LIVING IN A STRANGE LAND—Daniel 1, 1 Peter 2:9-12
Read Daniel 1:1-20.
***My first days in a college dorm were a rude awakening, for a guy who had led a pretty sheltered life. Bob Dylan was blasting out, “Lay, Lady, Lay” on the stereo down the hall. (Yes, I am ancient!) The Beatles were singing “My Sweet Lord,” about the Hindu Lord Krishna. There was a rumor that a guy on our floor had stashed a bomb behind a metal panel in the hallway.
College students these days live in an even more challenging cultural environment. A “lady” might be lying in a roommate’s bed. A Hindu or Satanist might be in the room across the hall. A bomb might actually go off on campus.**
We could say, “Ain’t it awful”? We could play that game—but why? We have to learn how to live in a pagan world, and we are not the first ones to face that challenge.
First some history, as we begin our study of the book of Daniel:
God had chosen his people, the descendants of Abraham, brought them out of Egypt under Moses, and settled them in the Promised Land. The kingdom of Israel reached its peak under David and Solomon, but in 937 B.C., the 12 tribes separated into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah.
The kingdoms had their ups and downs, often falling into sin. In 722 B.C., the 10 northern tribes were taken into exile, and the people were dispersed in the Assyrian empire. They lost their identity as God’s people, being known as “the ten lost tribes of Israel.”
The kingdom of Judah remained. Good king Josiah attempted revival, but he faced strong opposition, and idol worship and immorality took over after his death. Finally, about 600 B.C., the Babylonians attacked Judah. Finally, Jerusalem and the temple were leveled, and most of Jews were taken to Babylon (modern-day Iraq).
The Jews found themselves in a strange and foreign culture. Babylon was a prosperous country, and its Hanging Gardens were among the 7 wonders of the ancient world. It was a center of learning, and a hub of technology. It was the center of a religion with its own creation myths and temple-towers, called ziggurats. The culture looked to astrologers and sorcerers for wisdom and direction.
Jews in exile faced a question: HOW DO WE LIVE AS GOD’S PEOPLE IN A PAGAN CULTURE?
Some decided to GO WITH THE FLOW, as many people do today. They tried to fit in, and not make waves.
Others felt lost and angry—angry at God, and angry at Babylon. Psalm 137:1-9 expresses their bitterness: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?...Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.” Of course, with that attitude, they were inclined to WITHDRAW into Jewish enclaves, separate from the world.
***In graduate school, I had a roommate who abhorred “worldliness.” (He condemned Billy Graham for sharing a stage of his crusade with Miss America.) As a deeply committed Christian, he avoided all media, including television, except for one hour on Saturday nights. He ate alone in the cafeteria, and only engaged with people at his church.**
Other exiles chose to become a REDEMPTIVE FORCE in the pagan Babylonian culture. The prophet Jeremiah told the exiles to “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jer. 29:7)
That is good advice for us too, but how do we engage the culture without being swallowed up by ungodly and evil influences? 1 Peter 2:9-12 tells us,
“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful LIGHT…Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. LIVE SUCH GOOD LIVES AMONG THE PAGANS that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
The theme is repeated throughout the New Testament. Jesus said that we are the light of the world. We live in the world, shining in the darkness. We are IN the world, but not OF the world. It all sounds good, but it is not always so easy to put into practice!
What can we learn from Daniel about living in a pagan world?
HOW CAN OUR LIGHT SHINE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS OFTEN UNGODLY AND FULL OF DARKNESS?
-STAND UP FOR WHO WE ARE.
Daniel 1:7, “The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.”
Why did he do that? Their new names were based on Babylonian culture and gods. For example, Daniel includes the Hebrew word for God, El, while Beltashazzar includes the name of the Babylonian god, Bel. The chief official wanted Daniel and his friends to forget their identity as Jews, and take on a new identity—an identity tied to Babylonian gods.
Daniel 1:8, “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
Why was food and drink such a big deal for Daniel? Was it a health thing—simply eating vegan? No, the food was not kosher, and the food and drink had probably had been sacrificed to idols. Jewish food laws were part of Daniel’s identity as a servant of the God of Israel.
Whom was Daniel trying to impress? Not the king, or the interns from other nations. No, Daniel was trying to impress himself! He wanted to remember that he was not like the rest of the world; he was one of the chosen people of God.
When we take a stand, we do not try to impose our moral standards on pagans! If ungodly people are immoral or have different values, they are living in a way that is consistent with who they are.
We need to be concerned when Christians acting like pagans! Ezekiel, a contemporary of Daniel, identified the problem that caused the Jews to be taken into exile:
Ezekiel 22:6-13 “See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood. In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the foreigner and mistreated the fatherless and the widow. You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths. In you are slanderers who are bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts…In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
Daniel was not trying to change the eating habits of Babylonians. He was reminding himself and his 3 Jewish friends who they were: God’s chosen people.
In the words of Peter, which we read earlier, we are “chosen…holy…God’s special possession.” We are reminded of that when we stand up for who we are and how God wants us to live.
A college student must be able to say, “No, I don’t get drunk, I think I’ll pass on that kind of party.” “I don’t agree with what that professor is saying.” “Being up half the night all the time doesn’t work for me.” “I choose to go to church or Bible study, and my Christian friends keep me grounded.”
For us who are older, the lines we draw in the sand might be more subtle. I saw an article recently, “Why we love rumors, gossip, and bad news.” Can we just say no to some of that? Can we take charge of our schedule, to stay close to God and serve others? Can we go against the flow at work, to stand for ethical principles? Can we choose, not only what we put in to our mouths, but what we allow into our minds and our hearts?
When we take a stand, we need to be wise about how we do it, so we do not come across as self-righteous or arrogant. 1 Peter 3:15-16 says, “In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
Daniel was a wise man, and he was sensitive to the situation of the man in charge: (Daniel 1:11-16) “Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.”
Daniel won that battle, and he maintained his integrity from the start of his time in Babylon.
We need to remind ourselves and others who we are. Then,
-EXCEL IN THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE LIVE.
Daniel 1:17-20, “To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”
This is significant, because the literature and knowledge of the Babylonians included sacred writings, creation myths, astrology, and magic arts. Daniel and his friends knew more about Babylonian religion and culture than most Babylonians, and Daniel could interpret dreams and visions better than the king’s magicians and enchanters. Daniel beat them at their own game!
***Some Christian schools refuse to discuss evolution, objections to Christianity, or other religions. Some parents or churches avoid talking about sexuality, or secular music or media. Some Christian adults refuse to read news and opinions from secular sources, preferring to live in a bubble of information they find more supportive. Theirs is a different approach from Daniel and his friends. In fact, God helped Daniel and his friends excel in the pagan culture of Babylon!**
Like Daniel and his friends, the environment in which we live in may not be entirely friendly, or even wholesome!
***Village Church of New York City has a group of artists and performers who try to engage their culture with the gospel. They recognize the difficulties of living as Christians in their circumstances, and they claim Daniel as their model.**
Christians should excel in all areas of their lives. We should take care of ourselves, to be as healthy as possible--physically, emotionally, and in our relationships. We should excel in learning, with well-rounded information, and opinions that are carefully developed.
Christians should aim to excel in areas like science and technology, the arts, music and writing. If we are not able to excel, we should at least be focused on our work, committed to excellence, and effective team members.
In work or business, Christians should shine light on shady dealings and dark atmospheres. Employers and bosses should shine by how they treat people, and even the most menial tasks should be done “as to the Lord.”
Christians—especially retired persons—should be known for their service to the community. Churches should be known for the impact they make, and for what they add to the community.
Christians should shine in their relationships, with people who are lonely, hurting, or troubled. We should bring a ray of light into the atmosphere of ball games, family gatherings, office chatter, and online conversation.
Paul puts it this way in Philippians 2:14-16, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”
Of course, light also encounters darkness, and we should not be naïve about dangers in our culture. As we pursue money or success, engage in politics, or try to exert influence, we need to be wise. Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 10:16, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
***Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC has a vocational group for fashion designers. They recognize how the fashion industry sometimes exploits women, caters to the rich, and manipulates culture for greed. Yet they work together in the industry, to empower women, care for the poor, and embrace positive aspects of humanity.**
IN A WORLD THAT IS SO OFTEN UNGODLY AND FULL OF DARKNESS, WE SHOULD SHINE:
-STAND UP FOR WHO WE ARE.
-EXCEL IN THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE LIVE.
