Those Who Honor Me - Daniel - Part 1

We're hearing a lot these days about the Middle East.

Ongoing Saddam Hussein. Most of us never even knew this guy's name before. About six months ago never even heard of him suddenly become probably the most popular name in all the world next to President Bush, perhaps for Mikael Gorbachev, the Persian Gulf war. Although it's not a declared war.

The war Israel, the rebuilding of the temple. The battle of Armageddon, the return of Christ. These are theme and we hear all around us. These days it seems people at work are talking about it people on the streets are talking about it people around us are looking at the events of the Middle East and asking what's going on. I was sitting with some folks last night at the young marrieds of the Valentine the banquet and they were telling me how if there were people are coming up to them because they know their Christians and what about the battle of Armageddon. What is this have to do with the battle of Armageddon. I mean, these people probably don't have any idea frankly with the battle of Armageddon really is that they know enough about it to have some idea.

There might be some kind of a connection in order to answer that question.

What's going on. Some people are turning to political analyst. Some people are turning to cultural experts, but a lot of people are coming to Christian and are taking a new look at the Bible to try to see how all the events of 1991 are fitting into biblical prophecy and into what the word of God has to say about the end time that we think about the Bible and we think about the end times immediately. There is one book of the Bible that comes to mind. And that is the book of Revelation, and with its graphic pictures of the final days of this age and its symbolic language that has challenged biblical scholars for 19 centuries to figure out what it's talking about. The truth is, however, that there's another book in the Bible that speaks with great specificity to God's plan for the ages and to the events of the end times and that is the book of Daniel. Many people of all live the Revelation of the Old Testament because by biblical scholars will tell you and I agree completely with this that you really can't understand the book of the Revelation is don't understand the book of Daniel, the book of Daniel is really the key to unlocking and placing into proper perspective.

The entire book of Revelation is the beginning this evening. I want us to start studying the book of Daniel, and I've entitled this large series, Daniel, the Middle East, and the return of Christ. We want to take this book. The book of Daniel, one chapter at a time. The goal is not to dissect every single verse to the fullest.

If we did that extended out as much time doing Daniel as we spend doing DR stuff in the morning.

I don't want to do that but I do want to move through one chapter at a time and I want us to get a basic grasp on the prophecies of Daniel and how they relate to the Middle East today and how they relate to the return of the Lord Jesus in the future. Tonight I want us to take a a little bit of time to introduce this book because it's an important part of understanding the book to understand the context of the book and the way it's been attacked by critics and how would students around. That's important because really these prophecies and interpret them as though they are true.

We need some confirmation in our hearts. Daniel has integrity and that is that you can stand the test of the critic and then this evening we also want to look at chapter 1 and I've entitled chapter 1 those who honor me a similar lawn really that's were not fighting come here for that. I came here to hear about Saddam Hussein. I came here to here is he the antichrist and is Babylon going to be rebuilt again and is the enterprise Empire going to be Iraqi and that is the battle of Armageddon. Right around the corner and that's what I came here tonight. Well, sorry that's next week you'll have to come back I promise you I was going to talk about that tonight.

If you read the Bible and thought that I promise I told you this morning I was in a talk about chapter 1, but I we are going to talk about that next week and I hope you'll come back because it is true that that woman in modern-day Iraq. In my opinion for theory significantly into the events of the end times and will tell you more about that next week and we get into chapter 2 which is the king's dream and Daniel's prophecy of the kingdoms of the ages going all the way through, down to the kingdom of the Antichrist and the return of the Lord Jesus next week. Chapter 2. Tonight we want to talk about chapter 1 and please don't sit there goal of electing a believer showed up tonight. Listen chapter 1 is a great chapter in gospel users really deal. I hope with our lives and challenges of Christ's. So let's pray as the spirit of God to be our teacher tonight and then will dig you thank you father that the word of God does not return void, but it accomplishes that which you then did accomplish Lord Jesus we pray that you would help with this evening accomplish in our hearts and our lives. You wanted to, that you would not only instruct us in your word, but the beard of God himself would challenge our hearts with biblical truth night father then we would walk out of here.

Having heard the voice of God or Jesus. We would walk out of your saying yes Lord, whatever it is you're asking me to because you Lord, I'll do so.

Father have your way in each one of our hearts tonight. Use the word of God to deal with our hearts as you see fit. We commit our time now in the study of the word of God to you honored in it.

We pray father in Jesus name, amen. Talk a little bit about the book of Daniel. No other book in the entire Bible has been attacked the way the book of Daniel, has been attacked for over 1600 years, beginning way back with the Syrian church father. His name is porphyry X go POR PHY R live for free for getting back to 1600 years ago this Syrian church father ever since then Daniel has been in the critics death. Porphyry proposed the notion that instead of Daniel being written by the prophet Daniel in about 530 BC.

The way the Bible claims that the book of Daniel is actually a forgery written somewhere around 168 BC. That is about 350 years after the Bible claims it was written and that it was written not by Daniel at all.

It was written by somebody borrowed Daniel a in order to give the books of authority in order to give the book some freebies in the mind of the Jews that the book was written to encourage the Jews, who at that time were undergoing great persecution at the hands of a fellow named Antiochus epiphanies well.

He was the king of Syria. He had desecrated the temple he was making life miserable for the Jews and the feast of Hanukkah with the Maccabees over: cleanse the temple were all events that came from the time of 168.

The when the Jews were fighting with this fellow named Antiochus.

The important point. I want you to get is that the opinion that this fellow porphyry put forward is that the historical accounts in the book of Daniel were fiction and if so-called prophecies were not prophecies at all, but rather history that already happened that somebody went back and rewrote as though it was prophet, in other words, there was no real prophecy foretelling the future involving the book at all. It would be for example like if you were today is a 20th-century person to look back on the events of the Civil War and then as though you were to then go back and writable in the name of George Washington lived a century before the Civil War, and in this book, in the name of George Washington you were to predict or you were to prophesy all events of the war.

Supposedly 100 years or 200 years before it happened.

You understand what they're saying happened that somebody in 168 look back all history. The name of Daniel wrote of plaintiff's prophecy, but it was bouncing.

In other words, the book of Daniel is a forgery and fraud and everything is porphyry's time, there is been no shortage of skeptics, many who call themselves biblical scholars who have avidly taught and believed the same thing now in response to this attack on the book of Daniel we the believing church Currently stood and defended the integrity of the book of Daniel. Until recently, I gotta tell you honestly are defensive been based more on faith than it has been on a preponderance of of extra biblical facts that we could look at the fruit of the book.

We would we would point to the fact of the book of Daniel was included in the Greek translation of the Old Testament Pl. about 250 BC and we would say well how can you be included at 250 BC that wasn't written until 106 EA critics would say will not later copies of the Greek translation it was added later we would point to the historian Josephus will record the tradition that when Alexander the great was threatening Jerusalem in 332 BC, the high priest of Jerusalem went out to meet Alexander and took out with him. The book of Daniel, and he opened the book of Daniel chapter 8, and showed Alexander the great, where he was in Daniel chapter 8, as the great conqueror, and in response, Alexander the great was sewing press the spare the city that happened in 330 QVC of the book was written some hundred 68 BC, but the critics say will that's just tradition have no proof that we would look at the Lord Jesus and his believers, we would look at Matthew 24 were Jesus said when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place in the mountains and we say will the Lord Jesus Christ obviously believe the book of Daniel was legitimate and for us as Christians that then everything critics they don't really trust him. He so before recent archaeological discoveries of the last 50 years. Frankly, fat friends are defensive. The book of Daniel is moved by faith than anything else. Thank God for archaeology. If you know an archaeologist write him a letter and thank because archaeology has been our best friend in the defense of the word of God me tell you little bit about what's come in the last 50 years that give us some solid ground archaeologically to defend the integrity of the book of Daniel. I will give it all to you. Let me give you little bit. The book of Daniel was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls copies of the book of Daniel were found dating to 100 BC. There were many of the scrolls found in many fragments of the book now and they were interspersed with the holiest and most revered books of the Old Testament, like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Now it is positively indefensible for people to say that this book the book of Daniel could have been written only years before. As a fraud as a forgery and somehow could have made its way all the way out into the extremes of the Judean desert way up into the mountain and have been revered along with the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and that all that could happen just doesn't make any sense. In fact, even critics who are not willing to accept the integrity of the book of Daniel admit friends that this is very difficult splitting. Thank God for the Dead Sea Scrolls that establish the authenticity and the age of the book of Daniel. More than that archaeology has shown that though whoever wrote the book of Daniel, had a knowledge of Babylonian history and Babylonian politics that somebody writing 400 years later in 100 CADC could never have one example Daniel chapter 5, you remember Daniel five king's name is Bill Shatzer and the writing on the wall here will talk about in chapter 5. The handwriting came and wrote on the wall and BellSouth are within their partying with all of his friends and his noble head.

He calls Daniel is in the entities of Daniel if you can interpret if I'll make you further ruler in the kingdom will the critics would freeze for centuries, look at that chapter and said, is proof that the book of Daniel is a fraud. First of all, we know that the last king of the Babylonian empire was not name belch as her and second of all, why in the world with the king offering him the third place in the kingdom that the make anything to offer in the second place in the King will recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed that the last king of the Babylonian empire was not name belch as he was named the Vonnegut's but we know now that Nevada does have a weakness. His weakness was his hobby yet hopping nice to know that hobby is probably one archaeology.

He was an amateur archaeologist and wanted us would leave Babylon for long periods of time.

We know that now from Babylonian records and go out in the desert and dig on archaeological and while he was gone in the desert. He was gone so much and so long and so often from Babylonian that he felt that he had to leave somebody in control back in fabulous son and made his son, his coregent is second in command you want. Take a guess with the name of his son was you say Bill Shatzer.

You're right.

You know why BellSouth are offered Daniel the third place in the kingdom was because he was second. I put an offer in 2nd to 2nd the best he could offer him was 3rd to 50 years ago, we didn't even know how can anybody writing at all hundred and 68 BC had never known that if the person who lived in Israel all his life and with making this the only someone who was intimately involved in Babylonian history, Babylonian politics new every kid in and out of what was going on in the court never known an incentive. Therefore, Daniel chapter 5 being approved with the book of Daniel is wrong. It's an incredible proof that the book of Daniel is right, absolutely. So the point is, let me summarize that I believe the book of Daniel stands in a stronger position today than it has for 600 years hard-core critics still won't accept its integrity. They never will. But the evidence won't support the notion anymore that the book of Daniel is a fraud. Today, the evidence strongly supports are taking the book of Daniel to be exactly what it claims to be a book written 530 BC by a literal man of God name Daniel walk with God and saw God do something radical, including giving him some prophecies of the church that apply even to our situation today that Calvin will approach this book as we study will approach it with the assumption that the book of Daniel is what it claims to be, and we got the evidence to back it up. Thank God for that. Now as we get ready to dig into chapter 1 legal historical background. We gotta put chapter 1 into a context of what's going on in history so listen carefully class because of the little quiz, but you can't leave if you don't do these past guards at the door. So listen I hold on I'll try to make it as simple as I can do this is going to think a little history lesson when King Solomon died around 900 BC the kingdom of the Hebrews split into two nations member.

This northern 10 tribes called Israel if you do better in the second and the southern two tribes called all. That's good. Now the southern two tribes called Judah because they consisted of Judah and Benjamin. The northern kingdom, Israel was captured by the Assyrian 720 1B, the carrying away into captivity and for all practical purposes ceased to exist. However, God in his mercy delivered to the from her sister's faith and that was because of God's covenant to David and second Samuel seven second Samuel seven, God promises David that there would never be a situation where David someone to continue on his throne. There would never be a time where God would totally wipe out David's descendents and his kingdom. And so, in his mercy, and in fulfillment of his coveted Judah escape their faith. However, in second Samuel seven, God also told David that if his descendents in the God would punish and discipline them he would destroy them. But he would chastise them and that's exactly what God did after repeated appeals for Judah to repent of which went unheeded. God sent the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar to carry out this disciplinary action upon the nation of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar actually capture Jerusalem.

Three different times. You may not know this three different times. He took the city. He took the city first in 606 BC when you join in 606 BC. He left the city intact. He left the temple intact eluded the temple of all of the gold all over but inverted to the ground and he took some of the nobles and some of the craftsman of the people of Israel to Babel and not the whole population just including Daniel and his three friends Daniel and his three friends went to Babylon in 606 BC when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem the first now in 597 roughly 9 years later, the Jews revolted against Nebuchadnezzar and he came back and he captured the city a second time.

At this time. Once again he was gracious he didn't burn the city. He didn't burn the temple. He put a new king on the throne instructed Ms. King don't do this again and he went home well. 11 years later in 586 BC, the Jews revolted against Nebuchadnezzar again.

By this time Nebuchadnezzar was up to the gills with these people. So this time 586 BC.

He came back to Jerusalem for the time this time he captured the city burned to the ground ripped the temple to the ground for every breakdown burn the entire city of, and carried away virtually the entire population of about one and Nathan slick okay you are you with me about it with, so Daniel didn't go to Babylon in 586. He went 20 years before that in 606 BC, the first time Nebuchadnezzar to proceed and he was actually in battle, and for 20 years before the temple was ever burned or before the city was ever sacked and ruled the Babylonian Empire lasted for another 50 years after the destruction of Judah, but God made a great promise to the Jews.

Even though he was disciplining them and I want you to see that here in Jeremiah 25 he says in Jeremiah 25 verse 11 and the whole land he said shall be a desolation and a horror talking about Judah and these nation shall serve the king of Babylon for 70 years, and it shall come to pass.

Verse 12 when 70 years are published that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says the Lord for their iniquity, and I will make all the land of the Chaldeans, a perpetual desolation and I will bring on that land.

All of my words with I pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against the nation, God promised the Jews, they would only be in Babylon for 70 years, and later on we get the Daniel chapter 9 were going to find Daniel nine begins with Daniel Ray as the 70 years are coming to an end.

Realizing that God is made a promise and that the return of the Jews to the land is imminent and that's going to your in the event of Daniel chapter 9, so they were only in Babylon for 70 years, will they were allowed to return Babylon fell in 539 BC.

Remember, 606 is the first time Judah was taken and in 536 BC after Cyrus the great had taken Babylon the Persian Empire had taken over as were chapter 1 tells us, and I like to read it to you.

Listen to what is this in the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia, so that the word of the Lord Mike by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled that the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he made a proclamation throughout all the land, saying Vasquez Cyrus king of Persia, the Lord God of heaven is given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has charged me to build a house for human Jerusalem who is there among you of his people, who desires to go up to Jerusalem and filled the house of the Lord led him go.

And so, in fulfillment of the word of God.

70 years later. 537 BC, Cyrus the great allowed the Jews to leave Babylon. Those who wanted go back to Judah and rebuild the temple. Now that's all the history lesson we need for tonight. To summarize, we pick up in Daniel chapter 1. Let's make sure we remember where we are. Nebuchadnezzar has just captured Jerusalem for the first time he has left the city standing he's left the temple standing he's left the bulk of the people there he decided to carry off the balance of the choicest citizens of Judah, and among them were Daniel reprint I lose every body or you with okay now let's go to Daniel one and will actually start looking at dead Daniel chapter 1 universe one in the third year of the reign of devoid of human king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and in the Lord gave devoid of human king of Judah into Nebuchadnezzar's hand part of the vessels of the house of God which he hurried into the land of Shinar into the house of his God, Nebuchadnezzar brought the vessels into the treasure house of his job and the king spoke to Ashkenaz, the master of his unit and said that he should bring certain of the children of Israel of the need and of the princes young man in whom there was no blemish nor well favored and skilled in all wisdom and gifted in knowledge and understanding science such as habitability in them to stand in the king's palace in whom they might teach the learning and the song of the Chaldeans software. Nebuchadnezzar captured the city and after the capture of the city turns to his friend Ashkenaz, whom the Bible calls the chief of the unit. The Hebrew word is rockstar is here which is merely a an attempt translate a Babylonian word. Again, this is another case pointed and said see there.

The Bible is inaccurate, but just recently we found a Babylonian grid on which the word rock Cyrus appears eating the chief of the units, so Daniel got it wrong, and so Ashkenaz this fellow is full I Nebuchadnezzar to pick out a bunch of guys really who Ashkenaz are really the cream of the crop and let's bring them to Babylon. Let's train them how to speak Chaldean. Let's train them in all ways of the Chaldeans and were to make them servant to leave the king Nebuchadnezzar said and so Ashkenaz did this and we learned that Daniel and his three friends were among these young men that Ashkenaz chose response and the king appointed for them for these young men a daily provision of the king's move and of the wind that he drank so nourishing them for three years that at the end of that time, they might stand the king now. Among these were the children of Judah Judah Daniel Hanna Niall Misael and Azariah on, to whom the Prince of the unit. Ashkenaz gave different name change their names to Babylonian names Daniel. He called Delta Shatzer Hanna Niall. He called our friend Shadrach. He called Misael off ran the shack and he called Azariah, our friend, Abednego we know them at Shadrach me shack and Abednego that was that was not there Hebrew name that was there Babylonian names that their names were changed to. Then we read here we learn the Daniel and his 33 friends went to Babylon and they were sequestered for three years to be trained to work in the pound. Not during their sequestering the king provided for them. The theory best rations that they could possibly get.

Verse five says they had been voice food and they had a very wine that's here that the problem begins for Daniel and his three friends. Verse eight, but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself the King's food nor the wine that he drank. Now the king's move was no doubt appetizing amount through the king a best known saying in the king's wine was no doubt the best answer was particularly tantalizing to Daniel and his friends after having just gone through a seizure.

Remember says in the beginning of the chapter that they've been going to a seizure when you go to a seafood get short. That's how you take the city when you besiege it, you start people out and so people go for meeting state and and before long the range of red mortar and before long.

Lots of other things that are Connacht you know some that you read much of the Bible you read about and so now to come and be all for the king flew nominative, likely an offer lobster tails and shrimp. After you eat hot dogs and be so I'm sure it was a temptation problem with the king's food was threefold. Number one wasn't kosher it was forbidden by the Old Testament law after the king ate ham, bacon, barbecue pork, all kinds of good stuff. If these people could needs. Second of all, it wasn't killed in the biblical matter. You know biblically you had to kill an animal in a certain way for it to be edible. Even the good animals. Even the kosher animals had to be killed in a like manner. You had to slit their throat and let all the blood drained out because the old test says you don't eat blood while I'm sure Nebuchadnezzar didn't do it that way probably difficult sledgehammer him overpopulated and caught a month. That's how they did it well, who in the a good Old Testament Jew for not only with the food, not kosher was not killed right the third. There is no doubt that most of this food had first gone through and I was temple and it been dedicated to one of the Babylonian on and so knowing all of this.

Daniel knew that even this move was to defile himself before Almighty God, and he made up his mind. Regardless, with the consequence work he would need the consequence is frankly reliable to be great I Nebuchadnezzar was not exactly what you would call a tender made me James Dobson. He was noticing Nebuchadnezzar had quite a reputation. Daniel chapter 3, you're going to see that when the three Hebrew boys come safely out of the fire. Remember what he did. He took all of his officers and threw them in the file. The Bible also tells us that you have to turn there, but you might want to jot it down in Jeremiah 29 verse 22 tells us that Nebuchadnezzar roasted in the fire. The last king of Judah, Zedekiah, he roasted it like a marshmallow fire and roasted in. Moreover, before he roasted them to death. Jeremiah 39 tells us that when he took Jerusalem for the last time he was so fed up with these people that Zedekiah the king he got Zedekiah and he took Zedekiah out to be [city, Nebuchadnezzar did anymore.

All Zedekiah sons in front of him and in front of Zedekiah is on looking.

I killed every single one of his songs and then he gallops out both of Zedekiah's eyes.

So the very last thing this man would ever remember seeing where his own sons being put this guy makes Saddam Hussein look like a puppy, norms, and this was a ruthless, and when you were going to tell this that you were not eating his food and you didn't care what he did wear anything later in the book telling Nebuchadnezzar know not in your best interest to one of the long life as it was a bad and when Daniel made up his mind to define Nebuchadnezzar to face the price, whatever that might be. He knew the price was liable to be real but the point of this chapter is Daniel didn't care to understand the point of the chapter is annually he was going to do what he thought God wanted him to do.

He frankly that's the whole point Daniel had a higher concern that he was worried about and that concern was that he stay faithful to Almighty God… He would have needed chapter 1 verse eight.

Therefore he requested of Ashkenaz that he might not have to defile himself.

Now God had brought Daniel into favor and compassion with Ashkenaz did not did not anything that God did God at work in the heart of this, Ashkenaz whatever reason, humanly speaking, he liked Daniel.

He probably didn't even know why he liked Daniel but he liked it.

Why do you like you because God the Spirit was working in this man's morning giving Daniel favor, and Ashkenaz frankly was saying. Would you like to help this verse 10 and so Ashkenaz said the Daniel look, I am scared to death.

The king and will usually and the king appointed your food in your drink and I'm scared to death that if this king sees you in a couple weeks and you look worse than you look now and you're all over colors bad. It could be the last official act I ever make the monthly q. week scared you would endanger my head is this guy new Nebuchadnezzar pretty well now at this point Daniel could give enough said all well. Good try but he did Daniel propose the creative alternative to Ashkenaz quickly said verse 11, Daniel said. He said no to be faith. Testis verse 12. Give us 10 days and let us eat nothing but veggie veggies for 10 days no means just give us cauliflower and broccoli and green beans and cabbage and Brussels sprouts you like them okra collard greens that your from south you sit there going I can live on that Northerners clearly known as the go anywhere others to made.

Maybe Daniel was a southern Jew. I don't know but still he wanted to live off and the king said that Ashkenaz was worried to death because he said Michael is a stuffy and I'm feeling all the feet and all these other people lobster tails stay in and pork roast you will also compare to these guys. Then you select a what is it you give us 10 days you give is nothing but water to drink and you give another what vegetables to eat and at the end of 10 days you look at our countenance and compared to the count of the volleys guiding the king food and you see it will look as good as they give us a ship attended because God had work and Ashkenaz are given. Daniel favor Ashkenaz put his own hand on the line and said all right I'll give a truck so we did a friend I want you to see here.

This is a great thing because it tells us something very important about that tells a person of some very important about Daniels section of God and this is really of our human and that is that Daniels offer this 10 day offer was based upon the fact that he believed he had a big job. Listen now a God I was so that God was able to suspend the laws of nature and suspend the regular laws of finance God was able to make them look great all veggies if you wanted to.

Moreover, in Daniel's mind.

Not only was God able to do that but Daniel believed God do that in response to Daniel's commitment to honor God, including verse you with me.

He believed that he could count on God to vacuum powerfully whenever he made a commitment to put God first in the God big enough to meet any test that God was put to miss this, you missed the whole message of the chapter.

This is the way Daniel saw God. He believed Daniel had the slightest day he would look great because he knew God could do it and he knew God would see put God first. What happened well at school. Verse 14. So Ashkenaz consented, and he tested them 10 days and at the end of 10 days there countenance is appear fairer and faster in flash and all you like the lobster tails and T-bone and so they said all right but this is the way it is will take what you need for good and take what you want, you can vegetables rescue life.

If you want him telling you this is exciting. Ashkenaz at the end of 10 days, found that these four guys at the oil of Olay look no and his skin was beautiful night so help me Ashkenaz himself by going even Brussels sprouts and Oprah will know exciting with God. Anyway, let's finish it out. Verse 17 and these for you is for them, God gave them knowledge and skill in learning and wisdom and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams and at the end of the day of the king and said that they should be brought him three years later, the Prince of the unit. Ashkenaz vulnerable for Nebuchadnezzar and the king conversed with them and among them all was found non-like Daniel and Hannah and I in the shale and Azariah can compare them. These were the smartest guys in the long. Therefore, they stood before the king and in all matters of wisdom and understanding the art of them he found them 10 times smarter than all the magicians and all the astrologers and when Israel and Daniel continued even under the first year of King Cyrus.

God not only gave Daniel all of Olay look the food he ate, but he did much more. It says here in verse 17 that God mightily honor Daniel for what he had done. God gave in verse 17 great wisdom and intelligence God gave in verse 17 great understanding of dreams and vision. God came in verse 19 a place of honor in on it and a place of high position in the kingdom of Babel and God gave in verse 20 great honor in the side of the God gave them verse 21 long.

Why remember King Cyrus doesn't show up until 539 BC. Daniel was probably close to 80 years old, maybe even 95 on top of everything else again God gave them a great long, prosperous life. Daniel said, his heart honoring God what I want you to see is that God honored human right that is working to see the whole rest of the book God honored he met many, many with what you know, I teach us that whenever we study a passage we always have to answer a question that is so, what you are on.

So what this great. I really appreciated.

I'm glad Daniel vegetables look healthy. I'm not interested in becoming a vegetarian here for so what is a verse of Scripture that says first Samuel chapter 2 verse 30 they honor me many of you know it I will what honor saith the Lord now is that over 3000 years ago, but it's just as true today as it was then down through the ages. Ever since God said it, and even principal held true.

It was true for Daniel. We just seen it. Daniel made up his mind. Verse eight that he was not going to defile himself with the king's phone is that I'm going to put God first, I'm going to honor God. I'm in a place God number one. And I don't care what the king and honor him. I don't think he would've predicted this outcome. If you would been invaluable and you would've predicted the king probably would cut it off, but look what God did, and he's not the only one that God is ever done that for how about Joseph when Parker's wife came and got you know what we used to call in the South a hankering for Joseph.

You know I'm saying Joseph said no way. There was no way I can see an end to this great thing against God, and in the short term you would say and gotten on him.

He got the short end of the stigma honoring God will read and and at the end of the story comes out of the jail was Prime Minister of Egypt. He never even would not be Prime Minister. Each of you had been thrown into jail and had to move would've been thrown into jail he had made up his mind on God and how about David. David refused to lay a hand on falling killing and when he was in the cave always been set yelling, David Bentley, God's written, God will take your soul. That's why God honored David Wade about Ruth remember Ruth and her mother-in-law and she had a another long and yellow sister-in-law set on staying in Moab, going back, but Ruth said no I'm going to go where you go Naomi on the Bayou.

You don't have anyone on the loan on the I'm going to go back in your people will be my people and your God will be Monica, stick with you and boy did God honor her for doing it. She ended up Maryknoll Rich Boaz and delivered a tremendously comfortable life that you would never live back in Moab and what's more, she ended up in the line of not only David but the Lord Jesus Christ because she put God in a Daniels three friends were to see a little bit later, they refused to bow down to the king's image, and how God delivered them out of the fiery furnace and about all morning, never Mordecai would not bow down to Haman. What a God who God honored Mordecai and they ended up hanging Haman on the very gallows he built for Mordecai and Mordecai took over Haman's places.

Prime Minister down through the ages. Every man and woman of God was never live in is never put God's promise to the test has failed that God is always been true to this promise those wannabe I will honor saith the Lord, and friends. God anointed and potentially changing the promise for you or for me if yarn affidavit in the honored if the Ruth videographer Joseph any honored if the Daniel any honored Mordecai's 100.

What are the mean honor God for simple means to do with Daniel and all these other people did you mean to put God first demeans the quick devotion to God first loyalty to God first open audience to God first in all kinds of ways we can honor our God by giving faithfully to the work of Christ.

The way the Bible tells us we can honor God by forgiving others the way the word of God demands you can honor God by being a man or woman of ethics and moral in our business and are in our interactions with people the way the word of God tells the we can honor God by standing up for the truth of God and the truth of the word of God like Daniel did. Regardless of the consequences in our classrooms in our offices in our neighborhood and I found on and on we could go but I think the points quick. We honor God. God has a commitment on respect I want close to the story some of you heard me tell of the 4II don't know. The best example that I know of for my own personal. Tell you how God proved himself to me on the account number years ago I was in Johns Hopkins working in graduate audio my doctorate in we were in the seminar class every Wednesday afternoon. I was a near Eastern studies and most of the department had no commitment to Christ.

In fact, most of the department, frankly, were committed, not Christ known saying and then in the seminar. Every student with the finder paper and then you were given a number weeks work on and then you would come in and you will read your paper in front of the whole department all professors will come in and you read your paper and AAF questions relate offer critique next out-of-the-way workup at that level with the paper, I was assigned was Isaiah 18 come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord, even though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow and and my assignment was to decide based on Hebrew grammar is that really what the verse say a promise from God. Even though your sins are scarlet, they shall be white is no more was that many commentators say the exact opposite. A rhetorical question. In other words God was saying even though your sins are scarlet chilled baby wind no exact opposite of my job is to figure out which was right.

So I went in for weeks, weeks. I worked on I looked up every rhetorical question group everywhere. When I came the umbrella I knew about and I wrote this paper and I went in and read a paper that established that there is no way based on grammar and intact that that person need anything else. But how the King James translators the promise from God.

Even though your sins are scarlet, they shall be white or the problem. I really got a good job well after I got the reading it down to the lower end of the table is very tall Texan.

He was a professor. I will tell you his name but anyway this is on safe. But anyway, he was a professor from Texas and he'd gone to a very a very conservative Christian upbringing in Texas gone off to Harvard University and got his doctorate and become a training level. Not only was he a flaming liberal but it was a flaming liberal who had a real bone to pick with conservative like me you used to be anyone you know one thing and so he woke up at that moment. Solomon said the I can't help but believe that there must be a rhetorical question somewhere in the Hebrew Bible that would support takings Isaiah 118 is a rhetorical question. I said to them, doctorate are calling my name. I said I've been through every rhetorical question revival and there is not one. There is simply no evidence to take this as a rhetorical question if Dr. meeting with the King James version takes it to me and the conversation heated up a little bit and he said to be well on her sorrow event.

But you know even if I cannot any evidence romantically report that being a rhetorical question. He said my theology demand that this has to be a rhetorical question halfway on the take. Well, at that point I probably should shut up, but instead I mean we were into it and I said doing are calling my name and Isaac Dr. so-and-so it were to look at the grammar and word look at the syntax of Hebrew and women to say that if the one thing and then you come in and throw it out if it doesn't make any difference because it doesn't go your theology whole department. I said it seems to me fact that we were going to do it, then we ought to stop studying grammar and syntax around your week is going to spend all our time studying your theology. Not the most PC way to do it. At that point he took five land benefits available on more noise reminded me down like stood up. He was about and had pointed his finger down the table with me. He said Mr. Solomon. So help as long as I'm at this university, you will never get a degree from this universe pick up a book form will everybody sit there going, including me.

I came home for the Brenda of you wouldn't believe what I figured if I told you what I did days you're not believe what I did friends wonder something very interesting. I called a friend of mine and I told him what happened and he said long God for those honor me, I will honor, got to bring you Johns Hopkins has a rule that when a professor comes as a brand-new professor.

He has to be given tenure with an 11 year is not given tenure within 11 years. He has to leave. It's a very polite way of getting guys to go without firemen just don't get your faith on the contract and at the end of the 10th they don't get it. I got a go.

Will this was the end of his 10th year, you'll never believe what happened.

They do some of you would. But even though he was one of the most well-respected dollars in the University. Even though he had students and professors and people from all over the United write letters suggesting that hop tenure. Do you know that because of budget constraints, they turned down his tenure and come the next fall, September, yes, who was still at half and guess who was and I got a degree from Johns Hopkins University.

While because those who honor me, I will honor the Lord now I'm not suggesting you do with the way I did.

If I had to do over there. I might've done a little bit different now than I did then point to say I was trying to stand for what I believe even on might've done a little bit stupidly, God still on Texas from my dear friend may may challenge it yet may appear in the short run like your limbs. You, you'll take some short-term losses. That's all right because God promises a long-term promise to God than always bringing around the next day or the next. The next but you can be. God always brings always brings will operate on the same foundation. Daniel did that those who honor me, I will honor God is big enough list.

God is big enough to intervene, and God is big enough to do actually what he said he will do what you will never lose you can never move you decide to live with the law. I don't know what it may be that God is calling upon you to honor him with but I wouldn't be apprised of almost every one of us here at faith some kind of struggle in our lives for God is asking us to put him first and honoring him and we're looking at the short-term losses things gonna think that that challenge and door the short-term were the promise of God's promise of God on the front burner you would God asking you to do leave me by the time it all comes out.

God will do for you what he did for Daniel what is done thousands of Christians down through the years argue that can move the God who more than four times. Your word, thanks for encouraging our hearts and I don't know what it may be the difference of folk here may be struggling with Lord I I really pray that you would help every single one of the deal with the word of God, that those who honor me on faithful Lord where it is the drafting of the honor and finances. Maybe in our families. Maybe in our standing for you and the officer classroom wherever it is drafting a deal with the confidence evening to not because small on the human, but because it's marked spiritually in light of the promise Lord Jesus, thank you for that great promise. We know you will honor.

Thank you for how you did that with Daniel. We know you'll do it for us. That is out of here this evening with you first. We pray in Jesus name, amen