Based on "Daniel: Standing Firm for God," this lesson looks at the decision Daniel made to stand up for his faith and not violate God's commands despite the move to Babylon. Daniel set the example for his three friends and stayed true to his convictions. If Daniel can do it in his extreme circumstances, you and I can certainly stay true under much less intense circumstances.

1. Decisions That
Determine Destiny
Daniel 1:3-8
Based on Daniel: Standing Firm for God by Gene A Getz

2. In modern America, we seem to value
many things more than character.
 Much of the time, we simply don’t seem to care.
 The story of Daniel is a study in character.
 What would you do if at 15 you were forced to enter a pagan school in a
foreign country (whose language you did not speak), with no choices
regarding the courses, professors, housing, food, or living arrangements?
 This is what happened to Daniel and his friends. Remember, they were put in
this position by their King, and disobedience would dishonor their monarch
and endanger their family back in Judah.
 Daniel 1:3-5
 Those chosen were from the royal family and nobility, so they were probably
related to the King in some way.

3.  They were also far above average. Physically, they were free from any defect
according to verse 4.
 Their IQ had to be very high because they were “skillful in all wisdom, and
cunning in knowledge, and understanding science.”
 Socially, they had to be able to serve in the King’s palace, meaning they
needed to be well-adjusted psychologically with outgoing and appealing
personalities. (They couldn’t be stuck up, arrogant, self-absorbed jerks)
 First task: learn Babylonian language, history, and culture. This would
include instruction in Babylon’s religion, philosophy, and science.
 They mastered all of this in three years! (v.5)
 This instruction also came with the best food the king could provide.
 Daniel means “God is my judge.” Hananiah means “Yahweh is gracious.”
Mishael means “who is what God is?” Azariah means “Yahweh has helped.”
 The names they were given in Babylon were designed to remove God from
their thinking and replace Him with names that represented Babylonian gods.
 V.8 gives us the idea that Daniel was the leader of this group

4. Daniel “purposed in his heart not to
defile himself.” (v.8)
 Daniel took the initial step to approach the chief eunuch and stand for what
he believed was God’s will.
 Think about that: Daniel and his friends determined to honor God’s law
despite the betrayal of their king – despite the danger to their families – and
made this decision without any knowledge of Babylonian language and
culture.
 The king’s food included things the Law of Moses said was unclean. Leviticus
11:1-47 and Deuteronomy 14: 3-20.
 This food had also been dedicated to pagan gods. Eating it would be to
publically acknowledge these false gods.
 Daniel and his friends did not want to honor these pagan gods in any way
whatsoever.

5. This also risked their own lives: disobeying
the king’s order meant death.
 Daniel displayed unusual wisdom in acting on his faith.
 Daniel began with a humble and sensitive approach by asking the man in
charge of the food for permission to “not defile himself.”
 Daniel is practicing what Jesus later taught in Matthew 10:16.
 Do you show this kind of wisdom in approaching your problems?

6. 1. If we’re going to make deliberate but wise decisions to
live in God’s will day by day, we must begin with the
foundational decision to always honor God with our lives.
 Romans 12:1-2
 We have at our disposal the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-18). If Daniel
and his three friends could live this kind of life, how much more should we be
able to live in the will of God?
 This is what Paul prayed for the Ephesian church in Ephesians 3:17-21.

7. 2.When we live and work in an environment that is
permeated with values that are out of harmony with God’s
will, we must make decisions based on God’s principles
rather than our own legalistic rules.
 Daniel and his friends took a stand based on Scripture to not violate God’s
dietary laws or to be associated with idolatry.
 However, they didn’t fight their name changes. They knew what their real
names meant and this external change did nothing to affect their hearts or
their testimony for God.
 They didn’t fight their studies, either. They were able to interact
intelligently and with wisdom with their pagan counterparts, turning lemons
into lemonade.
 Christians win battles and lose the war because they become rigid and
legalistic. That’s why it is important to understand clearly what the
Scriptures really teach so that we are able to make intelligent decisions
regarding what is right and wrong and what will honor or dishonor God.

8. For example:
 Teachers have the second-highest alcoholism rate of any profession. Many of
my coworkers drink regularly and mention it often.
 If I make a loud announcement of my commitment to total abstinence from
alcohol at some meeting or social function, what would they do?
 I would be the object of jokes and derision, both behind my back and to my
face.
 However, if I graciously choose a soft drink instead of alcohol instead of
voicing my disapproval of their behavior, very few people would judge or
resent me.
 This kind of attitude would open up doors for me to be a better witness if
asked about my conviction to not drink.

9. 3. When we make decisions to take actions that are necessary to avoid
compromise, we must always approach our superiors with respect,
wisdom, and humility – but realize we may still pay a price for our stand
for righteousness.
 Daniel didn’t just act without thought of the price his actions might incur. He
acted with humility and wisdom by seeking permission.
 You will face situations where ignoring the rules or “doing your own thing”
would not be morally wrong and would allow you stand for God. You still
need to follow the rules and act with humility and wisdom.
 What kind of moral or ethical challenges do you face at school?
 How do you face these challenges and resolve inner conflict without
compromising your values and creating resentment with your classmates?
 Are there any areas where you believe you are compromising your spiritual
values?