Potential

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1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ² And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia^[a] and put in the treasure house of his god.

³ Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— ⁴ young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.^[b] 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

⁶ Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. ⁷ The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” ¹⁴ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. ¹⁶ So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

¹⁷ To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

¹⁸ At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. ²⁰ In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

²¹ And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Daniel 1:1-21 NIV

One day, I was at work, stocking shelves near one of the display tables. I looked over to that table. It was covered with Candies and cards for valentines day. 

I noticed hanging out with the card and candies were Decorative candles. 

There was one that was particularly eye-catching to me. I thought it was a honey bear bottle misplaced on the table until I realized it was a decorative candle.

“How neat is that!” I thought. But then my heart and mind turned to the book of Daniel. Not the fiery furnace, not the visions of end-things, and not the lions’ den. No, the chapter we just read. This decorative candles here, that one at the store, have a lot in common with you and I. And that one thing we have is potential.

Let’s take a step back and unpack this passage to better understand how we connect with these four young Hebrews.

1. Daniel and Co. were chosen for, among other things, their SMARTS.
   1. they didn’t just know stuff (“Well informed”), 
   2. they had the ability to LEARN. They were open to learning.
      1.  “showing aptitude for every kind of learning,”
      2. “quick to understand,”
2. They were put in an environment that was hostile to their beliefs, or at the very least Counter to their culture.
   1. Taken from royal position (v3) and made a servant in exile.
      1. Highly elevated servants, but servants nonetheless.
   2. Learn the Language and Literature of the Babylonians.
      1. Practical Logistics – You serve someone better when you can speak their language
      2. Empathy – You can care for some more if you understand where they are coming from. Literature, even historical documents can help these Hebrew boys to get into the mindset of a Babylonian.

But wait! If we read Babylonian books and speak like them, won’t we start doing Babylonian things? Like worshiping idols? Could we consider this process brainwashing? Only way to know for sure is to look at the rest of the stories. 

But let’s stay with this chapter for just a few more moments…

Daniel and Company met all the requirements to serve in the King’s palace. 

They were going to sink or swim when dropped in a hostile work environment. And this chapter showed us that these four young men threaded water really well.

They chose…

3. Vegetables rather than defilement
   1. When you have a meal, what is the first thing you begin to eat? Let’s pretend you don’t get dessert until you finish your plate. You’ve got some chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed veggies, and a roll. What do you enjoy first?
      1. If I don’t mix the food together, I will probably start with the protein and eat the veggies last delaying the inevitable.
      2. Maybe you save your favorite for last, so it’s the last thing you enjoy as part of the meal…just getting on with the veggies or whatever.
   2. Daniel knew his choice wasn’t exactly about nutrition. The law clearly stated that certain foods were unclean for Israelites. The Four Amigos graciously asked to just have veggies and water. They didn’t pitch a fit, didn’t play with their food, didn’t dump the meat and the wine out, pretending to eat and drink. No, they asked for a vegetarian option. God did not declare any veggies to be unclean in his Levitical laws. So they would not defile themself if they ate those.
   3. They passed the test and their veggie platter was not a problem for the king and Ashpenaz.

It’s at this point that you are wondering, “What does this have to do with candles?”

Just like Daniel and his friends, the candle has potential.

They are purely decorative until they are lit. Until they give off heat and especially light, they have no utility. 

Where is the potential? It’s wrapped around it. The wax that forms the shape of the candle is also the fuel that powers the light. 

Think about your life and how it relates to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 

1. You have the Ability to learn
   1. When you come to church or listen online to this podcast, hopefully you come with the desire to learn. Not just that, but also to learn how to learn. Here in Church and small groups, we don’t just tell you “Do bible study,” but we try our best to explain what you can do to study the bible on your own. Do research and seek out God’s heart and will for your life. What he meant in a particular passage.  
   2. When you are not here, you might have a different environment. One that seems hostile to your beliefs. You can still learn from it. Understand the people so you can better share Christ with them.
2. Language and Literature
   1. As our 4 friends learned the Language and Literature of Babylon, you and I can grow our understanding of others by learning of their language and literature. 
   2. Learning about the people around you and their history can give you opportunities as you become more trusted by them. You can empathize with their situation because you can understand it.
3. Taking a stand
   1. Daniel and friends took a stand from the very start. They didn’t bow to the pressure of their “generous” oppressors. They knew the lines they would not cross. For them, eating meat and drink that was defiled would make them unclean. They respectfully refused. 
   2. For you, you may have a chance in your life to choose the unpopular path. For instance, friends and culture tells you “to go see this movie” but you find out it has content in it that you know God has told you to stay away from, you’ll need to stand up for your convictions. It doesn’t feel good at the moment but I promise you, ignoring your convictions and going along with the pressure will always feel bad, a sense of shame or guilt, later. The same idea can be used for substance abuse. You’ve got to know what you believe and then stand on that no matter what.

Conclusion

One thing we are missing is our candle analogy: a light. What will light you on fire, start you accessing all that potential? For Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, it was being brought into the King’s service while in exile. Out of that spark, that catalyst, came 3 young men who would not bow down to a statue and were tossed into a fiery furnace for their insolence. This flame accessed Daniels’ potential for consistent prayer and good advice so much that other wisemen hated him and plotted how to kill him. Underpresser. In the Flame. In the Lion’s Den. God was there with them. Their potential was showing itself and turning into real light and heat. Energy. Something that can really make change in their world. And that’s exactly what happened. 

So how can you change your world?

• Access that potential.
• Be a flame, a light in this world.
• Learn, Understand and take a stand.