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Sermon
of 02-16-02
Daniel - A Man With A Purpose
by Dr. D.A. Farmer, pastor
Scripture - Daniel 12:13
"But go thou thy way till the end [be]: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."
I have always loved Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story." I like hearing how things came about. I like knowing how we received many of the terms and things we have today.
At Camp Meeting in Gentry this year I picked up this newspaper. It's dated Wednesday, May 30, 2001. On page E-8 near the bottom is a section called "America's Living National Treasure." It is all on "Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus." Do you remember "The Greatest Show on Earth" show? It reported they have been together for almost 100 years. What really caught my attention was the part called "Circus Lingo Is Part of Our Language." I was amazed at some of the circus language of yesterday is part of our verbal communication today.
For example, have you ever said, "Hold your horses" before? Sure we have. What do we mean? Basically it means, "Be patient". But "Hold your horses" is an old circus term warning carriage drivers to control their horses because the circus elephants were coming. Here's one. Years ago the man's name who invented the flying trapeze was Jules Leotard. He is mainly remembered because of his tight, stretchy one-piece costume he wore. This is were we got the word "leotard." Whenever you use the word "jumbo", again you are using a circus term that came from the world's most famous elephant "Jumbo." As Paul Harvey would say; Now you know the "Rest of the Story."
Do you know where the term "Christian" came from? Turn with me to Acts 11:26;
"And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."
This is the first time disciples of Jesus Christ were called "Christians". They were nicknamed "Christians" because it means "Christ Followers" or "People of Christ". Now you know a little of your family tree history. This is why we are all considered brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ today. Have you ever had a hard time living up to that name?
This morning I would like to look a little at Daniel and his three Hebrew friends and compare their life with our life. I would like to show you that Daniel and his friends had a purpose in life. And that purpose was to demonstrate to the world of their day and I believe our day too, what it truly means to be a "Follower of Christ" with a purpose in life. Turn with me to Daniel chapter one.
This book is named after its principal character, Daniel. The book starts out telling about many of the children of Judah being taken into captivity. Among the many taken were 4 young youths - Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. King Nebuchadnezzar saw in these 4 youths remarkable ability. He was determined that they would be trained to fill important positions in his kingdom.
First he wanted them to learn the language of the Chaldeans. So he arranged that for three years they were to be granted special education. But before this was to happen, their names were to be changed to names that represented Chaldean deities. The reason the king wanted their names changed is simple. The king hoped they would renounce their belief in the true God of heaven and worship the Babylonians gods.
In Biblical days, a great deal of significance was attached to the names given by Hebrew parents to their children. Often these stood for traits of character that the parent desired to see developed in their child. In verse 7 of Daniel One we see that Daniels name was changed to Belteshazzar. Hananiah was changed to Shadrach. Mishael to Meshach, and Azariah to Abednego.
"Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel [the name] of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego."
Daniel's name meant, "God is my judge." Hananiah meant, "Yahweh is gracious." Mishael probably meant, "Who belongs to God?" And Azariah meant, "Yahweh helps." But now their names meant something completely different. Each new name pointed to some Babylonian god.
Talk about a slap in the face! Changing their Hebrew name that pointed to the true God of heaven and earth to a false pagan god.
From the very start of their new careers came tests of whom they were devoted to. A true test of their characters. Chapter one shows that it was prearranged that they were to eat the food and wine that came from the king's table. The king was trying to show them things were not as bad as they thought. They were special to him. But a portion of the food had been offered to idols and anyone partaking of it would be showing homage to the gods of Babylon. Daniel and his 3 friends knew that a mere pretense of eating of the king's food would be a denial of their faith in the true God.
The Bible says in verse 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: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."
In other words, to eat the kings food would be like arraying themselves with heathenism and this would dishonor the principles of the law of God. You remember what happens next don't you? They asked to be given nothing but water to drink and vegetables to eat. In the end, they were 10 times healthier than the others.
By the way, have you ever thought about the fact that Daniel and his 3 friends were not the only youths taken from Judah? There were many taken captive. But why aren't the others mentioned? The answer is simple. They did not live up to what they had been taught and what they knew was the right thing to do.
Now lets bring that story down to the year 2002.
Have you ever been in Daniel and his friend's shoes before? I don't mean taken captive in some foreign land. I mean standing up for what you know to be right? I'm mainly talking about small issues in life. For example, do you bow your head in public to ask for God's blessing on your food? Do you witness to others about the God you serve? Do you say "no" to your boss when requested or demands you to work on the Sabbath? Do you kindly but firmly reject unclean food when offered to you?
The king in Daniel one said, "Give us the best and the brightest, and we'll train them. We'll educate them. We'll feed them the finest of foods." But look what happened to those that allowed the king to do just that. They walked away from everything they ever believed in the true God of heaven. So whom are you allowing to educate you today? The world or God? In other words, do you dare to be a Daniel in this age we live?
Need more persuasion? Ok, turn to chapter 3. Here is where Daniel's 3 friends stand up for God even though they knew it meant sure death. One day King Nebuchadnezzar decided to build a statue to look like the image in his dream of chapter 2. Only this statue was to be solid gold to prove the prophecy wrong. It was 100 feet high and 10 feet wide. Anyone who did not bow down would be put to death by being thrown into a fiery furnace.
Well, you know what happened next. Listen to verses 17 and 18; "If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver [us] out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
The music played, they stood up when everyone else bowed down. They were thrown into the fiery furnace, which was heated 7 times hotter then before. Then in verse 24 -26 we read these words;
"Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, [and] spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come [hither]. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire."
Friends, when they came out not one hair on their body was singed. They didn't even smell like smoke. The king was so overwhelmed he declared in verse 29 and 30;
"Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon."
These 3 men purposed in their hearts they would not bow down to any idol. They were not going to compromise. Is there a message there for us today? I think so. Listen to 1 Peter 4:12-13: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
This story in Daniel is proof positive that God doesn't always save us from fiery furnace, but save us in the fiery furnace. What fire can this world place on us that Jesus hasn't already walked through for us?
Look at Daniel again when he was cast into the lion's den. Turn with me to chapter 6. Look at verse 4;
"Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he [was] faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him."
Daniel was loyal to the king and his country as long as it did not contradict God's 10 Commandments. As the story goes some of the kings officials felt that they needed to get rid of Daniel so they sit up a trap for Daniel. Listen to verse's 8-14;
"Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask [a petition] of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing [is] true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which [is] of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard [these] words, was sore displeased with himself, and set [his] heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him."
Now jump down to verse 19-24; "Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: [and] the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast [them] into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den."
Now verse 26 and 27; "I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he [is] the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even] unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."
Throughout Daniel's life you find him and his 3 friends are faithful to God. They had a purpose in life. And that purpose was to never compromise their belief in God nor bow down to any false gods.
In Prophets and Kings page 490 we find these words. "The life of Daniel and his fellows is a demonstration of what He will do for those who yield themselves to Him and with the whole heart seek to accomplish His purpose."
What does Daniel's story tell us today? If the world should try and change your name - let them. Because your true identity is in your faith in Jesus.
If the world offers you wine and unclean foods - tell them that your feast table is the Word of God.
If the world demands you bow down to an image - remind them that God will protect you - even in the hottest of fires.
If you are ever tempted to compromise what you know is right, tell the devil "get behind me".
Do you Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand-alone! Dare to have a purpose firm! Dare to make it known! If so then always remember that the Lord's promise is more valuable than gold and silver to all who are doers of His Word.
Joshua 1:9 says: "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest."
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