Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Thinking back over your life do you see some events which changed the course of your life? God’s “Grand Narrative” story is filled with people like that! Daniel is one of those. We meet him first as a teenager growing up in Jerusalem. This week we’re looking at what happened in the ruins of the Middle East after King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian army captured and destroyed Jerusalem and God’s Temple in 586bc. (2 Chronicles 36)
Among the captives taken back to Babylon were the Jewish Jerusalem leaders and nobility, especially the young ones, including Daniel. For Jerusalem it was another “Ichabod”, hopeless time of despair. The nation of Israel was no more. But from the Jerusalem ashes God was building a future and Daniel would have a strategic role in that future! Has God ever included you in a miraculous restoration of something that was broken?
Placed in a 3-year prisoner of war re-education program in Babylon, young Daniel and others like him, were to be trained in every aspect of Babylonian culture, history, language and the future vision Nebuchadnezzar had for conquering the entire world. (Daniel 1:3-5) Nebuchadnezzar envisioned young Daniel and others like him from other conquered countries, developed to be future leaders over the captives from their nations, as Nebuchadnezzar’s world would become a Babylonian world from horizon to horizon!
Daniel chapters 1-4 are the accounts of very significant life and history changing events during those years of training and the subsequent years when Daniel served Emperor Nebuchadnezzar as one of the most influential non-Babylonian men in the entire Babylonian kingdom! In fact, Daniel became personal advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar himself, the most powerful man in the world at that time. (Daniel 2:48) If you take the time to read through these four chapters my friends, you’ll experience four incredible events which shaped world history then and teach us important life lessons now.
Daniel records for us, in Daniel 1, how he and his three, young, Jewish captive friends withstood the fierce pressure of their Babylonian captors to radicalize them by draining them of every aspect of their Jewish identity; teaching and training them to be Babylonian through and through; and forcing their allegiance to King Nebuchadnezzar. While Daniel could not prevent the things forcibly done to him in his radicalized transformation, one thing Daniel could do was refuse to eat the Babylonian diet put before them which Daniel knew would defile his allegiance to the God of Israel. But Daniel’s refusal to eat the king’s food could mean his torture or death. So, what should he do?
Rather than overt refusal Daniel offered both an explanation as to why he could not eat that diet and he offered an alternative diet of simply vegetables and water; and he invited a test to have his health compared to the other captive students. God honored Daniel’s determination to respect God’s dietary regulations and on evaluation day Daniel was found stronger and more vibrant than the others. (Daniel 1:15) At the end of his three-year re-education when interrogated by Nebuchadnezzar himself, Daniel was found superior to others and selected by King Nebuchadnezzar to serve in his court. I wonder how many other young Jewish men in that re-education school compromised on the diet and disappeared into the refugee camps as nameless captives?
But not Daniel and his three friends. You see, Integrity matters to God, even in diet, and their bold courage was rewarded by God with good health and wisdom anointing which qualified them to be chosen to the most significant roles for captives in Babylon. So, what are the things in society that challenge you and me to compromise or take a bold stand for truth, moral right and God honoring living? What pressure do you face to compromise and be like everyone else? What have we learned is gained or lost by compromise rather than standing firm, boldly honoring God?
Not long thereafter, Daniel faced another challenge. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which troubled him and he expected his advisors both to tell him what he had dreamt and interpret the dream for the King. (Daniel 2:5) Failure would mean death for that failure would evidence to Nebuchadnezzar that they were only normal men with no special intelligence or wisdom. Have you ever been faced with unrealistic expectations and your job or important relationships or even your life was on the line? Daniel was convinced only God could both reveal what Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt and give Daniel God’s interpretation. Daniel boldly declared those truths to Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel turned to God seeking God’s help and God’s answers!
Once again God had an opportunity to prove Himself far superior to any human imagination or false God or even demonic sorcery… and He did! God revealed to Daniel what only God could know and when Daniel made it known to Nebuchadnezzar the Emperor drew the only reasonable conclusion as he said to Daniel: “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries…” (Daniel 2:47) While Daniel was elevated to a superior position in Nebuchadnezzar’s government, Daniel made sure it was God who received all the glory! Has the anointing of God upon you brought you opportunities for strategic leadership or to speak wisdom into confusion or bring clarity of truth in the face of doubt? Most of all, has God been glorified?
Now, let’s pause right here for reflection. We’ve witnessed two remarkable interventions of God into human history through Daniel in chapters 1 & 2, and both chapters 3 & 4 of Daniel present two more what we would probably call ‘no win’ situations. I call them “only God” situations. Only God could protect Daniel’s three friends from incineration in Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace if they refused to bow and worship his 90ft statue. (Daniel 3) And only God could give Daniel the terrifying meaning of another fearsome dream Nebuchadnezzar had. (Daniel 4) In both situations God did what only an Almighty, Holy God can do and history was changed!
With the reality of ‘cancel culture’ and social media pressure now far beyond what any of us could have imagined not long ago, does this powerful statement from God challenge your heart like it does mine: “The eyes of the LORD roam to and fro throughout the entire world looking to strengthen those who are fully devoted to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) What does God see when God’s eyes look at you and me, and our readiness to seek His guidance and stand firm on His truth in the face of ‘only God’ times?
More notes for reflection on these 4 Daniel stories are at the Grand Narrative link below. If you’d like to dig more deeply into Daniel, we spent most of January ’25 in Daniel, and you’ll find those editions of “Walking with Jesus” in the Daily Archives tab at the top of this page. As always, a wonderful worship song will draw us to Jesus in the link below and I’ll meet you here again tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: Daniel 1-4.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Daniel 2
Daniel 3
Daniel 4
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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