The Daniel Dilemma, Week One

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 delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Daniel 1:1-5 (NIV) Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king's service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. Daniel 1:1-5 (NIV) He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. Daniel 1:1-5 (NIV) He will try to change our identity Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Daniel 1:6-7 (NIV) The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. Daniel 1:6-7 (NIV) Daniel: "God is my Judge" Belteshazzar: "Lady protect the King" Hananiah: "Yahweh is my protector" Shadrach: "I am fearful of God" Mishael: "Who can compare to my God? No one!" Meshach: "I am despised, contemptible, and humiliated" Azariah: "Yahweh has helped" Abednego: "Servant of Nebo" When culture shifts, you have to know who you are. He will challenge our convictions But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.  Daniel 1:8 (NIV) When culture shifts, we must reaffirm our convictions. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." Daniel 1:9-10 (NIV) He will create a confrontation Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days… Daniel 1:11-14 (NIV) When culture shifts, we have to respond the right way. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. Daniel 1:18-20 (NIV) In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. Daniel 1:18-20 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14  (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9  (NIV) Without truth, we are CORRUPT. Without grace, we are CONDEMNED. Without truth, we become WORLDLY. Without grace we become JUDGMENTAL. Truth without grace is MEAN. Grace without truth is MEANINGLESS. Grace INVITES us to be FREE. Truth SETS us FREE. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. John 8:3-11 (NIV) In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. John 8:3-11 (NIV) But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. John 8:3-11 (NIV) At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. John 8:3-11 (NIV) "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:3-11 (NIV)