Monthly Archive for February, 2002

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Daniel 2:24-30

Published on February 18, 2002 in Daniel. 2 Comments
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Daniel 2:24 “Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: ‘Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.’ 25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, ‘I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.’ 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, ‘Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?’ 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, ‘The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: 29 As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. 30 But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.’”
 
24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.”
Daniel went to the executioner, Arioch of the State Department, and told him that he was ready to reveal the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. 
25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, “I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.” 
The words “I have found” are emphatic.  Arioch clearly takes credit for finding Daniel. 
26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation? ”
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know two things from Daniel: 1) the content of the dream and 2) the interpretation of the dream. 
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.”
Daniel wanted to make it abundantly clear that other wise men could not make known both the content and interpretation of the dream.  Their gods could not reveal it to them.  There is a radical difference between supernatural revelation and human wisdom.  Daniel is saying in effect, “I am not here representing the academia of the Chaldean Empire.”  God brings to nothing the wisdom of the wise.
1 Co 1: 26 “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
28 “But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:
God, in contrast to the philosophers of the age, can know the future.  Superstition cannot give what God can give. 
God made known to Nebuchadnezzar what will happen “in the latter days.”  The book of Daniel is about prophecy.  The “latter days” of the Gentiles and Jews both come to a conclusion in the Tribulation.  
29 “As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be.
Daniel’s vision is about the future, both near and far. 
30 “But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.”
Again Daniel made it clear to Nebuchadnezzar that it was not his sagacity but the wisdom of God that made this dream known.  Daniel divested any credit to himself: “It isn’t because I am better than anyone else that God gave me this revelation.” 
PRINCIPLE:  Believers should give credit where credit is due. 
APPLICATION:  Note the striking contrast between Arioch and Daniel.  Arioch quickly took the credit for Daniel’s revelation.  Daniel gave glory to God; he did not try to grab glory for himself. 
Some of us feed on approbation lust.  The more praise we receive the more we desire it.  It is like dope.  We become addicted to praise very quickly.  If people do not continually make noises about what we do, we go into approbation deficit.  If others do not tell us how wonderful we are, we sulk.  This is immaturity.
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Daniel 2:21-23

Published on February 17, 2002 in Daniel. 2 Comments
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Daniel 2:21 “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.23 I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”
 
 21     And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings;
God is in control of human history.  He makes and unmakes kings.  God sovereignly controls human events.  God will lead human history to its climax.  God has a plan for creation. 
He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
Daniel identifies two evidences of God’s wisdom:  1) He gives wisdom to the wise, and 2) He gives knowledge to those who have understanding.
22     He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
We see God’s wisdom in revelation.  “Light dwells with Him” because He sees all things clearly.  There are no shades of meaning or possibilities in Him.  Man is in the dark because he is limited in his understanding.  God is omniscient.
23     I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s demand.
Now Daniel specifies that it was God who gave him wisdom.  The revelation he received came from God, not from his own wisdom.  He fullyrecognized that it was God who gave him everything he knew.
 
PRINCIPLE:  We cannot truly worship God without understanding His character. 
 
APPLICATION:  We must understand the character of God in order to worship Him.  All worship is based on comprehension of God.  Understanding God is impossible without a maximum understanding of the principles of the Word, for it is the Word that reveals who God is. 
Our prayer should honor God or glorify Him.  We do this because of what God is in Himself.  Wisdom is His.  Might is His.  God’s infinite wisdom chooses the best course for our lives.  God’s power will execute His desires.  Nothing happens by unadulterated chance.  God raises up governmental leaders and He puts them down.  That is why we honor Him.
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Daniel 2:19-20

Published on February 16, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 2:19 “Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven."
 
20 Daniel answered and said:
“’Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.’”
 
 19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision.
God revealed the whole panorama of Gentile dominion to Daniel.  This period is otherwise known as “the time of the Gentiles” referred to by Jesus Christ.  This period covers the time from Nebuchadnezzar to Christ’s Second Coming. 
So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Daniel received direct revelation both as to the content and the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.  This is the only record of a dream being revealed to someone other than the person who originally received the dream.   God revealed this “secret” to Daniel in direct answer to prayer. 
 20 Daniel answered and said:
Daniel now lifts a hymn of praise to God.
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.”
 
God’s “name” stands for His revealed character.  This is more than a label or title.  Daniel draws attention to two characteristics of God: His “wisdom” and His “might.” 
PRINCIPLE:  God should get the credit for what God does. 
APPLICATION:  Daniel did not relish the fact that God revealed the dream to him; rather, he rejoiced in the glory of God’s power to reveal it to him.  He did not take the credit for what God did.  It is God who controls the destiny of nations and course of history.  Sometimes we get carried away with our own importance.  We should have no allusions about ourselves.  If God chooses to use us, we must recognize that it is God doing the doing.  That is why we give God the credit. 
People who understand grace are relaxed people because they understand where the glory belongs.  Grace orientation produces a well-rounded person. 
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Daniel 2:18

Published on February 15, 2002 in Daniel. 1 Comment
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Daniel 2:18 “that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.”
 
 18 that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
The purpose of Daniel informing his three friends was that they might pray about the situation.  He believed in united prayer.  He and his friends prayed for “mercies from the God of heaven.”  “Mercies” are God’s desire to meet needs in His people. 
The phrase “the God of heaven” occurs five times in this chapter (vv. 18, 19, 28, 37, 44).  They worshiped a sovereign God.  Daniel uses it one more time, in 5:23.
PRINCIPLE:  God blesses team prayer. 
APPLICATION:  Daniel knew how to pray.  Do we know how to pray? 
Ja 5: 16 “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
The principle parts of prayer are five:
1)      Confession
2)      Thanksgiving
3)      Praise
4)      Intercession (praying for others)
5)      Petition (praying for self)
Also, praying companions are crucial to our Christian walk.  Jesus had his disciples.  Paul had Timothy, Titus and many other companions.  There is power in united prayer. 
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Daniel 2:17

Published on February 14, 2002 in Daniel. 1 Comment
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Daniel 2:17 “Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions…”
 
 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,
Daniel informed his three friends of the decree to kill the wise men.  He faced his crisis with people upon whom he could depend. 
PRINCIPLE:  We all need mature Christian friends in a crisis. 
APPLICATION:  Do you have friends upon whom you can call in a crisis?  Can you depend on them for spiritual help and rapport?  Most of our friends will want to move on when we get into a jam: “This is a pressure situation so goodbye John, goodbye Mary.” 
It is not enough to have Christian friends; we must have mature Christian friends to meet difficult needs.
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Daniel 2:14-16

Published on February 13, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 2:14 “Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; 15 he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, ‘Why is the decree from the king so urgent?’ Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel. 16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation."
 
14 Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;
After learning of Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to kill the wise men, with “counsel” and “wisdom” Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard.  Daniel, even at a young age, was a man of “wisdom.”  Wisdom is the ability to appropriate truth to experience.  He was in the crisis of his life, yet he knew how to apply the Word of God to his situation. 
15 he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, ‘Why is the decree from the king so urgent?’ Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.
Daniel’s request centered on the reason for the urgency to kill the wise men. 
16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.
Daniel requests more time to interpret the dream.  He was able to operate by faith in a crisis because he was a man of the Word. 
PRINCIPLE:  Application of truth to experience is the foundation for Christian maturity. 
APPLICATION:  It is impossible to face a crisis without prior maturity.  The immature go into hysteria and frantic mode because they do not have a frame of reference for their problems.  That is why Daniel could “counsel” Arioch.  Maturity always counsels immaturity. 
The only way we can reach a level of maturity is to consistently apply the principles of Scripture to our life situations.  Daniel studied the Bible every day.  He also applied the Word every day.  He could face his crisis perfectly relaxed because he faced it with the principles of God’s Word. 
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Daniel 2:4-13

Published on February 12, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 2:4 “Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, ‘O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.’ 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, ‘My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. 6 However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.’ 7 They answered again and said, ‘Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.’ 8 The king answered and said, ‘I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: 9 if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.’ 10 The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, ‘There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.’ 12 For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.”
 
 4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
Daniel switches in 2:4b to the Aramaic from the Hebrew.  He continues in Aramaic until 7:28.  Daniel 1:1-2:4a and 8:1-12:13 are written in Hebrew.  Aramaic was the language of Babylon, Assyria and Persia.  It was the language of trade and government.  Daniel switched to Aramaic because 2:4b to 7:28 deal with Gentile matters. 
The Chaldeans took the initiative in replying to the king.  These religious leaders insisted on knowing the content of the dream. 
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.
King Nebuchadnezzar astutely withheld the content of the dream because he did not want any fake interpretation by a bunch of deceivers; he issued an ultimatum. 
6 “However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
The king’s hypothesis was that if they could tell him the content of the dream without him revealing it, their interpretation of the dream would likely be true.  Nebuchadnezzar promised them reward and honor for doing this. 
7 They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”
Again, the wise men of Babylonia requested that the king tell them the content of the dream.  
8 The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:
Nebuchadnezzar charged them with stalling for time.  He saw through their delaying tactics.  They might have hoped that the king would forget about the dream. 
9 “if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”
The only way for the king to have confidence in the wise men’s interpretation was for them to tell the content of the dream. 
10 The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.”
The wise men declared that the king’s request was unfair and unreasonable.  They stated that it was patently impossible to do what the king requested. 
11 “It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
The wise men declared that the sphere of knowing content beforehand belonged exclusively to the “gods.”  This admission set up Daniel’s God as the authentic God. 
12 For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar reacted violently and declared that all the wise men of Babylon be executed.  It was patently obvious that the wise men of pantheism could not reveal the dream or its meaning.  They were demonstrated to be inept at meeting the king’s request. 
13 So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
Daniel and his three friends fell into the category of wise men to be killed. 
PRINCIPLE:  Christians know the future outcome of the world. 
APPLICATION:  Where is this world going?  The Bible says that the “times of the Gentiles” (the time of Gentile domination) will come to an end.  Secular governments and all governments other than Israel will cease to exist.  They do not do a good job of dealing with the major issues of mankind. 
The church will be raptured before the end of Gentile domination.  The end of Gentile rule will come in the Tribulation after Jesus Christ comes for His church. 
Ps 89: 34 “’My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36 His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me;
37 It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.’ Selah”
God will govern the world by His Messiah and the nation Israel. 
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Daniel 2:1-3

Published on February 11, 2002 in Daniel. 1 Comment
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Daniel 2:1 “Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, ‘I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.’”
 
Chapters two through seven deal with the “times of the Gentiles” referenced by Christ (Luke 21:24).  Chapters two and seven give the most comprehensive picture of prophecy dealing with the Gentile nations anywhere in Scripture.  The time frame stretches from 600 BC to the time when Christ returns Second Coming (not the Rapture). 
1 Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.
Nebuchadnezzar was the head of the first great world empire.  He conquered the Assyrian empire and then the Syrian.  He defeated the Egyptians.  He was co-monarch with Nabopolasser, his father, for about two years.  The “second year” of his reign would be about four years after he carried Daniel into captivity. 
In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he struggled with a recurring,troubling dream about his empire.  Where was it going and where would it end? 
2 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar summoned the philosophers and religious leaders of his realm. “Magicians” professed to divine the future using many means; they were the sacred writers.  The “astrologers” were the priestly caste that studied the heavens to determine the future.  “Sorcerers” cast spells by witchcraft or incantations.  The “Chaldeans” (also a priestly caste) here are soothsayers who teach Chaldean culture, and not native Chaldeans. 
3 And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”
Nebuchadnezzar was in a state of anxiety because he did not know the meaning of the dream about his empire.  This shook him immensely.  He was the most powerful man of his day.  This shows that no matter how high the station or how great the unbeliever, he has no ultimate security in life.  With all his power, conquests, successes and greatness, none of it gave him peace.  He is worried, insecure and frightened. 
PRINCIPLE:  Success will never replace inner peace. 
APPLICATION:  No matter how successful we are or how much money we make, we will never have inner peace until we come to grips with the Prince of Peace.  Success is not the ultimate reality of life.  However, having a fellowship with God and rest in His provisions gives us that inner peace.  We get that peace through fellowship with the Lord from the Word of God. 
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Daniel 1:17-21

Published on February 10, 2002 in Daniel. 1 Comment
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Daniel 1:17 “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. 21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.”
 
 17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
God was in the business of preparing these four young men for His purposes.  God gave them “knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom.”  “Knowledge” has to do with mental agility and logic.  He gave them skill in literature and wisdom.  These young men were well-read and they acquired the ability to use what they knew.  God also gave them understanding in visions and dreams.   That is, they had a supernatural knowledge of prophecy and eschatology.  Today, God speaks through the closed canon of Scripture. 
The book of Daniel was read and studied by the Lord Jesus. 
·        Matthew 24:15 alludes to Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
·        Matthew 24:21 alludes to Daniel 12:1
·        Matthew 24:30 alludes to Daniel 7:13
·        John 5:28,29 allude to Daniel 12:2
The apostle John especially alludes to the book of Daniel.  The study of Daniel is a prerequisite to the study of the book of Revelation because of the many allusions to Daniel in the book of Revelation.  Both books are books of prophecy.  Both books speak of the tribulation, the final Anti-Christ, the coming of the Messiah and the final triumphal kingdom. 
18 Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
The phrase “end of days” refers to the end of the three years of training and testing.  The chief of the eunuchs brought the four young men before Nebuchadnezzar for a personal interview. 
19 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar depended on Daniel and his three friends throughout his reign as king for knowledge about the future. 
20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.
None equaled the four young men in “wisdom and understanding.”  They were ten times better than the magicians and astrologers.  Evidently, they were given positions of significant responsibility in the government of Nebuchadnezzar.  The four young men had the capacity to distinguish between a genuine dream and one that had no revelatory meaning. 
21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.
Daniel continued in the service of the court until the overthrow of the Babylonian Empire by Cyrus in 539 B.C.  God honored his resolve to serve Him without compromise.  Daniel served as God’s spokesman to the Gentiles.  He would have been approximately 90 years of age if he began his career about 605 B.C.  Daniel was probably released from his responsibilities when Cyrus issued his decree in favor of the Jews (Ezra 1:1-4). 
This verse does not say that Daniel died in the “first year of King Cyrus” (539 B.C.) Critics claim that the statement that “Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus” is an inaccuracy because Daniel 10:1 says that Daniel was given a revelation in the third year of Cyrus.  This is so much flimflam because this verse does not say or imply that Daniel did not continue after the first year of Cyrus.  The purpose of Daniel’s statement about King Cyrus is to show that Daniel’s career spanned the entire period of Persian domination of Babylon. 
Daniel does not reveal much about his relationship with Cyrus; however, Cyrus proclaimed an emancipation of the Jews recorded in Ezra 1:1-4 and 2 Ch 36:22-23.  Daniel may have given Cyrus the prophecy of Jeremiah that was fulfilled in 536 B.C., the first year of Cyrus. 
PRINCIPLE:  God blesses faithfulness. 
APPLICATION:  God blesses faithfulness.  Like Daniel, we have every reason to follow the philosophy of the world system.  Again, like Daniel, we have the choice to follow God no matter what the cost might be.  We are either conformed to this world or transformed by God.  A transformed life is a powerful and fruitful life.  A conformed life is barren and powerless. 
Ro 12: 1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
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Daniel 1:11-16

Published on February 9, 2002 in Daniel. 8 Comments
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Daniel 1:11 “So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 ‘Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.’ 14 So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. 16 Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.”
 
 11 “So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
Daniel acts on his convictions by offering a ten-day test to his immediate supervisor. 
12 ‘Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Apparently Daniel’s request not to eat of the food of the king’s table was denied so he offered a test to determine whether eating kosher food of vegetables and water would work.   “Vegetables” may include grain because the original carries the idea of grain as well as vegetables. 
13 ‘Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.’
Daniel offered an experiment to see if his proposal would work. 
14 So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.
The steward agreed to the test and examined the four young men in ten days. 
15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies.
At the end of the ten-day trial, the four young men were in better health than before. 
16 Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.”
Since the trial proved successful, the steward allowed them to continue on the diet of vegetables and water. 
PRINCIPLE:  Personal revival can make a person strong in adversity. 
APPLICATION:  Daniel was born about 625 B.C.  This was the year that the Neo-Babylonian Empire began.  He lived through the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and his successors until the Babylonian Empire fell by the conquest of Cyrus, king of Persia.  Many of the great events of history occurred during Daniel’s time, including the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C. that made Babylon the new power of Western Asia. 
Daniel was of the royal house of Judah; he was an aristocrat.  The good king Josiah had ruled fifteen years when Daniel was born.  King Josiah led his nation into a great revival by the reading of God’s Word (2 Kg 23:2).  This revival impacted Daniel greatly.  Daniel saw the outpouring of God’s grace during Josiah’s reign. 
The impact of this revival gave Daniel spiritual strength that carried him through the tragedy of his deportation to Babylon.  Daniel refused to compromise.  As he was in Jerusalem, so he was in Babylon.  The impact of that revival carried him through adversity throughout his life. 
Has there been a time in your life when you gave yourself to God and His Word unreservedly?
1 Pe 4: 19 “Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit [yield] their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone;
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known. 
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