Introduction: Has your life been radically changed at some point? How
did you react to that? Last year my car was totaled in a multiple car
accident. A driver who was not paying attention rammed me, and the
impact caused a chain reaction with other cars. Thank God, I walked
away from the wreckage. The accident could have come out differently
and changed the rest of my life. Our study this week is about a life-changing event. Let’s plunge into our study of the Bible!
- Disobedience
- Read Daniel 1:1-2. What is the most important purpose of
the city of Jerusalem? (It is the center of worship of the
true God. In it is the temple of God which was prepared by
King David and built by King Solomon. It contained
precious worship vessels going back to the Exodus from
Egypt.) - How would you feel if you were a follower of the true
God? - Who is responsible for this disaster? (Verse two
tells us that God “delivered” this situation.) - Read Jeremiah 25:6-9. Why did God make this decision? (His
people worshiped other gods. They refused to listen to Him
when He told them exactly what would happen to them.) - Regret
- Read Daniel 1:3-4. What kind of young men were these? (The
most talented. Those whose future was bright. They were
from the nobility, the highest rank of society.) - Imagine you were one of these young men. Think of all
of the fun places you liked to go in Jerusalem. All
of the great family events and traditions. All of
your favorite restaurants and sports activities. All
of your hopes and dreams for the future. How would
you feel now that they are all gone and you face a
future as a slave to the King of Babylon? (It could
be worse. They are selected to compete for very
special service.) - Read Daniel 1:5-7. What problems do you see in these
verses for Daniel and his friends? (Hebrews had special
dietary restrictions. This food was likely offered to
idols. A name change meant new loyalties.) - Let’s assume that your nation is taken over by
another nation that you hate. How would you like your
name changed to reflect the new nation that has
enslaved you? - Let’s focus on Daniel 1:7 and consider the name changes in
more detail. Tell me whether you would resist being called
by these new names: - Daniel “God my Judge,” changed to Belteshazzar “Bel’s
Prince.” Bel being the chief Babylonian god. - Hananiah “whom Jehovah has favored,” changed to
Shadrach “illuminated by the Sun-god.” - Mishael “who is comparable to God,” changed to
Meshack “Humbled before my god.” - Azariah “Jehovah has helped,” changed to Abednego
“Servant of Nebo.” Nebo was the son of Bel. - What do you think is the purpose of these name
changes? - Challenge
- Read Daniel 1:8. Recall that we earlier speculated on the
potential problems involved with eating the royal food.
What problem does Daniel see? (He says it will “defile”
them. They would be concerned about eating unclean meat
(Leviticus 11), improperly prepared meat ( Leviticus 17:10-14), and food and drink offered to pagan gods (Exodus
34:15).) - Should this have been a big issue? Doesn’t Jesus say
( Matthew 15:11)that what comes out of a person’s
mouth defiles him, not what goes in? (Read Ezekiel
4:13. God predicted that part of His judgment against
His people would be that as exiles they would eat
defiled food. Daniel believed this was a test of his
loyalty to God.) - Read Daniel 1:9-10. What is the concern of the official
who is in charge of providing Daniel and his friends with
food? (He is not concerned about the religious issue that
troubles Daniel, he is concerned about losing his head if
Daniel and his friends seem to be in ill health.) - Read Daniel 1:11-13. Consider how Daniel meets this
concern. He does not argue the conscience issue: that
eating the meat would violate their religious beliefs.
Instead, he addresses the concern of the official by
arranging a test. Assume you face a challenge to your
religious beliefs at work. What practical lesson do we
learn from Daniel? (Daniel is not demanding or offensive.
Instead, he proposes testing a potential solution that
will not harm the goal of the official. In business, you
should mention your religious beliefs, but you should also
propose a practical solution.) - Read Daniel 1:14-16. Does this demonstrate the advantage
of being a vegetarian? (I’ve been a vegetarian for 57
years. If ten days makes such a difference, I should be
superman now! I vote that this involved divine
assistance.) - Read Daniel 1:17. Remember that Daniel and his friends
were not the only elite members of the Hebrew society that
were taken into captivity. What lesson does this teach us?
(God rewards us for being faithful.) - Read Daniel 10:2-3. What does this tell us about Daniel’s
dietary practice later in life? (He eats “choice food,”
“meat,” and he drinks “wine.” If you read the entire
chapter (especially Daniel 10:11) you will see that Daniel
still enjoys God’s favor.) - How does this clarify what we have been discussing?
(If it is not the food that is at issue, it must be
the way it is prepared and the offering to pagan
gods. This makes clear that God is performing a
miracle in the lives of these four young men because
of their faithfulness in serving Him. God is
specifically intervening in their lives.) - Read Daniel 1:18. How do you think this official feels now
about his cooperation with Daniel on his dietary request?
(God’s blessings on Daniel turn out to be a blessing to
this official as well.) - Final Entrance Exam
- Read Daniel 1:19. What is the lesson in this for those who
want to succeed in their career? - How is God turning the tragedy of Daniel’s life into
something positive? - Read Daniel 1:20. How important is it that Daniel and his
friends surpassed all of the Babylonian wise men? - Consider the big picture. God’s nation has been
defeated by pagan Babylon. God’s temple has been
looted and destroyed. Why is it that God helps Daniel
and his friends in the relatively small matter of
this final entrance examination for the king’s
service? (God is looking for heroes. He is looking
for those who are faithful in what may appear to be
small things. God will show that His way is best by
blessing those who are faithful.) - Read Daniel 1:21. What does this short statement tell us
about Daniel’s career in Babylon? (He stayed at the center
of power until the nation fell. Although Daniel would
continue to live among pagans, I suspect that Babylon was
a very interesting and beautiful place to be.) - Friend, would you like to be blessed by God? Would you
like to be ten times better than your competitors? Why
not, through the power of the Holy Spirit, determine right
now to be faithful to God in all things? - Next week: From Mystery to Revelation.
