Sunday, November 6, 2022

Delivered by the Hand of God (Daniel 1, 3, 6; Esther)

As young boys, Daniel and his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were carried captive from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.  They were selected as “well favored and skillful” children to serve in the King’s court.

READ Daniel 1:5, 8

This food and wine did not violate the Jewish dietary code, so why might the child Daniel be defiled by eating it?

The King’s food was consecrated to the Babylonian deities – so eating it was like taking a sacrament or worshiping those idols.

This is not a “word of wisdom” issue, as wine does not “defile” you.

 

Daniel asks to be able to perform a test and eat only legumes and vegetables for 10 days, to prove that he could be healthy without eating the King’s food – and the Lord supports him in his dedication. 

READ Daniel 1:17, 20

What blessings did God give them for their faithfulness to Him?

Knowledge and skill in learning.

Understanding of visions and dreams.



The Fiery Furnace

The King creates a large gold idol and commands his court to come worship it at its dedication.  When the music played, everyone was to fall down and worship the idol or be cast into a fiery furnace.

READ Daniel 3:12-18

What does the King’s statement “who is that God that can deliver you out of my hands” imply?

The King is an atheist – he doesn’t believe in Gods, just in his own power.

The idol is really him – by worshipping the idol, the people are worshipping the king.

Nebuchadnezzar is the equivalent of the President of the USA or China or Russia today, so why are the 3 young men “not careful to answer” the King?

They do not care about public opinion or finding favor in the eyes of the world – they are not politically correct.

They do not fear men – even the most powerful man in the world.

They don’t even fear death.

Why are they so bold in their statement: either our God will save us or if He chooses not to, we will die rather than serve your “gods”?

They KNOW the God in whom they have trusted (see 2 Nephi 4:19-20).

Death holds no fear to those who know that the path they are pursuing is in accordance with the will of God (see LoF 6:3).

They are valiant in the testimony of Jesus (Jehovah) which they have received.

 

READ LoF 6:3-5

Why is “belief and supposition” not enough in a situation like this?

They would grow “weary in their minds and faint” – facing death would introduce too much doubt in their minds and they would not be able to exercise enough faith to be saved (faith and doubt are mutually exclusive).

What is the lesson for us?

If you’re ever about to be thrown into a fiery furnace for not worshipping the gods of this world and you have not already received an actual knowledge that the course you are pursuing is according to the will of the living God – IT WILL BE TOO LATE AT THAT POINT.  It is the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

You CAN KNOW this from God with an “actual knowledge”.

You can’t be too young to find out – it is not reserved for the mature.

It is not tied to status or callings – these were young men working in the government of a foreign power, not “prophets” or priests back at the Temple in Jerusalem.

You never know when this knowledge will be absolutely necessary to your physical wellbeing and eternal salvation.

 

READ Daniel 3:22-28

Why did the 3 “fall down” into the midst of the fire after their guards had already been burned up trying to throw them into the flames?

They were worshipping the God they saw in the fire.

They had been protected from the flames and continued to be.

What does it mean that the “form of the fourth man” was “like the Son of God”?

He was brighter and more fiery than the flames that surrounded Him or the other 3 figures and the glory that surrounded them.

Why did the 3 have no “smell of fire” about them?

It was heavenly glory not mortal fire.

Heavenly glory looks like fire to our eyes - Joseph Smith, in the 1840 account of the First Vision wrote that he “expected to have seen the leaves and boughs of the trees consumed, as soon as the light came in contact with them; but perceiving that it did not produce that effect, he was encouraged with hope of being able to endure its presence” and in 1835 said “a personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame, which was spread all around and yet nothing consumed” and 1943, “directly I saw a light, and then a glorious personage in the light, and then another personage.”



The Lion’s Den

Years later, Babylon has been defeated by Persia and King Darius is on the throne…

READ Daniel 6:3-5

Since Daniel’s performance at work was so strong, what was the only way these worldly men could destroy him?

By putting him in a dilemma where his belief-based behavior would offend the world or be deemed illegal.

They were seeking to “cast out the righteous” by changing the laws that they might “more easily… do according to their own wills” (see Helaman 7:4-5).

Today this can be done via social media’s “cancel culture.”

 

READ Daniel 6:7, 10

What was the nature of the law they changed to ensnare Daniel?

No one could talk to God directly – they had to go through the King or leader.

It placed the leader/King in the role of “god” to his people – or at least a mediator between God and man (which is a role only a god can have – i.e. Christ).

It is the position that all priestly men who desire to control others with religion seek to create for themselves.

 

READ Daniel 6:14-23

Why did Daniel pray with his windows open after he knew about the decree?

He is VALIANT in the testimony of Jesus.

He is not afraid of public opinion or unrighteous laws or death.

He has faith as his friends SM&A: “He will deliver (me)… but if not…” I will continue to worship Him and Him alone.

Why was the King not able to deliver Daniel?

He had painted himself into a corner, as the law said that the king could not change a decree after it was made.

He would cease to be the King, which he lacked the fortitude to do.

Who was able to deliver Daniel?

The “living” God who Daniel “served continually” in “innocence” (repentance/forgiveness) and faith (as manifest in the king’s statement “he will deliver thee”).

How was Daniel delivered?

God sent a true messenger from His presence – a “lion whisperer”.

This teaches us how heaven works when it interacts with mankind on earth – it is not “fairy dust” or “inspiring the lion not to attack” – even if we cannot see what is really going on (there is more going on than we can/will see); God still abides by the natural laws of the universe.

What is the symbolism in this story?

Christ’s wrongful conviction by evil men.

A leader who did not agree but could not deliver Him.

A stone to cover the “place of death”.

A believer coming “very early in the morning”.

Salvation based on the innocence of the one accused.

Walking out of the “place of death” alive.

 

 

Esther

We are all acquainted with the story of Esther – how she saved her people, the Jews, by risking her life by coming to ask a favor of the King of Persia, her husband, and admitting to being a Jew herself.

READ Esther 1:10-12, 17-18, 20 and D&C 121:41-42, 46

How does the world’s way of treating women compare and contrast with the Lord’s way?

World’s way is that men dominate women and require them, using compulsory means, to do the man’s own will.

The Lord’s way is that a man seeks to influence a woman by persuasion (not duress or compulsion), long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, kindness and pure knowledge (Holy Spirit = the mind of God = pure intelligence).

What did the Father gain by marrying the Goddess – did she bring anything to the relationship that He did not already have?

He could not create life without Her.

He had knowledge but lacked wisdom without her.

 

READ Esther 3:2

Why does Mordecai refuse to bow or reverence a man?

He worships the living God, not a mortal man – he is not an “idol” worshiper.

He does not fear what men can do to him.

Paying flattering honor to another man will only cause that man to become prideful, which will damn him unless he repents.

 

The King desires to reward one of his loyal subjects and asks Haman, his Grand Vizier, what he should do.  Haman, thinking the king is set to reward him, asks for several audaciously extravagant gifts, including the King’s own clothes, crown and horse. 

READ Esther 6:10

What does this verse teach us?

That God has a sense of humor.

That God won’t always allow the wicked to have joy in their pride and evil ways.

 

READ Esther 4:16

Why is fasting more effective than prayer alone?

Fasting strengthens the spirit relative to the now weakened physical body.

Fasting reminds us of our constant dependence on the Lord for life.

The group is humbled and aligned before the Lord – they are becoming one, which is a prerequisite for Zion and pleasing to the Lord.

 

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