Daniel 1:1-2 Sovereignty and Covenant

Daniel 1:1-2 and the Opening Claim of God’s Sovereignty

Daniel chapter 1 verses 1 and 2, hear now the inspired word of God. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God, and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his God, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his God.

Let's pray. Father, once again as we look into your word, we ask that you'd be pleased to open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts. Father, especially on this book where we're studying sovereignty and the covenant that you have graciously brought us into, we pray that you would, again, impress it upon our hearts that, Father, you would receive glory and that the name of Christ would be exalted.

We pray in his name. Amen. Please be seated. In 1956, five missionaries on an expedition into the Amazon jungle were killed in Ecuador. In 1994, in what the newspapers called a freak accident, five children of a Chicago pastor died in a fiery car crash on one of the expressways.

1995, 186 people die in the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City. Those of us here in New York do not have to be reminded of the events of September 11th of 2001. We've all lived through that to one degree or another.

We could go on and on and recount numerous tragic events just like those that I've listed so far. Now, in the wake of such events, there's always a call for some sort of answer. And eventually, the question is turned to God and the question, Why, God?

Why did you allow this? Which is a perfectly understandable question to ask. What's troubling, however, are many of the answers given by religious leaders and theologians. The answer is almost always some kind of equivocation, such as, Well, we're just not supposed to ask such questions.

Or worse, well, God was not involved in those things. And those comments by people who claim to hold to the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. One notable rabbi wrote a book on the subject to explain why bad things happen to good people.

His answer was, Well, it's just inexplicable. It's bad luck. Some people are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, why do I bring this up this morning? Well, last week in our introduction to Daniel, I made the statement that sovereignty is one of the overriding themes of the book of Daniel.

It appears even in the first two verses, which we've just read just a few moments ago. And then I also pointed out last week that Daniel is a book that really brings forth the covenant aspect of the scripture.

So before we're getting into the text, I want to take a little refresher on our understanding of what is the sovereignty of God? And what does God's covenant have to do with anything? So let's begin with what is the sovereignty of God?

Well, it means several things. Firstly, it means the supremacy of God. God is the most high God. He is doing all things according to his will, and no one can stay his hand or even ask the question, Why have you done this?

Sovereignty means he is the almighty. He is the possessor of all power in heaven and earth. He has all power in his hands. None can defeat his counsels, none can thwart his purpose, and none can resist his will.

It also means that he is the king. He is. It's the kingship of God. He is the governor of the nations. He sets up kingdoms and he tears them down. He determines their destinies as he pleases. He is the only potentate, the king of kings and the lord of lords.

It literally means when we talk about the sovereignty of God, we're talking about the Godhood of God, the very Godhood of God. He is. If he is sovereign, he alone is God. He is the only true God. If God is not sovereign, then he is not God.

Arthur Pink and his classic book, The Sovereignty of God, put it this way. He says God is God. He does as he pleases. Only as he pleases. Always as he pleases. His great concern is the accomplishment of his own pleasure and the promotion of his own glory.

He is the supreme being and therefore sovereign in the universe. That is a brief explanation of the sovereignty of God. Now, in our study in Daniel, we're going to return to this important doctrine numerous times.

But to prepare for it, we're going to take a little side trip into another book that really expounds on the sovereignty of God, a little book called Job. Job 1 makes it clear, and I'm sure everybody here knows the story of Job, but we're going to skip over a lot of the details.

But Job 1 makes it clear that of everything that happened to Job, all the tragedies that befalled him, it was not because he had earned the suffering. It's not that he had done something specific. We see that right in the first chapter.

In fact, we'll read verses 16. You may want to put your finger in the book of Job. We're going to be there for a little bit. Job 1, verse 6. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.

And the Lord said to Satan, From where do you come? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it. And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job?

For there was no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil. That's the commendation. So clearly, you would look at this and say, Well, why in the world did Job suffer all those things?

And then we get a reinforcement of that because after he has already suffered some of the tragedies, in chapter 1, verse 22, it says, Through all this Job did not sin, nor did he blame God. And I want you to notice that Satan was the one who needed permission to touch Job, not vice versa.

In verse 9,. Then Satan answered the Lord, Does Job fear God for nothing? Hast thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

But put forth thy hand now and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse thee to thy face. Now notice, this is not a battle or a debate between two equals. It's not dualism. It's not yin and yang.

It's not the dark side of the force versus the good side of the force. It's God who is sovereign, speaking to Satan, who must go and ask him for permission to do anything. Job 2, verse 4,. And Satan answered the Lord and said, Skin for skin, yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.

However, put forth thy hand now, touch his bone and his flesh, he will curse thee to thy face. So the Lord said to Satan, Behold, he is in your power. Only spare his life. That verse makes it very clear.

The suffering of Job, this blameless and upright man, was allowed by God. Verse 12 of Job 1,. The Lord said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only do not put forth your hand on him. So he departed.

Job himself recognized that his adversity came from God. After all the tragedies, the death of his children, the barns, everything, basically Job had lost everything that he had. Verse 9 of Job 2,. Then his wife said to him, Do you still hold fast your integrity?

Curse God and die. But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips. Wow. An interesting point.

After Job was afflicted. God waited. In fact, just to back up a little bit. Remember, we're getting a glimpse of heaven. We know what's going on between Satan and God. Job doesn't. He doesn't know what's going on.

And God waits and doesn't tell him. And he waits so long. Listen to that. Now his friends come and they get involved. Job 2 verse 11. Now Job's three friends heard of this, all this adversity that had come upon him.

They came each one from his own place. Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Nemethite. And they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. And when he lifted up their eyes in the distance, they did not recognize him.

They raised their voices and wept and each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads towards the sky. Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him.

For they saw that his pain was very great. His friends didn't even recognize him. Imagine the suffering. He's lost of all his material possessions, his family and his skin is crawling with disease. Still not a word from God.

But God was doing something in Job's life. In fact, God was demonstrating something to the whole angelic world. He was demonstrating something to the whole human world. And in fact, when this whole situation with Job is over and all the affliction and and then it's over.

God never does explain himself to Job. Job 38. Verse one. After Job is, remember now what happened to his friends, start pointing their finger at him. You've got to be in sin, Job. There's something secret going on.

They did well for seven days. They kept their mouths shut. They opened them and they sinned. Finally, in Job 38, the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

This is when Job finally says, but why? I don't understand, God. And God says, who is this? Now, gird up your loins like a man and I will ask you and you instruct me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me if you have understanding. Who set its measurements since, you know, or who stretched the line on it? Or what were its base? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone? When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of the God shouted for joy.

Where were you, Job? You know what I like about that? Well, other than the sarcasm. Yeah, that's one of my verses that I get justification for my sarcasm. For those of you who don't know, that's my spiritual gift.

But I love the similarity to Paul's answer in Romans chapter nine, when Paul is saying that God will have mercy on whom he has mercy. And Paul will say, you will say to me then, why does he still find fault for who resists his will?

Paul answers, on the contrary, who are you, old man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, why did you make me like this? Will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common?

What if God, although willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And he did so in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory.

Even us, whom he also called not from among Jews also, but also from among Gentiles. Who are you to answer back to God? You know, even though Job did not, quote, earn his affliction. He learned through that experience.

Job had a better understanding of his relationship to God through that experience. In Job 40, verse three, Job answered the Lord and said, behold, I am insignificant. What can I reply to thee? I lay my hand on my mouth.

Once I have spoken and I will not answer even twice, I will add no more. One of the best lessons we could all learn right there. When God says something, puts your hand over your mouth. In fact, I think all of us could take a good lesson from that in many circumstances, couldn't we?

Job had a better understanding of God's sovereignty through this experience. Job 42. Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do all things and that no purpose of thine can be thwarted.

Who is this who that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have declared that that which I did not understand things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Here now and I will speak, I will ask thee and do thou instruct me.

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see thee. Therefore, I retract and I repent in dust and ashes. And then Job's friends were rebuked by God as well. They turned out to be some.

I wonder how many of us turn out to be Job's friends. When something bad happens to somebody else. Oh, you must have done something wrong. Job 42, verse seven, and it came about after the Lord spoke these words to Job that the Lord said to Eliphaz, the Temanite.

My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends because you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has. Now, therefore, take for yourself seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves.

And my servant Job will pray for you for I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly. Because you have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job has. We need to be careful.

Job had a better perspective of his relationship with other men through this experience. Job 42, 10, and the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.

The ultimate outcome. Of the Book of Job. Is that God was glorified. We need to understand something. God's sovereignty is never. Arbitrary nor capricious. There's always a purpose and a plan behind God's actions in this world.

When we speak of God doing what he pleases, you must understand that God never acts outside or contrary to his very nature. When we talk about what pleases me, that could be a wide gamut, both sinful and godly.

But when God does as he pleases, it is always right. It is always true because he cannot act outside of his character. That's the lesson from Job. And that's what we see in the Book of Daniel. We're going to be returning to sovereignty numerous times throughout the Book of Daniel because it is just riddled with it.

But if we're going to understand Daniel, we also must understand the principles of the covenant relationship we have with God. You know, it's sad. How neglected this idea of covenant is in the Church of Jesus Christ today.

So let me begin very basic. Let me just give you a basic definition. Of what our covenant relationship to God is. A covenant to our covenant with God is a mutually binding compact between God and his people.

Sovereignly transacted by the Lord. We're in a promises made by God which calls for trust on the part of his people. And entails obligations and submission which are sanctioned by blessings and cursings.

Let's break that down just a little bit. It's a mutually binding compact between God and his people. It's a legal arrangement. Sovereignly transacted by the Lord. We need to always understand. The reason you're sitting in this room today saved, if you are, is that God has saved you.

And it entails a promise made by God. Isn't it amazing? God takes us out of this cesspool. Saves us and then gives us promises as his covenant people. But it calls for trust on the part of his people.

And it entails obligations of submission. And those are sanctioned by blessings and cursings. I'm going to give you, this morning, a basic structure of the covenant. Which, by the way, is the model for all the covenants transacted in the Middle East and the Far East.

Back in the ancient days. But here's the structure of a covenant. There's five points to it. Transcendency, hierarchy, ethics, oaths, and succession. You want an acronym? Theos. Greek word for God. What does that mean?

Transcendency. The covenant is an act transacted by God in his sovereignty. God is over the covenant. He sets the terms. Hierarchy. He sets up how the covenant is to be administrated. Who is our mediator of the new covenant?

It's Jesus Christ. Ethics. What are the stipulations? What should we do? What shouldn't we do? And then oaths. What happens if we obey and what happens if we don't? Deuteronomy 28, remember from last week.

And then succession. What's the future of the covenant people? That's the structure of the covenant. I'm not going to get into too much of that this morning. Again, throughout Daniel, we're going to be coming back to that.

Maybe even next week as we see the covenant structure, even in Nebuchadnezzar, besieging Jerusalem and taking people captive. But it's important to keep this structure in mind to understand our relationship to God.

But this model, again, as I mentioned, shows how conquering nations in the ancient world would relate to each other. But covenant is the centerpiece of all theology because God is described as a covenant keeping God.

Covenant theology is the essence of the scriptures. Let me give you a definition of covenant theology, which, by the way, is just another way of saying reformed theology. Covenant theology. All of the post full covenants of God are essentially one covenant.

This covenant centers on God's gracious promise in Jesus Christ. Each successive covenant expands on the revelation of the previous one. Notice that all post full covenants of God are essentially one covenant.

Different covenants, but one in essence. And God has centered those on the gracious promises of Jesus Christ. And each covenant expands on the revelation of the previous covenant. And I'm sure we'll have time to go through those as we go through Daniel.

But what are the elements of covenant theology? Firstly, God's relationship to man is always in the form of a covenant. We even see it in Adam. Adam was in covenant. Hosea 6, 7. But like Adam, they have transgressed the covenant.

The covenant started right back in the garden. God's covenant is completely gracious. He sets the terms of the covenant for our good. Let me just boil it down, if I may. What is the essence of the covenant?

Listen to this. I have a promise for you. This is God speaking. I have a promise for you. I'm going to save you. You don't deserve it. There's nothing you can do to gain it. But I'm going to do it all for you.

That's the essence. Is the covenant important? And the reason for the covenant is love. In Deuteronomy 7, verse 6, the Lord speaking, For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession.

Out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth, the Lord did not set his love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other peoples. For you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you.

And kept an oath which he swore to your forefathers. The essence of the covenant is love. And what's the goal of the covenant? Is a relationship with God. Jeremiah 11, verse 2. Hear the words of this covenant and speak to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and say to them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Curse is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant, which I commanded your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice and do according to all which I command you.

So you shall be my people and I will be your God. What's the substance of the covenant? Jesus Christ. All of the old covenants look forward to Christ. They foreshadow him. And the new covenant is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

And the promise of the covenant is an eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9, verse 15. And for this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant. In order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Remember, in the old covenant, the land of Palestine was merely a foreshadow, a symbol of the whole promise. The covenant was unilateral, unilateral. God swore by himself. We see that in Hebrews 6, Genesis 15.

In Hebrews 6, 13. When God made the promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself. Now, that's a very brief explanation of sovereignty in the covenant, but it's important as we begin our study.

God’s Sovereignty in Daniel 1 and the Covenant Judgment on Judah

So let's look at those elements as an introduction into Daniel. I want to read the first two verses again. Listen to Daniel 1 and 2. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

The Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God. He brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his God, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his God.

What's going on here? What's going on is God is exercising his sovereignty over Judah by giving the victory to Babylon. Notice that God is not merely sovereign over Israel and Judah. He's not just sovereign over redemptive history.

Really, I don't even like that term. I understand it's used, but God is sovereign over history. And all history is redemptive history, including the pagan and the godless nations. In fact, this victory of Babylon turns out to be virtually complete desolation for Judah.

God not only gave Babylon the military victory, but he allowed them to carry out temple vessels and bring them into his own treasury. In essence, God was deserting Judah, and that is symbolized by the removal of the vessels from the temple.

Now, why would he do such a thing? Because Judah had violated the terms of the covenant. Now, last week we read from Deuteronomy 28, the blessings and the cursings. Those were general stipulations given to Israel as they were preparing to occupy the land.

Blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. But the warning in Deuteronomy 28 was not the first warning. Leviticus 26, listen to verses 1 to 4. You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you find a figured stone in your land to bow down to it.

For I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary. I am the Lord. If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field and bear fruit.

And that continues just like Deuteronomy 28 did. But look a few more verses which relate more specifically. Down in Leviticus 26, 33. This is if they disobey. You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.

Then the land will enjoy its Sabbath all the days of desolation while you are in your enemy's land. Then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbath all the days of its desolation. It will observe the rest which it did not observe on your Sabbaths while you were living in it.

As for those of you who may be left, I will bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them. And even when no one is pursuing, they will flee as though from the sword and they will fall.

They will therefore stumble over each other as if running from a sword, although no one is pursuing. And you will have no strength to stand up before your enemies, but you will perish among the nations and your enemy's land will consume you.

So those of you who may be left will rot away because of their iniquity in the lands of your enemies. And also because of the iniquities of your forefathers, they will rot away. Kind of bleak, but the Bible is telling it just like it is.

Gets even more specific in Second Kings, chapter 20, verse 16. Listen to this is from then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, hear the word of the Lord. Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store for this day will be carried to Babylon.

And nothing shall be left, says the Lord. Some of your sons who shall issue from you, whom you will beget will be taken away and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon. Does that sound familiar?

Now, what was the immediate cause for Babylon's plundering Judah? Why did God allow this at this time? Well, earlier in Kings 2, we find out that the king of Babylon had sent emissaries to Hezekiah with diplomatic letters and presents.

Babylon was looking for Judah to become an ally in their ongoing war with Assyria. Hezekiah was duped by their advances and basically gave them all the state secrets. Listen to Second Kings 20, verse 13.

Hezekiah listened to them and showed them all the treasures, all the treasure house, the silver and the gold, the spices, the precious oil and the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasuries.

There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. That was the Babylonians. That's what prompted Isaiah's prophecy. Hezekiah had stopped trusting in the Lord. Instead, he was turning and trusting in a political alliance.

That's what he was thinking at the time. If they wanted to be allies with me, I'll have them as the allies. That'll save us from Egypt and everybody else. If only he had heard him 700. Trust and obey.

One of the greatest mistakes the church has made over the years is to separate the message of scripture from history. By the middle of the 20th century, the vast majority of the church in America had backed away from the public arena.

The only exception were for large evangelistic campaigns. And if one started to speak about bringing justice or reform to society, it was often met with great opposition. A saying became popular. You don't polish brass on a sinking ship.

The church was looked at as a sinking ship. Wasn't going to do any help. So except for saving souls, was withdrawing from the public arena. I saw the results of this type of thinking in a previous church I attended.

The church wanted to put up a new building. And the pastor of our church was getting some advice from another pastor. And you know what the advice was about building this building? Don't build it too well because you're only going to give it to the Antichrist eventually anyway.

There's great danger in that type of thinking. God is sovereign over history and over politics. And what we see in these texts is how the violation of the covenant with God impacts the historical narrative.

Judah was defeated because Hezekiah failed to trust God and trusted in mankind instead. In fact, you can tell how important history is simply by looking at Scripture and the amount of Scripture given to history.

And Daniel is no exception. The book begins with a historical fact, the third year in the reign of King Jehoiakim. And what we're reading is the results of the fall of Judah. The fall of Judah took place in three stages spanning the years 605, 597, and 587 BC.

And the events that we're looking at in Daniel chapter 1 are detailed in the first stage of the fall of Judah. In fact, we read this morning from 2 Kings 24 to 2 Kings 25 talking about those three stages of the fall of Judah.

What we didn't read, we didn't go far enough from 25 to verse 21. So Judah was led away into exile from its land. I want you to listen. I have one quotation before we close. Sinclair Ferguson said this,.

The siege recorded here in Daniel 1 took place in the first of those stages. The apparent victory of the Babylonian gods over the God of the people of Jerusalem was sealed by the removal of some of the sacred furniture to the shrine of Nebuchadnezzar's deity.

The humiliation could not have been more patent. Humanly speaking, this was a time when God's glory was discounted and his people were not a testimony to his great name. A situation that has been repeated countless times since.

This event was seen by the author as a part of a larger whole. No event in history can be isolated from its predecessors. The siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians was no exception. It is simply a cross section of a conflict that runs through the whole of history.

The conflict between the people of God and the people of the world. It can be traced back in scripture to the prototype of totalitarianism in the building on the plains of Shinar of a city whose tower would reach up to the heavens and bring fame and fortune.

History is the story of the cosmic battle of God and evil played out on the world stage. The land of Shinar is where rebellious mankind tried to build a tower to reach God. And God confused their language and foiled their feeble plane.

And what city was built on that location but the city of Babylon? That's the land of Shinar. And because of the violation of the terms of the covenant, Daniel and his friends are carried off to where?

The land of Shinar, to Babylon. Just as God had told them through the prophet Isaiah years earlier. But I want you to remember this. It all began much earlier than that. It all began in the Garden of Eden.

When God cursed the serpent, he said, and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. And that began the conflict of the ages.

And this is all part of God's sovereign plan to bring the only man to Earth who could defeat Satan and lead his people to heaven. But the promise is not just heaven when we die. Because God is sovereign and the covenant keeping God, Paul could state with certainty.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. So when tragedy strikes, and it will, whether it be relatively small or a great catastrophe, and people start asking, where is God in all this?

The Christian can state with confidence that he is sovereign and even great tragedies are under his control. And there's a reason behind every event. We may not see it, we may not understand it, but God is there.

I'm sure that people of Judah ask some of the same questions. Where? Why? But we can read their history and see exactly why they were carried to Babylon. They violated the covenant. But you know what?

It's not as easy to understand when it comes to personal tragedy. Oh, we can go back to the description point. Oh, yeah, it's Hezekiah's fault. We can see this, etc. But it's not as easy when it comes to personal tragedy.

There are times when the answers to our question, why God? It's not always that clear. And we don't want to respond as one of Job's friends and point the finger accusing of sin. And we certainly don't want to respond like Job's wife, curse God and die.

We must respond like Job. Though he slay me. I will hope in him. Or perhaps like Daniel's three friends. God will protect us. But even if he doesn't, we will not serve other gods. So when we find ourselves in the midst of tragedy and we don't understand why, we trust in our sovereign covenant-keeping God to carry us through.

And will turn everything for the good of his people. Trust and obey. For there's no other way. If you're here this morning and you're not a believer in Jesus Christ, these promises are not for you. First thing you need to do is repent of your sin.

Bow to Jesus Christ. Confess that Jesus is Lord. And you will be saved. Let's pray.