Expository Sermon on Daniel 1 and 2
by Maylan Schurch
Bellevue Seventh-day Adventist Church 11/2/2024
©2024 by Maylan Schurch
(To watch this entire worship service, click the link just below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB2F8QIKLVc&t=2625s)
Please open your Bibles to Daniel Chapter One.
As you know, this is a very stressful time for people who have been concerned about the upcoming election.
As you might be aware, churches and church leaders are not allowed to advocate for or against any particular political candidate. Neither can any charitable organization. The law prohibiting this gives us our special tax status, and this is the same for the Neighborhood Church eight blocks north, the Mormon and Muslim congregations six blocks east, and the Baptist Church, about the same distance south.
So that means that I’m not going to be telling you who to vote for next Tuesday. I can, however, encourage you to make sure that you do vote, which I plan to. Sometime this weekend, Shelley and I will sit down with our ballots, study through the voters’ guide, and mark our decisions. Then we will drive those ballots over to the voter drop box outside our public library.
But what about the stress? Is there anything that a Christian can do to take away some of the concern and apprehension and worry about this election?
As I was wondering what to preach about today, I decided to look at the book of Daniel – not to preach about prophecy, but to look at how Daniel himself handled political stress. This week I read through the entire book, and I took notes on what Daniel did as he faced his own uncertain future. And this morning I’d like to share five of his principles with you.
As I made this decision, I have a good idea that Jesus – from heaven – nodded in agreement. After all, in Matthew 24:15, He recommended the careful study of this book.
And I think that as we watch Daniel employ these five principles, we can feel more courage about what lies ahead.
So let’s get started.
The year is 605 BC, and the teenage Daniel is about to become a prisoner of war.
Daniel 1:1 – 8: In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
If you’re taking down sermon points, here comes Sermon Point One. What was the first principle Daniel followed as he faced his uncertain future? Here it is:
Start – and stay – pure.
There are a dozen excuses Daniel could’ve given if he had wanted to ignore this principle. He could’ve said to himself, “You know what? All bets are off. I have been forced from my country. For all I know, I may never see my homeland again. Does God really have jurisdiction over here in Babylon? Maybe I can ignore Him. When in Rome, maybe I should do as the Romans do.”
The good chance is that thoughts like this never even flitted through Daniel’s mind. Instead, for some reason, he knew that the king’s food would not be pure food for him to eat. If he ate and drank this food, he would be defiled. So Daniel insisted that for at least 10 days, he would become a vegan. Vegetables and water only.
You see, since the march from Judah to Babylon took many days – and this was walking not riding — Daniel had had a lot of time to think about how he would behave in his new culture. He probably decided, early on, that no matter what, he would stay pure. Maybe he remembered how Joseph had made the same resolve as a captive in Egypt.
Start – and stay – pure. Daniel decided that he would live God’s way.
Watch what happens:
Verses 9 – 20: Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.” So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.
So what does this have to do with me? How can I apply this principle? Well, Daniel started pure, and stayed pure.
I didn’t grow up as a Seventh-day Adventist. My parents sent me to an Adventist elementary school, and later I was baptized when I was probably 16 or 17. During that time I learned, from the Bible, and from going to church, what the Bible specifically said about how to behave. I believed that the 10 Commandments all ten of them, meant what they said. I believe that God’s health guidelines mean what they say. I was taught that the ideal lifestyle was the one in Eden, and even though we can’t yet fully live that way today, we should get as close as possible.
And of course purity goes far beyond just health. Jesus taught that sin begins in the heart, so we should ask Him to cleanse our hearts so that we can behave well from the inside out.
So I think we need to do is to go back and study from the Bible what we ought to do. From that point, we should start pure, and stay pure, as Daniel did, and not defile ourselves in ways we shouldn’t.
After what we’ve just read, let’s lay down Sermon Point Two. What’s another principle Daniel followed to face his own uncertain future?
Daniel’s first principle was to start and stay pure. His second principle was to partner with God.
I mean, that 10-day health test really put God on the spot, in a way. Wasn’t that maybe a bit presumptuous of Daniel to suggest that short of a time? Maybe we can picture God blinking his eyes in surprise. “Just 10 days? Well, I guess we can work with that.”
Or maybe it was God who put the 10-day timeframe in Daniel’s mind. But however it worked, Daniel was definitely partnering with God. Daniel was reaching out for some rather dramatic help. And when you think of it, maybe that is what brings God His greatest joy.
We don’t dare get presumptuous with this, of course. Even though Jesus insists that we should have faith that moves mountains, I have never moved mountains with my faith. A couple of times when I was a kid I walked outside and fixed my eyes on some low hills ten miles to the west, and ordered them to move. They didn’t budge.
But all through the Bible, the famous people whom we name our kids after partnered with God. They firmly believed that God would then step into partnership with them, and would work with them to advance Heaven’s cause.
Daniel’s partnership with God was based firmly on his knowledge of the Bible. Daniel had entered so completely into God’s Word that he sensed the kind of partnerships God entered into.
So how can I increase my partnership with God? Well, I need to immerse myself in the Bible the way Daniel did with the amount of Bible he had at that point. When I read through the book of Daniel this week, it took me about a half-hour. You can get a breathtaking grasp of a Bible book by reading large portions of it at once. Try to ignore the verse numbers, because sometimes they artificially chop up the meaning into little slice-and-dice segments. Read through an entire gospel at one sitting if you can.
If we do this, I believe it this will give us courage to center ourselves in God’s plans, so that You can partner with Him in ways He knows are best.
In Daniel chapter 2, this young man – probably in his late teens – will suddenly find himself faced with a frightening opportunity to partner with God in another matter.
Daniel 2:1 – 3: Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”
And of course the first thing the Chaldeans do is to ask him what the dream was. But he refuses to tell them. He basically says, “You’re going to have to tell me the dream itself, otherwise I’m going to have serious doubts that you can give me the correct interpretation of it. So tell me what it is. And if you can’t, I’ll know you are fakes. And I’m going to have you killed.” (That’s how things were done in those brutal days.)
Of course the Chaldeans are horrified, and they make a very important statement. Let’s start with verse 10.
Verses 10 – 11: The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
And of course this is true. These men are admitting that the king needs divine help.
And this makes the king even more outraged. These are the men who claimed to be in touch with the gods. He’s been paying them to consult the gods and give him advice about the future. And now they’re admitting that they’re not in touch with these gods at all.
So the king gives his ultimatum.
Verses 12 – 16: For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel. So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.
Now watch what Daniel does next. He is about to deploy his next principle for facing uncertain times.
Verses 17 – 18: Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Did you notice Daniel’s third principle which helped him face an uncertain future?
Daniel’s first principle was to start and stay pure. His second principle was to partner with God. His third principle was to find a faithful cohort.
What’s a cohort? The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “a group or band of people.” Daniel’s cohort, of course, was made up of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, whose Babylonian names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
But of course Daniel didn’t wait to gather a cohort until he was in trouble. These four young men had been friends before this. Later on in the book of Daniel, the other three will show that they themselves are just as courageous as Daniel when it comes to standing true to God.
Okay, what’s so important about finding a faithful cohort? Well, if we glance back through Bible history, we see that God works in groups. He calls individuals, such as Moses or Abraham or David, but He calls them to gather around them cohorts of faithful people. Jesus had a cohort of 12 disciples, with an even smaller cohort of Peter, James, and John.
In this congregation, there are many cohorts. There’s a group of elders, there is a group of deacons, a group of deaconesses. There are children’s divisions leaders and helpers. There’s the potluck committee, the social committee, the music committee, and I’m leaving several out. In the summer, when we have vacation Bible school, this whole campus is teeming with members of several cohorts. They work together, pray together, and encourage each other.
How do you join a cohort? You attend a Sabbath school class, and bring your kids to theirs. You attend the Bible study in the book of John which is happening just after potluck today in the fireside room. You study the Bible with individuals if you get the opportunity. You talk together in the foyer after church. You bring something to each of our potlucks, and while the potluck is happening, you can have a pleasant time talking with the group at your table. You can join our prayer call, which is another cohort, Wednesday evenings at 7:30.
Daniel knew he needed the prayers of his friends. So they prayed together, and God answered their prayers.
Verse 19: Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision . . . .
And here comes Daniel’s next principle which with he faced his uncertain future. See if you can spot it.
Verses 19 – 23: Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him. “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”
Here comes principle number four:
Daniel’s first principle for facing an uncertain future was to start and stay pure. His second principle was to partner with God. His third principle was to find a faithful cohort. And Daniel’s fourth principle was to give God gratitude and glory.
You know what Daniel could have done? Once he had received the secret of the dream, he could’ve said, “Okay, guys, let’s all get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.”
Instead, the first thing Daniel does is to give God gratitude and glory. First, he declares God’s power and abilities. And then he directly thinks God for His help.
This is a really key principle. My parents taught me that when you pray to God about something, whatever it is, the first thing you need to do is think Him. I have a hardback notebook at home which I use as sort of a prayer journal. Just a few nights ago I was writing in it, praying about something. But before I started listing my request, I spent about a page thanking the Lord for His blessings.
And whenever I do this, I always find that by the time I’m done with my thanking section, I am quite a bit more relaxed than I was when I started. Because as I think about the ways God has come through for me in the past, my confidence begins to build that He will help me with these new issues.
Also, God needs all the thanks He can get. Because when we thank the Lord, when we give him the glory for the way things have turned out for us in the past, it’s like we are voting for him in some gigantic, cosmic election. God needs our votes. He needs our endorsement. And the reason He needs our votes is that if we vote for Him, the people in our lives who don’t know Him as well as we do begin to look curiously in His direction.
And then, of course, Daniel goes to the king and describes the dream in detail, and then gives God’s interpretation.
Right now I’d like the audiovisual team to roll down the screen and show you a slide I sent them. It’s going to be pretty familiar to you, but let me tell you about.
(AV Team shows the photo of the Daniel 2 image)
How many of you have seen this diagram before? That image on the left, of course, is the one Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. And then in the columns to the right are comparisons between the parallel symbols of prophecies in Daniel 7 and 8. And over on the right it identifies what those symbols mean.
But here is what surprised me about this picture when I first saw it. This is not from a Seventh-day Adventist publication. This is from the popular and respected NIV Study Bible, published by Zondervan. If you match it up against an Adventist version of this diagram, you see that the two diagrams agree. The only difference is at the bottom, where this diagram doesn’t go into detail about the feet of iron and clay.
You see, this Bible was produced by a large group of Christian scholars and pastors, and the fact that this diagram is here means that there was a general consensus that Daniel’s image does indeed predict world history.
And I think this is another principal which can keep us serene as we walk into next week and the weeks beyond.
So what is this principle? Let’s make this the last one.
Daniel’s first principle was to start and stay pure. His second principle was to partner with God. His third principle was to find a faithful cohort. Daniel’s fourth principle was to give God gratitude and glory. And Daniel’s fifth principle is to keep mining your Bible for answers.
Are you worried about the future? Daniel, and Jesus, and Paul, and Peter, in the book of Revelation all speak about the future. We know in broad outlines what is going to happen.
This same Daniel chart has encouraged many Christians from many denominations, and has allowed them to face the future, knowing that God will eventually set up a kingdom which will cause all other kingdoms to evaporate.
So I think it would really be encouraging to review Bible prophecies again. Read the book of Daniel through, because you will not only see those prophecies again, but you will hear stories about how Daniel’s heart-lifting principles we’ve talked about really do work.
Study Jesus’ prophecies in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. Study Paul’s second coming prophecies in First Corinthians 15 and First Thessalonians 4. Read Revelation 20, and Revelation 21.
Because what these prophecies clearly tell me is that it shouldn’t be long until Jesus’ return. This knowledge shouldn’t cause us concern, but joy. This knowledge should cause us to put Daniel’s principles vigorously work as we illuminate our part of this planet with the reflected love of God.