Lessons from Babylon - Daniel 1
I've been enjoying the Beth Moore Bible Study on the book of Daniel. I promised to share what I've been learning a while ago. Sorry it has taken me so long to share but it is taking me a while to really process all that I'm learning. This week marks the halfway point through the 12-week study. I have learned something new each week.
I'd love to share a bit of what each week has taught me so far...and what I learn in the weeks to come. If I did that all in one blog, it would be too long so I'm going to cut this up into manageable chunks. More will come later.
When Daniel and his buddies were dragged from their homeland, Judah, to the great city of Babylon, they came to a sparkling, powerful, amazing city. They were chosen to serve in the king's court because they were of royal blood - they were also young (probably about 15 when they first arrived), handsome, smart and quick-witted. You know, we tend to think of the Babylonians as an ancient empire far removed from our present-day culture but as Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." We humans aren't very original. Babylon wasn't much different than one of our major U.S. cities in its splendor and its cultural values. In the video series, Beth Moore does some little snippets speaking from the streets of Beverly Hills and L.A. - it is a very fitting backdrop to this study of Daniel and the ancient city of Babylon. They are more similar than you would think.
Babylon was a city of excess and over-indulgence. Outward things such as power, money, youth and beauty were highly valued. When Daniel and his buddies arrived on the scene their senses were overloaded with options. The king's officials placed a huge bounty of choice food before them and said "Eat whatever suits your fancy."
Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego) asked instead to eat only vegetables and drink water. Rather than indulge in all the choices, they chose to abstain. The king's food was unclean according to the laws God had set up for them. These young boys exercised a little RESOLVE. They weren't going to let all those options and indulgences get to their heads or their hearts. They knew that just because they could didn't mean they should.
We Americans have so many options and choices to indulge in that we can completely lose our touch with God and reality (we aren't the only nation today with this problem, but because I am an American, I'll relate it to my own country). The Babylonian creed was "I am and there is none besides me." (Isaiah 47:8) They were completely blind to anybody but themselves. We, too, are so self-absorbed that we miss what is happening around us. We become so concerned with our needs, our desires that we do exactly what Satan wants us to do - we stop reaching out to the world around us. The devil doesn't have to work very hard to get us sidetracked....just get us shopping, eating, buying, or obsessing about being/looking young, beautiful or smart.
You may think that because I am a missionary that I am free from over-indulgence or self-absorption. Oh, how I wish that simply removing myself from American soil would take care of such a deep-seeded problem! Example: Here in Ecuador, if you see something you might like to have, you can count on the fact that if you return even a few hours later to buy it, it will be gone. There isn't more than one or two of anything on a shelf. So what do I want to do? Hoard. If I see it, I buy it - whether I'm sure I need it or not. What starts out as a grocery store issue translates to all things in life. I want so badly to GRAB on to things because I feel this desperation to get it while I can. My trip back to the States in February was very eye-opening in this matter. I was ready to clear the shelves at Wal-Mart! I brought back the silliest things - just because of my compulsion to HAVE. Now instead of getting just one, I feel compelled to get two or three...since I may never get another chance.
Beth Moore says that we will "lose our identity, and integrity without resolve." We have to make the very conscious effort not to let the choices, abundance, and values of our culture get in the way of being who God has called us to be. This goes on a much deeper level than how much we buy or what we eat - it goes down to how much we allow ourselves to believe what the world tells us is important. Is beauty more important than mercy? Is youth of greater value than wisdom? Is knowledge without compassion worthy? We don't have to be ugly and dumb to be godly - but we do have to resolve not to value ourselves more than God or others.
Have you resolved?
I'd love to share a bit of what each week has taught me so far...and what I learn in the weeks to come. If I did that all in one blog, it would be too long so I'm going to cut this up into manageable chunks. More will come later.
When Daniel and his buddies were dragged from their homeland, Judah, to the great city of Babylon, they came to a sparkling, powerful, amazing city. They were chosen to serve in the king's court because they were of royal blood - they were also young (probably about 15 when they first arrived), handsome, smart and quick-witted. You know, we tend to think of the Babylonians as an ancient empire far removed from our present-day culture but as Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." We humans aren't very original. Babylon wasn't much different than one of our major U.S. cities in its splendor and its cultural values. In the video series, Beth Moore does some little snippets speaking from the streets of Beverly Hills and L.A. - it is a very fitting backdrop to this study of Daniel and the ancient city of Babylon. They are more similar than you would think.
Babylon was a city of excess and over-indulgence. Outward things such as power, money, youth and beauty were highly valued. When Daniel and his buddies arrived on the scene their senses were overloaded with options. The king's officials placed a huge bounty of choice food before them and said "Eat whatever suits your fancy."
Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego) asked instead to eat only vegetables and drink water. Rather than indulge in all the choices, they chose to abstain. The king's food was unclean according to the laws God had set up for them. These young boys exercised a little RESOLVE. They weren't going to let all those options and indulgences get to their heads or their hearts. They knew that just because they could didn't mean they should.
We Americans have so many options and choices to indulge in that we can completely lose our touch with God and reality (we aren't the only nation today with this problem, but because I am an American, I'll relate it to my own country). The Babylonian creed was "I am and there is none besides me." (Isaiah 47:8) They were completely blind to anybody but themselves. We, too, are so self-absorbed that we miss what is happening around us. We become so concerned with our needs, our desires that we do exactly what Satan wants us to do - we stop reaching out to the world around us. The devil doesn't have to work very hard to get us sidetracked....just get us shopping, eating, buying, or obsessing about being/looking young, beautiful or smart.
You may think that because I am a missionary that I am free from over-indulgence or self-absorption. Oh, how I wish that simply removing myself from American soil would take care of such a deep-seeded problem! Example: Here in Ecuador, if you see something you might like to have, you can count on the fact that if you return even a few hours later to buy it, it will be gone. There isn't more than one or two of anything on a shelf. So what do I want to do? Hoard. If I see it, I buy it - whether I'm sure I need it or not. What starts out as a grocery store issue translates to all things in life. I want so badly to GRAB on to things because I feel this desperation to get it while I can. My trip back to the States in February was very eye-opening in this matter. I was ready to clear the shelves at Wal-Mart! I brought back the silliest things - just because of my compulsion to HAVE. Now instead of getting just one, I feel compelled to get two or three...since I may never get another chance.
Beth Moore says that we will "lose our identity, and integrity without resolve." We have to make the very conscious effort not to let the choices, abundance, and values of our culture get in the way of being who God has called us to be. This goes on a much deeper level than how much we buy or what we eat - it goes down to how much we allow ourselves to believe what the world tells us is important. Is beauty more important than mercy? Is youth of greater value than wisdom? Is knowledge without compassion worthy? We don't have to be ugly and dumb to be godly - but we do have to resolve not to value ourselves more than God or others.
Have you resolved?
Great lesson, Becca. Sometimes I am overwhelmed and sickened by the over-indulgence of our culture. Unfortunately, I do a pretty good job of overcoming that. I often feel torn. One minute I want to sell everything and live among the Eskimos (sharing Jesus, of course), and the next I'm thinking I need a facial...and it'd be really cool to have a Hummer.... It is HARD to remember that we're not here to just build up our name and wealth. Gee, thanks so much for convicting me, little sister. I still love you.
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