Dare To Be A Daniel

Title: “Dare to Be A Daniel” Scripture: Daniel 1:1-2

Type: Expository Series Where: GNBC 9-21-25

Intro: The times in which we are living require Christians to be heroic if they are going to make a difference in our culture as well as our world. As we have recently witnessed with appalling clarity, those opposed to the Gospel will literally stop at nothing in an attempt to silence individuals who dare challenge the “gods” of anti-Christ teaching. II Tim. 3:12 reminds us that this should not be a shocking reality for the believer. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution…” Even before the ruthless assassination of Charlie Kirk last week, I had been prayerfully considering beginning a series in the book of Daniel. My earliest memory of a sermon came out of the book of Daniel while sitting in a small Methodist Church in Reading, MI, in about 1971. I’ve always been fascinated with the story of Daniel’s life. Although I did not grow up going to Sunday School a song that used to be sung in Sunday Schools highlighted Daniel’s faith commitment and accompanying courage: “Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to Stand Alone, Dare to have a purpose firm, Dare to make it known.” The book of Daniel begins with a young boy and his friends in traumatic times and ends with a very old man, still walking with his Lord being given a vision for the end of all time by the archangel Michael. The heroism we see in the life of Daniel and the heroism we need to see in believers today does not take place in a vacuum, neither does it take place overnight. Rather, this type of courage is the mature fruit of lives and character that have been forged in the fiery furnace of tests and trials and found faithful. The providence of God as well as the faithfulness and obedience of Daniel combined together to give us one of the most inspiring figures of the Bible.

Prop: In Daniel 1:1-2 notice three important items this book will demonstrate to the Christian.

BG: 1. The book of Daniel begins in Babylon in 6th century BC with siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Ends 3rd year of Cyrus, 536 BC. Lifetime of a civil servant.

2. In our English Bible the book of Daniel follows Ezekiel. Not so in the Hebrew Bible, where it stands not among the prophets but among “the Writings.”

3. Daniel’s prophecies describe events which took place during the 400 silent years between the Old and New Testaments, thus serving as a bridge between the two testaments.

Prop: In Daniel 1:1-2 notice three important items this book will demonstrate to the Christian.

I. The Book of Daniel Demonstrates that Although Man Proposes, God Disposes.

A. Daniel Begins with Two Succinct Statements About Nebuchadnezzar’s Siege of Jerusalem.

1. The First Statement Describes the events in terms of Secular History.

a. The story of Daniel begins with exact historical documentation. Nebuchadnezzar was king of the superpower Babylonian Empire. Jehoiakim was king of the tiny nation of Judah. II Ki.24 tells us of Jehoiakim’s foolish bravado in refusing to pay tribute to Babylon after 3 yrs of being its vassal state. The angry emperor began to send raiding parties that resulted in the deportation of many of the royal and noble families, of which Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were children of. We know this was 606/605 BC, roughly 20 years before the horrific destruction of the Southern Kingdom in 586 BC.

b. Notice how the viewpoint of secular history is stated in this the 1st verse of Daniel: “Nebuchadnezzar …came to Jerusalem and besieged it.” The secular mind writes history in light of great men and women of the times, thinking that they are “end all” of the era. Illust: Nebuchadnezzar certainly thought this of himself, Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, Genghis Khan, Mao, Washington, Lincoln, Churchill, Martin Luther, Hitler, Victoria, Elizabeth I, Einstein, Columbus, Newton, Marx or Lenin, Shakespeare, or Elvis for crying out loud! Man thinks history is about himself.

2. The Second Statement Describes the events in terms of Biblical Theology.

a. Yes, it is true that there are great men and women of history, there are great movements and ideologies and tragedies, but these are not the “end all” of history. For what we read in verse two shows us that God is also active in those very same events of history… “And the Lord gave Jehoiakim … into his hand.” (v.2)

b. Here we see a principle that runs through the entirety of both history and Scripture, even when it is not overtly stated by either.. God is active in the events of history to fulfill His purposes. Illust: Does not Rom. 8:28 state: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” And did not Joseph reiterate this principle in Gen. 50:20 when facing his brothers, fearful of his potential revenge? ““And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” And did it not reach it’s ultimate insight in the statement of Jesus Christ, in Jn. 19:10-11, when a perplexed Roman Governor says to our silent Savior: “You do not speak to me. Do you not know that I have authority to release you or I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus replies: “You have no authority over Me, unless it was given you from above.” Very few of the “great” men and women of history recognize this truth because it would require a humble re-evaluation of one’s importance and accompanying repentance.