Exhortation 2/11/03 - Reading Daniel 10 - Daniel - "A man greatly beloved". 2003年十一月二日讲道词 读经：但以理书第10章 但以理-“大蒙眷爱的人”

Our dear brethren and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, Over the past week we have been reading one of the most amazing books of the Bible. We have not just followed through the life of one of the most faithful people in the Old Testament, but we have been given an overview of the history of the world from the times of Daniel about 550 years before Jesus Christ right through to today and beyond. Daniel was told of the time when "the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44), and when we as "the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever" (Daniel 7:18). It certainly is a book in the Bible from which we can find real encouragement for these evil days in which we live. Can we really imagine ourselves possessing the Kingdom that God will set up when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth? 我们在主耶稣基督里亲爱的弟兄姐妹： 在过去的一个星期里我们读到了圣经中最奇妙的一本书之一。我们不只是看到了旧约里其中一个大有信心的人的生命，而且我们还有一个对但以理所处的那个时期，也就是耶稣基督出生以前直到今天的历史的总体了解。神告诉了但以理“天上的神必另立一国，永不败坏”（但以理书2：44）的时间，那时，“至高者的圣民，必要得国享受，直到永永远远”（但以理书7：18）。这本书确实是一本我们可以从中得到真正的鼓励，支持我们活在这充满邪恶的时代的力量。当我们的主耶稣基督重回到世上建立神国时，我们可以真正的想象自己在神国的位置吗？

Because we read the book of Daniel with its 12 chapters in 12 days we may not take time to realise that it actually covers events in the life of Daniel that took place over a period of 70 years. In the first chapter we meet Daniel as a young man taken into captivity around the age of 18. By the time we come to the end of Chapter 12 we are reading of a man who is around 90 years of age. In reading the book of Daniel we are reading of a life lived completely in the service of his God. This is a great encouragement for us all, no matter what age we are. 因为我们在十二天中读了但以理书全部的十二章，我们来不及感受整本书涵盖了但以理整个一生将近七十年的事情。在第一章里，我们知道但以理作为一个少年人被掳去，那时他大概有十八岁。到第十二章，我们看到的是一个大概九十岁的人。通过读但以理书，我们看到的是一个完全服事神的生命。不管我们的年龄有多大，这对大家都是一个很大的鼓励。

Let us then look at some of the events in the book of Daniel and try to get a good picture of what we have read and also look for encouragement from what we read. 下面让我们来看一下但以理书发生的事情，以求对我们所学的东西得到一幅完整的画面，也从所读的内容中寻求鼓励。

Chapter 1 Do you remember that we were told that Daniel was taken captive to Babylon in the 3rd year of Jehoiakim, there to be given a university education that was intended to remove his trust in the God of Israel so that he would worship the gods of Babylon. Their aim was to "teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans". Many parents would have been proud to have their son go to such a university for it was the best in the world. Daniel's name was even changed to Belteshazzar, a name meaning "keeper of the hid treasures of Bel", the Babylonian idol god. What a great upheaval in the life of such a young man but we see that his faith did not waver. When offered the food that had been blessed by the gods of Babylon he and his three friends refused. We are told that "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself" (Daniel 1:8). 第一章 大家是否记得我们从经文里知道但以理在约雅敬作王第三年被掳到巴比伦。在那里他们要接受相当于现在大学的学习，让他改变自己对以色列神的信仰，以便于让他转而拜巴比伦的神。他们的目标是“教他们迦勒底的文字言语”。很多父母为自己的孩子能去这样的学校感到骄傲，因为这是全世界最好的学校。但以理的名字被改为伯提沙撒，这个名字的意思是“巴比伦宝藏的看守人”，这是一个巴比伦人崇拜的偶像。少年人的生活又得如此的剧变，但是我们看到他的信仰并没有动摇。当人们供给她和他的三个朋友由巴比伦的假神赐福的食物时，他们拒绝了。我们从经上看到：“但以理却立志，不以王的膳和王所饮的酒，玷污自己；所以求太监长容他不玷污自己”（但以理书1：8）。 Here is a challenge to all young men and women. Do we have the faith and courage to withstand the deceitful offers of the world? Here is also a challenge to parents - have you taught your children and grandchildren to put complete faith in God and let Him overshadow their life? This first chapter has a real challenge to us all, just as it tells of the challenge that Daniel and his friends faced. 在这有一个对所有年轻人的挑战。我们有信心和勇气可以抵挡得住来自世上的欺诈吗？同样还有一个对父母的挑战-你是否教育你的孩子，或者孙子全心地信靠神，让神带领他们的一生？第一章对我们大家都是一个挑战，我们面临但以理与他的朋友所遇到的挑战。

Chapter 2 This chapter tells of an event in the life of Daniel when he was a young man about 20 years of age. We have become so familiar with the Image Prophecy of Daniel 2 that we may not realise that again in this chapter we see the remarkable faith of Daniel and his friends. Remember that when Nebuchadnezzar had this dream he demanded of "the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dream" and its meaning (v2). They could not do that of course. They correctly said that no one could tell the dream and its meaning "except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh" (v11) This is just so much like today where the most educated people cannot tell the future, but we know that God has revealed these things to us through His Word. 第二章 这一章记载了但以理大约二十岁时的事情。 我们已经很熟悉这一章里但以理对像的预言了，在此就不再多说。我们还看到但以理和他朋友的非同一般的信心。大家还记得尼布甲尼撒王作梦以后，他要求把“术士，用法术的，行邪术的，和迦勒底人”招来，要他们解梦（2：2）。当然了但以理和他的朋友解不了这梦。他们正确地说没有人能解释这梦，“除了不与世人同居的神明”（2：11）。这种情况很像今天有很多满有学问的人，他们也不能预言未来，但是我们知道神可以通过他的话语向我们显明这些事。

Now when Daniel realised the serious predicament that he and his friends were in we see yet another outstanding example of their faith. They prayed to God desiring "mercies of the God of Heaven" (v18), and God heard them and answered their prayer. Have we taught our young people to always take their problems to God in prayer? Do they see in the older ones an example of prayerfulness in all aspects of our life? 现在，当但以理意识到他和他的朋友所处的困境时，我们看到了他们信心的另一表现。他们向神祷告“祈求天上的神施怜悯”（2：18）。神听了他们的祷告，回应了他们。我们是不是教导年轻人要永远在祷告中告诉神他们的难处呢？他们在年长的人身上有没有看到这样凡事所求都常常祷告的榜样呢？

Note what Daniel did once God had answered their prayer. He immediately thanked God before he went to tell the king the dream and its meaning. Here is another lesson for us all. Do we remember to thank God when He has answered our prayers? Let us always be people who are thankful to God. Let us follow the instruction of the Psalm and "magnify Him with thanksgiving" (Psalm 69:30). 请注意当神应许他们的祷告时，但以理做了什么。在他去见王告诉王这梦的意思之前，他立刻感谢神。这是我们所学到的另一个功课。神回应我们的祷告时，我们感谢神了吗？我们要一直的感谢神。让我们跟随诗篇的话语“以感谢称他为大”（诗篇69：30）。

While the prophecy of the Image is so interesting and the way it has been fulfilled has proven to be so exact, let us realise we only have the interpretation of the dream because of the faithfulness of Daniel and his friends. 关于大像的预言是那么的有趣，而他实现的方式也已经被证明是如此的正确。我们要认识到是因着但以理和他朋友的虔诚我们才有了这梦的解析。 Chapter 3 第三章 This chapter is not about Daniel but his three friends, whom we met in Chapter 1. You will recall that their names were changed also. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were given the names, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. Again these names enshrined the names of the gods of Babylon. 这一章没有提到但以理，而是讲到我们在第一章里看到的他的三个朋友。你们会想起他们也被改了名字。哈拿尼雅。米沙利，亚撒利雅分别被改名为沙得拉，米煞，亚伯尼歌。这些名字都是巴比伦假神的名字。

Nebuchadnezzar had set up the great image of gold in the plain of Dura as a testimony to his greatness and the gods he worshiped. The decree that Nebuchadnezzar made was that when people heard the sound of the music they were to "fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up" (v5). We see it was to be an act of worship. Now no person who believes in God would worship any other object so in this way Daniel's friends were to have their faith tested. Would they obey the King or disobey him and face death? We know that they refused to obey the king - they would not bow to the image. 尼布甲尼撒王在杜拉平原立了一个金像作为他的伟大和他所拜的神的见证。尼布甲尼撒王颁布政令人们一听见音乐的声音，就“都当俯伏敬拜金像“（3：5）。我们可以看出这是一种拜偶像的行为。信神的人不会去拜其他神，所以但以理的朋友的信心受到了考验。他们是会顺服王，还是违抗他而面对死亡呢？我们知道他们拒绝顺服王-他们没有对金像下跪。

When Nebuchadnezzar questioned the three servants of God this was their answer: "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us.... But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (v17-18). The question was very clear in their minds - it was a challenge - whom did they serve? This is the challenge to us today. The world wants us to serve it. But when we were baptised we said we would serve God. Remember the chapter that was read at our baptism. It was Romans 6 and says: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness" (v16-18). 尼布甲尼撒王问到这三位神的仆人时，他们的回答是这样的：“即便如此，我们所事奉的神，能将我们从烈火的窖中救出来。王啊，他也必救我们脱离你的手；即或不然，王啊！你当知道我们决不事奉你的神，也不敬拜你所立的金像”（3：17-18）。他们的头脑非常清楚-这是一个挑战-他们事奉的是谁？这也是我们今天面临的挑战。这世界想要我们事奉他，但是我们受洗时已经宣称自己是事奉神的。请大家记住我们受洗时所读的经文：罗马书第六章： “岂不晓得你们献上自己做奴仆，顺从谁，就作谁的奴仆吗？或做罪的奴仆，以至于死；或做顺命的奴仆，以至成义。 感谢神！因为你们从前虽然作罪的奴仆，现今却从心里顺服了所传给你们道理的模范。 你们既从罪里得了释放，就作了义的奴仆“（罗马书6：16-18）。

We are now servants of God. We cannot serve two masters. We must determine whom we serve and give God full and total service. If we do that we will hear the words of Jesus, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant". 我们现在是神的奴仆，不能事奉两个主子。我们必须明确自己服事的是谁，把全心的服事献给神。我们这样做的话，就能听到耶稣的话语，“好，你这良善又忠心的仆人”。

The final words of Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel's friends were this. "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God" (v28). 尼布甲尼撒王最后对但以理的朋友说的话是：“沙得拉，米煞，亚伯尼歌的神，是应当称颂的！他差遣使者救护依靠他的仆人，他们不遵王命，舍去己身，在他们神以外不肯事奉敬拜别神”（3：28）。

Chapter 4 We may recall that in Chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar had another dream and again Daniel interpreted it for him. The verse that we were impressed with was verse 17 where we were told, "that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men". This is one of the most encouraging verses for us all today as it reminds us that God is ruling in the nations. The many international conflicts and problems we see at present we know are under the control of our God and will finally end in Jesus returning to set up the Kingdom of God. Knowing this takes away the worry and fear that other people have because they do not know that God is in control. 第四章 我们大概还记得在这一章里，尼布甲尼撒王作了另一个梦，但以理又一次为他解梦。17节给我们留下很深的印象，这节说道：“至高者在人的国中掌权，要将国赐与谁，就赐与谁，或立极卑微的人执掌王权。”这是对今天的我们最大的鼓励之一，他提醒我们神执掌着所有的国家。现在我们所看到的很多国际冲突和争端都在神的控制之下，最终将在耶稣回来建立神国时终结。通过这样的认知，我们可以不必担心和惧怕世人所担心的事情，因为他们不知道一切都在神的掌控之中。

Chapter 5 This chapter takes us towards the end of the life of Daniel. He is now an old man of about 90 years age. Nebuchadnezzar is dead and his grandson Belshazzar is ruling in Babylon. It tells of the drunken feast that he was holding at which he blasphemed the name of God by using the vessels that had been taken from the Temple in Jerusalem, and praised the pagan gods of silver and gold (v3-4). 第五章 这一章讲到但以理生命的终结。他那时已经是一个大概九十岁的老人了。尼布甲尼撒王死了，他的孙子伯沙撒王在巴比伦作王。经文告诉我们在盛筵上，他用从耶路撒冷神殿库房中掠来的器皿饮酒，以此亵渎神的名，来赞美金银所造的假神（5：3-4）。

God responded by causing certain words to be written on the wall of the place. As no one could read them it was decided to call Daniel to read and interpret them. Here we see this old servant of God called to a drunken festival to tell the people that God was to destroy the kingdom of Babylon. 神以在墙上写字作为回应。因为没有人可以读懂那字，于是人们决定召但以理来解明这意思。我们在这看到这位神的老奴仆被召到酒席上告诉人们神要毁灭巴比伦王国。

Here is a very important lesson for us all. Are we really ready for the return of Jesus Christ when the foolish pleasures of this world will be destroyed? Will we be faithful like Daniel or will we be caught up in the foolish partying of this world as it waits for its own judgment? Let us keep separate from all that is not holy and pure in this life so that we may be found acceptable when Jesus Christ returns. 这是一个非常重要的功课。我们是否已经预备好耶稣基督的到来，毁灭这世上愚蠢的欢愉？我们是会像但以理一样虔诚，还是加入这世上的盛筵，等待自己的审判？让我们和这些不圣洁的东西分别出来，保持生命的洁净，这样才能在耶稣基督复临时蒙他的悦纳。

Chapter 6 In this chapter Daniel was cast into the lions' den. Again this is a chapter that tells what happened when Daniel was about 90 years old. He had been elevated to a very important position in the Medo-Persian Empire because of his honesty and faithfulness. Those who hated him tried to find fault in his ways but could not. We are told "they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him" (v4). What a wonderful character to have. Do the people who know us see us as upright at this? 第六章 在这一章里但以理被送到狮子坑中。这一章里的事情也是在但以理九十岁的时候发生的。因为他的正直和忠诚，他已经在米底亚-波斯王国处于极高的地位。有些恨他的人想要从他的行为中找出过犯来，但是找不到。经节里说：“只是找不着他的错误过失，因他忠心办事，毫无错误过失”（6：4）。他的品性是多么的好啊。认识我们的人看我们是这样的正直的吗？

We know the plot they made to catch Daniel. They had the King make a decree that his subjects were not to make petitions of God or man for 30 days, knowing well that Daniel prayed three times a day. Here again we have a very good exhortation for ourselves. Do people know that we really do believe in God and that we pray to Him regularly? Even when the decree was made Daniel did not change his ways: "He went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime" (v10). 我们知道这些人密谋要抓但以理。他们知道但以理每天祷告三次，就请王颁布禁令，三十日内不能向神或向人求什么。我们在这里又一次得到很好的勉励。人们知道我们真的相信神并且有规律地向神祷告吗？即使颁布了禁令，但以理仍然没有改变自己：“他就到自己家里（他楼上的窗户，开向耶路撒冷），一日三次，双膝跪在他神面前，祷告感谢，与素常一样”（6：10）。

He did not worry about the king's decree as he trusted in God and really believed in Him. We know that he was placed in the lions' den but that God delivered him. When the king came to see Daniel the next day Daniel said: "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt" (v22). Daniel was delivered "because he believed in his God" (v23). What a wonderful lesson we have in this. Let us be people who pray regularly to our God, believing He is there and that He does hear us. 他真正的信靠神，并不担心王颁布的禁令。我们知道他被扔到狮子坑中，但是神救了他。王第二天去看但以理时，但以理说：“我的神差遣使者，封住狮子的口，叫狮子不伤我；因我在神面前无辜，我在王面前也没有行过亏损的事”（6：22）。但以理 “因为信靠他的神” （6：23）而得救。我们从中学到的是多么美好的一课啊！让我们成为有规律地向神祷告，相信他的存在的人，他必会聆听我们的祷告。

We have together looked at some of the wonderful examples that tell of the character of Daniel and his friends. They have given us some strong lessons that we should follow. The remaining chapters in Daniel tell mainly of the prophecies that were given to him. However Chapter 9 has a wonderful prayer that Daniel offered to God for his people and Jerusalem. 我们一起看了一些美好的例子，告诉了我们但以理和他朋友的品性。他们给我们树立了很好的榜样。但以理书后面的章节主要讲述了神赐给他的预言。不过，在第九章里有但以理为他的百姓和耶路撒冷向神献上的美妙的祷告。

As we come to the end of the book we read a title that God uses when he speaks of Daniel. It is found in Daniel 9:23; 10:11 and 10:32. In these verses God refers to Daniel as "a man greatly beloved". What a wonderful title to be given by God - to be a person whom God greatly loves! This of course is what we would all desire to be called by God. The way we can gain this title is to follow the example of faith and holiness that Daniel has shown in his life. 我们翻到这本书的后面可以看到神提到但以理所用的称呼。可以在但以理书9：23，10：11，10：32中找到。在这些经节里，神说但以理是“大蒙眷爱”的人。神给他的称号是多么的美好啊-但以理是一个大大地受到神的眷顾的人！ 当然了，我们每人都希望神可以这样称呼我们。只有效仿但以理在他的生命里展现的虔诚和圣洁，我们才可以有这样的称号。

Yet there is one greater than Daniel whom we should follow in our life and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Of him God said, "This is my beloved son". God loved him because he always did his Father's will and showed the character of his Father to us all. As we come to remember him this morning with the bread and wine let us examine our lives and follow his example as he has shown. 然而，还有一位比但以理更伟大，更值得我们效仿的人，那就是主耶稣基督。神说：“这是我的爱子。”因为他一直都遵循神的旨意，向大家显明他的父神的品性，所以神爱他。今天早上我们掰饼，喝酒纪念他时，让我们查验自己的生活，效仿他向我们显明的榜样。