EXCELLING IN ALL THINGS I
Daniel 1:1-21
In the third year of
the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto
Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king
of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he
carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the
vessels into the treasure house of his god.
3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he
should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of
the princes; 4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well
favoured, and iskilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and
understanding kscience, and such as had ability in them to stand in
the king’s palace, and whom they might teach mthe learning and the
tongue of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed them a daily
provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing
them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 6 Now
among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah: 7 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 Abed-nego.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself
with the portion of the king’s xmeat, nor with ythe wine
which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he
might not defile himself. 9 Now God ahad brought
Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10 And
the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath
appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse
liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger
my head to the king. 11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the
prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 Prove
thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us cpulse
to eat, and water to drink. 13 Then let our countenances be
looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the
portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. 14 So
he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15 And
at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh
than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. 16 Thus
Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should
drink; and gave them pulse.
17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in
all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should
bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before
Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king communed with them; and among
them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore
stood they before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and
understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better
than all othe magicians and pastrologers that were in all
his realm. 21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of
king Cyrus.
I.
WE
ARE LIVING IN A FOREIGN BABYLONIAN SYSTEM.
1.
Historical Babylon
Genesis 10:8-10
8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one
on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod
the mighty hunter before the Lord.”
10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech,
Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Babel – (Arabic) Gateway of the gods
Hebrew - Confusion
Nimrod – “the rebel”
Genesis 11:1-9
Now the whole earth had one language and one
speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east,
that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then
they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.”
They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And
they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in
the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over
the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord
came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And
the Lord said, “Indeed the people
are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now
nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come,
let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand
one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord
scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they
ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel,
because there the Lord confused
the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Babylon
2 Kings 24:10-17
10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against
the city, and his servants did besiege it. 12 And Jehoiachin
the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his
servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him
in the eighth year of his reign. 13 And
he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s
house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel
had made in the temple of the Lord,
as the Lord had said. 14 And
he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of
valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none
remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. 15 And
he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s
wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into
captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And all the men of
might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were
strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to
Babylon. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s
brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
Cyrus: Bright
Light in Babylon at one point
Exodus 5:12-16
13 But in the first year
of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this
house of God. 14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the
house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem,
and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out
of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was
Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 15 And said unto him,
Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and
let the house of God be builded in his place. 16 Then came the
same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in
Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet
it is not finished.
2.
Spiritual Implications
of Babylon
BABYLON IS NAME FOR
SYSTEMS AGAINST GOD
1 Peter 5:13
13 The church that is at
Babylon (Rome), elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my
son.
Revelations 14:8
8 And there followed
another angel, saying, zBabylon is fallen, is fallen, that great
city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication.
Revelations 17:3-6
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the
wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names
of blasphemy, nhaving seven heads and oten horns. 4 And
the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and
precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of
abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon
her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF
HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the
woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs
of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Revelations 18:1-24
And after these
things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the
earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily
with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, And is
become the habitation of devils, And the hold of every foul spirit, And a cage
of every unclean and hateful bird.
3.
7 Manifestations of
Babylon
i.
The originator and
progenitor of false religion. Rev 17:5
ii.
She is enthroned upon
the nations. Rev 17:15
iii.
The center of global
commerce. Rev 18:3b
iv.
Ultimate symbol of
human rebellion against God. Rev 18:7
v.
Intoxicates the
nations with sexual immorality Rev 17:2
vi.
Becomes obsessed with
persecuting God’s saints Rev 17:6
vii.
Empowered by and paves
the way for the Antichrist
viii.
Destroyed quickly and
completely. Rev 18:10
1 Peter 2:11
11 Beloved, I beg you
as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the
soul.
1 Corinthians 4:3-4
3 But if our gospel be
hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
II.
OUR CALLING IS TO REPRESENT OUR KING IN
BABYLON
1.
We must come to terms
with our calling
III.
EXCELLENCE REQUIRED
1.
Spiritual Excellence
(Don’t let them change your name)
6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 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.
(“Daniel,”
God my Judge,
“Belteshazzar,”
that is, “Bel’s prince
Hananiah—that is, “whom Jehovah hath favored.”
Shadrach—from Rak, in
Babylonian, “the King,” that is, “the Sun”;, inspired or illumined by the
Sun-god.”
Mishael—that is, “who is what God is?” Who is
comparable to God?
Meshach—The
Babylonians retained the first syllable of Mishael, the Hebrew name; but for
El, that is, God, substituted
Shak, the Babylonian goddess, called Sheshach (Je 25:26; 51:41), answering to
the Earth, or else Venus, the goddess of love and mirth; it was during her
feast that Cyrus took Babylon.
Azariah—that is, “whom Jehovah helps.”
Abed-nego—that is, “servant of the shining
fire.”
2.
Natural Excellence
4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking,
gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand,
who had (Humble and Teachable) ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom
they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans
o
Development of natural
skill (gifted)
o
Must play by the rule
book of your area
3.
Realize the King has
equipped us
4.
He is with us
Realize you are sent….
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