Daniel 1:1-8 – The Power of Parenting – Bible study

Daniel 1:1-8 The Power of Parenting 7/9/2017 AM The book of Daniel is a known as a book of prophecy. It along with the books of Ezekiel and Zechariah create a trio of books that tell much of the same story as our New Testament book of Revelation tells, with one exception. Daniel is a foundational book. It lays out several truths that if you do not know first, you might well misunderstand the prophecies which are given in all the books of end time prophecy. It is my desire to look at a few of those truths for the next few weeks. However, the book of Daniel is very deep and very symbolic. For that reason, I know at the onset that some of what I might want to discuss with you is too complicated to discuss in Sunday morning messages. For that reason, I also know that I will not look too far into this book on Sunday morning. At some point, I may switch the messages to Sunday night or I may move on to another topic before we have gotten nearly all of the good we could get out of this book, but for the time being, lets Build A Prophecy Foundation. At the same time, this book also teaches us much on character, both by showing us what good character is and what bad character is. This morning, that is where our attention will be drawn as we look at the topic, The Power of Parenting. I. Background – In order to understand the book of Daniel, we need to have some understanding of its background. A. This book was written during the destruction of the southern kingdom of Israel, called Judah. 1. God used Moses to bring the Jews out of Egypt and Joshua to take them into the land of Israel. 2. For several hundred years, they were lead as a single nation by the Judges which God raised up. 3. But eventually, the people demanded a king. 4. At the beginning of the fourth kings reign, the grandson of King David, Israel split into two nation. You can read of this time period by reading the books of Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1Kings. 5. Recently, I preached from the book of Hosea and told you that Hosea preached at the time when the northern kingdom was being destroyed by the Assyrian. 6. This book was written around 150 years. a. It details the destruction of the southern kingdom, called Judah, by the Babylonians. b. Babylon is being ruled over by the mightiest king that has ever ruled, Nebuchadnezzar. B. Daniel is a Jewish youth who was captured on one of the first attacks of Babylon against Israel. 1. In Ezekiel 5, Ezekiel preached that 2/3s of the Jews would be killed by Babylon, 1/3 would be scattered, and only a very few would be preserved. Daniel was one of those few. 2. The land of Israel will be left in ruins for 70 years and Daniel, along with a few others, will be taken to Babylon to live out their days there. 3. I find it interesting that the foundational books of end time prophecy was written at a time when the people of Israel were defeated, conquered, killed, and scattered out of their land, but that is the case of the book of Daniel. II. The Influence of Parents Daniel 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish A. Nebuchadnezzar sought for good men from the countries he conquered. In Israel, what he found was godly men. 1. The Bible does not tell us Nebuchadnezzars reasoning for taking the young men of the nations he had conquered and joining them to his ranks of advisors and leaders, but he did. 2. In doing so, he took at least four young men of the Jews, Daniel and his three companions that we know better by their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Dan 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the kings meat, nor with the wine which he drank. B. Notice that the Bible says this was Daniels purposing. 1. His parents were not with him to instruct him. 2. Daniel is young, perhaps as young as 13 or 14. 3. He was separated from his parents, perhaps by the captivity, but more than likely by death itself. 4. At this young age, Daniel must make his own decisions. 5. Parents, we are raising our children to be independent of us. a. This is our goal. (1) To raise them to be independent, able to make their own decision, to stand on their own two feet. (2) If we fail in this, our children will forever be dependent upon others, whatever others there may be to help them. (3) Of course, as Christians, we have the additional goal of not only wanting them to be independent but also wise, able to make good and godly decisions. b. And, like Daniel, if we succeed, there will be a time when our children must make their decisions without us. c. It may not be war, captivity, or death that separates us from them. It may be college, or work, or marriage that does so, but regardless, we want to raise our children so that (1) They will separate from us. (2) They will make wise and godly decisions when that time comes. C. Some truths: 1. There is no greater influence on our children than us, their parents. a. This is the way it should be. This is what God has degreed. b. God did not give children to a village or to the state. God gave them to their parents. c. The only way another can become the greatest influence in the life of their children, is if the parents abdicate that their role. And many do. d. Five of the greatest thieves of parental influence. (1) Daycares – 40 to 55 hours every week. Get by with less. (2) TV – Nothing Christ like about television. (3) School – Produces the same situation as daycares only the children are a bit older and the process continues for at least 12 years. (4) Peers – Everyone needs friends but if we are not careful, the wrong kinds of people will have far greater influence in our childrens life than we do. (5) Boyfriends and girlfriends – This is a special king of influence and too many are allowing too much way too early. e. These outside sources not only work to reduce our influence over our children but our goal as parents work against us. (i.e. the goal that our children be independent) (1) Parents must do the impossible. (a) Parents must lead their children to be totally independent of them without allowing them to become dependent upon another worldly influence. (b) In doing so, parents must allow their children the opportunity to make wrong decisions while still influencing them against making a decision where the consequences are too severe. (2) Parents need God. 2. Daniels parents did just that. a. As a young man, a prisoner in a foreign country, Daniel has had some good stuff put into him. b. How do I know that? Because you get out of your children what you put into them. (1) If you put bitterness, anger, deceit, guile, laziness, and drama into them, you will get bitterness, anger, deceit, guile, laziness, and drama out of them. (2) But if you put godliness, wisdom, understanding, and love into them, you will get godliness, wisdom, understanding, and love out of them. c. How did Daniels parents accomplish that goal. (1) We do not know for certain for the Bible does not tell us. (2) But I believe we can safely say that Daniels parents wanted to put God in him even more than they wanted to put them in him. III. Notice three sets of three. A. Notice the three that came out of Daniel. 1. \#8\ He would not defile himself. a. That is, Daniel chose to be like God. b. Daniels parents had put purity, godliness, righteousness, and holiness into Daniel in the first years of his life. c. Now, those qualities were pouring back out of him. d. Was Daniel somehow different from everyone else, blessed with a spirit that was more divine than other children? (1) I do not think so. (2) I think he was blessed with some parents that were more godly than other children. (3) They had poured more of God into their children than they even poured of themselves and now that was starting to come back out. (4) You add that to the thought that Daniel was being raised in a time when Israel was so wicked that God destroyed the entire nation and you have hope that if we are the kind of parents God wants us to be, our children can be dedicated and determined to live for God no matter how dark the world around us. 2. Daniel had faith, great faith. Dan 1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the kings meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. a. Daniel chose to believe in God. b. Daniel not only believed that God was and could. He believed that God would. c. Daniel believed that God would bless his spiritual faith by stepping into this physical world on his behalf. d. What is faith? (1) Faith is the ability to see the invisible things of Gods reality. (2) It is the lasso by which we rope and pull the invisible things of God into our world. e. Daniel knew God wanted to intervene on his behalf before the heathen king. By faith, he saw what God wanted to do and with his faith, he pulled that invisible reality into our sinful world. 3. Daniel had courage. Daniel 1:8 therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. a. Daniel chose to follow God. b. Daniel not only believed these things but he had the courage to act on them. c. Did Daniel have proof that God would step into his world? (1) No. He had faith that God would but not proof. (2) Could there have been negative consequences? (3) Yes. (4) And Daniel was willing to pay whatever consequences there might be. (5) Not only now, but when he was cast into the lions den and when his friends were cast into the fiery furnace. (6) Faith with fear is failure. (7) Faith with courage may bring trials, but they also make is possible for God to show up. B. What three things did this get Daniel? 1. \#9\ He found favor from those around him. That means people liked and respected him enough to listen to him. 2. \#13\ His countenance was better looking than his peers. The best way to have good-looking kids is to concentrate on building their character not their decorating their bodies. 3. \#17\ Nebuchadnezzar round them to be 10 times smarter and wiser than his peers. Godly parents are the best educators of children. They always have been, and they always will. C. How did Daniels parents pour these things into Daniel? Three things. 1. They lived the life they wanted to Daniel to live. This is the number one method of raising our children. It is never just about what we say. It is always what we do. 2. They had Daniel around others that modeled the godly life. Children need to see more than their parents. They need to see the reality of godly living in the lives of others. That is why God created the church. Find a godly church and get your children in it. 3. They taught the children. Word are not the main way of raising godly children but they are one way. Teach your children the Word of God. Parents, we need some Daniel, some Hananiahs, some Mishaels, and some Azariahs, but to get those, we need some godly parents. May God use us to make that possibility a reality.