SERMON NOTES
Overview of Daniel: “God is in control when the world seems out of control”
Daniel 1: prologue, written in Hebrew
Daniel 2-7: mostly stories, written in Aramaic
Daniel 8-12: prophetic dreams and apocalyptic visions, written in Hebrew
Daniel 1: “God sovereignly gives exactly what is needed when it is needed”
1:1-7: The world is a mess
- Babylon is the personification of evil in the Bible (see Rev 18:1-3)
- God is sovereign - he ‘gave' Judah over to Babylon
- Daniel and his friends are targeted with indoctrination
- We have hope in Babylon because:
- Earthly kingdoms come and go
- God will judge the wicked and reward the righteous (Ps 37)
1:8-16: Pick your battles
- Why stand out on the food issue when so much else was wrong?
- Engaging in culture wars seldom works
- Daniel demonstrates humility and wisdom in his approach
- God cause the official to ‘give’ favour
1:17-18: Victory comes after obedience
- God allowed them to excel within the Babylonian system
- Faithfulness in small things leads to faithfulness in big things
QUESTIONS: How has God provided what you needed when you needed it? What are you in need of now and are you asking for God’s direction?
