Daniel shuns Defilement 29 January 2012 Ps. 93: 1, 4 Ps. 1: 1 Ps. 119: 4, 12 Ps. 119: 14, 15, 37, 38 Ps. 4: 2 Scripture reading: Dan. 1: 1 21 Text: Dan. 1: 1 21 Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, We, the church of Christ, are described in Revelation as a woman in the desert. Like Israel of old we are God s covenant people travelling towards the Promised Land, but as yet we find ourselves in this world in a spiritual desert filled with dangers and with lots of trials and temptations. And thus the apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians of Israel s history in the desert, how often they fell in temptation, and then he says: Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages have come. 1 Cor. 10: 11 He applies the lessons of Israel in the desert to the New Testament church. Now, the book Revelation does not only describe the New Testament church in terms of Israel in the desert, Revelation also describes the New Testament church as Israel in exile. We find ourselves in Babylon. Spiritually the world in which we live is called Babylon. 1
Once we understand this the book of Daniel becomes very relevant also for the time in which we are living. The book Daniel shows us how the LORD s kingdom is coming and how it proceeds in the midst of severe trials and temptations and persecutions. While the kingdoms of this world are rising and falling, and each new empire is found weaker and lower than the previous one, decreasing in honour and power, the one eternal kingdom of Christ is constantly and steadfastly progressing and increasing in power and glory. Yes, the kingdom of Christ is coming, and it is indeed growing in power and greatness, but its power and greatness is not according to man or according to this world. Its power is not seen in great armies, but in the faithfulness of humble servants in the midst of suffering. And its greatness and glory do not consist in worldly splendour, but in righteousness and holiness. The kingdom of Christ is coming, but its citizens seem to be a trampled people in the midst of Babylon. Yes, the kingdom is coming, but how does it come? It progresses and grows and proceeds when a youngster decides not to defile himself with the food of the king. The kingdom grows and increases when three young men refuses to bow the knee before the image of a man. The glory of this kingdom excels when Daniel refuses to close his window, or to decrease the frequency of his prayers. Yes, it is all God s work, it is Christ preserving His church, but the glory and the power of His kingdom becomes evident in the faithful obedience of God-fearing men in the midst of many trials and temptations and persecutions. I proclaim God s Word to you with the theme: The coming of God s kingdom proceeds 2
And we will note... 1. That the Lord judges His people 2. That the Lord preserves a remnant 3. That the Lord blesses faithful obedience In the first place we note that... The Lord judges His people It is the start of the Babylonian exile. According to the prophecy of Jeremiah the exile would last 70 years (Jer. 25: 11, 12; 29: 10). That judgement of the Lord has now come. 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... (verses 1, 2) Scripture describes Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with that sad refrain: And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done (2 Kings. 23: 37) With much patience and longsuffering the LORD has sent His prophets to Jerusalem to call His people to repentance. He has done so for many years. But now, finally, the hour of her visitation has come. The 70 years of her Babylonian exile has begun. However, at this stage, Jerusalem and the temple still stands. Only some of the people were taken captive, and only a part of the articles of the temple has been carried away. The destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple did not happen yet. 3
The wicked king Jehoiakim continues to reign in Jerusalem for another six years while Daniel and his companions are already in exile! At first this seems to be unfair. The wicked Jehoiakim and his men are spared, while Daniel and other faithful men have to go into exile! However, the Lord compared the first captives with good figs and the last captives with bad figs, and said that He will preserve and restore the first captives but destroy the second bunch who then, still safely in Jerusalem, continued in their sins. When we consider that Daniel and his three friends were among the first to go into exile, we are reminded of another place where the Lord says: if they do these things to the green wood, what will be done to the dry? (Luke 23: 31) Sometimes in this life the Lord throws His children into the furnace to purify them like gold, while He preserves the ungodly for a later date of total destruction. And thus it also happens here in our text. Now, the seventy years of the Babylonian exile have begun. It started with this date, so that Daniel was among the first. Daniel was among the first captives and he remained in exile for the full period of 70 years. We read at the end of this chapter that Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus. Yes, Daniel also continued more years after the first year of King Cyrus as we learn from chapter 10: 1 but here the first year of King Cyrus is mentioned because that was the year in which king Cyrus granted the captives permission to return and to rebuild Jerusalem. And so the 70 years of exile ended in the first year of king Cyrus. When our text then mentions that Daniel continued until that date, it means that the Lord was with Daniel during that whole period of 70 years, and that Daniel continued in his task and calling until the day that God s people was finally delivered again. Although the Lord sorely chastised His people, and although He brought upon them all the calamities and punishments of which His prophets have spoken, to sanctify His children and 4
to destroy the ungodly amongst them, He did not forsake His people. Also there in Babylon the Lord was preserving a remnant for Himself. We note that in the second place, that... The Lord preserved a remnant for Himself The captives are taken to the land of Shinar. That is: Babylon. Now, it is not without significance that Babylon is here described as the land of Shinar verse 2. Shinar that is the land of Nimrod and the Tower of Babel. It forms the antithesis that runs as a theme through the book of Daniel: God s kingdom over against the kingdom of this world; Jerusalem over against Babylon; the city of God over against Babel. Now, among the captives of Judah some boys, teenagers, were chosen to be trained in the wisdom of the Chaldeans. Our translation calls them, in verse 4, young men. However, the Hebrew text calls them children ; boys. At the age of 20 they would be called men, but now they are called children, boys, which means that they were still under the age of 20. They were still teenagers. Among the captives the most promising lads were chosen, boys who where gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand. This requirement makes clear that they were not small boys, but youngsters who already excelled as excellent and gifted students. Now, among them were also Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. But the chief of the eunuchs gave them different names. 5
By the way, our translation speaks of the chief of the eunuchs, but the Hebrew word which is here translated as eunuch, is also used for married men who are not eunuchs but simply officers in the court of the king. The same Hebrew word was for example also used for Potiphar who was a married man Gen. 37: 36. Anyway, the chief of the eunuchs or rather: the chief officer gave these Jewish boys different names. Daniel means: God will judge. But now he receives the name Belteshazzar. In chapter 4: 8 Nebuchadnezzar makes the comment that the name Belteshazzar is according to the name of my god. The name Belteshazzar is composed of the word Bel, which refers to the chief idol of the Babylonians. Hananiah means: Jahve is gracious. But now he receives the name Shadrach, which refers to the moon-god of the Babylonians. Mishael means: who is like Jahve? The meaning is that there is no one comparable to the LORD. The LORD, Jahve, is so great that no one can be compared to Him. But now Mishael receives the name Meshach, which means: who is like Aku (the moon-god)? The third companion of Daniel is Azariah. Azariah means: Jahve helps. His name is now changed to Abed-Nego, which means: servant of Nebo. Nebo was, after Bel, the second greatest idol of the Babylonians (compare also Isaiah 46: 1). Now, first of all we see that Daniel and his three companions received from their own parents names with specific meaning. It is the kind of names that godly parents, who trusted in the LORD, would give to their children. These names speak of trust in the LORD, and speak of the greatness and mercy of the LORD. And now they receive heathen names. Now the Babylonians call them after their own gods. 6
Daniel and his three companions are God s people, sons of Abraham, and their very names reminded them of their God, the living God, who is all powerful and faithful. And now their names are changed. The intent is that they forget their Jewish identity and become true Chaldeans, citizens of Babylon. But their names are not changed simply for the sake of naturalising them, and to wipe out their previous identity. There was also another reason. In the mind of the Babylonians these gifted youngsters have become trophies of the Babylonian gods. We see this already in verse 2 where we are told that Nebuchadnezzar brought these captives together with some articles of the temple of God into the house of his god. The meaning is clear. These heathens, as we know from the rest of Scripture, ascribed their victories to the power of the gods whom they served (compare for example 1 Kings 20: 23). When Nebuchadnezzar returned victoriously from Jerusalem, the Babylonians thought that their idols, Bel and Nebo, had the victory over Jahve. Therefore the treasures of Jahve, of His temple, were brought into the treasure house of the Babylonian god, Bel. And thus Nebuchadnezzar does not only honour his god with the treasures from Jahve s temple, but also these young men became trophies for Bel at least: that was what the Babylonians thought. These names must have been a terrible burden to Daniel and his friends, for they refused to deny their God, as we will shortly see. The change of their names was also an attempt of Satan to cause them to exchange their identity as the people of Jahve, and to become one with the people of Babylon. But there was also another temptation, or rather a snare, set for them. The king commanded that they be fed from his own table. Now, for some this may seem to be something quite insignificant. 7
Why did Daniel make such a fuss about it? Was he maybe just that kind of person who was unable to adjust himself to new circumstances; some kind of misfit in a progressive world? Or was he maybe a bit too radical, or maybe even a bit fanatical about his Jewish traditions? No, brothers and sisters, he was simply obedient. The seemingly insignificance of the case enhances the great faithfulness of this youngster. He would not compromise God s law in the least. In the first place God s law spoke about clean and unclean food. And much of the food of this heathen king would be unclean according to the law. And apart from the laws about clean and unclean animals, there was also the law that God s people may not eat blood, and this law also regulated the way in which animals were to be slaughtered. Their throats had to be cut in order that all the blood could drain from their bodies (for example Lev. 17: 10 14). Therefore they were also forbidden to eat any meat of any animal that was strangled instead of throat-cut. It is noteworthy that this law is repeated also in the New Testament. The apostles, together with the elders in Jerusalem, sent a letter to the believers who were of the Gentiles, saying: it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well Acts 15: 28, 29. These were typical things among the Gentiles. Moreover, at the Gentile feasts they also sacrificed a part of their food to the idols, so that all who ate from that table ate and drank in honour of the idol. Such sacrifices to the idols also included drink-offerings of wine; wine libations. 8
And therefore Daniel solemnly resolved not to defile himself either with the food or with the wine of the kings table, and requested the chief officer over them that he might not defile himself verse 8. Our translation says that he did not want to defile himself with the delicacies of the kings table, but the Hebrew text simply speaks of the portion of the kings table, referring to the food which the king ate. Daniel did not want to defile himself with the table of this heathen king. Furthermore, our translation says in verse 12 that Daniel asked for vegetables, but the Hebrew word is seed, or: what is sown. Give us what has been sown; give us crop. It is not limited to vegetables, but includes grain and fruit. It may even mean: give us bread; give us normal food; not the defiled portion of the king. Daniel was no fanatic who refused to eat certain kinds of food, but he did not want to defile himself. And the defilement would especially refer to the meat of unclean animals, meat with blood, and meat and wine sacrificed to idols. Daniel was determined to keep God s law. The food of the king s table would defile him, because it was unclean and forbidden by law. Now, Daniel was the first to make this firm decision to stay faithful to the LORD and to keep himself undefiled. Verse 8 mentions only Daniel. Afterwards, in verse 12, his companions are also included. Daniel took the lead in this, but he also acted on behalf of his three friends: Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Dear congregation, Daniel s request to the chief officer was no easy request to make. In fact, the request could cost him his head. It would have been quite normal if the chief officer responded by saying: Who are you, Jewish captive, to call the table of the king unclean?! And it would be normal that the chief officer would report him to the king this captive who refuses to obey the king s command, who also leads others to despise the table of the king, and who refuses to honour the idols or to drink their wine libations! And therefore Daniel s request is preceded by the comment: 9
God had brought Daniel into the favour and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. Therefore the chief officer did not become angry or reported Daniel, but simply gave Daniel the reason why he could not comply with his request. It was as if the chief officer said to Daniel: I would gladly have granted you your request, but I m afraid that it might cost me my head, therefore the answer is: no! But Daniel did not give up. It would have been easy for him at this point to say: I ve tried my best, I spoke to the chief officer and even risked my life with this request; now I can do nothing more but to comply with the kings command. But no! Daniel was determined not to defile himself. It was not simply a treasured tradition of Jewish culture that he tried to uphold, or something that he preferred not to do. No, it was a matter of obedience to God s law. And therefore he does not give up. He now turns to the servant who is in direct oversight over him and asks him that he put Daniel and his three companions to the test for a period of ten days. And he trusted the LORD for the outcome. And his trust was not put to shame. In spite of the more sober diet, he and his friends looked healthier than all the others who ate from the kings table. The LORD did not fail His servant. Daniel simply obeyed the Lord, without compromise, and the LORD blessed him. 10
Now, when we look at this in the broader context of the whole book, this was the first of many trials. The trials would even become greater. Think of the burning furnace. Think of the lions den. In all these trials, Daniel and his three companions, refused to make any compromise. They would not bow their knee once to an idol, not even in the face of a burning furnace. Daniel would not shrink back from praying in front of an open window, and would not even reduce the frequency of doing so, even when the lions den has been prepared for him. Yes, in the midst of Babylon the LORD preserved for Himself an undefiled remnant. Dear congregation, this brings us to the consideration of our own day. We are in this world, which is spiritually called Babylon. And the spirit of our time is one of so called tolerance and compromise. We can so easily justify all our compromises with as many arguments! We are in this world, and if we are in Rome we have to do as the Romans do, should we not? But here we see a faithful servant of the LORD, who refused to depart one step to the left or to the right, who firmly resolved in his heart to obey the LORD in all things, and to keep himself undefiled in the midst of this world. Yes, a young servant; a teenager. Are the youth not vulnerable in this world? Can they not easily be influenced by the world? Yes, they can. But here we see a few youngsters in the midst of Babylon, who kept themselves pure. Their names testify that they had god-fearing parents who trusted in the LORD, who would also have raised them with the teaching of the Law and the Prophets. And the LORD blessed the fruit of their parents, even when they were torn away from their homes at such an early age. Yes, the LORD gave Daniel and his friends a steadfast heart and discernment and insight and wisdom, not only to be clever students, but first of all the wisdom and discernment of His 11
word and His law; and above all: the fear of the LORD which is the most basic principle of all wisdom and knowledge. Daniel feared the LORD, therefore he shunned defilement. Therefore the LORD blessed him and his three companions even more abundantly, so that in the end, after three years, they did not only excel all the other students who received the same training, but they even excelled in wisdom and knowledge far above all the wise and learned men of the whole kingdom! We note that in the last place, that The LORD blesses faithful obedience Teenagers usually have a good appetite. Imagine boys between the age of 14 and 18 who are offered the privilege to eat daily at a kings table and not just the table of any king, but of the most powerful king of the greatest empire on earth! Would you not be overwhelmed by such a privilege, and with excitement look forward to taste the royal food and the costly wine of such a king? This would, no doubt, be a great temptation, especially for healthy growing hungry hollow boys of that age! On top of that we have to consider what a great honour the king bestowed on them when he gave this command. By allowing them to eat from his table they were placed in royal company, and were counted royal themselves! Would such honour and such luxury easily be despised by a youngster who sees before him an open door to enter a royal life? Yes, how would a youngster stand in the face of such a temptation? 12
But to Daniel obedience to the LORD and to His Word came first. In Hebrews chapter 11 we read the following about Moses: By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward (Hebr. 11: 24 26). The same can be said of Daniel. He did not forget that he was a son of Abraham, or sought to be elevated above the trampled people of God. He counted the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Babylon. And there was indeed a reward. The LORD says that He honours those who honour Him (1 Sam. 2: 30). And thus He bestowed on Daniel, and on his three companions, gifts and honour in such abundance that they excelled even ten times all the wise and learned men of the whole kingdom. It was more than human gifts and human knowledge. These gifts were clearly from God so that later even the king and all the Chaldeans had to acknowledge that the Spirit of the living God was dwelling in these men, and that the Almighty is with them. The LORD established Daniel, so that he continued steadfastly as prophet of the LORD for the entire period of that 70 years of exile. The one king fell and the next one rose until a whole list of kings came and went; and during all that turmoil and change Daniel continued steadfast in his task and calling. Here in chapter 1 it may seem as if the trial was not of great importance. 13
Would it not have been a small insignificant compromise if he did eat from the king s table? No, the Lord also says: He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Luke 16: 10 Dear young people, brothers and sisters, let us not compromise God s Word to adjust ourselves to the world in which we live. Not even in the smallest things; for it is often in things that may seem small and insignificant that our faithfulness to the LORD is tested. Our faith is tested in the normal course of everyday life, at home, at school, at the workplace. Even your clothes, your choice of music, the kind of language you use, the way you spend your leisure time will reflect your determination to remain undefiled in the midst of this world. Is it still clear when you walk in the streets of this Babylon that you are a son, a daughter, of Abraham? Or has the antithesis disappeared? The antithesis between church and world, between Jerusalem and Babylon, is slowly disappearing not only when members of false churches live secular lives, but also when members of true churches start to compromise with the world, and seek to please men instead of God, or when they compromise just as much as is necessary to avoid the shame of being called radical. Yes, when Daniel refused to eat of the king s table, that was radical! Brothers and sisters, let us not seek to nestle ourselves in Babylon, but solemnly resolve in our hearts to flee her defilement in all things. And God will establish us. We find this same teaching also in the New Testament where the apostle says to the Corinthians: 14
what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 6: 17 7: 1) It is in this way that the kingdom of Christ is coming, and growing and increasing in glory and power. Christ is preserving a remnant for Himself, undefiled and without blemish. Amen. 15