Latest / Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms / #179. Daniel 1-3: Raising Children Who Will Stand Firm and Won't Compromise Their Faith in a Godless Culture

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#179. Daniel 1-3: Raising Children Who Will Stand Firm and Won't Compromise Their Faith in a Godless Culture · Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms

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  This is a Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.
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  Today, we're beginning the Book of Daniel, covering chapters one through three.
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  It'll teach us how to maintain hope in a difficult place.
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  Daniel's example reveals that our circumstances don't need to dictate our faithfulness to God.
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  We can honor Him regardless of where we are.
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  Daniel wrote 12 chapters of Scripture, but he's included As a major prophet for a reason.
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  His life and his writings have a lasting impact.
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  Before we dig in, I need to apologize to you for the late release of the last couple episodes.
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  I've had three out-of-state trips in the last month, two for family weddings and another for a training.
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  I've been recording in hotel rooms and trying to keep up.
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  And then, of course, I got sick, had car issues, house issues, and I'm trying to get my kids kicked off of their homeschool year.
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  It's been a lot, and then yesterday, as I was about to release the episode, the file deleted.
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  It's never happened before, and it shouldn't be able to happen with the recording platform I use.
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  I just wanted to alert you that it is not the norm.
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  I promise we'll get back on track, and I so appreciate your grace.
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  I hope that if you ever check in and there isn't a new episode yet, That you choose to read Scripture on your own, and that God meets you in a way that's so much more powerful than what I
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  could ever offer If I asked believers to assemble a dream team of biblical characters, I think Daniel's name would be on most rosters.
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  He's a remarkable example of faith and character, and He's one of the few Bible characters we have this length of content about, but none of it includes a time in which he fell into sin He walked his talk
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  from an early age and stayed faithful to the Lord throughout his days.
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  Like Ezekiel, Daniel wrote his book from Babylon, and it covers an incredibly long time span.
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  Here's a quick history recap to set the context.
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  In 605 BC, one of the turning points in world powers occurred when at the Battle of Carchemish, Egypt and Assyria were defeated by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
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  Sadly, King Josiah was killed by Pharaoh Necho before that battle, and I bring this up because Daniel was alive during part of the reign of King Josiah.
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  As a very young boy, it's probable that he was in the audience as Josiah was reading scripture over the people and calling them to faithfulness in the Lord After Nebuchadnezzar won that battle in 605 BC, he entered Judah
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  and captured the most handsome and most intelligent of the Jewish people.
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  There were three deportations, but Daniel was chosen in the first round.
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  Ezekiel was in the second.
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  Most scholars believe Daniel was between 15 and 17 at this point Daniel is written in a narrative format, but it also contains history and prophecy, much of which are apocalyptic.
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  This can have an intimidating connotation, but we will repeatedly find hope that Jesus Christ will be victorious The Book of Daniel has over 100 prophecies that have been fulfilled to date.
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  it's so astoundingly unbelievable that many doubt Daniel could have been written in the sixth century BC.
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  We know Daniel is the author both by internal evidence and because Jesus himself attributed this book to Daniel chapters one through six include stories highlighting Daniel and his friends' faithfulness.
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  but chapters 6 through 12 are full of prophetic visions But perhaps a more interesting division is to divide the book up by the two different languages Daniel wrote in.
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  He began by writing in Hebrew, his native language, and he switched to Aramaic, a language employed by the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and many others.
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  In chapters eight through 12, he switches back to Hebrew His intention seems to point to the focus of the book.
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  Initially, both in the beginning and the end, the focus is how we can have godly character even while living in the age of the Gentiles.
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  In the middle, when he switches to Aramaic, the focus is on God's sovereignty over all kingdoms and rulers.
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  Daniel's name means God is my judge.
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  It's fitting since the Lord vindicated Daniel's innocence Chapter one displays how a follower of God can have godly character.
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  he makes about the five hundred mile trek back to Babylon These young men were educated for three years in the ways of the Babylonians, and after that were allowed to serve the king.
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  it's intriguing that the Babylonians were so ruthless, But that they also highly stewarded their intellects.
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  It was this people group that devised a counting system based on 60.
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  It's where we get our number of minutes and hours, and how the number of degrees in a circle was developed.
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  Nebuchadnezzar himself was a fierce, effective warrior and military strategist, but also a determined builder.
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  I'm excited to talk more about him later with you, as he's mentioned over 90 times in scripture, more than any other foreign king It might sound nice that Daniel gets to eat the king's food and is provided with
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  this great education, but this was not an altruistic endeavor of the Babylonians.
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  It was indoctrination.
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  They wanted these young men to forget their culture and assimilate.
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  Right off the bat, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are given an opportunity to be faithful to Yahweh and his laws As they're being entered into this educational system, instead of maintaining names that clearly point to the goodness of
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  the God of Israel, they're given names that reflect the pagan gods of Babylon When offered these foods and wine that included horse meat, pork, and were sometimes offered to pagan gods, Daniel and his friends resolved to not defile
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  themselves Though Daniel seems entirely winsome, the Lord deserves all the credit for giving Daniel favor when he asks for an exception to not eat the defiled food and drink.
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  His request is eventually approved after he comes up with an idea.
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  Hey, how about for ten days we'll just eat vegetables and drink water, and then you can compare us with the guys that have been eating your foods?"
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  The word vegetables here is best translated anything that comes from seed.
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  This probably includes grains, fruits, and vegetables.
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  And it's not God saying we should be vegetarians 'cause that would contradict His directions to Noah after the flood.
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  Rather, it's pointing us to the faith of these young men and God's supernatural power to sustain them regardless of what they ate.
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  At the end of 10 days, Daniel and his friends were rewarded for their faith and found to be in better shape than the other young men When their training concluded, they came before the king, and he found that
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  their wisdom far exceeded the other wise men in the kingdom In chapter two, the name the God of Heaven is used four times.
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  But we don't find that title anywhere else in Daniel.
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  It focuses on God's omniscience and capability of revealing mysteries.
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  It reveals that God was higher than the celestial deities the Babylonians worshiped This chapter includes the statue vision that God provides Nebuchadnezzar with.
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  It's tormenting him, so he summons all of his magicians and sorcerers.
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  He doesn't want to be tricked into an interpretation, and he demands that they tell him what the dream was before they reveal the meaning Even though they're pagans, I actually love some elements of their response.
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  The Chaldeans declare, There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand.
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  The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."
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  They know their gods to be far off and inaccessible the God of the Bible, although all-powerful and sovereign over the entire universe, is accessible to His people.
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  And I love the glory God rightfully receives as He reveals Himself to this nation In ancient times, when a nation was defeated, it symbolized that their God was defeated also.
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  But in Daniel, God gets to say, Actually, I used you to accomplish my purposes.
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  I wanted my people to be deported, and here they are.
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  And at the exact time I say, they'll go back."
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  but none of the wise men can ascertain just what this dream was about.
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  Nebuchadnezzar is just furious at the inability of the men.
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  He demands they be killed Daniel and his friends hadn't been consulted, but the decree will cost their lives as well.
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  He goes in to the captain of the king's guard, which would best be translated, the executioner.
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  God gives him prudence and discretion as he asks, Why is this decree so urgent?"
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  but a better translation here would be, Why is the decree so harsh?"
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  The executioner explains, and the verse that is jumping off the page and making me so excited is And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time that he may show the interpretation to the king
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  What I absolutely love about this is that Daniel didn't have the interpretation yet.
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  He made this appointment in absolute faith He goes back and explains the situation to his friends, and they seek God.
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  And in the night, just as Daniel believed, God reveals the dream and the interpretation.
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  Daniel's immediate response of praise is recorded beginning in two twenty.
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  Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.
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  He changes times and seasons.
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  He removes kings and sets up kings.
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  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
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  He reveals deep and hidden things.
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  He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
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  To you, O God of my fathers, give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might and have now made known to me what we asked of you."
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  For you have made known to us the king's matter Daniel advocates for even With the revelation Daniel goes to advocate even for the wicked wise men, and then he's brought before the king, And he's brought before King Nebuchadnezzar.
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  This is our main reading for today.
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  Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?'
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  Daniel answered the king and said, No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked.
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  But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.
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  Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this.
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  And He who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be.'
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  But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all of the living, but in order that the interpretation may be known to the king, and that you
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  may know the thoughts of your mind You saw, O king, and behold a great image.
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  This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening.
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  The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
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  As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces.
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  Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold all together were broken in pieces and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of
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  them could be found.
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  But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
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  This was the dream.
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  Now we will tell the king its interpretation.
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  You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts
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  of the field, and the birds of the heaven, making you rule over them all.
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  You are the head of gold Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
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  And there shall be a fourth kingdom strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things.
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  And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.
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  After Daniel explains that the final kingdom will be a divided kingdom, partly made of iron and partly made of clay He reveals the most important element.
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  And on the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people.
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  It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.
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  Just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, a great God has made known to
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  the king what shall be after this.
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  The dream is certain and its interpretation sure."
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  Nebuchadnezzar's response of praise might seem to elevate the God of the Bible, but this polytheistic ruler still doesn't quite get it.
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  Because when he falls on his face, he tells Daniel, Truly your God is God of gods and Lord of kings."
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  He does not understand Yahweh is the one true God he honors Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
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  But Daniel is elevated to a position in the king's court.
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  When analyzing this statue, if you begin at the head, you have the most valuable material, but it's also the weakest material.
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  And as we go down, the material decreases in value but increases in strength Initially that head of gold represents Babylon.
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  Next, a chest of silver representing the Medo-Persian era.
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  Following the bronze thighs which indicate the Greeks And next, we get to the iron rule of the Roman Empire.
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  finally the iron mixed with clay is a bit contested, but points to either the second era of Roman rule and the 10 nations that ruled under them, or will be a future Roman rule divided into 10 parts The
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  stone that comes is not crafted from human hands.
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  It shatters the statue, and This will be the final kingdom, the kingdom of God.
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  It will be a literal earthly reign, and it points to Christ's second coming because in his first coming, he perfectly fulfilled his mission of purchasing our salvation, but he did not end earthly rulers I continue to be impressed
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  by the way that Daniel seeks to bless those who have put him in captivity and have caused him pain He has been kidnapped by this ruler and taken away from his nation and family.
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  But he acts honorably and blesses the Babylonians while he's there, we can be encouraged by his diligent work ethic.
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  Christians should be known as the hardest workers with the most integrity.
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  And even if there are relationships or positions in which we have to submit to awful or unfair bosses, we can serve well There may be a circumstance in your life that feels like captivity at times, but we can
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  honor Christ even in those difficult circumstances.
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  As Daniel shows us, it may not be your fault you're in captivity.
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  Perhaps it's the result of someone else's sin.
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  I think Daniel was too young to be liable for the sins his nation was committing.
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  God allowing him to be deported wasn't a punishment to him.
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  It was actually a provision and an, and an incredible ministry opportunity.
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  I love, love, love when Daniel prays to God, You know what is in the darkness, and yet the light dwells with you No one else has the purity to withstand exposure to evil like the Lord does.
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  His character is impenetrable by wickedness.
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  And I think that's a way we can encourage our kids.
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  Even if there are worldly influences around them, when they know what is in the darkness, they don't need to share it or spread evil.
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  They can choose to dwell with the Lord in the innocence and purity He calls them to I know chapter three and the fiery furnace is such a favorite, but I'm assuming you know it quite well, so I'll just
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  hit a couple highlights.
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  Some commentators believe this happened quickly after chapter two, and some believe it was ten to twenty years later The first verse says, "King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold."
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  What?
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  After God just revealed to him that his nation won't stand, he goes ahead and makes a statue honoring Babylon.
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  From what archaeologists know about this nation, it probably wasn't a statue of himself, but one of the Babylonian gods.
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  It was 90 feet tall and nine feet wide.
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  If you map out those dimensions, that'd be a super skinny statue.
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  It probably means there was a significant pedestal underneath the figure to give it that height.
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  Was Nebuchadnezzar crafting the statue to reject the interpretation of the dream?
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  Stating, "I am gold, and I'm going to make an entire statue of gold."
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  That will not fall.
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  It likely wasn't solid gold, but just overlaid with gold, and it's hard to believe that this wasn't in some way connected to the dreams he was tormented by Nebuchadnezzar and his officials command everyone To bow the knee to
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  the statue when the music plays.
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  Everyone does, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand firm and tall for the Lord.
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  They're brought before the king for their rejection of his policy.
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  He's enraged and threatens to send them into a burning fiery furnace, questioning, Who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands?"
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  And in one of the most peaceful, radical displays of faith that we see in all of scripture, they respond, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
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  If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
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  But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
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  As you probably know, they are bound and thrown into the fiery furnace.
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  It's quite possible this is the same furnace that melted down the gold for the statue, and the king commands it to be so hot that even the men guiding them to the furnace are extinguished by the flames But
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  as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fall into the blistering heat, they remain untouched by the flames.
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  Nebuchadnezzar peeks in one of the side vents of the furnace and notices there is a fourth figure walking in the fire with them.
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  Either this is an angel or the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ Himself After realizing that these courageous young men are immune to his punishment, Nebuchadnezzar calls them out Not only has God spared their lives, their clothes and hair are fully
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  intact, and they don't even smell like smoke Nebuchadnezzar declares, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him and set aside the king's command and yielded
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  up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God."
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  He commands that no one speak ill of the God of Israel ever again, but he doesn't claim to embrace this God himself And we'll tug at that thread a little bit more in the next episode.
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  My biggest question about this chapter is where was Daniel?
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  Because he was given a different position than his three friends, it's likely that he was serving over a different district at the time.
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  You and I can be encouraged by the revolutionary faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
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  Whatever the circumstances, and no matter how wicked the culture, let's pray that our families stand strong and stand out for Christ.
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  God of heaven, sovereign over all kings and kingdoms, we praise You for Your providence and Your might We rejoice that regardless of what happens in our homes, our communities, our nations, or the world, we can cling to your
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  trustworthiness We pray our children, our spouses, and ourselves would be filled with deep, resilient faith in the midst of circumstances that seem impossible to resolve well Help us to trust you for a good result, and ultimately help us
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  to bring you glory out of all things We pray you would teach our kids to speak with wisdom and discretion as Daniel did May they walk in an honorable way that would allow them to be elevated for their
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  character and testify to your goodness We love you, Jesus, and we thank you that when we are in a trial And we praise you that when we walk through a trial, we are not alone.
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  It's in your name we pray.
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  Amen.