Are You an Immigrant Like Daniel?

Are You an Immigrant Like Daniel?                  Kelly Durant  8-12-07 Re: 10-27-18

Scripture: Daniel 1:4-20

Today we will look at the situation of Daniel. He is a young man brought with others as Jewish slaves to serve in Babylon since Israel fell as a nation for disobedience to the Word of God and a great dispersing of Jews occurred. Daniel because of his attributes was not assigned to be an ordinary slave but to serve in Nebuchadnezzar king’s court. Babylon, the most powerful nation on earth at that time, made slaves of many nations and wanted Daniel and the others to eat the king’s food. 

It was not just food the problem, as the Jews had many rules in Leviticus concerning this, but if compromising with that, Daniel would be accepting and conforming to their customs and culture. So what did Daniel do and these others? At the great risk of loosing their heads they refused this and stood bravely for their faith and proved that God could make them healthier and wiser than all the others by obeying God’s laws!

What characteristics are we looking at in Daniel? 

He was a Jew who had faith in the one true God but...

1)    He was in a foreign land and starting out his young life as a slave, captured to serve,  physically dominated but not spiritually dominated

2)    He did not accept the king’s food, which may have included blood and idol worship and therefore resisted becoming a part of their culture

3)    He put God to the test and his faith in God brought him more wisdom and health than all the other wise men of Babylon

We are examining one of the greatest Old Testament prophets, one who told details about the future as no other prophet did with a wisdom never surpassed except by Jesus, and lets take into account what brought him such blessings from God.

Do we see repeated in the New Testament that Christians should adhere to the principles he respected? That of remaining faithful to God going against the culture!

1. We may be in the world but we do not conform to the world, no matter the culture in which we live.

Rom 12:2

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Our nation is not Colombia, Chile, or Mexico; as Christians our nation is heavenly.

Eph 2:19

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

2. He rejected becoming like them and being a part of the corruption in the culture. Rejecting food was only a small point in all of what he, and the others, was rejecting

 2 Cor 6:17

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. God commands us to be clean physically and spiritually

3. He put God to the test that God would prosper Him above the others for his faith and conviction, which was a product of his obedience and purity. The word says that with faith we can overcome anything in the world.

1 John 5:4-5

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

You may be thinking, how do I apply all of this to my life? What do I have in common with Daniel?  

1. Everyone here is an immigrant and everyone is starting out in a strange land with a slave like status as Daniel did in this powerful nation. The idea is that if you are full of faith and conviction and studious as Daniel, if you decide you will be a true Christian, then your good character will be noticed by others and you will rise in status and not remain as an ordinary slave, but one who serves in the courts of kings.
2. If you are strong in your convictions, and I am not talking about the conviction to reject eating hamburgers over arrepas and tortillas; It is a rejection to conform to the culture and its corruptions of idolatry, perversions, and antichrist philosophies and not be a part of these ideals remaining pure and holy. Rejection of these things brings downs God’s favor and that of the men governing the land. 
3. You must stand up for your faith and take the stance that you will even take risks and even risk persecution as Daniel faced when he rejected the kings food. It is like people who work for a bad boss who goes out to drink and do perverse things on the weekends and you quit because you will not allow yourself to be lowered to his level trusting God will provide a better job and He will! I have heard testimonies about this many times!

Knowing what we know from the 1^stchapter, what happened to Daniel for his convictions?

1. He was favored and he ascended from the lowest form of a slave to be one of the king’s right hand counselors and wise men.
2. By not being a part of their culture, he was able to become wiser than any of them from their Babylonian culture since he was dedicated and convicted. The test was not just food; it was a test of obedience in the small things, which brought on the blessings of God in the bigger things. Purity and holiness always bring blessings!
3. Daniel was forced to put his faith to the test and prove that his God would not fail him. He took a bold step and God honored him and prospered him with health and wisdom.

In reality we are all immigrants just passing through like Daniel, but we must have a faith like his and obey God’s word above conforming to the customs of any culture and risk our lives if necessary! 

Today I challenge to put God to the test as Daniel did. Refuse to be a part of the things that corrupt in this society. Refuse to not just eat contaminated things, but refuse to spend your time with degenerated people. Turn off the TV and read the Bible together for an hour as a family. Make sure no one in your home goes to web sites on the internet that are dirty and corrupting. Be sure all conversations that you and your children have are positive and godly. Pray for God to give you conviction and boldness as Daniel had to reject accepting and loving the things of the world. 

1 John 2:15-17

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Do you want to be better than all the others in your work and school? Obey God as Daniel did. Look at … again

Dan 1:20

20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. 

I have seen God make someChristian Latinos better than their peers, but it only comes with the qualities of Daniel, and what are those?

-Faithfulness even though starting out as in a slave status to study and obey God’s word

-Rejection of the corruption in the culture you live in, be it this one or your country’s

-A practicing Faith that puts yourself at risk and God honors your conviction

Do you want wisdom and understanding as Daniel? Let’s pray