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we kick off our fourth quarter of the second year with the answer is I will preach on rom Answers in Genesis I think for this quarter is God protects and restores there it is what are we going to be talking about this next quarter you can see the syllabus on the back of the Student Handbook if you pick the one up pick up one of those I think there’s more in the back and then have those on you’ll see that 13 lessons were going through but just to sum up this point we’re going from Judah’s exile to the end of the Old Testament and the looking forward to the Messiah yes leave it or not we are already nearing the end of the Old Testament or not that many lessons to go we’ve done our chronological look for most the Old Testament up to this point at this quarter will hear about Daniel Ezekiel Esther Ezra Nehemiah and Malachi will also examine a number of visions and prophecies of the glory of the Lord and what God was going and is going to do in the world in the future just a programming note you heard from Pastor two Sundays ago that even though I’m going to California I will continue to teach sunday schools live sunday mornings from California so just when you thought you were getting rid of me I’m still here the setup has worked so far and testing and Lord willing it will continue to do so wait it’s going to work at that via the screens I think probably use a use this one too but also the televisions you’ll be able to see me you’ll be able to see what’s on my computer which we usually do the powerpoint and via that camera or maybe a different one I’ll be able to see you and I’ll be able to hear from you whenever somebody speaks into a microphone so in some ways sunny school will continue on as it has but in other ways I’m going to have to make some changes I have to change the format am i teaching a little bit you know normally what I do is I ask you a lot of questions and I and I have you answer the questions about the text as we go through but since I won’t be able to do that as easily long distance I’m going to be asking more rhetorical questions or answering the questions myself so sunday school going forward not today but after today it’s going to be a little bit more me talking actually substantial bit more of you going but I’m still going to pause in the various lessons to ask for comments and questions and you can pretty easily pack the micro and I think so I can hear you and then I can respond but what are we looking at today well we begin this quarter by looking at the record of the prophet Daniel specifically we’re looking at how Daniel and the three Judean captives with him responded to a situation with air being asked to compromise obediency Yahweh in order to please at ironical King title today’s lesson is Daniel obeys God and here’s our outline we’re going to first just recap a little bit of Old Testament history especially paying attention to the chronology then we’ll examine Daniel one the entire chapter see what happens there and then we’ll consider some application for ourselves today that’s great before we go on other God we thank you that we have the privilege of setting your word because we know we need to know your will we need to have this life-giving word we need to be nourished on this spiritual food so God I pray that you would help me to be able to explain it and help the people in the history of redemption well just go up to this point but backed the beginning God supernaturally created the world and man in six literal days around 4,000 BC and then man rebelled in the garden and was cursed but God foretold even then one day one would come from the seed of the woman to defeat and crush Man’s enemy the Serpent and then multiply but continued to rebel against God until ends wickedness was too much for God to enjoy any longer God then sent a worldwide flood to destroy the earth and destroy me in kind every living creature on the earth saved those who are with Noah and the Ark about what year did this take place I know we’re reaching back a little bit what year bc is a good estimate for the flood 2350 2350 BC remember we get that date by using the Genesis 5 and 11 chronologies our genealogies chronological genealogies I’m a 2350 BC the flood came and it’s universal flood and though God gave man a new start and promise never to destroy the earth again with water and quickly again rebelled against God at Babel this is about 110 years later 20 to 40 PC but rather than destroying mankind this time God mercifully just first mankind by confusing his language people there for Noah’s descendants scattered across the world and started to become the different cultures and ethnicities we know today about 200 to 300 years later God called out one man Abraham became his God swore to make him into a great nation and to give him the land of Canaan and to and to give that land to his descendants and even to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham’s seed told Abraham to leave his land and to go to a different land abraham believed and obeyed God and through Abraham Isaac Jacob and Jacob’s twelve sons God did indeed bring forth a great nation from Abraham a nation called Israel but Israel was enslaved by crafty Egyptian pharaoh until God raised up Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt around when did this leaving a Egypt this Exodus take place yeah close to 1500 BC their estimates between 1500 and 1450 I prefer more than 1450 date but yes around 1500 to 1400 BC is our best estimate for the Exodus the Israelites left Egypt through great plagues and gracious sustaining muriels miracles God brought Israel out of Egypt Sinai where God gave Israel a special cover to bless them if they would obey Him and curse them if they were going to disobey and even when he gave this love God foretold that is your would disobey they would turn away from God just as Israel had started to do while they were already in the wilderness but God also promised that though they would turn away one day God would turn Israel back to him and restore Israel even by changing Israel’s heart once and for all under joshua around 14 10 BC God brought its Joe into Canaan and conquered the land for them but soon after being settled is you’ll began to drift away from following God throughout the judges period the people visual did what was right in their own eyes and God true to his covenant sent chasing judgments to Israel what was the sad pattern that we saw from judges Joe well that’s definitely true a little bit later on and there’s some parallel between that and the judges period who are the kings even Kane Joe you mentioned that even in the Kings period people kept turning away from God but in the judges fear there was a pattern of things that was happening similar a little bit different yes they have judgment on them and they would and then God would feel bad sorry you know sorry for them and send them a judge and then they would turn back and then as soon as the judge jaw died yeah that’s exactly that’s exactly right judgment are the people turn away from God to send an idols God sends an oppressor Scott sends a nation to judge them here just put this decking is this like a little thing that can move me to the next slide okay one moment okay just a moment oh yeah I think maybe the input has to be reselected get our pokémon back up there but what we’re saying is correct that we have an oppressor sent because usual turn away from God the people cry out to God God raises up a judge the judge delivers them from the knee or from the oppression the people fall after God and then the judge dies and the people turn away from God again over and over and over for 350 years in the judges period the same thing keeps on happening finally in another act of rebellion the people live Israel here we go there we go okay finally in another act of rebellion the people of Israel ask God for a king you don’t want God simply to rule us we want a king like the other nations so around 1100 to 1050 DC somewhere in that range people give a slightly different dates their God gave solved as the first king the first human king over Israel but Saul to rebelled against God the soul was replaced by God with David a former Shepherd David reigned as king he believed in and obeyed God and God promised to throw individual protect perpetually to David’s descendants even that David’s Eve would rule forever David’s son Solomon was established an ultimate prosperity by God but Solomon to drifted away from serving the Lord wholeheartedly therefore the kingdom was divided under Solomon’s son Solomon’s son Rehoboam probably around nine thirty vc10 and a half tribes in the North became the Kingdom of Israel and that one and a half tribes in the South became the kingdom of Judah kings of Israel Northern Kingdom or idolatrous wicked and they led the people into idolatry God sent prophets is shield rebuke the people and turn them back to God warning of God’s judgment if the people did not repent but Israel did not repent it did not listen to the prophets and it was finally conquered slaughtered and led into exile by the Assyrians when did these soon finally conquer Samaria around what date them yes around seven twenty-two or 721 bc the good date for you to remember in your mind this is the end of the Northern Kingdom they lasted for about two hundred years after the divided Kingdom perhap to the kingdom divided but Israel was led into exile Jude on the other hand who at times had kings who love the Lord and follow God ultimately did the same as her sister is fuel the Northern Kingdom ignoring God’s prophets persisting in wickedness and idolatry God therefore devastated Judah as well this time by Babylon first conquered Judah six or seven bc around six or seven bc but finally obliterated the kingdom of judah around 588 DC destroying Jerusalem destroying the temple Judah survivors were taken into captivity into Babylon yet as we’ve seen the last couple lessons during this exile and even before God promised to keep his covenant to restore Israel and Judah back in their land to send a messiah to redeem and rule them to turn the hearts of the people back to himself and to forgive Israel for her sins so this is the assort backdrop to what we’re going to see this quarter what we’re going to see today with Daniel and his companions questions or comments about the history we’ve looked at up to this point okay what happened next what did God do with Israel and Judah once they were taken in the Exile well we get part of the answer today in Daniel one so open your Bibles please to Daniel if you’re using the Pew Bible be page 881 we’re gonna be looking at the entire chapter today in this chapter we don’t hear about what God did with everyone in exile but we do get a record of what God did with a few particular exiles for Judy and captives so we’re going to use the inductive study method as we do the observed interpret and apply method to analyze this chapter of Daniel Daniel 1 vs. 1 2 21 so let’s first read the chapter and then we’ll look for observations will make observations Daniel 1 vs. 1 2 21 follow along with me here we go in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it the Lord gave joy achim king of Judah into his hand along with some of the vessels of the house of God and he brought them silane mashina to the house of his God and he brought the vessels into the Treasury of his God then the king ordered Ashton as chief of his officials to bring in some of the sons of Israel including some of the royal family and of the nobles use in whom was no defect who were good-looking showing intelligence every great wisdom and down with understanding discerning knowledge and who had ability for serving in the case for and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans the King appointed for them a daily ration from the Kings choice and from the wine which he drank and appointed that they should be educated three years at the end of which they were to enter the King’s personal service now among them from the sons of Judah where Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah then the commander of the officials assigned a new names to that and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar into Hananiah Shadrach and tamesha el meshack and Azariah Abednego but Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself the King’s choice food over the wine with which he drank so we sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself now God granted Daniel favor and compassion and aside the commander of the officials and the committee the official said to Daniel I am afraid of my lord the king was appointed your food and your drink for watching t see your face is looking more Haggard than the use who are your own age then you would make me forfeit my head to the king but Daniel sets the overseer whom the community officials had appointed over Daniel and Aniyah fish IL and Azariah please test your servants for 10 days and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink then let our parents be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the Kings choice moved and deal with your servants according to what you see so we listen to them of this matter and tested them for 10 days at the end of 10 days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the EU’s who had been eating the Kings choice food so the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink and kept giving them vegetables as for these for use God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch literature and wisdom Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams then at the end of the days what’s the King had specified before presenting them the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar the King talked with them and out on the mall not one was found like Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah so they entered the King’s personal service as for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the King consulted them he found them 10 times better than all the magicians and conjurer’s who were in all his realm and then it was continued until the first year Cyrus ticking ok let’s make some basic observations see what’s actually in the text notice verses 14 show us which phase of Gruesomes destruction has just taken place which phase is it it is the first it would be right after six or seven bc because we see here only some of the sons of the nobles and royal houses have been captain and this takes place under King Joey camp and he’s the one in the first phase of destruction it’s the first time that Judah has been defeated and conquer notice how the text says Joe hiya can’t art notice how the text says Joachim came to be conquered verse 2 says the Lord gave him over into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar at the point of phrase which is the term Chaldeans in verse 4 chaldean is a term that basically synonymous with Babylonian technically the Chaldeans were one of the Babylonian tribes of the people who at this time lived south of Babylon as a Syrian power began to wane around six-thirty bc it was the Chaldeans who took control of the throne of Babylon and began to create the neo-babylonian empire Nebuchadnezzar the second the Nebuchadnezzar we know from the Bible he was a Babylonian from the kalbi and try so he brings his culture all throughout the new Babylonian realm so that’s why I Babylonian is essentially the same as chaldean Chaldeans were also known for their wise men and soothsayers so sometimes chaldean can refer to a special class of Babylonian mrs. but here understand Chaldeans just need Babylonian notice also used from Judah were selected or notice how the Jews from Judah were selected to be taken captive number of criteria are presented here in the text they have to be of noble birth from the world line or the great families of Judah they couldn’t have any physical defects they had to be good-looking only handsome young men allowed had to be skilled learners in all subjects and they had to be knowledgeable they also had to show ability to potentially serve the king of Babylon probably as administrators advisors or governors notice that it says use here meaning we’re probably talking about males from 14 to 17 years old so just older teens what is to be done with these use was the text set danielle that was the goal to get them into the King’s personal service would that could happen what did it what were they going to do with you use yes Joe teaching the language and the literature essentially the culture of Babylon get them get them a fully immerse in Babylonian chaldean culture let them learn the language let them be trained for how long three years and then after that it’ll be assessed and brought into the King’s service what does it be the source of the sustenance for these use during their three years of training right the King’s Own table the King’s food supply the Kings choice food and wine that’s to be given to these use as their being Kenny and of course the King has the best food this is quite privileged notice verse 6 it says now among them who are the them very good among the captives among the captives taken from Judea or among the sons of Israel we have to look for our antecedent a little bit further back in the passage but it basically goes back to the beginning we are talking about the captive use of Israel among them we have a certain set for of note Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah now you recognize the name Daniel but the other three names probably aren’t as familiar to you that’s because the text tells us their names were changed change by the commander of the officials now renaming somebody you remember is a sign of what authority naming or renaming somebody is a sign of authority or ownership so they’ve been renamed but the meaning of these change names is also significant Daniel which means God is my judge is changed to built a chance off which means they’ll protect the king Bell the chief god of the Chaldeans and Aniyah which means God is gracious is changed to Shadrach which means inspired of a coup or command of a coup a coup was the Babylonian moon god Michelle which means who was like God is changed to me shank which means who is like a coup and Azariah which means God has helped it’s changed to Abednego which means servant of neighbor neighbor was a Babylonia god of wisdom why does Daniel reject the King’s food well we’ll get to that a little bit later but specifically the text says he made up his mind he would not defile himself that probably has in mind the Old Testament law regarding food say more about that a little bit later but he says I’ve not wanted to file myself and therefore he was sustained in the King’s food dinner ghosts the commander of the officials and notice of verse 9 says God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the commander’s sight the commander though when he hears Daniel say i would like to not eat the King’s food the commander’s head and notice the reason he fears that if the end undoes need to King’s food Daniel and the participants with him i’m going to start to stick out because they’re going to start to look less healthy they’re going to look Haggard and the king is eventually going to notice the unhealthy look of these certain views he’s gonna find out who’s in charge and when he finds out he’s going to say you’ve been doing a poor job commander you are going to be removed in fact you may have your head removed from you the commander is therefore afraid Daniel proposes a test now it says that Daniel speaks to the overseer rather than the commander of the officials so I don’t know if he is just trying to talk to the commander through this overseer or he’s actually proposing a test to a different person because you the commander ultimately couldn’t grant Daniels request but animal speaks this overseer whom the commander had appointed and he says give me my three companions ten days with just water and vegetables and afterwards assess how we look compares to the rest to use and act accordingly notice the surprising results after 10 days they look better than the rest of use and they were fatter of course we’re not talking about obesity here but a healthy fatness full flesh very good the Hebrew adjective here strut defined by Strong’s Concordance is padded or plump fed firm plenteous or rank so definitely got the idea of fat there more than this notice what else God does for them in verse 17 God gives them abundant knowledge and intelligence and whatever they said II Daniel is even able to understand visions and dreams now we see the phrase end of days in verse 18 what is the end of the days at the end of the appointed time after the three years of training very good at the end of the three years all the young men are presented to Nebuchadnezzar and notice the result the King found these four too far excel any the other young man consultant these four even ten times better than the King’s Own magicians and conjurer’s than his mistakes or Wiseman now we should not understand the phrase ten times better literally as if they all took a test in Daniel and his friends got hundreds and everyone else got tens no this is an idiomatic phrase just means that they dramatically surpass and outdid even the wisest man in Babel like saying I like this ten times better than the like just be dramatically more dramatically better consequently the four Judeans enter nebuchadnezzar service and verse 21 says Daniel continues even until the end of the Babylonian Empire itself he’s there until the first year of Cyrus king of the purchase now Daniel’s going to continue to serve actually under the Persians oh that will come late we’ll talk about that in the leader alright so we’ve made these observations let’s ask an answer some interpretation questions think about the names given to the for use besides making a statement about authority what other statement was Nebuchadnezzar and as commander making by giving these names yes yeah denying God and asserting what instead Babylonians right it’s a statement of superiority of the Babylonian gods they take away all the names honoring Yahweh and instead give all these names honoring or showing that these youths are going to be serving the gods of Babylon another question by taking use not adults by educating these use in Chaldean culture for three years by renaming the use with names honoring Babylonian gods and Babylonian king by providing the use the Kings best and most delicious food what was Nebuchadnezzar hoping to accomplish yeah we could say indoctrinate a different commentary sometimes using term brainwash I think maybe there’s a little too strong a word but basically he’s trying to secure them as loyal servants to him and to the Babylonian gods ice trying to win their loyalty persuade the Israelite and Judean used to buy in to the Babylonian way buy into the Babylonian culture into the Babylonian king and kinga trying to create loyal servants for himself and for battle so all these little things he’s doing they’re just ways to try and get the youth on his side certainly there were more youths taken into captivity than these for judias remember the phrase was among them yeah we only hear about these for the four who determined not to defile themselves with the King’s food what does this imply about the other captive use from Israel and Judah they got what yeah they seem to have not done what Daniel and Canaanite has ryan Michale did they exceed I’ve gone along with the Babylonian way they seem to have eaten of the King’s food and perhaps they fully laden we don’t hear about them never what it seems base that they’re not mentioned with Daniel in his group they were not fatal they or maybe they rationalize they say well we’re in a horn land there’s no way we can do anything else i need the King’s food so we just got to do it yeah but it’s hard to make an argument silence okay let me respond to that you say it’s hard to make an argument for Sonic yes it was always the way of making ten week I’ve even caution in this class about one narrative when you look at narrative if something if you don’t get full details you don’t want to make it judge so that’s true I want to honor what you’re saying though the fact that something is not mentioned does not mean that that’s insignificant if these for use were highlighted then that says that the fact that there weren’t more with you can say we don’t know the whole story that’s true but I think there is something we can say on the fact that it’s only these for that would that we’re told about didn’t eat the King’s food so keep both of those things in your mind though we’re not told specifically what would have been to filing about the King’s food yeah okay very possible was offered to other gods now i’m not aware any particular command in the Old Testament says it was offered to another guide or not not heated though if you just think about in general the way God spoke about idols and idol worship to Israel he said stay far away from it don’t even get involved because if you do if you start serving other gods you should be put to death because it’s that heinous so perhaps they were saying this was honored for the gods we don’t even want to go in here that cookie reasons what else I skills unclean according to the law of Moses yes probably this is true and to some level that these foods do not meet the dietary restrictions given by God in his law in the Old Testament that could be because they’re from unclean animals it could be that they’re prepared in a way that did not fully remove the blood or that was unclean in some other way but whatever the reason this food does not meet the standard that God put in the Old Testament and therefore would be defiled and general determined i’m not going to defile myself with this food now this is important for us to realize because this is about cleanness and uncleanness this is not about fattiness or unhealthiness because unhealthy food is not necessarily defiling through after Daniels 10-day test he miss companions look healthier and fatter did this happen naturally or supernaturally they think Jeff okay both okay if you say both on I guess it means that its own that the majority of the answer has to be the second I think probably supernatural and here’s why I don’t know if any of you are vegetarian or I’ve ever been temporarily vegetarian but it is difficult to get full nutrition without eating meat it can be done but it’s challenging a vegetarian diet must be well planned or else a new vegetarian will soon suffer from various vitamin and mineral deficiencies and probably a severe drop in morale at least I do to scientific advance we have some knowledge say about which foods will help compensate for a meatless diet I highly doubt Daniel and his friends had such knowledge especially since there’s no indication that they were vegetarians before going about not like they had a practice at this moreover while a vegetarian diet when done right Lee may make one healthier than an omnivorous diet will no one would claim that vegetarianism will help you gain weight yet this is precisely what happened to Daniel and with him after eating only vegetables and water perhaps breadfruit nuts they were healthier looking and more fully flesh than any of the other young men therefore I believe we should conclude God supernaturally provided for these men as they sought to honor God their diet produce this result huh naturally but supernaturally now let’s think about why Daniel wrote this it is remarkable that Daniel and his young friends sought to honor God in this instance and reject and circumvent the Kings plan for them but is this elect but is the lesson of this section that we ought to simply there to be a daniel where is it something else yes think about God in this passage what does God show about himself hey you honors obedience he provides for his people I mean look at the emphasis that daniel has given in this first chapter on what God does verse 2 the Lord gave the king of Judah in Sahana Babylon verse 9 God granted Daniel favor and compassion with the commander verse 15 well as we examine God appears ship supernaturally caused their appearance to become healthier fatter after eating vegetables and verse 17 God gave Daniel and his fans knowledge and intelligence God is actually the one were to focus on not about Daniel’s courage Daniel illness while that is something to imitate it’s really about God here God shows himself to be in total control and he shows that he will take care of his people when they are obedient in even while in exile God reminds his people through this chapter of Daniel I haven’t stopped taking care of you even though I’ve removed you from the land for all those who look to me I will still provide it less I do not forget my covenant but I will move heaven and and the hearts of men if need be to keep my promises to you when you look to me I will provide for you now understand Daniel is not telling us that whenever you are obedient to God everything will go well for you you’ll be healthy God will do miracles you’ll become really smart and you’ll get a great job how can we know just from the Old Testament that this is not the lesson that we were to draw from this passage that God will just make everything great yes yeah that’s a great example Danielle think about Joseph actually Daniel and Joseph have a ton of parallels but just have suffered a ton of in justices and hardships though all part of the sovereign provision of God not just for Joseph but also for his relatives for issue as a whole God was working everything out perfectly and providing for Daniel gave him success for everything Joseph he gave him success for every went and nonetheless he suffered many trials what else can we look to show that no God’s not guaranteeing that everything will go well maybe we can consider how these how these use got to where they are Judah was destroyed they were taken captive they’re no longer with their families anymore here in a foreign land that’s a big hard and yet gums going to provide through that also you know what happens to Daniel and his friends later they go through some pretty difficult tests their lives are put in danger they’re about to be killed for following God but the Lord provides for them so it is with so many other Saints in the Old Testament Joe Moses Jeremiah David isaiah elijah the looper i did reach but many of them suffered great hardship or persecuted summer you can kill so uniting these two I these two truths God does always bless obedience and provide for his people but not always with material blessings he provides well God does but sometimes it revision includes suffering and death but as we’ve discussed God will provide through suffering and God will provide even through death to safely bring us into his glory so we need not fear or question God when it comes to those things now God will provide even through those things for the good of his people and for his own glory and yet we can’t ignore the example of what God did for these four GG in use they went out on a limb of faith for the Lord safe and god provided for that amazingly he provided above and beyond whatever they could have expected it you if he was able to provide so fantastically for them certainly you can provide for us when we probe union when we trust the Lord God has all the power Nebuchadnezzar and his officials may praise the Babylonian gods but it’s God who really works out everything he’s the one in total control even the selection of exultation of Judy and captives was all God’s doing how comforting that this would have been to Daniel’s readers those people in exile or those just about to return to Israel God has some pleat power over the world its people and its rulers Daniel shows them so trust in the Lord obey Him and he will provide any questions or comments yes oh god yes yeah Phil you mentioned if we’re looking for another example that God’s blessing goes beyond simply material prosperity though Abraham was blessed in many ways God did require bury him that he would give up his son that he would you can sacrifice his son as an offering to God course God intervened at the last moment but that was a high cost and that was a severe test but abraham believed he knew that God’s provision was great even if it meant giving up his son any other comments or yeah with respect to the names sort of sticks out there that jumps off the page that there was no objection by Daniel and his friends name changes hmmm that strikes me in this before I want to get to repeat on this strikes me as something external it’s in the sense that it was something that was imposed upon them and I’m thinking along the lines of that as long as they did not in their minds think yes I’m now identifying with those gods that God perhaps did not object to that because God was looking at their other actions of obedience that’s a really great question question way they’re given these names then no longer honor Yahweh and they they honor the Babylonian gods but we don’t hear and as it is racing Steve we don’t hear anything in the text about their objecting to that or they’re resisting that so they accept that was that a compromise or if they didn’t compromise and how is that okay how did they how they deal with that well certainly I’m sure whether whether they use these names for themselves or not they’re their attitude was not to put stop in the meaning of these names there’s a the activity in the student guide actually has that something that explores names and blasphemy and what’s considered blasphemy and what’s not but I’m not sure I’m not sure how much they or we should look into their name just like oh this is my name so therefore this is what I have to be it is interesting though that the text whatever refers to them at least in this chapter it doesn’t refer to them by their new names like what their names are given I think three times in attacks and it gives their Hebrew names so it’s possible that maybe they didn’t use their new names maybe other people use them for for him but perhaps they whenever they spoke to one another were never they thought of themselves they thought of their original name oh yeah see I know that later in the text like a lion’s den the King calls out his name Daniel okay thanks for that Steve so later on when Daniels thrown in the lion’s den the King calls him Daniel not Belteshazzar other questions or comments okay well we’ve already seen one great application for us this account this record is an encouragement that was sent to the Judean exiles but it’s also for us that when you obey the Lord when you refuse to compromise the Lord will yet provide you it may yet include hardship you may be persecuted you may even be killed for it but the Lord will provide for you and he will bless you for your obedience that’s one of the most fundamental screws about God module tests these lessons and provides that people who are already but let’s ask one other application question because we have to should we looked at Daniel’s 10-day test for specific guidance or encouragement when it comes to losing weight or gaining healthier answer is no why not give me one reason yes that’s one reason I think the best understanding is that this was supernaturally provided the thing that happened to them based on their based on their diet we should not be expecting the same thing yes Rob and like just because someone in the Old Testament experience a certain thing expect to experience the same thing okay good so we’re talking about a fundamental error in an interpreting biblical narrative we’ll come back that just a second just because something happened to someone else in the Bible in the Old Testament even a righteous person does not mean then it should happen to you why else exactly yes Daniel did not pursue this site because he’s like I would really like to lose weight right would really like to be healthy it’s about the fileman he did not want to defile himself for the Kings food did not want to become unclean so yeah let me review just some of the reasons the author in context is clearly not trying to give us some counsel regarding weight loss or healthy living second of all Daniels motivation as bill said was to not defile himself according to God’s commands the Old Testament not to achieve some weight loss goal third of all day no actually gained weight from his diet he didn’t lose it fourth of all Daniels results were supernaturally obtained so truly looking to Daniel for a diet a wellness plan is a textbook example of I said Jesus reading meaning into the text that is not there and it’s also an example as Rob pointed out of an error and interpreting difficult areted assuming that whatever godly person did or a had happen to him is automatically prescriptive for all fish for all Christians we have to remember as I began to explain that in biblical narrative God may be doing something special with a particular person or a particular time it’s not necessarily for an example for us to it’s not necessarily a specific example for us to imitate nor is it a situation for us to expect the right way to handle narrative is to consider what exactly the original author was intending to communicate by reporting the experience of a certain person and compare whatever that person’s experience was with what God actually commanded elsewhere through his prophets and apostles just for another example speaking of Joseph that we were talking about earlier we sometimes think about Joseph as providing the pattern as as to what to do when faced with sexual temptation because Rogers wife kept tempting him and he was denying her and then when she sees him he left his cloak what was that the intention of the author in that passage to give you instruction as to how to deal with sexual immorality no I mean certainly that is an example of how one ought to deal with sexual immorality that wasn’t the main intention there’s no God’s sovereignty how God was going to bring that are bring Joseph into a position in Egypt where he could save and provide for his people rather than saying all right Daniel shows us what we heard Joseph shows us what we need to do you look the rest of the scriptures and you say what does God command regarding sexual temptation ok this is what we need to follow and one application is given by Joseph in Genesis same thing with him don’t don’t necessarily say well heavens Daniel must must be for us consider what was the author’s intention and reporting this experience of Daniel and then consider what the rest the scriptures say regarding the situation Daniel face and so what does the Bible say to us when it comes to eating food well it’s a little different than what it was for Daniel Daniel situation was unique for us we we know that the right way for a Christian to handle food or diet is to exercise self-control give thanks for whatever he has and don’t eat something if it causes you or another person to violate his conscience because of someone else’s stuff yes well the Bible is giving us specifically prescribed for us when it goes to diets so we should not be looking to daniel has the example as to what to do when it comes to eating now why do I say all this because many Christians have many Christians have looked to Daniel as the basis for a Christian diet for weight loss man one example I’ll get your questions just a second one example is Rick Warren’s Daniel plan you can look it up online if you’re curious here’s some words from his website explaining the Daniel plan the Daniel plan is a groundbreaking healthy lifestyle program founded on Biblical principles and focus on the essentials faith food fitness focus and friends program offers an innovative approach to achieving a healthy lifestyle where people get better together by optimizing their health in each of these life areas here’s another piece of the website King Nebuchadnezzar instituted a three-year training program and while they were being trained young captives were to be fed the same food found on the Royal table but Daniel knew this wouldn’t be a healthy diet so we asked that he and his three friends the allowed to eat healthier at the end of ten days they look better and were more robust than those who ate the king’s man okay we’ve analyzed the text ourselves and we know that’s not true that’s a twisting of the text now I’m sure that if we investigated this Daniel plan it probably would give some good ideas when it comes to weight loss and healthy living then maybe some of them are even based on biblical principles but the foundation this is all based on Daniel Israel now Daniel’s not our model for weight loss or healthy living rather Daniel is the Prophet reminding us of what Jesus says later in the Gospels when you seek the Lord first he will provide for you God has complete power and compassion for his own therefore don’t worry don’t worry about what you leave don’t worry about what you will wear the Gentiles legally seek after these things don’t worry about tomorrow but seek first it came about God you can’t serve two masters be fully committed to the Lord seek the treasure in heaven and he’ll provide for you perfectly while you’re on the earth you can say something about so definitely want to make that clarification any other comments or questions before we end Roy just a very minor point that is if you look at that he would work vegetables too it doesn’t necessary for vegetable purists out there just think it just means like a carrot or fruit or something Hebrew word to me anything that is grown Brent grains anything so I mean you’re trying to lose weight by stuff yourself with British mmm okay thanks for that in my account yeah thanks to that point boy that the word for vegetables there in the Hebrew is it refers to literally anything that is grown so it could include more than vegetables but certainly did not include meet other questions or comments yes d just bounce off it doesn’t say exactly what they write so we have no idea and you would think that if something like again I’d oughta make an order silence but you would think that if this worked for Daniel then became or the Kings overseer would say whoa I got to push this on everyone you know cuz why why not make the whole group healthy yeah yeah yes you so you’re mentioning that we don’t know specifically what their diet was or what it was about and if it was so obvious what was making it work and certainly the Kings overseer or cheap official would have pushed it or probably pushing on the other use other questions thoughts comments go large ever yeah so Yuri during a point Joe that we do need to be reminded that we will suffer as Christians as those who are faithful and you compromised through that sorry the there’s a shadow and a sting to that and yet the shadow is dissipated and the sting is removed and so Paul can even say as I brought up to two weeks ago or a couple weeks ago in Sunday school that though he’s about to die the Lord is going to deliver me from every evil attack and help bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom suffering and death is is not unusual provision it is actually a good provision because God only gives his own good things and it’s also how we show the Lord to be great I mean isn’t that what Daniels and his friends attention were ultimately it’s not about who I gotta protect myself from God’s wrath by not defining myself with food it’s about the glory that the Lord is due we’re going to see that even more obviously I think when it comes to how Hannah and I as Ryan Michelle are tested and run into the furnace they knew that they were probably going to die or that they could die but they say it’s not about us Oh God anything else all right well thank you that’s it for this week next two weeks Christmas in New Year’s we will not have sunday school will resume Sunday School January 81 I lord willing see you on the other side that’s slow the trick what God we thank you for this time thank you for your word we thank you that your word is clear and that when we approach it the way did you met for us to approach it by being fair to the text and letting its peak and protect us from error and adding our own ideas we thank you for the example of Daniel what he recorded that we can trust you that we need not fear when we’re faced with a sudden trial or something we didn’t expect or a hardship or a testing towards our testing to compromise would we know that if we just obey you if we just believe in you yes we may suffer but you’ll provide and you’ll take care of us and you are able to move heaven and earth Lord to keep your people protected and provided so Lord we thank you thank you to that instruction and we pray that to the rest of today’s service now worship the fellowship the preaching of your word will continue to build us up in your truth in Jesus name Amen