Slides: Dare to be a Daniel

Dare to be a Daniel
by David Feddes

Who am I?

• I am a teenager, separated from family.

• Born in Jerusalem, I now live in Babylon.

• Once a free noble, now I am a captive.

• Brought up in God’s Word, I now have pagan teachers.

• Originally named Daniel, meaning “God is my judge,” I have been renamed Belteshazzar, after the pagan idol Bel.

Who am I?

• I am still Daniel, whatever anyone else calls me. I answer to first of all to God my judge, not to any idol or ruler.

• I still trust God’s Word, whatever my teachers teach me.

• My heart is still noble and free, wherever captivity brings me.

• In old age, I still pray facing Jerusalem, no matter how long I live in Babylon.

Who am I?

• As a Christian, I bear Christ’s name.

• I live and work in worldly Babylon, but I am never fully at home here. I am a citizen of heavenly Jerusalem.

• Jesus says, “Hold on to what you have… I will write on [you] the name of my God and the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on [you] my new name” (Revelation 3:12).

Dare to be a Daniel

• Knowing who I am                            . Fearless resolve                                                              • In but not of world                             . Disregards threats and rewards

• Excellence without excuses             . Always praying

• Gifted by God                                   . Seeking mercy

• Glorifying God                                  . Helped by angels

• Guided by Scripture                         . Faith in God and His Anointed

• Wisdom and tact

In the world but not of it

Excellence without excuses

In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better. (1:20)

Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. (6:3)

Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (6:28)

Gifted by God

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. (1:17)

None of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you. (4:18)

Gifted by God

There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods… This man Daniel… was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means. (5:11-12)

Glorifies God, not self

To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you. (Daniel 2:23)

No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. (2:27-28)

Guided by Scripture

• Keeps God’s dietary laws as one of God’s holy people in Old Testament times.

• We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God. (6:5)

• I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. (9:2)

Wisdom and tact

He asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself… Daniel said, “Test your servants for ten days.” (1:9-12)

When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. (2:14-16)

Fearless resolve

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. (1:8)

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. (6:10)

Disregards threats and rewards

Tells Nebuchadnezzar: “Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed.” (4:27)

Tells Belshazzar: “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another.” (5:17)

Disobeys Darius: “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing.” (6:13)

Always praying

Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery. (2:17-19)

Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. (6:10)

I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. (9:3)

Helped by angels

My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.

While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight. (Daniel 9:21)

Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” (Daniel 10:18-19)

Admitting sin, seeking mercy

We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets… we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name. (Daniel 9:5-6,15, 18-19)

Faith in God

• Ruler: the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes (4:17)

• Revealer: There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. (2:28)

• Rescuer: The God we serve is able to save us. (3:17) My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. (6:22)

Knows which kingdom lasts

Awed by God, not kings

One who will come

• Rock of Ages

• Atonement for sin

• Son of Man enthroned

• Resurrection and eternity

Rock of Ages

The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed...... It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end. (Daniel 2:44)

To atone for iniquity

…to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness… an anointed one shall be cut off. (Daniel 9:24-26)

Son of Man’s Kingdom

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

Resurrection and eternity

There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:1-3)

Dare to be a Daniel

• Knowing who I am                                   .Fearless resolve

• In but not of world                                   . Disregards threats and rewards

• Excellence without excuses                    . Always praying

• Gifted by God                                          . Seeking mercy

• Glorifying God                                         . Helped by angels

• Guided by Scripture                                . Faith in God and His Anointed

• Wisdom and tact

Resurrection and Eternity

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. (John 5:24-26)

Resurrection and Eternity

²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:27-29)