Staying Strong in a Hostile World 2024 - Week 4
What Trusting in God Looks Like | Staying Strong in a Hostile World 2024 | Book of Daniel
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8
Trusting God in a Pagan World
Hi, readers. I didn’t attend the Wednesday morning small group due to another commitment, yet the Lord touched me that afternoon. While I sat alone in an office for an appointment, I began to pray and focus on the truth that His Holy Spirit lives in me. The Lord’s joy gently rose up in me and continued to fill me up, to where tears came to my eyes.
Just be in My presence, daughter. That’s how you stand strong in a hostile world.
I then imagined Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah doing the same thing—making time each day to pray and sit in Yahweh’s presence while they endured exile in Babylonia, surrounded by loud and visibly irreverent pagan worship.
They sat in His presence.
I need to do more of this, spend more time just sitting in His presence and communing with our Lord.
How about you?
What’s Up with Daniel?
This week, we no longer have King Nebuchadnezzar as the principal antagonist in the four Hebrews’ lives. In Daniel chapter 5, he’s now dealing with King Belshazzar. In chapter 6, King Darius rules from Babylonia’s throne. Let’s see what we can learn from Daniel and how he dealt with these two kings.
Daniel Chapter 5
The Writing on the Wall
King Belshazzar was the son of King Nabonidus, who spent a great deal of time in Teima (an ancient Babylonian city in Arabia), leaving his son to rule over Babylon as a co-regent or a “second king”. This will mean something to us in a couple of paragraphs. As you’ve read, Belshazzar threw an enormous party, feasting and getting drunk in front of one thousand guests. And then, he did something that churns my stomach when I read this passage.
Daniel 5:1-4 (ESV)
1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Belshazzar disrespected Yahweh in an idolatrous, irreverent manner. Immediately, a hand wrote words on the wall, terrifying the king out of his wits. (some scholars suggest this was the “finger of God”, referring to when Yahweh inscribed the Ten Commandments on the tablets given to Moses, Exodus 31:18.)
As happened in the past with King Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s wise men, magicians, etc., could not translate the words for the distraught Belshazzar. The Queen Mother ran to her son and reminded him of Daniel and his wisdom. Like his ancestor, the king called in Daniel to help.
He said to Daniel:
Daniel 5:15-16 (HCSB)
15 Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation. 16 However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” [ Emphasis mine ]
Mind blowing. The King offered to promote Daniel to a ruling position directly below him, a kingship position. However, this did not impress Daniel at all.
Unlike the other court tales, Daniel rebukes the king, interprets the writing, pronounces the judgment, and leaves. God’s retribution on the sacrilege of Belshazzar is dealt with swiftly.
John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Da 5:13–31.
~Logos Bible Software
Daniel never said to Belshazzar the respectful phrase “live forever”. Instead, we see his anger over how the egotistical king defiled the gold and silver vessels that the Hebrew priests had once used to worship Yahweh in His temple in Jerusalem.
Imagine what a heartbreaking sight for Daniel.
He rebuked the king, interpreted the writing on the wall, and then told the king the truth: God’s judgment would fall on the king that night. Daniel reminded Belshazzar that the king knew all that Yahweh had done to get Nebuchadnezzar’s attention (verse 22, “even though you knew all this”), yet Belshazzar ignored his ancestor’s experiences and how he had acknowledged Israel’s God as the Most High God, above all other gods.
Chapter 5 has me asking myself this question: Do I have the courage to speak God’s truth to others? Even His truth to power?
Daniel did, and he continued to trust God in that enormous banquet room with a thousand guests, a terrified and drunk king (who might have peed his pants), and he interpreted the condemning words etched supernaturally on the wall.
What happened next? Belshazzar promoted Daniel to the third highest (kingship) position in all of Babylon. That night, Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Mede became king.
Daniel Chapter 6
In the Lions’ Den
It’s tempting to gloss over this event in Daniel’s life and its “Sunday School flannel board” aspect. And yes, I still can see in my mind’s eye the flannel board used for lessons by our Sunday School teachers.
But we need to take Daniel’s predicament seriously. Why was he thrown into the lions’ den?
Because the government made his religion and religious practices (prayer, worship) illegal. That was the only way the satraps and administrators under King Darius could trap Daniel and have him removed from the king’s favor and killed. For many years, Daniel had served Babylonian royalty with solid ethics. He was respectful, trustworthy, and always faithful to Yahweh his God. When he learned about the document King Darius signed, what did Daniel do?
Daniel 6:10 (HCSB)
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
You know the rest of the story. Daniel continued to trust God no matter the outcome.
Dear readers, most of you live in countries in which we can still safely and openly worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I do as well, however the majority of the churches in my area have a local city police officer (or county deputy) assigned and stationed near the front doors on Sunday mornings. They also walk the perimeter of the churches and are in radio contact with each church’s security team. This sobering Sunday morning scene does not compare to what our sisters and brothers experience in certain countries.
The Most Dangerous Countries for Christians
Our spiritual family members in these countries need our constant prayers. If they’re not already on your prayer list, please add them this week.
Open Doors - January 2024 - The 10 Most Dangerous Places for Christians
Open Doors - World Watch List 2024
Christianity Today - January 2024 - The 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Follow Jesus in 2024
Voice of the Martyrs - Stories from Persecuted Believers - 2024
What About the Rest of Us?
Some of you, dear readers, are experiencing shades of anti-Christian restrictions where you live. We pray for you as well. Feel free to use the comments section to add your specific prayer requests for us to pray over.
For the rest of us, we need to trust God no matter the outcome. We can continue to grow in our relationship with our Lord God, study His word, love and respect others, and learn from the examples of Daniel and his three friends.
Let’s continue to encourage each other, even after this series ends.
Application: What About You?
Here are a few thoughts to consider from Daniel’s journey in chapters 5 and 6:
Sit in God’s Presence: Find times when you can just be in God’s presence, like I did when I had a moment alone in an office this past week.
Stand Up for God: Stand up for Yahweh’s reputation, based on what He has done all throughout the history of His people, and especially His victorious work through Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Suffer for God: Prepare your heart and your mind to be willing to suffer for Jesus. When I read the testimonies of our fellow believers who face persecution daily, I learn from them how to stand strong in a hostile world.
Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.
Soli Deo Gloria!
If you’re a not-yet follower of Jesus Christ, please come along on this journey with us. You are welcome here.
And, I invite you to read my series on the book “What Does God Want?”.
Conversation & Community
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Thank You, LORD, thank You.
“We have been called.”
"And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:30 HCSB
Thank you, Jenise, for this insightful, heartfelt letter. GOD bless you!
"When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Daniel 6:10 HCHB
“We have been called.”
Daniel 6:10 HCHB
This verse powerfully speaks to the heart. Daniel became aware of the consequences of his prayers, which would no doubt bring him into the lion’s den. But he knew his GOD was greater than the lions, the King, and his accusers, so he got down on his knees, prayed, and thanked his GOD as he had always done. Nothing had changed. His GOD was still sovereign over all of creation and had absolute control over every situation.
As we see how Daniel acted, does it move us to have the same conviction that no matter what happens in this hostile world, we will remain obedient to what our GOD has called us to do no matter the consequences because surely, He has called each of us?
“We have been called.”
“Who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 ESV.
Thank You, LORD, for all that You do for us. Thank You for calling us. Thank You for Your Love and great kindness that saved us and freed us from a hopeless future, from death. Thank You for giving us everlasting life. Thank You for holding on to us forever. Thank You for Your gracious care. Amen
"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” John 16:33 HCSB
Peaceful Piano Instrumental - Prayer Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiaBQAp9nMQ&t=437s
There are police or security protecting the majority of churches in your area? Wow, where do you live Night Owl?