Faithful Living in a Foreign Land

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound narrative of Daniel and his friends as they navigated life in exile, a story that resonates deeply with our own experiences as followers of Christ living in a world that often feels foreign and challenging. The book of Daniel, particularly the first chapter, sets the stage for understanding how God uses even the most difficult circumstances for His greater purpose. Daniel and his friends, taken from their homeland and placed in a culture that sought to assimilate them, chose to remain faithful to God. This decision was not just about dietary choices but a profound declaration of their allegiance to God over the prevailing culture.

The story of Daniel is a reminder that God is sovereign, even when it seems like He is silent or absent. The Babylonians might have thought they had defeated the God of Israel, but Daniel's story shows that God was very much at work, orchestrating events for His ultimate plan. This narrative challenges us to view our lives through God's perspective, recognizing that we are also in exile, living in a world that is not our home. We are called to live counter-culturally, not conforming to the patterns of this world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds.

As we reflect on Daniel's resolve, we are reminded of the greater story of Jesus, who perfectly lived out God's kingdom ethics in a world that opposed Him. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection invite us to live for His kingdom, empowered by the Holy Spirit, even amidst the challenges and temptations of our culture. We are called to be a people who proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, living as sojourners and exiles with hope for the future kingdom.

Key Takeaways:

1. God's Sovereignty in Exile: Daniel's story reminds us that God is sovereign, even in exile. Despite appearances, God is actively working through challenging circumstances to fulfill His purposes. This perspective encourages us to trust in God's plan, even when we don't fully understand it. [10:58]

2. Living Counter-Culturally: Daniel and his friends chose to live according to God's standards rather than conforming to the Babylonian culture. This decision challenges us to evaluate how we engage with our own culture, ensuring that our lives reflect God's kingdom values. [19:31]

3. The Power of Resolve: Daniel's resolve not to defile himself is a powerful example of living with conviction. It reminds us that our allegiance to God should guide our decisions, even when faced with pressure to conform. [18:44]

4. God's Provision and Favor: Throughout Daniel's story, we see God's provision and favor as Daniel and his friends remain faithful. This encourages us to trust that God will provide for us as we seek to honor Him in our lives. [20:40]

5. Our Identity as Exiles: As followers of Christ, we are reminded that this world is not our home. We are called to live as exiles, with our hope set on the future kingdom, living lives that reflect God's glory and proclaim His excellencies. [31:02]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:41] - Introduction to Daniel
- [04:24] - Daniel's Resolve
- [05:56] - Prayer and Reflection
- [07:21] - Historical Context
- [08:25] - God's Perspective
- [09:00] - The Role of Jehoiakim
- [10:12] - The Symbolism of Defeat
- [10:58] - God's Silent Presence
- [11:32] - The Mockery of Babylon
- [13:55] - The Babylonian Perspective
- [14:50] - The Education of Daniel
- [15:43] - The Significance of Names
- [16:24] - Project Assimilation
- [17:06] - Living as Exiles
- [18:44] - Daniel's Stand
- [19:31] - The Meaning of Defilement
- [20:40] - God's Favor and the Test
- [21:31] - The Daniel Diet
- [22:30] - God's Provision
- [23:43] - Lessons from Daniel
- [24:42] - The Greater Story of Jesus
- [27:56] - Engaging with Culture
- [28:28] - Cultural Perspectives
- [29:22] - The Posture of Engagement
- [30:25] - Living with Hope
- [31:02] - Our Identity in Christ
- [32:48] - Call to Resolve

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Daniel 1:1-21
- 1 Peter 2:9-11

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Observation Questions:

1. What were the circumstances that led Daniel and his friends to be in Babylon? How did they respond to the king's orders regarding their diet? [04:24]

2. How did God show His favor to Daniel and his friends during their time in Babylon? What was the outcome of their decision to not defile themselves? [20:40]

3. What does the name "Daniel" mean, and how does it reflect his actions and decisions in the story? [15:43]

4. How does the sermon describe the Babylonians' perspective on their victory over Judah, and what is God's perspective on the same events? [10:12]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Daniel's resolve to not defile himself with the king's food illustrate his understanding of God's sovereignty and his identity as a follower of God? [18:44]

2. In what ways does the story of Daniel and his friends challenge the audience to live counter-culturally in today's world? [17:06]

3. How does the sermon connect the story of Daniel to the greater narrative of Jesus and His kingdom ethics? [24:42]

4. What does it mean to live as "sojourners and exiles" according to 1 Peter 2:9-11, and how does this relate to the story of Daniel? [31:02]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt pressured to conform to cultural norms that conflicted with your faith. How did you respond, and what can you learn from Daniel's example? [19:31]

2. Daniel and his friends were given new names to assimilate them into Babylonian culture. Are there areas in your life where you feel your identity in Christ is being challenged or redefined by the world? How can you reaffirm your identity in Christ? [16:24]

3. The sermon emphasizes God's sovereignty even in difficult circumstances. How can you remind yourself of God's active presence in your life during challenging times? [10:58]

4. Consider the ways you engage with culture. Are there areas where you might be compromising your faith? How can you live more intentionally for God's kingdom? [27:56]

5. The sermon calls believers to live with hope for the future kingdom. What practical steps can you take to focus on this hope in your daily life? [30:25]

6. How can you use your current circumstances to proclaim the excellencies of God, as mentioned in 1 Peter 2:9-11? [31:02]

7. Daniel's story shows God's provision and favor. In what ways have you experienced God's provision in your life, and how can you trust Him more in areas where you struggle? [20:40]

Devotional

Day 1: God's Sovereignty in Unseen Circumstances
In the story of Daniel, we see a profound example of God's sovereignty, even in the midst of exile. Daniel and his friends were taken from their homeland and placed in a foreign culture that sought to assimilate them. Despite the appearance of defeat, God was actively working through these challenging circumstances to fulfill His purposes. This narrative encourages us to trust in God's plan, even when we don't fully understand it. It reminds us that God is sovereign and His presence is with us, even when He seems silent or absent. We are called to view our lives through God's perspective, recognizing that He is orchestrating events for His ultimate plan. [10:58]

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him." (2 Chronicles 16:9 ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you feel like God is silent? How can you trust in His sovereignty and seek His perspective today?


Day 2: Choosing to Live Counter-Culturally
Daniel and his friends made a conscious decision to live according to God's standards rather than conforming to the Babylonian culture. This choice was not just about dietary preferences but a profound declaration of their allegiance to God over the prevailing culture. Their example challenges us to evaluate how we engage with our own culture, ensuring that our lives reflect God's kingdom values. We are called to live counter-culturally, not conforming to the patterns of this world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds. [19:31]

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2 ESV)

Reflection: What is one cultural norm you find yourself conforming to that doesn't align with God's values? How can you begin to live counter-culturally in this area today?


Day 3: The Power of Resolve
Daniel's resolve not to defile himself is a powerful example of living with conviction. Despite the pressure to conform, Daniel chose to remain faithful to God, allowing his allegiance to guide his decisions. This story reminds us that our resolve to honor God should be unwavering, even when faced with challenges and temptations. It encourages us to stand firm in our faith, trusting that God will provide for us as we seek to honor Him in our lives. [18:44]

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel pressured to compromise your faith? How can you strengthen your resolve to remain faithful to God in this area?


Day 4: Experiencing God's Provision and Favor
Throughout Daniel's story, we see God's provision and favor as Daniel and his friends remain faithful. Despite being in a foreign land, God provided for them and granted them favor in the eyes of their captors. This encourages us to trust that God will provide for us as we seek to honor Him in our lives. It reminds us that God's provision is not limited by our circumstances, and His favor can be experienced even in the most challenging situations. [20:40]

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust God for provision? How can you actively seek His favor and guidance in this area today?


Day 5: Embracing Our Identity as Exiles
As followers of Christ, we are reminded that this world is not our home. We are called to live as exiles, with our hope set on the future kingdom, living lives that reflect God's glory and proclaim His excellencies. This identity challenges us to live with a sense of purpose and hope, knowing that we are part of a greater story. It encourages us to embrace our identity as sojourners, living with the expectation of the future kingdom and the fulfillment of God's promises. [31:02]

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20 ESV)

Reflection: How does your identity as an exile influence the way you live your daily life? What is one practical step you can take to live with a greater sense of purpose and hope today?

Quotes

Thank you for visiting. Welcome again. My name is Shabu. I have the joy of serving one of the pastors here at Canterbury Gardens. We, over the summer, particularly in January, we're sort of trying to keep our services short, mainly because to serve those who are little ones in particular and the parents, we want to encourage parents and little ones to come to church and not sort of move away from coming to church just because there's no kids' church. And so we don't currently have kids' church, but we will start again in a few weeks' time. So we're so glad you could join us. And so we're trying to keep our services to an hour. We'll see how we go. It depends on the preacher today. [00:00:00]

Now, in preparation for this sermon, particularly over the next few weeks, we're going to be looking at the first few chapters in the book of Daniel. It's an Old Testament book in the Bible. If you don't have a Bible, feel free to grab a copy. It's our gift to you. If you're someone who's exploring the Christian faith, we'd encourage you that if you do grab one, make sure you subscribe. Sit down with someone who knows Jesus to read it with you. Or if you would like, there's a little book in the foyer called What is a Christian? We'd love to give that as a gift to you to take home. [00:00:36]

So we at this church believe that the Bible is not just a book, it is God's Word. Whether it was written for a time in particular people, but it's still relevant today to us as the Holy Spirit makes these words come alive. Now, if you have grown up in any kind of Christian context or had some sort of, I guess, exposure to Christian things, you most likely would have heard or read about Daniel or heard the various stories. There's the famous Daniel and Daniel and the Lion's Den. There's the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. [00:01:09]

And I think apparently there's a song is that correct no those who've grown up in christian context is looking at me strangely um and then also some people are really excited about daniel because particularly the ones that we're not going to be going into there's talk about end times and we're already like oh why are we not going there we as a church have gone through daniel before and every time i go through this book one of the things that confronts me is the challenge that what it means to live for god in a very um counter -cultural way and so if you have your bibles with you if you could turn to daniel chapter one daniel chapter one and i'm going to read it to us and for us and so here is god's word i'm reading from the esv version but you might have another version that's fine but here is god's word in the third year of the reign of jehoiakim king joseph king of judah nebuchadnezzar king of babylon came to jerusalem and besieged it the lord gave jehoiakim king of judah into his hand with some of his vessels of the house of god and he brought them to the land of shinar to the house of his god and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god then the king commanded ashfanaz the chief eunuch to bring some of the people of israel both of the royal family and of the nobility youths without blemish of good ability and of the people of israel and of the people of israel and of the people of israel and of the people of israel and of the people of israel and of the people of israel and of the people of israel and skillful in all wisdom endowed with knowledge understanding learning and competent to stand in the king's palace and to teach them the literature and language of the chaldeans the king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate and of the wine that he drank they were to be educated for three years and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king among these were daniel hananiah michelle nazariah of the tribe of judah And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names. Daniel he called Belshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. [00:01:41]

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he said, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king who assigned your food and your drink. For why should I, why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youth who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king. Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance, the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food and drink, be given to the eunuchs. And Daniel said to the steward, I fear my lord the king's food, be observed by you and deal with your servants according to what you see. [00:03:51]

So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for 10 days. At the end of 10 days, it seemed that they had been better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables. And as for those four youths, God gave them learning and skill and all literature and wisdom and Daniel had understanding of the king's food. And Daniel said to the steward, I fear my lord the king's food. So the steward took away their food and gave them knowledge and understanding and all visions and dreams. At the end of the time when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them. Among them all were none found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. Then every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them 10 times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in the kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus. Would you join with me in prayer? [00:04:46]

Our great God and Lord who rules and reigns over all things, we bow at your feet. Lord Jesus, we pray and ask that you would settle our hearts and minds, whether if we're little ones or not so little ones. We pray that we'll hear your words that you're saying to us both individually and as a church. For those of us who are far from you or hardened, soften our hearts closer to you. For those of us who know you, challenge, refresh, encourage through your word. And may you, Jesus, be glorified alone. In your name we all said, Amen. [00:05:47]

historians, when a nation decides to take or attack another nation, there are a few ways of doing it according to what I've been reading. You can totally go into another nation and completely annihilate them and leave nothing behind. Or you can go in and take over and ultimately you take siege and you wear them down and then you might actually take a group of people to become your slaves or people that will ultimately serve your purpose. You indoctrinate them according to your customs, your law, and some of them you might put in charge in territories and ultimately you're the person who's controlling them. Now, from a human perspective, it sounds really amazing and historically, if you're into history, the kind of things that I enjoy, it's very clever. But that's from a human perspective. There's another perspective that we need to consider is that ultimately we need to consider God's perspective. He even uses this particular situation in the people of Israel, particularly in this context, to use even captivity and exile for his great purpose and also for the very lives of Daniel and his friends. But in this story, as all the stories of the Bible is always connected to God's great grand story. [00:06:33]

So, Daniel's story right here is most likely set after Babylon's first attack on Jerusalem. You can read about it in 2 Kings chapter 24. They've completely plundered the city and the very temple, the center of Israel's worship. They've taken into exile some of these prisoners, including these men that we've just heard about. Some historians say most likely from some sort of royal line, maybe from David's line or King Hezekiah. And they've been given names. Names that would change, which I'll explain in a little bit. So, they've been taken into exile. And so, as we look into this particular perspective, and that's how Daniel chapter 1 starts, there's two ways perhaps to consider looking at it. We may look at it as, man, okay, this is war and exile, that's just part of what's going on in that time and culture. Or there's the other perspective I want us to consider, that is God's perspective. The kingdoms at that time have been divided between Judah and Israel. But notice something in verse 2, did you see that? The Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Lord is the one who gave him over. You can read about it in 2 Kings 24. It's God who gave this king over to Nebuchadnezzar. What the history tells us in 2 Kings in particular is that there was an alliance. That was made. And the alliance failed because one of the kings, particularly Jehoiakim, didn't keep his part of the deal. But God had already warned them, don't make alliance with foreign kings. It will not go well for you. What will happen is this. And so, what we're seeing is the fruit of what they exactly God said would happen. But there are two perspectives going on in this. And through the whole book of Daniel, you will see this over and over again. [00:07:55]

Later on, this king, Nebuchadnezzar, I think that he's the great mighty one. Even in the opening verses, for us, even today, even for the people then, it's very confronting. Have a look. This king, this foreign king, takes a vessel that belonged to the house of the God of Israel and takes it to his house, his God's house. For those listening in, it's a real picture, confronting picture of defeat. It's a perspective that it looks like God has been defeated. It's the question that if you're in exile, you might ask the question, has the God of the Babylonians won over the God of Israel? Imagine if you're hearing these stories of these precious things being taken to the foreign God's house. Yet in this chapter, we're already reminded, although God's word is silent, that he's not in a sense speaking, he's not absent from the actual situation. He's using this for his great purpose. He's allowed this for this moment and we will see time and time again in the book of Daniel, God will use this as part of his great big plan. And ultimately, his great plan of salvation. It's a moment for you and I, as we sit in this hall, to pause and be reminded, I'm not sure what your vision of who God is and what he's like. I know I do this. Sometimes I forget that God is involved in all the details of life. That God actually has a purpose, even through the challenging times. Because we don't see things fully like the God who of the universe, he sees everything that's going on. Nothing misses him. Because we're not God. [00:09:50]

And in this moment, perhaps the Babylonians are sitting back and thinking, they're mocking and go, look at the God of Judah. What a joke. we've defeated him our god is greater i don't know if you've ever encountered this in your conversations with friends who don't know jesus yet you may hear things like you're christian god really serious you really believe in the god of the universe you really believe in this book called the bible really he seems really powerless i mean come on we live in the modern days modernity is the true god secularism is the true god having power and wealth and influence having social media followers is the real true god having uh science has actually defeated the god of the bible actually having your own inner belief you being you is the true god the god of the bible you can't surely believe in such a thing it's a follow as a follower of christ particularly as we see the full story of god revealed to us in scripture it's a moment to perhaps even be challenged ourselves to not fall into the trap to think that god is someone who just sits back he's hit play and now he's just sort of not doing anything god is involved in the daily events of this world for his ultimate greater purpose i love how i don't know if you have a physical bible in front of you you'll notice that our god the card of the bible is with a capital g and the other god is with a small g for me it's a great visual reminder of who truly is the big god see the king believes he has won and so it's part of the strategy of the time assimilation so they get the best of the best most likely like i mentioned from ruling families and so they bring them along and most historians say by this time these guys were probably teens ages. But notice the language again. Look at the different kind of perspective that's coming in. There's one perspective that the Babylonian empire looking and grabbing these people from their perspective. What do they see? All the external things. Did you notice that in verse 2? They're looking for people without blemish. They are looking in people with, ultimately, the language is literally really good -looking, handsome people. That will count me out. Anyway, they're looking for wise, educated. They want people that both know, know and understand knowledge. And some say it's like they need to know and understand even the divination and the things that are going on in that court. And you'll see that in the story of Daniel, this constant battle that God always is the winner. [00:11:58]

Using our day and age, because some of you have finished year 12, we're heading towards year 12 this year, the class, the best of the class, the best ATAR school. That's what we're looking for. That's what we're looking for. That's what we're looking for. That's what they're looking for. And then they will be indoctrinated and educated in the language of the Babylonians. And to make it even more amazing and appealing, it's like a sales speech, they'll be fed the best food from the king's table. Can you imagine three years? Three years of living at this palace. Three years of what would have been, at that time, the best modern education and cultural understanding that you would ever receive. Three years. It doesn't matter if it's the scraps of the king's food, it's the best food to eat. It sounds absolutely amazing, humanly speaking, from a human perspective. And the people that were there, that I mentioned, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael. But notice the language. language there. Which tribe are they part of? Tribe of Judah. This is a very important line to remember through the story of the Bible. In Hebrew, it's up here on the screen. Daniel means God is my judge. Hananiah means the Lord is gracious. Mishael means who is what God is. And Azariah means the Lord has helped. What I would love you to do, if you go through the book of Daniel, what I love what God does is, using these kind of names, you literally see what God does through their lives based on these little statements. We see that God is judge. We see God is gracious. We see this comparison between the God of the Babylonians and the king and who God is, and that God is the one who will ultimately help and show over and over again. And I love the way that God puts it together. [00:13:55]

But now, as part of Project Assimilation, they've given different... names. Some say, perhaps, to wipe out memories at all, or that they're of Jewish heritage. Some say, perhaps, because they're actually going to be into that culture, they're going to change their names to be connected to their culture, or perhaps even their gods. It's really, ultimately, I think, to say, we've won, you've lost, you belong to us now. And some have even said that because they're a part of the court of eunuchs, these men were made eunuchs. Now, when we're sitting in 2025, in this warm hall, some might say, what's the big deal? But if you're familiar with the story, that this whole picture that's given here is not good. It's a reminder, living in this world is no different for you and I as a follower of Christ. If you are a follower of Christ, I want you to know that we are actually in exile. This is not our home. But here's the thing, there'll be things in our culture that will either be forced upon us, or our temptation will be to assimilate. of the things of our culture. So you might hear often, particularly you and I, whether you realize this or not, you and I are listening to lots of sermons over and over again through the various things that you listen to. By the way, the things that we watch, the way that we hear, ultimately we've been told what is true and right, not according to what Scripture says, what God says. And so the challenge is actually to put these things through God's perspective and not listen to what culture might say ultimately, that is to put it through its own perspective and change things. Some of the modern things that you might hear, come on, marriage between a man and a woman, really? Come on, value of life? Abortion? Really, that's a bit outdated, those kind of thinking, isn't it? Come on, the actual teachings of the Bible, do you really believe this when it comes to gender and sexual ethics, how you live your life for the things of God? Come on, seriously, it sounds very outdated. Let's change some of those things. Let me shift that thinking for me and look at it from a different perspective, from the perspective of the culture. [00:16:24]

There might be moments where you say, you've been told, please don't say that you are a follower of Jesus in the marketplace. This means you might actually lose your job, you might actually not get that contract, and you might actually not actually ever get that promotion. But this is the beauty of God's Word, it shows for us something. This is where the story turns. Have a look with me in verse 8. What does Daniel do? He resolves that he would not defile himself. Do you remember what I said Daniel's name means? God is my judge. He knows ultimately who his judge is, not the king, that is Nebuchadnezzar. Some say perhaps the idol is the king, but it's not. It's not the king, it's the king. Praise the Lord. the food that was offered to idols, and that's why Daniel left it? Maybe, but if you look at the food that he sort of says no to, it's not necessarily all of it is against the Lord's requirements. There's him in the offer of wine, and some say maybe it's because it's given through the idol worship and eventually gets to Daniel. There's lots of commentary on it, you can read about it, but the language that Daniel uses is quite specific. He says he doesn't want to defile himself. I think as well, it's a reminder of the things that he depends on, and vegetables and water, it's probably one of the few things that we know the ultimate source is really dependent on God, in the sense that God is the provider, he's the creator. Yet Daniel knows that they're there for this very reason, that God is judging them as a people. So he resolves, this is the language of his turning back to think in life according to God's perspective. To show ultimately that his dependence is on his true king, the great God of the universe, the true God. So he appeals, and we again see that God is not silent. You see that in verse 9? God gave Daniel favor and compassion. It's a wonderful reminder of this, as he turns back, there's grace and mercy, and even through this chief of the eunuch, God even uses this non -God worshiping person for his worship. His own purposes. Yet, the eunuch knows that this eunuch does not serve the God of Daniel, and so he's afraid. He's afraid, if you don't eat this, Daniel, you're going to look worse, and ultimately what's going to happen? Literally, I will lose my head. So, God is gracious. God is not only gracious to Daniel, but also saying through Daniel that God is going to be the one who will show who is the true God. So the test is given, 10 days. 10 days and Daniel begins the Daniel diet. If you're in the 90s, you know what I'm talking about. A lot of us might focus on the diet of vegetables and water. [00:18:44]

Anyway, what I love is often we go away with this idea and lots of things have been written about, and I get this in the Christian culture, right? This is about your diet and so on. Okay. And this is the moment, kids, if your parents come home tonight and say to you, there's a Bible verse that says you have to eat your veggies, you need to have a chat to them about this. I'm not here to discuss as much about diet. What I want to say to you, what I think God is saying through scripture is this. What we need to see is God is at work in the midst of all of this. Have a look with me. At the end of 10 days, they looked better, even healthier, but notice something in verse 17. God gave them learning, skill, wisdom, even insight, which is going to be really important for Daniel down the track, to vision and dream. Was it just about the diet? See, Daniel and his friends are brought into a world where they'll be exposed to so much that's counter -culture to the way that they've been brought up. Well, God is showing that he's the God, and if they resolve to live for him, it will always be the better choice. Do you remember that they've already been picked for what? That they're already good -looking, they're already skillful, they're already wise, and they're full of understanding, and they're best of the best. But it's God who gives them the learning that ultimately makes them stand out from the rest of the crowd, that they stand for God. There's something there for us to remember even today. [00:20:40]

and what's the fruit of it in verse 19 19 none was found like daniel had an eye michelle El Azariah. They now get a front row seat in the king's court. They were 10 times better that they are ultimately there all serving their God and in doing so, God puts them up front. See, it's God who has given them this. It's God who has led them into this place. And then in a moment, they stand ultimately, what they're standing against is that culture that's around them. So now what? What's the ultimate goal of the sermon? This is the moment a pastor like me or others might say, go be like Daniel. Go be like Hananiah. Go be like Mishael and Azariah. Now, in a sense, there is lessons in there for us to know and learn and to live like these men, but that's really a small part of it, I think. I want to invite us to look at it from a different perspective, to step back, to see life through God's perspective. Do you remember that line, which tribe are they from? From Judah. Judah. See, it's a story that God has judged his people. The kings of the past have failed over and over again. Yet in keeping this very tribe of Judah alive from being wiped out, God's ultimate plan is being fulfilled because God is the one who gives. God is the one who, through this tribe of Judah, would ultimately send someone that we all know, that we've been waiting for. The one who would ultimately leave his heavenly home to live in this corrupted world perfectly, counter -culturally. The one who was resolved not to defile... [00:23:43]

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Transcript
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