DEVELOP CONVICTION FOR GOD
We have all assimilated (adjusted over time) to some degree to the culture in which we live. Most of us remember seeing or hearing about a time when nearly all men wore hats. If you have ever watched some of the TCM movies of the 40’s and early 50’s, you couldn’t miss the hat wearers when men appeared in public. Today, almost no man wears hats as part of business casual or dressier attire. Today we see a lot of baseball-type hats. Our understanding, customs, and traditions all grow out of our culture. That’s not necessarily bad, but it becomes an issue when those customs and practices conflict with the biblical standards to which God calls us. Today our assimilated culture wants us to accept a culture that runs totally against the convictions of all who have determined to follow Christ. The Book of Daniel shows us a man who had convictions and lived out those convictions in a culture that called for a different standard.
Read Daniel 1:3-5
As the Book of Daniel begins, it indicates that Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon invaded Jerusalem “in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah” (v.1). The destruction of Jerusalem occurred in three stages. The third and ultimate stage in the fall of Jerusalem occurred in 586 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon’s temple. He took another large population of Hebrews to Babylon and left the city impoverished and in ruins. This further weakened the entire Southern Kingdom (Judah) although it still existed. Nearly 20 years before, in the first stage, 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar took some of the best and brightest captive, including Daniel and his friends (Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah- all Hebrew names).
Nebuchadnezzar’s purpose in taking a number of choice young men to Babylon was for training them in the Babylonian language, history and culture for three years. They were chosen for their unexcelled physical appearance and superior intelligence. At the end of their training, the king planned to place them in his service. He promised these talented young leaders a better life in their Babylonian exile than they would have had in the war-ravished homeland. The Israelites were to be from the royal family and from the nobility. They were to be “young men”. The Hebrew term translated “young men” could refer to children or older youth, likely age 14 or 15 (in keeping with the Babylonian customs). So Daniel and his friends were quite young when they were brought to Babylon. They were to be “without any physical defect, good-looking” and to be teachable. As a part of their total immersion in Babylonian life, the king gave them the same rich food he ate and the wine he drank.
Most of the inhabitants of Babylonia over time assimilated to what we know today as Suni’s (now the group called ISIS are Suni’s). It should be noted that the group that helped the Hebrews get back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple where Persians, headed by Cyrus. They assimilated to what we know today as Shites.
Verse 4 calls language and literature “Chaldean”, which was practically synonymous with the term Babylonian. In some instances, Chaldean referred to a professional category of wise men and seers. The common language of Babylon was Aramaic, while the language of scholarship included the ancient and complicate Babylonia language. The academic program would have included mathematics, astronomy, history, science, and magic. These young men demonstrated not only aptitude but also discipline. This character trait, combined with integrity, served the well in their new culture. The entire learning process required three years. It was designed to completely reshape their thinking and lifestyle and fully persuade the trainees to embrace the Babylonian culture.
Read Daniel 1:8-13
In the previous verse 7, we are told about the name changes of Daniel and his three friends. These young men were four from the tribe of Judah and were given names in Hebrew that meant something special: Daniel (God is my judge), Hananiah (the Lord has been gracious), Mishael (Who is what God is), and Azariah (The Lord has helped). As part of their total “Babylonization”, they were given Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This was done not by their choice but for the convenience of the Babylonians and also as a reminder that they were under Babylonian authority. There is some uncertainly about the exact meaning of their Babylonian names, but several of the new names contain references to Babylonian deities.
Daniel resolved not to eat the rich food given to him by Nebuchadnezzar, either because it was forbidden by Jewish law, such as pork (Leviticus 11), or because accepting the king’s food and drink was the first step toward depending on his gifts and favors. Although Daniel was in a culture that did not honor God, he still obeyed God’s law. Daniel “was determined” to be devoted to principle and to be committed to a course of action. When Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself, he was being true to a lifelong determination to do what was right and not to give in to the pressures around him. We, too, are often assaulted by pressures to compromise our standards and live more like the world around us. Merely wanting or preferring God’s will and way is not enough to stand against the onslaught of temptation. Like Daniel, we must resolve to obey God.
It is easier to resist temptation if we have thought through our convictions before the temptation arises. Daniel and his friends mad their decision to be faithful to the laws of God before they were faced with the king’s “delicacies”. So they did not hesitate to stick with their convictions. We will get into trouble if we have not previously decided where to draw the line. Before such situation arise, decide on your commitments and what you will do. Determine that there is a “line that you will not cross”! Then when temptation comes, we will be ready to say no.
Verse 9 tells us that God moved with an unseen hand to change the heart of the Babylonian official. The strong moral conviction of these four young men made an impact. God promises to be with His people in times of trial and temptation (Psalm 106:46; Isaiah 43:2-5; 1 Corinthians 10:13). His active intervention often comes just when we take a stand for Him. Stand for God and trust Him to protect us in ways we may not be able to see. Anything short of complete obedience meant execution of the officials who served Nebuchadnezzar. Even in such a small matter as this, the official feared for his life. But God was in this and all were spared. The Babylonians were trying to change the thinking of all these young men by giving them a Babylonian education, their loyalty by changing their names, and their life-style by changing their diet. Without compromising, Daniel found a way to live by God’s standards in a culture that did not honor God. Wisely choosing to negotiate rather than to rebel, Daniel suggested an experimental 10-day diet of vegetables and water instead of the royal foods and wine the king offered. (Was this the beginning of Vegetarians?). Without compromising, Daniel quickly thought of a practical, creative solution that saved his life and the lives of his companions. As God’s people, we may adjust to our culture as long as we do not compromise God’s laws.
Read Daniel 1:17-19
Daniel and his friends learned all they could about their new culture so they could do their work with excellence. But while they learned, they maintained steadfast allegiance to God and God gave them skill and wisdom. Culture need not be God’s enemy. If it does not violate His commands, it can aid in accomplishing His purpose. We who follow God are free to be competent leaders in our culture, but we are required to pledge our allegiance to God first.
It was written that Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed, “No one was found equal”. At the end of the three years all young men of Judah who had been subjected to the king’s training were brought before him. It was obvious that Daniel and his three friends were superior in every way, so Nebuchadnezzar gave them responsible positions in his court (this is the meaning of “they stood before the king” v.19). The king even discovered to his surprise that the four friends were infinitely superior to his own magicians and enchanters. The chapter closes with at statement that Daniel remained in Babylon until the first year of the reign of Cyrus, the Persian ruler who successfully overthrew the Babylonian empire in 539 BC (v. 21).
We must rest in the knowledge that God is always at work to perfect His purpose even in dark and dangerous times. When it appears that the ruler of our times is named “despair”, we can take comfort that God rules beyond a temporary dimension of time and He can overrule our despair. When we strive to live as Jesus’ ambassadors and stand on our convictions in such a way that we, like Daniel, become known as transformers – not conformers (Romans 12:2).
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