DANIEL. Living Faithfully In Exile. DANIEL Living Faithfully In Exile

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "DANIEL. Living Faithfully In Exile. DANIEL Living Faithfully In Exile"

Christian Strickland
5 years ago
Views:

1 DANIEL Living Faithfully In Exile

2 DANIEL 1 Faithful & Fruitful In Exile

4 Setting The Scene 1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion.

5 Setting The Scene A Worldview: a philosophical view, an all-encompassing perspective on everything that exists and matters to us. Theology Anthropology Knowledge Ethics Salvation

6 EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED V1-7

7 Everything has changed V1-7 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.

8 Everything has changed 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.

9 Everything has changed 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.

10 Everything has changed A tale of two cities: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness.

11 Everything has changed Jeremiah 24 a tale of two exiles 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

12 Everything has changed Jeremiah 29 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.

13 Everything has changed 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

14 Everything has changed 10 For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

15 Everything has changed 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

16 Everything has changed Nebuchadnezzar sought to assimilate the exiles into Babylonian culture by obliterating their religious and cultural identity in five key ways. Theology new gods (v2) Anthropology new names (v7) Knowledge new understanding & values (v4) Ethics new lifestyle (v5) Salvation Babylon s glory will be their goal (v1-5)

17 FAITHFUL & FRUITFUL V8-21

18 Faithful & fruitful V 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.

19 Faithful & fruitful 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.

20 Faithful & fruitful 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.

21 Faithful & fruitful 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.

22 Faithful & fruitful Faithful 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.

23 Faithful & fruitful Fruitful 9 And God gave Daniel favour and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. 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.

24 Conclusion God is sovereign over the exile and will use it to bring about His will so be confident

25 Conclusion We may face exile and a nation that is different in its think, but we have the greatest story in History so be faithful

26 Conclusion It may feel like we the culture we face could be the end of the church and that it will be impossible, but God prospered Daniel in the pagan nation so be fruitful where you are

27 Questions How confident are you in God accomplishing His will in this nation? What does faithfulness to Christ s story look like in your home & workplace? Where do you think may desiring you to be fruitful for His glory?

28 DANIEL Living Faithfully In Exile

Daniel 1:1-4 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

Daniel 1:1-4 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, with some