How Can I Remain Faithful

Sermon Notes

THEME: Battle against worldliness.

How can we remain faithful in a pagan land? Why should we?
The Israelites and their prophets asked that question. Psalm 137 asks, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land.”
We find four young men who are among a host of Judeans who find themselves in a strange land, in a strange culture…
- Being taught a different worldview
- Being influenced by different religions
- Being expected to conform to different values

We must trust in the sovereignty of God even in the most difficult circumstances. (1-2)

Nebuchadnezzar – the general of the Babylonian army; laid siege to Jerusalem (605 B.C.)
As king, led Babylonian renaissance; military conquest, cultural resurgence; bldg. projects; All of his accomplishments were attributed to superiority of Babylonian gods
The Lord (Adonai: owner, ruler, sovereign) gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah into His hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of “the God” (H’Elohim). Nebuchadnezzar took the vessels of YHWH and put them into the temple of his god. (Daniel is emphasizing the sovereignty of God, even in this situation.)
Act of superiority. Stating that his gods are more powerful than the god of the Israelites.
God was sovereign over the destruction over Jerusalem and the deportation and captivity of His people.
- Judah, Jerusalem
- Adonai delivered Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand; along with some of the holy articles from the Temple of God.
- A pagan king had captured the city of the God, captured the king, confiscated items holy to God and taken them to the temple of his god.
We see that God allowed an idolatrous, pagan king to march his armies into Palestine, into the Holy Land, to lay siege to the Holy City, to capture the city and its king and to take holy items from the Temple of Yahweh and place them into a pagan temple.
Q: Why had God allowed this to happen?
A: This is fulfillment of God’s promises. This is God’s judgment on His own people, upon His own nation, even upon His own holy city because they failed to worship Him and Him alone. (See Lev. 26; Deut. 27-30)
- A line of ungodly kings, false prophets, dishonest priests and idolatry
- The people of God were living like pagans in the holy land. They were living like the world and presuming upon the blessing and protection of the Lord.
- Jer. 25 foretells God’s judgment upon Judah through Babylon; followed by judgment of Babylon after 70 years.
- Jer. 27 Warning to all nations to submit to Nebuchadnezzar because He is God’s chosen to rule for a time.
God did this because He is faithful and He is concerned for His glory and His Name. He would not suffer His chosen people to continue to live like pagans, disgracing His Name. He would rather them be held captive in a pagan land then living like pagans in the holy land.
Even in the midst of God’s judgment on the kingdom of Judah, we see He was intimately, sovereignly working in the lives of four young men to lead them and grow them in their faith and to preserve them through numerous trials.
God is working at all times to raise a holy people.
What does this say to our church?
Even when other churches and other Christians are being conformed to the world, we are to remember that God is always at work to reveal and refine a Holy People for His glory. God is at work here and His desire, no matter what happens, is to refine this church as a display of His glory.

We must understand Satan wants to conform us to himself through the world, but God wants to conform us to Himself through the Word. (3-7)

The Babylonian king set out to transform the nobility of Judea into servants of the king of Babylon.
- Chose the best and brightest; good families, high ranking (ages 14-17)
- Academically strong, teachable
- Qualifies to serve in the king’s service (unblemished)
*The goal was to change their thinking and to change their worship.
- The language of the Babylonians (Akkadian cuneiform)
- The literature of the Babylonians (religious documents, legal documents, fables, astrology, mathematics, history); learning center of the world
- The identity of the Babylonians
o Daniel “El is my judge” Belteshazzar “Bel protect his life”
o Hananiah “Yah is gracious” Shadrach “command of Aku”
o Mishael “Who is like El” Meshach “who is what Aku is”
o Azariah “Yah is my helper” Abednego “servant of Nebo (2nd god of pantheon)
- The religion of the Babylonians
Notice the method of transformation…separation, indoctrination, comfort, confusion.
- Young age, taken from family and culture (Temple worship, Yah’s teachings, parents)
- Taken to a big city, given the best secular education, in the capital of the world
- Given food from the king himself
- Already had a job lined up after graduation
Temptation to:
- Trust Babylon over God because God allowed this; even become bitter at God
- Throw off learned values because far from home (900 miles); who would know?
- Think of Babylon as home; to just go with things and do as the Babylonians did
- See his compromise of a “little sin” as a way to avoid losing a chance to influence others
We must understand what the world is trying to accomplish. We must understand what the Word is trying to accomplish.
Babylon represents a world not trusting, not pursuing, not worshiping the One True God. Worldliness is being at war with God and failing to acknowledge it is He that is all-powerful.
WHAT INFLUENCE DOES BABYLON HAVE ON YOU?
Unbeliever -
- Maybe you feel you don’t need God
- Maybe you feel you can save yourself by being good enough
- Maybe you’ve bought into humanism; your happiness is all that matters
Believer -
- Maybe you’ve been deceived into being at home, comfortable in Babylon
- Maybe you’re being influenced by Babylon’s standards, rather than the other way around.

† God has not left us uninformed about how we should live.
† God has not left us unable to live the way He calls us to.
† PRESENT THE GOSPEL

We must resolve to resist the pull of worldliness. (8-16)

(8) Daniel resolved not to sin, even at great risk to himself and his career.
He resolved (purposed, set his mind, stood firm) that he would not defile himself
- The king’s rich food; probably unclean (Lev. 11, Deut 14, Lev. 17:13-14)
- The wine ; offered to idols before sent to the king; indirect worship of idols.
Therefore, he requested not to have to defile himself; not demanded. Picture of humility and respect for his captors.
Daniel RESOLVED to…
resist compromise
resist temptation
resist worldliness
(9) Sovereign God caused the official to show favor, compassion, sympathy to Daniel.
God was in control of this situation. He worked in the heart of this pagan unbeliever to feel compassion toward Daniel.
(10) Ashpenaz did not persecute Daniel for his beliefs. God purposed this as a “faith builder” for later trials; their lives would be threatened.
- He respected the request, but feared the king’s response.
- He doesn’t reject, offers and objection.
(11-13) Daniel has faith that God will honor his faithfulness.
- Turns to the guardian and offers an alternative to the king’s food
- A test to ease Ashpenaz’ fears
(14) The Guardian (Melsar) agrees and the test commences.
(15-16) God rewards Daniel’s faithfulness and their appearance was pleasing to the guardian.
Daniel stood firm, in humility, in this small trial and God rewarded him. This would lead to future trials, greater trials, but more opportunities for God to reward their faithfulness.

We must trust God to reward our faithfulness and use it to bless others. (17-21)

(17) God gave these 4 young men extraordinary abilities in the language and literature of their education.
God gave Daniel the ability to understand visions and dreams.
- Dream interpretation was important in Babylonian wisdom.
- The Babylonians believed the gods spoke through their dreams
- Prepares us, the reader, for what’s to come in this book of Daniel.
(18) Their 3-year training program concludes and they are brought, one at a time, to be examined by Nebuchadnezzar.
(19-20) The God-given gifts of these four young men far exceeded the abilities of other servants of the kingdom.
- These men were led by God.
(21) Daniel outlasted his Babylonian captors. He survived attempts to have him removed.
Micro-message of Daniel – Kings change; God never changes; God preserves His faithful people
He remained steadfast and faithful to God despite living in a pagan land, under pagan kings for 70 years.
- He was used by God to proclaim the sovereignty of God to these pagan kings.
- These men were sources of conviction and encouragement to people of faith living in exile; they show us how we can, and why we should, remain faithful to God in a pagan land.

Conclusion

The Sovereign Lord delivered His beloved Judah over to judgment but He actively watches over His people while they’re in Babylon. All the while refining His holy ones and preserving them, for their ultimate good and for His glory.
Friends, the Sovereign Lord may allow you to be turned over to wicked men. You may be persecuted for your faith. You may be rejected by the world for standing on the Word, but God is watching.
God is working in you and through you to proclaim His Excellence and to display His sovereignty. When you face opposition, put your hope in the right place, in God Almighty.
God purposed, before the foundation of the world, to preserve those who are faithful.
We must love God more than this world, than this world’s acclaim, than this world’s gifts. We must love God above all things. For those who love God above all things, He will reward them with eternal life in His holy heaven, amidst His faithful holy ones from all ages and from all tribes and tongues. We will bow before the True King, King Jesus, the King of all kings.
He raises kings up, He brings kings down. His kingdom lasts forever.
Let’s pray.