"If I follow Jesus, everything will go wonderfully"...right?
Not always.
Sometimes being faithful still leaves us open to trials, tribulations, and difficulties.
And somehow, that all fits within God's sovereign plan.
That means that, no matter what our circumstances, we are still called to "Trust and Obey"...and lean on Him to get us through!
Daniel had been faithful from the time he was a young man.
Through the violent overthrow of his homeland, the forced deportation that he and other young Israelites went through, being unfairly mistreated and 'set up' by others, and having to serve under several different tyrannical rulers, Daniel remained faithful.
Not only had he been faithful to God, but he had also been faithful in his service to the various kings. He had always shown integrity and leadership--because these things came not in response to 'nice kings' or 'good treatment', but rather from his relationship to the God of Israel!
As a result, even when things got tough, he remained faitful. Even when he was 'set up' by his fellow officers, he remained faithful to pray to his God several times a day...as had been his custom! He did not change!
As a result, he got caught breaking a law which the king, in his pride, had signed. This law said that anyone who was caught praying to anyone except the king would be thrown into the Lions' den.
Daniel's response? Continue praying and take the risk of suffering the consequences!
When Daniel was 'caught', he didn't try to get out of it. Instead, he committed himself to
God's prayer and protection and continued being faithful.
King Darius, for his part, tried to figure a way to get Daniel out of this predicament, but couldn't. He knew they'd both been set up, and he said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you from the Lions" (Daniel 6:16)
Darius knew this was a bad situation, and he didn't sleep at all that night. He paced until early in the morning, then went to the Lions' Den, and called out: “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel answered, “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God." (Daniel 6:19-23)
Daniel had continually been faithful to the Lord, and to serve those kings he was under. God had exalted him to a high office, but HAD NOT KEPT HIM FROM ALL TRIALS. Did Daniel struggle in that night? Was he afraid? Did he think his life was over?
We're not told...(although, given what he'd learned and experienced, he had reason to be confident).
Bottom Line:
Daniel was delivered from the lions! God faithfully and miraculously protected him, even though he had been allowed to go through the trial. He had not wavered. God allowed his faith to be tested, and honored his faith at the same time.
What happened next?
"Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den." (Daniel 6:24)
The King then praised Daniel's God, and encouraged others to do the same.
Lesson for us:
Next time you're going through a trial, check yourself: Have you been faithful? Are you committed to continually serving and honoring the Lord, no matter your circumstances?
If so, and the trial comes anyway, commit yourself to Him, call on His name, call out to Him in prayer, and HAVE FAITH that He will deliver you and get you through.
In doing so, He will use you to bring eternal glory to Himself...and it just may be that others (like King Darius) will give Him praise because of it!
Showing posts with label Daniel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Keep Doing What you Do! (He never lets go!)
How faithful are we at following the Lord, and doing what we know is right?
It's easy when there's no opposition, but what if the pressure is built up? What if outright opposition or even 'persecution' begins?
What do we do then?
Reading Daniel Chapter 6 challenges me at this point.
Daniel has been through a lot in his life--the overthrow of his country, forced exile, unfair treatment...but he has always remained faithful to the Lord, God of Israel. Consequently, God has blessed him and caused him to prosper under a variety of rulers. He always seems to 'rise to the top'. All along the way, he always makes sure to 'give his all', being faithful to give his very best work, no matter who the ruler is over him. As a result, those rulers raise him up also!
Until a new king with some new 'rulers' comes in...that's when the going gets really tough.
King Darius, of the Medo-Persian empire, overthrows Balshazzar of Babylon. He establishes his own rulers, princes, etc., but he retains at least Daniel as one of the rulers. Daniel continues to excel in his work, so he is raised up and promoted. This does not go over well with the other administrators and high officers, so they try to find grounds to get him into trouble.
From this chapter, we can learn different lessons, depending on who we pay attention to. We can learn from Daniel, we can learn from the King, and we can learn from the co-administrators to Daniel.
Looking at lessons to learn from Daniel, it's easy to see the lessons:
Keep your integrity; Stay faithful to God!
The other administrators try to trap Daniel in his work. They assume he'll cut corners, be open to bribes, etc. They think they can trap him in some corruption and get him removed, but as hard as they search, they can't!
"Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy." (Daniel 6:4)
Daniel showed integrity in all his works. He was not a politician, but rather a servant of God. Consequently, he was not open to bribes, corruption, etc. (Yes, it is possible to remain true to the Lord while in a high position!)
In fact, try as they might, Daniel's enemies can't find anything against him.
They finally are left with one conclusion: "So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.” (Daniel 6:5)
Can you imagine that?
A leader who's enemies can only find fault against him in his relationship with God?!
How refreshing that would be!
So, what do they do?
They turn his devotion to his God into a problem.
They go to the king with a proposal...
“Long live King Darius! We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” (Daniel 6:6-9)
Daniel's enemies set him up! And they use Darius' ego against him!
They butter Darius up, feed his desire to be 'over' everything, and suck him right into their evil plan...he goes along with it, and signs the decree.
Daniel's response is classic, and something for us to learn from:
"But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God." (Daniel 6:10)
Daniel carried on with his prayers and devotion to the Lord, God of Israel. His faithfulness was not effected by opposition. He knew that the only reason he had risen to high positions in these governments was because God was with him, and he was not going to stop being faithful to God!
When opposition arises in our world, what do we do?
Do we crumble, give in, and go along?
Do we shrink back, trying to remain unnoticed?
Do we make a big production out of our opposition? or
Do we remain faithful to God, doing what we've always done?
Daniel chose the last course of action, and God protected him through it...but not without Daniel paying a price and enduring some serious consequences!
More on that next time, in the meantime, BE FAITHFUL! Keep Doing What You Do, no matter the opposition, no matter the cost!
He will never let you go!
Friday, April 13, 2012
The Hand Writing is on the Wall!
What would YOU do if you suddenly saw a hand--not connected to anything--suddenly writing on your wall (or maybe your computer screen)?
Well, I think I'd do a couple of things: 1) Freak out (just a bit); 2) Pray; 3) Read what was written, and 4) Try to determine WHO (or what) was doing the writing.
Well, in the book of Daniel, Ch. 5, that's exactly what happened.
The King--no longer Nebuchadnezzor (see previous posts about him, Daniel and Daniel's friends), but now Belshazzar is throwing a party. (Notes about him: He is either the son, or the grandson, of Nebuchadnezzor, who overthrew Judah and Israel (among other nations).
He apparently did not get the message and lessons that King Nebu had learned. (Note: His name, beginning with "Bel" shows his allegiance to the god 'Baal' in the O.T.--a notorious god who was worshipped by revelry, wanton violence, sacrifice of children, sexual promiscuity, and materialism.) He is throwing a party in the palace and he decides that he is going to reaffirm his domination over the Israelites AND THEIR GOD (again--note his allegiance to Baal). He does so by commanding that the wine goblets and other gold instruments--which had been made for, and dedicated to, the Temple of the Lord in Israel--be brought in and used in his drunken revelry.
This would show continued domination over the people of Israel, but also (very significantly) their God. "King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone." (Daniel 5:1-4)
As he proceeds to do this, he sees a hand suddently appear a write a message on the wall.
"Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him. The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!” But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken." (Daniel 5:5-9)
He freaks a little, and tries to read the message, but can't. He calls in all his astrologers, magicians and prophets to come in and read it...but they couldn't. This just freaked him out all the more!
Suddenly the Queen remembers Daniel, and that 'the spirit of the gods' is in him, and they call for him. Belshazzar offers him prestige, prizes and honor--IF Daniel can interpret the meaning for him.
His response is great: “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means. Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar.... and Daniel goes on to recount the greatness of Nebuchadnezzar, and the lessons he learned about humbling himself before the God in Heaven. “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! So God has sent this hand to write this message:" (Daniel 5:17-24)
He says, KEEP YOUR GIFTS! Daniel is not interested in any so-called 'reward' or 'honor' that this king has to give. He bluntly and accurately calls Balshazzar out, and tells him the message... “This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:25-28) BOOM! Here it is, king: You're done! God--the TRUE God--will not play. You've stepped WAAAY over the line, and you're finished.
Balshazzar's response was repentance, worship and humility, right? Wrong...he continued with his previous plan to 'honor and reward' Daniel--as if Daniel cared at all what this guy could give to him! There was no evidence of reflection, repentance, nothing! ...so how did it go for king Belshazzar?
"That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two." (Daniel 5:30-31)
What are the lessons for US? Humility, worship of the True God, willingness to reject the 'rewards' of this world in order to stand for the Truth...LOTS of lessons to learn!
Is "The Hand Writing On the Wall" today?
Is God calling us today to reflection on His past blessings, repentance, and worship of Him as the TRUE God?
I'll let you decide that...
Well, I think I'd do a couple of things: 1) Freak out (just a bit); 2) Pray; 3) Read what was written, and 4) Try to determine WHO (or what) was doing the writing.
Well, in the book of Daniel, Ch. 5, that's exactly what happened.
The King--no longer Nebuchadnezzor (see previous posts about him, Daniel and Daniel's friends), but now Belshazzar is throwing a party. (Notes about him: He is either the son, or the grandson, of Nebuchadnezzor, who overthrew Judah and Israel (among other nations).
He apparently did not get the message and lessons that King Nebu had learned. (Note: His name, beginning with "Bel" shows his allegiance to the god 'Baal' in the O.T.--a notorious god who was worshipped by revelry, wanton violence, sacrifice of children, sexual promiscuity, and materialism.) He is throwing a party in the palace and he decides that he is going to reaffirm his domination over the Israelites AND THEIR GOD (again--note his allegiance to Baal). He does so by commanding that the wine goblets and other gold instruments--which had been made for, and dedicated to, the Temple of the Lord in Israel--be brought in and used in his drunken revelry.
This would show continued domination over the people of Israel, but also (very significantly) their God. "King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone." (Daniel 5:1-4)
As he proceeds to do this, he sees a hand suddently appear a write a message on the wall.
"Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him. The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!” But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken." (Daniel 5:5-9)
He freaks a little, and tries to read the message, but can't. He calls in all his astrologers, magicians and prophets to come in and read it...but they couldn't. This just freaked him out all the more!
Suddenly the Queen remembers Daniel, and that 'the spirit of the gods' is in him, and they call for him. Belshazzar offers him prestige, prizes and honor--IF Daniel can interpret the meaning for him.
His response is great: “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means. Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar.... and Daniel goes on to recount the greatness of Nebuchadnezzar, and the lessons he learned about humbling himself before the God in Heaven. “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! So God has sent this hand to write this message:" (Daniel 5:17-24)
He says, KEEP YOUR GIFTS! Daniel is not interested in any so-called 'reward' or 'honor' that this king has to give. He bluntly and accurately calls Balshazzar out, and tells him the message... “This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:25-28) BOOM! Here it is, king: You're done! God--the TRUE God--will not play. You've stepped WAAAY over the line, and you're finished.
Balshazzar's response was repentance, worship and humility, right? Wrong...he continued with his previous plan to 'honor and reward' Daniel--as if Daniel cared at all what this guy could give to him! There was no evidence of reflection, repentance, nothing! ...so how did it go for king Belshazzar?
"That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two." (Daniel 5:30-31)
What are the lessons for US? Humility, worship of the True God, willingness to reject the 'rewards' of this world in order to stand for the Truth...LOTS of lessons to learn!
Is "The Hand Writing On the Wall" today?
Is God calling us today to reflection on His past blessings, repentance, and worship of Him as the TRUE God?
I'll let you decide that...
Thursday, March 15, 2012
When you Step Out, GOD Steps In! (Strong Tower)
Daniel and his friends were teenagers. They had been forcibly removed from their homes as their country was overthrown, and had been sent to a foreign country (Babylon--modern day Iraq).
As "nobles", they were the ones who would have carried on the leadership, religion and culture of Israel...but when Israel was overthrown, Babylon did not stop with military victory, but tried to wipe out Israel's culture (as was common then). They did this by 'indoctrinating' the young leaders into the ways of their own culture.
They taught them the history, culture, and even the religion of Babylon. They dressed them in the clothing of thier culture.
They even gave them new "Babylonian" names (trying to really target their very identity as Israelites and Jews!).
Finally, they fed them 'Babylonian' food.
The plan was to do all this for a period of 3 years. In this way, Babylon would virtually wipe out the culture of Israel and Judah.
...but they didn't account for 2 things: God, and some young men who would not capitulate!
Daniel and his 3 friends, Hanaiah, Mishael, and Azariah were committed to NOT forgetting.
They were NOT foolish, and they were NOT simply 'obstinate'...if they had been, they'd probably have been killed. Rather, they were wise.
Culturally, they learned about Babylon. They learned about the history, wore the clothing, even took the names of Balteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.
...but Daniel led them and "he determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king." (Daniel 1:8)
So, why was the food a big deal?
Was it because Daniel and co. were vegetarians? No.
Was it because they couldn't eat any of the meat and other Babylonian dishes? Not necessarily.
It was because food at the King's table would have already been sacrificed to their Babylonian 'gods', and dedicated to them. Therefore, for Daniel and co., it would have been like they--themselves--were submitting to them.
This would not do.
Ultimately, it wasn't about culture or customs; it was about GOD--the True God of Israel, Yahweh!
They could not allow themselves to give up on HIM!
Therefore, they proposed that they'd be allowed to avoid the food. Normally, there would be no discussion...the answer would be "No!", but it says in Daniel 1:9, "Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel."
Daniel and co. were stepping out on faith...and God was stepping in!
Because of this attitude toward Daniel, the Chief of staff said 'yes' to a 10 day vegetarian trial period...and at the end, Daniel and co looked better than all the other guys, who'd eaten the "King's food"!
God didn't stop there...
"God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.
When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom." (Daniel 1:17-20)
So, what can we learn from this?
Is it that a vegetarian diet leads to divine enablement?
no.
Is it that God will always move non-believers in our direction, if we step out in faith?
no, although He often will.
Is it that I will be given the ability to interpret dreams if I go on a 'Daniel Fast'?
Nope.
So, what?
Simply this: If you and I refuse to compromise...no matter how great the pressure around us, God will notice, and God will bless us.
He will be faithful!
There may be specific times, within His sovereign will, that He does not deliver us, but even then, He's at work (see Joseph's story in Genesis).
Bank on it: If You 'Step out' in faith, God Will 'Step In' to the situation!
He will be your "Strong Tower", in the midst of the trials!
As "nobles", they were the ones who would have carried on the leadership, religion and culture of Israel...but when Israel was overthrown, Babylon did not stop with military victory, but tried to wipe out Israel's culture (as was common then). They did this by 'indoctrinating' the young leaders into the ways of their own culture.
They taught them the history, culture, and even the religion of Babylon. They dressed them in the clothing of thier culture.
They even gave them new "Babylonian" names (trying to really target their very identity as Israelites and Jews!).
Finally, they fed them 'Babylonian' food.
The plan was to do all this for a period of 3 years. In this way, Babylon would virtually wipe out the culture of Israel and Judah.
...but they didn't account for 2 things: God, and some young men who would not capitulate!
Daniel and his 3 friends, Hanaiah, Mishael, and Azariah were committed to NOT forgetting.
They were NOT foolish, and they were NOT simply 'obstinate'...if they had been, they'd probably have been killed. Rather, they were wise.
Culturally, they learned about Babylon. They learned about the history, wore the clothing, even took the names of Balteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.
...but Daniel led them and "he determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king." (Daniel 1:8)
So, why was the food a big deal?
Was it because Daniel and co. were vegetarians? No.
Was it because they couldn't eat any of the meat and other Babylonian dishes? Not necessarily.
It was because food at the King's table would have already been sacrificed to their Babylonian 'gods', and dedicated to them. Therefore, for Daniel and co., it would have been like they--themselves--were submitting to them.
This would not do.
Ultimately, it wasn't about culture or customs; it was about GOD--the True God of Israel, Yahweh!
They could not allow themselves to give up on HIM!
Therefore, they proposed that they'd be allowed to avoid the food. Normally, there would be no discussion...the answer would be "No!", but it says in Daniel 1:9, "Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel."
Daniel and co. were stepping out on faith...and God was stepping in!
Because of this attitude toward Daniel, the Chief of staff said 'yes' to a 10 day vegetarian trial period...and at the end, Daniel and co looked better than all the other guys, who'd eaten the "King's food"!
God didn't stop there...
"God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.
When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom." (Daniel 1:17-20)
So, what can we learn from this?
Is it that a vegetarian diet leads to divine enablement?
no.
Is it that God will always move non-believers in our direction, if we step out in faith?
no, although He often will.
Is it that I will be given the ability to interpret dreams if I go on a 'Daniel Fast'?
Nope.
So, what?
Simply this: If you and I refuse to compromise...no matter how great the pressure around us, God will notice, and God will bless us.
He will be faithful!
There may be specific times, within His sovereign will, that He does not deliver us, but even then, He's at work (see Joseph's story in Genesis).
Bank on it: If You 'Step out' in faith, God Will 'Step In' to the situation!
He will be your "Strong Tower", in the midst of the trials!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Daniel 1: REFUSE to compromise!
What defines YOU?
When others think of you, what comes to mind? Are there principles, beliefs, or values which are 'foundational' to the way you live?
I don't know about you, but when my life is nearing the end, I want to look back and know that I lived in such a way that everyone who knew me was clear on what I was 'about'.
For me, the number one thing--above all--is my relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.
What about you? What are you living for?
In the Old Testament, we read about Daniel, a great man of God, who lived and uncompromsing and faithful life, even as the world around him changed dramatically.
The story starts out when Daniel is a teenager. The Babylonians come in and conquer Israel and Judah. They strategically take some of the best and brightest of the young people and take them away from home, family, everything they know. They take these teens and deport them to Babylon. There they begin to systematically re-program them. They change their names. They change their education. They try to change their diets.
"{the king's servant}was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.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." (Daniel 1:4-5)
Interesting thing about a name: Even though names are important, they can't really define you. I had lots of 'nicknames' as a kid: the Captain, Root, Cheese, (all strange, I know)...but the nicknames didn't change me. They couldn't change who I was internally.
Daniel's name is changed to a Babylonian name: Belteshazzar. His friends are also given Babylonian names--each one at least partly representing a Babylonian god.
"Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego." (Daniel 1:6-7)
But the name couldn't change who they were on the inside.
Daniel and his friends were also given Babylonian education. They were to be indoctrinated into the philosophy, mindset and values of Babylon. The 4 friends apparently went along with the education, but--again--it didn't 'define' them.
(Important principle: If we teach our young people at a young age the truths about God, His Word, and faith, and IF they internalize it, then being exposed to other philosophies does not have to undermine it--they can be strong!)
The third way that Daniel and his friends were to be 'indoctrinated' into Babylon--and changed at thier core--was through their diet. This is where they drew the line...and I'll write about that next time.
In the meantime, take a step back, and think about these guys. Teenagers--perhaps 14 or 15. Their parents may've been killed, they were kidnapped and transported to a hostile land. They are threatened with death at any time if they misplease the king, or step too far out of line.
Everyone on earth would 'understand' if they went along. "What choice did they have?", we'd say. "They couldn't risk dying for it!"
Yet, they did!
These 4 young men risked everything, in a hostile environment, with all the odds 'stacked against them', they did not compromise.
They stood up for what they believed in. More specifically, they stood up for WHO they believed in--the God of their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...they God their parents had (apparently) taught them about. The God THEY believed in.
They literally put their lives on the line in order to stand for this God.
...and how did it go for them?
You can read about it in Daniel 1, or you can 'tune in next time'!
In the meantime, consider: What "defines" you?
Will you follow Him, and REFUSE to compromise--like they did?
When others think of you, what comes to mind? Are there principles, beliefs, or values which are 'foundational' to the way you live?
I don't know about you, but when my life is nearing the end, I want to look back and know that I lived in such a way that everyone who knew me was clear on what I was 'about'.
For me, the number one thing--above all--is my relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.
What about you? What are you living for?
In the Old Testament, we read about Daniel, a great man of God, who lived and uncompromsing and faithful life, even as the world around him changed dramatically.
The story starts out when Daniel is a teenager. The Babylonians come in and conquer Israel and Judah. They strategically take some of the best and brightest of the young people and take them away from home, family, everything they know. They take these teens and deport them to Babylon. There they begin to systematically re-program them. They change their names. They change their education. They try to change their diets.
"{the king's servant}was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.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." (Daniel 1:4-5)
Interesting thing about a name: Even though names are important, they can't really define you. I had lots of 'nicknames' as a kid: the Captain, Root, Cheese, (all strange, I know)...but the nicknames didn't change me. They couldn't change who I was internally.
Daniel's name is changed to a Babylonian name: Belteshazzar. His friends are also given Babylonian names--each one at least partly representing a Babylonian god.
"Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego." (Daniel 1:6-7)
But the name couldn't change who they were on the inside.
Daniel and his friends were also given Babylonian education. They were to be indoctrinated into the philosophy, mindset and values of Babylon. The 4 friends apparently went along with the education, but--again--it didn't 'define' them.
(Important principle: If we teach our young people at a young age the truths about God, His Word, and faith, and IF they internalize it, then being exposed to other philosophies does not have to undermine it--they can be strong!)
The third way that Daniel and his friends were to be 'indoctrinated' into Babylon--and changed at thier core--was through their diet. This is where they drew the line...and I'll write about that next time.
In the meantime, take a step back, and think about these guys. Teenagers--perhaps 14 or 15. Their parents may've been killed, they were kidnapped and transported to a hostile land. They are threatened with death at any time if they misplease the king, or step too far out of line.
Everyone on earth would 'understand' if they went along. "What choice did they have?", we'd say. "They couldn't risk dying for it!"
Yet, they did!
These 4 young men risked everything, in a hostile environment, with all the odds 'stacked against them', they did not compromise.
They stood up for what they believed in. More specifically, they stood up for WHO they believed in--the God of their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...they God their parents had (apparently) taught them about. The God THEY believed in.
They literally put their lives on the line in order to stand for this God.
...and how did it go for them?
You can read about it in Daniel 1, or you can 'tune in next time'!
In the meantime, consider: What "defines" you?
Will you follow Him, and REFUSE to compromise--like they did?
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