Daniel: God's Humble Prophet

Welcome to Saturday's edition of truth matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis today. Dr. Davis begins a fascinating series on the book of Daniel agent written in the sixth century BC. The message God gives Daniel is more relevant concerning the age in which we live in the latest headlines in the news.

The book is written with divine inspiration of God's sovereignty over history over kingdoms and Kings in his timeline from Babylon to the millennial reign of Christ is short with only 12 chapters every chapter and verse teaches God's people to live in a world that is not their own, and powerful apocalyptic visions of the past, the present and the future dear Dr. Davis, Daniel, God's humble prophets. Dr. Cheryl Davis. I hope you enjoyed my last segment on blind pot and how we have blind spots in the spirit and their monitoring systems in our car that help us to monitor our blind spots and truth matters is just that, and we are there to see the trees throughout our culture and to proclaim the word of God which starting a new series in the book of Daniel, as I you look in the series of events that are happening in our nation as well as our world.

The book of Daniel is very pertinent during this time there a lot of trees that we can find somewhere and go through the book of Daniel will begin in chapter 1, but before we begin in chapter 1, I would like to just gives them historical context as to where this book begins. If you look in first Chronicles we come at the close of David's reign in chapter 29.

Solomon becomes King and 970 BC. The temple is built in 966 10 959 BC, nine, 10 BC, the kingdom divides Israel becomes the northern kingdom. It becomes the southern kingdom. As you're probably aware, Israel, the northern kingdom fell to the Syrians in 722 BC Jude at the southern kingdom fell to Babylon in 586 BC said looking along Judah's history when society became king in 640 BC. This is the last and greatest revival of the southern kingdom, the book of the law was found in 622 BC and Daniel grew up during this time, so it's not that Daniel did not know the word of God. He did not know the law.

He did, and because of Josiah's reign in the book of the law being found in him living there revival. The Lord was prepping him to go into captivity and to Babylon as some of you may be aware, the captivity to Babylon happened in three stages. The first phase of exile happened in 605 BC when Daniel was taken into captivity. The second waves of exile happened in 597 BC where Ezekiel was taken in the third phase of exile that happened in 586 BC. They just want to cover some of the events surrounding captivity.

Josiah's began raining 640 BC rain 31 years, but shortly after that they were a number of kings that came to had very short rains to hell as reigned from 609 BC, which he only ran for three months and he was jailed, taken to Egypt where he later died, Jehovah can reigned in 609 BC.

It only rained 11 years. If you remember he burn part of God's word given to him by Jeremiah. He was a puppet king for Egypt and then Babylon and all of this is covered in second Kings chapter 23 through 24, as well as second Chronicles chapter 36 that is the setting in which Daniel is living at the time. Again, as I said, Daniel goes to Babylon in the first phase of captivity and we will begin in Daniel chapter 1 that will begin in verses 132 and the third year of the reign of Jehovah can king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it in the Lord gave Jehovah can king of Judah into his hand, and 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 Judas fall to Babylon was predicted by many prophets throughout the Old Testament hold of the prophetess prophesied the fall of Judah to Babylon and second Chronicles 3422 through 28 and I'm going to read that passage for us. Second Chronicles 3422 through 28. The Bible says said Hill Kia and those the king had appointed went to hold that the prophetess, the wife echelon the son of towpath, the son of Hasbro keeper of the wardrobe.

She dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter and they spoke to her to that effect. Then she answered them, thus says the Lord God of Israel killed the man who sent you to me thus says the Lord. Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants. All the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah because they have forsaken me, and burned incense to other gods that they might provoke me to anger with all the words of their hands. Therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and not be quenched, but as for the king of Judah who sent you to inquire the Lord in this manner. You shall speak to him thus says the Lord of God concerning Israel, the words which you have heard because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against the space and against its inhabitants.

You humbled yourself before me and you tore your close and whip before me.

I also have heard the says the Lord. Surely I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace in your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants. So they brought the word back to the king. This was 100 years prior to the events that occurred in Daniel other places in the Old Testament in which this is prophesied is Jeremiah 25 and 11 Jeremiah 25 and 11 says in this whole land shall be a desolation and in astonishment in these nations now serve the king of Babylon, 70 years, so we clearly showed the prophecy hundreds of years prior to as well as Jeremiah the prophet, saying that the southern kingdom of Judah would fall to captivity of Babylon, and we see that come to fruition in the first few verses of Daniel moving on to verses three through seven then the king instructed Aspen as the master of his UNIX to bring some of the children of Israel. Some of the king's descendents and some of the nobles, young men and him.

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 him they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans and the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wind in which he drank and the three years of training for them, said that at the end of that time, they might serve before the king now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel and Anaya Michelle and Azariah to them. The chief of the units gave names. He gave Daniel the name belt. The shadows are to hang Anaya Shadrach to Michelle Meese, Jack and to Azariah, Abednego. Interestingly, I think a lot of us may have missed this point in while a reading Daniel. But the king instructed Aspen as he was the master of his UNIX to bring some of the children of Israel. Some of the kings of the descendents of the nobles. What we may not affect upon is that Daniel was made in Munich at the time that he came to Babylon. This is really a form of indoctrination when he went to Babylon. He was to be a wise man and to be in the court of the king and therefore the king did not want any distractions for Daniel as well as the other men that were with him. Therefore, by making them a unique this really takes away his masculinity, or any other distractions that a female may make therefore ensuring his devotion to the team and really you see and indoctrination of these they are choosing those that have no blemish there good looking, gifted in all wisdom and possessing knowledge and quick to understand but they are teaching them the language and literature of the Chaldeans, the king appointed them a daily provision of delicacies in which he drank, as well as meet that he ate, so that they would be set apart and really indoctrinated into the Babylonian language goals, and culture really a relativism of truth is the same process today when you look at our schools whenever we send our Christian students away to universities that is really what is happening. We are teaching that truth is relative and worsening relativism move and our universities. That is how were changing our generations want to move on to verse eight that Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with a portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank.

Therefore he requested of the chief of the UNIX that he might not defile himself as a very important part within this chapter but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. The reason behind the defilement is found in Leviticus chapter 11. Daniel is very aware that the king or a Nebuchadnezzar served have been sacrificed to idols and in Leviticus chapter 11. That is a sin, so Daniel purposed in his heart he would not defile himself by not breaking the Jewish law that I really want to say very important point here is that you can give up your right all day long but you cannot compromise your convictions now say that one more time you can give up your rights but you cannot compromise your convictions.

I want to say, a lot of people have convictions that are not clearly stated in the word.

There are clear convictions that are stated in the Bible.

Immorality is sin.

Adultery is sin. Homosexuality is sin.

Fornication is sin abortion is murder. That's a sin.

The Bible defines life at conception. But Daniel purposed in his heart to keep the Jewish law, even though he was in the setting of captivity. But when you look at Daniel being in captivity he was made a UNIX he was placed under mind control of Nebuchadnezzar. He had a name change, but interestingly he was under captivity by God's divine order to really if anyone has an excuse to not keep the Jewish law wouldn't be Daniel. If you look at our own situations even when we get into difficult times we lower our standards, we excuse our disobedience by stress.

I don't have time or the conditions that I expected to carry out my obedience are not met. Therefore, I think that gives me a pass from God as to being obedient, so if anyone has an excuse to say Lord you put me here. You made me a unit is taken away my dreams of ever having a family.

You have even changed my name and I'm in captivity knowing that he is allowed this it would have been Daniel click to show how Daniel's heart was for God. He purposed in his heart not to defile himself in the important point here is that when God says no, we must say no, Stephen, regardless of the circumstance.

When God says no, we must say no even regardless of the circumstance but in a single moment. It really takes guts to say no.

A lot of people think to be successful you have to be in the rules. But when we compromise our convictions.

We will lose when we compromise our convictions. We will lose and Dr. David Jeremiah eroded book on the handwriting on the wall and everywhere we see compromise in the Bible we see loss. Everywhere we see compromise in the Bible we see loss. I'm just in a read verse 28. Out of this book Adam compromise God's law and fell right in with his wife's son. He lost paradise.

Abraham compromise the truth and lied about Sarah. He almost lost his wife Sarah compromise God's word and sent Abraham to her servant Hagar, who bore Ishmael. We lost peace in the Middle East. Esau compromise for a meal with Jacob, he lost his birthright.

Aaron compromise his convictions about idolatry. He lost the privilege of seeing the promised land. Sampson compromise righteous devotion as a Nazirite. He lost his hair, his strength, his eyes and his life. David compromise the moral standard of God, and committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah. He lost his child. Solomon compromise his convictions and married foreign wives. He lost the United Kingdom Ahab compromise and married Jezebel. He lost his throne, Ananias and Sapphire compromise the word about giving.

They lost their lives.

Judas compromised his supposed love for Christ for 30 pieces of silver. He lost his entire so is it any different today. The message of our culture is that if you want to get ahead, you got to break a few rules to do it, just have a few questions at this point where in your life are you compromising your convictions today. Deep within your heart. If you're, say that you know the Holy Spirit does convict us of sin. Where are we ignoring the convictions of the Holy Spirit and another question, not like to have just read and think about what heavy losses in your life because compromise will compromising in certain situations to avoid conflict may be why compromising moral convictions and biblical values and to please others or yourself as a spiritual father can weaken your Christian character spiritual growth and faithfulness to God not let him rob you of a close relationship with Jesus for grief. The work of the Holy Spirit within you. Sin can taste sweet for a short time, but the rewards of being faithful to God Re: turtle and exceptional giving purpose in living a victorious life free of sin. If you have found yourself compromising your values to please others or yourself with prayer and spiritual counseling. Dr. Davis is available to help you reach her by e-mail@cheryldavisprojectmatters.com connect with her on Facebook matters with Cheryl. You could write to her project, PO Box 159, St. Pauls Carolina 28384. Please join us again next Saturday at the same time.

Truth matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. We are a ministry of the truth project where biblical truth truly matters