Daniel: Man of Character and Conviction

Welcome to Saturday's edition of truth matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis that she continues her teaching on the book of Daniel God's prophetic plan for the observer and the countdown to Armageddon. In today's lesson.

She focuses on the moral character of Daniel and his friends Shadrach me shack and Abednego an unwillingness to compromise faith and conviction to gain favor with King.

The beers, Dr. Davis, Daniel man of character and conviction.

I'm Dr. Cheryl Davis meeting on to verses nine, 315 now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the UNIX and the chief of the UNIX said to Daniel, I fear, my lord the king has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your face is looking worse than the young men who are your age, then you would endanger my head before the king said. Daniel said to the steward and the chief UNIX headset ever. Daniel and Anaya Michelle and Azariah, please test your servants for 10 days and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink, then let our appearance be examined before you and the appearance of the young men eat a portion of the king's delicacies and as you see fit.

So deal with your servants that he consented with them in this matter and tested them 10 days and at the end of 10 days there features appeared better and fatter and flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. I want to bring very close attention to now God when we purpose in our hearts and we are obedient to God. God will show up in our situation in an Daniel situation. He did have verse nine now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the UNIX. This is an example of favor of the Israelites, and particularly Daniel even in God's judgment. Even in the setting of captivity. God is still with Daniel even as he is punishing his people for idolatry and being unfaithful to him. When you take a stand for the Lord. There is a reward that will come examine the manner and how Daniel did it and how God gave him favor, he was obedient to the law that he had been taught as a child and the Lord came in and raised up a standard looking in these few verses from 9 to 15 this is really the art of negotiation.

This is the wisdom and the gift of knowledge and wisdom that God gave Daniel. I will see that later. In other chapters but Daniel was great at the art of negotiation, so Daniel said to the steward. Please test your servants for 10 days. He sang allow me not to defile myself and I'll prove to you that the God I serve will show up God's word says he will never leave us and never forsake us in.

This is a perfect example of being in captivity sitting in the state of judgment, along with the nation of Israel but the Lord still being faithful. I would rather be captive in Babylon in the will of God, then to be free in Jerusalem out the will of God. In looking at Daniel's perspective.

He is closest to God than he has ever been, even in the setting of captivity covered 16 seven says when a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord.

He makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

Daniel was sitting in captivity sitting in a foreign land being held captive to the Babylonians. But God is making his enemies live at peace with him.

In this example of holy, righteous living. Daniel is being obedient to the word of God which is holy, righteous living holy, righteous living will be effective in this case, you see that he was effective because he did appear better at the end of the trial there is a quiet power that comes with that quiet confidence but also know the holy, righteous living will bring persecution and will see examples of that persecution throughout the book of Daniel moving on to verses 17 through 21, which will finish this first chapter. As for these four young man God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom. Daniel had understanding and all visions and dreams now at the end of the days in the king had said that they should be brought in the chief of the UNIX brought them and before Nebuchadnezzar and the king interviewed them and among them all. None was found, like Daniel and Anaya Michelle and Azariah. Therefore, they serve before the king and in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examine them. He found them 10 times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm does Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus for this is very interesting that when God allowed Daniel to go into captivity, he was never at the point where he was, not near him close to him. He gave him favor at the time that he needed it, but it was on Daniel to purpose in his heart not to defile himself, but when Daniel did his part. It is clearly that God did his part and that's like what I said before, when you make a stand for the Lord.

There is a reward that will come. And in this case we see it in verse 17, God gave them knowledge and skill and all literature and wisdom and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams God honor Daniel for his obedience and will see where his knowledge and understanding of all visions and dreams helps him later in other chapters of Daniel and not only did he reward Daniel. He also rewarded his confidence and Anaya Michelle and Azariah that they also before the king, but they were better in all manners of wisdom and understanding than all the other magicians and astrologers. The reason why is that the Holy Spirit was upon them, and that God had gifted them in these manners does Daniel continued until the first year, King Cyrus Daniel continued in his present capacity for 70 years while he reigned in Babylon and in conclusion of chapter 1 the key points that we see an Daniel is that even in the midst of captivity where he had plenty of excuse to not be obedient to God.

Plenty of excuse to be downtrodden and make the wrong decision in verse eight Daniel purpose in his heart that he would not defile himself, and we can give up our rights and actually God may call us to give up our rights. We don't know if they are cases in my life where I have given up my rights but we cannot compromise our convictions because when we compromise our convictions.

We are being disobedient to God and we are not following the word of God. Whenever we compromise our convictions.

We will lose an eye. Whenever a number of cases in the Old Testament and the New Testament where there was a significant loss in the Bible.

When we make a stand before God, there is a reward that will come. And when Daniel made a stand got showed up that he even looked better. And whenever he over the period of time that he did not defile himself God made him look better than the competition.

And that is what the Holy Spirit can do for us in our lives but do want to ask where are you compromising your convictions today and what have you lost in your life because of compromise and urge you to reach out to God and if there be any place in our life where we are compromising our convictions to seek him and he will reveal and allow time for us to repent. We have been beginning in the book of Daniel, and we've Artie covered chapter 1 and the important point of where Daniel purposed in his heart, and we see that he's taking a stand and being obedient for God even in the setting of captivity, moving on to chapter 2 we get to Nebuchadnezzar's dream and a lot of us are very aware of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, but the book of Daniel is very important for prophecy and is very important for us to understand the book of Daniel because Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 2415 and I'll read that for us.

Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place whoever reads, let him understand is important for the disciples to understand Daniel as well as us that were in a move into chapter 2 today. Let's begin with verses one through 13 now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Nebuchadnezzar had dreams and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king and the king said to them, I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream then the Chaldeans, but to the king in Aramaic.

Oh king, live forever. Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation the king answered and said to the Chaldeans.

My decision is firm.

If you do not make known the dream to me and its interpretation. You shall be cut in pieces in your house that shall be made in ashy. However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation. You shall receive from a gifts rewards and great honor. Therefore, tell me the dream and its interpretation the answer again and said, let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.

The king answered and said I know for certain that you would gain time because you say that my decision is firm. If you do not make known the dream to me.

There is only one decree for you, for you have agreed to speak, lying and corrupt words before May till the time has changed. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation. The Chaldeans answered the king and said there is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter. Therefore no king board or ruler is ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer or Chaldeans is a difficult thing that the king request and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods is dwelling is not with flesh. For this reason, the king was angry and very serious and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out and they began killing the wise men, and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them.

And interestingly, Nebuchadnezzar is the reigning king of the modern world at this time Babylon is the gold standard which are going to see later in the stream but Babylon is the conquered the known world, but he was a dreamer.

Nebuchadnezzar had dreams and after the strain it says that his spirit was so troubled that he could not sleep and his standard is to call in the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans Wiseman to tell him his dream and he is telling them tell your servants the dream ended in. Otherwise understand. Please tell us the dream and located interpretation that he is very keen to who these Wiseman are and knowing that they would try to buy time, knowing that they were incapable so in verse 10 there is not a man on earth. You can tell the king's matter. Therefore no king board or ruler has ever asked such things there is no other who can tell it to the king that the gods is dwelling is not with flesh.

Interestingly, these wise men knew they are limitations that you know black to give them props for that.

They knew their limitations. In this case they actually explain that to Nebuchadnezzar.

How would you describe what the stream is would you say this is just a dream driven by the subconscious mind to the most vile dictator of his day is the first Intel king to rule the world. In the Old Testament God communicated to prophets in dreams when their sleep and visions when their wake. What was this. I don't think this is just a random dream.

I firmly believe that this is a dispensation from heaven to Nebuchadnezzar a message from God and in verse 28. We will get to that, but normally dreams don't trouble someone spirit to the degree that it troubled Nebuchadnezzar, but his spirit was troubled him and we see that an evidence of his tenacity and his hunger in getting the interpretation of verse 11 is at the core the meaning of being a real Christian here was Daniel on earth, virtually with connections in heaven was able to bring heaven to bear on the things of the earth, so why could Nebuchadnezzar not remember the train. Why can Nebuchadnezzar not remember the dream.

It's very interesting and you know the more thought about this if you turn to first Corinthians 2 and 14, the Bible says in first Corinthians 2 and 14 but the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Nebuchadnezzar did not have a relationship with God. At this point and he did not have the ability or the Holy Spirit there to allow him to spiritually discerned the dream in verses 12 through 13 is that the king was angry and very serious. He gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. The decree went out and they began killing the wise man and they salt to kill Daniel and his companions that he explain this decree. How do you explain Nebuchadnezzar's temper. He was a very to file man whenever he said yes it was. Yes he could change his mind and say no if he chose to allow someone to live. They live if they chose to allow someone to die. They died. The Nebuchadnezzar was working under the devices of Satan and the whole purpose of Satan in this chapter was to rid the world of Daniel as well as this book. Daniel had a very strong anointing.

He was strongly gifted by God but a man who determines not to compromise his convictions will get Satan's attention. A man who determines not to compromise his convictions will get Satan's attention and this is established in chapter 1. Daniel, purpose, and his heart not to defile himself. He purposed in his heart to obedient to God. And when you do that that is righteous living. And when righteous living is effective in which Daniel was persecution will come and this is an example of persecution and Satan working through Nebuchadnezzar.

In verses 14 through 18. Moving on, then with counsel and wisdom. Daniel answered area.

The captain of the king's guards who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He answered and said to area the king's captain. Why is the decree from the king so urgent an area that made the decision known to Daniel, so Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time to aim until the interpretation.

Then Daniel went to his house and made the decision known and an IME shield has arrived that they might not. Daniel and his companions might not perish, but the rest of the wise men living a godly life like Daniel Shadrach, the price is Satan will surely seek to persecute you, for your face all in his power to discourage and inflict pain and suffering in your heart and mind.

Most of all he wants to rob you of your joy in Jesus.

Jesus said in Matthew 511 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. They would like to reach her by email at Cheryl Davis project working with her on Facebook you can write to her PO Box 159 St. Paul's, North Carolina 2834. Please join us again next Saturday at the same time matters with we are in ministry truth project