Daniel 1:1-8
The Power of Parenting
7/9/2017 AM
The book of Daniel is a known as a book of prophecy. It along with
the books of Ezekiel and Zechariah create a trio of books that tell
much of the same story as our New Testament book of Revelation tells,
with one exception. Daniel is a foundational book. It lays out
several truths that if you do not know first, you might well
misunderstand the prophecies which are given in all the books of
end time prophecy. It is my desire to look at a few of those truths
for the next few weeks.
However, the book of Daniel is very deep and very symbolic. For that
reason, I know at the onset that some of what I might want to discuss
with you is too complicated to discuss in Sunday morning messages.
For that reason, I also know that I will not look too far into this
book on Sunday morning. At some point, I may switch the messages to
Sunday night or I may move on to another topic before we have gotten
nearly all of the good we could get out of this book, but for the
time being, let’s Build A Prophecy Foundation.
At the same time, this book also teaches us much on character, both
by showing us what good character is and what bad character is. This
morning, that is where our attention will be drawn as we look at the
topic, The Power of Parenting.
I. Background - In order to understand the book of Daniel, we need
to have some understanding of its background.
A. This book was written during the destruction of the southern
kingdom of Israel, called Judah.
1. God used Moses to bring the Jews out of Egypt and Joshua
to take them into the land of Israel.
2. For several hundred years, they were lead as a single
nation by the Judges which God raised up.
3. But eventually, the people demanded a king.
4. At the beginning of the fourth king’s reign, the grandson
of King David, Israel split into two nation. You can
read of this time period by reading the books of Judges,
1 and 2 Samuel, and 1Kings.
5. Recently, I preached from the book of Hosea and told you
that Hosea preached at the time when the northern
kingdom was being destroyed by the Assyrian.
6. This book was written around 150 years.
a. It details the destruction of the southern kingdom,
called Judah, by the Babylonians.
b. Babylon is being ruled over by the mightiest king that
has ever ruled, Nebuchadnezzar.
B. Daniel is a Jewish youth who was captured on one of the first
attacks of Babylon against Israel.
1. In Ezekiel 5, Ezekiel preached that 2/3’s of the Jews
would be killed by Babylon, 1/3 would be scattered, and
only a very few would be preserved. Daniel was one of
those few.
2. The land of Israel will be left in ruins for 70 years and
Daniel, along with a few others, will be taken to Babylon
to live out their days there.
3. I find it interesting that the foundational books of
end time prophecy was written at a time when the people
of Israel were defeated, conquered, killed, and scattered
out of their land, but that is the case of the book of
Daniel.
II. The Influence of Parents
Daniel 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish…
A. Nebuchadnezzar sought for good men from the countries he
conquered. In Israel, what he found was godly men.
1. The Bible does not tell us Nebuchadnezzar’s reasoning for
taking the young men of the nations he had conquered and
joining them to his ranks of advisors and leaders, but
he did.
2. In doing so, he took at least four young men of the Jews,
Daniel and his three companions that we know better by
their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Dan 1:8 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….
B. Notice that the Bible says this was Daniel’s purposing.
1. His parents were not with him to instruct him.
2. Daniel is young, perhaps as young as 13 or 14.
3. He was separated from his parents, perhaps by the
captivity, but more than likely by death itself.
4. At this young age, Daniel must make his own decisions.
5. Parents, we are raising our children to be independent of
us.
a. This is our goal.
(1) To raise them to be independent, able to make
their own decision, to stand on their own two
feet.
(2) If we fail in this, our children will forever be
dependent upon others, whatever others there may
be to help them.
(3) Of course, as Christians, we have the additional
goal of not only wanting them to be independent
but also wise, able to make good and godly
decisions.
b. And, like Daniel, if we succeed, there will be a time
when our children must make their decisions without
us.
c. It may not be war, captivity, or death that separates
us from them. It may be college, or work, or
marriage that does so, but regardless, we want to
raise our children so that…
(1) They will separate from us.
(2) They will make wise and godly decisions when that
time comes.
C. Some truths:
1. There is no greater influence on our children than us,
their parents.
a. This is the way it should be. This is what God has
degreed.
b. God did not give children to a village or to the
state. God gave them to their parents.
c. The only way another can become the greatest influence
in the life of their children, is if the parents
abdicate that their role. And many do.
d. Five of the greatest thieves of parental influence.
(1) Daycares - 40 to 55 hours every week. Get by
with less.
(2) TV - Nothing Christ like about television.
(3) School - Produces the same situation as daycares
only the children are a bit older and the
process continues for at least 12 years.
(4) Peers - Everyone needs friends but if we are not
careful, the wrong kinds of people will have far
greater influence in our children’s life than
we do.
(5) Boyfriends and girlfriends - This is a special
king of influence and too many are allowing too
much way too early.
e. These outside sources not only work to reduce our
influence over our children but our goal as parents
work against us. (i.e. the goal that our children
be independent)
(1) Parents must do the impossible.
(a) Parents must lead their children to be
totally independent of them without
allowing them to become dependent upon
another worldly influence.
(b) In doing so, parents must allow their
children the opportunity to make wrong
decisions while still influencing them
against making a decision where the
consequences are too severe.
(2) Parents need God.
2. Daniel’s parents did just that.
a. As a young man, a prisoner in a foreign country,
Daniel has had some good stuff put into him.
b. How do I know that? Because you get out of your
children what you put into them.
(1) If you put bitterness, anger, deceit, guile,
laziness, and drama into them, you will get
bitterness, anger, deceit, guile, laziness, and
drama out of them.
(2) But if you put godliness, wisdom, understanding,
and love into them, you will get godliness,
wisdom, understanding, and love out of them.
c. How did Daniel’s parents accomplish that goal.
(1) We do not know for certain for the Bible does not
tell us.
(2) But I believe we can safely say that Daniel’s
parents wanted to put God in him even more than
they wanted to put them in him.
III. Notice three sets of three.
A. Notice the three that came out of Daniel.
1. \\#8\\ He would not defile himself.
a. That is, Daniel chose to be like God.
b. Daniel’s parents had put purity, godliness,
righteousness, and holiness into Daniel in the first
years of his life.
c. Now, those qualities were pouring back out of him.
d. Was Daniel somehow different from everyone else,
blessed with a spirit that was more divine than other
children?
(1) I do not think so.
(2) I think he was blessed with some parents that
were more godly than other children.
(3) They had poured more of God into their children
than they even poured of themselves and now that
was starting to come back out.
(4) You add that to the thought that Daniel was being
raised in a time when Israel was so wicked that
God destroyed the entire nation and you have
hope that if we are the kind of parents God
wants us to be, our children can be dedicated
and determined to live for God no matter how
dark the world around us.
2. Daniel had faith, great faith.
Dan 1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten
days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water
to drink.
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon
before thee, and the countenance of the children
that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as
thou seest, deal with thy servants.
a. Daniel chose to believe in God.
b. Daniel not only believed that God was and could. He
believed that God would.
c. Daniel believed that God would bless his spiritual
faith by stepping into this physical world on his
behalf.
d. What is faith?
(1) Faith is the ability to see the invisible things
of God’s reality.
(2) It is the lasso by which we rope and pull the
invisible things of God into our world.
e. Daniel knew God wanted to intervene on his behalf
before the heathen king. By faith, he saw what God
wanted to do and with his faith, he pulled that
invisible reality into our sinful world.
3. Daniel had courage.
Daniel 1:8 …therefore he requested of the prince
of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
a. Daniel chose to follow God.
b. Daniel not only believed these things but he had the
courage to act on them.
c. Did Daniel have proof that God would step into his
world?
(1) No. He had faith that God would but not proof.
(2) Could there have been negative consequences?
(3) Yes.
(4) And Daniel was willing to pay whatever
consequences there might be.
(5) Not only now, but when he was cast into the
lion’s den and when his friends were cast into
the fiery furnace.
(6) Faith with fear is failure.
(7) Faith with courage may bring trials, but they
also make is possible for God to show up.
B. What three things did this get Daniel?
1. \\#9\\ He found favor from those around him. That means
people liked and respected him enough to listen to him.
2. \\#13\\ His countenance was better looking than his peers.
The best way to have good-looking kids is to concentrate
on building their character not their decorating their
bodies.
3. \\#17\\ Nebuchadnezzar round them to be 10 times smarter
and wiser than his peers. Godly parents are the best
educators of children. They always have been, and they
always will.
C. How did Daniel’s parents pour these things into Daniel? Three
things.
1. They lived the life they wanted to Daniel to live. This
is the number one method of raising our children. It is
never just about what we say. It is always what we do.
2. They had Daniel around others that modeled the godly life.
Children need to see more than their parents. They need
to see the reality of godly living in the lives of
others. That is why God created the church. Find a
godly church and get your children in it.
3. They taught the children. Word are not the main way of
raising godly children but they are one way. Teach your
children the Word of God.
Parents, we need some Daniel, some Hananiahs, some Mishaels, and some
Azariahs, but to get those, we need some godly parents. May God use
us to make that possibility a reality.
<OutlineIndex>
<Close Window>
