' Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven,. . .
Daniel 4:37
On the day of his promotion, the first Christian martyr made the confident assertion that Israel was the church in the wilderness. Later, the apostle Paul would expand this revelation, and note that Israel's trials and tribulations were an example for all of us, at the close of the age. In these two statements, the Lord has closed the door, and slammed it shut, on those who would dismiss the Old Testament as merely a history of the Jews, with no bearing upon us, standing in the doorway of a new millennium. Today, as the serious among us begin to consider the changes in our world about us, and dare consider its ominous implications for both the Church and the individual, it is instructive to note the almost unbelievable statement (quoted above), which was forced out of the mouth of a ruling king, in ancient Babylon—was due largely to the influence of a single man, living by faith, in the land of his captivity.
There are many stages to Christian growth, and Daniel had scaled the heights: from his awakening (typified by Israel's deliverance from bondage) to the severe challenges of faith and prosperity, presented within the Babylonian captivity. In all of life, Daniel demonstrated the fact that faith in God, and not the circumstance of the hour, is the determining factor in the overcomer's life. Though the heights and depths of the Hebrew pilgrimage are rich in images of conquest and demise, none are so intriguing (and disturbing) as this period, when the people of God, who had conquered the Promised Land . . . found themselves on the chastening end of God's big stick: being forcibly humbled by the God whom they had begun to take for granted, and ignore, in their quest to be just like the rest of the world, about them.
They had emerged from the dust of the wilderness like a mirage (or
nightmare, to the Canaanites) with the same power and force, as was demonstrated when they left Egypt decimated behind them: humbled by Jehovah, the awesome God, who keeps his promises, and delivers his covenant people. The wilderness was the staging ground from which the Lord had transformed a swarming group of slaves into a nation, and had given the tribes of Israel both a national identity and distinct religion, which would some day propel them to the forefront of world thinking and identification. Although few would appreciate it, at the time, the God of the Hebrews had laid a foundation for religious observance (and particularly, of atonement) which would eventually make it possible for the rest of us to realize that the purpose of Israel's God was not simply to display "signs and wonders"—but to show to us his very heart; not only for one little nation, shuffling through the desert, but for all the peoples of the world. In the wilderness, and in their infancy of faith, they'd been spoon fed from heaven, as bread literally fell to them from the skies.
All that was necessary, was for them to walk out of the tent, and scoop it up, from the ground. It came religiously, day in and day out, so that they would never have to worry, or think about whether it would be there, on the next day. In fact, so regular was the Lord's provision, that they sometimes took the liberty to complain about the sameness of it all.
We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:
But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.
Numbers 11:5-7
It was an unusual nutriment, and had the characteristic of a nutty (or crunchy) nugget, but with a resin-like (gummy) appearance—yet, when worked in the daily mixing bowl, it could be turned into bread and cakes —and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.(vs 8). Thus did the mixed multitude (with a divided heart) complain about the miraculous provision the Lord was making for them, in the desert. —Like a Christian who might take his Bible out, for personal devotions, and complain, "I've read this same material over, and over, again. I want something more exciting to think about!" So they flip on the idiot box, and start lusting (again) for the things which the Lord had once delivered them from.
There were, however, more exciting days, ahead. They were
headed for the Promised Land(!), "a land of hills and valleys, [that] drinketh water of the rain of heaven: A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year". (Deut. 11:11,12)
The comparison of Egypt to the Promised Land is telling: in Egypt, they had to plant seed and "water it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs." (vs 10) In other words, everything was subject to human engineering and control. The Nile was their source, and there was little (if any) faith needed to generate their next meal, or daily provision. In the wilderness, this pattern appeared to continue, with one very important difference: their Source was now the Lord, himself. His provision would be so constant and dependable, that they need never concern themselves with whether or not the manna would be there, on the next morning. It was always there, always. In the wilderness, therefore, Israel centered on the very basic necessities of her relationship with God: Who he is, and how to worship him. All of their focus was to be on personal relationship, and on the mechanics required for maintaining this relationship. Not everyone took the time to nurture and build this relationship, this is true, but this was the purpose of that time of stability and nurturing: a spiritual honeymoon, to better get to know their Lord. It did not always seem like a honeymoon, however. In fact, to many, it seemed like little more than pure torture, as is always the case when we go through a trial, without taking the time to forcefully look at it from God's perspective (that's what real faith is). To these, who entered the Promised Land "under protest" the Lord had an answer: these lessons were a long time in coming—don't let them go to waste(!)
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, . . . And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Deut. 8:2,3
When the "honeymoon" was over, and it was time to go to war. Then, beyond conquest, there was yet one other matter: of living in the Promised Land, and trusting God for the weather, and daily provision. Being a society with serious farming and livestock interests, they were obviously dependent upon the Lord for their livelihood. Would the seasonal rains come, as expected? How abundant might these rains be? Would the sun scorch their crops?
Their faith, then, was not only to be a source of morality and uprightness, but a means of sustained livelihood. It was to this dependence upon God, which Elijah the Tishbite had called the nation to remembrance, when the heavens were shut up for three years, and refused to give rain, and it is to this, that the gospel speaks to the New Testament church. "For, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6:30-33) Say what you will, I am convinced the Lord Jesus touched a serious nerve, here, when he spoke of our finances. So much of adult life is tied up in our daily provision, that we hardly realize how it affects even our faith towards God. Nor does this cease with the advent of affluence and ease (as one might think) but almost always, increases with the accumulation of wealth. The more I have, the more I desire to have . . . more. "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? . . ." It is interesting to note that, in both the Babylonian captivity, and in the last church mentioned in John's Revelation, an unintended obstacle hampered them.
Yes, you guessed it, within the captivity, Israel found that unexpected enemy to be . . . prosperity. But, how shall we examine this? We are given two very different, and intriguing, pictures of Israel in the captivity (after their settling into new living arrangements). One of these is found in the book of Daniel, and the other . . . in the book of Esther. For those not familiar with the Bible's layout, it must be noted, right here, that not all Scriptural dialogue gives us examples for right living. In some cases (many cases) we are given examples of how . . .not to live. Some portions of Scripture are almost dangerous to read, if carefully balanced with
the rest of the Bible (Ecclesiastes, for example, displays the meandering of an existentialist preacher: Solomon, in his older years, after his wives had compromised his heart. The key to this section of the Bible is Solomon's telling refrain, "under the sun" (Eccl. 1:3,9,14, 2:11,17 .. . ). Poor Solomon, with all of his wisdom, he neglected his faith in later years, so that his whole view of life became earth bound.) With this knowledge of the Bible under our belts, we may now start to compare the general tenor of these two differing views of the captivity: by queen Esther, and through the prophet Daniel. Both lived in palatial surroundings: Esther as a queen, and Daniel as the Prime Minister and chief advisor of kings. Both had unquestioned wealth and influence. Both were Jews. Both had a godly heritage. Both knew how to fast and pray. Both were aware of God's governing in the affairs of men. Yet, here, the similarities seem to come to a screeching halt. Why is this? It is because Esther (and Mordicai, her godly step father) were part of a group of people who could barely rise above "family values" and who never once spoke the Lord's name, throughout the entire book! In the virgin Esther, we see a secularized church. In her prosperity (as queen) we see a church reluctant to make a stand. Please note, I did not say that they were liberal, or in doctrinal error. It's just that, somehow, in the process of getting comfortable in Babylon, they'd forgotten how to see all of life from God's perspective, with life's issues as a matter of his honor. Their faith had degenerated to tradition and culture. Even when Mordicai put his life on the line, by refusing to bow to the Prime Minister of the realm, the reason he gave was that he was a Jew. He identified with his people, but less with God himself. If you will accept it, we see here, in the contrasting lives of these two people types, the difference between the ten virgins, and the two witnesses of Revelation eleven. We will not here review the significance of the two symbols just noted. Please observe, however, the incredible application of the two: In Esther we see the rank and file of the "Church" (Israel) with its commendable, but deficient, life style. At their very best, they cannot evince from the powers that be, even a peep of respect for the God of heaven (they seem afraid to mention his name, themselves!). In Daniel, however, we see a young man who, at every turn is both invoking the name of God, and being identified as a man of God, by the secular powers that be! (Oh Lord Jesus, to be more bold for thee, in the everyday matters of life!! Let it be, Lord Jesus. Let it be, in me! Amen.) Note how even the queen of the king's son introduces
the subject of calling for Daniel, after the handwriting appears on the wall, she notes, "O king,. . . There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; . . ." (Daniel 5:10,11) Please notice how this woman describes Daniel, and his God. Daniel is filled with this Spirit (sorry, those of you who say that this was only possible in NT times. See also Gen. 41:38, Ex. 31:3, Num 27:18 . . .). Note, also, how this pagan queen describes Daniel's God, for this Spirit is of a holy god. True, they didn't understand Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, but they did know two things:
1. their God is holy.
2. he lives in those who truly trust in him.
Do remember, that this is an enemy witness. This is not the back slapping appropriated within a synagogue over "our Daniel." This was in the public square. His life was an open book, everyone knew where this man was coming from. He had not hidden this fact from his superiors. This is in direct contrast to Esther's manner of doing things, however. In Esther's case, when Haman hatched his plot to destroy the Jews, the king (who loved Esther) had no way of knowing that he was endangering the queens life . . . since she hadn't even told him of her cultural background (in today's lingo, what church she attended) much less what God she worshipped! "Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it." (Esther 2:10)
No, we are not condemning Esther, just commending Daniel. There is no condemnation noted in scripture for the Jews' conduct in the book of Esther (or elsewhere, in the Bible). However, we cannot help but notice the stark contrast between generic faith (which is passable) and heroic faith, which exceeded the bounds even allowed by the prophets for the Jews to descend into, as they faced the hardship of captivity. For, in stark contrast to Esther's secrecy (which required an absolute fast of three days, by the entire Jewish community, to overcome)—Daniel had lain his life on the line, to simply maintain his consecration unto the Lord, at the outset of his introduction to Babylon (Daniel 1:8)—this, in spite of the fact that the Lord had explicitly told the prophets that Israel would defile itself with the dietary laws of the land of their captivity.
And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.
Ezekiel 4:13
Yet, Daniel purposed that, regardless, he would serve the Lord, live or die. What does this say to us, today? Is there a lesson, here, for us? I hardly think it necessary to point it out (in fact, I had to stop working on this, for quite a while. It has certainly hit me
between the eyes.) We must not ignore its message:
1. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. — Had Daniel remained a "secret believer" he could have (possibly) remained prosperous and accepted, but he would not have been on the cutting edge of what God was doing, in that day. There were many false prophets, in that hour, involved in "signs and wonders," and false prophecies (being corrected by Ezekiel and Jeremiah's prophecies) but only Daniel and his three friends saw real wonders performed.
2. Daniel did not allow "tolerance" to silence him. A careful comparison of the context, and of the perspective of the pagan speakers of Daniel's day (for example, the exact wording of the queen's description of Daniel being filled with "the spirit of the holy gods, . . .") is reminiscent of typical polytheistic thinking—much like the pluralism now overtaking our political climate, in America. "Respect everyone's beliefs," we are now told. —So that people begin to see the Lord as one of many gods, or (worst) of all gods as being the same Lord (including Allah, for example, who is not the God of the Bible. Allah has no Son!!! -Prov 30:4)
3. It costs something to make the first step, and even more, to make one's stand for the Lord, as early as possible, and with this, we will conclude.
A careful examination of Daniel's commitment in Daniel 1:8 presents unspoken challenges to us. For example, his friend the eunuch (who was not a Jew) felt that to honor his Jewish friend's request might endanger is own life (Dan. 1:10). Daniel could have easily dropped the issue, for the eunuch's sake. After all, the eunuch was a non-believer! Daniel, in effect, had to believe for both of them. His firm commitment is not to be overlooked. As anyone engaged in fasting knows, to commit one's self to a period of fasting is a serious matter (Satan works overtime to make you violate that commitment, in some way). To commit publicly is an even more serious matter. In fact, his statement in verse twelve lets us know that Daniel was fully aware of the issues at stake. He said, in effect, "Put us to the test, for ten days." My friends, to do that, with a pure heart, requires faith! In closing, I am noticing some encouraging events taking place in America, today. There are prayer and fasting movements. There is more serious intercession. Quite honestly, although I am not against Charismatic manifestations, per se, I am very much unimpressed with them: there is too much flash and glitter, and too little holiness. If the God of the Bible were as present, and as evident as many maintain, bars, strip joints, and cities should be starting to be cleared out (as much of Times Square has, after TSC entered the area: all glory to God, alone). Yet, we must realize, that all of our wealth, and all of our power, is not primarily to insulate us from persecution. It is a tool, to be used to glorify God. (Notice, I did not say, to "glitterize" God, but to glorify Him. When God is really glorified, Heaven rejoices, society gains respect for the true God, of the Bible, and Hell trembles, in the spirit world (Matt. 5:16). ) I know, you really wish you'd stopped reading, before those last sentences. Sorry, but it really is true. Yes, I am speaking to myself, as well. In all honesty, however, I believe that in eternity, many of those we call great in the western church will not seem that way, in Heaven (dare I share this? How can it be avoided? What will be said, when I myself, give account!??) Do you want to really know the truth (really???). John Knox took Scotland with less than we have. John Wesley turned England around with fewer resources than are available to us. . . but these true greats . . . were persecuted. To be honest, I don't recall there being any complaints by such men, regarding their hardships. Perhaps, just perhaps, they took their Bibles more seriously, than we do, today.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Matthew 5:10-12
(By the way, for those who say that famous evangelists should not be persecuted as were prophets, maybe they should stop skipping over II Timothy 4:5. . . .).
Any candidates for living above the captivity, anyone?
Oh, Lord Jesus, here am I, make me willing. Send me!
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