Daniel (ESV Edition): The Triumph of God's Kingdom

by Rodney D. Stortz, R. Kent Hughes (Editor)

Overview

The book of Daniel abounds with powerful imagery showcasing God's unmatched glory and wise plan for the future. In this accessible commentary, pastor Rodney Stortz highlights the coming triumph of God's kingdom, offering pastors and Bible teachers a resource to help them explain and apply Daniel's message to Christians today. Stortz's careful exegesis and perceptive applications focus on personal holiness, the wisdom and power of God, and the importance of Daniel's prophecies concerning the Messiah and the Antichrist. In addition, this commentary looks to the New Testament to shed light on Daniel's prophecies about the future. 

Part of the Preaching the Word series.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433548796
Publisher:	Crossway
Publication date:	03/16/2016
Series:	Preaching the Word Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	913 KB

About the Author

The late Rodney D. Stortz was senior pastor of Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, which he planted in 1990. He also ministered in churches in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Missouri. Educated at Covenant College and Covenant Theological Seminary, Stortz was involved in a regional radio ministry, "Oaks of Righteousness," and served as a board member for Trans World Radio and Covenant College.

The late Rodney D. Stortz was senior pastor of Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, which he planted in 1990. He also ministered in churches in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Missouri. Educated at Covenant College and Covenant Theological Seminary, Stortz was involved in a regional radio ministry, "Oaks of Righteousness," and served as a board member for Trans World Radio and Covenant College.

R. Kent Hughes (DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is senior pastor emeritus of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, and former professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hughes is also a founder of the Charles Simeon Trust, which conducts expository preaching conferences throughout North America and worldwide. He serves as the series editor for the Preaching the Word commentary series and is the author or coauthor of many books. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Spokane, Washington, and have four children and an ever-increasing number of grandchildren.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

No Compromise

DANIEL 1:1–25

DR. BRYAN CHAPELL tells a story of the wife of a full-time student at Covenant Seminary. Like the wives of many seminarians, Karen was earning money to keep her husband in school and food on the table. In her case, Karen made her living as a quality-control inspector for a major pharmaceutical company.

One day, through faulty procedures, the automated machines produced a large order of syringes that became contaminated and therefore failed inspection. Karen reported the problem to her boss, but he quickly computed the costs of reproducing the order and made a "cost-effective" decision. Because so much money would be lost in replacing the syringes, the boss ordered Karen to sign the inspection clearance despite the contamination. She refused, but this did not get her off the hook.

Because of certain federal regulations, only Karen could sign the clearance forms. If Karen did not sign, the syringes could not be marketed. The boss urged and threatened, but Karen would not budge. The impasse between Karen and her superior led to a visit from the company president. He also computed the costs of reproduction and issued his decision: The forms must be signed. Karen would have the weekend to think over whether or not she would sign the clearances. The president told her that if she was still determined not to sign the forms on Monday, her job would be in jeopardy.

In fact, much more than Karen's job would be in jeopardy. This was her only means of income, and it was a well-paying job, not easily replaced. Randy's education and their family's future were severely endangered. The hopes, dreams, and career plans of many years could be shattered as a result of the choice that had to be made in the next two days. When Dr. Bryan Chapell, the seminary's president, told this story, he concluded with the following words: "For this young couple, all the theological jargon and doctrinal instruction about consecration, righteousness, and holiness suddenly came down to this one concrete decision: Could they afford to remain undefiled from the contamination the world of business practicalities urged Karen to approve?" What would you do?

This couple's predicament is similar to what God's people have faced in all ages. The first chapter of Daniel well illustrates that there have always been pressures on God's people to compromise their holiness. As the chapter unfolds we will also see how important the preparation to pursue holiness is. The chapter concludes with the demonstration of the power of personal holiness.

The Pressure to Compromise Holiness (1:3–8)

The pressure that we all face was experienced by Daniel and his three friends. Daniel sets the stage to describe this pressure applied by the king in verses 3, 4:

Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace.

These were top-notch young men from the royal family and nobility in Israel. According to Jerome's Commentary on Daniel, Rabbinic tradition holds that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were descendants of King Hezekiah, based on Isaiah 39:7. In that verse Isaiah speaks these words to King Hezekiah: "And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."

Daniel was probably in his early teens when he was taken captive, because he was still alive seventy years later when the captivity ended. Perhaps Daniel was thirteen to sixteen years old when he was taken captive around 606 BC. Ashpenaz, a member of the pagan royal court, began to apply pressure on these teenagers. We and our children experience some of the same pressures.

There is pressure to change our thinking (1:4b): He was "to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans."

Imagine the influence these pagan Babylonian teachers had on these teenagers. The Babylonians' literature promoted their worldview, their view of man, their view of God, their view of sin, and their view of redemption, which were all directly opposed to everything these young teens had been taught and believed while in Israel.

Through archaeological evidence Tremper Longman III concludes that undoubtedly one of the subjects Daniel and his friends would have been taught was the Babylonian art of divination. They learned how to make predictions by interpreting unusual terrestrial and celestial phenomena and by examining sheep livers. In Mesopotamia, omens were considered the primary way by which the gods revealed their will and intentions. When powerful communicators keep telling you the same thing over and over again, it is hard not to be influenced. But these methods of divination would all be diametrically opposed to what these young men had been taught from God's Word. Daniel probably knew these words of Isaiah:

And when they say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter," should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. (Isaiah 8:19, 20)

Though Daniel and his friends went through the classes, they apparently resisted the pressure to change their thinking. This can be seen through the historical accounts of these young men in the chapters to follow.

The pressure on Christians to change their thinking today comes from the print media, movies, and television as well as from teachers. For example, we have all experienced the pressure of our society trying to change our thinking about homosexuality, calling it an alternate lifestyle. Books, even on the elementary level, teach children about "Heather who has two mommies." They teach children that this is a good alternative. God calls it both shameful and a perversion in Romans 1:26, 27:

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

In some cases the world has succeeded in changing our thinking on such subjects.

In his sermon on Romans 1:24–32, R. Kent Hughes said, "A mainline denomination's magazine carried an admonishment that said essentially this: Homosexuality should be accepted as a variant lifestyle — the homosexual relationship is neither unnatural, sinful, nor sick."

We need to stand firm and resist the pressure. Be encouraged that Daniel and his three teenage friends stood firm against the Babylonian attempts to change their thinking. We will see what these Jewish teenagers and their parents did to prepare to withstand the pressure, because it is not easy. Christian, though the forces against you are great, take heart, stand firm, and dare to be a Daniel.

There is pressure to change our worship (1:6, 7).

Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

The name Daniel means "Elohim is my judge." Elohim is one of the Hebrew names for God. The name Belteshazzar means "May Bel protect his life." Bel is one of the gods of Babylon. Hananiah means, "Yahweh is gracious." Yahweh is the personal name of the God of the Bible. Shadrach means, "Aku is exalted." Mishael means, "Who is what Elohim is?" while Meshach means, "Who is what Aku is?" Azariah means, "Yahweh is my helper," and Abednego means "The servant of Nebo," another Babylonian god.

As the March 26, 1976 issue of Christianity Today stated, "Albania has joined the list of countries taking away one of the most personal and private possessions of its citizens: their names. After all, someone named Abraham or Ruth or Mark might someday wonder where his name came from! That could lead to a time-consuming search for a Bible or other religious literature. In the process, the unfortunately named Albanian might absorb some of the teachings of the outlawed book. That result, in the view of the government, would be very bad." The Babylonians changed the Hebrew teens' names in an attempt to make them forget the true God and change their worship, but it appears throughout the entire book that Daniel never did forget the name he was given, which honored the true God. Even the king (in chapter 6), when Daniel was in the lions' den, came to him the next morning and used his Jewish name saying, "O Daniel, servant of the living God ..." (v. 20).

The Babylonians removed God's name from the Jewish young men then, and today in America secularists are removing God from our schools and from public life. For example, evolution is taught as a scientific fact, and the truth of God being the Creator is either repressed or openly attacked.

In a sermon entitled "Why I Believe in Creation," D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church gave this interesting example of those who want to suppress the truth:

An article in Time Magazine said, "Last week, after years of study and calculation, two respected California astronomers, Allan Sandage and James Gunn, made the following announcement: "The universe will continue to expand forever."

Sandage said about his finding: "It was a terrible surprise, because we have held that the universe is eternal. If it continues to expand forever, then it shows there was a beginning." Dr. Gunn added that people will passionately hold to the idea that the universe is oscillating contrary to the evidence, because if they give it up, you have a beginning of the universe. If you have a beginning of the universe, then you have a Creator, a God, to whom you must answer.

Many want to dismiss God as the Creator of the universe, because a God that powerful would be worthy of our worship and our obedience. Some would put pressure on our children to change their views of the origin of the universe in order to change their hearts and worship. Christian, though the pressure is great, take heart, stand firm, and dare to be a Daniel.

There is pressure to change our way of living (1:5, 8).

The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. ... But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Up to this point Daniel and his three friends had shown no outward resistance to their assimilation into Babylonian culture. They didn't skip their Babylonian literature classes, and they answered to their Babylonian names. That is what makes this encounter so striking. Why did Daniel draw the line here? Why did he suddenly say, "No compromise"? What is wrong with eating the royal food and drinking wine? It was not that Daniel was a vegetarian or one who abstained from wine, because later (in Daniel 10) he refrained from meat and wine for a period of three weeks of mourning (vv. 2, 3). That implies that he normally ate meat and drank wine.

There were two problems with the royal food the king offered. First, some of the meat was unclean according to the Mosaic Law. The verb "defile" (ga'al) used in verse 8 denotes religious defilement. Daniel and his three friends were not willing to compromise by disobeying God's commands in eating "unclean food."

Second, all the meat served at the king's table was offered to idols before it was eaten. In his book Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization, A. Leo Oppenheim tells us about the care and feeding of the gods of Babylon. We learn in his book that sumptuous food would be offered to the gods, and after the meal, whatever was left would be brought to the king's table as the royal food. Daniel would not compromise by eating meat offered to idols.

Revelation 2:14 says, "But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols." In Daniel's day, eating food sacrificed to idols was a sin against God. Daniel was willing to be holy regardless of the cost, and he was not willing to compromise his holiness. Are you willing to take the risks that sometimes come with holiness?

These risks are very real. Karen did refuse to sign the clearance forms for the contaminated syringes. She lost her job because of her no-compromise decision. She was not willing to disobey God's command to be honest in all things.

Here is another example that was closer to home for me. My youngest daughter, Bekah, loves to play soccer. One spring she tried out for a select team and made it. She was so excited. Then we found out that most of the games were on the Lord's Day. We called the coach and told him that Bekah would not be able to play in any of the Sunday games. He said that if she would not play on Sunday, she could not be on the team. (It is interesting to note that 2 Chronicles 36:21 says that ignoring the Sabbath was a primary reason for the seventy-year captivity that took Daniel and others to Babylon.)

This was a great disappointment, but Bekah chose to remain undefiled. She dared to be a Daniel and stood firm for the Lord. To some it seemed like such a small thing. For Daniel, not eating the meat was a small thing, but it prepared him for much bigger challenges later in his life, as we will see in later chapters. Remember, he who is faithful in small things will be faithful in greater things.

Whenever we pretend that walking in holiness is easy, we fail to prepare those who must take a stand in this world. The time will come for every believer when such a stand must be made. Look with me at Daniel and his preparation to pursue holiness.

The Preparation to Pursue Holiness (1:1, 6, 9, 10)

Three young teenagers living far away from home — how could they be so strong? How could they stand so firm against the pressures of the Babylonian culture? There had to be some serious preparation. Just as a soldier who goes into battle is prepared before he goes to the front lines, so we as Christians must take seriously our preparation to pursue holiness. Daniel experienced three influences.

There was the influence of the church (1:1).

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

If Daniel was sixteen years old in the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim (606 BC), that means he was born in 622 BC. Do you know what incredible event took place that year? Josiah, who became king of Israel when he was eight years old, opened the doors of the temple of the Lord that had been sealed shut by his grandfather Manasseh. Josiah did that when he was eighteen years old.

Inside the temple, the priests rediscovered the Word of God that had been lost. The priests began to teach the people God's Word, and a great revival began in Israel. Daniel grew up in a living, vibrant church devoted to the Word of God — a community that did not compromise the teaching of Scripture.

My wife and I have been so thankful for the faithful teaching of God's Word in our church congregation. From the preaching ministry through Sunday school, from our Christian school through the youth ministry, our three girls have learned the Word of God through faithful teachers who taught the whole counsel of God and did not compromise. Our children and young people have been prepared to apply God's Word to the difficult situations of our world. They have been challenged not to compromise their holiness. Today there seem to be very few churches that teach the Word without compromise.

There is the influence of parents (1:6).

Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.

We don't really know anything about Daniel's parents except that they named him "God is my judge." That gives us a small glimpse as to the high view of God they had, which they passed on to their son Daniel. It was as if his parents said, "You will not always have to give an account to us. But one day you will give an account to our great God who made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them. He is watching over you always. He knows what you think, and he sees all you do. He alone is your judge, so watch your life and doctrine closely."

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Daniel"
by .
Copyright © 2004 Elizabeth B. Stortz.
Excerpted by permission of Good News Publishers.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Cover Page,
Title Page,
Copyright,
Dedication,
A Word to Those Who Preach the Word,
Preface,
1 No Compromise (1:1–25),
2 The Wisdom and Power of God (2:1–23),
3 Revealer of Mysteries (2:24–49),
4 Faith Standing before the Fire (3:1–30),
5 Pride Comes before the Fall (4:1–37),
6 The Handwriting on the Wall (5:1–31),
7 Family Sedans of the Faith (6:1–28),
8 What Is the Meaning of All This? (7:1–16),
9 Thy Kingdom Come (7:17–28),
10 A Stern-Faced Man of Intrigue (8:1–27),
11 O Lord, Listen, Forgive, and Act (9:1–19),
12 Good News, Bad News (9:20–27),
13 The Man in the Golden Sash (10:1-11:1),
14 His Story Written in Advance (11:2–20),
15 The Two Great Crises (11:21-12:4),
16 The End (12:5–13),
Notes,
Scripture Index,
General Index,
Index of Sermon Illustrations,