Daniel - Part2
Series: Daniel
February 05, 2017
Sam Reynolds
When Faith and Culture Collide
Episode Notes
DANIEL
When Faith and Culture Collide
BACKGROUND
Nebuchadnezzar – King of
Babylon and most powerful man in the known world
Babylon – One of the seven wonders of the ancient world – Rebuilt by
Nebuchadnezzar
8 great gates – The most famous being the Ishtar Gate built to honor a
Babylonian god
605 BC – First assault on Jerusalem (completely destroyed in 586 BC)
Daniel and his friends (4 world-class teenagers) are taken captive and
brought to Babylon, a polytheistic, pluralistic, secular culture – a city full
of idol worship, sex and violence
Nebuchadnezzar’s instructions: “Babylonianize them” – ERASE and REPLACE –
brainwash them
DANIEL 2:1-47
Daniel 2:1-47New International Version (NIV)
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
3 QUESTIONS WHEN THE PRESSURE IS ON ….
1. WILL I CHOOSE MY CONVICTIONS or COMPROMISE THEM?
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself…” Daniel 1:8
LOOK at the CHANGES (DANIEL 1)…
A. New Home (vv. 1-2)
B. New Knowledge (vv. 3-4)
C. New Diet (V.5)
D. New Names (vv.6-7)
Two Extremes For Daniel In Captivity:
A. Assimilation B. Isolation
2. WILL I CHOOSE TO BE ISOLATED OR CONNECTED.
“Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven...” DANIEL 2:17-18
“Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.”
DANIEL 2:49
3. WHOSE KINGDOM ARE YOU BUILDING.
The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery." DANIEL 2:47
FINAL THOUGHT:
Despite The Current Cultural Climate, The Kingdom of Jesus Will Endure Forever
THE MEANING OF THE DREAM
1. The Head of Gold represents the Babylonian Kingdom (636 BC – 539 BC) “You, king, are that head of gold.” DANIEL 2:38 In Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar will make a gold statue the size of the Statue of Liberty. Gold is a fitting metal to describe Babylon. The riches of Babylon included an ornate palace, eight massive adorned gates (including the Ishtar Gate which is currently preserved in the Berlin Museum); and the Hanging Gardens, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. But as mighty and wealthy as Babylon was, it would be replaced by another dominating power, a second kingdom.
2. The Chest and Arms of Silver represents the Medo-Persian Kingdom (539–330 BC); King Cyrus united two tribes, the Medes and the Persians in order to conquer Babylon (DANIEL 8:20). This kingdom was inferior to Babylon in prosperity and splendor.
3. The Belly and Thighs of Bronze – The third empire is Greece (330–63 BC). Greece is said to be the kingdom that followed Medo-Persia (DANIEL 8:21). In 330 BC, one of the greatest military leaders in world history, Alexander the Great, established what was probably the largest empire in ancient times.
4. The Legs of Iron and Feet of Iron and Clay – The Roman Empire (63 BC - AD 475); Iron represents strength but clay represents weakness. Rome was strong in law, organization, and military might; but the empire included so many different peoples this created weakness. “The people will be a mixture and will not remain united.” DANIEL 2:43
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