Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20020106.htm

DANIEL: HOPE FOR TODAY'S DISILLUSIONED YOUTH
Part I: Flourishing With UNFAIR "Baggage" Handed To Us
(Daniel 1:1-21)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

In recent weeks, it seems we have repeatedly heard of people who must deal with "unfair, painful baggage" dealt to them in life:

(1) Two days after Christmas, my parents took me to visit a family in central Connecticut. As Mother talked with a woman about the tragic consequences that woman had faced in having her childhood scarred with her family being broken up and her being "fostered out," the woman's younger sister who had been placed as an infant with the birth mother interrupted, saying, "You had a better life than I had, believe me!"

Everyone else quieted down, for all knew that life with the birth mother for this younger daughter was anything but ideal! I was impressed how the choices others had made FOR these sisters when they were so young had so greatly impacted the quality of their lives!

(2) After our sermon a few weeks ago on how wives are to "submit" to their husbands as unto the Lord, I was asked by some ladies in the Church who want to live uprightly how a woman was to function if a given overseer might be abusive! I was reminded that women often have a very tough, unfair lot in life in our world!

(3) Several men I know during the Christmas holidays have lost their jobs due to the "unfair hands" dealt to them either by upper management or the nation's economy over which they have no control.

(4) I know some teens who struggle with an unfair lot handed to them in life: some have lost parents in death, or face health problems that drastically alter their marital, educational or career plans.

(5) On top of it all, there is the September 11 fallout that still weighs on our lifestyle! I witnessed this firsthand while taking my parents to Bradley airport to catch their plane. Due to Dad's health I knew we might not see him alive again, and intended to deliver a decent "good-bye" to him. Yet, due to heightened security, I had to rush to take my folks' bags into the terminal, say a quick good-bye and hug them and get back outside before the armed guard signaled Nadine waiting in the idling car to drive away and not loiter. It was all due to September 11's tragic events over which none of us had any control!

When one has been dealt a tough, UNFAIR "hand" in life, is he doomed to be depressed, or is there a better way?!

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "I was dealt a bad hand' in life, so can I ever be happy?!"
  1. Sixteen-year-old Daniel was made to shoulder an UNFAIR, PERMANENTLY "BAD HAND" in his young life, Daniel 1:1-7.
    1. In September of 609 B. C., 2, 610 years before our own September of 2001, Daniel's homeland was invaded by (modern Iraq's) Babylon for the failure of his king, Jehoiakim to repent, Jer. 36 and Dan. 1:1; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1326; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, map 8.
    2. Besides this national trauma, Daniel was handed ROUGH and UNFAIR personal "BAGGAGE" to bear throughout his life:
      1. Daniel's personal beliefs were publicly ridiculed as Babylon's king placed the captured Hebrew temple worship utensils in his pagan temple to assert the Babylonian gods were superior to Daniel's God, Dan. 1:2; Ibid., Ryr. St. Bib., KJV ftn. to Daniel 1:2.
      2. Daniel was captured and had what marital, educational, family or career plans he had made traumatically, permanently ruined:
        1. Being of David's royal line in Jerusalem, Daniel was captured and deported to Babylon to serve Babylon's king, Dan. 1:3-4, 6.
        2. The word, "official" (NIV) of Dan. 1:3 in Daniel's day most likely referred to a eunuch, one who was surgically altered so he could not marry, cf. K. A. Kitchen, Ancient Orient and O.T., p. 165-166 as cited in B.K.C., O.T., p. 1330. As Daniel was then 16 years old, what plans he had regarding wedded fulfillment were most likely traumatically, permanently ruined by others.
        3. Daniel was forced to be educated in pagan teaching, Daniel 1:4.
        4. He was assigned to eat the pagan-prepared foods in violation of the Mosaic Law, 1:5 and Ryrie St. Bib., KJV ftn. to Daniel 1:8.
        5. On top of it all, where Daniel's name means "God is Judge," meaning he had been named by godly parents, he was now separated from his family and renamed after the false pagan god, Bel, Ibid., Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Daniel 1:7.
  2. Yet, THOUGH Daniel had MUCH about which to be UNHAPPY, he yet FLOURISHED by his RELATIONSHIP with GOD, 1:8-21:
    1. Daniel reacted to the unfair "hand" he had been dealt at age 16 by purposing to stand for God's TRUTH in his life, Daniel 1:8a.
    2. Thus, GOD worked in Daniel's prime overseer, the prince of the eunuchs to favor Daniel, giving him "elbow room" for success, 1:9.
    3. Accordingly, Daniel utilized opportunism, perseverance and tact in taking advantage of this God-given "elbow room" to improve his lot:
      1. Daniel OPPORTUNISTICALLY asked the prime overseer whom God had caused to favor him if he could abstain from the king's unbiblical provisions and thus heed God's Law, Dan. 1:8b.
      2. Daniel PERSEVERED though his request was at first denied:
        1. The prince of the eunuchs feared for his life were Daniel's wish to be granted and Daniel's health not be as good as that of other captives, so he refused Daniel's diet change request, Dan. 1:10.
        2. So, Daniel AGAIN asked his immediate superior, Melzar who was under the prince of the eunuchs if he would test Daniel for 10 days with his diet, 1:11-13; Ibid., B.K.C., O.T., p. 1331.
        3. Melzar was disposed to allow Daniel this private test since he knew his overseer, the prince of the eunuchs favored Daniel, so he gave Daniel room to try obeying GOD in his life, Dan. 1:14.
      3. Daniel's TACT in relating to his overseers also helped, 1:8-13!
    4. As a result, God richly rewarded Daniel with an life of blessing:
      1. After ten days, GOD rewarded Daniel and his Hebrew friends in making them healthier than all the other captives, leading Melzar to let Daniel's dietary request be permanently fixed, Dan. 1:15-16.
      2. God then gave Daniel and his fellow Hebrew captives the skills and knowledge needed to for them to succeed in captivity, 1:17a.
      3. Of special note was God's giving Daniel, the leader in this quest to heed the Lord, added insight into visions and dreams, Dan. 1:17b.
      4. In the end, Daniel and his fellow Hebrews outshone all the other captives, so he flourished for 69 more YEARS this way, Daniel 1:18-21 with Bible Knowledge Commentary, O.T., p. 1323.
Application: If we were dealt a "bad-handed" life, and even if we are young, INSTEAD of getting DOWN, we can (1) CHOOSE to OBEY GOD! For US, this means (a) believing in Christ for salvation from sin (Acts 17:30; John 3:16) and (b) heeding His Word, 1 John 2:3-4. (2) If we DO so, (a) GOD will supply "room" for us to DO HIS WILL. Well, (3) IF in that "room" (a) we seize the opportunities to improve our lot God allows, (b) if we persevere and (c) are tactful , (4) we will see God bless our "bad-handed" life!

Lesson: Instead of letting the bad "hand" he had been dealt defeat him, Daniel decided to obey God in WHAT life he HAD! God then opened up "room" for him to DO God's WILL, and Daniel's USE of that "room" with (a) OPPORTUNISM, (b) PERSEVERANCE and (c) TACT led to God's rich BLESSING even IN Daniel's "bad-handed" 69-year captivity! >

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 [I typed up this sermon's notes and "Introduction" on December 31st, 2001, and left the office NOT having a CLUE as to what I should write for this "Conclusion" part!]



(1) As an illustration of what not to do, I recently talked with a family that had become discouraged at "trials" they had faced in their first church. Instead of looking to God in spite of these problems, they had left to attend other churches with similar unhappy results.

(2) On the other hand, at Dave and Michelle Slate's "open barn" ministry on New Year's Eve, Chris Slate, Dave's mother, told me how happy she was that my parents had been able to fly in from California and attend our Christmas Eve Service!

Chris was especially glad my folks witnessed the huge $2,880.00 gift the Church had given our family for the encouragement it would have been to them. She relayed how she knew my folks had prayed for Nepaug over the years, and noted how rewarding the gift to us would have been to them in terms of evidence of answered prayer!

Then, Chris relayed how GLAD she was that SHE had FOLLOWED the Lord's leading to STAY at our Church all these years! Only in having followed the Lord this way had she been able to WITNESS God's REWARDING BLESSINGS in this year's Christmas Eve Service!

When Chris said that, I was led of God to note some parallels between the challenges my recent study of Daniel 1 had displayed Daniel had faced and what Chris had also seen in life, and the way both Daniel and Chris had properly addressed them! To hear especially her give this testimony of God's blessing SHE has received in faithfulness to God re: her tenure at Nepaug Church, and that in view of my search for a concluding illustration for this sermon impressed me that God wants me to share Chris' testimony with you TODAY!

So, we can either get depressed by the "tough hand" in life dealt us, OR we can obey God and see HIM supply "room" for blessing as we use opportunism, perseverance and tact.

Both Daniel and Chris have already attested to this fact!