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Sincere Faith Daniel 1:8-21
This was a success story all the way. While Daniel was to be commended for his sin- cere faith, it was God who brought about this success.
God not only caused the official to show favor to Daniel, he also gave Daniel and his friends knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learn- ing. In addition to that, God gave Daniel understanding of
visions and dreams. When Daniel and his three friends were presented to Nebuchad- nezzar they were found to be ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters. God’s providence extended even into the next political regime, that of Cyrus of Per- sia.
A sincere faith will help us stand strong.
It is wise to make trusting
and obeying God alone our true purpose in life. This will give us direction and peace in spite of the circumstances or consequences.
In order to fulfill your life’s purpose, you need staying power. Don’t let your faith become blurred by the world. Be relentless in your prayers, stay firm in your integrity and be content to serve God wherever he puts you.
Daniel was a young He- brew captive, who served in two different political regimes and whose name means “God is my judge,” had a most sincere faith.
This year begins with four lessons from the book of Daniel.
The first seven verses of the book give us the historical context.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquered Jerusalem. He deported many young men and women without blemish, of good ap- pearance, and skillful in wis- dom, knowledge, and understanding from Jerusalem to Babylon (Daniel 1:4).
Daniel (Belteshazzar) and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (names changed by king to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) were among them.
Nebuchadnezzar ordered that these young Hebrews submit to a regimen of edu- cation and diet. He even changed their names in an ef- fort to change their identi- ties.
Sincere Faith Lives By Resolution Daniel 1:8-10
Our text begins with, “But Daniel resolved.” To serve God effectively takes more than human resolve. But rarely do God’s people ever progress in their faith with- out a strong resolution to do so. Daniel was not about to allow a pagan king to com- promise his identity or faith. So, he decided not to defile himself.
The context of this resolu- tion has to do with food and drink. Daniel and his friends chose not to eat this food be- cause the meat was probably pork or some other forbidden food (see Leviticus 11), it was not prepared according to Jewish law, and it had been sacrificed to idols. Al- though Daniel was a captive in a land that did not follow God’s laws, he still obeyed them himself.
It is easier to resist temp- tation if you have thought through your convictions well before the temptation arises.
Daniel and his friends made their decisions to be faithful to the laws of their religion before they were faced with king’s delicacies,
so they did not hesitate to stick with their convictions.
Sometimes we get into trouble because we have not previously decided where to draw the line. Before such situations arise, decide on your commitments.
This was not just any food and drink. This was the king’s food and drink. This official was concerned for his own head if Daniel did not look as good as the other cap- tives. Daniel was confident that God would honor his sincere faith.
Sincere Faith Is Willing To Be Tested Daniel 1:11-16
Paul told the church in Corinth to examine them- selves to see if they were in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Daniel’s resolve gave him the confidence to suggest a test. This was one way he could put the king’s official at ease. Daniel suggested to the guard, whom the official had placed over him (and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—their Hebrew names), that they be given a test.
The test was a 10-day ex- periment. The Daniel diet was nothing but vegetables and water. This allowed him to bypass any questions of conscience with the king’s royal food. After 10 days a comparison would be made between Daniel and his three friends and the others.
Once the comparison was made the results were obvi- ous. Daniel and his friends were healthier and better nourished than the other young men. The test suc- ceeded. The guard then al- lowed them to continue with their preferred diet.
Daniel and his friends learned all they could about their new cultures so they could do their work with ex- cellence. But while they learned, they maintained steadfast allegiance to God. Culture need not be God’s enemy. If it does not violate his commands, it can aid in accomplishing his purpose. We who follow God are free to be competent leaders in our culture, but we are re- quired to pledge allegiance to our God first.
Sincere Faith Looks For God’s Providence
Daniel 1:17-21
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5 , 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-B