This past week as Linda and I left a store a family was entering with one thing on their mind – back to school shopping! Although I am no longer required to purchase backpacks, paper, and clothing for my kids, I often find myself reminiscing about heading off to university this time of year. I was also reminded of a young man in scripture: Daniel (yes the lion whisperer guy); and his going off to “university”.
The story of Daniel is one of a brilliant young man. He was brought up in Jerusalem as a believer in God. Early in his life, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem and besieged it. He took captives back to Babylon which was, at the time, the emerging political and intellectual power. Daniel was one of these captives as were three other boys named Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (perhaps you know these guys better by their Babylonian names?). Without any choice in the matter he was sent off to study at what we may call the ‘University of Babylon’ to learn a new language, economic system, and culture. After three years he would be ready to step into the king’s diplomatic service. Thus, Daniel was removed from one setting with its own history, values, and identity and placed within a context strikingly different. This new world did not recognize the one true God of his forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but was a world with a multitude of small g gods. There were close to 1200 temples for this vast collection of gods in Babylon! In fact, every gate into the city was named for a different god.
Imagine a young person today, raised in a Christian home, not only protected and provided for, but also raised with Christian teaching, practices and values. She would have an understanding of the world shaped by the Christian faith. If this young person were to go to a secular post-secondary college or university they, like Daniel, would be heading into a culture and system very different from their upbringing. Our hope would be that they remain rooted and grounded in the faith of their family. The amazing thing about this young man Daniel, probably about 14 years old when he was taken captive, was that in the middle of a challenging, new culture he maintained not only his private faith but also his public witness. The king himself testified of Daniel’s committed faith as the young man was cast into the lion’s den: “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you! (Daniel 6:16)”
We don’t have to be a young adult heading off to university to be facing the same challenge as Daniel. To be a Christian, and to faithfully bear the image of Christ, has always been ‘counter cultural’. What can we learn from Daniel? How did he maintain a faith, privately and publically, with absolute values within a culture with relative values? I think two keys relate to trust and treasure, that is to say, who did he trust and what did he treasure. What was Daniel’s driving inspiration; the power behind the witness, and the source of courage to make personal sacrifices in order to honour God? We get a hint from the first two verses of the first chapter of Daniel.
1.In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.2. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.
Daniel is doing more than telling us historical dates and events, he is interpreting them. He writes four little words at the beginning of verse 2 which are critically important to his story and our understanding: “And the Lord gave…”. He is essentially saying that behind human history … is God. On the surface this appears to be the story of one powerful king and nation subduing another. Don’t forget Daniel was profoundly affected by this political takeover – yet he still saw God in it and behind it. What questions would you be asking yourself as a good resident of Judah as you saw it overrun with Babylonians? How often do we express thanks for the freedom to worship in Canada – and rightfully so, but what if that freedom was taken away? In general, what do we ask ourselves when things go wrong? Daniel, in spite of his circumstances, did not lose his devotion to God, and did not lose his public witness. His trust was in the sovereign God of all history, whom he treasured in devoted worship even to the point of public persecution. What do we trust and treasure? Can it stand the trials of life? Would there be enough evidence of faith and worship in our lives to convict us if we were put on trial for being a Christian?
In so many ways, big and small, we have opportunities to bear witness to God’s truth and his reality in our lives. I encourage you to ask the Lord to help you grow in your trust and treasure of him!
Much love,
Pastor Gary
As we gather for Sunday worship, we want you to meet with God and be transformed by the Word. Prepare your heart by reading the passage and listening to the songs for Sunday.