“Caveat emptor” … “Buyer beware” … because what you see, well … it’s not what you always get … and that’s been the case, it seems, ever since we’ve been banned from the Garden of Eden.
We get our word “integrity” from a very ancient practice that was done to scam the consumers of pottery jugs and bowls. If a bowl or a jug had a crack in it, the manufacturer or vendor would mix up a little clay and water and “paint” over the flaws (fill them in). Voila … a “perfect” bowl or jug to the untrained eye … until you took it home and tried to use it and it either leaked or broke into pieces. A bowl or a jar or a plate with no cracks, that was solid, was said to have “integrity.”
The word “integrity” comes from the word “integer,” which means “whole” or “undivided.” You can’t tell if a person has integrity just by looking at them, can you? The only way you can tell is by pouring water into them, so to speak, to see if they leak or break into pieces.
Whole and undivided. To have integrity is to be complete, to have all of the parts of your life integrated, to have them intact, interconnected, uncorrupted, and operating together in a single unit. Integrity means that your acts … what you say or do … how you act and behave … not just under pressure but in your day-to-day life … is a genuine and accurate reflection of your internal values, beliefs, and principles.
What do we call a person whose words and actions don’t match? We call them “hypocrites.” Jesus once accused a group of scribes and Pharisees of being a bunch of hypocrites because they cleaned the outside of the cup … meaning they looked good and sounded good … but their actions exposed the greed and self-indulgence that filled their hearts. “First clean the inside of the cup,” Jesus commanded them, “so that the outside may also become clean” (Matthew 23:25)
When a person has integrity, their words, their actions, their values, their beliefs, their principles, their character, their hearts are “integrated.” They are whole and undivided. And when we meet or encounter such a person, we are intrigued, we are amazed … we want to be around them and we want to be like them. Such a person was a young man by the name of “Daniel.”
[Read Daniel 3:1-17 here]
In the year 605 bc, a young crown prince of the Babylonian Empire became Commander and Chief of the armies of Babylon. In the spring of that year, 605 bc, he marched his armies through Assyria, conquering everyone and everything that crossed his path. He continued marching his armies through Syria and Palestine, claiming victory after victory. By the year 597 bc, he began to invade Judah and then Jerusalem. On March 16, 597 bc., after a long siege, this crown prince, now King of Babylon, accepted the total surrender of Judah and Jerusalem by King Jehoiachim. This ambitious and power Babylonian king would go on to reign over the most powerful empire in the world at that time for the next 43 years.
His name?
Nebuchadnezzar.
During his reign, Nebuchadnezzar built the capital city of Babylon into THE most formidable fortress city the world had ever known. Rectangular in shape, it rose impressively above the desert in the land we now know as Iraq. The mighty Euphrates River flowed from north to south right through the middle of the city. The city was surrounded by 56 miles of double walls. The outer walls were 21 feet thick and 300 feet tall. There were 250 watchtowers over 400 feet tall (one every 60 feet. The inner walls were 11 feet thick, 300 feet tall, and extended 35 feet below ground. Some of the water from the Euphrates was diverted to form a moat around these mighty walls.
The city had eight gates, all of them impressive. But the most notable and famous was the “Ishtar Gate.” Unlike the other gates, which were made of stone, the Ishtar Gate was made of beautiful blue lazuli tile. The Ishtar Gate was not only notable for its beauty but the view it opened up on once you entered the city. You immediately awed by the sight of two citadels and Nebuchadnezzar’s enormous palace, considered to be one of the most magnificent palaces ever erected on earth.
As you passed through the Ishtar Gate you entered one of the seven wonders of the world – the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar built the hanging gardens for his homesick queen. You would never expect to find a beautiful forest-covered mountain in the middle of a fortress city in the desert but there it was … a symbol of Nebuchadnezzar’s great wealth and power and determination.
In the center of the city was a beautiful bridge supported by massive brick pillars that linked the old part of the city with the new. Towering over this bridge was a massive 30-story building called the “Ziggurat.” On top of the Ziggurat was a temple devoted to “Marduk,” one of the Babylonians many gods.
For that period of time, there was no other city on earth as impressive or as spectacular as the capital city of Babylon. In the ancient Akkadian language, the name “Babylon” meant “The Gateway to the Gods.” That would certainly be the impression one would have upon seeing this spectacular city rising out of the desert .. the city of Babylon looked like “The Gateway to the Heavens.”
It was the custom of King Nebuchadnezzar to take the finest things from every land that he conquered and bring them to his palace … and this included the finest of the children that he had taken as slaves. The scripture records the names of four of them: Hananiah … Mishael … Azariah … and Daniel.
I don’t believe we could possibly image what those four boys went through … what an absolutely wild and confusing time it must have been for them. They were of royal blood … the strongest, healthiest, and best looking young men in the Kingdom of Judah. They were the brightest and best of their age group. At the time, they were between the ages of 14 and 16.
From the time they were born, the world that they grew up in was falling apart. In their parents’ time, just before they were born, the Kingdom of Judah had seen its last great ruler … Josiah. He was followed by a succession of less-than-stellar kings who had brought the land low. Crime was up, security was down, and it was impossible to know whom you could trust. Chaos had set in. Disorder reigned. God, through His prophets, pleaded for the people of Judah to repent, to return to Him, but no one would listen. And marching towards them, getting closer and closer every day, was the most powerful army in the world (the Babylonians).
Everything these young men had ever known was changing … and not for the better. Their way of life seemed destined for the ash bin of history. And when the Babylonians arrived, they utterly destroyed everything. The kingdom that God called His own was smashed to pieces. Jehoiakim’s advisors, their families, and members of Jehoiakim’s own family were killed before his eyes, which were then plucked out so that that would be the last thing he would see. The Temple that bore witness to the fiery God who had led the Hebrew people here was set ablaze and burned to the ground and the people that God had called out of Egypt were once again slaves and strangers living in foreign lands.
The Temple destroyed … their homes taken away from them … their families killed or God knows where … lead off as slaves. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were taken, by royal decree, through the desert, through the Euphrates River, past the mighty walls of Babylon, through the beautiful Ishtar Gate, over the bridge, past the citadel and ziggurat, the breath-taking hanging gardens, and straight into the magnificent palace of Nebuchadnezzar … the King of the world.
Nebuchadnezzar had plans for these four boys. In three years he planned to turn these young men into fine, up-standing model Babylonians. They would live in the palace of the king, they would eat at the king’s table, they would receive the best instruction at the feet of the king’s counselors. They would have all the advantages of Babylonian royalty even though they were Hebrew slaves.
Sad irony. Because of the Babylonians, they had lost it all … family, friends, home, Temple. Now, because of the Babylonians and their king, they had the finest things in the world at their fingertips. For the next thee years they would be taught the ways of the Babylonians. For the next three years they would be surrounded by the intoxicating beauty and splendor of the most powerful and wealthiest city in the world. And for the next three years they were expected to worship the many gods of the Babylon. Everything around them was the best the world had to offer. Theirs for the taking … and no doubt they were tempted.
I would imagine that their first meal at the palace had to be a spectacular and bewildering experience as they were invited to sit and eat at fancy tables covered with the finest cuts of meat and the best fruits and vegetables off of the finest china … platters covered with exotic food from around the Middle East and the orient.
As Daniel was sitting down to his very first meal in the king’s palace, he made a decision that would come to define his many, many years in Babylon, ‘The Gateway to the Gods.’ “… Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food and drink” (v. 8).
King Nebuchadnezzar’s food may have been the best the land had to offer but it wasn’t … “kosher.” Daniel could bring himself to eat it. “If I eat that meat or drink their wine,” he must of thought, “I will be defiling my body and I will be disobeying God” … so he asked the palace master to serve him the things that he knew were safe for an observant, kosher Jew to eat and drink … vegetable and water.
For many, many people this would have been a tough choice, amen? Living in the most beautiful and powerful city in the world … being wined and dine in the palace of the most powerful man in the world … everything there for the asking … armies of servants ready to jump at your beck and call. But for Daniel, this was no choice at all.
You see, Daniel was raised in “Jerusalem.” The name “Jerusalem” means “foundation of God” or “City of God.” Daniel may have been brought to Babylon, “the Gateway to the Gods,” but he had been raised in THE CITY of God … not a gateway to God but the place where God was, dwelling amongst His people. In the “City of God” he had acquired a firm, solid foundation built on God. Daniel had been born and raised in a city whose builder and maker was God … a city whose very foundation was the One True God. And, as beautiful and as rich as Babylon was, as powerful as its king was, nothing in Babylon could compare to the “City of Jehovah” … amen?
There was no debate, no confusion for Daniel. There was never any choice to be made. Daniel had a crystal clear vision of who he was based on a crystal clear vision of who his God was. Daniel wasn’t about to transfer his citizenship from Jerusalem to Babylon.
This is beautiful. You see, the name “Babylon” mean “The Gateway to the Gods” in the Akkadian language, but it meant something else in Hebrew. Remember the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11? It was called “Babel” because God “babbled” or “confused” the language of the people building the tower. It’s where we get our word “babble” – to speak nonsense or incoherently. In Hebrew, the name “Babylon” meant “The Place of Babble” … the place of confusion. The Chaldeans … or Babylonians … viewed their city as the gateway to the gods but Daniel viewed “Babylon” as a city of confusion. When Daniel looked around, he didn’t’ see wealth, wonder, or attractions. He saw confusion. Daniel understood that these people were confused by their many different gods. They were confused by the glitz and glamor. All their “attractions” were really “distractions.” Their temples and gods were not gateways to Heaven but gateways to confusion. While living in this confusing world, Daniel made a stand to live for God. From his first meal forward, Daniel established a clear pattern to live by.
Daniel was facing that unholiest of all trinities: fear … uncertainty … and doubt. And yet, in the midst of this, Daniel was not only able to survive and overcome but to prosper as well. What was his secret? What gave him the strength to stand firm, to carry on? In Chapter six of the Book of Daniel it says that Daniel went into his house where his windows faced Jerusalem, got down on his knees three times a day, and prayed to his God and praised Him (Daniel 6:10).
I love it! Three times a day Daniel turned away from “The Gateway to the Gods” and turned toward “The City of God” … his foundation … and prayed to the One True God. Three times a day Daniel was reminded of who he was, where he came from, and who he belonged to. Three times a day he was reminded that Babylon was not his home. Nebuchadnezzar may have owned his body but his heart, his mind, and his soul belonged to the God of Israel.
Daniel was not confused. He was crystal clear about what he needed to do. His only choice was to remain true to his God. This pattern of daily prayer and kosher diet gave him a clear vision while being forced to live in a world of confusion.
That’s what we need today. We need a clear vision in a confused world, amen? Never before in the history of humanity has the world had so much to offer … technology, travel, education, health, attractions, and gadgets galore to babble, I mean, boggle the mind. The world has a lot of good things to offer but it has a lot of bad things to offer too. Sin and immorality of every kind to dazzle and confuse the mind. Satan is an expert bar none when it comes to blurring the lines that separate God’s church and God’s people from the world. For many, it has become confusing to live for God in this world when, in reality, the truth is really very, very obvious and simple. Anything that pulls you away from God is a bad thing. I can’t make it any simpler than that, my friends.
We have to be clear about one thing and one thing only. Like Daniel, we serve God no matter what this world has to offer us. Are the “attractions” of the world pulling YOU away from God? It doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad. The question is: Are they pulling you away from God? If you are confused about what God requires, remember this: God is not the author of confusion. Satan is. Daniel did not allow himself to become confused. Daniel knew and understood what God required of him. Daniel knew who he was and who God was and what he meant to God.
Do you know who you are? Who God is? And what you mean to Him? God has called you out of darkness and into His marvelous Light. You are a chosen generation. You are a royal priesthood. You are a holy nation. God has plans for you. And we can’t allow ourselves to be distracted by “Babble-On.” Babylon might look beautiful but God has something better … something greater … for you. Better and greater than anything Babylon or the world has to offer you, believe me.
We have the Word of God and we know what His Word says. Like Daniel, we have a clear vision of our future. Don’t let Satan confuse you. He can paint a pretty and convincing picture. You might find yourself in a spiritual desert one day with the Devil pointing you towards the Ishtar Gate. But you can make up your mind that you’re not gonna go that way … that your heart, your mind, your body belong to another!
Get a clear vision for your life. Don’t let Satan woo you with the things of this world. Remember that Satan wants to sift you like wheat. And that can only happen if we are not submitted to God. It can only happen when we’re confused and vulnerable. Nebuchadnezzar had taken these boys when they were experiencing the most vulnerable times of their lives. They were hurting. They had been ripped from their homes. Taken from their families.
Nebuchadnezzar tried to woo them with all the best his kingdom had to offer, convinced that in three years they would forget and abandon all they had known and become Chaldeans … Babylonians … of the highest order.
That’s what Satan does. He tempts you with promises. He takes you to places like the Ishtar Gate, the hanging gardens, the great palaces and cities, and he tries to tempt you away from God. And Satan doesn’t need a lot of time to do it, either … three years, three months, three weeks, three days, three seconds. He’ll take advantage of every opportunity to try and seize control of your heart, your mind, your body. That is Satan’s desired.
But you can’t do it if you have a clear vision of who you are, who God is, and what you mean to Him. If you don’t have a clear vision of these things, then I strongly encourage you to get one. If you are confused, do as Daniel did. Get down on your knees every day and pray. Get into God’s Word. God is not the author of confusion. He doesn’t want you to live in a vulnerable state of confusion.
It wasn’t easy for Daniel. Those first three years were tough. He was a stranger in a strange land. He had no idea what had become of his family. His home, his country, destroyed. He was surrounded by false gods and expected to worship them. Nebuchadnezzar even tried to strip him of his identity, changing his name from “Daniel,” which means “God is my judge,” to “Belteshazzar,” which means “Protect the king.” Every day, every time someone called him “Belteshazzar,” every time he had to tell someone that his name was “Belteshazzar,” he was reminded that he was a slave, expected to serve the very king who had destroyed his life and made him a captive in a foreign land to a foreign king. Nebuchadnezzar wanted Daniel and his friends to think that the God they had grown up with was finished, kaput, done, gone, defeated, and destroyed. But Daniel said: “I know who I am … I know who I belong to … and I know where I am going.”
For three years Daniel stood his ground while living in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar. For three years he ate vegetables and drank water instead of the food offered by his captors. For three years he faced Jerusalem and prayed to the True God of Israel. And what happened? Look at verses 19 and 20. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were brought before the king who, upon examining them, finds that in three years they had become 10 times more knowledgeable than all the magicians and astrologers in the realm.
Do you know what is called? That’s called “God’s favor.” That’s what happens when you make a stand. That’s what happens when you look to God and not to Babylon. That’s what happens when you have a clear vision.
For the next 60-plus years, Daniel lives in the palace in Babylon, serving under five different kings. While serving the last one … King Darius … Daniel becomes president of the Mede-Persian Empire. God’s favor.
You see, kings come and go. Empires rise and fall. But through it all … through all the fears and turmoil and uncertainty … there is Someone you can look to, Someone you can lean on, Someone who will never leave you nor forsake you.
As we flounder and struggle in a sea of constant change, there is a way to hold on. There is a way to have courage. Daniel was not only able to overcome, he was able to prosper. What was his secret? What gave him the strength to carry on? Very simply this … He had learned to lean on Him who is Eternal. He had learned to see that even in the midst of constant change, he could rely on God, who never changes. He remembered who God is. He remembered what God required. He remembered that he was “Daniel” and not “Belteshazzar. Nebuchadnezzar was not his judge. Darius was not his judge. Marduk and Bel and Ishtar were not his judge. God alone … the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob … the God of Israel … the God of Jerusalem … was his judge.
Daniel had integrity. When it came to God and what he believed and how he practiced his faith, he was hole … undivided … complete. All parts of his life were integrated. His actions were an accurate reflection of his interior values, his beliefs, his principles, his faith in God. God, who is whole, complete, and undivided. God, whose actions are an accurate reflection of His eternal values and His steadfast love for us … His steadfast love that gave up His body for us. His steadfast love that took our sins upon Himself and bled so that our sins could be forgiven. His ministry, His healing, His teaching, His actions upon the cross evidence of His grace, His mercy, His compassion, His love … His heart.
Let us pray …
