Category Archives: Idols

Taking Ownership Of Our Wrongs

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(Note: This is the 23rd post in a series on Daniel’s life)

I Was Wrong

It’s been said that the 3 most difficult words in the English language are:  “I was wrong!” Husbands, how hard is it to say, “I was wrong” to your wife? But, let’s be fair, ladies, it’s just as difficult for you to say those 3 words too, isn’t it? We’ll do almost anything to avoid saying, “I was wrong”— we’ll say, “Man! I messed up” or “I fumbled that one” or “I goofed” or “I blew it”. We’ll say, “My bad” or “Oops! I made a boo-boo!” All of those are easier to say than, “I was wrong!” They minimize our wrong! I mean, how bad can a “boo-boo” be, right?  

Being Transparent About Sin

This post is about taking ownership of our sins. It’s about being transparent with God, and, with each other about our sins. If there is any hope for revival across our nation— and, God only knows how badly we need it— we need to learn how to say those 3 words: “I was wrong!”  “I was wrong, God! Here is my sin! I confess it! I agree with you about it!” For the world to experience a revival, it has to begin with God’s people! The Apostle Peter wrote: “…the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household…” It has to start with those who claim to be Jesus’ followers! We can’t pray for national revival & ignore our personal need for repentance! We dare not call out the sin of the lost & wink at our own failure to confess our sin!

Failure To Confess & Repent Of Sin

As we turn to chapter 9 in Daniel’s prophetic book, it begins:  “In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans: In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70.” Let’s stop there, for a moment, and include some really important background! You might recall that Daniel’s story, in chapter 1, begins with Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar laying siege against Jerusalem & taking Daniel & many of the Israelites into exile! Do you remember why? They were being punished! They failed to confess & repent of their sin! They failed to tell God, “I was wrong!” And, God fulfilled a promise He had made to Israel 850 years earlier in Deuteronomy 28— Blessings, to Israel, for obedience! Curses for disobedience!

Don’t Test God’s Patience

Just as God had dispossessed the Canaanites & other people groups from the land because of their evil ways, God dispossessed Israel from the land because they became evil! One more thing to consider: Israel’s sinful disobedience was a gradual thing! Sin always is! As the nation, of Israel, became more and more evil, God sent prophets to warn them! He would extend grace & mercy if they would just repent & turn from their sin! But, there is always an end to God’s long-suffering; and, through the Prophet Jeremiah, God confirmed that judgment was coming! It was inevitable, irreversible & non-negotiable! He even told Israel to quit praying for revival; and, to pray for their captors instead! By way of application, it’s time Christ’s Church in America wake up! It’s time we confess our sin of idolatry! We’ve strayed so far from Jesus’ Commission to His Church; and, we’ve given great occasion for the enemies of God to blaspheme. Wake up, Church! Let us repent & return to the work of the Lord in faithfulness!

Daniel: Trust God With Your Life

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(Note: This is the 21st in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Choosing Crime Over Sin

Let me begin this post by making another interesting point about God’s prophet, Daniel— He purposely committed a “crime” against a human government so he would not be guilty of committing a “sin” against God!  The scene unfolds in chapter 6, of Daniel’s book, as the enemies of Daniel deceive King Darius into signing “…an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den” (v.7).  An agreement that, if followed, would force Daniel to commit the sin of idolatry against his God.  Something he would not do!

Arrested For Treason

So, when he was observed praying to his God the trap was set & he was arrested for treason against his King & sentenced to death, a pit full of hungry lions to be his executioners! So, he purposely & knowingly committed a “crime” against a human government to avoid committing a “sin” against his God!  This was familiar territory for Daniel! Much earlier, in his life, he had observed how his 3 friends— Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah— had made a similar decision when faced with their choice to obey God or man (see Chapter 2). Instead of lions, they faced the prospect of death in a fiery furnace!

God, Our Deliverer

But, Daniel noted that God delivered them! God always delivers— whether by a miracle; or, by death— but, He always delivers! We may not consider “death” as a delivery option, but it’s often something God uses to remove the believer from their suffering; while at the same time leaving the persecutors with an irrefutable testimony of faith for consideration. When King Darius, who was NOT Daniel’s enemy, realized that he had been duped, he worked hard to deliver Daniel from certain death; but, he could not (v.14).

The Law Of The Medes & Persians

The most powerful man, in the world, couldn’t deliver him from “…the law of the Medes & the Persians, that changes not…” What a picture of the weakness of man! Even the most powerful, of men, was unable to reverse the inevitable! Don’t trust in man! Don’t trust in yourself! Trust God! Oh, how we need to learn that, don’t we? When Daniel submitted to God’s Sovereign plans, God was able to use his life circumstances to build another person’s faith! Daniel focused on God’s “big picture.” Without God’s help, we will always focus on our circumstances!

Take Off Those Glasses

We tend to see all our pain & suffering through the lens of our own self-centered glasses! We need the Holy Spirit’s help to remove the glasses of self! To deny self! Daniel saw God use the trouble in his life as a testimony that led first, to King Nebuchadnezzar’s faith (ch.4); and, now brought King Darius to faith! “Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel.” “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?”  “Yes,” Daniel answered, “My God has delivered me. He has locked shut the mouths of lions.” Even when facing the prospect of death, Daniel remained influential in the King’s life! He persistently incarnated God’s truth in the way he lived! Oh, may that be a lesson we all learn! Let God use you for His eternal purposes, even if it leads to deliverance by death.

Daniel: You Should Know Better

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(Note: This is the 17th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Don’t Lick Frozen Flagpoles

One of the most hilarious scenes in the movie,  A Christmas Story, occurs when one of the characters sticks their tongue on a frozen flagpole because they were “triple dog dared” to do so! The reason that scene is so funny is because we’ve all been there, haven’t we? Licking a frozen flagpole is like some weird right of passage in elementary school. And, it wouldn’t make any difference if they put signs up all over campus—  “DON’T LICK FROZEN FLAGPOLES”— kids are going to do it! When they complain that the top layer of skin, on their tongue, has been ripped off, we tell them, “You should have known better!”

You Should Have Known Better

They knew the consequences of licking a flagpole! They’d observed it in their foolish classmates! When they complain, for the next week, that it hurts to talk, that it hurts to eat,  that it hurts to do anything with their tongue, we tell them, “You should have known better!” That’s almost exactly what Daniel says to the Babylonian king as we open chapter 5 of the book, of Scripture, that bears his name. Here we’re introduced to King Belshazzar.  Almost 70 years have passed since Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael & Azzariah were exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon (Daniel chapter 1); and it’s been some 25 years since the end of chapter 4 when we see King Nebuchadnezzar become a worshipper of Yahweh. The historical record fills in some of the details— we know that it was Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Nabonidus, who followed him to the throne of Babylon; and it was his son, Belshazzar, who succeeded him & became the central figure here in the 5th chapter of Daniel’s story.

Pride Is An Evil Response

We don’t know why; but, the Holy Spirit inspired Daniel to bypass the life of Nabonidus completely; and, all but the last day of Belshazzar’s life! Here’s what else we know— outside the massive walls of Babylon, the Medo-Persian army had surrounded the city. In his pride, King Belshazzar threw this huge drinking party for all his nobles to show them that there was no reason to fear the army outside the walls (ch. 5:1-4). Someone has said that “Pride is the evil response of sinful men to the grace of God”; and King Belshazzar’s response was evil! God’s Holy Spirit inspired the writer of Proverbs like this: “These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him”; guess what makes #1 on the list of things that the Lord hates?  “A proud look” is at the TOP! God hates pride!

The King Who Should Have Known Better

He had heard about the grace that God had shown his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar; but, his pride led him into the deeper sins of idolatry & blasphemy. And, as Daniel rehashed the details, of his grandfather’s story, with him (vs. 18-21) he concluded: “But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven…”(vs. 22-23)  “You knew all this,” Daniel told him, “You should have known better!”  And, we should know better! God’s patience can be exhausted! We make much of God’s mercy, grace & patience with us; and, we should because God is loving, merciful, gracious & patient with us! But, we dare not ignore the justice & judgment of God! We do so— like Belshazzar did— at our own peril!

Daniel: Debunking The American Dream

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(Note: This is the 10th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Even If He Does Not Rescue Us

I love the response of Daniel’s 3 friends— Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah— when King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that they bow down & worship his gold statue; or, face death in the fiery furnace:  “If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the King. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as King to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).  Understand that they didn’t doubt His existence when they expressed those words:  “If the God we serve exists…” The rest of the story confirms their belief in His existence; and they trusted God  to deliver them either by miracle or by death!

Where False Teaching Begins

They trusted God even if it was part of His Sovereign will not to deliver them by a miracle! Their trust in God was not just tied to delivery from the furnace— “Even if He does NOT,” they said, “We won’t bow to your false gods.” By application, we have to be careful that our trust in God is not limited to delivery by miracle! Sadly, the “gospel” being preached in the majority of our American churches is all about “ME”— it’s “MAN-centered”, not “GOD-centered.” “If God doesn’t deliver me from the ‘furnace’ of my bad circumstances,” this false “gospel” preaches, “than He’s not to be trusted!” That’s where false teaching begins— with man’s way!

God Is Always Righteous

The true Gospel of Jesus Christ always begins with GOD! And, it contrasts the holiness of God with unholy mankind! God is always righteous & we’re not! We’re born, into this world under His judgment and wrath; broken, depraved, in need of mercy & grace that is only available to us through Jesus’ atonement for our sin on the cross! The so-called “American Dream” is a perversion of God’s true Gospel! It promotes an entitlement mentality of a bigger & better “YOU”— your “right” to own a home; your “right” to a high-paying job; your “right” to affordable health care; your “right” to be delivered from the “furnace”! The false gospel of the “American Dream” says Jesus came to make us bigger & better— that’s NOT the Gospel of Jesus Christ! He didn’t come to make you a better version of YOU! He came to save you from yourself! To follow Jesus means to take up His cross & crucify SELF; to remove self from the throne of your life, and place Jesus there as your Lord, Savior & King! 

God Is The Treasure We Seek

To His disciples, Jesus said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). We don’t just need a little “makeover.” We need to DIE! Our “SELF” needs to be crucified & born again in Christ! That’s the true Gospel! This story wasn’t about the delivery of Daniel’s friends from the furnace! This story is about GOD & His eternal purposes— and, Daniel’s 3 friends were submitted to that whether it meant delivery by miracle or by death! That’s their testimony— having relationship with God was of far greater value to them than life itself! By their willingness to entrust their lives to God’s plan & purpose, rather than their own, they made God the treasure to desire more than anything else!

Daniel: Standing Against Evil

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(Note: This is the 9th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Evil Will Always Give You A 2nd Chance

Have you ever noticed how evil will always give you a 2nd chance to do evil? If you miss the first invitation, there’ll always be a follow-up! That’s what Daniel’s 3 friends— Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah— observed after they failed to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold image as he had commanded them to do (See the Old Testament book of Daniel, chapter 3). “Ya know boys,” I imagine the King saying, “I’m thinking you just must not have heard me! When the music starts, all you have to do is follow the crowd! Just bow down & worship my gold image & everything will be cool between us!” And, then he lays down the gauntlet:  “…and who is that God who can rescue you from my power?”

Picking On The Wrong Deity

Oops! You just picked on the wrong deity, Nebuchadnezzar! Don’t ever draw a line in the sand & dare Yahweh to cross it! But, that’s what he did! He bragged that no God could deliver them from his hand! I love how they stood up to evil. They replied to the King:  “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the King. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as King to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” They had faith in God’s ability to deliver them—  that God was ABLE! But even if He, according to His Sovereign plan, didn’t deliver them, they would not bow to his image!

Don’t Put Words In God’s Mouth

There’s a great application to take from their example! We need to be careful not to put words in God’s mouth! Don’t make claims for God on His behalf! We may think that God has to respond in a certain way; but, our knowledge is finite and limited! His ways are higher than our ways! Don’t make promises for God that He doesn’t make! We can’t presume, on Him, about how our story ends! God doesn’t always deliver the way we “think” He ought to! While He brought these 3 through the fiery furnace unharmed, He may not do the same for us! We don’t know! We just know that He’s ABLE! We can pray and ask God to do anything! But, then we must leave the answer in His more than capable hands! We must trust that His eternal wisdom and benevolent nature will always see to it that He is glorified and we are blessed by His answer! We respond by taking a stand against evil no matter the personal cost! “When ungodly men make ungodly laws, godly men disobey them!” 

This Was Real: It Was Life or Death

One of the biggest challenges, to preaching this text, is overcoming some of your childhood perceptions. This isn’t a “fairytale” or a “myth”—Daniel & his 3 friends were real people who loved God! They were people just like you & me trying to live out the difficulties of life by faith in God. And, their story—like our story—put them in a place where they had to make a tough decision! And, as they experienced, when we obey God rather than man, we’ll be judged, by the world, as insubordinate & NOT a “team player.” This 3rd chapter of Daniel points out that “…some (of the King’s counselors) took the occasion to come forward & maliciously accuse the Jews…” of ignoring the King! Nothing could be further from the truth! They had proven their loyalty to the King! Be prepared to pay a price if you obey God over man!

Questioning Civil Disobedience

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(Note: This is the 8th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Duped By An Ungodly Man

I have a huge curiosity for all things Adolf Hitler & WWII Germany— perhaps, in part, because I’m of German descent; but, mostly, I think, because I find it incredulous how an entire nation could be duped by such an ungodly man! How could they ever go along with a plan to round up a certain people group & have them exterminated as Hitler did some 6 million Jews; not, to mention the thousands of non-Jewish German citizens that he killed because they wouldn’t go along with his plan? When WWII ended, in 1945, a series of military tribunals were held by the Allied forces, in Nuremberg, Germany, to prosecute the prominent leaders of Nazi Germany who carried out or participated in the Holocaust & other war crimes.

A Law Above Our Laws

Painted as patriots,  by their attorneys, their defense was that they were only carrying out the direct orders of their government; and, therefore could not be held responsible for their actions. But, one of the judges dismissed their argument with one simple question: “But, gentlemen,” he asked, “Is there not a law above our laws?”  While Scripture gives us the general principle that, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities…” (Rom 13:1,2);  the higher, Biblical principle is this:  “When ungodly men make ungodly laws, godly men disobey them!” The Apostle Peter taught the general principle to “…submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution…” (1 Pet 2:13-15); but, he also said, “…we must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29). 

Do Not Have Any Other Gods

It’s in that kind of quagmire that Daniel’s 3 friends found themselves in chapter 3 of Daniel’s story! King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, from chapter 2, becomes a “nightmare” for Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah as he builds a 90’ tall gold statue, of himself, and demands that everyone bow down and worship it:  “…when you hear the music…you are to fall down & worship the gold statue…” (ch. 3:5) Many of our “idols” are idols of the heart; so no one else can see them. But this idol was visible to everyone because of its immense size. This was a problem! They had been raised in good Jewish homes & knew the commandments Yahweh had given to Moses in Exodus chapter 20:  “I am the LORD your God; do not have any other gods besides me…”

It Was Us Against The World

They knew the law: “…do not make an idol for yourself,” it continued, “you must not bow down to them or worship them…” (Exodus 20). So, here they were between the proverbial “rock & a hard place”— obey the King & face God’s judgment or obey God & face the King’s fiery furnace! Let me try & paint the picture for you as you follow the narrative in Daniel chapter 3. There are probably thousands upon thousands of people, representing all the nations that Babylon had subdued, waiting for the sound of the music! They hear it & all the thousands upon thousands drop to their knees & worship the King’s gold image….. EXCEPT 3 MEN! They knew their insubordination wouldn’t go unnoticed; and, it didn’t! But, the fear of God outweighed their fear of man: “When ungodly men make ungodly laws, godly men disobey them!”  But be careful. Study God’s word on this subject. Pray for clarity! We mustn’t take our civil disobedience lightly!

Daniel & His Faith Community

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(Note: This is the 6th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Become Part Of A Spiritual Family

I have personally witnessed great spiritual transformation in the lives of believers when they changed one thing– when they began living in the community of faith! When they got involved with other believers; when they joined a Small Group; and, they began to share their lives & do life together, that’s when their spiritual life took off! Look at how Daniel responded when King Nebuchadnezzar, of Babylon, demanded that his wise men & counselors reveal the meaning of his dream; and, what he dreamed. Daniel responded, to the crisis, by taking it to his faith community! “Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter” (Daniel 2:17). Don’t try and wing the Christian life on your own!

Created For Community

God didn’t create to be isolated from others! He created us in His image… He of the triune community! He created us for community with Himself; and, for community with each other! “Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance” (Prov. 11:14) Daniel did more than just hang out with his friends; he prayed with them! He urged “…them to ask the God of heaven for mercy concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men” (Daniel 2:18).  Earlier, in the passage (v.10), the King’s counselors and advisors had told him that he was demanding something, from them, that “…no man on earth could do.” And, they were right! But, Daniel knew that a man fully connected to God, through prayer, could move God to do what “…no man on earth could do” & God responded!

God’s Supernatural Work Among Us

He answered their prayers & did the impossible. He gave Daniel the dream & the interpretation:  “The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision at night” (2:19).  And, Daniel responded with praise (2:19-23). Praising God is the only appropriate response when we’ve experienced His supernatural work among us! He praised God’s name; or, His character & reputation! He praised God for His wisdom & power; and, for His Sovereignty over the times, the seasons & the nations! He praised God for the gift of wisdom & understanding that He shares with men! He praised God for revealing “hidden things” like dreams; and, for the grace He had personally extended him! Daniel is an excellent tutor or mentor to anyone and everyone whose heart desires to act wisely in any given situation. He didn’t rely on his own wisdom! He didn’t try and fix things himself! He dropped to his knees, and asked God for help & wisdom to do the right thing! And, he waited for God to answer!

How God Uses “Impossible” Situations

Daniel’s story shows us that God uses the “impossible” situations, in life, to expose counterfeits. The Babylonian religion was the idolatrous worship of demons! God is beginning to kick out the props holding up the King’s “faith” in his counterfeit idols. God also uses the “impossible” situations, in life, to introduce Himself— “Here I am, King! I’m the one you’re really looking for!” Daniel answered the King: “No wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer is able to make known to the King the mystery… but, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (2:27) God also uses the “impossible” situations, in life, to sanctify & grow His disciples! With every obedient step, that Daniel took, he was growing more confident in God! Life is rarely just about YOU! It’s often intertwined with the lives of others!

Daniel: No Prosperity Gospel Here

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(Note: This is the 3rd in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

The Prosperity “False” Gospel

Because the Western Church has been influenced by the prosperity “false” gospel, it seems almost shocking to read that “…the Lord HANDED OVER Jehoiakim, king of Judah…” to Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:2). How could God orchestrate the removal of “…some of the Israelites from the royal family & from nobility…”; like, Daniel & his 3 friends (v.4)? These guys were royalty! They were used to the good life! But, God turned their lives upside down; and, you won’t understand Daniel’s story if you don’t get that! This would be like ISIS “laying siege” to our own country; and, then uprooting you from your family & homeland; and, carrying you off to some middle eastern country you don’t know! You’re forced to learn a new culture; and, a new language!

He Still Trusted God’s Will

That was Daniel; but, he still trusted that it was God’s will to be uprooted from his homeland & dragged off to Babylon. Most bible scholars believe that Daniel & his friends would have been teenagers. There is no mention of their parents! It would have been “customary” for Nebuchadnezzar to have them killed in the siege against Jerusalem; probably, before their very eyes as a “fear” & “control” tactic! Just another layer of hurt & heartache they would have felt! Daniel’s story is the exception— I’m afraid that most children’s church & S.S. curriculum teaches, from Daniel, that God will deliver you from the lions & the fiery furnace if you’re just obedient; and, you have faith! Right? But, as far as we know, Daniel was the only one the lions didn’t munch for lunch; and, his 3 friends were the only ones to escape the fiery furnace! They were the exceptions!

The Faithful Will Suffer

Daniel’s story does NOT teach us that if we live obedient lives God will never let anything bad happen to us! Nowhere in Scripture does God teach that! The so-called “Health, Wealth & Prosperity Gospel” is a perversion of God’s Word.  Scripture does teach us that “…all men who live faithfully in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution…” 2 Timothy 3:12. We have to battle the dominant “Christian Culture” on that one; because the prosperity gospel has trickled down into our doctrine more than we know; and, it’s altered the way we teach bible stories like Daniel! Be encouraged! Daniel wasn’t a Rock Star; and, you don’t need to be either! Fall in love with Jesus; and, run hard after Him! Be faithful! Be available! Be teachable! 

The Real Story

The real story is about Daniel’s unwavering faithfulness to God in a GODLESS CULTURE. In the midst of incredible spiritual darkness, the nation of Israel is compromised by apostasy & idolatry; and, evicted, by God, from the land of promise; and, exiled to an ungodly place! God sought for young men He could use; and, He found Daniel & his 3 friends to be faithful to that calling. In our age— at this very moment— God is looking for a faithful remnant of believers who will be like Daniel in this present age of darkness! If you’ve been trying to write your own story, give it back to God— ALL of it! And, let Him take it from here! Let God write His plan into your life; and, enjoy the eternal rewards of His “…well done good & faithful servant…” Your greatest happiness comes, not from wealth & prosperity; but from obedience to God’s will!

Daniel’s Story Is About Exile

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(Note: This is the 2nd in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Babylon Came To Jerusalem

The Book of Daniel begins with these haunting words:  “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it.  The Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God” Daniel 1:1-2.  And, v.6 states that Daniel, among others, was exiled from his home, in Israel, to the land of Babylon. This would be God’s story about Daniel; and, hopefully, you find comfort in knowing that God is also writing your story! Just like Daniel’s story, there is a purpose to the story of your life!

Nothing Is Random

There is NOTHING random about it! God is in the details! Just like any great writer takes you through all kinds of twists & unexpected turns until the end, when he ties up all the loose ends & it all makes sense, God does the same thing as He writes our stories. We can have faith, like Daniel, that God is writing all the twists & turns, the heartaches & the disappointments, into the stories of our lives & at the end He’ll bring closure to it all & make sense of it! We may not know how He’s going to make it work; but, trust Him, He will.  It was the truth of God’s Word that sustained Daniel because his story was birthed in pain, suffering, and separation.

Nebuchadnezzar Was A Bad Man

Daniel’s story is about EXILE— that’s where chapter 1 begins.  Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, was not a very nice man. History records him as one of the most brutal, powerful, and ambitious kings the world has ever known! He was arrogant and egotistical! Babylon has such an ungodly reputation, in the Bible, that it seems to be used as a metaphor— in the Book of Revelation— for the evil world system that anti-Christ will control, in the last days, before Jesus returns. This is what God writes into Daniel’s story. 

Why Would God Allow This?

Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon “laid siege” to Jerusalem. That’s a military term describing an operation employed, by an army, to capture a fortified place by surrounding it;  and by cutting off all communications & supplies; and by deploying weapons against it! Why would God allow this? That’s the kind of question we continue to struggle with today, don’t we? We wonder aloud why God would allow the pain and suffering and disappointments that we face in life. We wonder aloud why God would allow our nation to become more and more corrupt. We wonder aloud why it seems that evil men rise to leadership and why good men are seldom elevated.

God Choreographed All Of It

For Daniel & Israel, we wonder why God wrote this into their story. The siege was the result of God’s judgment for disobedience. When God gave Israel the land of Canaan, as an inheritance, He warned them that they were being used by God to drive out the wickedness in the land; and, that He would also drive them out of the land if they behaved like the nations they dispossessed! And, despite multiple warnings, they disobeyed & worshiped idols! They dishonored God’s Sabbath! Though there were times of revival & a brief return to God, the gradualism of sin & wickedness overtook every level of the nation from kings to priests to citizens. They preferred darkness over light; so, God judged them. He didn’t just ALLOW it, “…the LORD HANDED Jehoiakim, King of Judah, over to him…” God WROTE it into the story!

Daniel: Designated Survivor

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Taking Some Vacation Time: Next Post May 31

(Note: This is the 1st in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

I Quickly Became A “Fan” Of Daniel

I love action movies! That’s where I browse when I’m looking for something to watch on Netflix— action movies, thrillers & drama!  I love reading that kind of book too— the Joel Rosenberg political & prophetic thrillers; and, almost anything Ted Dekker! I quickly became a “fan” of Daniel, the Old Testament Bible character, after I became a follower of Jesus in Junior High. Who can resist the stories of Daniel in the “lion’s den”; and, his three friends being thrown into the “fiery furnace”? I remember sitting by the record player— do you remember those?— and, listening over & over to a recording of the action highlights, of the book of Daniel, being dramatized! I loved it! I couldn’t imagine a more action-packed story!

A New Way Of Looking At Daniel

Then, when I went off to Bible college, I was introduced to a whole new way of looking at the book of Daniel— END TIMES Prophecy! I remember evangelists coming to chapel & using the book of Daniel to show us where we were on God’s prophetic calendar.   Through my years of study in God’s Word, since Bible college days, I’ve discovered, however, that there’s another storyline that weaves through Daniel’s book that was hardly broached by either my Sunday School teachers; or, my Bible college professors. It’s the “back story” to the lion’s den & the fiery furnace. It’s the narrative of Daniel’s faith in God; and, how he lived out his faith in one of the most wicked environments the world has ever known!

The Faith Of Daniel & His 3 Friends

It’s my purpose, over the next few weeks, to introduce you to THAT faith— a faith that was never promised deliverance from hungry lions; or, a fiery furnace! Daniel & friends had no expectations of being rescued— that’s the point of their faith! We tend to miss that point; and, focus on God’s deliverance from danger & persecution “if we just have enough faith.” That’s how we usually teach it, isn’t it? But, we completely miss the point of the text if we teach that Daniel’s faith hinged on God’s deliverance. NO! Daniel & his 3 friends remained faithful even when they fully expected to die. Let me offer you a bit of a “spoiler alert.” Just look ahead to Daniel, chapter 3. When Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar threatened Daniel’s friends with the fiery furnace if they refused to bow down to his idol, they expressed confidence that God was able to deliver them if it was part of His purpose; but even if He didn’t, they would not bow down to worship the king’s idol.

Daniel’s Story Remains Relevant Today

Like Daniel, we live in a world that pursues new levels of wickedness & ungodliness— a world that’s becoming more & more intolerant of Christians! Babylon far exceeded the wickedness of our own culture; and, yet, Daniel’s faith survived intact. In fact, we see that he thrived despite his environment— despite the threats against his faith! That’s something we have in common with Daniel. We live in a culture that increasingly opposes our faith in Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus told His disciples that “…ALL who want to live godly lives WILL suffer persecution.” The question about persecution, for us, is not “if” but “when”! It IS coming! Be ready! Not everyone survives the lion’s den & the fiery furnace! Don’t think we’re insulated— in “Christian” America— from persecution! We’re NOT a Christian nation!