A Tough-minded Teenager - Part 2

Christian lady asked if this is they were young Who's Who in your life was raised with godly values only to look away from me by convincing you. Sadly, it's a common school value of living with David Jeremiah office of encouragement in the pursuit of the godly young man used the Kings will introduce this message friends if someone were to ask you who was the wisest person in the Old Testament. Most of you would say Solomon, the author of 3000 Proverbs more than a thousand songs.

But when the prophet Ezekiel wanted to do someone is a standard for wisdom say Solomon named Daniel that's not all.

Ezekiel named Daniel along with Noah and Job as standards of righteousness as well. Not a bad combination for an Old Testament hero and he's the hero are studying right now in the book of Daniel.

Today were going to finish up our discussion of Daniel, the tough-minded teenagers we go back to Daniel chapter 1 and examine the first eight verses tomorrow morning to talk about Daniel's courage to say no, you don't want to miss that one. It's one of the key passages in the book of Daniel. Well let's get started with the last part of the tough-minded teenager as we open our Bibles to Daniel chapter 1 verses one through eight.

So now the Scripture tells us that is decided that he will bring hostages and holy things back to Babylon and we get into the text and I want you to notice with me.

Do three things.

First of all I want you to notice the criteria for the selection of the hostages. That's interesting to me. I want to notice what the text says. First of all, it was a physical criteria it says here that these men were to be used verse four to bring you home was no blemish in Hebrew is the word jollity emits a word which means a young person is usually used to describe a man from the age of 14 to 17 name somebody who is mature and have to be taken from home but young enough to be educated into new patterns of thought and Plato stated that among the Persians, the education of such young man began at the age of 14.

Christine just put down in your notes that when Daniel was caught off the babbling, as one of the princes that was to be subjugated in the kingdom. He was probably 14 years of age just a young boy and the Scripture says that the physical requirements of these young men was that they were to be number one man without blemish. That does not mean those six young people. That's not what is talking about. It means that they were without flaw. It means that they didn't have any handicap and that it says not only no blemish, but they were to be, well, you know that means that means they were to be good-looking and well-built strong good-looking. Without blemish, young man, I need a specimen of a strong healthy young man was the physical requirement. Now notice also that some mental requirement for you.

They were to be skillful in all that means that have a high IQ number two dollars. Literally, the text says no knowledge. It means that they already learned a whole lot of information. They had known a lot they had studied a lot in high IQ and they have a lot of knowledge and then thirdly, they were to be understanding. Science doesn't mean good in science like in the course of science. What it means able to put facts together it means to be a fast learner. Now notice what Nebuchadnezzar wanted from these boys that he brought his hostages was that they would be absolutely perfect physical specimens good-looking strong healthy young man and I had to be a man who had a high IQ who had already learned a lot and were capable of amassing information quick categories that they were looking at two categories that the world like so much out of today.

Good looks and brains you know in the world marketplace today. That's all most people really care about.

If you good-looking or smart, you got it made. That's where you get your warm fuzzy's in school if you good-looking your smart it's unfortunate that the people of the world haven't been tuned into the fact that God sees another dimension to us.

Beside those two dimensions. Not only were they to have a physical requirement in a mental requirement but there was a social requirement as well. Notice what it says in the text.

They were made in order to be able to stand in the palace. That means they were to be man of poisonous social grace able to stand in the right place and do the right thing, but I would never have qualified. I will start the wrong end of the silverware. I remember one time we had a follow-up come to teach us fundraising in our church would have a big fundraising drive. He got told a story about me said he went to dinner where they were had all the silverware and everything he said I didn't know what to do, is that I was somebody told me pastor Jeremiah was a social grace person with a lot of points so my friends and just watch Dr. Jeremiah whatever he does. You do any set.

I watched the whole night.

He said I really got under convictions and I want to bring the silverware back and he pulled out his pocket social grace is or what it was somebody who was good-looking, who was smart and knew how to handle himself in the public eye in the palace because verse five says that his purpose was that one day you might stand before the king and serving the king's palace.

Now that was the criteria for their selection and that's how Daniel got chosen. He was a royal son who was good-looking, had good brains and he knew how to handle himself socially. I want to notice. Secondly, the curriculum for the schooling. Once these young men.

These hostages in the palace. He decided he needed to brainwash them at the school women so he enrolled him in the University of Babylon.

Now what you young people to know that this was a three year course. I don't know if it was modular are just regular, but it was a three year course and I will embarrass you and I don't put any pressure on the teachers in our college or high school to get any ideas what the Scripture says that at the end of three years. They were to learn the entire Chaldean language. All of the learning of babbling in three years. Now, here are some of the subjects they studied.

First of all they had to study language Chaldean language. I will never look at Chaldean my friends. It is not an easy language. I would not want to study Chaldean and among other things, they would have to learn astronomy and astrology and architectural studies.

Nebuchadnezzar was a specialist in architecture because if you remember him babbling was the great hanging garden and believe it or not, and backdated in that culture.

Those hanging gardens were air-conditioned. They had figured out a way to do that as far back as then the land was the learning center of the world and that day and all humanistic teaching of that day would have been the curriculum of those young Hebrew children when they enrolled in the Babylonian universe is or was a great and wise man in his day, I found a very distinct back just pass on to you. The Chaldeans had the reputation of being the wisest men in the world to when we are told that the wise man the Magi literally the word Magi means the Chaldeans when the Chaldeans K to worship. That's what unnoted learning center that was is it interesting that they enrolled him in that culture is not unlike a young person. Today was a Christian going off the second University studied all of these things the secular things.

There's nothing wrong with that, by the way that young person got a head on straight and set a good teaching at home and he can separate the trash from the good information it says in acts 722 that Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptian and was mighty in words and deeds.

Well, that was the curriculum language and learning, knowledge and notice. Thirdly, not just the criteria for their selection and the curriculum for the schooling but thirdly the campaign for their seduction market down in your book in your notes that the purpose of Nebuchadnezzar was not just to give them a good education.

He wanted to brainwash them into thinking like a Babylonian you want to walk around looking like she was on the outside but being Babylonian on the inside of my friends that is exactly the purpose most secular universities have if they don't know Christ. They don't care if you walk around looking like a Christian on the outside if they just teach you how to think like a humanist on the inside and here was their plan was threefold. First of all, is difficult as it is to talk about it. It is horrendous it is to think about their first plan was emasculation. The Bible says these men were made eunuchs. Daniel and his friends were surgically emasculated history records that these fellows were often put in charge of the king's harem and they would bring in these young men to make them submissive to their leadership and they would take away any possibility of them having their own family in their own home so that there could be no person who was special in their life.

The only special person in the life of these men was to be the king. Secondly, along with emasculation was obligation. Sometimes we don't understand what's going on when the king offered them his meat in his drink, but I can tell you what was happening became wanted to get them into a position of obligation to him.

He wanted to give them his dainties. His good menu. He wanted them to get accustomed to the good things of the palace so that they would never be happy to go back to their old way of living men and women what he wanted more than anything else was to get them to adopt his lifestyle and make them obligated to him. If you've ever studied any brainwashing tactics. That's exactly what happens if you read the books on Jones and all that happened there.

They brought those people into an obligatory relationship with the leader. Not only was it emasculation and obligation but I want you to notice. Thirdly, it was consolidation. Verse seven gives us the names of the four Hebrew children who were taken to Babylon. The Scripture says these four Hebrew children were among those who came to Babylon. That's why we know there were more than just for now. Each of these Jewish boys had a godly name Daniel, God is my judge is gracious, Michelle, who is like God Azariah Jehovah is my helper in each of the cases these names had in them either.

The word job which stands for Jehovah or the word ale, which stands for God. They were names which culminated themselves to the name of Jehovah or Adam. They were godly names that had great meeting to the Jews.

Now notice what happened.

Nebuchadnezzar got those for fellows of babbling and the first thing he did was change their name. He called Daniel God is my judge Bell to Shatzer, which means the keeper of the treasure of bail or they'll protect his life. He changed the name of Daniel which was related to God so that it was a name related to even God and then he called Hannah and I always gracious Shadrach, which means the command of a Kumar Martin, the Babylonian moon and Betty change the name of VCL who is like God told me shack the goddess shack and Betty change the name of Azariah Jehovah is my helper to Abednego the shining fire. The fire God. The whole purpose of the strategy of Nebuchadnezzar was to consolidate these young men into the culture of babbling so that they no longer had anything that reminded them of what they were before to get them to forget what it was back home that they were committed to to get them to forget the temple to get them to forget their Christian home to get them to forget her lifestyle and all that was theirs as godly Jewish boys. I would say something that's interesting. 70 years goes by after they've been brainwashed and we see Daniel praying and you know what he does. He bows down towards Jerusalem. He never did forget duty. In fact, many women if you want a blessing read Psalm 137 and let the words of that song which so poignantly describe what was happening among the Babylonian people when the Jews were there. Never forgotten Jerusalem and said oh God if I forget Jerusalem, let it be like forgetting the cutting in my arm. Don't ever let me forget Jerusalem you see those people learned a hard lesson they learned that they could change the names of the Hebrews, they just couldn't change their nature they learn that they can make those Hebrew children sound like Babylonian gods but they couldn't make them live under the leadership of Babylonian gods. Just think of it 14-year-old boy said into this culture exposed to these influences and expecting him under that pressure to maintain his faith in God and not be corrupted.

We come to verse eight in the great decision in the verse begins with the contrast but but Daniel. Daniel purposed in his heart he made up his mind. He laid upon his heart. He refused all my babbling all of the policy of Nebuchadnezzar. Every single bit of worldly wisdom that this planet had to give, and its accumulated wealth and one man stood up against all of that and he said I won't do it.

He was only 14 years old now. Daniel drew the line at the king's table for two reasons. First of all, he knew the meat when kosher we left that but that's the truth that meet didn't fit all the dietary laws that he had been accustomed to, you know that that meat would defile him would be unclean. He also knew babbling when the king's table was prepared before the meat of the drink was brought to the table. It was first of all offered to idols of the land. Daniel would not eat that which had been offered in worship to an idol and thereby give credibility to those items so he said I will not. I like to give me some of the reasons why he should fail you every time, but I should do a hard thing there always a lot of reasons not to do it. You notice that I've ever constructed the rationale for doing the wrong thing.

It's easy to do it because Satan is always there. He's got always list made up for you already are going to do is check amount first thing you could've said was a way to him and I'm only 14 years old I mean after all God we expect. I haven't had a chance to mature in my or he could have said, Lord, there 75 of us guys came out of your house, only four of us don't get the Kings meet the king line were these other guys. I'm either choose they came in to the same culture and Lord were in the minority doesn't feel good.

I don't like being the peer pressure Lord. I just want to drop this in as a parent of a Christian school family market down carefully so you parents think if you put your kids in a Christian school. There is no peer pressure for them to do wrong, forget it. The peer pressure in the Christian schools is not as great as it is in the public schools. But my friend, it is there.

There are many young people in Christian high schools and grade schools and even in Christian colleges who will make it tough on a man who will say I'm going to walk a cut above the average and do what is right in the peer pressure, even in a Christian institution can be overwhelming to a young person we have felt that his parents and we will feel it again, and so will you and you better arm yourself and know it. Daniel could've failed and used as the excuse that he was just a minority could've failed and he could've said I'm away from home.

I mean this is the perfect situation I'm away from the temple. I'm away from my ministers him away from my parents. I'm in a foreign land.

Nobody will know someone told me one time and I remember writing it down in my mobile notebook that the test of your character is what you would do if you knew absolutely that nobody would ever find out that is the test of your character. Daniel also knew that if he disobeyed and it wasn't understood by the king that he would be around long yell this guy. Nebuchadnezzar had a good reputation. He liked to play with fire you like to play with fire with people. I mean he like to throw people in the fire that was one of his favorite indoor sports like somebody is in fact over the book of Jeremiah as gross as it is, it talks in the book of Jeremiah about a time when you could measure decided he didn't like someone and he roasted him slowly in the fire while people watched Phil he was, and you know you have to be in the palace for long to start rumors like that stuff services real quick so when Danny was thinking about this decision. In the back of his mind certainly had to be the thought of what might happen to him if it didn't go well in the process and then here's the most sophisticated of all and all of us to use this when we compromised. Don't shake your head or poke your neighbor just listen. He probably could reason the Lord, I know this is exactly right. And I know I probably really should Lord I really, the place of leadership you in the kingdom.

Lord, if maybe by doing this I can get promoted and maybe get in a position where I can have prestige and clout. Lord I know you could really use me if I could just get up there into the system and be your representative to Nebuchadnezzar is that spiritual somewhere along the way. Daniel had learned that it is never right to do wrong in order to do right and he wouldn't do it.

Let me tell you why. He said no. It's interesting as you read the passage that though he said yes or allow them to change his name and that there's no fuss there.

And so when they want to put them into Babylonian University. We don't see them fighting that no compromise. There when they tried to feed him.

The Kings meet said no and he drew the line. Let me tell you why in the Old Testament. There is no prohibition against taking the name of another culture you find that often you see that in Joseph. You see it in Esther. You see it throughout the Old Testament. There is no prohibition against that. There's nothing wrong with that and in the Old Testament.

There is no prohibition against going to learn what other cultures have to teach Moses did Joseph but in the Bible there was strong prohibition against eating that which had been offered to idols eating unclean food and were Daniel drew the line men and women is where God's word to the line and what God said no.

Daniel said no. I get so exasperated sometimes the way we argue and fuss over the things were God has spoken. While we let the things were God has spoken slip under the rug and into our lives.

Daniel was smart enough to know that he didn't have to worry about those things. We had no information from God. But when God said no he better say no. All how we need some young people in our day, who were willing to draw the line where God draws the line men and women God says that certain things are wrong and morality is wrong. Adultery is wrong. Fornication is wrong, God has drawn that line very clearly and you can argue until you're blue in the face that it's all right because our culture is doing it, but you will never be able to persuade God because he's drawn a line there if you want the blessing of God upon your life.

You better come to grips with the courage and the authority to standards, Daniel stood saying as Daniel said I will not defile myself because God has said no. Well, we have more of this tomorrow as we look at the next section of Daniel chapter 1 tomorrow.

It's the courage to say no. What lies behind Daniels determination to stand alone. If he has to God thanks for listening. The message you just came to you from the shadow Mountain, and Dr. David Jeremiah would love to live help Turning Point is touching your life so please write us to the PO Box 338, San Diego, CA 92163 visit our website Jeremiah/right asked me a copy of David's in the series on the scene from the prophecies of Daniel handwriting was forget you can also download the free Turning Point mobile and we will smile final template searching Turning Point ministries instantly exit programs and was Jeremiah don't/radio for the joy this tomorrow as we continue the series. The handwriting on Jeremiah for taking time to listen to the Friendly's in Christian