We're reading from chapter 1, it's on page 883.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiachim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
And the Lord delivered Jehoiachim, king of Judah, into his hand,
along with some of the articles from the temple of God.
These he carried off to the temple of his God in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his God.
Then the king ordered Ashpinaz, chief of his court officials,
to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility.
Young men, without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning,
well informed, quick to understand and qualified to serve in the king's palace.
He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table.
They were to be trained for three years and after that they were to enter the king's service.
Among these were some from Judah.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
The chief official gave them new names.
To Daniel, the name Belteshazzar.
To Hananiah, Shadrach.
To Mishael, Meshach.
And to Azariah, Abednego.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine
and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way.
Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel
but the official told Daniel,
I am afraid of my lord the king who has assigned your food and drink.
Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men of your age?
The king would then have my head because of you.
Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
Please test your servants for ten days.
Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food
and treat your servants in accordance to what you see.
So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished
than any of the young men who ate the royal food.
So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink
and gave them vegetables instead.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding
of all kinds of literature and learning
and Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in
the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
The king talked with them and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah
so they entered the king's service.
In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them
he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom
and Daniel remained there until the first year of king Cyrus.
There's a little sheet there to hand out.
If maybe somebody could get the box of pens as well and pass them around if anybody would like a pen
please put your hand up and a pen can be brought to you.
Thanks Connor for reading that.
We're going to be looking at Daniel over the next number of weeks.
You can follow the headings which will give you an indication of perhaps what it's about each chapter in the term programme
and we will also be following it up on our Wednesday evening studies as well.
So as we start into Daniel let's pray and ask for God's help.
Our Father God we are amazed that a book, a story written hundreds of years ago
is now preserved for us, before us in a language that we can understand.
But we come to this story recognising that it is not just any story
but it is God's word to us.
God speaking his truth to us about himself, ourselves and the world in which we live.
God's word to us about himself.
So Father please would you teach us, instruct us, command us, train us in the ways that we should go.
Speak to us now, through your holy word we pray.
Amen.
The world that we live in is hostile and dangerous.
With conflicts raging between Russia and Ukraine,
the spread of ISIS across Syria and Iraq,
the innocent slaughter of whole villages by Boko Haram,
the continual news of murder and rape and violent assault on our own streets,
the world we live in is not a safe place to live,
especially if you are a follower of Jesus Christ.
Listen to the news headings from around the world this past month.
In Afghanistan, a Christian minister is kidnapped.
In Cameroon, church buildings were burnt down and their houses looted.
In China, a pastor sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In Egypt, a few Christians sentenced to five years in prison.
In India, a group of 100 Christians attacked by a mob.
In Nigeria, gunmen opened fire on worshippers, killing some in four churches.
In North Korea, tourists arrested and charged.
In Pakistan, a Christian teenager raped and killed.
In Syria, homes belonging to Christians confiscated.
In Tanzania, a church building torched.
In Vietnam, Bible school students taken away for interrogation.
And let's not forget our friends who have been imprisoned on the border.
Now we mightn't face the same pressures that we have just read.
But I think we all feel the reality that our Christian views are no longer tolerated or accepted.
We feel the squeeze of being rejected perhaps by family, maybe isolated by friends.
The world that we live in as Christians is hostile and dangerous.
And this is the kind of world that Daniel lived in.
Having experienced the brutal onslaught of the Babylonian military forces,
Daniel now finds himself somewhat of a slave in a foreign land,
under the rule of an unfaithful king who stood opposed to Daniel's God.
So the big question we want to start with at the very beginning is this.
How do we, as God's people, live in a hostile world?
How do we live in a hostile world?
Well there are three things that we need to know.
The first thing that we need to know is the way in which God rules the world.
The way in which God rules the world.
Look at verse 1.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
Now when we read about these two kings, this isn't just two kings at war.
This is the world at war with God.
You see, each nation, and it was well known at the time,
that each nation had their own God, which each nation represented.
Nations and gods were inseparable.
So if you attacked another nation, in effect you were attacking their God.
And the king who won that battle, therefore had the more powerful God behind them.
Judah knew this.
Babylon knew this.
And more importantly, God knew this.
Because God had chosen the people of Judah to be his special people.
He had rescued them from Egypt.
He had entered into a special relationship with them.
And now they were to represent him in the world as his people.
To live for him.
So if Judah gets defeated, then God gets defeated.
If Judah loses this battle with Babylon,
then it's going to be reported all around the kingdom that God has lost the battle.
So our expectation is, isn't it,
that God is going to fight the Babylonians,
and going to send them home battered and bruised.
But look what happens in verse 2.
The Lord delivered Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand,
along with some of the articles from the temple of God.
These he carried off to the temple of his God in Babylonia,
and put in the treasure house of his God.
You see, not only is the king defeated,
but the temple, which was the very symbol of God's presence and power,
has been pilfered.
The physical objects or the articles from the temple
that represented Judah's God,
have now all been taken away,
and now they're sitting as trophies in the treasure house of Babylon's God.
God has lost the battle.
God is no longer in control.
All of this talk about God being the creator,
the sustainer of the universe,
the supreme authority,
the one with absolute power,
that's all just hot air.
Now as we look out on the world today,
isn't that our same conclusion?
God powerful?
Don't be so stupid.
Look at all the wars out there.
Look at all the violence that's going on.
God in charge?
Don't be so silly.
Look at how his people are being persecuted and oppressed
in every nation.
And so we look and we watch,
and we think God is a loser,
and people think he's pathetic,
he's weak,
and he's a failure.
But let's not rush to conclusions,
and let's not read this introduction too quickly.
Look at verse 2 again very carefully.
Look what it says.
And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim,
king of Judah,
into his hands.
You see, the king of Babylon
may have come with his military might,
but it was the Lord
who delivered them into his hands.
And the chat about town may have been that Nebuchadnezzar rules,
but history records for us
that it is God who rules.
You see, what seems like the death and the defeat of God
is in reality
the power and authority of God.
The nation of Judah might feel that God has abandoned them,
that he's left them,
that he's weak,
and he's lost control,
and he's no good.
And as we live in this world
with all its hostility,
we might think that God is lost,
and that he's weak,
and he's powerless,
and somehow we're left on our own
to try and cope.
But don't forget the assurance of verse 2.
The Lord delivered Jehoiakim,
king of Judah,
into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.
God is in charge.
And at the very outset of the book,
we are to get this message drummed into us,
that here is a God who rules over the kings
and the kingdoms of this world.
He orders events as he wills.
He does what he pleases
to accomplish his plan and his purpose.
This is the way in which God rules.
So the first thing we need to know
as we live in the hostile world
is to know the way in which God rules.
He is in charge.
The second thing we need to know
is the way we should live.
Look at verse 3.
After the siege,
which was horrific,
and the people were taken into slavery,
we read in verse 3
that the king ordered Ashpenaz,
chief of the court officials,
to bring some of the Israelites
from the royal family and nobility,
young men
without any physical defect,
handsome,
showing aptitude for every kind of learning,
well-informed,
quick to understand,
and qualified to serve
in the king's palace.
And among those,
look at verse 6,
were some who were from Judah,
Daniel,
Hananiah,
Mishael,
and Azariah,
all taken.
Now these lads were the pick of the crop,
weren't they?
They had the looks,
they had the brains,
and they had the body.
But here we find them,
not with any special treatment,
but here they are
under the oppressive rule of a king,
who opposed their god,
and forces them
into a program
or a regime of assimilation.
He wants to turn these young men
into Babylonians.
And they had a very clever way to do it.
They had to, first of all,
learn a new culture.
So look at the rest of verse 4.
He was to teach them,
these young men,
the language
and the literature
of the Babylonians.
They would have to learn history
from their perspective.
They would have to learn
all about their culture
and the way that they do things.
And,
they had to adopt
to new customs.
Verse 5.
They had to eat
what the king wanted them to eat.
The king assigned them
a daily amount of food
and wine
from the king's table.
And they were to be trained
for three years.
And after that,
they would enter the king's service.
And in case
they ever got any illusions
as to thinking
of going back,
they were given
a complete new identity.
Verse 7.
The chief official
gave them new names.
And all their new names
were named after
Babylonian gods.
So to Daniel,
he would be called
Belshazzar,
to Hananiah,
Shadrach,
to Mishael,
Meshach,
and to Azariah,
Abednego.
The message
was plain and simple.
You are no longer
God's people.
You are now
Babylonian people.
At every point
of their life,
they were to conform
to this new way
of living.
They were to be like
the people around them
and they were to live
like the people around them.
And isn't that
the pressure
that God's people face
every single day?
to be like
those around us,
to become
like the world,
to think
like the world,
to behave
like the world,
to live
like the world.
We've got to
change our views
on marriage
and become
politically correct.
We mustn't be
so narrow-minded
on abortion
we must adapt
to the culture.
we must accept
that there isn't
just one truth
but whatever
you determine
is true.
We've got to
learn to conform.
We've got to
fit in
to everybody else
and that's the
pressure we all
face every single
day
as we go to
school or college
or go to work
or wherever we are.
So how are we
to live
in this
hostile environment?
well,
God calls us
to remain
loyal
to him,
to make
deliberate
choices
to be loyal
to him.
Look at
verse 8.
But Daniel
resolved
not to
defile himself
with the
royal food
and wine
and he
asked the
chief official
for permission
not to
defile himself
in this way.
Now that
seems quite
strange.
Daniel was
willing to
live in a
new culture.
He didn't
fight that.
He was
willing to
accept a
new name
and accept
that,
well,
I'll be
called
Belshazzar.
I'll put
up with
that.
But I'm
not going
to eat
the food.
Instead,
he tells us
in verse 12,
he says to
one of the
officials,
please test
your servants
for ten
days.
Give us
nothing but
vegetables to
eat and
water to
drink.
Why was
he so
against
eating the
king's
food?
Well,
this is not
a campaign
for more
vegetarians
or to
save the
furry
animals.
This is
all about
loyalty to
God.
You see,
the custom
of accepting
food from
the king
was to
show loyalty
to the
king.
If you
had steak
with the
king,
you are
entering
into a
covenant
with the
king.
So to
eat the
king's
food
was to
turn your
back on
God.
It was to
break loyalty
with God
and to
align yourself
to say,
here's my
new king,
my new
lord,
my new
master.
And Daniel
wouldn't
do that.
God
will
be
and we
too
have to
make our
stand
in this
hostile
world
to hold
to the
fact
that
scripture
is
the supreme
authority,
that
Jesus
Christ
is
the
absolute
truth.
It
might
seem
so
small
and
insignificant,
but it's
by those
little
choices
of
obeying
scripture
and
trusting
Christ
with our
lives
that we
show to
a
watching
world
where
our
loyalty
lies,
that my
devotion
and my
loyalty
is to
God
and his
word
and to
his
son
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ.
But let's
remember,
we don't
do this
alone.
Look very
carefully here
at what's
going on.
The God
who rules
over this
world
is present
with us
in the
world
to help
us as we
face the
hostilities
and the
pressures
all around
us.
So look
at verse
9.
Now
God
had
caused
the
official
to show
favour
and sympathy
to Daniel.
It's a
little bit
like verse
2.
The
Lord
delivered.
Now
it's
saying
God
caused
the
official
to show
favour
to
Daniel.
We're
not
sure
how
the
official
managed
to
allow
Daniel
his
vegetables
and
his
water
without
the
king
finding
out.
We
don't
know
if
he
bribed
the
chef
for
what
he
did.
But
we
do
know
that
God
caused
the
official
to be
favourable
to
Daniel.
God
had
not
abandoned
Daniel.
Yes
they were
in a
foreign
land.
Yes
they were
in a
different
place.
But
God
hadn't
left
them.
God
was
present
in
the
pressure
and
he
turned
the
heart
of
his
enemy
to
be
sympathetic
towards
Daniel.
So
verse
16
the
guard
took
away
their
choice
food
and
the
wine
that
they
were
to
drink
and
gave
them
vegetables
instead.
Amazing.
God
turning
somebody
to work
for the
good
of
his
people.
You
see
when we
face
the
pressures
of
this
hostile
world
when
we
are
being
pushed
and
squeezed
to
conform
and
fit
in
our
response
is to
remain
loyal
and
obedient
to
God
to
trust
that
God
is
always
ruling
over
our
lives
and
the
lives
of
everybody
else
around
about
us
and
we
mightn't
even
see
it
we
mightn't
even
feel
it
but
God
is
present
with
us
when
we
go
to
work
when
we
go
to
college
he
is
with
us
in
the
pressures
of
the
world
ruling
over
all
things
to
work
to
the
good
for
his
people
so
we
need
to
know
how
God
rules
we
need
to
know
how
we
are
to
live
and
third
we
need
to
know
the
way
in
which
God
works
the
way
in
which
God
works
as
he
rules
this
world
and
as
we
live
loyal
to
him
you
see
our
hope
I
think
is
this
and
we
probably
prayed
it
I've
prayed
it
that
God
would
somehow
ease
the
pressure
could
you
just
make
things
a
little
bit
easier
for
me
maybe
we've
even
asked
God
to
take
us
out
of
the
hostility
or
out
of
the
pressure
that
we
find
ourselves
in
remove
it
from
us
take
me
out
of
the
situation
but
rather than
take
us
out
God
keeps
us
in
and
works
through
us
in
the
hostility
we see
this in
three ways
first
look at
how God
works
through
Daniel
look at
verse 17
to these
four young
men
God
gave
knowledge
and
understanding
of all
kinds
of
literature
and
learning
you see
rather than
take them
out of
their
situation
he
gives
them
what
they
need
in
the
situation
he
provides
them
with
learning
and
understanding
so that
they
can
be
in
the
situation
verse
18
so at
the end
of time
set by
the king
to bring
them
in
the chief
official
presented
them to
Nebuchadnezzar
and the
king talked
with them
and he
found
none
equal
to
Daniel
Hananiah
Mishael
and Azariah
so they
entered
the king's
service
at the
beginning
of chapter
one
God
looks like
he's
dead
buried
and
defeated
by the
end
of chapter
one
God
is
ruling
with
all
power
and
all
authority
God
has
preserved
his
people
he
has
placed
them
in
his
place
right
at the
very
heart
of the
kingdom
of
Babylon
right
with an
access
to the
king
who
is
on
the
throne
who
thought
he
had
buried
Judah's
gods
isn't
that
incredible
in
fact
look at
verse
20
in
every
matter
of
wisdom
and
understanding
about
which
the
king
questioned
them
he
found
them
ten
times
better
than
all
the
magicians
and
enchanters
in the
whole
of his
kingdom
and
what
we'll
discover
as we
read
through
Daniel
in the
unfolding
chapters
is that
Daniel
is the
one who
comes to
the
aid of
the
king
time
and
time
again
he's
the
one
who
can
interpret
the
dreams
he's
the
one
who
speaks
God's
truth
he's
the
one
who
witnesses
to
the
king
and
God
will
use
Daniel
to
turn
king
Nebuchadnezzar's
heart
towards
God
may
appear
to the
watching
world
that he
is weak
and powerless
and useless
dead
and buried
but he
is alive
and well
and he
is at work
through his
people
in the
pressure
and in
the
hostility
and if
we're in
any doubt
look at
verse 21
look at
this little
statement
at the
very end
and
Daniel
remained
there
until
the
first
year
of
king
Cyrus
well
who's
king
Cyrus
where
did
he
come
from
well
we'll
find out
about
him
later
on
in
chapters
10
I think
it is
he was
the
king
of the
Persian
empire
they
were
the
ones
that
came
in
and
defeated
the
Babylonian
empire
Nebuchadnezzar
will
go
the
Babylonian
empire
will
go
kings
will
go
kingdoms
will
go
but
God's
man
Daniel
is
still
there
he
preserves
his
people
in
his
place
and
rather
than
take us
out of
the
hostility
rather
than
ease
the
pressure
that
we're
in
he
works
with
us
and
through
us
in
the
hostility
so
God
works
through
Daniel
but
isn't
this
how
God
ultimately
works
all
of
the
time
he
works
through
his
son
the
Lord
Jesus
in
the
same
way
look
at
Philippians
with
me
go
to
Philippians
I
haven't
got a
page
number
so
if
somebody
has
got
it
there
they
can
call
it
out
Philippians
chapter
2
1179
Philippians
chapter
2
look
at
the
way
in
God
works
through
his
people
especially
through
his
son
you
see
God
is
not
immune
from
the
suffering
and
the
hostility
of
this
world
he
doesn't
stand
back
and
say
I'm
not
going
to
be
a
part
of
it
what
does
he
do
God
sends
his
son
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
into
the
hostility
of
this
world
look
at
chapter
2
verse
6
who
speaking
of
Jesus
being
in
very
nature
God
did
not
consider
equality
with
God
something
to be
grasped
but
he
made
himself
nothing
and
took
on
the
very
nature
of
a
servant
and
being
made
in
human
likeness
and
found
in
appearance
as a
man
he
humbled
himself
and
became
obedient
to
death
even
death
on
a
cross
he
invaded
our
world
he
moved
into
our
world
he
didn't
escape
the
hostility
he
came
into
the
hostility
he
came
to
enemies
like
you
and
me
to
be
among
us
to
identify
with
us
to
serve
us
to
die
for
us
and
when
the
pressure
came
on
and
it's
most
intense
when
the
hostility
was
most
of
its
worst
Jesus
didn't
opt
out
he
remained
loyal
and
faithful
and
obedient
to
his
father
and
he
went
to
the
cross
for
you
and
for
me
and
while
the
watching
world
believes
that
Jesus
was
dead
and
defeated
as
he
hung
on
the
cross
look
at
verse
9
therefore
God
exalted
him
to
the
highest
place
and
gave
Jesus
the
name
that
is
above
every
name
that
at
the
name
of
Jesus
every
knee
should
bow
in
heaven
on
earth
and
under
the
earth
and
every
tongue
confess
that
Jesus
Christ
is
Lord
to
the
glory
of
God
the
father
you
see
God
didn't
remove
himself
from
the
world
he
came
into
the
world
and
he
worked
through
his
son
Jesus
to
bring
salvation
to
the
world
and
now
he
reigns
as
the
risen
Lord
victorious
over
everyone
and
everything
and
he
continues
to
do
his
work
through
those
who
love
and
trust
his
people
and
God
continues
to
work
through
us
you
see
Jesus
didn't
just
save
us
to
take
us
out
of
the
world
he
saved
us
to
send
us
back
into
the
world
he
rescued
us
he
entered
into
a
relationship
with
us
so
that
we
as
people
might
represent
him
in
the
world
in
which
we
live
he
calls
us
to
be
like
a
Daniel
live
in
the
hostility
of
the
world
live
in
the
pressure
serve
those
who
are
around
you
and
I
know
it's
not
easy
and
I
know
that
it's
tough
and
you
maybe
are
frightened
at
the
very
prospect
of
going
back
to
college
or
back
to
school
maybe
you're
the
only
Christian
in
your
classroom
maybe
you're
the
only
Christian
in
your
peer
group
and
you're
wondering
how
you're
going to
stand up
maybe
you're
the only
witness
the Christian
witness
in your
workplace
and
the
pressure
will
be
on
and
the
hostility
will
be
there
but
God
has
rescued
you
and
he
calls
you
to
be
his
representative
and
he
gives
us
something
much
greater
than
just
knowledge
and
understanding
he
gives
us
the
power
of
his
Holy
Spirit
and
rather
than
take
you
out
of
the
situation
rather
than
remove
the
pressure
from
you
he
works
through
you
where
you
are
we
mightn't
get to
serve
in the
palace
of a
king
like
Daniel
but
guess
what
we
are
serving
the
king
of
kings
the
risen
lord
Jesus
the
one
who
rules
over
the
kingdoms
the
one
who
has
authority
and
power
over
all
things
and
all
people
working
that
power
in
you
and
through
you
to
accomplish
his
plan
and
his
purpose
and
as
we
go
through
we'll
see
how
God
used
Daniel
in
the
hostile
world
to
bring
kings
to
faith
in
Christ
to
reveal
God's
plan
for
the
world
and
God
does
that
through
you
to
be
his
witness
where
you
are
and
he
will
preserve
you
and
he
will
keep
you
and
he
will
enable
you
to
live
for
him
let's
pray
together
father our mind boggles at the very thought
of all that is going on in the world right now and all that has gone on in the past and all that will go on in the future
but to know
that God is ruling from all time
from all eternity
that he is in charge
ruling the kings and kingdoms of this world
ruling the events and circumstances
and ruling over his people
thank you for the assurance it brings us
that we are not alone in this world
but that you are with us
and we ask that you would strengthen us
equip us
that we may be loyal followers of you
tomorrow
tomorrow morning
tomorrow morning when we face the pressure
when we are facing being squeezed to fit in
that we will stand strong for you
in the knowledge that you have called us
to be your people
in the world
thank you that you have given us the power of your Holy Spirit
to live well for you
help us to do that
trusting that you are always working your purposes out
we praise you for the great God that you are
Amen