STANDING IN THE FACE OF COMPROMISE:
TRUE BIBLICAL INTEGRITY
Daniel 1:1-20
Over the next several weeks, I will be delivering a series of messages from the book of Daniel on this thought, “Staying Godly in an Ungodly World.” I believe that will all of the snares and temptations placed before the believer today, that is certainly one of the greatest challenges facing the church. It seems like everyday, that one hears of someone who fails to stay godly and falls into the grasp of the devil. There is no question that the world we live in is ungodly. There are several different Greek words used in the New Testament that are translated world. Two of the more prominent ones are first, kosmos which means “an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government”. In other words, the entire world system. Notice what Jesus said of the kosmos and His disciples. John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. In John 12:31 and in John 14:30, the devil is called the “prince of this world”, or of the kosmos. The other Greek word that occurs often in the New Testament is the word aion {ahee-ohn’}which represents “a period of time, or age”. One of the more famous verses containing this word is Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Again the emphasis is that this world is ungodly, and if the child of God is not careful, he/she will be pulled down by it. Therefore there is the challenge for the believer to stay godly in an ungodly world, and I believe the key to that is something called integrity.
One of the things that was so valued among westerners was a man’s word. So much so that there is an interesting story about a man named Andrew Garcia. Part of the unspoken code among the settlers of the American West was that a man always kept his word. That explains why Andrew Garcia made a 1,300-mile trek in 1879 to pay a debt. In September of the previous year he had bought supplies in Bozeman, Montana, to hunt buffalo. The 10 pack-mules, ammunition, food, and gear cost him $300 more than he had, so a merchant loaned him the rest. He promised to pay it back by January 1.
The winter snows came early that year, however, and Garcia couldn’t get back to Bozeman. His travels took him through Colorado and down into New Mexico. Finally, a year later, he headed back to Bozeman. "Don’t bother," his buddies told him. But Garcia believed in keeping his word, so he returned and paid the debt. Andrew Garcia was known in the west as a man of integrity.
What exactly is integrity? The old Webster’s dictionary defined it as “Purity; genuine, unadulterated, unimpaired state; as the integrity of language.” Someone else said that integrity is being real. In other words, you are what you are, where ever you are. You’re righteous not only on Sunday morning in church, but on your job, at the store, filing tax returns, the real you is clearly seen. If there is one thing that we are facing a shortage of in our world today, and even in our churches, it is integrity. Noted editor and author Brux Austin, the editor of Texas Business magazine, has written rather despairingly: "What is going on in North America?. . .We have no built-in beliefs, no ethical boundaries. `Cheat on your taxes, just don’t get caught. Cheat on your wife, just don’t get AIDS.’ Our high-tech society," he writes, "has given us everything - everything but a conscience," & integrity is a mangled casualty of our times.” Remember that integrity is being real, or genuine. Are you real? Are you the same at work on Monday morning as you are in church on Sunday morning? That’s integrity.
I believe that God wants to speak to His people from the book of Daniel on this subject of integrity. If ever there was a dark period of history, it had to be in the time of Daniel. The people of God were taken captive by an ungodly, pagan nation, their temple destroyed and their priesthood held hostage. It looked very much as if God was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. The book of Daniel opens with Nebuchadnezzar carrying away captive the people of Jerusalem. One of the orders that he gives is that a search be made among the youth of Israel, and the brightest and most intelligent of the captive youth be set aside. These youths were to be indoctrinated in the arts and sciences of Babylon, they were cut off from their families, their church, and they would be fed a steady diet of Babylon’s humanistic teachings. Nebuchadnezzar wanted all traces of their past lives cut off to make it easier for them to adopt Babylonian culture, so even their diet was to be changed. They were to be fed from off of the king’s table. Nebuchadnezzar understood the importance of the battle of the mind and it must always begin with the youth. Hitler understood this and used it well. Before he gained control of Germany, he began a youth program to indoctrinate the youth of Germany through his “Nazi Youth Corps” and they helped in paving the way for his rise to power. The Communists had used this as well. However, no one understands it as well as the devil, for he knows that to capture a generation, you must begin with the youth. It is not a coincidence that youth today are unruly with a lack of disrespect, and skeptical of God. Satan is working.
Among the youth that Ashpenaz, the king’s servant, found were four very striking young men, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They were presented with the food from off of the king’s table. Much of this food was unclean, totally against what the law required of them to eat, some no doubt had been even offered to idols. What were they to do? I want to talk about three aspects of integrity that I think are needed today that these four young men had, that helped them avoid the compromising of their integrity.
I. NOTE INTEGRITY’S DECISION.
1. These four youth were along way from home, with no parents around and brought to one of the most beautiful cities in the world at that time. Someone wrote that the strategy of the king was to get them accustomed to the good life by offering them the food and wine of the royal household so that they would become so accustomed to the good life that they would not be tempted to return to their old lives. On top of this, Nebuchadnezzar even changed their names. Now you know that names were very important in Jewish culture. Names often displayed a characteristic of that individual. Note the Hebrew names of these four young men and what they meant. Daniel = God is my judge, Hananiah = God has favoured, Mishael = who is what God is or who is like God? Azariah = Jehovah has helped. Each one of these names was a testimony of God’s hand upon His people and that would not do in Nebuchadnezzar’s pagan court. So Nebuchadnezzar attempted to change their names from Daniel to Belteshazzar which means, “the treasure of Bel” or more specifically, the holder of the treasures of Bel, from Hananiah to Shadrach which means “Aku’s command” from Mishael to Meshach, which means He who belongs to the goddess Sheshach, and from Azariah to Abed-nego which meant the servant of Nebo.
2. Nebuchadnezzar, in changing their names, was trying to change their identities as well. That’s exactly what Satan desires to do with you this morning, change your identity as a child of God, to becoming a child of the world. When you compromise your integrity, that’s exactly what happens, you loose your identity. That’s why so many today don’t really understand what Christianity is all about, because they have yet to see a true Christian. I remember the uproar several years ago in Beirut when “Christians” were killing Palestinian children. Maybe you remember studying the horror of “Christians” killing and raping during the Middle Ages as the Crusades moved from Europe into the Middle East. There’s no excuse for what happened on September 11th, 2001, but from a Moslem perspective, it was “Christians” that brought pornography, and alcoholism through American culture into their countries. When you compromise integrity, you loose your identity.
3. Just imagine, away from home, no parents, and even a new identity. There’s something that happens every spring to students in college and it’s called spring break. Many students go to exotic places like San Padre Island, or Fort Lauderdale, or Palm Beach, no home, no parents, new places, new faces, and no body knows who you are. For many, it is a deadly trap that often has terrible consequences. We don’t know how many of those youth that gave in to the temptation of Babylon, but we do know of one who did not. Daniel could have said, “Hey, I’m just a kid, why should I turn down the good life?” Or he could have said, “Everybody else is doing it. The other Jewish boys from the youth group are doing it. Why should I be denied?” Or he could have thought, “Mom and Dad are not here, the preacher is not here, who is going to know?” Someone once said that the true test of character is what you do when you know absolutely nobody else will found out. Daniel could have said or thought all of those things, but here is what the Bible says that he done. Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: Notice the word purposed. The Hebrew word is the word suwm {soom} to put, set, ordain, establish, or determine. Daniel had made a decision, he had determined that he would not loose his integrity.
4. Did you know that there are some battles you can either win before you ever fight them? If you purpose that you are going to maintain your integrity, young person, you won’t be in the back seat of that car on Saturday night, you won’t be hanging around the wrong crowd, you won’t be stealing from work, or cheating on your taxes or going to the bar Friday night. Daniel decided that he would not take off the king’s table, there was something more important to him.
Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
5. Why will the integrity of the upright guide them? Because they won’t be in those places where integrity is compromised or the decision is already made before they get there. Those who are wavering are the ones who struggle with temptation the most, they’re the ones who have a hard time saying no. Daniel decided that he was going to do what was right and serve the Lord.
6. What a decision it was! It is a reminder to us that we don’t have to bend the rules to be blessed of God. I never thought about this until recently, but did you know that everytime you see a compromise struck in the Bible, you also see a loss. Adam compromised in the garden of Eden, and lost paradise. Abraham compromised the truth and lost his testimony in Egypt and almost lost his wife. Sarah compromised her faith and sent Hagar to Abraham and even today peace is lost in the Middle East. Aaron compromised with idolatry and lost the privilege of seeing the promised land. Samson compromised his devotion as a Nazarite and lost his hair, his strength and his victory. David compromised his moral standards and committed adultery and lost his children. On and on it goes, but compromise always results in a loss.
7. Daniel purposed he was not going to compromise and everything that follows in this book is a result of that decision. You never hear anything about the other youths that came out of Jerusalem that Nebuchadnezzar selected. We don’t know how many but there surely was a lot. They lost their success by their compromise.
8. I want you to note the connection between verse 8 and verse 9. There is a very important connection. I believe the word that they use in scientific studies is causal relationship. In other words, because one thing occurred, something else happened as well. Verse 8 tells us that Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s table. In other words, he purposed that he would serve God. Verse 9 says “Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” Here’s the causal relationship I want you to see. Daniel makes up his mind, “I’m going to serve God” and God becomes very active in Daniel’s life.
9. We wonder sometimes why God is not more involved in our lives. Maybe it’s because we’ve not fully decided that we’re going to follow His plan. When we are outside of the will of God, so often we’re on our own, but if we are committed to His plan, then He is committed to us. If we won’t commit ourselves to the Lord, God will search until He finds someone else that He can used for His glory. This upcoming year, I challenge you to make the decision of integrity, “I’m going to serve God”.
II. NOTE INTEGRITY’S DEDICATION.
1. Remember that Daniel’s name means “God is my judge”. I firmly believe that this truth literally permeated Daniel’s being, for he was totally dedicated to serving the Lord. He lived knowing he was accountable to the Lord.
2. There is a great truth here. We must have dedication in order to live for God and have integrity. The only way to have that type of dedication is to remember that you are accountable to God, God is your judge.
3. Daniel lived in Babylon, while certainly a beautiful city, it was also a wicked city. The city was filled with idols and sorcerers. Many of the so called wise men of Babylon were simply enchanters. However, for over seventy years, Daniel lived in Babylon.
4. Now most of us have our good moments, we like to take pride in, but we know the difficulty of living a consistent godly life. However, look at the last verse of chapter one.
Daniel 1:21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.
Jeremiah 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jeremiah 29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
5. We are told in Ezra 1:1 that in the first year of Cyrus’ reign, he allowed the Jews to return back to Jerusalem. So Daniel was taken at the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and for 70 years until Cyrus, Daniel was one, not divided in his heart, not two faced, nor double-minded toward God and his integrity. Folks, that dedication and consistency. Nebuchadnezzer came and went, Belshazzar came and went, Darius came and went, and all this time, Daniel was faithfully serving God.
6. Listen to what I’m going to say. The Bible is brutally honest about it’s characters, Abraham the man of faith, struggled with faith, David has an episode of failure, and so one through out the Bible, no where does the Bible hide the faults of it’s characters. Notice here however, that nowhere in scripture, are any faults of Daniel’s ever mentioned. I’m not saying he was perfect, we know that he was not, for only Christ was/is perfect, but his faults are not named. As a matter of fact, we are told that his enemies tried to find fault with him but they could not. Daniel’s complete dedication came through, therefore his integrity was maintained. Even as second in command in a foreign land, among a foreign people, his integrity was never questioned for he was dedicated to God.
7. What would happen to us if we would commit ourselves, no matter the cost, no matter what others say, where God’s word draws the line is where I am drawing the line?
III. NOTE INTEGRITY’S DEPENDENCE.
1. Daniel was taking a huge step of faith. Nebuchadnezzer was not a man to be trifled with. The Babylonians were a cruel people, ruled by a cruel king.
2. From what we know about the king, he was very prone to loosing his temper. We know in chapter three he was so angry he had the fiery furnace heated up 7 times hotter, he was so mad at the Babylonian wisemen, he was willing to kill everyone of them. One of Nebuchadnezzar’s favorite ways of torture was to slowly roast someone over a fire pit. The king took Zedekiah’s children and had their eyes put out with a red hot sword.
3. Daniel was literally laying his neck on the line by wanting to stand for God, but I believe he had faith that God was in control.
4. It took a step of faith to withstand the king’s wishes. However, Daniel remembered just who he was, he was not a Babylonion, but a Jew, God’s man. He also remembered who God was and that God could be counted upon.
5. Just as his name said, God was his judge, he was accountable to God. There was a greater than Nebuchadnezzar there. As a matter of fact, one of the things that Daniel warned the king about and Nebuchadnezzar refused to listen at first was that even he, was accountable to God, that God would judge him and we find that God did just exactly that, reducing the king to the life of an animal.
6. Daniel knew who he was and also who God was. Integrity, or holy living, will always bring faith.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
