babylon do like the Babylonians do know that's not what they're going to say here. They have prepared themselves so that if something like this were to happen to them, they're not going to fall prey to that. They're not going to fall victim. What's happening around them? Today nearest friends are the world the puts Devotion to God above all of their other circumstances. Their worldview is going to shape how they live their life and how they see their life are going to have a think how they live how they act how they behave around others what their relationships look like all formed in that world. Do they have as followers of Christ Our World you should be similar to that of Daniel hananiah mishael and Azariah that our God is greater than all things in this world. And he does what he does for his sake in his glory and we are to honor him and that is our worldview. That's where we should be at.

We put God in our devotion to him above all of our other circumstances in life.

That's where we should be and it's tough. Do we live in a in a very post-christian context in our world today? It's kind of hard to think that way you live in Martinsville. Open. How old I am you open up the Yellow Pages, right, but you open up your 70 churches within Martinsville. You would think that will be a very Christian Community. It's not It's in a conversation last Monday. I said it's over church and under Jesus. And that's my view on this community folks. We are over Church, Nunda Jesus.

We need to get back to more Jesus. Why would a very post-christian context it was hard to watch any news yesterday. Oh my goodness, if you turned on channels for six 8 or 13, it was tough. It clearly showed you how post-christian we were with coverage of the pride parades all over Indianapolis and in the rest of the country.

Those folks need pricing and we should love them to Salvation.

But it should be an indicator we turn on the news every night how far we've come from a christ-centered society.

And it's our job as Believers to restore Christ is a people. Around us is increasingly less and less Christian. Even if we weren't Christian people live by these Chris judeo Christian morals judeo Christian ethics judeo-christian values was Argon.

The world around us is becoming more and more secular no matter what we do. It's going to happen that way it's been foretold of in scripture to happen. That way it's going to get worse. It only gets better when Jesus wipes it out makes it clean and makes it new.

We have to prepare ourselves for that. That's the inevitability of it. This is not a new phenomenon. This is nothing new. I love the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds is nothing new Under the Sun. This is nothing new there were saying today Daniel seeing it here. They've been pulled away from what they know. This is this is the world in which Daniel and his friends were living. A world in which their worldview was the odd one. It was not respected. But it was the necessary one to have. We live in the same kind of world today. These poor young man. We think about it again. These were these are young men younger than than military age. 13 14 15 maybe 17 years old at the oldest young men being pulled away from their home and they were isolated. The first three that we see that they are they're taken away from their homes or families in this is happening here to us as well. We don't think about it, but we isolate people. Often we isolate folks in the name of Education much like Nebuchadnezzar was doing going to pull them out. I'm going to put them in my course. I'm going to teach him. We're going to go to NAB you write like the mewniverse did Nebuchadnezzar here. We're going to isolate them out. We send off for teenagers off until World weather weather. That's College Brothers military where that's the workforce. We do it scarily without making sure they're grounded in Scripture.

We don't prepare them, right?

Cynicism is a youth Minister has done this. I'm as guilty as the next guy but parents grandparents Church aunts and uncles for a family. This is how it should be. We should be spending our time preparing our young people and our young in the face adults who come to Christ prepping them from what the world's going to throw Adam.

It's going to be a tough life for them to live if they're not properly prepared.

and it's funny cuz we do this we don't like ground them well and scripture ground them in this world view of who Jesus is and who God is and then They go off to college they go off to the workforce. They go off to do the military. They come back on that first break and we wonder why they don't want to go to church. We wonder why they ain't there looking at someone while I'm not even sure if God exists.

Is weed Church of not done our job?

Be blunt. Our responsibility is raising up families within the church to make sure that this is what's going on because we look at the first chapter verse 4 of this chapter one. We see that these young men were going to be indoctrinated. See, it's not just a matter of being isolated. What's your isolated? You're already willing to listen to anything because cuz you're scared you're alone. But now they're going to be indoctrinated. We're going to give him what we're going to tell them what to think when they think it.

I believe that's the definition of boot camp. Am I correct Bruce? Or tell you what to think and when to think it then doctor Nation.

Even sending your children off to a quote about Christian College. You don't do your background check on it? It's going to be an indoctrination that could be different than what you really believe is your worldview.

My alma mater has his taken a turn for the worse in my opinion. My heart is broken that they have gone liberal and they're teaching what the view of scripture is.

We don't know when these things we have to prepare now is this indoctrination are taken away for the purpose of being put in the king's Palace and learning the language of the Chaldeans Versailles says that they were to be educated in the ways of the Babylonians for 3 years almost exact same as sending them off to University and a college named amount of time.

They were to learn all there is to learn about the Quality Inns in the Babylonian culture, but not only were they just see it and understand it. But they were to be assimilated into that culture. Become a part of it verse 5 they're giving the food and the drink of the Babylonians. It's actually they were given the food in the drink of the king. Not just the Babylonians the king the good stuff going to make it really really tempting. Are you going to like it here better than you liked it and Judah?

We're going to make it as is tempting as possible. We're going to submit you to all of the things that we have to offer. Is it good if it looks and tastes better here than why go back.

They're offered all the Delicacies and all the privilege that comes with being in the palace three years of living like that would be very hard to come back from She had to ask what these followers of God even be recognizable as he brews at the end of the three years. We know that hananiah. Mishael Azariah and Daniel were.

but with the others These four young men who stood out amongst all of the young man that was taken away. appears so they were confused and they were purposefully confuse. I cannot imagine going somewhere my name being taken away from me.

Daniel hananiah mishael and Azariah have their names Changed by the Babylonians. Daniel whose name means Elohim or God is my judge and Anaya's name means Yahoo as gracious. Mishael means who is like Elohim who is like our God? Hi means I'm sorry Azariah means Yahweh helps. Their worldview was was so compacted into them that it reflected in their names. Their names had meaning words of always had meaning but in this time. Names in particular had very specific meanings and you had to literally live up to your names meaning.

And here they are with these names have been changed by changing their names. They remove a layer of their faith in God.

One more thing to take away from them and it's also a shift in their identities. Man, talk about applicable our world today is drowning and identity confusion.

Whether that's identity and gender sexual orientation relationships you have outside of those two things. We are drowning and identity confusion. and it appears as if Daniel and his friends were in a world of drowning that way to

Heather identities grounded in the faith of their God

all the way to their names and if somebody tries to take even that away from them the world is going to want you to not understand that your identity is rooted in the one true. God only. I want to like me to think that it's something else.

Nobody asked you so what are you do? How do we answer back? I am a whatever I am a nurse. I am a teacher. I'm a plumber using that I am is more of an identity verb, then it is a why do this for a living?

I thought of that. We even do it as Believers. We identify with our profession. Sometimes maybe more than our God. cautious Church be cautious what's going to happen to us as well as the world wants us to be isolated from one another the world wants us to become indoctrinated to their beliefs. The world wants us to be a simulated into their thought process and then confused. This is there confused. But unless we are grounded firmly in our faith in the word of God. We will fall away from God to be unrecognizable. from the rest of the world Books don't do that. We got to be cautious here to become unrecognizable from the rest of the world is is our Doom as followers of Christ. This is why it is so important for us to set our hearts and our lives in such a manner that we do not compromise our convictions and our commitments to God. Cease to be done as early as possible in our walk with Christ, LOL, I think about when we bring in new believe or somebody who says I I come to the faith knew I I want to know more about this Jesus. It is so important for us to start start discipling them walking with him one-on-one sharing through scripture what the what the Lord has called us to do and who the Lord has called us to be it's so important for us to 2 to bring our children up in this manner. I am so encouraged when I see kids in a church, even when they're noisy. I'll have a noisy kid in a church because it means somebody's trying to bring him up, right? It's not a bad thing. I think some of my favorite personal memories are preaching the churches in Ecuador one when we had that opportunity and there's it feels like 400 screaming kids. But they're hearing the word of God and that's a beautiful thing. Not only do we have children who are literally children in our unarmed it says it is a body of Christ, but we have children in the faith in our body of Christ as well. It's okay. They should be loud and noisy to asking lots of questions. It's a good thing and we should then be answering and providing them the guidance they need.

You want to do this early? And this is as we see that that's what happened Daniel. His friends weren't just left to their own devices.

I have been raised to know what God had planned for them. And we see that verses 8 through 15. We're going to see that Daniel had done just that that he stayed with convictions in stages commitments and God is going to give him favor or that Bruce a taxi this I love this. It says Daniel resolved in the English Standard Version of the Bible. He was resolved. He was determined. That he would not defile himself now. It doesn't say here in the word why the food was defiling it probably wasn't kosher. That's an easy answer for that. But it may not have just been the fact that it wasn't kosher and didn't meet the law of Moses. This food may have been spiritually defiled. We don't really know this could have been the food if it was the King's food the king may have gotten the food. It was offered up to the Pagan to the pagan gods. And then brought into his kingdom is many times were going to see later in the scripture kings are off and revered as kings within their own kingdom or gods in their own kingdom. This could have been offered up that way Nana. I'm not I'm not eating food sacrificed to the false god. It could have been spiritually the filing that way.

It may have been affected if he had taken of this food. He was being kind of implicit and pledging his allegiance to the king. It could have been kind of a politically to filing then we don't we don't like to talk about that in church, when we do things that explicitly or implicitly a line us one way or the other. It's not aligned with scripture and not aligned to our holy God. where to filing ourselves

I'm even more Daniels to find it was could have been a combination of all three.

But he would not defile them so high like what Dale Davis author of a book called the message of Daniel says about this. He says Babylon was simply smothering Daniel and his friends.

And Daniel Mayweather fight there is real danger here and I can get sucked up into this and neutered by at all. He recognized that if Babylon gets into you the show is over. Church if the world gets into you the show is over.

Daniel didn't have a choice about being in Babylon. God sent him to Babylon.

He had a choice about Babylon being in him.

We have that same choice. We may not have a choice about the world around us. But we must choose to not let the world into us then you ask the chief of the unit with courage and conviction. He didn't do this accidentally, right? He was raised to know his faith. He was raised to stick to his convictions. He was raised. To stick to his commitment to his God church. This is why discipleship is home. So crucial so important it isn't something that happens overnight. It's a long-standing thing. It happens to intentional training of our children in the faith. It happens with intentional training of of adults who come to Christ. It's intentional training of ourselves amongst each other among the brothers and sisters to grow deeper and deeper and deeper into our faith in our walk with Jesus Christ.

We seek it. And we seek it for others as well. Verses 9 and 10 we see that Daniels conviction was with follow up with wisdom here. He didn't just say why I'm convicted. I'm not doing it. Is that what that was at that moment? Follower of Christ to off and we do that. Be honest ourselves. God said it that settles that I'm done well know there's got to be a little bit more than that. It's got to have some wisdom to offer the world who's lost and looking for wisdom Daniel does that he was able to win favor with those in leadership and Authority Daniel was humble in his Holiness. I find it interesting that when we read scripture here, especially in chapter 1 Daniels bragged about hananiah mishael and Azariah were bragging about they were 10 times better than anybody else in Nebuchadnezzar's Kingdom That's other people saying about him. It's not them saying it about themselves.

They wind up bragging on what God is doing. Is humility that needs to be taking place in our Holiness. He shared his convictions with Aspen as the chief of the eunuchs and he was an obnoxious about it wasn't rude about it. He wasn't really even stubborn about it because of this is my conviction on this and ashpenaz was sympathetic. But he still fear what the king to do, you know, the king could take my head off. If I don't if you don't look healthier than everybody else are as healthy as everybody else and I like Daniels response. Do me a favor test me out for 10 days. If you find that we're not where we should be have your way with us. Meaning the punishment. You would have taken by beheading go ahead and behead us the first indication in the Book of Daniel that these young men have a faith so great that they would rather die. Then defile themselves before the Lord God Almighty.

Think about that martyrdom is better than defilement. Church, we don't talk about those things in those terms anymore, but it's the truth of scripture.

Martyrdom is better than two found.

My verses 11 through 13 we've talked about this is so important here Daniel offered up that plan that I talked about the plan looks like a win-win situation for ashvin is right. It looks Ronnie I get rid of them. I don't have to worry about him three or four less mouths to feed. But if they do look good and I look good in front of the king. It's a win-win for him.

Because really the end of verse 10 what we see is if there's only two options here Daniel and his friends to file them selves Ashford asses killed for the filing Nebuchadnezzar Daniel offers up that third solution test this out. If it doesn't work out then we can go you can kill us. There's a lot of risk. Involved what Daniel did hear?

Holiness in your life is going to be risky Church. It's going to be risky, but the risk is always better than defilement before our God. Your convictions are going to be challenged and we have to prepare ourselves for this we have to commit ourselves to living God's way regardless of what is happening around us have to teach our children to do likewise Yeti for teenagers to do likewise teach. Our friends were coming to know Christ because of our witness to do likewise.

Rumor Daniel and his friends were teenagers as they're going through this temptation.

teenagers I don't know any teenager. When offered something that looks pretty tasty doesn't take it. some big convictions here folks I was a teenager with food allergies and my poor mama had to do with me being sick because I wasn't smart enough to not eat things. I wasn't allergic to. you know if this is a just got better convictions and I do is an example for me to look at my own life. You should be an example for all of us.

I like what Hudson Taylor. Missionary to China said he was a mixture of China at the time of the Boxer Rebellion. If you know that was a really really rough. Of time to be a missionary or to be non-chinese in China and and hugs and Taylor the British missionary to China said unless there's an element of extreme risk and our exploits for God there is no need for faith.

We should be taking risks Godly risks.

in the sake of our faith things that make us uncomfortable things that then we're going to we're going to step out. I don't know.

Faith is needed here, but there's going to be risk involved. Ashpenaz and verse 14 listens to Danny when he goes along with the test. And what is Graeter's at Daniel trusted God to honor his devotion in his faithfulness, Daniel understood the log and the covenants of the Old Testament. So well that he enough to know that good. God would honor him when he honors got that was that was what they were living under in June of those covenants and said that and God honors Daniel's Friends by bus to physically 11 verse 15. They looked healthier than the young man who ate the Kings healthy food. I love that little dates. They were fat or they were vegetarians for 10 days were fat are in appearance that in the parents. By the way in Old Testament is a way to show that you're healthy.

It is but they were fatter and appearance by being vegetarian for 10 days and God honors. Daniel's friends are blessing them mentally 417 says that God gave them learning and skill and all litter turn was in in God give Daniel a little specific and special blessing above what he gives his friends hananiah mishael and Azariah He blesses them and giving him the understanding of visions and dreams.

And then God honors Daniel was Friends by blessing them socially 19 and 20. We see that there was no one like Daniel in his friends no one and they were ten times that I still get a kick out of that. They were 10 times better than all the magicians in the enchanters in all of Nebuchadnezzar's Kingdom. Just better.

Can I get this?

Your this and understand it. None of the blessings given to Dan on his friends came from the food they ate. That that's this big in this whole picture.

It's not about what they ate. But about why they chose eat it. Daniel was friends were blessed because they kept their convictions and they kept their commitment to God. They refused to defile themselves. They were willing to risk it all for their convictions.

And you're willing to risk it all for their commitment to God.

So then let me read this we're going to ask so I can get that. But how how does this get me to Jesus? How does this point me to Christ? How does Daniel chapter 1 Jesus was friends were sent through God's Divine sovereignty on a missionary journey. They left their homes and left their families have these opportunities to witness to Kings and two Nations and in the people in these foreign lands.

Right there. There's all all scripture to be a pale reflection or shadowing of of Jesus in this pale Shadow here that Jesus willingly Daniels forcibly. Jesus willingly left his home in heaven.

Bright Danny went into a into a world that was just filled with sin and he was surrounded by sin. Jesus went to willingly Embrace a world. filled with sin Has Fallen World Jesus never defile himself never even once now Daniel was a man just like any other man and he would have send this is a specific example Daniel's life, which he stood up my his convictions overall brought him home. He had said there would have been moments where he would have had some sort of defilement through sent Jesus never once and even though he was tempted in every single way. We were tempted. I find it kind of interesting it in the commentary that I read and some of you have copies of that. It's a christ-centered Exposition in the Book of Daniel buy it by Tony Merida and David Platt and dent and Daniel Akin is kind of the commentary that there were looking at using one of the things that I had not thought of it. They they kind of reminded me of is that is Jesus is taking up and he's he's out in the wilderness and he's fasting and he's isolated and he's by himself and he's knows he's in this world of sin. What's the one thing that Satan tempting with? food turn these rocks into bread. I want Jesus. He comes back and sees Jesus. It's his worldview that we're supposed to be having any says that a man cannot eat by bread alone. But by the word of God

He's quoting scripture back Daniel here in Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. Is there their Babylonian names are called these young men knew the word. They went back to it. It wouldn't defile themselves Church. Got to ask yourself some questions here. We know we sin. We know that we're falling people. We know we're not there when we need to be sometime Even in our walk with Christ. We stumble. The question here is are you are you so committed to your convictions that you refused to defile yourself?

Or maybe you're thinking about maybe I've never pondered my convictions as a believer in Jesus Christ to this point. Maybe I am to finally myself and I've never really stopped to ask God to point that out to me.

Where are you going in filing system. How how is it today? We can to file ourselves, you know. R relationships We surround ourselves with people who are not going to believe and in who draws away from belief as a defilement. Our attitudes are actions are lack of humility. That's a defilement.

Our time spent doing things that are not for the Kingdom's growth. beautiful women

play as if we get rain in our time of invitation or call to action. That's my that's my prayer is an individual. I've been praying this week. God want us to filing me so that and I'm not the example that I see set in front of me. He was with Daniel and his friends.

What what do I need to purge myself of?

So that I can be used by you the way they're going to be used. What's in my life? I'm going to ask you to pray the same.

What is it that's keeping you.

I'm really really having a relationship with God that you need to have. New Balance Father in Heaven, I thank you. I thank you that we can look at it scripture here. We can see.

Itsy the gospel. In the Book of Daniel that we can see how Jesus like Daniel was surrounded by Simba Getty still love the people.

And he was willing to be a beacon for them.

Father I thank you that Jesus is our savior. Thank you that your relationship with him. We can come to know you I think you that. As we study your word, we grow closer and closer and I pray the Lord that as a church as a body as individuals. We start praying and asking ourselves. Are we defiling ourselves before you?

What is keeping me from having an undefiled conviction and undefiled commitment?

Fathers we pray this today convictus moving us Purge through your Holy Spirit. Those things are keeping us from walking with you.

It's in Jesus name I pray.

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