Two days before the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, I am praying that I will be a Christian in the mold of the prophet Daniel. I want to be like Daniel in three ways–which will be an improvement of how I’ve been in past political seasons.
We know of two occasions when Daniel directly opposed the directive of the land’s ruler. First, when a command came to eat certain foods that God had warned humanity not to eat (Daniel 1:1-21). Daniel’s response to this was a personal decision in his heart
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
Daniel 1:8 — The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016)
The second came when Daniel learned of a law forbidding him to pray to God (Daniel 6:1-28)
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Daniel 6:10, The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).
The king promoted Daniel in the former and threw Daniel in a den of lions in the latter. However, the consequence did not change his convictions and never resulted in a personal compromise.
Other than these two stories, we have no record of Daniel openly defying the ruler of his land. Daniel surely disagreed on more than just these two issues. Yet, we have no record of Daniel speaking out against the king’s policies. I believe we lack a record of policy opposition because Daniel never shared his disagreements publicly. Daniel only publicly opposed the ruler of the land when the instruction called for compromise against God’s instructions, as revealed in the scriptures.
This does not mean that Daniel was unwilling to speak the truth to power. There are also two stories in which Daniel had to share hard news—unpopular news—with the king. These two stories are found in Daniel 4:4-33 and Daniel 5:13-30.
On both of these occasions, the record of what Daniel spoke were words and insight that came directly from God.
I pray I will be silent in all political matters unless the leaders of my land call me (us) to act against a clear, “thus saith the Lord.” And that when I speak, I only speak according to what God directs me to speak–and on this latter point, I pray I am very, very, very circumspect!
Twice in the story of Daniel, his life was at risk because of the ego of the king he served under.
The first came when the king’s top wisemen couldn’t interpret a dream he had, and so King Nebuchadnezzar decided to take out his anger on all the wisemen, not just those in the room.
Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.
Daniel 2:12, The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).
The second life-threatening moment for Daniel came from the story I referenced above, when a different king, King Darius, allowed himself to be flattered by some of his leaders and sign into existence a foolish law that would condemn Daniel, the king’s friend and loyal servant, to death.
Two foolish laws. Both laws prescribed came from the pride of men with power.
But Daniel never attacked them or made it personal or asked God to punish them. Daniel always exhibited grace and humility in his words and actions.
In the first story Daniel responded thus…
The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.
Daniel 2:26–28. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).
Then, just a short time after this moment, Daniel had the opportunity to deliver bad news to the king. The king who threatened his life. The king about to be punished by God. This is how Daniel spoke to King Nebuchadnezzar–
Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!
Daniel 4:19. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).
Daniel’s heart hurt over the suffering of this king.
In the second story, Daniel’s prayers resulted in a trip to the lion’s den. Daniel was delivered to the lions to die. But Daniel didn’t die, God protected Daniel. What did Daniel say to this king whose desire to satisfy his ego risked the life of his friend and counselor?
Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
Daniel 6:21–22. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).
I pray I have the grace and humility to never make my comments about any leader in this land personal.
Finally, I want to be like Daniel—a bipartisan servant. Daniel served five kings in his life: Jehoiakim (Israel), Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), Belshazzar (Babylon), Darius (Medo-Persia), and Cyrus (Medo-Persia).
Daniel’s loyalty was to God, enabling him to serve anyone God gave him the opportunity to serve.
I pray I will help every leader be as successful as they can be. For me, as I am no Daniel or Billy Graham, this will likely never be in a direct role. But I can serve every leader by praying for them and their success regardless of my political agreements or disagreements with him or her.
This is how I am praying for myself this political season. To be a Christian in the mold of Daniel. Do you want to join me in that prayer for yourself?
As we enter into another week of being the church scattered rather than the church gathered, due to Covid-19, the first verses of Acts, chapter 8, are ringing in my ears. Acts chapter 8 for those of you that may not recall tells the story of when the church went from a work primarily focused in Jerusalem, to a church scattered around the then known world. The scattering came about through persecution, Stephen, a leader in the early church, was stoned to death for his faith, and then the Bible states,
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.[1] (Acts 8:1)
If there was no further explanation after verse one, a reader could deduce this scattering destroyed the church, but then we read verse 4,
“Now, those who were scattered went about preaching the word.”[2] (Acts 8:4)
When the church could no longer be in one place due to the circumstances of their world, the church began to spread and grow.
Ellen G. White in the book Acts of the Apostles sheds further light on the importance of this occasion,
The persecution that came upon the church in Jerusalem resulted in giving a great impetus to the work of the gospel. Success had attended the ministry of the word in that place, and there was danger that the disciples would linger there too long, unmindful of the Saviour’s commission to go to all the world. Forgetting that strength to resist evil is best gained by aggressive service, they began to think that they had no work so important as that of shielding the church in Jerusalem from the attacks of the enemy. Instead of educating the new converts to carry the gospel to those who had not heard it, they were in danger of taking a course that would lead all to be satisfied with what had been accomplished. To scatter His representatives abroad, where they could work for others, God permitted persecution to come upon them. Driven from Jerusalem, the believers “went everywhere preaching the word.” (Acts of the Apostles,105)
Notice some critical points in that paragraph:
Does any of this sound familiar to your local church context? Maybe even you personally?
I love the previous paragraph, but it is the following paragraph in Acts of the Apostles that hits me like a club over the head,
Among those to whom the Saviour had given the commission, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19), were many from the humbler walks of life—men and women who had learned to love their Lord and who had determined to follow His example of unselfish service. To these lowly ones, as well as to the disciples who had been with the Saviour during His earthly ministry, had been given a precious trust. They were to carry to the world the glad tidings of salvation through Christ. (Acts of the Apostles, 105).
The above paragraph, along with the last phrase of verse 1, “except the apostles,” tells us one of the reasons why the gospel began to spread the way it did. The “laity” went out to spread the gospel, not the apostles. People that learned to love Jesus and decided to follow Him along with some of the people who followed Jesus while He was still walking the earth, excluding the apostles, went out to share the message. The “members,” as we may call them, did not see it as the role of the “clergy,” as we may call them to establish the ways and means by which to share Jesus in this time of scattering. They just went out and, in unselfish service, carried the love of Jesus to their world.
And the kingdom of God grew each day.
Sometimes it takes a crisis to remind us of the role each one of us has played in becoming the “satisfied church of Jerusalem.” Covid-19 has served as just such a reminder to me. It has awakened me to my failures as a member of the “professional clergy.” I have allowed there to be too much priority on programming and “come to us” type of events, which are pointless in this crisis. I have called people to many committees, but not to training. I have inadvertently taught people that attending worship one day of the week is the primary role of their Christian walk, rather than teaching them that the purpose of the gathering is to be refreshed for the sending the other six days of the week. We occupy members’ lives with so much busyness at church (school) that they don’t have time to be ministers in their neighborhoods and to their co-workers.
I pray this crisis has also helped our members to reflect on their role in surrendering their God-given call to ministry over to the paid professionals. That would start to call us to and hold us accountable for training them to go out and do the work of ministry rather than doing the work of ministry for them.
I pray our members when they have an idea of how they can help their neighbors, won’t make that suggestion to the church, but they will just do it. That if they feel a Bible verse can comfort someone in need, they will share it, not ask the pastor to come over and share it. That if someone around them requires prayer, they will pray, not call the pastor to come and pray.
Hundreds, yea, thousands, who have heard the message of salvation are still idlers in the market place, when they might be engaged in some line of active service. To these Christ is saying, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” and He adds, “Go ye also into the vineyard.” Matthew 20:6, 7. Why is it that many more do not respond to the call? Is it because they think themselves excused in that they do not stand in the pulpit? Let them understand that there is a large work to be done outside the pulpit by thousands of consecrated lay members. Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church so that everyone shall be working for Him according to his ability. When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfillment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth with power and great glory. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14. (Acts of the Apostles, 110)
No one wants to go through a crisis, but a crisis offers opportunities to learn and come out better on the other side. I pray myself as a leader, and our church comes out on the other side better—better workers for Jesus.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 8:1). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 8:4). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
There are scriptures and stories I accept by faith, but I do not understand.
This is just such a scripture.
The challenge of the scripture to me is in God’s request. Such a request is more painful than physical pain.
When my oldest son was just two years old, he had to have surgery. The thought of my two year going under anesthesia was immensely painful to my heart.
As they wheeled him away and he cried out for my wife and I, I would have done anything to comfort him.
The request of God in Genesis 22 is that pain I had multiplied to infinity.
I understand that Abraham reasoned God could Isaac back to life (Hebrews 11:19), but I also knew my son would wake-up from anesthesia–but it was still a pain my heart will forever remember.
So again, this is a scripture I accept in faith, but struggle with in my humaneness.
A quick note on the text today.
This story reminds us that simply because a person is a “pagan” does not mean they are less honorable than the “believer” in God.
Abraham shows dishonor once again to his wife Sarah,
Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
Genesis 20:11-13, NIV
But Abimelek seeks to restore Sarah’s reputation,
To
Genesis 20:16Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”
Abraham = I want to ask you to put yourself in a position of compromise for me.
Abimelek = I want to completely clear you from any blame or suspicion.
In verse 16, I also appreciated this subtle jab by the King, he tells Sarah, “I am giving your brother.” He doesn’t call Abraham her husband. Why? My guess is because Abimelek will not give the title of husband to Abraham when he has not earned such a respectful title.
Being a husband is to be earned.
Genesis 19 illustrates the combined wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah and its impact on Lots family through sexual sin:
Before they (Lot and male guests) had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”
The New International Version. (2011). (Ge 19:4–5). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them.
The New International Version. (2011). (Ge 19:6–8). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” 33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him.
The New International Version. (2011). (Ge 19:31–35). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Due to the inference of homosexual acts in the first scripture reference above and our modern societies desire to avoid all condemnation of homosexual activity, there are efforts to minimize this sin of Sodom and Gomorrah,
It may be that sexual disorder is one aspect of a general disorder. But that issue is presented in a way scarcely pertinent to contemporary discussions of homosexuality.
Brueggemann, W. (1982). Genesis (p. 164). Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press.
So those that want to condone the homosexual acts within our society often point out that Sodom and Gomorrah were condemned in other parts of scripture for overall injustice (Isaiah 1:10; 3:9), adultery and deceit (Jeremiah 23:14), and the most popular explanation for their destruction,
Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eze 16:49–50). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
I concur with commentators that there were other ills in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, but that does not mean one of those ills was not homosexual activity.
On the other hand, I would push against those who focus primarily on the sin of sexual activity between two individuals of the same gender, that the sexual sins in the rest of Genesis 19 and the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah listed in other parts of scripture need to be condemned just as strongly as the homosexual activity.
We as Christians that believe sexual activity, as God designed it,
For Christians to condemn homosexual acts out of one side of their mouths and condone the vitriol, lies, and greed of a president out of the other side of their mouths destroy Christian credibility.
Sex between individuals of the same gender is sin. So is avarice, gluttony, pride, dishonesty, oppression of the poor, heterosexual sins, etc.
Christians, let us be consistent!