Why

1
Why Greatly Beloved?

• An Overview of Daniels Decisions

2
Daniel Greatly Beloved

• At the beginning of your supplications the
  command went out, and I have come to tell you,
  for you are greatly beloved therefore consider
  the matter, and understand the vision. (Daniel
  923)
• And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly
  beloved, understand the words that I speak to
  you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent
  to you. While he was speaking this word to me, I
  stood trembling. And he said, O man greatly
  beloved, fear not! Peace be to you be strong,
  yes, be strong! So when he spoke to me I was
  strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak, for
  you have strengthened me. (Daniel 1011, 19)

3
God is no respecter of persons!

• Then Peter opened his mouth and said In truth I
  perceive that God shows no partiality. But in
  every nation whoever fears Him and works
  righteousness is accepted by Him. (Acts 1034-35)

• Intelligence
• Birthplace
• Pedigree
• Nobility

• Race
• Gender
• Age
• Income

See also I Corinthians 126-31 Galatians 328
Titus 21-6 II Corinthians 812 I Timothy 24
We are defined by what we choose, not what
happens to us!
4
Humble Truthseeker

• And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly
  beloved, understand the words that I speak to
  you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent
  to you. While he was speaking this word to me, I
  stood trembling. Then he said to me, Do not
  fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set
  your heart to understand, and to humble yourself
  before your God, your words were heard and I
  have come because of your words. (Daniel
  1011-12)
• I Peter 55-7 James 15

5
Distraught by Evil

• In the first year of his reign I, Daniel,
  understood by the books the number of the years
  specified by the word of the LORD through
  Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish
  seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
  Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make
  request by prayer and supplications, with
  fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to
  the LORD my God, and made confession, and said,
  O Lord, great and awesome God, we have sinned
  and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and
  rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts
  and Your judgments. As it is written in the Law
  of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us yet
  we have not made our prayer before the LORD our
  God, that we might turn from our iniquities and
  understand Your truth. (Daniel 92-19 101-3,
  16)
• Deuteronomy 2815-3010 Jeremiah 2511-14

6
Prayed for Mercy

• O my God, incline Your ear and hear open Your
  eyes and see our desolations, and the city which
  is called by Your name for we do not present our
  supplications before You because of our righteous
  deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord,
  hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do
  not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your
  city and Your people are called by Your name.
  Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing
  my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and
  presenting my supplication before the LORD my God
  for the holy mountain of my God, O Daniel,
  At the beginning of your supplications the
  command went out, and I have come to tell you,
  for you are greatly beloved therefore consider
  the matter, and understand the vision. (Daniel
  918-23)
• I Timothy 21-4

7
Committed to Prayer

• Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed,
  he went home. And in his upper room, with his
  windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on
  his knees three times that day, and prayed and
  gave thanks before his God, as was his custom
  since early days. Then these men assembled and
  found Daniel praying and making supplication
  before his God. So they answered and said
  before the king, That Daniel, who is one of the
  captives from Judah, does not show due regard for
  you, O king, or for the decree that you have
  signed, but makes his petition three times a
  day. So the king gave the command, and they
  brought Daniel and cast him into the den of
  lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel,
  Your God, whom you serve continually, He will
  deliver you. (Daniel 918-23)
• I Thessalonians 517

8
Bold in Proclaiming Truth

• Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable
  to you break off your sins by being righteous,
  and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.
  Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your
  prosperity. (Daniel 427)
• But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit
  was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his
  kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
  But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled
  your heart, although you knew all this. And you
  have lifted yourself up against the Lord of
  heaven. and the God who holds your breath in
  His hand and owns all your ways, you have not
  glorified. (Daniel 520-23)
• I Peter 315 Matthew 1032-39

9
Chose Good Friends

• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and
  said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no
  need to answer you in this matter. If that is the
  case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us
  from the burning fiery furnace, and He will
  deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not,
  let it be known to you, O king, that we do not
  serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold
  image which you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar
  was full of fury, and the expression on his face
  changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
  He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace
  seven times more than it was usually heated. And
  he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were
  in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and
  Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery
  furnace. (Daniel 316-20 217, 49)
• I Corinthians 1533 II Corinthians 614-18

10
Purposed In His Heart

• And the king appointed for them a daily provision
  of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he
  drank, and three years of training for them, so
  that at the end of that time they might serve
  before the king. Now from among those of the sons
  of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and
  Azariah. But Daniel purposed in his heart that
  he would not defile himself with the portion of
  the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he
  drank therefore he requested of the chief of the
  eunuchs that he might not defile himself. So
  Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the
  eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,
  and Azariah, Please test your servants for ten
  days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and
  water to drink. (Daniel 15-12)
• Romans 1311-14 Ephesians 510-18 Luke 957-62

11
Comparing Our Decisions

• Humble Truthseekers? I Peter 55-7 James 15
• Distraught by Evil? II Peter 27-8
• Pray for Mercy? I Timothy 21-4
• Committed to Prayer? I Thessalonians 517
• Bold in Proclaiming Truth? I Peter 315 Matthew
  1032-39
• Choose Good Friends? I Corinthians 1533 II
  Corinthians 614-18
• Resolved In Our Hearts? Romans 1311-14
  Ephesians 510-18 Luke 957-62

12
Invitation

• Not a Christian? Wayward Christian?
• Humble Truthseeker? Resolved In Your Heart?
• Be like Daniel, so you too may be greatly
  beloved
• Come forward while we stand and sing