• The year is 605 B.C and Daniel, the author, (a teenager at the time) along with 1000s of captives were deported to Babylon. It was a time of great uncertainty, much like what we are experiencing now in our nation.
• The Book of Daniel is divided into 2 parts: 1st part covers the tests of character/ integrity of Daniel (1-6) and the 2nd part (7-12) covers the prophetic side
• The Book of Daniel also covers the reigns of 2 kingdoms: Babylon and Medo-Persia, and 4 kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus
• The purpose of the Book of Daniel: To show that God in control of the destiny of all nations

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ² 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. (Daniel 1:1-2 NKJ)

• First thing that catches our attention here: The Lord delivered Israel into the hands of the enemy
• Why did God allow Israel to be captured by this evil king? Same reason as when we studied Gideon in the Book of Judges. The people rejected the Lord, chose evil, allowed lawlessness to rule in the land.
• Just to give you a picture: Here’s what prophet Jeremiah, God’s prophet during that period, said concerning the nation of Israel: “Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness” (Jeremiah 23:11)
• It was not Daniel’s plan to move to Babylon. I am sure that during this 900 mile (2 -3 months) journey from Israel to Babylon, this thought crossed his mind: Why Lord?

STATEMENT: Is it bad to ask God this question: Why Lord? Absolutely not. The real question here is: Are you ready to hear what He has to say and obey? WHEN YOU FOLLOW GOD, EVEN HIS SILENCE CAN SPEAKER LOUDER THAN WORDS!

• While many things do not make sense to us but all in all God remains sovereign.
• THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE UNIVERSE THAT IS OUTSIDE OF GOD’S INFLUENCE AND AUTHORITY.
• God was strategically placing Daniel and his friends in Babylon. To show Himself as the only true God. God needed Daniel to be His voice in Babylon!

³ 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, ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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 (Daniel 1:3-5 NKJ)

• Here’s what I find noteworthy about Daniel. Daniel was learning the literature and the language of the Chaldean. Daniel was studying a culture that was not his. I don’t think he was studying because he was forced to. I believe Daniel was studying their culture because he saw that as an opportunity to grow in wisdom.

STATEMENT: IN ORDER TO CHANGE A CULTURE WE MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND THAT CULTURE. IN ORDER TO REACH THE NEXT GENERATION, WE MUST STUDY THE NEXT GENERATION.

• Here’s what we must not do: Allow culture to dictate us and change us

 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 1:6-7 NKJ)

• The Babylonians are attempting to alter their identities by using conformity.

STATEMENT: This could not be more relevant to us now: If the enemy can bring confusion to our identity, he can change the narrative.

If the enemy can make you believe that you are not a child of God, He can change the way to see God’s promises for your life.

You will trade faith for fear and find a way to justify. You will distance yourself from God and find a way to justify. You will conform to the culture instead of changing it and find a way to justify it.

DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, but BE TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2 NKJ)

DON’T COPY THE BEHAVIOR AND CUSTOMS OF THIS WORLD, but LET GOD TRANSFORM YOU INTO A NEW PERSON by changing the way you think. (Romans 12:2 NLT)

STATEMENT: Conformity is the greatest enemy to your identity in Christ

⁸ 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. (Daniel 1:8 NKJ)

• THE DECISION NOT TO CONFORM HAS TO BE A PURPOSEFUL DECISION OF THE HEART
• In the Babylonian culture, King’s food was presented before idols. By eating it you were in essence putting another god before our God. Now listen to how Daniel navigated this problem: Daniel tactfully refused to eat the king’s food. Daniel knew that his true identity was not in his slave name but in God!
• He could not control what he was called but He could control what he would ingest

STATEMENT: You might not be able to control the chaos around you, but you can stop the chaos from building a nest in your mind! You might be able to change the narrative around you but you can change what you ingest!

• Daniel was a man of integrity. He purposed in his heart that God will always be first!
• Here’s a quote from Beth Moore: “The lifeblood of integrity is becoming the same person no matter where we are – no matter who’s around”
• When we become people of integrity, what we ingest on the inside becomes obvious from the outside.

HERE’S HOW CHAPTER 1 ENDS:

¹⁷ 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 1:17 NKJ)

• Daniel and his boys were found to be 10 times stronger and sharper. They found favor in the eyes of the King.
• Integrity will open doors that no man can shut!

CONCLUSION

• What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?