Title: “Living for God in a Hostile Environment” Script: Daniel 1
Type: Expository Series Where: GNBC 9-28-25
Intro: There will be times in your life that you will be challenged to stand alone. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself in situations where you will need to decide if you will obey God or “follow the crowd”. Your decision will either glorify God or give the enemies of God an opportunity to scorn Him. It is very important to stand for what you believe in (especially if your conviction is coming from what God has clearly said); even when others have a different opinion or thought. The truth is, standing alone requires courage. It is important to know that courage is not the absence of fear; it is confidence in something or someone greater than the emotion of fear.
To stand alone, one must have confidence that obedience to God and His word will ultimately result in a superior outcome. We can always stand alone for truth, if we have this confidence in the Lord and His Word. In today’s passage see Daniel & 3 friends called to make a stand in a potentially very hostile environment.
Prop: Exam. Daniel 1 we’ll see 3 Choices one Must Make to Thrive Spiritually in a Hostile Environment.
BG: 1. Most likely Daniel was probably MS or HS age when deported to Babylon.
2. Judah’s captivity was a divine judgment for the sins of this nation. Daniel’s prayer, recorded (chapter 9), reveals his grasp of this fact. Daniel was fully convinced that it was God who gave Jehoiakim king of Judah, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.
Prop: Exam w/me 3 Choices Daniel Made that we must as well, to thrive Spiritually in a Hostile Environment.
I. Choose to Stand Firm in the Face of Isolation and Indoctrination. Vv.1-4
A. Daniel Chose to Stand Firm in the Face of Isolation.
1. Nebuchadnezzar had a plan to bend and mold these conquered peoples to his own will.
a. Daniel and the other deportees were isolated. These young men were removed from their nation, culture, and most likely families, taken at least 500 miles away, and forced to matriculate into the University of Babylon whether wanted to or not. In Babylon they were separated from all they previously held dear, worship of God, teaching of the WOG, fellowship with the people of God, daily life as a citizen in the nation of the chosen people of God. Tough to stand for what you believe when think you are alone. (Even Elijah!)
b. Daniel was part of the first wave of captives held hostage in Babylon. Several attacks on Jerusalem would follow, with many Hebrews deported to Babylon to spend 70 years in captivity. As were others, Daniel was torn from his native land, his family, and his friends, so far as we know, never seeing his homeland again. Since he is referred to as a “eunuch” and was educated to serve in the king’s court, it’s almost certain that Daniel suffered castration as culmination of his humiliation as a Hebrew hostage.
2. Isolation Can Actually Be Used inour Lives to Experience God more Deeply.
a. Illust: Hea Woo, a North Korean Christian imprisoned in a labor camp for her faith, powerfully experienced God when she was alone and uncertain she would survive to the next day. Hea Woo lived through deplorable concentration-camp conditions, but it was in this isolation that she heard the voice of God. “Physical labor was hard, but something harder was that we did not have freedom of faith,” Hea Woo says. “We could not pray freely, but I still prayed in [my] heart. When people were asleep, I woke up to pray. It was so pitiful that we did not have freedom of faith; I really yearned for freedom. “Although there was nobody, God protected me with His grace. When I prayed that I could become light and salt, He told me to ‘share and sacrifice.’ And he also told me to evangelize. There were so many answers I got through my prayer.” Hea Woo experienced God deeply in her isolation.
b. Chapter 1is critical to our understanding of the entire Book of Daniel, providing the historical setting for the entire book, and especially revealing the mind set of Daniel and his three friends. It explains, in part, the reasons for Daniel’s rise to a position of great influence in the Babylonian government. It also shows the importance of having a core group of friends who share your worldview and will support and encourage you in difficult times. In his isolation, Daniel experienced God deeply.
B. Daniel Chose to Stand Firm in the Face of Indoctrination.
1. The Chaldean’s had a curriculum Daniel and his friends would be forced to endure.
a. For 3 years the best and brightest of Judah’s youth were taught “the language and literature of the Chaldeans” (v.4) This WAS NOT your fun “study abroad” option! Learning the language and literature of the Chaldeans might seem harmless enough, after all even today we study foreign languages and literature. True, however, the aim of this course in “Chaldean Classics” was conversion! Yes, would study Aramaic, culture and religion of the land. The goal was not merely academic, it was to retrain the minds of these young men so in three years they would think like Babylonians and NOT as Judeans.
b. Illust: I am not against higher education. I have a BS and 2 MA level degrees and have taken further course work. However, education is NOT morally neutral. There is a reason they call it a “Liberal Arts”. I would argue that all education attempts to convert. Maybe you are an undergraduate at UI. Do you realize this? Illust: 20 yrs ago my wife was in a CE class to keep her teaching license current. Sitting with about 100 other, mostly ps teachers, the speaker, “an expert in the district at that time”, boldly began her seminar with the following words: “Our purpose as teachers is ultimately indoctrination, not education.” Carol was stunned by the audacity of the statement but was even more stunned by the wide-eyed, nodding heads of nearly 100 peers! “Indoctrination, not education!”
2. You and I must choose to Stand Firm in the Face of Cultural or Educational Indoctrination.
a. Illust: Recently poll that highlighted most important issues as outlined by young men (18-30 yrs) who voted in the 2024 Presidential Election. Of those voting Conservative the most important goal in their lives was to marry and have a family. Of that same group voting Liberal, getting married and having a family ranked 12th out of 13 on the agenda of importance in their lives. That poll speaks volumes to the disparity that exists today in our country as to the importance of fundamental issues in our society. (May I make a brief application with all the inclusiveness and sensitivity that I’ve been known for as a preacher? If you are or have been dating an individual who has no plan or desire to at some point in the future get married and have a family…drop him or her like a hot potato!)
b. Let me make this abundantly clear. The ungodly think differently than the godly. This is evident not only by the words they use but their entire way of looking at life. The ungodly view life without God. God is not in their thoughts. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Their writings and teachings often convey a complete and total disregard for God if not outright blasphemy against God. It was this ungodly attitude Daniel and 3 Hebrews faced. IT IS NO DIFFERENT TODAY!
C. Applic: How Can I learn from Daniel’s Experience so I can thrive spiritually today? Seek Christian fellowship as though your life depends on it, because it does!
II. Choose Consecration Instead of Compromise and Confusion. Vv.5-7
A. Daniel Chose Consecration Instead of Compromise.
1. The Area of Potential Compromise was somewhat unsuspecting: food!
a. V. 5 “a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank”. Wow! What an honor! Food from the king’s table. The best food the best chefs in the Empire. What our “foodie driven” culture wouldn’t give to be in Daniel’s place! Oh how we love our cultural delicacies and yet we seem to forget that high living can very easily master the senses and blunt the sharp-edged commitment of the Christian. Illust: My grandfather told me that my gg grandfather Cole survived on corn meal mush while a Union POW in Cahawba and Andersonville. Surviving that experience, as well as battles and the blowing up of his ship on the repatriation to the North, he would eat cm mush for the rest of his life every Sunday evening as a reminder of who he was and what he endured.
b. Daniel and his friends find the king’s food offensive to the point that they cannot compromise on their convictions. Now notice NONE other of the deportees expressed their convictions. Many have asked why? Some possible explanations: 1. Food on kings table had 1st offered to pagan deities. 2. Pagan prayer offered over food. 3. Violated Jewish dietary law. Perhaps Daniel perceived this food allotment was an effort to seduce him into the lifestyle through the enjoyment of certain pleasures he had never before experienced. (Illust: Let’s face it, food and drink have been the downfall of many an isolated, indoctrinated freshman who wasn’t consecrated to the Lord.)
2. Daniel Creatively Considers How to Circumvent this Challenge to Compromise.
a. Illust: Please notice the creative appeal Daniel employed. He doesn’t go to the king or his officials with both barrels blazing! Rather, in humility (v.9 “seeks permission”, and in seeking out the interests of the king’s official (His life!), he presents a well thought out plan for a specific duration (10 days) v.12 that will have measurable results: “test us”.
b. God is able to provide amazing results when we follow our convictions to fully trust and honor him. That’s what it means to be “consecrated”! (Read Romans 12:1-2) But in order to experience God’s miraculous provision, it is ESSENTIAL that you and I do what Daniel did! V. 8 “Daniel made up his mind!” You cannot keep straddling a fence! Is Jesus going to be your Lord and Savior or not? Are you committed “come heck or high water?” Listen hear, I have NEVER gained weight on the broccoli and water diet, but Daniel and the rest do!
B. Daniel’s Consecration Guarded him Against Confusion.
1. The Next Way Nebuchadnezzar Sought to Separate the Hebrew Youth from their Past Was to Give them New Names in Babylon. (Ever changed the name of an animal well into it’s life? Dog, etc. Well this carried more important meaning.)
a. v. 7 - No doubt the Hebrew names of Daniel and his friends may have been offensive to the king and other Babylonians. Not appropriate for civil servants in the Babylonian Empire. While all their Hebrew names point to the God of Israel, their new names appear to refer to the heathen gods of Babylon. Daniel = “God is my judge”, Hannaniah – “the Lord shows grace, YHWH is my strength, Mishael – “who is what God is? Azariah – “the Lord helps” – Changed to : Belteshazzar – Bel/Marduk protects his life. Shadrach – “I’ll do whatever goddess Aku commands.” Meshach – “There’s no one like goddess Aku”, Abednego – “Nabu’s servant”
b. Have you ever wondered why Daniel and friends didn’t rebel and find this “renaming” offensive? 1st, the Babylonian names were not a matter of choice for either Daniel or his friends. Often the names we’re called are not a matter of our choice, or even our preference (Nicknames given by others!). The king could call Daniel whatever he wanted. Certainly Daniel was aware of the OT precedent for a heathen king giving a new name to a Hebrew in his service. Pharaoh gave Hebrew hero , Joseph, the name “Zaphenath-paneah” (Genesis 41:45). Joseph did not reject this name, nor is there even so much as a hint that God considered the name defiling to Joseph.
2. Consecration Guards the Individual Against the Confusion of Who the World Says you are.
a. As Daniel and friends heard their new names being called day after day it was an additional temptation for them to yield to the pressure to think of themselves as citizen of Babylon and not citizens of Jerusalem. This incident illustrates something very important that we need to learn from Daniel. The way we think about God, ourselves, others, the world, determines the way we live. There has never been so much confusion in the lives of young people as there is today. Because we allow ourselves or actually impose on ourselves labels that only confuse and muddy the waters of sensibility because we have rejected God’s names for us.
b. Illust: Do you know the most important item that can be associated with your name for all of eternity? It is not your preferential use of pronouns! Rather it is this: “Is your NAME written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?” Rev. 21:27 states: “"But nothing unclean will ever enter it (Heaven), nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life". Is your name written on the guest registry of the greatest banquet of all time? Have you repented and trusted in Christ alone for salvation. Only way! Ultimate form of consecration!
C. Applic: Don’t compromise and don’t give into the world’s confusion. Be consecrated to the Lord.
III. Choose a Firm Purpose When Everyone Else Seems to Be Pliable. Vv. 8-16
A. Being Faithful in Public Requires Being Faithful in Private.
1. Daniel and his friends remained faithful day after day as Captives of Babylon.
a. As time went by it became harder and harder to remain faithful to the principles and purposes of Jerusalem. Babylon was no longer “crowding in” on the convictions of many of the deportees, it was replacing them. Little choices began to be made in private that would ultimately influence the public behavior of the deportees. Certainly, the way that this matter of the king’s food was handled in a very discreet and quiet manner. Have you ever thought about the fact that out of all the nobles of Judah who were hauled away with Daniel, only he and his friends were mentioned as having taken this stand in relation to food and their own conscience. How many others were there? 5 dozen? 10 dozen? 500? We don’t know and ultimately it does not matter.
b. Individuals who refuse to have firm convictions rarely get to see God work amazingly in their lives. Conversely, those who seek to honor God the Bible tells us that the Lord will honor them. (Illust: 100 yrs ago, Eric Liddell of Scotland refused to run the heats of his best race, the 100m because the events were held on a Sunday. Coaches and apparently even monarch attempted to persuade Liddel to fudge his conscience. Would not budge. When came to run the 400m, not favored, American athlete Jackson Schultz, also a Christian, approached the Brit and placed a note in his hand which read: ““It says in the Old Book, ‘He that honors me I will honor.’” Liddell ran to Olympic gold clasping the note. Kept his convictions and purpose firm when everyone else seemed to be pliable.
2. Having a Firm Conviction of Purpose Guards Oneself against being Pliable in the hands of the culture or during times of pressure.
a. It took conviction for Daniel and friends to question the king’s food. It took conviction to determine not to eat the food. It took conviction to come up with a creative appeal and approach the chief of the eunuchs. It took conviction to offer a course of action that required measurable results for a specific duration. And, it took conviction to see God answer his challenge supernaturally. All of those other young people never got to experience God’s miraculous provision because they compromised their convictions.
b. Illust: Story is told of a once inebriated Winston Churchill going up to Lady Astor at a dinner party of socialites and wealthy Brits. The PM asked Astor quite crudely: “Would you sleep with me for 1 million pounds?” “Why I suppose,” said Astor, “but we would have to discuss the terms.” Without skipping a beat, Churchill came back with: “Would you sleep with me for 10 pounds?” “Of course not, what type of woman do you think I am? she added indignantly. “Madam, we’ve already established what type of woman you are. Now we are negotiating the price!” What is your price? Having a price means you or I am “pliable”. Our consciences or our morality is up for sale. Daniel was consecrated. His character could not be bought off. Having a firm purpose guards against pliable morality and conscience.
B. Several Important Features of This Incident We Must Emulate in order to Remain Faithful.
1. Daniel’s decisiveness. (v. 8 Read) Daniel realized something that every single child of God’s needs to realize as well. Some things cannot be negotiated or compromised. I believe this one little decision predicated the entire life and ministry Daniel would have in the courts of kings for the next 70 years. In what seemed to be but a trivial matter for others was something Daniel was willing to nail “his colors to the mast” of his life. In doing so he gained a bridgehead into enemy occupied territory and found himself increasingly stronger in the Lord. Great lesson for each of us today. Do not wait until you are in a position of social strength before you confess Christ and obey His commands. By the time you have gained that position you will have lost all moral strength to confess Christ openly and joyfully. (You and I must learn to live in the presence of God. Illust: Jonathan Edwards p.35
2. Daniel’s modesty. Daniel took an impressive and dangerous stand and yes, we should be impressed with that stand, but we should also be impressed by the manner with which he too his stand. Daniel makes no harsh statement, no proud berating, no ethical or moral superiority. Rather he demonstrated a spirit of humility and respect. He made a creative appeal. He trusted God to move in the heart of his authority figure. We don’t see he and his three friends belittling the lack of conviction in the lives of their countrymen. Daniel illustrates an important principle that many of us would do well to emulate: “True faithfulness is seen not only in our determination to stand firm in our convictions, but also in the way and spirit in which we do. Let’s remember what Peter says of our Savior: “When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him Who judges righteously.” (I Peter 2:23) friend, if your and my convictions come from the Lord to honor the Lord then we can trust the Lord to see us through our trial.
3. Daniel’s expectation. Daniel expected to see God act in relation to the stand he took. Do we expect to see God work? Listen, God will crown your and my faithfulness with His blessing if we are seeing God’s Glory and His Kingdom. We can be confident that God will act. Illust: On one occasion a young preacher was lamenting to Charles Spurgeon that very few people were converted under his preaching. “What?” asked Spurgeon. “Why, you don’t really expect people to be converted every time you preach, do you? Taken aback that he might have appeared presumptuous to the great Spurgeon, the young preacher replied: “No, of course not.” To which Spurgeon replied, “Perhaps then that is the true reason why so very few are converted!” God honors faithfulness!
C. Applic:
