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God's people are not alone

A Real Life Drama!

• the stage is Babylon the Great; its 20km wall, 40m thick, its hanging gardens, the Tower of Babel, the Temple of Marduk, the palace of Nebuchadnezzar (with its vast throne room). Here was the centre of wealth, power, science, art and false worship.

• The Characters - King Nebuchadnezzar, Ashpenaz, Daniel and his friends
• The Producer - God Himself
• Some Cautions - (a) characters are not puppets (b) this is not a play, but real life (c) it is not for brief applause, but for eternal life.

3 Scenes

Each tells us something about God. In fact, something that God is not.

Scene 1 - v1-7 God is NOT defeated!

That is, He is omnipotent, all powerful. The Babylonians did not conquer Israel because Israel's God was not able to help them, but because God gave judgement on His people.

• v2 "the LORD gave Jehoiakim ... into his hand". Why? Because of the repeated sins of Judah, His people (see the books of the Kings for the sorry tale). {{Note: Judah was the southern kingdom of a divided Israel, after the civil war that came at the end of Solomon's reign. The northern kingdom retained the name of Israel, but had been conquered and its people deported by the Assyrians long before Jehoiakim's time.}}

• Judah was given to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon; many slaves were taken, including young men from the aristocracy, and Judah's King Jehoiakim becomes a puppet king. The treasures of the Temple are taken from those who trusted in them (Jeremiah 7:4 "Do not trust in lying words, saying, The temple of Jehovah, The temple of Jehovah ..."), and given in judgment to the temple of the false gods of Babylon.

The cream of Judah's young men are taken captive - young (to more easily make them into Chaldeans) handsome and perfect (to better show-off king Nebuchadnezzar's court) and bright (to serve his government). See how judgement affects the godly too, for God's own wise and good purposes. But no one who trusts in Him will be the loser at the last.

3 year's free training in the best boarding school, with the best food laid on! (like trainee Astronauts) and with top jobs waiting if they did well at the final exams.

Ashpenaz (the King's warden over the young captives) gives Daniel and his friends new names, to show they belong to Nebuchadnezzar and his gods now. ('Bel must be greater than Jehovah, since Jehovah could not keep His people safe'), and the better to move them from their own religion:-

Scene 2 - v8-16 God is NOT absent

He is not far away - He is omnipresent, everywhere, including Babylon. He is utterly different from the little gods of the nations, who are mere projections of the warring kings' battles over territory.

God is there in Babylon too, to give favour to His faithful people - v9.

A time of testing (by God, not by Nebuchadnezzar) - will they obey God, even if it offends the king?

• The problem - the king's meat and wine - forbidden animals, blood, and sacrifices to idols; God's law for the Israelites says "No!" (Deuteronomy 14:3-21, Ge 9:4, Ex 20:3-5). {{Note: they raise no objection to serving the king, nor to their training in all arts and science of the Chaldeans, nor even to new and idolatrous names, but only when obedience to king crosses their obedience to God.}}
• Daniel, for fear of defiling himself and offending God, risks offending the king ("What! - not good enough for you!"). Though he has a new name, he is a servant of God still.
  • Daniel's fear of defilement was probably two-fold:-
    1. As an Israelite he needed to keep the food laws God had given them, e.g. no unclean animal meat, such as pork, which was the much favoured by the Babylonians
    2. The Babylonians, especially at the royal court, would have made meat and drink sacrifices to their gods before each meal. To publicly eat the food afterwards would have been seen as an act of homage to their gods, and so would be idolatry for Daniel.

• A courteous request to Ashpenaz - Daniel is not spoiling for a fight nor threatening hunger-strike, but humbly seeking to follow God with a good conscience. He is completely in character as a servant of God, and we need to be the same in the 21st Century, for God has not changed. ("to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy towards all people." Titus 3:2, ESV)
• God gave Daniel great favour with Ashpenaz - see that God is not absent, not left behind in Judah; He is here in Babylon too, already preparing a place of love and respect in Ashpenaz's heart. It is not wrong to have the world's favour, when it is from obedient, loyal, reliable, courteous, trustworthy behaviour - in fact, it would be a problem if it was not the case; but never at the expense of obedience to God.
• But, another problem, for Ashpenaz. "I'll lose my head!" if the king sees you looking thin & underfed.
• Daniel offers, again with great courtesy & wisdom, to take a test - try us 10 days, on vegetables and water. Accepted! (its only a short time).
• They pass (in fact, at the top of the list for obvious health and strength).

What defiling dangers do we face in 21st Century Australia? Christians are not subject to the old food laws, and very few of us will be pressured to worship false gods? What then? Is it the old threesome of "Gold, Gals and Glory"? Money, sex and fame? For many of us it probably is (but note that these are all the good gifts of God; He invented wealth, and sex, and true glory. Abraham, King David, King Solomon all had these in abundance, but to be used wisely, rightly and joyfully).

In the New Testament we are told "17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:17-19 English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

The good things of life are not wrong, and are to be received with thankfulness, but never to be grasped at as our main aim, nor hung on to when to do so would be a denial of God.

As an example, if you are pressured at work to connive at something clearly dishonest it is time to take a stand, even if it costs you your job or your reputation.

Still, while we live in a land of democratic freedoms, remember that the price of democracy is that the majority rules. If that majority opinion shifts at some stage to being anti-Christian, we might well face laws that require us to deny God, to deny Christ, as happened in Nazi Germany. Use your liberties wisely now, and pray for faith and courage if you ever come to such an evil day.

• How did Daniel keep himself clean in corrupt Babylon? He had God's word in his heart, and he kept it! ("only" food laws, but...). A dimmer light than we have in the New Testament, but just as much God's word, and just as true at that time for the Israelites. (Hebrews 1:1,2)
• We MUST do the same - Philippians. 2:15 "that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ..."
• 2 ways before us; 2 choices - 1 John 2:15-17 ESVUK "15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions - is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides for ever."

Scene 3 - v9-21 God is NOT out-witted

He knows everything (He is omniscient). See how God gave great knowledge and wisdom to His obedient people, vv17,19,20

• Examination Day comes. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah all pass with honours, topping the class by a huge amount - 10 times better!
• Nebuchadnezzar himself is the examiner and he finds them even better than the veteran wise men of his court. (those who are wise in God must always be wiser than astrologers and magicians - helpless helpers indeed).
• How can this be? "Old" and wise heads on young shoulders? V18 - "God gave them knowledge and skill...".
• See how God delights to honour them who honour Him (He always will, though not always openly in this world - "Come in, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you ... " Matthew 25:34).
• See His great knowledge - He only has to give a few drops to Daniel & friends, and youths are wiser than the wisest (but see how it makes them humble and lovable, not proud and prickly - this is wisdom from above - James 3:17).
• See the seeds of mercy that God plants here in Daniel.
  • a prophet to teach Israel.
  • Israel's friend in high places (for so, like Joseph, he became).
  • a future full of hope, for it was to Daniel that God revealed more of the Lord Jesus Christ's coming into the world (perhaps more than to any of the other prophets)- He Who is the true and living hope.

Daniel 1 Text

English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

Daniel Taken to Babylon

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 gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, 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 placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skilful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. Daniel's Faithfulness

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favour and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king." 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

(original date: 25 January 2009)

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