DANIEL IN EXILE
CHAPTER 18, “THE STORY”
Daniel 1-6, Jeremiah 29-31
This morning as we continue in “The Story” we are in chapter 18 which tells about the lives of Daniel and his three friends. Our key verses for this morning I would like us to read together out loud, which is also included in the chapter from “The Story” today. Let us read from Jeremiah 29 together:
Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13 are verses that can be misunderstood if taken out of context. Part of the problem is
our definition of the word “prosper.” These verses tell us that God will “prosper” us and as Americans we automatically think of money, cars, houses, and other material wealth only. The verse does not indicate that. In fact, God’s absolute best for us hinges on hope and a future rooted in God and verses 11 and 12 speak about maturing faith. The “prosperity” that God speaks of in Jeremiah 29:11 is an authentic mature faith in Him. God is all about prospering faith in us. Jeremiah is communicating to us that no matter what life brings us, God is for us and for the perfecting of our faith. This is the same message of Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” and James 1:2-4 which says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
ILLUSTRATION… All About Us Book (p)
Kelly and I have been going through an “All About Us” book this past week. It is one of those books that asks personal questions about the couple and you write your answers down and share feelings and all that. Basically a man’s worst nightmare. We actually have done this same book, 10 years ago, and we are doing it again and comparing our answers. One of the questions in the book references wanting to “redo” or “do over” your entire relationship. When we hit that question, I had to think hard. Would I trade our semi-mature relationship now in exchange for the times over the years of pain and hurt feelings and mistakes and harsh words and sin and arguments? I think for Kelly and I, the hard years of marriage have made us who we are now and have matured our love for each other and our faith and commitment to one another. This is probably true in your life as well, everything that happens to us brings us to the point where we are now… sometimes they are good times… sometimes bad. Jeremiah 29:11 says that all of this is so that we can look back and see how God was maturing our faith in Him the entire time. God’s desire for us is mature faith.
Today we will see how these verses from Jeremiah 29 work out in the lives of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Daniel 1:6) and how God matures their faith in Him through the events and people in their lives. We will by extension see how God desires to mature our faith in Him in our own lives.
I. DANIEL CHAPTER 1: “CARRIED OFF” BUT STILL CARRIED BY GOD
The Book of Daniel begins with a very interesting action word in Daniel 1:2 which summarizes the predicament Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah find themselves in. The action word in Daniel 1:2 is “carried off.” Daniel and the others are “carried off” from their homes, family, friends, and influences they had known in their young lives. They, as the result of the sin of the nation and the siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, are now prisoners of war and exiled away from home. You see, the Babylonians conquered people by attacking, taking the best and brightest away from home, and reeducating and brain washing them as good Babylonian citizens. I can imagine immense fear, loneliness, isolation, and confusion as they rode in the carts from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Verse 5 tells us, “The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service” (Daniel 1:5). So the boys were in a foreign land and were now forced to even eat foreign food… some of it against their religious beliefs outlined in the Law of Moses. What are they going to do? “… Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way” (Daniel 1:8). The boys decide to stand their ground and remain faithful to God. Daniel took a risk and decided to follow his beliefs. There was a whole test set up that many of us learned about in Sunday School or VBS when we were children… this is when Daniel and the others ate vegetables and religiously clean food while the others being educated ate from the king’s table.
Not only was this test before them, but in the midst of all of these changes and challenges the Babylonian officials were even giving the boys new names. Daniel 1:7 says, “The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.” They are away from home. Learning a different way of life. Forced into this test of their religious convictions. And now their names are even changing.
Remember, the verse we read together earlier?
Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Is this true for Daniel and his friends? How can somebody possibly say that God is with Daniel and the others when they are ripped from home, forced to do things against their will, and now they are even losing their names? In this middle of this first chapter we have verse 9 which says, “Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel” and also verse 17 which says, “To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.” God is prospering the faith these young men in the midst of being “carried off” from everything they knew and everyone they loved. They were exiled in a foreign land and God was providing sympathetic overseers, knowledge, understanding, and courage to remain true in their faith. God is working out His plans for these young men and He is asking that they remain faithful in the midst of horrible circumstances.
II. DANIEL CHAPTER 2: THREATENING NIGHTMARES OF KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR
The story of these men does not stop there. Chapter 2 of Daniel involves a dream. King Nebuchadnezzar must have been up watching horror movies all night and eating super spicy chili because he endured dream after dream and verse 1 says, “his mind was troubled and he could not sleep” (Daniel 2:1). He wanted to know the meaning of the dreams and called all his advisers together and threatened their lives for the meaning. And when I say threatened their lives, I mean he decreed and threatened he would chop them all into little pieces and tear down all their houses (Daniel 2:5). Through the conversations with the king, the lives of all the wise men of Babylon were now in danger, including Daniel and the other three men. Daniel rose to the challenge.
Daniel 2:16-19, records for us, “At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. 17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.”
What did Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego do when faced with threats and this most difficult question? The king was demanding someone to tell him his dream and interpret his dream. Lives were at stake! Daniel and the three men “pleaded for mercy from the God of Heaven” (verse 18) which certainly sounds like prayer to me. They prayed about this and God gave Daniel all the answers he needed in a vision. Daniel praised God for providing what was needed. Daniel went to the king, proclaimed his dream back to him and interpreted the dream as the Lord has instructed him. King Nebuchadnezzar was more than grateful!
Why would God do this for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Why would God answer the urgent prayer of these men and provide the answers needed? Why would God help them in the midst of all these threats?
Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah tells us that when we “call upon” Him and we “come” and we “pray” that God “listens” to us. God listened and it was God’s plan that Daniel has the answers the king required. It was God’s plan to prosper these young men in their faith and they understood that God is a God who listens and answers prayer. They are learning to rely on God through prayer in all circumstances which is how God is maturing their faith at this time.
Daniel 2:48-49 shares with us the result of Daniel interpreting the king’s dreams, “Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49 Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.” Daniel and the other men got promoted. They were now men of great influence. It was God’s plan that these men be in these positions to serve Him.
III. DANIEL CHAPTER 3: FAITH AND THE FIERY FURNACE
The story of these men does not stop there, once at the top of the corporate ladder, because with increased position comes increased visibility which endangers these men in Daniel Chapter 3. King Nebuchadnezzar liked people to worship him and things he did and so in the course of time Daniel 3:1 says, “King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.” Everyone was supposed to bow down to this huge idol as it was being dedicated and set up… everyone from the highest leaders of the nation down to middle management. When the time came, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not bow. Everyone noticed. The men refused to bow to an idol. They remained true to their religious convictions as they had done since they arrived in Babylon.
Daniel 3:16-18 tells us what these men said to King Nebuchadnezzar: “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
These verses in Daniel 3 are by far some of the best verses on faith in the entire Bible. These men are faced with being tossed into a furnace. That is not some metaphor for something else, these men are to be tossed into an actual furnace and actually burned alive for not bowing down to idols.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego proclaim that God is able to save them.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego proclaim that God is able to rescue them.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego proclaim that even if God doesn’t, they will serve God anyway.
How can they have such mature faith? Remember, the verse we read together earlier?
Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
No matter what happens, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego know that whatever God has planned is the absolute best for them because God has been prospering faith in their relationship with Him. Please understand this, that when we are on the path that God has set out for us, there is absolutely nothing better. When we follow God’s will, even if it turns out difficult, there is absolutely nothing better for us because God has in mind His absolute best for us. God asks them to stand up for what they know is right and good and godly and they understand He will take care of them. They are unsure of the exact plan of God, but through the experiences they have had, they have absolute trust in God.
What happens?
Daniel 3:22-23 tells us, “The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.”
At this point, one of two things could happen. First, the men could become crispy critters inside this super hot furnace and King Nebuchadnezzar would have made an excellent example out of these one-God worshipping trouble-makers. Second, God could do something amazing. God does do something amazing! God sends an angel who protects them in the fire. In fact, Daniel 3:27 says, “They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.” Note what God did. Not only did God protect them in the fire, it seemed as though they had not even been in the furnace at all.
The king was beyond flabbergasted and I love his statements at the end of chapter 3. Daniel 3:28-30, “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.”
What a decree! First, notice that King Nebuchadnezzar had some kind of fascination with chopping people into pieces and destroying their homes… he must have some serious mental issues or childhood trauma and this was most definitely not a king that you wanted to cross. Second, this king who was an idol-worshipping people-chopping megalomaniac praised God and recognized who God was because of the faith of these men. King Nebuchadnezzar confessed “no other god can save this way” (verse 29). I find that to be a complete miracle that someone who does not know God can come to realize who God is through the faith of someone who believes in Him. Nebuchadnezzar knew who God was because of the way these men lived out their faith.
Huh. I wonder if that works for the people around us?
IV. DANIEL CHAPTER 6: DANIEL IN THE DEN
The story of Daniel does not stop there… we are only in chapter 3! There are other dreams (Daniel chapter 4), new kings, and even some writing on the wall (Daniel chapter 5). Daniel is promoted even more and Daniel 5:29 says, “Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” Then, some time later, Daniel finds himself under a new king in a whole new empire… King Darius of Persia. And now we finally come to the story in his life to which Daniel is most famous… it may be one of the most famous Bible stories along with Noah and the Flood or David and Goliath.
Daniel 6:3-5 sets up the situation for Daniel, “Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” Believe it or not it is a prayer trap that these foes of Daniel devise and he is in trouble because of his faithful prayers to God. Where does Daniel find himself because he faithfully prayed to his God?
The lion’s den.
Daniel 6:15-16 continues the story, “Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, "Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed." 16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" I find it so interesting that it was King Darius’ wish that God rescue Daniel from the mouths of the lions. Daniel’s character and influence had made this foreign king understand the power of God. Here we have a situation similar to the furnace. God can do a few things, but it boils down to two. First, Daniel could become lion chow inside this den of hungry lions and the other leaders under King Darius would have gotten rid of their rival. Second, God could do something amazing. God does do something amazing! God sends an angel who shuts the mouths of the lions (Daniel 6:22).
More than anything in the story of Daniel in the lion’s den I want you to notice the decree of the king after Daniel is rescued: Daniel 6:26-27 "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." This king declares to the whole world that God is the eternal living God whose kingdom has no end. I again find that to be a complete miracle that someone who does not know God can come to realize who God is through the faith of someone who believes in Him.
Huh. I wonder if that works for the people around us?
Why would God do this for Daniel? Why would God prosper Daniel to be the third highest in the empire and then allow a trap to be set for him… based on his faithful prayers no less? Why would God allow faithfulness to be punished? Why would God shut the mouths of the lions?
The answer comes from the verses from Jeremiah 29:
Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
APPLICATION
I believe these chapters in Daniel 1-6 and the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are meant to show us the maturing faith in their lives and I believe we are meant to see that God brings all of us along a path that matures our faith. With the backdrop of Jeremiah 29:11-13 and the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I want you to notice the following things:
#1 Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego matured in their faith to understand that we can get no better plan for our lives other than the plan God has lined out for us. As they arrived in Babylon, they endured hardship and difficulty, but the entire time God was maturing their faith. The absolute best way for us is God’s way in everything.
#2 Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego matured in their faith to understand that when they pray to God, He answers. Our God is a God who answers prayer and listens to His people. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were men of faith who lived out their faith in their personal lives and in the midst of their jobs in the kingdom. They were faithful and God listened and answered their prayers.
#3 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego matured in their faith to the point that it was absolutely a way of life. Faith is not believing in God when things go our way or only when things are easy. Faith is trusting in God no matter what people say, no matter what we feel, no matter what we want … true faith in God is facing life’s flames and staying with God and trusting in Him.
#4 Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego matured in their faith and unbelievers around them noticed! When we live a life of integrity and faithfulness to God, unbelievers will notice. Nebuchadnezzar knew who God was because of the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Darius knew who God was because of the faith of Daniel. The experiences of these men had matured their faith so that they could share with others and be an example for God to unbelievers.
Let us read Jeremiah 29:11-13 out loud together one more time. As you read these verses:
Remember that God has a plan to mature your faith in Him and prosper you in your relationship with Him. Let that thought frame your life as you think about the situations you go through, the people you meet, and the victories you experience.
Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
CONCLUSION
