June 5, 2022

Daniel and his friends lived in a culture that held different

Babylon had a powerful

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who destroyed the land they loved.

Babylon had a different religious and educational

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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, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 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. Daniel 1:3-5 (ESV)

Babylon had a spiritually

environment.

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.
Daniel 1:6-7 (ESV)

The tension that Daniel and his friends experienced was

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How do I influence a culture that doesn’t have the same values
that I do?

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank … Daniel 1:8 (ESV)

Being an influence begins by

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which values are worth standing up for.

… Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not
to defile himself. Daniel 1:8 (ESV)

Start by asking for an

when your values come in conflict.

And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.”
Daniel 1:10 (ESV)

Be a person who

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intently to those who have concerns about your values.

So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. Daniel 1:16 (ESV)

Find a way to show how your values add

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to others.

Clarify your values and live with the

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