As a refresher from last week, let's start with a few of those details. King Nebuchadnezzar knew the history of Israel well. He knew of their slavery in Egypt. What he did was a smart move on his part. He took them from their physical dwelling, those touches of their homeland–the temple and their religion. By taking the young people, namely Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, he wanted to charm Israel into becoming Babylonians. He gave these young men the honor of being in the king's court. By this he further isolated them and wanted to push their knowledge of Israel and their old ways out of their minds and replace it with the knowledge and "spirituality" of his own ways; he wanted to indoctrinate them in his religion. If they fell for it, he could use them as examples to the rest of the people of Israel.
This is a good picture of the devil as he tries to empty us of our own spirituality and indoctrinate us with the world, the new age; he tells us that church is outdated, the old ways won't work. This is the same logic that Nebuchadnezzar used except it now has a modern face. Satan wants to take God from the inside and put the secular inside. Satan tells us to lay aside our Christianity during the week and put it back on for Sunday and Wednesday.
The king knew he couldn't get God out of them, but he wanted a dual identity of Babylon. In other words, Babylonians first, Jews second. Again, this is what Satan wants today. He wants us to view ourselves with dual identities: "I am in the world first, I am in the Lions Club….or even a member of Adwolfe church." All this doesn't say Christ is first. Remember we are commissioned by the Lord to witness to not beat the world. Be known as a Christian first before anything else. Before any skill we have, we ought to be noted as a Christian first. Likewise before any other trait, Nebuchadnezzar wanted the Jews to identify with being Babylonians first.
He went as far as changing their diet. There are things the Jews just didn't eat. There were things they did not drink. Everything imaginable would have been set before them. Here these four young men sat at the king's table away from the rest of the Jews. In the privacy of the palace they could have eaten and drank anything they chose and no one else would have to know. Satan probably told them here is a new menu; the old things are gone. This is true for us today. He tells us the "old" has passed away; we have a new menu of things to choose from. There are some things in this world that are sinful; some are not. Have you noticed that Satan tempts us to do wrong? The king's servant told them how lucky they were to be chosen. We too are encouraged by the world and Satan–"it's all right to sin." Change your appetite. You're in Babylon; it's all right.
This same philosophy is shoved down our throats today. Stand for what the Bible says is wrong; don't let your appetite change. When our appetite and our tastes change–when Satan whets it with his– in time he may influence us. The time will come when we will have to purpose in our hearts and take a stand against Satan.
Just as the king purposed to feed them; they in turn purposed not to eat a bite. Eve tasted one bite. That is what the devil wants–just take one bite–then another. Satan keeps dishing out a "Nebuchadnezzar" table and soon we find we are more "Babylonian" than we are Christian.
The four asked to be proved for 10 days. They asked to eat only pulse (lintels) and water. This diet would have been considered inferior, but at the end of the 10 days they looked better than the others who ate the king's food. Even the king said so, and he didn't know what testing had gone on. These four young men stuck with it and sure enough it worked.
Satan will tell us we won't fit in. He'll tell us to live loosely. Look at these four; they were thought by all to look better. Why do we think Christianity is so homely? It is not palatable to the world; people may talk about you, but when the wicked get down and out, Christians are the ones they come to. We need to put on a few more Jesus pounds. This all worked because they purposed not to do the things the Babylonian way.
This is a good picture of the devil as he tries to empty us of our own spirituality and indoctrinate us with the world, the new age; he tells us that church is outdated, the old ways won't work. This is the same logic that Nebuchadnezzar used except it now has a modern face. Satan wants to take God from the inside and put the secular inside. Satan tells us to lay aside our Christianity during the week and put it back on for Sunday and Wednesday.
The king knew he couldn't get God out of them, but he wanted a dual identity of Babylon. In other words, Babylonians first, Jews second. Again, this is what Satan wants today. He wants us to view ourselves with dual identities: "I am in the world first, I am in the Lions Club….or even a member of Adwolfe church." All this doesn't say Christ is first. Remember we are commissioned by the Lord to witness to not beat the world. Be known as a Christian first before anything else. Before any skill we have, we ought to be noted as a Christian first. Likewise before any other trait, Nebuchadnezzar wanted the Jews to identify with being Babylonians first.
He went as far as changing their diet. There are things the Jews just didn't eat. There were things they did not drink. Everything imaginable would have been set before them. Here these four young men sat at the king's table away from the rest of the Jews. In the privacy of the palace they could have eaten and drank anything they chose and no one else would have to know. Satan probably told them here is a new menu; the old things are gone. This is true for us today. He tells us the "old" has passed away; we have a new menu of things to choose from. There are some things in this world that are sinful; some are not. Have you noticed that Satan tempts us to do wrong? The king's servant told them how lucky they were to be chosen. We too are encouraged by the world and Satan–"it's all right to sin." Change your appetite. You're in Babylon; it's all right.
This same philosophy is shoved down our throats today. Stand for what the Bible says is wrong; don't let your appetite change. When our appetite and our tastes change–when Satan whets it with his– in time he may influence us. The time will come when we will have to purpose in our hearts and take a stand against Satan.
Just as the king purposed to feed them; they in turn purposed not to eat a bite. Eve tasted one bite. That is what the devil wants–just take one bite–then another. Satan keeps dishing out a "Nebuchadnezzar" table and soon we find we are more "Babylonian" than we are Christian.
The four asked to be proved for 10 days. They asked to eat only pulse (lintels) and water. This diet would have been considered inferior, but at the end of the 10 days they looked better than the others who ate the king's food. Even the king said so, and he didn't know what testing had gone on. These four young men stuck with it and sure enough it worked.
Satan will tell us we won't fit in. He'll tell us to live loosely. Look at these four; they were thought by all to look better. Why do we think Christianity is so homely? It is not palatable to the world; people may talk about you, but when the wicked get down and out, Christians are the ones they come to. We need to put on a few more Jesus pounds. This all worked because they purposed not to do the things the Babylonian way.
For next week, see verses 6-7 as the target for change. The king had changed their location; he changed their dress; he also changed their names–their very identity. They had no choice in this matter. What do these names mean? See how relevant this is to us today. God has someone he wants to make out of us. The devil targets us to give us another identity. Look up what both the old and new names mean. You may be surprised.
It makes me wonder what would have happened to the nation of Israel if these four had allowed themselves to be absorbed by all this. What would have happened if these four had not purposed something in their hearts. Where would Israel be today?
Study this out for next week.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 