Reference

Daniel 1
Thriving in Babylon

SERMON NOTES

Overview of Daniel: “God is in control when the world seems out of control”

 

Daniel 1: prologue, written in Hebrew

Daniel 2-7: mostly stories, written in Aramaic

Daniel 8-12: prophetic dreams and apocalyptic visions, written in Hebrew

 

 

Daniel 1: “God sovereignly gives exactly what is needed when it is needed”

 

1:1-7: The world is a mess

  • Babylon is the personification of evil in the Bible (see Rev 18:1-3)
  • God is sovereign - he ‘gave' Judah over to Babylon
  • Daniel and his friends are targeted with indoctrination
  • We have hope in Babylon because:
    • Earthly kingdoms come and go
    • God will judge the wicked and reward the righteous (Ps 37)

 

1:8-16: Pick your battles

  • Why stand out on the food issue when so much else was wrong?
  • Engaging in culture wars seldom works
  • Daniel demonstrates humility and wisdom in his approach
  • God cause the official to ‘give’ favour

 

1:17-18: Victory comes after obedience

  • God allowed them to excel within the Babylonian system
  • Faithfulness in small things leads to faithfulness in big things

 

 

QUESTIONS: How has God provided what you needed when you needed it?  What are you in need of now and are you asking for God’s direction?