DANIEL 1.. Introduction The book of Daniel contains a record of historical events about the lives of Daniel and his three friends. These where Jewish exiles in Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans. The book records how Daniel finds himself as a civil servant in the king's palace serving the great ancient king Nebuchadnezaar.Daniel maintained his relationship with God regardless of his varied events and situations. Daniel and his three friends stood out for their faith and became an example of well-trained youths of all time. They did not abandon their God in order to worship Madorch and other Baylonian gods. God is a merciful and a kind God who loves His children who lovingly obey his commands. Daniel was given visions that stretched from 6 BC century to the 2nd Coming of Christ. It is for this reason that we are compelled to carefully analyse this book with prayers and contrite hearts. The book of Daniel was written between 6 BC and 536 BC a period when Judah was taken captive by Nebuchadnezaar the king of Babylonian to the early rule of Darius the king of the Medes and to Cyrus the Persian ruler. God deliberately handed over His people to Nebuchadnezaar because of their sins. God sent prophets to call his people to repentance but all was in vain. In the book of the 2 Chronicles 36: 21 the Bible tell us the main cause of the invasion by the Babylonians as well as desecrating His holy temple. 2 Chronicles 36:21 says, this was, "21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years." God through the prophet Jeremiah predicted the downfall of Jerusalem. In Jeremiah 25: 1- 8 we read,“ 1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; 2The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.” Jeremiah 25:1-3 “ 4And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. 5They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: 6And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. 7Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. 8Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,” God does not identify Himself with any denomination, any name of a church or building. God only identifies with those who love Him by doing his will. The Jews thought God would not destroy the holy temple Solomon had built per heavenly design and instruction. Little did they know God had nothing to do with man made temples other than their converted hearts that love Him as well as do His will. The house of Judah was warned time and again that if they do not repent disaster was certainly coming. They persecuted God’s prophets, the servants and even killed them. Finaly God sent Jeremiah who preached for twenty-three years pleading with God’s people to repent from their sinful ways hence God would unleash disaster without mercy. Many of God’s people were killed and some who were hiding in His holy temple perished. Daniel under these circumstances found himself and his friends as captives in a foreign land very far away from Jerusalem. These youths had no temple to go and worship every Sabbath days, the new moons, and the annual festivals as they were used to do in Jerusalem. In spite of all these forbidding circumstances they knew why God abandoned His people and His own holy temple. This was because they had sinned against Him and had refused to repent. God had no option other than to hand them over to be ruled by heathens under foreign gods. Daniel's Training in Babylon In Daniel 1:1-7 we read, "1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. The siege was done three years after the appointment of a king by the name Jehoiakim the king took with him special vessels and other holy utensils from the temple. 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. The king ordered his chief officer to identify some of the youthful Jews who would serve him at in his palace. The choice criteria were as follows: handsome, no any disability, intelligent in all calculation and science, well informed; quick to understand and must be qualified to serve in the palace. It was the king’s intention to brain wash these captives and make them his cronies so that after training they would be the leaders of their own people in his vast kingdom. This is why in the following verse the king changes them their identity to make them completely forget their true identity. “6 Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.” APETITE AN INITIAL TEST FOR GOD’S PEOPLE Many people do not take appetite as an important attribute for character development. Our first parents failed their test of character development simply by eating the forbidden fruit. For thousands of years we have suffered the consequence of sin from our first parents Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3:6-7 we read, “6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” The opposite was true for the four Hebrew youths. In Daniel 1:8-10 “8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." Appetite plays a pivotal role in our lives. It defines the quality of our individual characters. The four Hebrew boys had a choice to make, either to please the heathen king or stick to the principles taught them by their parents. when they passed the test of appetite God was pleased and honored them with all the health and wisdom necessary within ten days. Jesus after fasting in the wilderness, he was tempted of Satan on the question many have failed; the question of appetite. The Bible says he was very hungry that He needed food. He had completed forty days and forty nights in prayer and fasting. The temptation came at the most appropriate time, after a long fasting. Had Christ taken the Devil’s advice we would have lost a Savior. The whole plan of salvation would have failed. To changing stones into bread was enough to fail Jesus to be our redeemer. We read in Matthew 4:1-4 “ 1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Here is a comparison on the test of appetite between Jesus and Eve. JESUS. 1. He was in the Wilderness where there were no fruits or water, but dust, sun-heat and snakes. 2. He was alone with no one to talk to or consult in these trying times. 3. He had just completed 40 days of fasting. 4. He was visited by the Devil in the Desert when, thirsty and hungry. 5. He quoted scriptures to resist sin, “Man shall not live by bread alone”. 6. Did not change stones to bread though He was able to· 7. Jesus controlled his appetite for food when he needed it most. EVE 1. She was in a Garden that was full of all kinds of fruits. 2. She had a husband to consult, before accepting the fruit from the Devil. 3. She was not hungry. 4. She was visited by the Devil in the Garden while enjoying the beauty of creation. 5. She quoted scripture as an obstacle to her desires. “God said, we shall not eat of the fruit” 6. She did eat the forbidden fruit when there were plenty fruits in the Garden. 7. Eve could not control her appetite when she did not need food for servival. Here Daniel and his friends were tested and resisted the same temptation on appetite. In Daniel 1:11-16“ 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days “ “ 15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.” Daniel and his friends were confident that in ten days they would be ready for the test before the world heathen king Nebuchadnezaar. God was pleased with their faith. Ten days was long enough time for God to perform a miracle in their lives. The secret of the four Hebrew youths was their faith and doing their part believing God would do His part. God will never put those who love Him to shame. It is also important to note that we are what we eat. The flood destroyed the Antediluvians during Noah’s time and appetite was one of the causes for their destruction. Matthew 24:37-39 reads, “37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” In Daniel 1:17-21 we read "17 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. 18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. 21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus." God will always give wisdom to those who seek from Him. Luke 10:21reads, "21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight." God loves the humble and those contrite in spirit. He hates those who exalt themselves in any form. whether one has a talent in teaching or preaching; He has promised to exalt the humble and to humble those who exalt themselves. The four humble Hebrew boys were qualified by God and were exalted to positions of honor. May God bless you and keep you from falling. AMEN. © 2006 Fountain Of Life Seminars.