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Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Daniel and His Friends Obey God

 

Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of [a]the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.

[Around 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar first came and besieged Jerusalem and took away Daniel and his mates captive.  At the time that Hezekiah showed the treasures of the house of the Lord to the Babylonian emissaries, Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, says the lord. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shall beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”- Isaiah 39:6-7 and 2 Kings 20:17-18. These words from the mouth of Isaiah were spoken more than a hundred years before they were fulfilled. Hezekiah reigned from around 716 B.C. to 687 B.C. Isaiah prophesized from 742 B.C. to to around 701 B.C. It is believed that Daniel and his mates were thus brought up as eunuchs. We see they were under the áuspices of the “Mater of the eunuchs.” Having eunuchs as counselors was quite predominant in early cultures. They often became powerful men, close to the ruler. Being eunuchs helped to concentrate their concerns to the kingdom.]

Daniel 1:3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and [b]literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and [c]goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.

[When a man’s way please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7, “The king’s (or master of the eunuchs’) heart is in the hand of the Lord, as rivers of water: He turns it whithersoever He will.” Proverbs 21:1. It was the Lord that moved the master of the eunuchs to favor Daniel.]

 Daniel 1:10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.”

11 So Daniel said to [d]the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” 14 So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.

{Daniel asks the master of the eunuchs to do an experimente and then when he sees the results, decide.]

Daniel 1:15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. 16 Thus [e]the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

[Most likely, the portion of the king’s meat contained many of the unclean foods that the Israelites were commanded not to eat. Deuteronomy 14:1-20.  Daniel wanted to obey God rather than men and keep to his religious upbringing. He could have used the opportunity to throw off the boundage of law keeping and indulge the flesh, but he kept to his convictions and encouraged his friends in the same. He may have remembered the Proverbs he might have put to memory as a child. “When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you: and put a knife to your throat, if you be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.” Proverbs 23:1-3.

Or maybe he thought about the first temptation of our first parents in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis we read, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; andhe did eat.” No doubt, the king’s portion was food that was pleasant to the eyes, and the master of the eunuch would encourage them that it would help make them wise. But the young men, being familiar with the fall of Adam and Eve, withstood the temptation and chose to obey God rather than men. God honored their obedience and trust in Him.

In the New Testament we see a similar statement in John’s epistle, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world. And the world passes away, and the lusts thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17.

Daniel and his companions were being tested with this simple test. They thought to themselves, None of our family and culture are here to observe what we do. Shall we commit to our religious and cultural eating habits, and obey the commandments of God which we have been taught? Or shall we take the opportunity to enjoy ourselves and eat and drink the “forbidden fruit.” Daniel and his friends chose rather to remain faithful to the instruction they had received from their parents and from the word of God.

Apostle Paul has a similar passage in one of his epistles. He writes, “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what concord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has he the believes with an infidel? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

We see then that Daniel and his mates sought God’s will first, above their own possible wants and desires and tendency to conform to peer pressure and circumstances, or fleshly temptations. They brought their body into subject, as Apostle Paul wrote later. 1 Corinthians 9:27.  They held to their Biblical convictions and sought first God’s will. Like Jesus was to pronounce so clearly many years later, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33. Daniel and his friends sought God first above all, which is the first commandment that God gave to His people. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5.]

Daniel 1:17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

[We notice here that Daniel had understanding “in all visions and dreams.” Daniel, no doubt, had had his training in the word of God and most likely was familiar with the book of Genesis and the life of Joseph. His knowledge of God’s word and how God had worked in the past would have encouraged him that God could and would do the same with him under Nebuchadnezzar as Joseph had done under the Pharoahs in Egypt. The history of Joseph’s life and his God-given ability to understand dreams would have strengthened Daniel’s anticipation that God had something instore for him. As Apostle Paul later wrote, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” 1 Corinthians 10:11ª & Romans 15:4b.

Daniel would have remembered that Joseph’s understanding in visions and dreams had put him next to Pharoah and had saved much people. Daniel could anticipate that if he stayed close to the Lord and walked humbly before his God that God would be with him and his mates and protect them and use them for His glory.]

18 Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Then the king [f]interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. 21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.

[Just as it is believed that Joseph served under various Pharoahs in Egypt, Daniel served under various King’s of Babylon and under Darios, the Mede, and Cyrus of Persia. His utter dedication to God, his faithfulness to God, his integrity and other Godly qualities, made him a pillar in the secular societies in which he lived. Like the Proverbs proclaim, “Do you see someone skilled in their work or diligent in business? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before low ranked officals.” Proverbs 22:29 NIV. Let us apply these principles to our own lives and apply our lives to God and His word. It may be that we become the people of understanding who instruct many and do exploits in the last days. Dan.11:32-33ª.

 Let us remember, also, that if we learn, meditate upon and keep God’s commandments, His testimonies, His precepts; we will be wiser than our enemies, our teachers and the wise old men of the world. Psalm 119: 98-100.  If we meditate on His word and observe to do all that is written therein, He will make our way propserous and we will have good success. Josuah 1:8. Let us obey God rather than men, that men may take knowledge of us, that we have been with Jesus. Acts 5:29 & 4:13.]

Notes: https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Daniel/Daniel%20Chapter%201.html 

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