Sermon series: Learning Life's Lessons from Old Testament Characters

Subject: DANIEL--A MAN WITHOUT COMPROMISE

"In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.
Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.
Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
But Daniel purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." (Daniel 1:1-8)
"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.
Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king.
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.
Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus." (Daniel 1:18-21)
"So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian" (Daniel 6:28).

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"God is my Judge" is the meaning of Daniel's name!
Daniel was from the princely line of Judah and he was carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon in the first captivity under Nebuchadnezzar (605 B.C.).
According to tradition, he was about twelve or fifteen at the time. When he arrived in Babylon, he was included in a group which was chosen to be trained as statesmen. The king commanded his chief eunuch "to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family of the nobility, youths without blemish, handsome and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding, learning, and competent to serve in the king's palace, and to teach them the letters and language of the Chaldeans." They were to be educated for three years and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. In other words, the king saw here a group of young men that he could use in his court; and Daniel was one of them. If this group was taken captive in 605 B.C., and if Daniel was still serving when the empire fell to Cyrus in 539 B.C., you can readily see that Daniel served in the court for more than sixty years! The name, Daniel, was borne by three personages in the Old Testament records; by a son of David, a Levite of the house of Ithamar, and by the great prophet whose book forms part of the sacred canon.
When Daniel was back in Jerusalem as a young boy, he lived amidst the sight of the abominations of idolatry practiced within the very precincts of the temple, incense offered to "abominable beasts;" women weeping for Thammuz,--that is, celebrating a heathen festival for the supposed object of the love of Venus, who was fabled to have been killed by a boar-—a feast accompanied with all the excesses of idolatry;--men, in the inner court of the Temple, "with their backs towards the Temple of the Lord," worshipping the sun towards the east.
Nor was king Jehoiakim guilty of the gross idolatry, but he put his nobles in chains, threw Jeremiah into a dungeon, and cut up and burned the written prediction of that prophet at the moment when a national fast was being celebrated!
Yet in the midst of such corruption and wickedness we find among the youths or children carried off along with Jehoiachin, not only one like Daniel, but others of the same spirit, like his boy companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Their faith was planted deep within their hearts, the laws and commandments of Jehovah written in their minds.

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When Daniel arrives in Babylon and finds himself among the select group to be trained as a Chaldean statesman, he reacts immediately to the food diet of this heathen nation. The strictness of the Jewish principles of the youth Daniel was greatly shocked by this involuntary promotion. It was impossible for him to eat "unclean" food, and equally so to guard against this sin if he shared what had been prepared by idolatrous foreigners. Portions were, doubtless, offered from it to heathen gods, and there might be in it something forbidden by Jewish law. The only safety lay in the use of none but vegetable food, and that, we may feel certain, made ready by Jews.
The reference here to vegetables and water in place of rich food and wine has, of course, nothing to do with either vegetarianism or abstinence from alcohol! It relates rather to the ritual punctiliousness of the young men concerned. Their request vividly illustrates the importance to the faithful Jew of dietary laws and of the regulations relating to food and drink laid down in Scripture or accepted by tradition.
"Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies...."(1:8).
Observation! It takes courage not to compromise. When the great Chrysostom was arrested by the Roman Emperor, the latter sought to make the Greek Christian recant, but without success. So the Emperor discussed with his advisors what could be done to the prisoner. "Shall I put him in a dungeon? The emperor asked.
"No," one of his counselors replied, "for he will be glad to go. He longs for the quietness wherein he can delight in the mercies of his God."
"Then he shall be executed!" said the Emperor. "No," was the answer, "for he will also be glad to die. He declares that in the event of death, he will be in the presence of his Lord."
"What shall we do then?" the ruler asked. "There is only one thing that will give Chrysostom pain," the counselor said. "To cause Chrysostom to suffer, make him sin. He is afraid of nothing except sin."
Frederick the Great was a scoffer, but his great general, Von Zealand, was a Christian. One day at a gathering, the king was making coarse jokes about Jesus Christ and the whole place was ringing with guffaws. Von Zealand arose stiffly and said, "Sire, you know I have not feared death. I have fought and won 38 battles for you. I am an old man; I shall soon have to go into

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the presence of One greater than thou, the Mighty God who saved me from my sin, the Lord Jesus Christ whom you are blaspheming against. I salute thee, sire, as an old man, who loves his Savior, on the edge of eternity."
With trembling voice, Frederick replied: "General Von Zealand, I beg your pardon. I beg your pardon! I beg your pardon! The company silently dispersed.
John Wesley said, "Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I will shake the world. I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; and such alone will overthrow the kingdom of Satan and build up the kingdom of God on earth."
Courage not to compromise comes from deep conviction! And there is a difference between conviction and an opinion. Opinions can change with time and situations, but convictions that are held deeply and sincerely give us the courage to react against anything and anyone who attacks our position of stand. Daniel was completely convinced that the commandments and laws of his Jewish faith were God given, and he was not going to be changed, even by the dictates of a king!
We cannot help but admire men and women who stand up for what they believe, no matter the cost.
Who was United States Senator Edmund G. Ross of Kansas? I suppose you could call him a "Mr. Nobody." No law bears his name. Not a single list of Senate "greats" mentions his service.
Yet when Ross entered the senate in 1866, he was considered the man to watch. He seemed destined to surpass his colleagues, but he tossed it all away to one courageous act of conscience.
Please let me introduce Mr. Ross.
Conflict was dividing our government in the wake of the Civil War. President Andrew Johnson was determined to follow Lincoln’s policy of reconciliation toward the defeated South. Congress, however, wanted to rule the downtrodden Confederate states with an iron hand.
Congress decided to strike first. Shortly after senator Ross was seated, the senate introduced impeachment proceedings against the hated president. The radicals calculated that they needed thirty-six votes, and smiled as the concluded that the thirty-sixth was none other than Ross.
The new Senator listened to the vigilante talk. But to the surprise of many, he declared that the President "deserved as fair

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a trial as any accused man has ever had on earth." The word immediately went out that his vote was "shaky."
Ross received an avalanche of anti-Johnson telegrams from every section of the country. Radical Senators badgered him to "come to his senses."
The fateful day of the vote arrived. The courtroom galleries were packed. Tickets for admission were at an enormous premium. As a deathlike stillness fell over the Senate chamber, the vote began. By the time they reached Ross, twenty-four "guilties" had been announced. Eleven more were certain. Only Ross' vote was needed to impeach the President.
Unable to conceal his emotion, the Chief Justice asked in a trembling voice, "Mr. Senator Ross, how vote you? Is the respondent Andrew Johnson guilty as charged?" Ross later explained at that moment, "I looked into my open grave. Friendships, position, fortune, and everything that makes life desirable to an ambitious man were about to be swept away by the breath of my mouth, perhaps forever."
Then, the answer came--unhesitating, unmistakable: "Not guilty!" With that, the trial was over. And the response was as predicted. A high public official from Kansas wired Ross to say. "Kansas repudiates you as she does all perjurers and skunks."
The "open grave" vision had become a reality. Ross' political career was in ruins. Extreme ostracism, and even physical attack awaited his family upon their return home.
One gloomy day Ross turned to his faithful wife and said. "Millions cursing me today will bless me tomorrow...though none but God can know the struggle it cost me." It was a prophetic declaration.
Twenty years later Congress and the Supreme Court verified the wisdom of his position, by changing the laws related to impeachment. Ross was appointed Territorial Governor of New Mexico. Then, just prior to his death, he was awarded a special pension by Congress. The press and country took this opportunity to honor his courage which, they finally concluded, had saved our country from crisis and division.
I use this illustration in our lesson today to show that courage is costly, but the results of no compromise are tremendous!
In chapter six of Daniel, we have another example of this courage—-a quality of character that was deeply instilled in his heart and soul as a child. "Then this Daniel distinguished himself above

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the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, "We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God. So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: "King Darius, live forever!
All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions." (6:3-7).
How does Daniel respond?
"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days." (6:10).
The consequences! The lion's den!
"So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you." (6:16).
The king was right! After a restless night, he was hurried to the lion's den and cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel: "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"
Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever!
My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him, and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.
Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God." (6:20-23).
Courage! No compromise! And twenty-five hundred years later his story still thrills the hearts of millions around the world! There is another wonderful example of courage found in the small book of Daniel and it has to do with his three friends that

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went through the same training as Daniel and were assigned positions of leadership in the government.
Nebuchadnezzar made a large image and demanded that everyone bow down and worship it.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to obey! It was against their Jewish faith!
So they are reported to the king.
"Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king." (3:13)
And their response!
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in the matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
But if not , let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up" (3:16-18).
And to the fiery furnace they were escorted and the heat was turned up to its highest degree!
"And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God!" (3:23-25)
When I read the book of Daniel, my heart is deeply moved at the courage of these young Jewish boys who stood up for their faith and their God in the face of death; remember! They were taken from their families, their sacred land, and any influence of their faith, at the early age of fifteen years of age! So, whatever religious knowledge they had was instilled in them as little children and infants!
They must have had dedicated Jewish parents! These parents must have been knowledgeable of the ancient instructions concerning the training of little children in the truths of Jehovah God.
"Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you

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are crossing over to possess,
that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.
Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you--a land flowing with milk and honey."
Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:1-9)
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6).
"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4).
In recent weeks, we have studied the lives of Moses and Joseph. Moses had the influence of his mother a few short years of his childhood before going to live in the Egyptian palace. Joseph had the influence of a Jewish home and religion for approximately seventeen years. But when these youths were exposed to the religions of the pagan world in which they were raised, their faith in Jehovah God gave them a courage to stand up for what they believed very deeply.
If there is one glowing message that comes from the lives of these men it is...Parents, give great diligence to the training and teaching of your children when they are but infants! It is never too early to pray with them and read the Bible to them, and talk about the things of God. The training of our children is OUR task...not the Sunday School teacher or the religious school! We must pass our faith on to our children! "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." (Deuteronomy 4:9)