======================================================================== LIVING IN BABYLON by Keith Malcomson ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon focuses on the rise of Daniel in the book of Daniel, highlighting the importance of purposefully living in a Babylonian society while maintaining faith and integrity. It emphasizes the need to stand firm in God's principles, even in the face of societal pressures and changes, and how God can elevate and use His people in the midst of challenging circumstances. Topics: "Faithfulness in Adversity", "Integrity in a Secular World" Scripture References: Daniel 1:8, Daniel 1:17, Daniel 1:21, Proverbs 16:3, James 1:5, Colossians 3:23 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon focuses on the rise of Daniel in the book of Daniel, highlighting the importance of purposefully living in a Babylonian society while maintaining faith and integrity. It emphasizes the need to stand firm in God's principles, even in the face of societal pressures and changes, and how God can elevate and use His people in the midst of challenging circumstances. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Here tonight we're starting a new Bible study, fresh tonight, on the book of Daniel, and I intend to work through each chapter consecutively. Looking at this, we won't cover every issue, but I believe, Daniel, and you're going to see this even tonight, the importance of the book of Daniel for us in this hour, at this time, in our generation. As we prepare to leave 2020 and go into 2021, I believe that this book actually has a remarkable message for us in this hour, and we have looked, in part, even a few months ago, at how Daniel fits into Matthew and into the book of Revelation. But I want to go back and start in Daniel, chapter one, and we're going to begin a study in this book, and I believe Daniel is a vital book if we're going to understand all the prophecies of Scripture, and if we're going to understand the book of Revelation, and if we're really going to understand the hour that we live in right now, then the book of Daniel is fundamental, it is foundational, and it is essential. If you don't understand the prophecies in Daniel, you will not understand God's plan of the ages, and especially for this hour that we are living in. In this series on the book of Daniel, I have called it the Heavens Rule. That is our theme through every single message that we are going to deal with, and that text is taken from Daniel, chapter four, and verse 26, where it says the heavens do rule. That is our entire theme of this series, as we work through the entire book of Daniel. This is what we're going to come back to, and I'm going to emphasize in every testimony, every story, and every prophecy, that the heavens do rule. In other words, God's government in heaven does rule. And before we read Daniel, chapter one here, let me just say that when you come to Daniel, chapter two, five times we read the statement, the God of heaven. In other words, when we begin going into this book, who is it who dominates? It's not the kingdoms of this world. It is the God of heaven, five times in chapter two. Then when you go to chapter four, again, five times you read the word heaven. And as you continue reading Daniel, you read the word heaven once in chapter five, once in chapter six, once, or sorry, twice in chapter seven. And beyond that, we see that the entire book shows to us that no matter what is going on in our generation, no matter what is happening with kings and kingdoms, world empires, and world powers, that the heavens do rule. Please, let's read together Daniel, chapter one, reading from verse one tonight. And it says, In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim of Judah into his hand with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar, to the house of his God. And he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his God. And the king spake unto Ashenaphas, the master of the eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes, children, and whom was no blemish, but were well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning of the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank, so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names. For he gave unto Daniel the name Balthasar, and unto Hananiah of Shadrach, and to Mishael of Meshiach, and to Azariah of Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king who has appointed your meat and your drink. For why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sir? Then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, prove thy servants. I beseech thee ten days, and let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink. Then let the countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenances of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat, that eat of the portion of the king's meat. And as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days, their countenances appeared fair and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse. As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill, and all learning and wisdom. And Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them. And among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were all his realm. And notice this last verse. And Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus. Let's pray here together. Father, I do pray as we reach the very last of the last days, as we are coming to the fulfillment of all of prophecy you spoke by the Old Testament prophets, I pray here tonight, Lord God, that you'd speak to us as a church, as a vessel, as an instrument of recovery. Father, I pray that you prepare us as a church. We are so aware, O God, that you've given us a voice and a message. Though we're small in number, though we're stuck at the ends of the earth, Lord God, yet we believe in the God of heaven. We believe that the heavens rule tonight, that you rule in our personal lives, in our nations, in governments, in all that's happening in this world, and that you have chosen us to live in this hour, at this time, that nothing is out of your hands. Lord God, that you have a plan that you're going to reveal, that you're going to work out in the midst of this generation. As we see Babylon arise, we're asking you that you teach us how to prepare ourself and how to live in Babylon. In the name of Jesus, speak to us from your written scriptures. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. God bless you tonight in this Bible study. Our series in Daniel is called The Heavens Rule, but here tonight, as we look at Daniel chapter 1, this is my message. This is the title, Living in Babylon. I want to show you tonight how to live your life in Babylon. You see, I believe that Daniel is a book for this hour. It's a book for you and I. It's a book for us, the church, at the end of days. I believe it has a message for us, not only about the raising up of kings and the dashing down of kings, not only about the fulfillment of prophecy, but it shows us how God's people are to live in the last days, how they can walk through this hour. As we see Babylon begin to arise, begin to take form again, and to begin to manifest its power in our day, in our generation, I want to tell you, there's going to be a church. There's going to be men of God again. There's going to be women of prayer who are going to realize again that the heavens rule, and through them, God is going to manifest His divine plan. You see, I believe the book of Daniel shows us that with Babylon arising, that there is always a remnant who God has preserved, who He trains and prepares to live in that hour when Babylon arises again, and that through that people like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that God is going to prepare a vessel. Heaven is going to open to bless them, but listen to me, hell is going to open to blast them. The entire book of Daniel actually shows us that these handful of consecrated vessels were set apart by heaven, marked out by heaven, but they were also marked out by hell, and we're going to begin to look at this tonight. How do we live in Babylon? How are we to walk through this hour that we see rising all around us? No book has been attacked like Daniel in the Old Testament. It is the most attacked book by higher criticism in the Old Testament, even more than Genesis chapter 1 to chapter 10. Daniel is a book that higher critics, that unbelievers, and that apostates hate. Why do they hate it? It's because if it is true, then it is the most remarkable book in world history. It actually reveals prophecy and history covering at least 2,600 years. It is a remarkable book of prophecy, and if Daniel is who he said he was, and if this book is written when we believe it was written, then the God of the Bible only, the God of the heavens alone could have written it. Here tonight, I've got several points for you as we begin to look at this book, and in chapter 1, it's going to set the historic stage. It's going to reveal who Daniel is. It's going to show you how all of this gets worked out, and I want you to listen carefully because we're not just dealing with history. This is a message for you and I right at this time. We must understand this. You see, this book was sealed in Daniel's day, but I believe in our day, it's going to be unsealed and revealed. Do you know why? The very last prophecies yet unfulfilled in this remarkable book are just about to begin to be fulfilled before our eyes. It is a remarkable prophecy book, and we're going to begin searching and studying these many remarkable prophecies, but here tonight as we begin to look living in Babylon, as we begin to look at a man and a group of young men who grew to old age up into their late 80s and 90s, how did they live and walk through Babylon? How do you do that? How do you live in the society that we are seeing arising now all around us socially, governmentally, legally, politically, religiously, economically, as we see it beginning to rise, and don't we see it in this hour? Look at the news. Look at the past year, 2020. We are seeing something radical happen. How are you going to work through this? How are you going to walk in the midst of it? That's my message here tonight as we begin to look at the book of Daniel, and here's my first point tonight. The rise of Babylon, underline that here tonight. The rise of Babylon. You see in Daniel chapter one, we see the rise of Babylon in Daniel's day, but I believe now we are beginning to see the rise of Babylon. I believe with all my heart that the Bible predicts that a city, a kingdom, a last civilization is about to rise up and be given birth out of our world, and it's going to be called Babylon. It's spoken about in Revelation in chapter 18. It is an economic political system that's going to reign on the earth before Christ returns, but can I tell you, there is a similar rarity between Daniel's day and our day, and how things were then is how they're returning to now. So as we look at the rise of Babylon then, we're going to see a certain similarity here. Read with me in Daniel chapter one in verse one. It says, in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, onto Jerusalem, and he besieged it, and the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand. Now I want to show you that at the beginning of Daniel chapter one, although the entire book of Daniel is set in Babylon, in the kingdom, under the rule and the throne of king Nebuchadnezzar, here in chapter one, where does it begin? It begins in Jerusalem, in Judea, in the third year of king Jehoiakim. He was the king sitting, of a descendant of king David, sitting on the throne of Israel, of the royal house. That's where the book of Daniel begins. And do you know why it begins back there? Because there is a message here for us tonight about how does Babylon rise? Why does God allow Babylon to rise? Why does God allow his church, his people, his remnant, to seem to come into captivity in Babylon in certain days and in certain generations? Could God be involved in all of this? And what happened in Daniel's day? Are we about to see it happen again in our day, where this world power is going to arise? And yet a church that seems to be taken into captivity is going to be used in the hand of God one last time at the end of this age. Let me begin to show you about the rise of Babylon and why God allowed Babylon to rise. King Jehoiakim was the son of king Josiah. Now if you know your Bible, you know that king Josiah was a very different man than his son was going to become. King Josiah had a wicked father, an evil, evil father. But king Josiah took up the throne of Judah at the age of eight and he ruled for 31 years. From eight years old he was a godly young man. Somehow God had reached his heart and this young boy king was godly to the backbone. He was righteous. He was holy and he sought after the way of God. We're told that he ruled for 31 years and during the process of seeking after God, they rediscovered God's word in the temple as he began to fix God's house and restore the things of God. God opened up his word and there was a reformation in Judah. There was a return to the word of God. There was preaching again in the streets of Jerusalem and the spirit of God moved in the nation again and young king Josiah was used in the hand of God to restore the word of God. 31 years he reigned on the throne of Israel. Now I'm setting the scene here of the rise of Babylon. You see there was revival in Josiah's day but let me take you down to the end of his lifetime. You see Daniel was born in the days of Josiah. Before Josiah died, Daniel was a young boy probably growing up in the city of Jerusalem. Now let me give you the context of the rise of Babylon in the year 609 BC before Christ. There was a war. You see Assyria had been the world power but it was diminishing. It was on the way down. Babylon had not yet come to be a world power and Egypt was there on the scene of time with great power. Right in the midst of these three great empires in their demise and their rise was the little nation of Judah with king Josiah upon the throne. We read that Assyria and Egypt joined their forces and they went out against Babylon to a place called Haran to fight against the rising Babylonian army. You see God had a plan. He was going to raise up the Babylonian kingdom and he did have a plan. He had predicted that this was going to happen. Assyria and Egypt joined together and they marched against the rising Babylonian kingdom. Well we read in our history books that they were defeated and that the Assyrian capital of Haran was taken by the Babylonians. This began to show us the rise of a new world empire. Saints we are living right on the very edge of a radical change of society and I want to tell you I want you to be prepared for this hour. We are living in this hour just like Daniel was living in this hour. Empires are going to fall and empires are going to be remade again. Well there was that battle and we're told that as the Egyptian army returned back to their nation they stopped at Jerusalem and they actually had a battle there. Listen it was in the year 609 that Josiah went out with his army to fight the Egyptians and he was killed by an archer at Megiddo at the battle of Megiddo. Now you begin to see here that the rise of Babylon takes on a prophetic meaning not only in Daniel's day but in our day. Josiah was killed and his first son ruled for three months until the Egyptians came, removed him from his throne and they put King Jehoiachin in place as a vassal of the Egyptian king. The Egyptian king put him there so listen to me when Daniel was carried off into captivity here was a king on the throne on the king of on the throne of Israel who was joined to the Egyptian system. He was a puppet of the Egyptian kingdom but there was a new kingdom rising called Babylon. Now we're going somewhere so just hold all of this in place. This new king Jehoiachin was put on the throne of Israel and he continued there for another three years as an instrument of the Egyptian king. Do you know what the history books tell us about this king on the throne of David? He was a wicked man. He was a vile man. Do you remember who was preaching in the city of Jerusalem? It was Jeremiah. Jeremiah was prophesying the Babylonians are going to rise up. They're coming with power and they'll take this city if you do not repent. In other words this king on the throne was breaking God's law. Do you know what he done with Jeremiah's prophecy? His written prophecies he took them cut them up with a knife and he had them burnt. He hated Jeremiah with a vengeance. He hated the word of God and he even ripped up that prophecy about the 70 years captivity. This is what king Jehoiachin was like and there he is on the throne. Daniel is a young man growing up part of the royal house watching all of this happen. Do you know the history books actually tell us that king Jehoiachin even started to get tattoos on his arm. He was someone who claimed to know the true God. He hated the word of God. He ripped the word of God up. He did not respect the word of God and he even tattooed his body. Do you know who Jehoiachin is? He is a picture of the Laodicean church of our day and generation. I believe so much of the church of our day. They say they love Jesus Christ and yet they have no love for the word of God. No respect for the word of God and they even tattoo their own body. I assure you Daniel was born in such an hour but God had a divine purpose. You want to know why God would send the nation of Judah into captivity to Nebuchadnezzar. You want to know why God would raise up a great empire and carry his people into captivity especially Daniel. You want to know that. You say where is God in Daniel chapter one. You say where is God. I want to tell you God disciplines his people and when his church rebel against him and lose a love for God's word and take their eyes off Jesus Christ, I assure you we're going to find ourselves in a Babylonian age. God will raise up a political system to chastise his church that they might again turn back onto him and I believe that. You ask why is all this happening around us? Why are we losing our liberties? Why are we losing our freedoms? It's because of the church of Jesus Christ. I don't care how small she is. I want to tell you tonight I believe that God is working. You may say Daniel didn't do anything. That's right. He was righteous. He was perfect. He was holy. He walked with God and he's going to get carried into Babylon into captivity. He's not being punished for his sins but God's people are. But God has a plan in the midst of that. He is going to raise up a remnant in the midst of this. We're actually told in the year 605 BC that there was another battle when the armies of Babylon invaded further and they advanced on the little city of Jerusalem and under the generalship of a man called Nebuchadnezzar they took the city of Jerusalem. This was going to be the beginning of 20 years of God's people being sent into captivity. There was going to be three different captivities. It was going to start small and then get to the point where the temples destroyed, the walls, the city and the entire people get carried off into Babylon as prisoners under Nebuchadnezzar. We are looking at a remarkable hour on this. But this first attack when Nebuchadnezzar come and he besieged the city and took the city of Jerusalem. Do you know what we're told? That he took certain vessels from the house of God in Jerusalem and he carried them back to his own nation. It was at this very time that Daniel got taken from his homeland, his city, his family, his people and he was carried into the land of Babylon to the city of Babylon. Since I am telling you what I believe we're on the verge of again, what Satan means to destroy the church is going to raise up a testimony in this last hour. It may seem small but through Daniel we're going to see that the heavens do rule. A man of God is going to be forged in the fire and I believe that's what's just about to happen. We're going to see a real church arise in this hour. Stand straight. Be men and women of the word of God. What God's people have lost, this remnant is going to return to. We're going to be a people of faith, a people of courage, a people uncompromising, a people who pray, a people who know their God, a people who understand prophecy and who have a message for this hour. I assure you we have come right down to this hour. At the beginning of Daniel 1 we're told that Daniel and all of these instruments from the house of God are carried back to the land of Shinar. What is the land of Shinar? We read about it first in Genesis chapter 10. Shinar was the land of Nimrod. That's where the Tower of Babel was actually built and you know what? That land of Shinar is ancient Babylonia or present-day Iraq and the Bible actually says that again in the last days we're going to see the economy. In Zechariah chapter 4 it says that the world's economy is going to return to the land of Shinar. It's not going to be Wall Street, New York. It's not going to be London. It's not going to be Berlin. I tell you the Bible says that the world economic system one day is going to return to the ancient land of Shinar to Iraq and I believe specifically to the city of Babylon. You see I believe we're beginning only beginning to see the first step to the rising up of Babylon again in this last hour just like Daniel. That's why it's so important for us to deal with tonight because as Daniel began to see the rise of Babylon so we in this hour are beginning to watch it form. It only seems small at the minute but we are going to see a Babylonian system come to bear on world politics, education, society, custom, everything you can imagine including the economy. All of it is going have the mark of Babylon on it and you know what you better know how to live in Babylon. That's my first point. The rise of Babylon. The rise of Babylon. We're seeing it right now. Second of all this is my second point. The residence of Daniel. The residence of Daniel. It says in verse 3 and the king that is Nebuchadnezzar speak unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs that he should bring certain of the children of Israel and of the king's seed and of the princess. Now notice here what is happening. The king Nebuchadnezzar is commanding the master of the eunuchs to choose out from the children of Israel of the king's seed and of the princess. Do you realize Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego these four young men and most Bible teachers believe they were about 16 years old and that Daniel chapter 1 covers a period of three years in their life from 16 to 19 years old and the rise of Babylon and their captivity in it the first three years of their experience of this system and we see what actually happens. We get Nebuchadnezzar telling this master of the eunuchs to bring or to choose out certain. Do you know what that means? Daniel and his friends were of the royal seed. They had the blood of David of King David flowing in their veins. They were of royal aristocratic stock. They were of the princes of Israel and here they are chosen by this master of ceremonies called Ashpenaz. Well all the critics say we don't believe that the book of Daniel's historically correct. Do you know you can go to the British Museum. You can go there and look at a stone tablet. Listen to what it says there in the British Museum on in cuneiform. Ashpenaz chief of the eunuchs in the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. Do you realize in the British Museum this man who was given the task by Nebuchadnezzar to choose Daniel to go to Babylon. His name is written there. There is historical archaeological evidence for that. Now it goes on here to say in verse four children and whom was no blemish. Look at the sort of people are looking for no blemish physically but well favored. In other words when you look upon them your heart is drawn towards them. When you're with them your heart rises up. Who are skillful in all wisdom cunning in knowledge and understanding science and such as had the ability in them to stand in the king's palace. And listen this last point on whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. This master under Nebuchadnezzar was given the task to choose out in Jerusalem young men of the royal house who fitted all of these qualifications. Daniel and the other three Hebrew children were chosen and they were taken 700 miles back to the city of Babylon. Daniel will never return. Never see his family again. Never see Jerusalem again. And over the next 20 years while they're in captivity they're going to hear of the situation amongst God's people get worse and worse. Daniel is going to watch three captivities and he'll see people carried into Babylon. He's going to hear the reports about the walls getting broken down and burnt down. The gates being burnt with fire. The temple being destroyed. All the vessels being carried back to Babylon. He's going to see it. He's going to hear about it. For 20 years he's going to walk through this. But notice he is a chosen vessel. God's hand is in this. Working with a wicked king and a wicked master of ceremony. God is here. In the rise of Babylon we're going to see the residence of Daniel in the city of Babylon. This is going to be his new home. The place that he's going to live. The place of his new education. You see these Babylonians chose Daniel and his three friends. Wanting to separate them from family. From religion. From culture. From all the old influences. And you know what they wanted to do? They not only wanted to separate them. They wanted to brainwash them. Re-educate them. They wanted them to forget their old people. Their old land. Their own God. They wanted to obliterate any Hebrew influence upon them. And they wanted to immerse their minds and their speech and their entire life in Babylonian culture. Do you see now why Daniel 1 is exactly where we are now? Since we are seeing our world radically change before our eyes. Things are not going to stay the same. Everything is changing. Our schools are changing. Our politics is changing. Our economy is changing. And there is a new Babylonian system rising that wants to immerse every nation. From Australia to Ireland. From Japan to America. There is a new world system beginning to arise that wants to immerse every culture in its own influence. Its own thinking. Its own science. Its own language. In its mathematics. In the learning of astronomy. Do you see how we've got to look at Daniel? We see second of all Daniel's residence in Babylon. I'm telling you how to live. If you study Daniel you're going to understand how do we live in the hour. You see some of you are scared of this hour. You say how are we going to buy? How are we going to sell? How are we going to function in a job? How are we going to have a house? How do we live in this society? I believe we have the key here in this chapter. I believe God has given us this. As Babylon arose in that day and Daniel lived in it and he dwelt in the midst of Babylon and he served God in Babylon. We have a short period of time until things reach a climax where we are going to live in Babylon. I'm talking about us residing in Babylon. Living in a Babylonian culture. It goes on here to talk about them being brought in. In verse 5 and it says the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat and the wine which he drank. So nourishing them for three years. For three years they're going to be fed of the king's meat from his table. The same food as the Babylonian king. What you eat is what you become. Do you hear me tonight? This is not a small thing. Do you know what this king is saying? I want you immersed in what I am immersed in. I want you to think like me, speak like me, believe like me, look like me, eat like me, drink like me. He was immersing them and for three years they're going to be soaked in this way of thinking and he thinks at the end of that three years they'll come out acting, speaking, thinking like a Babylonian because they're immersed in Babylonian society and that's what he's looking for. It says in verse 6. Now among these were the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah unto whom the prince of the eunuch gave names. Now notice this very carefully. They had their Jewish names but they're going to be given you Babylonian names. We never see Daniel or you. We never see these Hebrew children or you. You see their Jewish Hebrew names had the name of God in each of their names. Their new Babylonian names were going to have the names of Babylonian gods put within them. Do you see what's happening here to these three Hebrew children? When you begin to realize they had Jewish names. Do you know what that means? They had Jewish parents, devout parents or they came from godly bible- believing homes. That's where they originated and when you give a child a name with God's name in it you're trying to relate God's character and nature and blessing to that child. In other words you want this child dedicated to God. That's what you want. So they were born into homes, godly homes, in the days of Josiah, in days of revival and yet suddenly in a few short years because God's people have turned away from the word of God we now see a young generation carried into a Babylonian society to be re-educated, to be trained, to be prepared for a whole different lifestyle and you know what their names are changed. Let me show you what their names are here for a moment. He gave on to Daniel. Nunnerus Daniel's name finishes with EL. One of the names of the God of the Bible is El. Beth El, the house of God. Daniel actually means God who is my judge. That's what Daniel means. Daniel, it is the God who is the judge, my judge and the judge of all the earth. In other words right in Daniel's name he had the name of his God. What did the Babylonians do? They changed it to Belshazzar. What does that mean? Bel is the name of the Babylonian God. Bel or Baal. Do you know what his name was changed to? Bel, protect your life. He was changed from God is my judge to Bel shall protect your life. Do you see how all of this was going about? Yes, we're very religious in Babylon. We'll allow you to be religious but they're trying to change everything. With Hananiah, Ahiah is actually from Jehovah or Yahweh. So Hananiah's name meant Yahweh is gracious. His name was changed to Shadrach meaning by the command of Aku. Aku was the moon god. Can you imagine being carried off 16 years old and your name is changed to the moon god is going to be gracious unto you? Do you see the attack on these young men? If they don't believe in God now, they'll never stand in these days ahead since there's something about faith in the real God. They can change our clothes. They can change our names. They can change our schools but we're still going to raise up children in this city of Babylon. I mean Limerick. We're still going to raise up not only children in this city but we're going to raise up new converts in this city and as Babylonism soaks our entire city, I mean every area educationally, politically, socially. You know what we're going to do? We're going to raise up young Hebrew children. It's not a name that saves you. It's not your clothes that saves you. It's a faith in the real and the living God. Mishiel meaning who is like God is going to have his name changed to Mishak which means who is like Aku. Can you imagine that? No longer are we like the Lord. Now we're going to be like Aku, the moon god and Azariah whose name Yahweh is my helper. His name is changed to Abednego. Nebo. Abednego. Nebo is the name of a Babylonian god. Nebuchadnezzar. Neb was named after this god. Now Azariah has his name changed from Yahweh is my helper to Nebo. I am a servant of Nebo. Could you imagine in that hour to have your name changed by Nebuchadnezzar and to be actually told you are a servant of a Babylonian god? That's your name. Every time we're going to call you servant. Servant of Nebo and you're going to say yes sir. Yes sir. What can I do for you? You see they changed their education, their tongue, their names, their dress, the houses they lived in, the city they lived in. But you know what? It goes a step further and this is my third point. The resolve of Daniel. Point three. The resolve of Daniel. It says in verse eight but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with a portion of the king's meat. Change my name. Change my clothes. Change my job. Change my language. Change my education. Put me in the university of Babylon. Do all of those things. But you know what? There's always a point with a real believer in God where you say you know what? I can live in the midst of this but this one thing I will not do. It says that Daniel purposed in his heart. He made a decision. He said all those other things. I won't die fighting on that battlefield. Church listen to me carefully. There's some things we're not going to fight over in this hour. Let them make laws that we've got to wear masks. Let them make laws and legislations that affect our life. You know what? I'm going to walk through this because there's something greater in this. As soon as my conscience is infringed on and I say I'll have to compromise. I won't be doing it. When they say don't preach in the name Jesus. I'm going to jail. When they come after me and say that you've got to go against your conscience. I won't do that. Change my name. Change my clothes. Change the school. But you know what? When you start telling me what I am going to eat and I must eat the food of the king of Babylon. There's an area I will not go into. Daniel and the Hebrew children were told they must eat the meat or the food of the king of Babylon and they must drink wine from off his table. But you know what? David on a purpose made a decision in his heart. Notice he didn't say it with his lips. He didn't get angry. He didn't go and speak to the others. In his heart he purposed. I'm not going to defile myself with that meat or with that wine. I'm not going to do it. Do you know what that tells me? That taking that meat and wine would have defiled him or made him unclean. Remember he's only 16 years old. He is soaked in an entire empire and a new society. Yet he knew how to make a godly decision. 16 years old. This is the beginning of Daniel and Babylon. Since I'm telling you tonight how to live in Babylon. How we're going to live in this hour. Don't worry about money or finance. Just walk with God and don't fight over masks and don't fight over stupid things. You know what? We are going to stand for the word of God. We have a calling in the midst of Babylon in this very hour. I believe it with all my heart. You see there was a turning point. There was a point where this command was different than changing your name. Daniel wasn't superstitious you know. Call me after Bell. I'm not superstitious. That doesn't affect my heart. It doesn't affect my mind. It doesn't affect my convictions. It doesn't affect my prayer life. Seems to be very careful that you don't use the excuse to say I can't pray. I can't live. I can't believe. Look at our society. Then you're not a Daniel. I want to tell you we need to be Daniels in this hour. And hear me. Here is a young man at 16 who's going to show us there was something sinful about this food. Maybe he didn't want to sin over the sin of gluttony. That would have been a good reason. But that's not the reason here. Maybe it wasn't kosher food. But that wasn't the issue here. What I believe it was that food and the Persian word for meat in this book. Do you know what it means? It means choice food. An offering or a tribute. In other words it was offered up as a sacrifice. It was dedicated to the deities. It was a religious act of worship. See in our society eating is not religious. It is neutral. But not in that hour. And not in the day that we are approaching. I can assure you. Change my name. Change everything around me. But do you know what? I am not going to disobey God's word. That's where I draw the line. I don't care what happens. I am purposed in my heart. Have you purposed in your heart tonight? Are you determined in your heart to say I don't care what it costs. I will not compromise God's word. Let them change other things around me. You know some of you are prone in family to make a stand over something that's not a biblical issue. Or maybe at work you want to make a stand over something that's not a biblical issue. But I tell you we need to make a stand as a church in this city when it compromises the word of God. It is utterly vital. Now I know what some of you at this point you'll say. I'll stand and I'll fight and I'll tell them. No Daniel purposed in his heart. He didn't argue with them. He didn't say to these men I'm not eating that meat. I'm not drinking that wine. He didn't do that. You see he had courage but he also had courtesy. He was doing the right thing but more than doing the right thing. You could do the right thing but in the wrong way. You could have courage without being courteous. You could do all the right things and obey God's word and yet your attitude is wrong. Your words is wrong and you show forth the wrong testimony. You see Daniel in this chapter was reasonable. He was logical. He was practical. In fact he goes to the master here and he makes a request not a demand. He doesn't go to him and say I'm not eating that meat. He makes a request. He is humble. Do you see the hard attitude in Babylon? If you start saying I'm not doing that and I'm not doing that and they're not telling me and I see it everywhere. Look at Daniel. He still has respect for these unsaved Babylonians. Do you know what he done? He went to the master and he explained the situation. He says I don't want to defile myself. Well the master explained back said Daniel look I love you Daniel. You really have my love and my respect and and I relook upon you a favor but do you realize you're saying you don't want to eat this. If you don't eat it it could lose me my head. Nebuchadnezzar will have my head and you know what Daniel understood this. You see Daniel couldn't compromise God's word. He understood conviction. He understood what it was to honor the king of kings and here's a man a sinner a Babylonian who says but I've got to obey the word of my king. I have a conscience. I'll lose my head. You know Daniel respected that. Daniel didn't say don't you know I serve God and your opinion your head doesn't matter. I'm not going to. You know Daniel didn't have that attitude at all. I believe Daniel understood this man and he was courteous and he was mannerly towards him and can I instruct you in this hour. You've got to be very courteous and understanding and very wise with all of your actions. It's not enough to be courageous. You've got to be courteous in this hour. What did Daniel do next? Did Daniel argue with him? Did he push it further? No. He actually said this man I understand him. I understand him. Listen verse 11 then Daniel then said Daniel to Melzar notice it's a different man here. It's a different man. Melzar whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So Daniel goes to a different man. Melzar is actually a servant. He is lower down. He is closer to Daniel. He has less power but Daniel is using wisdom and he suggests to Melzar he says prove thy servants I beseech thee 10 days and he said look give us pulse on water. What's pulse? Pulse is vegetables. You vegetarians are going to like this chapter for a few moments. Only a few moments until I deal with it but you know what Daniel said just feed us us four on vegetables. Things that grew out of the ground not meat from the king's table and he said water not wine. Not wine but water. Just feed us on these things and he says test us for 10 days and you're going to see at the end of 10 days that we'll be fatter. We'll look better. We'll be stronger than all of the rest that are taking the king's meat. Well this servant Melzar tested him. It says in verse 14 so he consented. Do you see how Daniel Daniel at the beginning of this purposed in his part I'm not taking the meat. I will not but look how he handles it. Look how he speaks to these men. Look how he requests them. He doesn't say I'm not doing that. He said would you would you allow me? Would you show me favor? He explains himself and he's very very careful with all of this. You know because Daniel did not eat the king's food at 16 when he was an old man of 90 the lions in the den could not eat him. You see if you don't learn tonight if you don't have Daniel one in place you won't have the rest of Daniel in place. If you can't do this in this place over the conviction of what you're eating I assure you you won't stand against the lions and you won't stand in the fiery furnace and you won't be able to stand against all the corruption in the kingdom. You won't be able to do it. You see Daniel was prepared in Babylon's greatest university and a pagan society surrounded by idolatry but it never got inside of him. Fourth of all the rise of Daniel and this is my last point tonight. All I'm doing is laying the foundation for our series and Daniel and if you don't get this right in chapter one very few people deal with chapter one and Daniel. They want to get onto the den of lions or they want to look at the statue that we're going to deal with next week or they want to see the children walking out of the fiery furnace. No this is where it begins at 16 years old. Here you have these wise young men purposing in their heart. They are saturated and immersed in Babylonian society. They use the money of Babylon. They're in a job in Babylon. They live in Babylon. They're in the palace of Babylon. You can't get any deeper into the heart of it than this and yet you know what they purposed in heart not to allow anything to their walk with God. Their faith, their prayers, their wisdom, their manners. You know I hate to see a Christian that doesn't have manners. You can have all the faith, all the preaching, all the miracles. You can have all the testimonies. You can have a large church but if you don't have manners I've got a problem with that. You see that's part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our life. Don't tell me about miracles when you don't have respect or manners. If you don't respect this people in this world, in your job, in society, in government, you don't respect God. I assure you it's a reflection. But this fourth and final point. The rise of Daniel. We looked at the rise of Babylon and we are there. We are residing in Babylon. We are actually there. We're looking at the resolve of Daniel. Since this is what we need in this hour. Right as we watch this breaking upon us. As we encounter this new civilization. This reset of our entire society. I don't know how quick this goes. I don't know how widespread. How much we shall see. I don't know. But I do know this is an hour for us to resolve in our heart. To determine. To purpose in our heart. That we're going to eat and feed on the word of God. That we're not going to compromise. But fourth and lastly the rise of Daniel. You see too many Christians in this hour are saying it's all over. I want to tell you this is our hour. While we are here. While the church is here. Don't tell me we can't function in Babylon. Don't tell me we can't preach the gospel. Have you not seen in the past two weeks. Past three weeks. How in this little church God has opened up an effectual door and given us a voice to hundreds of thousands in other nations. Have we not seen that. Don't tell me that we can't function in Babylon. Don't tell me in an hour where they're taking away our rights and our liberties. That we can't preach the gospel. Don't tell me that you can't have revival in Babylon. You see if you tell me that I'm going to give you the word of God. I'm speaking about the rise of Daniel in Babylon. I'm telling you about a young man that's placed in the heart of this society. Verse 17. As for these four children God gave them knowledge and skill and all learning and wisdom. Hold on a second. They're saturated in education. They're learning the Akkadian language. The Sumerian language. They're being taught the cuneiform writing style. How to read it. How to write it. They know all about the cosmos. All about science and mathematics. They are soaked in the education of that hour. The language. The books. The education. The history. All of this. They are being taught it. But there's some things Babylon can never teach you. Do you realize during those three years as they are being taught and trained by Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar is training them for a job in the palace. For a job close to him. In politics. As ambassadors. As men of political influence. Men who are going to make legislation. Do you realize as he is training them in these three years. We read in verse 17 that God is training them. Teaching them and preparing them. We read in verse 17. God gave them. There's some things this world can't give you. Babylon can't give you. Men can't give you. You could be soaked in a Babylonian society. But there is knowledge that God wants to give you. I believe we're there right now. I'm talking about the rise of Babylon. You see. Sorry I'm talking about the rise of Daniel in this point. You see I'm talking about it's not over. How does Daniel get raised up in Babylon. You know how God gave him knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom. That didn't come from Babylon. God gave it to him. Church. How is Limerick City Church going to get raised up in this hour as a vessel. You know how. God is going to give us knowledge. He's going to give us skill in all learning and wisdom. How is the church in this hour. I mean right across our world a small remnant. How are they going to rise up in this hour in the year ahead to raise up a testimony for God. You know how God is going to give us knowledge. He's going to give us skill and learning. I'm not talking about the wisdom of Babylon. I'm talking about the things of God. It goes on in verse 17 and Daniel had understanding and all visions and dreams. This is God working in Daniel. In these three years Daniel became a young man. He wasn't like this before. Before he came to Babylon. Before he began to be educated by Babylon. He did not have understanding in all visions and dreams. But now we see him being prepared by God. You know Daniel's called a prophet. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not prophets. But God gifted and called this young man. Notice where it began. He purposed and heart. I'm not eating the king's meat. I'm not being defiled. I'm not drinking that wine from the king's table. I'm going to preserve myself. And you know what? In that sort of hour God raised up a young prophet from 16 to 19 years old. He is soaked in the middle of Babylonianism. He is immersed in books from the Babylonian library. And yet you know what God does? God says I am teaching you in this environment. I am giving you skill. I am making you a different man. I'm making you a prophet. I'm giving you understanding of visions and dreams. And I'm going to use you over the next 80 years. 80 years I'm going to use you in the midst of Babylon. Thank God we're not going to be here for 80 years. But this young man Daniel was. I'm talking about the rise of Daniel. And let me close with this concerning him. It says in verse 18. Now at the end of days that the king had said at the end of three years he would bring them in. Then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Verse 19. And the king communed with them or talked with them. And among them all was none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them. He found them 10 times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all of his realm. I'm talking about the rise of Daniel. In Daniel chapter 1. Daniel is about 19 years old. Three years of education in the Babylonian university. And here he is. Nebuchadnezzar out of all of the young men. He pinpoints these four young men. And he says you know what? They have a knowledge no astrologer in my kingdom has. You know they have a wisdom no magician in my entire kingdom has. And as he began to speak to them. He said you know these four Hebrew young men. His eyes fell upon them and his favor fell upon them. And he said they're 10 times better than all my magicians or astrologers. You know 10 times there in the Hebrew means 10 hands higher. That means they were at least twice as tall or high as anybody else. They stood far above anyone. Where did they get this? Did they get it in their books? In their education? Did they get it in the scholarship of that hour? They got it from the presence of God. How were they going to be prepared to live in Babylon? They were servants of the most high God. Take away my name. Change the money currency. Change the politics of this hour. Change the flag. Do whatever you're going to do. But there is going to be a real church at the end of time. There's going to be a real church in this hour. And this first chapter finishes in verse 21. And Daniel continued even on to the first year of King Cyrus. He continued. What a word. Since you can live in Babylon. You can thrive in Babylon. If you walk with God, he can rise you up in Babylon. When Babylon engulfs your workplace, God can give you divine favor. God can protect your children. God can guard our new converts in this church. And you know what Daniel done? He continued even to the first year of King Cyrus. Do you know what that means? That last sentence in Daniel chapter one. From Nebuchadnezzar all the way through for six kings until Belshazzar. Six Babylonian kings. Over a period between 60 to 70 years, Daniel lived in Babylon. Saturated with Babylonianism all around him. Statues everywhere. The music of Babylon everywhere. And yet he thrived as a servant of the most high God. And at the end of those six kings, a new empire came in. And King Cyrus, the Medo-Persian, in his first year, Daniel is still there. You know what? Babylon is going to fall. Babylon will come and go. But the real people of God are always going to prosper. And I assure you, I know it's scary what we're looking at. I know it's overwhelming. I know we've never faced this before. But can I tell you, if God walks with you and if you walk with God, and if God is your teacher, you can rise up in this hour and you can become an interpreter of dreams and visions and have the wisdom of God for your boss or your family members or presidents and kings of nations. I assure you, church, this is why, and now you understand, this is why we're looking at this precious book in this hour. It is an absolute vital book, the book of Daniel. God bless you here tonight. Let's pray together. Let's lift our hands. That we might live in Babylon. We have never faced this before, but we're asking for the grace of God that we might rise up in this last hour. We only have a short time. It's a small window of opportunity. But if you purpose and heart concern of what you drink and what you eat spiritually, I assure you, you'll look better than them all. You'll know more than great men in this kingdom of Babylon. Father, we praise you. We worship you. We thank you for this remarkable book that the heavens do rule. Lord God, it's not Babylon that rules. It's not Nebuchadnezzar that rules. But my God, it's heaven itself that rules. The heavens do rule. It is the God of heaven who rules over the affairs of men. It is not Nebuchadnezzar raising up Daniel, but it is the God of heaven that is tolerating and using Nebuchadnezzar to raise up the testimony in this Babylonian city. Father, we pray for your grace right now. There's mothers in this church that need your wisdom. There's fathers in the workplace that need your wisdom. All of us need your wisdom. We need to be taught of you. We need understanding. We need skill, O God. Father, we want to serve you in this hour. And what is meant for our destruction, I pray, O God, that you would move in this local church, that your name might be glorified in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. God bless. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/rBnOT2AJJ4c.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/living-in-babylon/ ========================================================================