Archive for 07/10/2009

Daniel: A Mind, Body, and Spirit Given to God

07/10/2009 by John Marsden.

Daniel: A Mind, Body, and Spirit Given to God 

 Today I want to look at a person who gave himself completely to God - mind, body, and spirit.

 

Daniel 1:1-7

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to

Jerusalemand besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the

temple of

God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in

Babylonia  and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility - young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Among these were some from

Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. 

When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded Judah, he took the ritual items from the temple of God and brought them into his own god’s temple, he took King Jehoiakim from his nation and brought him to his court to keep an eye on him, and he took some of the nobility, “young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand,” and brought them to his palace to be trained to serve the Babylonian administration.

 

These young men who excelled in their minds, bodies, and spirits were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  Even above the others, Daniel gave himself wholly to God and pursued excellence in every area of his life.  Doors were opened for him to minister to Babylonian kings and officials, to pronounce God’s glory in signs and wonders, and to be an encouragement for future generations.

 

But it all started when Daniel, as a “young man,” made the choice to serve God with all his mind, body, and spirit.

 


A Mind Given to God

 

1. Wise Beyond His Years

“I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power…” – Daniel 2:23a

 

  • The first thing to be said about Daniel was that he gave his mind completely to God, and God filled Him with wisdom beyond his years.  (Read Daniel 2:14).
  • What kind of person do you think of when you think of someone who is really wise?
  • God has all wisdom (Romans 11:33) and Jesus himself is called the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24).
  • Your age is no excuse.  If you want wisdom beyond your years, it’s yours for the asking (James 1:5).

 

2. The Beginning of Wisdom

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.” – Psalm 111:10

 

  • According to this verse, how do you get wisdom?
  • Godly wisdom comes when you have a healthy fear of God that leads you to obey Him.  It’s more than just knowing something – wisdom is knowing and doing the right thing.
  • Ephesians 1:17 says that when we’ve got Godly wisdom, we’ll “know [God] better.”  And as we know Him, we’ll naturally become more like Him.
  • In Colossians 1:9-12, Paul says that true wisdom will help us to “live a life worthy of the Lord” and “please [God] in every way.”  See also Colossians 1:28.
  • True wisdom can never be separated from a holy and righteous life (James 3:13).  True wisdom is a holy and righteous life.

 

3. Spirit of a Learner

“The Bereans… received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” – Acts 17:11

 

  • Not only did Daniel have wisdom from God, but he had a real desire to learn, a spirit of a learner (Daniel 1:17a), just like the Bereans in the verse above.
  • Do you think the Bereans wanted the truth, even if it disagreed with what they currently believed?
  • The Bereans were willing to study, learn, and examine the Bible to find the truth.  An attitude like that will always lead you to wisdom.
  • Paul told Timothy to “do [his] best to present [himself] to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).  Having a spirit of a learner means you will work hard.
  • Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge.”
  • Daniel was willing to discipline himself and work hard to have a spirit of a learner.  What about you?  Do you want to know the truth enough to work for it?

 

4. Prophetic Insight

“Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.” – Daniel 1:17b

 

  • Daniel had wisdom, he had a spirit of a learner, and he had prophetic insight to understand visions and dreams, even as a young man.
  • Has anybody here ever had a really confusing, bizarre dream you wish someone could tell you the meaning of?
  • The Bible mentions the sons of a man named Issachar who “understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32).  They had prophetic insight into what was going on in

    Israel     at the time.
  • We as Christians “have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us” (See 1 Corinthians 2:9-12).
  • We can have prophetic, supernatural insight into dreams, visions, and daily events in the world, since we have the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).
  • God chooses to reveal His truth to us, His children (Romans 16:25-27).
  • He gives us “all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:7-8).

 

Have a great day.

JOHN

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