This is part of the worship series
"The Joy of Generosity"
Series Introduction
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3
Week Two
Dainties and Discipleship
Scripture
Daniel 1
Call to Worship
Come, let us make a joyful sound to the rock of our salvation!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all the earth.
Let us worship and bow down before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture.
—adapted from Psalm 95 NIV
Confession
Note: Invite five children or young people to serve as readers for these five statements (Scripture passages from the New International Reader’s Version):
The world says, “Buy and accumulate things.”
God’s Word says, “Life is not made up of how much a person has.” (Luke 12:15)
The world says, “Wealth is our security.”
God’s Word says, “I will say about the Lord,
‘He is my place of safety.’” (Psalm 91:2)
The world says, “We deserve the best.”
God’s Word says, “The Lord blesses us with favor and honor. He doesn’t hold back anything good from those whose lives are without blame.” (Psalm 84:11)
The world says, “Give so that you may obtain favors and praise from others.”
God’s Word says, “Lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will receive a lot in return.” (Luke 6:35)
The world says, “Gratify your self in every way.”
God’s Word says, “Let Christ’s word live in
you like a rich treasure. … Do everything
you say or do in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Always give thanks to God the Father through Christ.”
—Adapted from “Preparation for Giving” by Bryan Jeffery Leech, The Worshiping Church, © 1990 by Bryan Jeffery Leech, Walnut Creek, CA 94595. Used by permission.
Song Suggestions
“Dare to Be a Daniel” Bliss
“Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart” Smith
“Have Thine Own Way, Lord” Pollard and Stebbins
“I Am Crucified with Christ" Elliott
“I Offer My Life” Cloninger, Moen
“I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light” Thomerson
“Praise You” Goodine
“Lord, I Want to Be a Christian” Afro-American Spiritual
“Some Folk Would Rather Have Houses” Johnson
Note: A soloist may sing the first stanza with the congregation joining in on the rest.
“Spirit of the Living God” Iverson and Baughen
“We Are an Offering” Liles
“What Does the Lord Require” Bayly and Routley
Meditation
At first glance, Daniel’s story might seem to be merely an endorsement for vegetarianism. It’s not. This passage introduces us afresh to the battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. In verse 2, Babylon is literally, in the Hebrew, Shinar, the name for the plain where the Tower of Babel stood. Babylon, then, is Babel revisited—a society characterized by human defiance against God’s reign.
One way in which the spirit of Babel demonstrates itself is in the attempt to engulf God’s covenant people in a godless culture. Daniel and his three friends are in a training program to prepare for government service. That was not itself a problem. The problem was the way in which that training demanded the embrace of pagan gods. Names that reflected a commitment to Yahweh were exchanged for names that honored Babylonian deities. The program demanded that Daniel and his friends leave behind their past life of commitment to Yahweh.
The battle became focused at the dinner table—not because it is wrong to enjoy good food, but because for Old Testament believers, dietary rules were very much an expression of their obedience to the Lord. In violation of those rules, the food set before Daniel was food that had been sacrificed previously to Babylonian gods.
God’s people continually find themselves in cultures that offer the temptation to sell out their commitment to Yahweh and his Son, Jesus Christ. Daniel 1 reminds us that demonic pressure doesn’t necessarily come with the brute threat of a lion’s den. Satan prowls about in many disguises, seeking whom he can devour. Even the “dainties” of a dinner table can become a way to turn from discipleship.
The “dainties” of our culture are not so much the dishes on the dinner table. Rather they are the temptations of a consumer society that define us not by who we are but by what we have. Those “dainties” trap many, as they did in Daniel’s day. It would not be unreasonable to suppose that many more Jewish youths were involved in this training program than just the four who refused to cave into pagan pressure.
Daniel 1 reminds us that when God’s people refuse to cave in to cultural pressures and choose instead ways of obedience, God’s blessing results. At the end of their time of testing, Daniel and his friends were not only physically healthy, but they also possessed a knowledge and insight that the secular culture could not give (v. 17). Daniel remained in Babylon until the first year of King Cyrus, when the first exiles returned home. What vindication of Daniel’s refusal to cave in to pagan pressures! God’s saving ways and kingdom rule are unstoppable.
Offering Invitation
Jesus told the story of a man
who had a rich return on his investment.
He said to himself, “Lucky man!
You have all you need for many years.
Enjoy the security of your years of labor.”
That man lost his barns, his profits, and his soul.
Let us be careful that our riches do not cost us our salvation.
—Words for Worship, Arlene Mark, ed., Herald Press © 1996. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
