bibleteacher.org: Sermons by Dr, Mike Willmouth

"Living Above Worldly Standards"
(A Study of the book of Daniel - Lesson 1)
Daniel 1:1-21

by Joseph "Mike" Willmouth
(This Sermon was preached at Eastview Baptist Church during the Evening Service on September 28, 2003.
All Scripture references used in this sermon are based upon the NKJV®, unless otherwise stated)

This work was written and submitted by: Joseph M. Willmouth, Pastor of Eastview Baptist Church, Kentucky. This contributed article is copyright protected, and the sole property of the contributing author. It may be freely copied and used provided the above credits are included. Document expiration: indefinite.

Introduction: A dignified old preacher owned a parrot of which he was exceedingly fond, but the bird had picked up an appalling vocabulary of cuss words from a previous owner and, after a series of particularly embarrassing episodes, the clergyman decided he would have to have his parrot put to sleep. But a lady in his congregation suggested a last-ditch remedy. She said, "I have a female parrot. She is an absolute saint. She sits quietly on her perch and prays constantly. Why don't you bring your parrot over and see if my own bird's good influence doesn't reform him?" The pastor said it was worth a try, and the next night he arrived with his pet. The bird took one look at the lady parrot and chirped, "Hi, Toots, how about a big kiss?" The lady parrot responded gleefully, "My prayers have been answered!" (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited).

Trying to live a godly life in a godless world is very hard, and as believers we tend to sound a lot like the lady parrot. Instead of being a good influence on those around us, we end up joining them. But the bible gives us an example of individuals that the world tried very hard to instill in them a worldly set of standards, but instead they didn't give in and became a godly influence upon the lost around them. Let's look at God's Word to look at an example of how we can live above the worldly standards that surround us each day.

Transition: First, we must. . .

I. Understand Who's In Control (vv.1-2).
1. The struggle for power by man (v.1).

- 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
A. Nebuchadnezzar set out on his expedition near the close of the 3^rd year Jehoiakim's rule (Greene).
1) Jehoiakim was a godless king who ruled over Judah, and he had no reverence for the things of God (ED).
2) Nebuchadnezzar was another godless and cruel king, who was the mightiest ruler on earth at this time (ED).
B. To a pagan way of thinking, no nation could conquer another unless it god were more powerful than the god of the other (MHG).

Transition: Often a human perspective of how things work isn't the same perspective that God has, and this is revealed in verse 2. . .

2. The true Sovereign of the world (v.2).

- 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar [i.e., Babylon] to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.
A. The Book of Daniel emphasizes the sovereignty of God in the affairs of nations and men (NBC).
B. Jerusalem did not fall merely because Nebuchadnezzar was strong, but because God had judged the people of Judah for their disobedience and idolatry (NBC).
1) A little more than a 100 years before this the Prophet Isaiah foretold of this time.
- Isaiah 39:5-7, "Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD. 'And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"
2) Jeremiah 25:11, "And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years."

Application: We are reminded of a couple of things here. First, God holds us accountable for being obedient to His Word. When we harden our hearts against Him, then don't be surprised when you are allowed to be taken captive by the ways of the world and God allows Satan to sift you; Luke 22:31-32, "And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.'" Remember, when you sift flour it is to get the impurities out so that the flour will be useful and suitable for use. Likewise, when God allowed Israel to be sifted it was to remove the impurities of disobedience and idolatry so they could once again be used of God. While the church isn't Israel, God's methods haven't changed; James 1:17 reveals to us that God the Father has ". . .no variation or shadow of turning."

The second thing that is pointed out here is that God is in control, not man, not you or me. This means even when everything in our world seems to be turned upside down, it is still under the control of God; Romans 8:28-31, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" This should give hope and comfort to every believer even in the most difficult of times.

Transition: If we want to live above the worldly standards of man, and live for God, then also we need to. . .

II. Understand Worldly Values (vv.3-7).
1. They place much value upon one's outward beauty (vv.3-4a).

- 3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, 4a young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking. . ..
A. Nebuchadnezzar took for himself the cream of the crop of the captives from any nation that they would capture to work in his royal court (McGee).
1) The word "children" is misleading, this isn't a reference to infants but rather teenagers (ED).
2) The Jewish youth were somewhere between 15 to 20 years old (MHG).
- Some place Daniel around the age of 17 here (McGee).
B. Nebuchadnezzar wanted young men who were in excellent physical condition and handsome in appearance (MHG).

Application: We see that very little has changed in the attitudes of man. Because of our sin natures, we tend to only look skin deep. We are told in articles that if you are not pretty or good looking, slim and tall, that you will not get the jobs that you want or you will even be passed over for promotion. Every time we have an election, we are always reminded how the taller man seems to win. Pick up anyone of the magazines that has to do with fashion, and you'll see only the best looking models - and even then, sometimes they will airbrush their pictures to make them look flawless. Our whole culture is geared to favor and pander to those who are pleasing to our sight.

But man's ways are not God's way. God's Word tells us what is most important is the heart of man, and not their outward appearance. 1 Samuel 16:7, "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" We can find comfort in the fact that we have Sovereign God who's love is deeper than skin deep. We need to make sure that we keep our focus upon what is important also.

Transition: Not only did the Babylonians place importance upon how people look, but. . .

2. They place importance upon worldly wisdom (v.4b).

- 4b . . .gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
A. The Chaldeans were the elite, privileged class of several different classes of wise men in Babylon who had written extensively on many subjects (MHG).
B. For the Jewish youth to be assimilated into the culture of the court they had to go to school.
1) They were probably were to be taught such subjects as astronomy, astrology, mathematics, natural history, mythology, agriculture, architecture and the old languages of Babylon (MHG).
2) This training would last for 3 years.

Application: While there is nothing wrong with learning, especially when it comes to such things as math, languages, history, etc., the problem begins when you leave the area of true science and enter into the area of world philosophies. For Daniel and his friends this would include the teaching of astrologers, diviners, and other practitioners of worldly wisdom. Our children face the same problems in schools today, often they depart from the basics of education and are indoctrinated into various world philosophies that are often in direct conflict with what the Bible teaches. When our son was in Middle School, he had a teacher that was trying to teach all the children how to meditate. When I was in the Air Force I was sent to a supervisors stress management class, where our instructor began to teach us New Age techniques of meditation to relieve stress. The sad part was the person teaching these things claimed to be a Christian. We are reminded here that all wisdom for the world is not wisdom at all, but a veiled attempt to indoctrinate people into accepting a godless world philosophy; 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."

Transition: another fact that we need to understand how the world thinks and works is that. . .

3. They reward those who conform (v.5).

- 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.
A. Nebuchadnezzar gave they youth the finest food that the kingdom had to offer (DBG).
B. Daniel and his companions were to be fed well for 3 years, and at the end of this time they were to stand before the king (ED).

Application: On the outside, this looked like an opportunity to live the good life, and to cultivate their appetites for the very best that the world had to offer them. After all, we would probably look at this an opportunity to get ahead. But often what the world offers may look very attractive to us, but it can also serve to undercut our walk with the Lord. The real issue here isn't having good food or being rewarded for good work, but it was really a question of moral authority. Remember that Daniel was a Jew and was under the Mosaic Law they had been told not to eat certain meats, certain fowl, and certain fish (McGee). The devil wants to change our appetites, and wants us to develop appetites for the things of this world. The end result is always the same, to take us further from God, not closer. The devil wants us to be more interested in earth than heaven, and on the material rather than spiritual (ED). Often if we are not careful, we can turn something like a good job into something that keeps us from being closer to God. Sometimes, it is better to give up the best that the world can offer, so that we can have God's best. Lets remember what Jesus said in Mark 8:36-37, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Transition: Not only does the world love to tempt us with it best, but. . .

4. Their goal it to try to remove all reminders of God (vv.6-7).

- 6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
A. Because all four youths bore names that honored the God of Israel, their names were changed.
1) Daniel means "God is my judge."
2) Hananiah means "The Lord is gracious."
3) Mishael means "Who is what God is?"
4) Azariah means "The Lord has helped me."
B. The youth were all given names that are acquainted are the heathen names.
1) To Daniel the name of Belteshazzar was given which means "worshiper of Baal," who was a heathen god.
2) To Hananiah the name Shadrach was given which means "I am fearful of a god."
3) To Mishael the name Meshach was given which means "I am of little account" or "I am despised, contemptible, and humbled before my god."
4) To Azariah the name Abed-Nego was given which means "servant of the god Nebo."

Application: Nebuchadnezzar was not content to let these boys have names that would remind them of their faith in God. He was determined to obliterate any testimony to the God of Israel from the Babylonian court. The names that he gave them signified that the young men were to be subject to Babylon's gods (BKC). This was an attempt to remove from the minds and hearts and wills of these young men any commitment to God (ED).

Transition: Now that we have an understanding of how the world thinks, we now need to. . .

III. Understand How To Take A Biblical Stand (vv.8-21).
1. It must begin within the heart (v.8a).

- 8a But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. . .
A. Daniel made a "heart decision" not to succumb to the temptations of the world.
B. Nebuchadnezzar could change Daniel's homeland, diet, and even his name but they couldn't change his heart.

Application: All real decisions are heart decisions, this is why the Bible says is Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life." What is in our hearts is what we are, and nobody can change us unless we let them (ED). Daniel's desire was to please God in all he did. So he resolved that even though he was not in his own land but in a culture that did not follow God's laws, he would consider himself under the Law. Daniel was courageous, determined, and obedient to God. Jesus said that it was out of the heart that the issues of life proceed; the things which we put into our bodies are not the most important (Matt.15:17-20: McGee). Where is your heart?

Transition: Not only must we have a heart for God to overcome worldly influence, but. . .

2. It must be handled in a humble way (vv.8b-16).

- 8b . . .therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. 10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king." 11 So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 "Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants." 14 So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. 16 Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
A. Since the Mosaic Law designated no vegetables as unclean, Daniel could eat any vegetables put before him without defiling himself (BKC).
B. Daniel trusted his situation to God, and requested that they would be allowed to eat those things that would not cause them to violate God's law.

Application: Notice the use of the words, "requested" (v.8b) and "please" (v.12). There was a humbleness to their method. Often we are have strong convictions we tend to become hard, unyielding, and obnoxious in the way we express it. While there is nothing wrong with having firm and unyielding convictions, we must be careful on how we express those to the world. Today, Christians are very quick to "protect" or "boycott" everything that we don't like, but I'm not sure if that sometimes sends the wrong message to the lost. Instead of spending all our time protesting everything, wouldn't it be better to be witnesses for Christ? There may be times when we must be vocal, but there are also times when we must be gentile; Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."

Transition: When we have a heart for God and we keep a good testimony of our faith, then. . .

3. It will be honored by God (vv.17-21).

- 17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. 21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.
A. God blessed their faithfulness by giving them knowledge and skill in all literature.
1) "Knowledge" has to do with reasoning skills and thought processes (BKC).
- They were able to think clearly and logically.
2) "Understanding" has to do with insight (BKC).
B. But God also went beyond this, He gave them something that the Babylonians could not teach them, true spiritual insight into the visions and dreams of the king.

Application: God says in 1 Samuel 2:30, ". . .for those who honor Me I will honor. . ." It pays to serve the Lord. Daniel and his friends made a humble decision and God honored them (ED). If you want to be honored by God, then live to honor Him.

Invitation:
1. Dare to be different!

A. Don't let the world strip you of your faith for the Lord.
B. Don't succumb to their pressure to remove God from your life.
C. More importantly, don't act and talk like them either.

2. We have a great opportunity to influence people around us, if we set our hearts on living for Christ (NBC).

A. When we behave on the job, it tells others everything they need to know about our values and commitments.
B. It takes conviction and the courage to do what we know is right, it may cost you, but God will give you the strength to deal with whatever consequences come your way.
C. But we must remember that the cost of losing your integrity is infinitely greater than whatever it costs you to keep it.

REFERENCES

BKC - John Walvoord & Roy Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary
DBG - Daniel A Man Beloved Of God, Arthur B. Walton, Regular Baptist Press
ED - Exploring The Book Of Daniel, John Phillips & Jerry Vines, Loizeaux Brothers.
Greene - Daniel Verse By Verse, Oliver B. Greene, The Gospel Hour
McGee - Daniel, J. Vernon McGee,