Determined To Obey God
Memory Verse: Daniel 4:20
Life Application: God will honor our faithfulness.
Bible Text:
Daniel 1:1-21
2 Kings 20:16-18
Leviticus 11:47
Ezekiel 4:13
Deuteronomy 32:37-38
When Jehoiakim the king of Judah had ruled Judah for three years King Nebuchadnezzar sent soldiers to overthrow Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar’s solders took some items from the house of God.
Daniel 1:1-2 NKJV “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.”
Many years before, Isaiah had prophesied to Hezekiah that his descendants would be taken captive to serve the king of Babylon.
2 Kings 20:16-18 NKJV “Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord. ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”
King Nebuchadnezzar instructed Ashkenazy, the master of his eunuchs, to bring back strong, healthy, and intelligent young men from the royal families in Jerusalem. The king wanted these young men to serve in his palace. They were be taught the Chaldean language and literature. This training was to last for three years, and at the end of that period of time they would serve the king. Once in Babylon, as part of their preparation for service the king ordered them given a daily provision of his food and wine.
Daniel 1:3-5 NKJV “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.”
The young men that were taken were given new Babylonian names. Four of these young men were given the names Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. The Babylonians wanted these Jewish young men to forget their God. They thought a name change would help in making them forget. But a name change could not make them forget the true, loving, and holy God they served.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego knew that a name change would not change how they feel about God or their option of Him, or their trust in Him.
Daniel 1:6-7 NKJV “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.”
The Jewish young men knew that God had given specific dietary laws for His people to follow. The food ordered for them by the king was not prepared according to their Jewish laws, therefore they did not want to eat it. Also the king customarily offered his food and drink first to a false god.
Leviticus 11:47 NKJV “to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.’”
Ezekiel 4:13 NKJV “Then the Lord said, “So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”
Deuteronomy 32:37-38 NKJV “He will say: ‘Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge? Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, And be your refuge.”
For Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to eat the food first offered to idols would be a sign that they believed in those false gods. They decided not to make themselves impure by eating the kings food, because they did not want to displease God.
Daniel 1:8 NKJV “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.”
The four young men did not want to defile themselves, so Daniel asked Ashkenazy, the master of the eunuchs, for permission not to eat the king’s food. They wanted to eat the food that God had instructed them to.
Daniel 1:9-10 NKJV “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.”
Ashkenazy was afraid to allow the young men to eat something other than the food the king had ordered. He feared that the king would have him killed if Daniel and his friends looked worse than the other young men.
Daniel 1:11-13 NKJV “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.”
Daniel was determined not to eat the king’s food, or drink his wine so, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to give them a test for ten days. For these ten days they would eat only vegetables and drink water. After these ten days he could examine their appearance and compare it to the young men that eat the kings food and drink his wine.
Daniel 1:14 NKJV “So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.”
The steward granted Daniel and his friends a ten-day test. It is quiet possible that others made fun of them for not eating the same food, but they did what was right. They did not take into their bodies that which displeased God.
Daniel 1:15-16 NKJV “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.”
After the ten-day period of time, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego passed the test. They were stronger and healthier than the young men that ate the kings food, and they were allowed to continue to eat vegetables.
Daniel 1:17 NKJV “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.”
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego found favor with God because of their determination to obey Him and to keep themselves pure. God gave them knowledge and wisdom. God also gave Daniel the ability to understand dreams and visions.
Daniel 1:18-19 NKJV “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.”
When the period of their preparation was complete all the young men were all brought before the king. The king interview each one of them and Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego’s wisdom was much superior. In fact, they were found to be ten times better. God honored the young men by allowing them to serve before the king.
Daniel 1:19-20 NKJV “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.”
Daniel and his friends continued to serve in Babylon for many, many years. During this time God gave them more knowledge and wisdom than the kings magicians and astrologers.
Daniel 1:21 NKJV “Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.”
God honored David and his friends for their faithfulness.
Review
1. King Nebuchadnezzar instructed Ashkenazy to bring back strong, healthy, and intelligent young _____________ from the royal families in Jerusalem.
2. These young men were taught the Chaldean language and literature. How long did the training take?
3. The young men that were taken were given new Babylonian names. What were the names of four of these young men?
4. Why were the men given a new name?
5. The Jewish young men knew that _________had given specific dietary laws for His people to follow.
6. For Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego decided not to make themselves impure by eating the kings food. Why?
7. Daniel asked Ashkenazy for ________________________ not to eat the king’s food.
8. Why was Ashkenazy afraid to allow the young men to eat something other than the food the king had ordered?
9. After the ten-day period of time, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were stronger and __________________ than the young men that ate the kings food.
10. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego found favor with God because of their determination to __________ Him and to keep themselves pure.
11. How did God bless them for their faithfulness?
12. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego’s were found to be ____________ times wiser than the other young men.
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