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
Comments
Post a Comment