Daniel - Thriving in Babylon

Daniel 1:1 605 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. God allowed the Babylonians to conquer his people. Why? A century before Isaiah them that if they continued to worship idols, oppress the poor, desert their wives, that He would exile them out of Israel.

Habbakuk couldn't understand why god would allow a pagan nation to chasten God's people.

Jeremiah prophesied about it and even lived to see Judah's defeat.

Wiersbe: God would rather his people live in exile in a pagan nation than living like pagans in the Holy Land and disgracing His Name.

Daniel 1:2 The fall of Jerusalem looked like the triumph of the pagan gods over the God of Israel. When the enemies of God are succeeding, God is still in control.

Daniel 1:3-5 God was preserving a remnant of faithful followers - and He would use the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar to feed them, teach them, and protect them.

Daniel will live to see Israelites under another pagan king allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild.

Daniel 1:6-7 Babylonians rename the Jewish boys

Hebrew name & meaning / Babylonian name & meaning Daniel - God is my judge / Belteshazzar - Bel, protect his life Hananiah - The Lord shows grace / Shadrach - under command of Aku Mishael - who is like God? / Mishach - who is like Aku Azariah - The Lord helps / Abednego - servant of Nego

An attempt to redefine who they are and whose they are. By changing their god, the Babylonians hoped to change the identity of these boys You hear that it does not matter what you believe, that you can believe in anything, just believe in something.

It matters who you worship. It shapes our lives, our character, Is it not obvious?

Daniel 1:8-9 Royal food and wine - the best table in the known world. Daniel and his friends were resolute - they would not defile themselves.

This was more than just food, more than diet. This was a question, will you abandon your faith? Will you walk away from your God? Or will you walk by faith and follow him, no matter the consequences?

Daniel resolved not to defile himself. Resolved - suwm leb (soom lave). Set his heart. Before the food was set before him he had already made up his mind.

You cannot wait until temptation comes to make up your mind. You have to do it ahead of time. Will you go along to get along? When you are told to keep your religion to yourself? Will you? When you are tempted by sin, will you defile yourself? When you are on the internet and tempted to go places you should not go, will you defile yourself? How will you prevent it? You have to set your heart now, whom will you serve when the time comes?

V. 9 Even in the punishment of exile, God showed grace and remained faithful.

Daniel 1:15-19 What we will see in this book of Daniel is... Daniel and his friends thrived in a land of pagans because they followed the True God.