38. Nebuchadnezzar's Troubled Dream

Time: 604 BC
Place:  King's Bedroom
Event:  Nebuchadnezzar's Troubled Dream
Scripture: Daniel 2:1-16

Read Daniel 2:1-16 - I highlighted some wordings in "red" so that you can visually see the significant points as you read the passage:

"In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 

2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 

3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 

4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 

5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall betorn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 

6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honour. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 

7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 

8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 

9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 

10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.

11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” 

12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.

13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 

We will note a few points here and you can watch the video:

• Nebuchadnezzar had several 'dreams'.
• These dreams were so alarming and disturbing that he was unable to sleep for nights.
• He was devastated and called in the magicians and enchanters to tell him his dreams.
• He could not even 'verbalize' his dreams.  
• In his anxiety, he isolated to one dream that he wanted the interpretation.
• He was strickened with panic as he could not remember much of the details.
• He wanted his dream to be made known.
• No one could tell him what his dream was and its interpretation
• In his fury, Nebuchadnezzar commanded all the wise men to be killed.

This was how 'desperate' and 'deeply troubled' Nebuchadnezzar was with his dream:

Tomorrow we will look into the content of his dream.

Daniel 2:14-16

14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 

15 He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 

16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king."

:)

37. 604 BC - Daniel 2 Times of the Gentiles

Time:  604 BC
Place:  Nebuchadnezzar's palace
Event:  Nebuchadnezzar's First Dream

The Book of Daniel records Nebuchadnezzar's two big dreams.

Daniel Chapter 2 talks about his first dream.

Daniel 2:1 "In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams.  His spirit was troubled and his sleep left him."

Homework:

Take out your Timeline Graph and let's fill in Chapter 2.

Let's note down a few insights here:

• This event happened while Daniel was still in his 3 years of training program

• As you can see God's judgement came upon the Israelites because they had spiritually degenerated into gross idolatry.   The Israelites had already begun in captivity in Babylon (605 BC)  with the second group coming in 7 years time (597 BC)  and then the impending destruction of Jerusalem only 18 years away (586 BC).

• Now God chooses a new path to reveal his revelation. This is the beginning of the "Times of Gentiles", a term that our Lord Jesus uses in the Gospel.

• This prophetic revelation is given through this Gentile king, Nebuchadnezzar.

• The prophecy is not just for the Gentiles but for everyone including the Israelites, and God chooses Daniel to be the instrument to interpret these dreams.

Tomorrow we will talk about his first dream.

:)

36. King Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel Chapter 2 begins with these words:  "In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams.  His spirit was troubled and his sleep left him."

The entire chapter talks about his troubled dream and how Daniel finally told him his dream and interpreted it for him with God's wisdom.  At that time Daniel was still in the middle of his training. In our next few articles, we will expound on Nebuchadnezzar's  troubled dream.


Today, we will talk about the man Nebuchadnezzar.


Nebuchadnezzar was a tremendous soldier, a statesman, a politician and an amazing architect.

Nebuchadnezzar had a great military mind.  He was the one who took his army and overthrew the Assyrian Empire at the Battle of Carchemish.  Assyria was finished. He even chased the Egyptians all the way back to Egypt and engulfed Israel taking the first group of captives with him in 605 BC.

He designed many gigantic buildings and all the wonders of Babylon that we know today.  Even the great hanging garden was air conditioned, something that is unbelievable in a primitive society.  As you can see, Nebuchadnezzar built  an incredibly modern city of  Babylon as he developed his great Empire.

Nebuchadnezzar worshiped the god of  Marduk in Babylon. 

He was the patron deity of the city of Babylon.  

Nebuchadnezzar built a Marduk Temple for people to worship his god.

Nebuchadnezzar ruled for 43 years.

Book of Daniel teaches us that ultimately God is the one who rules in human history.


:)

35. Daniel living in 'extraordinary times'

Daniel's days were marked with 'extraordinary' times witnessing many 'great historical events'.  

• He experienced the great spiritual revival years when the Book of the Law was discovered in the Temple in Josiah's reign in 622 BC.

• He was nurtured under the preaching of Jeremiah.

• As a lad, he saw the collapse of Nineveh, the mighty and capital city of the Assyrian Empire in 612 BC.  

• Daniel's life encompassed the entire era of the Babylonian kingdom.  He was born possibly around 620 BC - 625 BC, the time when the Babylonian nation was born.  He lived all the way to the reign of Cyrus, who destroyed the  Babylonian kingdom forever and brought in the Kingdom of the Medes and the Persians. 

• Daniel served Nebuchadnezzar during the golden kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar that lasted for 43 years.

• Daniel being a foreigner served in the highest official capacity in the governments of two successive world empires - from Babylon to Media-Persia.

God raises up his man in times of crisis.

Today we are also living in a time of crisis.  Sometimes we give excuse to ourselves that we live in difficult turbulent times, therefore it is difficult for us to stand up and live out our faith.  Look at Daniel.  He was a man of tremendous courage.  He was a man with fearless spiritual commitment to Yahweh God.  He could never be bought with money and power as Belshazzar attempted on him.  He was a man that was not corrupted by power and authority.  He was a man of prayer who knew how to pray and get through to God. He was a man who loved God and beloved by God.  He was a man of crisis and lived through the difficult times in history, and his life 'shone forth' like the stars in the sky.

Daniel 12:3 "But those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above."

Let us not make excuses for ourselves anymore.

Will you also become wise in this generation?
Will you make that choice for God today?

God help us to have many Daniels in these last days.

:)

34. Dan 1:21 Daniel remained until 1st year of King Cyrus

Daniel Chapter 1 ends with these words:  And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

2 Chronicle 36:22-23 ends the book of history with these words:  In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, Yahweh moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may Yahweh their God be with them.’”

Daniel was there throughout the 70 years of captivity and was present even in the court of Cyrus when Cyrus liberated the people to return home to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. What a glorious moment that is!


It is obvious that Daniel plays a vital role during Cyrus' reign. 

• Daniel had read what Jeremiah had prophesied about the "70 years of captivity". 

• Daniel Chapter 1 begins with 605 BC when Daniel  was carried off as a slave by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.

• By the time of Cyrus reign, Daniel realized that the 70 years of captivity was coming to an end.

• Daniel would have laid before Cyrus about the prophecy of Jeremiah that at the end of 70 years, the people would return to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 29:10, "For thus says Yahweh: When 70 years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

• Daniel would have laid before Cyrus about the prophecies spoken through Isaiah that the people would return to Jerusalem.  

Isaiah 44:28, "who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,”  and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’

Can you  picture Daniel at an old age in his late 80's talking to Cyrus about these prophecies?

• Imagine - Isaiah was ministering in the 8th Century BC (740 BC - 701 BC).  157 years before Cyrus was born, Isaiah had  a prophecy containing this monarch's name.

• Surely, 157 years later, this heather ruler named Cyrus  came on the throne.

• Cyrus decree was issued in 536 BC to let the exiles return to Jerusalem.

Cyrus is mentioned 23X in the Old Testament.

Isaiah refers to Cyrus as Yahweh's “shepherd” (Isa 44:28) and Yahweh's “anointed,” (Isa 45:1) who was providentially appointed to facilitate the divine plan.

Read Isaiah 45.  God would lead this monarch to “subdue nations” and “open doors”.  He would make “rough places smooth" to help the Hebrews to return to their homeland.  

The fulfillment of these plain and specific predictions is set forth in 2 Chronicles 36:22, 23 and Ezra 1:1-4, 7, 8; 3:7; 4:3.

:)

33. Dan 1:18-20 "None were equal" & "10 Times Better" Part 3

Time:  605 BC
Place:  King's Court
Scripture:  Daniel 1:18-20

Daniel 1:18-20

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.  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.

I cannot help but think of Daniel & his 3 friends as 'faithful remnants' all the way from Josiah's revival. 

While Josiah's spiritual revival of the recovery of the Book of the law made absolutely no impact on his sons and grandson  (Jehohaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin,  Zedekiah - the last 4 kings of Judah and they were bad kings), it made a 'lasting spiritual impact' on Daniel and his 3 friends.  

Think about this!  In every generation, God raises up a faithful remnant to carry on His mission.


How true this is! Many people go to church. Many Christians are religious. Many give up their faith along the way.  Many end up going back to he world.   Who is willing to remain true to the end?

Today, may God find in our church a Daniel,  a Hananiah,  a Mishael, and an Azariah.  

Ah my beloved, let us look up and pray for God to raise up this kind of faithful remnant in these last days for His glory and purpose.

:)

32. Dan 1:18-20 "None were equal" & "10 Times Better" Part 2

Time:  605 BC
Place:  King's Court
Scripture:  Daniel 1:18-20

Daniel 1:18-20

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.  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 and his 4 friends - none were equal to them & they were 10X Better


We must remember that Daniel and his 4 friends were outstanding  because God acted for them on their behalf.  

• Dan 1:9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the steward.
• Dan 1:17 God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom.  

They were 'found worthy' in the sight of God, so God acted for them.


God acted on their behalf so that the steward and even the King were  kind and gracious to Daniel.  

When we stand up uncompromisingly for the truth, God always takes up our defense and works out His purpose.  

Proverbs 16:7 says that "when a man's way please Yahweh,  he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."


From the life of Daniel and his 3 friends, they portray to us what God can do to people who are faithful to God. 

• They never make themselves to be the victims of unfavorable circumstances.  
• After all, Nebuchadnezzar was a fierce and angry king.  
• God performs miraculous work in their lives that even the heathen king is highly impressed with their quality of life.  

Yahweh God blesses people who are totally committed to Him. How precious this is indeed!

Where are these faithful people today?

:)

31. Dan 1:18-20 "None were equal" & "10 Times Better" Part 1

Time:  605 BC
Place:  King's Court
Scripture:  Daniel 1:18-20


Daniel 1:18-20

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.  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.

 
The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah;


Chapter 1  tells us that Daniel and his friends are on a different level from the others.  

• These 4 people go past the minimum and they reach standards for themselves that exceed the norm.  
• These 4 people stand above the crowd.  
• These 4 people don't choose the good.  They choose the best.  
• These 4 people  stand firm in their convictions and beliefs to please God above all else.  
• They are uncompromising people that go past the crowd.  
• Their performance and wisdom are a cut above the rest because they choose to live at a level of total commitment to God that is beyond the rest of the other Israelites who were also there for the 3 years of training.  
• Even the older magicians and enchanters with all their experiences in the whole kingdom do not match up to them.

What a testimony!  

They just shine out like the stars forever.

• The king only needed to talk to these young men to recognize their great character and quality of life.  From his conversation with them, he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

• The king questioned them in every matter of wisdom and understanding and discovered they were 10 times better than the others.

Tomorrow, we will look at Part 2 :)

30. Daniel 1:10-26 TEST your servants for 10 Days Part 2

Time:  605 BC

Place:  King's court

Scripture:  Daniel 1:12

“Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 

Give us Vegetables and water!

This is a test of "Self Denial"!

While there is nothing wrong eating lavishly in the king's court, a spiritual man must learn 'self discipline' in 'self denial' when dealing with the world.  

When facing worldly offers, it is always good to take the route of 'self denial' and let go of legitimate self pleasures.  

Learn to refrain yourself from the legitimate things of the world and choose a 'simple' way of life.  Today we live in a world of self indulgence.  We are not rich but we are not poor at all.  You have enough money to buy the things you  want from the world.  The question is:  can you 'deny' yourself from such desires?

No wine but water.  Can you?  Just water.

We love indulging ourselves to all kinds of 'special gourmet' around us, especially in Hong Kong. We have the money to upgrade our eating standard, so we say, 'why not?' 

Learn to forget about all the exotic tea and coffee that you can buy readily.  Just water. Deny yourself.  Can you?  

It is good to say 'no' to the world.  There is a price to pay.  We are called to take up our cross and deny the 'self' to follow the path of the cross of Jesus.

Do you have the conquering faith to say 'no' to what the world readily offers on a platter pushed right in front of you?

Will you say 'no' to the world?

Will you be willing to take only vegetables and water?   

Just live a simple life? 

:)

29. Daniel 1:10-26 TEST your servants for 10 Days Part 1

Time:  605 BC

Place:  King's court

Daniel 1:10-16

10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.”

11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 

12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 

13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 

14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 

15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food. 

16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Notice Daniel was NOT passive in this matter of 'not defiling himself.'

• Daniel saw through the difficult situation of the steward and then addressed his legitimate concerns

• Daniel was not unreasonable and insistent

• Daniel was firm, gracious and persistent with his principle

• Daniel took the initiative to suggest a workable plan that would not put the steward in crisis

• Daniel was a man of faith.  This seed of faith springs forth from a pure heart of 'not defiling' himself. 

How is Daniel's Faith manifested?

1. 'put us to the test' - our faith needs to be put to the tested
2. time is needed for the test - 10 days
3. he gives a proposal: instead give us vegetables and water 

The steward then consented to Daniel regarding this new proposal.

When we face awkward situations, we must look to God for wisdom not to be insistent, but have the wisdom to be flexible enough to let our faith be tested and come up with a wise proposal.

:)

28. Dan 1:9 - 21 And God Gave.....

Time:  605 BC
Place: King's Court

Today, I want to share with you how God acts when His people dares to stand up to live a holy life and not defile themselves.

Daniel 1:8 - Daniel takes the step of faith to live up to the holy calling. He resolves not to defile himself and so refuses the pleasure of food from the King.


Step of faith often requires some actions on our part.

1.  Daniel Spoke Up
2.  Daniel Asks


**Whenever we act in faith and stand up for God, God responds**

God always responds!

1.  Daniel 1:9  God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the enuchs.
2.  Daniel 1: 17 God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom...


I will be short today because I want you to meditate on these 2 verses: "God gave..."


In later articles, I will be expounding more on God's actions in blessing His people when we respond to Him in faith.




God responded and blessed Daniel and his 3 friends remarkable ways.

The same for you if you resolve not to defile yourself and live a live a holy life.

:)

27. Daniel 1:8 Resolves not to defile himself Part 3

Time:  605 BC
Place:  King's Court
Scripture:  Daniel 1:8



Daniel 1:8  -  Daniel 'resolved' that  he would 'not defile himself' with the King's food or with the wine that he drank.  Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him 'not to defile himself.'

"Not to defile oneself" means "to live a holy life."  It is 2 sides of the same coin.

Daniel resolves to  live a "holy life"

We must commit to live a life of  holiness.  Daniel has the spiritual insight to see through the cunning of the enemy and the world's temptation to stray him from living a holy life, thus there must be this commitment - to live a life of purity.

Remember Daniel is a growing youth.  It is especially needful for youths today to keep themselves pure.  Our beloved young people, have you made a commitment to live a life of purity?

Today, make this decision to live a life of purity like Daniel! :)

God calls us to live a holy life and to be "saints of the Most High" in this world.

• "saints of the Most High" is a peculiar phrase in Daniel
• "saints of the Most High" - 4 X (Dan 7:18,22, 25, 27)

As you can see, there is this overall theme in Daniel - to be saints of the Most High.  Saints in the Bible means 'the holy ones.'  Our calling as Christians are to be saints of the Most High.

Dan 7:25 mentions that Satan shall wear out the 'saints of the Most High".  While Satan sometimes attacks suddenly, often times his attacks are gradual and slow.  He wants to work on you to wear you out slowly until you are so worn out completely over an extended period of time.  Why? To get you to throw in the towel and give up!

Holiness does not come about by chance. It is fought with many long spiritual battles.  We must fight them with purpose.  You must be on guard.  You must fight with fear and trembling.  You must fight against the downward pull of Satan to knock you out.  Battles will come one after another to tire you out, to wear you out.  Holiness renews your spiritual life with strength and power!

My beloved ones, let us  be careful and  hold fast to God's calling of a "holy life", to be worthy to be "saints of the Most High" in these last days.  

God is raising up "Daniels' in these last days!  Will you be a Daniel?

:)

26. Daniel 1:8 Resolves not to defile himself Part 2

Time:  605 BC
Place:  King's Court
Scripture:  Daniel 1:8


Daniel 1:8  -  Daniel 'resolved' that  he would 'not defile himself' with the King's food or with the wine that he drank.  Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him 'not to defile himself.'

Daniel 'resolved' he would 'not defile himself.'  


Look at the 2 sets of words:

• resolved
• not defile himself

"Resolve" comes from the Hebrew word that means 'to pull together, to place or direct with purpose'.  It means that in Daniel's mind, he "already has made a mental determination with purpose" of how he is going to make his decisions in life.

He has long ago "made up in his mind an overall purpose in his life for God."  Do you have an overall purpose in life? Without an overarching purpose in our life, you will end up making wrong choices in your decisions.  Without a concrete direction, you will end up being 'wishy washy' and weak in all your decisions making.

"Daniel Resolves . . . " - What is Daniel's purpose of life?

Daniel's purpose is 'not to defile himself' - repeated twice in Daniel 1:8.  

This is the overarching spiritual principle in Daniel's life as he makes decisions.

"Defile" carries the meaning of polluting or staining.

Daniel is not going to let the 'world' defile him. Why would Daniel consider the King's food defiled?  We are not told exactly why Daniel considered the King's food defiling.  It could be that these food were used for the worship of heathen gods and Daniel would not take part eating them.  The Bible text here does not give any explanations.  One thing is obvious:  Daniel rejects the king's food for a spiritual reason.  He was alert spiritually and knows one thing:  The world can 'defile' him.

Do you realize that the things of the world can 'defile you", even the good things of the world?


The food and the three years of education are the good things of the world.  All these are calling the young men to leave behind their Yahweh God and Hebrew culture, and "not to look to God" but to "look to the King" for everything. The world is forever beckoning us to love the so call good things in life.  When the love of the world takes over our heart, there is no more love for God anymore. Is this your situation?

Today Satan uses the same strategy to 'defile us'.  Satan uses the good things of the world, the legitimate things of the world to soften our spiritual values to embrace the world system.   As the years go on, do you realize that you have slowly adopted the world system in your life? We want to please the world. We want to please our friends.  We want to be accepted by our peers. We follow the ways of the world.  We have accepted the world's standard of morality.  We become 'men pleasers'.  We are overwhelmed with our desires.  We  have become defiled without knowing it.  We want to 'please ourselves'.   We don't want to ask: "Am I pleasing God?"


Daniel is actively pleasing God by avoiding defilement.

"Getting Defiled" is a slow process of  feeding on what the world offers.   Slowly the system of the world 'defile' your inner man totally unaware.  And one day, you find you don't love God anymore and you find yourself making wrong decisions one after another.  You have become totally defiled unaware and functioning in the ways of the world.  This is the spiritual tragedy in many churches. The world system had taken over the church. This is what I fear the most in building up our church.

Let us not allow the voices from the world to drown out the word of God.
Let us not succumb ourselves to adopt the world system to defile God's Church .


As Daniel had loved God in Jerusalem, he was determined to love God in Babylon.  He had made up his mind long ago to live a life of 'not defiling himself.'  He has this spiritual insight to see through the cunning system of the world that can slowly work its way to 'defile' him.

:)

25. Daniel 1:8 Resolves not to defile himself Part 1

Time:  605 BC
Place:  King's Court
Scripture:  Daniel 1:8


Here is a Spiritual Challenge to all of us:

Daniel 1:8  -  Daniel 'resolved' that  he would 'not defile himself' with the King's food or with the wine that he drank.  Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him 'not to defile himself.'

Dan 1:6 "Among these....."  There was a  small group of captives offered with the King's food and wine, not just 4 of them.

So here are these young captives being fed with the same meat the King eat!  Imagine!  And they get to drink the wine that he drinks!  The king's food and wine can be compared to a buffet of food in hotels where you get a variety of the best choice of food and wine.  Wine was expensive in those days, so Daniel and his friends could have just let loose, and let themselves enjoy the pleasure of life which they were entitled to, just like all the others.

Why would anybody object to this?  Would you object to eat the King's meat and drink the King's wine?  All this is paid for and you don't even need to pay one cent.  They can dine and feast like princes and sons of the monarch.

They are given the golden opportunity to live a royal life of plenty and luxury.  It is a living standard far above what they had back home in Jerusalem.

Here is Daniel in the new world.   He could have chosen to live this new luxurious lifestyle and nobody would question him.  There was nobody to watch over him from his past.  After all, it was the king's offer for him to have the best food and wine for the 3 years to come.


Would you object to this great offer?  When in Rome we do what the Romans do.  When in Babylon, do what the Babylonians do.  Follow the customs, the lifestyle, the food and the fashion of the day.  What they do, we do. What they think we think.  How they act, we act.  Where they go, we go. We all want to be accepted in the 'norm'.


Look at the 2  different reactions in this group:

1.  Most of the captives in this group did NOT give it much thought and accepted the king's offer.

2.  But Daniel declined the offer!

     Why?  Why?  Tell me Why.

The answer is in Dan 1:8 ... he resolved he would not defile himself.  "Defile" is a very strong word.  Why would the king's food defile him?

What does it mean when it says "Daniel resolves not to defile himself"?  

We will look into this tomorrow.