Sermon - Daniel 1:8-16 - Make God THE Priority - January 26, 2020

We started our walk-through Daniel last week by looking at verses from Daniel, 2 Chronicles, and Jeremiah and saw how they were all connected. I always enjoy seeing how the different books of the Bible fit together.

We spent some time talking about how the process the Babylonians were using was an attempt to conquer and indoctrinate the young Israelis. It was a great reminder that we cannot let the things of the world, the things other people do, the expectations of others influence us in ways that are counter to God’s Word. Today, being part of the Church is no longer popular, but we cannot let that influence us. Society will tell us that we need to change. Sadly we see it in other churches, we see it in the news with denominations splitting, and we see it in the lives of others around us. Many have loosened their grip on God’s Word and what we really need to do is hold on to it even tighter.   

We need to remember that if there is anything we should cling to in this world, it needs to be God and His Word. There are a lot of things that change, but it is not our Lord and it is not His Word. Use God’s Word to guide the steps of your life and don’t let the world darken your path.

Daniel and his friends were already seeing that the Babylonians were trying to change them. They changed their names from honoring the one true God, to something that honored the man-made gods and it did not stop there. They were trying to show them the good life in Babylon in an effort to brainwash them.

Daniel 1:8

“⁸ Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself.”

While Daniel and his friends were captives they were treated very well. As young men who were expected to serve and advise the king, they were given a nice place to stay, plenty of food, and more. They were living a luxurious life compared to back home. It was considered an honor to receive the king’s food. It was some of the nicest food available and there would have been plenty of it and more than enough wine.

Now this food would have looked and tasted good, but chances are it had been offered to one of those wannabe gods that the Babylonians worshipped. The food and wine were one more way that the captors were trying to get the captives to accept their new life. Eating and drinking as the Babylonians did would draw these young, faithful, Israeli men into a lifestyle that was no longer aligned with Mosaic Law.

Understanding that the food and wine were just one more way that the Babylonians were trying to brain wash Daniel and his friends, he was determined he would not be drawn away from God. Daniel decided that he was going to do everything in his power to stay as true to the Mosaic Law as he could as a prisoner in a foreign land. He was not going to compromise in any way. He understood that once you start down the path of compromising ones faith, it leads down a slippery slope that is hard to climb out of. Daniel was determined to honor God in every way possible.

Joshua 24:14-15

“¹⁴ “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. ¹⁵ But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.””

Joshua was a man who honored God. He followed the teachings of Moses; he was faithful when everyone else was against him. These verses in Joshua 24 tell us that Joshua took a stand that could have been very unpopular. The people of Israel had to decide between their manmade gods or the One True God. Joshua clearly stated that he and his family will worship the only God that matters. Joshua was going to worship the Lord ‘in sincerity and truth’. The fake gods, the worldly people, or the countries around them were not going to interfere with him following the one and only God.

Daniel decided to take a stand to honor God and Joshua took a stand to Worship the Lord.

We cannot let our faith fall where it may, we cannot let our walk with our God be impacted by what others think or do, we need to be purposeful as we walk with our Lord.

Matthew 6:24

“²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

There is no middle ground here. We cannot serve God and follow the world. It is a fence we cannot straddle, we will either take a stand on the Word of God and live our lives accordingly or we will be swayed by others.

It is truly a choice that each of us must make. A choice to make God THE Priority of our lives.

Daniel made that choice and took a stand and went to the chief eunuch and asked if he would allow them to eat in a way that would still honor God.

Daniel 1:9-10

“⁹ God had granted Daniel kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch, ¹⁰ yet he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and drink. What if he sees your faces looking thinner than the other young men your age? You would endanger my life with the king.””

God was intervening for Daniel, but he did not get the answer he was looking for. Kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch probably opened the door a bit, but the eunuch was afraid for his own life and he did not grant Daniel’s request.

Daniel hit a roadblock.

To often when people hit a roadblock of some sort it stops them in their tracks. Not immediately seeing a path forward, not knowing were the money is going to come from, questions if we know enough, are smart enough, or if we can deal with the adversity leads many to doubt their decision to follow God.

Matthew 7:13-14

“¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.”

As followers of Jesus we are going to have to walk down the narrow difficult path. Things will not fall perfectly in place. If we are honoring God and doing what He has called us to do, we are going to question why we are dealing with these problems, obstacles, or trials. It will not make any sense to our human minds. We may wonder where God is and why He did not act as we were expecting.

It can be overwhelming and when that happens the first thing we need to do is stop, breathe, and then pray. I say stop and breath, to emphasize that we should not just react we need to stop and listen to our God. As we talk to our Lord, expressing our concerns, it will help us to remember that God is THE Priority and we know that He has created us for a reason. As we bring our focus back to our Lord, it will help us to take that stand. It will help us to continue down the path before us no matter how narrow it gets or how difficult it is.

Daniel hit a roadblock, but he did not let that stop him. He was determined to honor God in his life.

It really is a choice to make God THE Priority of our lives.

Daniel 1:11-14

“¹¹ So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief eunuch had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king’s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see.” ¹⁴ He agreed with them about this and tested them for ten days.”

It would have been really easy to think the door was closed and that was the end, but Daniel continued in faith and God opened another door. Daniel laid it out for the guard and asked for a small 10-day trial period. Those of us who have dieted before, changing the way you eat for 10 days might lead to a couple pound loss but it will not make enough of a difference that the eunuch or the guard would be in trouble if things did not work out.

Daniel was taking a stand and continuing to make God THE Priority, and his proposal to the guard would allow him to see God at work. Even if the guard did not understand it yet, he still had an opportunity to see God work.  

When we take a stand for our Lord, when we step out in faith, what do people see?

If we start down the path of serving God and then step back at the first sign of trouble people will see that we lack the faith to back up our words. When we hit a roadblock, if we continue down the narrow difficult path, we will be showing those who are watching us that we truly do have faith. If we continue down the path before us people will see that we are making God THE Priority no matter what mountain or valley is before us.

If we follow God, if we take a stand, if we persevere, people will see that we are truly living our faith.

Someone seeing your faith in action has a much bigger impact on others, than me standing up here talking for 25 minutes. When we step out in faith, when we take a stand for God, when we choose to make God THE Priority in our lives, when we keep moving forward regardless of the roadblock in front of us, people will take notice. They will see that we live by the faith we claim. They will see God at work.

Daniel 1:15-16

“¹⁵ At the end of ten days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. ¹⁶ So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.”

Daniel was determined to be faithful. He took a stand. He did not give up. He trusted in His God.

Proverbs 3:1-8

“3 My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands; ² for they will bring you many days, a full life, and well-being. ³ Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴ Then you will find favor and high regard with God and people. ⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. ⁷ Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. ⁸ This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.”

It is possible that Daniel was familiar with these verses in Proverbs and they may have been a source of strength or a reminder that he needed to remain faithful.

These verses tell us:

Do not forget the teaching of God’s Word.

Keep the Lord’s commands in our hearts.

Remain loyal and faithful to the One True King.

Trust in our Lord will all of our heart.

In all our ways know him, meaning don’t keep anything from Him. Live every aspect of your life for God.

Don’t depend on your own wisdom.

Fear the Lord and Turn from evil.

These words would have encouraged Daniel to do exactly what he did. They would have encouraged him to take a stand to trust in the Lord, to remain truthful to the teachings found in the Word of God, and more.

It is imperative for us to make our Lord Jesus THE Priority in our lives. To do so we need to remember His teachings. We need to trust in Him. We need to turn from our evil ways and repent of our sins. We need to put our faith in Him.

We will need to take a stand.

It starts with a choice to follow Jesus, then grows as we spend time reading the Word of God and Talking to our King. Doing these things will help us to make God THE Priority of our lives.

God Bless! 

Robert