Can anyone guess what Piglet from Winnie the Pooh, the Lion from The Wizard of Oz, and Gideon from the Bible all have in common? Think as you scroll for the answer…
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They are all famous for being fearful. What a fantastic claim to fame.
(…But honestly, that trio of cowards reminds me a lot of myself. How about you?)
In Judges 6, we find that the Israelites turned away from God again (no surprise there!) and were being severely oppressed by the Midianites. Their behavior kind of reminds me of school bullies times a thousand – school bullies steal your lunch; Midianites crushed their crops. School bullies force you to hide in lockers; Midianites drove the Israelites off their land to hide in caves. Starving, homeless, and desperate, the Israelites again cried out to God for someone to save them. So, God sent his angel to the most unlikely warrior: Gideon, the self-proclaimed least member of the weakest family in his clan.
The chapter opens to the scene of Gideon hiding in a winepress while threshing the wheat (to keep it away from the Midianite bullies, of course). Ironically, the first words the angel of the LORD said to Gideon were, “The LORD is with you, Mighty Warrior!”
I’m sure Gideon looked around to see if the angel was talking to someone else. Gideon, a mighty warrior? Gideon was full of questions, concerns, and doubts, asking for verification that he understood correctly that God had called him to defeat the Midianites. His first assignment was to tear down the idols (which Gideon did under the cover of night, of course, because he was afraid). Through sign after sign after tiring sign, God reassured Gideon that He really had called him to conquer Midian. Finally Gideon gained the courage to attack when he overheard a conversation among Midianites about their premonition that Gideon was going to conquer them. So Gideon’s miniscule militia, armed with (oddly enough) trumpets, jars, and torches, conquered the Midianites. There is a bit more conflict and idolatry in chapter 8, but overall, God’s people experienced 40 years of peace.
Gideon was not afraid to question God and ask for reassurance. God knows what we are feeling, and He wants us to bring our questions before Him. God was faithful and patient with his servant, encouraging Gideon with inexplicable reminders of His plan. “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15
I doubt that anyone would have labeled Gideon a warrior at the beginning of this story; he was a most unlikely hero. But that’s one of the beautiful things about our God: He has a way of ordaining the underdogs to do His most important work and calling them for it even before they look the part. God saw Gideon not for the milksop he was, but for the mighty warrior he would be with God’s power. God sees the potential in us, too, and he loves to use us through our weaknesses to demonstrate his power (I Corinthians 1:26-31). As the angel in this story advised, just “go in the strength that you have” (Judges 6:14).
-Rachel Cain
Reflections:
What are some ways that God has worked through your weaknesses for His glory?
Bring your doubts and questions before God, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He wants you to seek Him!
Be encouraged to seek God even in your doubts by listening to this song.
Whenever I think of girl power, I envision caricatures of Deborah and Jael posing Rosie-the-Riveter-style in front of a tent, bloody peg in fist. Though this Bible story is a bit morbid, it is also bold and counter-cultural evidence of the power of God and his desire to use everyone for His glory.
After Ehud died, the Israelites turned away from God, and they were oppressed by Jabin, the king of Canaan, for 20 years. Deborah became the Israelite leader during a time period in which not many women held high positions; she was not only a female judge in the same way other men in this book, like Othniel and Ehud, were judges/leaders, but she was also a prophetess and a judicial expert. God gave Deborah a message for military general Barak, guaranteeing him a victory against Sisera, the Canaanite army commander. Barak refused to go without Deborah, which could be a tribute to his faith in Deborah, a testimony to his lack of faith in God, and/or a confirmation of his general cowardice. Whichever it may be, Deborah agreed to go with the army, warning Barak that the victory for this battle in the historical record would forever be credited to a woman.
Barak’s army managed to fatally defeat every one of Sisera’s troops – except Sisera himself, who fled on foot to the home of Heber and Jael of the Kenite tribe (which was supposedly a neutral party, friendly to both Israelites and Canaanites). Jael greeted Sisera with exceptionally devious hospitality: when Sisera asked for water, she instead gave him a skin of comforting milk to help him rest well. Once Sisera was fast asleep, she sneaked in as stealthily as a prowling cat and drove a tent peg through his head into the ground, thus practically emancipating the Israelite people from King Jabin.
But really though, shouldn’t Jael have just stayed in her lane? Why would she rock the boat when her tribe was at peace with both sides? I mean, it was probably common knowledge that the Canaanites were oppressing the Israelites, but since she was neither, it didn’t really affect her, right? Why should she do anything to help one side or hurt the other?
Perhaps Jael had heard rumors of the power of the Israelites’ God and didn’t want to be on their bad side. Or maybe she just had a sense that the Israelite/Canaanite relationship wasn’t right, and if she were in the position of the Israelites, she would hope that someone would come to the rescue, too.
We aren’t privy to Jael’s thoughts, but when Sisera sought refuge in her abode, Jael was thrust into a rather precarious position that forced her to choose sides. She was granted a unique opportunity to impact great change, an opportunity that literally fell into her tent. The stakes were high (pun intended)! So Jael chose to be brave, even though it could have repercussions for her family and tribe once Jabin got wind of her actions. She had witnessed injustice and chose not to turn a blind eye when it was within her power to do something. Jael deceptively entertained the tyrannical army leader in order to gain an advantage and help the Israelites.
Would I be like Jael, always ready to stand for what’s right even if I’m standing alone, even if it would cost me something? Or would I just mind my own beeswax and not get involved in things that don’t directly concern me, even though others are being hurt? As Christians in a first-world country, often we would rather spend energy complaining about minor inconveniences like Starbucks messing up our overpriced coffee than about serious issues that are going on in the world. Did you know that there are still people in the world suffering from starvation, lack of clean water or medical care, poverty further worsened by illiteracy, and political unrest that makes even simple daily living dangerous? Did you know that today there are more slaves than ever before? We envision all of that as happening across the ocean, but so much of it is right here under our noses. I live about 20 minutes from the intersection of two significant US highways, rendering it a major drug- and sex-trafficking hub. So much of this slavery and injustice is happening in our own backyards, and we all have a duty to do something about it. (I’m speaking to myself here too; I’ve been considering how I can get involved in the local movement to help this trafficking injustice.) We as collective Christians have neglected this duty to be involved in the world around us and contribute to change. It is so easy for us to stay in our comfy little church bubbles. But think back to the gospels for a minute… who did Jesus criticize the most – the biggest sinners or the religious leaders? Pharisees. Sadducees. The “most religious” people who ultimately cared more about their image than the One in Whose image they were created. Being Christians doesn’t give us permission to “look up at God” and away from the needs; it gives us all the more reason to see the world through “Jesus goggles” and intervene in practical ways (which James calls us to do). We can’t do everything, but we can do something.
In Deborah’s song of praise after this victory that led to 40 years of peace for her people, she sang a line that I have adopted as a personal mantra: “March on, my soul, with courage!” (Judges 5:21). Another term for courage and determination is moxie. Deborah and Jael were definitely women of moxie! I long to become a person of righteous moxie who fights the battles God calls me to fight, always depending on His strength.
“Deborah, the mother of Israel, and Jael, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. Did they ever even meet? Would they have been friends? This is beside the point, but still, I wonder. Living in a world where it seems like no one with any differences can get along, I wonder how two women, from such different worlds, ever came together to accomplish the same goal…. God uses the unlikely, the unexpected, and sometimes even the unsavory to deliver us and to crush the heads of his enemies. While his means of rescue may change, his promises remain permanent. So whether it’s by means of tent pegs through the head of an oppressor or nails through the hands of his son, we see yet again that we serve a God who never ceases to defeat his enemies so that his people, just like the sun, may rise in his might (Judg. 5:31).” (source)
-Rachel Cain
Reflections:
Listen to this song about being brave for God and consider how He might be calling you to be brave for Him.
Would you, like Jael, have risked everything to stand up to an oppressor? What are some situations today in which God might be calling you to be brave and stand up for someone else?
Look for opportunities to get involved with local organizations to help with needs in your area and with the work of our international missions organization, Lord’s Harvest International, at lhicog.com.
Pray for God to help you muster up moxie to initiate change with the injustices in the world.
It was so close they could almost taste the milk and honey on their lips – their Promised Land! After centuries of oppression and slavery under Pharaoh followed by 40 more years wandering free in the wilderness, the Israelites finally possessed the metaphorical keys to their inheritance. Many of the tribes ventured out right away for their assigned territories, ready to explore, conquer, and settle at last, but several tribes remained behind. Why wouldn’t they ropedrop this momentous occasion and charge with abandon straight to their inheritance?
Though I cannot speak for all the Israelites since I have not walked in their sandals, this is my speculation based on what I’ve read: they desired the path of least resistance. Though they were promised that the land would be theirs, they had to go in and take it. There were still other people living on those properties; it would require a lot of effort to drive them out. Yes, God had guaranteed that this land would be theirs, but that didn’t mean their possession of it would be effortless. In the beginning of their nomadic desert life, remember how they had longed to return to the familiarity of slavery and oppression in Egypt? Now, well accustomed to desert dwelling, they didn’t want to expend the energy to settle into the cities, which would still require them (albeit with the promise of success!) to conquer it. It was more comfortable to stay in their crummy environment than to embrace the best land that God had for them.
I am reminded of Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes who was determined to conquer the interior of Mexico, including the Aztec empire and a vast swath of land from the Caribbean to the Pacific. This fierce leader and fighter, frustrated that his men were too focused on the possibility of going home and too scared to invade this new territory, took away their temptation to retreat by doing what any extreme leader would do: he burnt the ships. Now, there was no turning back, no reason to not forge ahead and claim this land.
Perhaps the seven tribes had become so lazy or complacent in their faith that they didn’t even care that God had something infinitely better in store for them. As C.S. Lewis said, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
Ultimately, in part because the Israelites did not fully drive out the inhabitants of their Promised Land, God’s people became immersed in the culture, false gods, child sacrifice, and overall moral corruption of the people around them, which perpetuated the spiral of falling away from God and then begging Him to save them. Though written much later, Romans 12:2 would have been good advice for the Israelites (who were called to be set apart for God), and it is still wise for us as present-day believers to heed its wisdom: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
So, what ships are holding you back? What comfort, familiarity, or apathy is keeping you from fully following God? Sometimes I am a lot like the 7 tribes and Cortes’ crew. While I claim to desire God’s calling on my life, I often let the comforts of the present and anxieties about the future hold me back from fully embracing His plan for my life. Let us pray for God’s strength to follow wherever He may lead us.
-Rachel Cain
Reflection:
Watch this powerful music video about “burning the ships” and charging ahead into God’s will for our lives.
Oh Dear Lord, please be with my mouth and teach me what I shall speak! Because my mouth is not eloquent.
Sometimes it is downright rude. Sometimes it lies. Sometimes it gets angry. Sometimes it hurts people.
Oh Dear Lord, please be with my mouth and teach me what I shall speak! Sometimes it stays shut when it should open to speak your words. Sometimes it forgets to give you praise. Sometimes it prefers to be grouchy or selfish instead of thankful.
Oh Dear Lord, please be with my mouth and teach me what I shall speak! Sometimes it doesn’t speak up for the oppressed. Sometimes it misses opportunities to spread joy and hope and your love. Sometimes…
Oh Dear Lord, please be with my mouth and teach me what I shall speak!
In Exodus 3 & 4 Moses is giving God lots of reasons (excuses) why He should pick someone else for the job of delivering God’s first-born child (the Israelites) out of slavery in Egypt.
I am nobody special
I don’t even know your name
The elders won’t believe me
I am not eloquent
Somebody else can do it better
God has answers for it all. I love the Lord’s words in Exodus 4:12 (ESV): “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” What a beautiful promise! Yet, Moses still pleaded with Him to just send someone else! God got angry at that one. How many times does this child of God need to be reassured that his God is bigger than any fear that comes with doing His Work. The maker of your mouth can teach you how to use it – when you step up and GO where He wants you to GO! Did you notice that little two letter word at the start of God’s promise to be with Moses’ mouth and to teach him what to say? You’ll never know what words God is waiting to teach you to say if you say no and don’t go.
God graciously compromised with Moses and rather than sending someone else instead of Moses, He sent someone else to go along with Moses, his brother Aaron who was not ‘coincidentally’ coming out to the wilderness to meet Moses.
Maybe it’s time I spend less time on my excuses and instead say YES, step out and GO and trust God to do what He says He will do – be with my mouth and teach me what I shall speak!
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
What excuses have you tried giving God for not stepping out to do a job He wants you to do? How do they stand up to your GREAT BIG GOD?
How can you be someone’s Aaron and come alongside him/her to do a job for God that perhaps neither of you would feel you could do “on your own”? Though, you are of course never “on your own” when you are doing the Lord’s work!? What are some other instances that God used the buddy system and what were some advantages to having a partner?
So – the big question is – where does God want you to go? If you aren’t sure yet, be praying. And then, thank Him for being with your mouth and teaching you what you shall speak.
I never grow tired of hearing my children belt out uplifting lyrics from the back of our van! I especially appreciate the passion in their voices reverberating throughout the vehicle every time we play Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” :
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me
While I’m encouraged by the song’s positivity, I can’t help but think of how little fight I feel I have left in me some days. I doubt I’m the only one who is burdened under anxiety, societal pressures, responsibilities at work and home, fear of the future, difficult decisions, sickness and death of loved ones, mysterious health issues, spiritual warfare, and a plethora of other emotional and physical plagues. I often feel like I just. can’t. do. it. The fight requires too much of me sometimes, and there is little motivation or strength left with which to fight. Can you relate?
Nehemiah’s construction team could relate! Sanballat and Tobiah were relentlessly hurling insults, threats, and discouragement at the builders. Not only was there oppression from outside their walls, but there was turmoil with them as well. The motley crew was trying to fix the wall – a monumental aspiration! – while also dealing with the other negative issues of daily life, which seemed to be compounding. And it was wearing on them. They already felt defeated, but the work was not yet complete. They were nearing the ends of their metaphorical ropes, anticipating the last symbolic straw that would break the camel’s back.
Nehemiah took action to provide defense for the workers, but most of all, he encouraged them to keep going! “… I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes… Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” (4:14, 20)
Not only did Nehemiah help resolve some of the immediate burdens of the people and foil the plans of their enemies, he also helped them remember the reason for their work so they could be filled with the mettle needed to recommence this noble work .
Not long after I prayed for God to revive the fighter’s soul within me, a new-to-me song by Rend Collective called “Shackles” rang through my speaker on autoplay. I paused in awe when I heard the chorus:
You’re my deliverer
My anthem through it all
When my strength and my fight is gone
I know You will come through
As I soaked in the life-giving lyrics, I was humbled by God’s gentle reminders of His provision. When my strength and my fight are gone, God will be my strength. He will fight for me (see Exodus 14:14). He will give us the strength and courage to do what he has called us to do. Remember your God; He will fight for you.
These verses from our poetry reading apply to the Nehemiah story:
Psalm 147:2-3, 10-11:
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds…
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
-Rachel Cain
Reflections:
Think back on some of the dark times in your life. How was God faithful to encourage you and bring you through it?
Keep a journal of ways God has answered prayers and provided in big and small ways so you can look back on it during times of doubt.
If the teacher or professor accidentally leaks the answers for the upcoming final, and EVERYONE (it seems) is going to ace would you look too? Isn’t that cheating?
If EVERYONE at your job takes home free items, like drinks, or food, or sauces, and just call them “perks”, would you also do it? Isn’t that stealing?
If EVERYONE is going to the party, and it would tank your social standing to miss it, but you know there are going to be… less than savory activities, would you go? Is that really wise?
It’s that much harder when these things are encouraged by leadership. If your manager also takes stuff from the store, even encourages it… how wrong can it be?
In today’s story in Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a statue, and every powerful person is going to participate in worshipping it. Not only that, but all these leaders will lead all peoples, all nations, all languages, to bow down and worship at the command of the King and the music he calls for. And so everyone does. In a world where there are easily too many gods to keep track of (seriously, two- to three-*thousand* gods), what’s the difference if you bow to one more?
But not so with Hannaniah, Azariah, and Mishael. They have one God and no more; that’s all the God they need and all the worship they give. It makes Nebuchadnezzar hopping mad, with him declaring “Who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” He throws them in a super-heated furnace and they are delivered and saved by their faith.
There are a few things that stand out to me:
1. The King told “the boys” what they must worship. The world and the devil continue to tell people what they must worship. The gods of Babylon and Egypt and Rome all had different names and different stories, but in their core, these gods are really the same. Whether it was Enlil, or Ra, or Jupiter, *power* and *strength* have always been worshipped, and the power of the military or the force of personality of leaders is still worshipped in our day. Beauty is worshipped, and her sister, Lust. Money. Fame. Wealth. All these gods are simply humans worshipping the things we most desire for ourselves. Satan wants you to worship these same gods, and even better if you don’t believe in the supernatural while you do it! How much better to be a person worshipping science, knowledge, and the arrogance they can produce while thinking that gods and angels and demons are all old fables for weak minds; or, a person who worships celebrities and the fame they embody while not thinking at all! And as soon as you tell the devil exactly what you think of his puny fake “gods” that gets *him* and his minions mad.
2. The King said “what god can deliver you from my hand?” Satan whispers that question into the ear of believers as well, “what god can save you from the consequences of turning your back on…” and then fill in the blank. But what Nebuchadnezzar and Beelzebub mean for intimidation, for those who know their God, it becomes a rather simple question. YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who can do all things, he can.
3. “BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T.” The most amazing thing about this entire encounter, for me, is not necessarily the walking around in the fire and not being singed (though that is really cool) and not the Babylon stamp of approval on God (though that did help out with Daniel and the boys). It is that Rack, Shack, and Benny say, in essence, “God can save us, we trust he will, but even if not, we will not serve other gods.” (3:16-18) This is belief in the power of God, it is trust in the compassion of God, and it is loyalty to the worth of God. They recognize that it would be better for them *to die* than to betray their commitment to the worship of YHWH. THAT is a faith that changes the heart of Kings and can overcome Empires. Which, coincidentally, is exactly what happens.
4. God sends an angel (3:28) to protect and deliver his people. Not only does God protect them from the harm of the fire, he protects them from even the smell of the smoke, even the smallest amount. God protects his people, even in the midst of chaos, he can and still does, deliver them.
Praise God for his protection, for his worth and his empowering so we can remain committed and faithful, and for the beautiful truth that he is a saving and powerful God, greater than anyone or anything else that we could worship.
Questions:
While we live in a world with a growing number of those who do not believe in a god or the supernatural, we are not less worshipful. What are the golden idols of our world today? Who is telling us to “bow down and worship” these different idols? How many are roped into worship, even if they might not see their dedication as worship?
If you are not a believer or are a new believer, does the faith of the boys intimidate you? Could you see yourself ever saying “even if he doesn’t, we will still not bow”?
If you are a long time believer, does the faith of the boys intimidate you? Or does it inspire you? Pray that you won’t have to say something similar, but also pray that in the face of whatever fire you might be thrown into, you will remain faithful
While God sent an angel to help Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, God has now sent truly the “son of God”, Jesus, to help God’s people know him, and has sent his spirit into our hearts. Do you believe God will protect his people and send help in the form of angels and the Holy Spirit in this age, in the name of Jesus? How can Jesus help us in those moments when we are called to remain true to God?
The next time someone asks you to “go above and beyond” at work, or to “give 110%” in a game, just be thankful your boss or coach isn’t Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon in Daniel 2, had a dream and wanted to know the meaning of the dream. But instead of telling his dream to his wise men, he expected, even demanded, that *they* tell *him* the dream. Notice what the wise guys say to the King. “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand.” (2:10) My friends, that’s *exactly* the point. Only “the gods” or more accurately, only God, can make know the contents of the dreams of the King. But the wise men of Babylon don’t know the God who knows all things, they don’t worship the God who sees everything, even into the hearts of people.
The King even asks Daniel “Are you able to make know to me the dream?” Daniel replies “No… no one can.” But “there is God in heaven who reveals mysteries… This mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king.” Over the next few days we will try to understand what is going on with the Kingdoms of the world in Daniel and try to understand this vision better, but today I want to make this very practical.
Sometimes people tell us ideas that are not entirely Biblical because they are trying to be nice. One such idea is that “God will never give you more than you can handle.” It sounds good; we will never be overwhelmed and we will always succeed. However, as soon as our lives meet the real world, we find out that God consistently “gives us” situations that are overwhelming; try balancing getting good grades, doing extracurriculars, volunteering to pad our college applications, and then getting into and maintaining relationships, not to mention work! It’s overwhelming to write; how much more to live. But beyond the normal chaos of life, there are times when people we love are sick, when we need surgeries, when we have huge doubts about what is happening next. Just like the King demanding that the wise guys explain his dream, the world very often gives us far more than we can handle… *on our own*.
What God has promised is that we are never on our own. No one can handle this world with joy, hope, peace, and love *by themselves*. But there is a God in heaven who gives the joy, hope, peace and love we are looking for. There is a God in heaven who gives his spirit to his people, not because we are wise or smart, or pretty, or popular, or good. God gives because we trust him, and all of our faults doesn’t stop him from loving us, and he does not leave us on our own. The world often gives us more than we can handle; the world can NEVER give us something God can’t handle.
-Jake Ballard
Reflection Questions
What differences do you see between Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar? Are you ever more like Nebuchadnezzar than Daniel?
What characteristics of Daniel’s do you admire? Which would you like to work on growing in your own life? How would one go about that?
When has the world given you more than you could handle? In what ways did God provide what you needed? Thank Him!
Over the next two weeks, we are going to spend some time in the book of Daniel. Daniel is a book that has generated a lot of discussion: it has been the subject of at least TWO retellings by our favorite cast of talking vegetables and at least one cookbook based on mostly eating those vegetables. However, we might miss the mighty story of this man of the Almighty when we get too hung up on cucumbers, mushrooms, and other morsels. Is the story of the fiery furnace really about chocolate bunnies? (See “note” below.) Are the health benefits of a “Daniel-Diet” the point of the refusal to eat the King’s food? But, if not, then what is the point of Daniel?
To be clear, this book is one of the most discussed in scholarship from the Old Testament canon. Any statement made about date, authorship and the rest of the book has been discussed ad nauseum by Jewish rabbis and Christian thinkers since the pen was put to paper. The author, Daniel for our devotions, wrote in Hebrew but also in Aramaic; not common for the Old Testament. Moreover, the genre of the book is more similar in style to Revelation than anything else in the Biblical canon. These two books are full of big, bombastic images, metaphors, poetry, talk of beasts, monsters, dreams, the clash of Empires and the Kingdom of God. But, if we are ready to work, to interpret Daniel on his own terms, and to clearly see what he was writing about and what he was prophesying, we will get much more out of Daniel than we have before.
For example, in chapter one, Daniel, and his buddies Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (rather than Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego), who we will call “the boys” today, decide to not eat the king’s food. The boys decide that they are going to eat vegetables and water. They look better after ten days and they prove that this is the diet everyone should eat and life is good… right? Not quite. First, what are the boys giving up? “Meat and wine and choice foods”. In the ancient world, those who worked with the King were expected to be plump (“fat”) because of the wealth and excess of the King. The steward over the boys was *concerned* that they would lose weight, not hoping for it! At the end of ten days, by a miracle of God, though the boys ate only vegetables and water, they look good and FAT. Not a divine diet, not wisdom-based weight loss; it was a miracle of God to keep them healthy and plump!
But again, the weight and food was never the real point in the first place. Look back at verse 8, “Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine that he drank.” Daniel, as a good Jewish boy, knew that the King’s meat was probably slaughtered in the honor of a god of Babylon (much like the meat in the marketplaces in Greece, see 1 Cor. 10:27) and the wine was probably prepared in much the same way. Daniel’s choice to avoid this food was to honor God. YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, would be the only God that Daniel would follow; his law the only commands Daniel would obey, food laws as well as moral laws. Daniel’s obedience is blessed by God. The boys were able to understand the administration of state and Daniel was able to understand dreams and visions from God.
Chapter one is not a weird story about the diet of Jewish kids in a strange land. It is the story of God’s people, God’s Kingdom, clashing against the Kingdom of this world. Daniel and his buddies had a choice to make, to follow the ways of this world’s Empire, to eat the way everyone else ate, to drink what everyone else drank, to *worship* what everyone else worshipped. The choice they made was to follow God even at personal cost and they realized that resulted in blessing they could not have expected.
That is a story worth working to understand.
It’s the story Bob and Larry were trying to tell us all along.
Reflection Questions
I’ve been a little harsh on “The Daniel Diet,” but it’s not just one diet or fast or book that makes this mistake. In fact, many have tried to take parts of Daniel to make a diet, or used Ezekiel 4:9 as a recipe for bread, without reading down to Ezekiel 4:12. Are you ready to use the Bible as it was intended? To work to interpret God’s word in a way that impacts you, not a small change but to lead a life of difference?
In light of the first question, are you willing to make the choices that might cost you personally, if it means you remain faithful to God? Are you willing to look different, act different, eat different, vote different, shop different, wear different, **be different** if it means you can be more like Jesus? What strikes you as the first change you can make today that may cost you sounding or appearing cool, just like everyone else, but will make you more like Jesus?
Are there other sections of scripture (beyond Daniel 1 and Ezekiel 4) where you think we may have missed the point? Talk to your mom, dad, grandparent, pastor, youth pastor, or Sunday School teacher about those ideas. What do they think about those harder sections that seem to be about more than surface level ideas?
Note: The author LOVES VeggieTales. In no way should his words be perceived as mocking or belittling the greatest show about talking vegetables ever made.
In Revelation 21 we have come to the climax of events. In the Garden of Eden God set out to undo the separation between Himself and us, and that goal is at last complete. Humans may have been short sighted during history and at times tied themselves in knots over other issues, but God wanted to return to our sides. With “the first things” passed away there will be no more pain. Evil is removed from the scene and God is changing the universe, making everything new. He intends to freely give the water of life to those who overcome (John 4:14).
God lists some of those who will not receive what He offers, addressing several issues that were raised in the book, murder, sorcery, idolatry – but it begins with the cowardly (v. 8). I wonder if that is directed at early readers, facing persecution in the Roman Empire and possibly hesitant to commit. But it extends to later readers, who might question if they wish to stand up for Jesus’ name and his authority and risk conflict, or if it would be simpler and safer not to, even to appear to be unsaved. Some of God’s servants, like Gideon, were called to serve while not eager to act on their own. That may seem to give a basis for seeing hiding as credible. But I think God chose from the reluctant to make a point, and to stir the hearts of others. And those were not Christ’s disciples, already gifted with the Spirit. He expects something else from us. Not that I am saying we are to be abrasive and offensive in an eagerness to act, there are proper and wise moments and ways to stand up, and we are not always the right people to do so in a situation. Like I said, the appearance of that word first in the list strikes me. It convicts me, all too often, of taking an easier route. But I work for Jesus, and I’ve never heard of anyone braver than him. I leave it to you how it makes you feel.
John is taken to a tall mountain by an angel to see “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” and arrives at “the holy city, Jerusalem” (v. 9, 10). It is reminiscent of Ezekiel being shown the new temple, which was on a mountain (Ezekiel 40). I have taught about Revelation 21 numerous times. I have considered taping a cardboard mockup on a globe of the world to show the size of New Jerusalem. I didn’t end up attaching it, and I wasn’t sure if it should be a cube or a ziggurat, or a pyramid (we are told its base is square, and the height). Just describing my idea to the students got the gist across. New Jerusalem is large.
Earth’s breathable atmosphere extends out for about eleven miles at the equator. Perhaps you have heard the idea about being able to see the Great Wall of China from orbit. You can’t. You could bump into New Jerusalem in orbit. We aren’t totally sure of the size of the city, it depends on how you understand twelve thousand stadia, the 1995 NASB says 1,380 miles and some other versions say 1,500 miles. The International Space Station orbits about 250 miles from Earth. The Hubble telescope is 340 miles out. The upper range of what are known as “low Earth orbit” satellites is 1,243 miles, so the city would tower above all of them, if they were still around. (Which they won’t be.) But the geostationary satellites are much further out, at 22,236 miles. And the Moon is 238,900 miles away, which is nowhere near it. Speaking of the Moon, it has a diameter of 2,159 miles. Earth is 7,917.5 miles in diameter. Under the smaller estimate for the city (1,380 miles) it is 15.69% of the width of Earth, and my cardboard mockup needed to be 1.88 inches wide for a standard 12-inch globe.
We are told that with God’s new heaven and new Earth there is no longer a sea (v. 1). If that refers to the Mediterranean Sea it seems like a necessary removal, to give New Jerusalem ground space to fit. If it was centered on the location of Jerusalem it would extend about halfway through Greece, assuming it was aligned square with the equator. It also couldn’t be flat on the bottom since the Earth curves, which matters at this size.
I think this raises some questions. When God replaces the Earth, will it be the same size as the old one? What is being described here sounds like God planned on expansion. The millennium just took place, a thousand years without plagues, famine, and war. It didn’t start off with very many mortal people, but I think the population had a good opportunity for growth. It may be that the number saved during human history leading up to Christ’s return will be just a fraction of those who will ultimately be saved, guided in part by the priests we are being prepared to be. Oh, may it be so.
My questions are skipping over a rather obvious point. The angel who volunteers to show New Jerusalem to John does so under the description of “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (v. 9). It isn’t clear to me whether that is because the bride (the population) is inside the city, or because the city is simply a symbol of those who have been accepted as Christ’s bride. The names inscribed on it, of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles, may not simply be honoring those figures but symbolizing all who came from the lineage of those figures. Consider the description of its size and splendor, and the statements that none with bad character will enter. It says that God and the Lamb provide it with temple and light and lamp. All of this fits the idea that New Jerusalem is the people of God. Now, perhaps the language here presents people and city in another of the Bible’s double fulfillments and both cases are true. Whatever God intends it will be wonderful, and the beautiful description given in this chapter leaves me in awe and anticipation. I say, rejoice in your Lord!
Thank you, Father, for giving us this glimpse of the glory that lies ahead. Thank you for your commitment to us, that you did not give up on the work of Your hands, but took such care and effort to restore what had been damaged. Please help us to value what you value, to seek what you desire. There are so many lost sheep, so many hurting hearts, that you desire to be blessed by the love of your son. Please shape me into who you desire me to be, until I am complete. Thank you, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
-Daniel Smead
(originally posted November 17, 2023 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection Questions
What does God’s commitment to fixing what was broken tell you about Him? What does it say about how God sees us?
What are some of the “first things” that will have passed away when the events of Revelation 21 have come to be?
Might God count you among the cowardly? When have you taken a courageous stand for Him? If (when) you are tempted to hide, what helps you overcome that temptation and stand up?
Have you ever thought that it was too hard to stand for God in the middle of this dark world? Have you ever feared ridicule that kept you from sharing your faith with someone? I know that I have thought both of these things at times in my life.
One example in Scripture that serves to encourage us in this category is Jeremiah. Jeremiah served as a prophet in one of the darkest days for the people of God, beginning his ministry right before the exile into Babylon. Jeremiah 1 chronicles the “call” of Jeremiah to serve God.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 (ESV)
4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God tells Jeremiah that He knew him before he was born! Not only that, God called Jeremiah to be a prophet before he was born. What an incredible calling! And Jeremiah would need this kind of encouragement and consolation, because the people of God at this point in history were not inclined to listen to the Lord’s instruction. In fact, Jeremiah’s whole life would be filled with heartache and sorrow as he fulfilled his role as a prophet to the people of Judah in this time before and during the exile.
Jeremiah, just like Moses and many throughout the Bible (and perhaps some of us, too!), argued with God’s choice. God responds with the only words that Jeremiah needed to hear (and the only words that we often need to hear):
“Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”
They continue talking — God shows Jeremiah some visions. At the end of the chapter, God reiterates this simple word to Jeremiah:
“They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.”
Jeremiah faced many challenges in his life. He was tempted to be discouraged at every turn. And yet, in his darkest moments, he could remember the simple words that God told him the day that he was called:
“I am with you.”
Today, you can rest knowing that God is with you, just like He was with Jeremiah. We may face different types of battles than Jeremiah did, but the same God that was with Jeremiah is with us. He will deliver us.
-Will Barlow
Reflection Questions
What do you notice in your mind and body when you face opposition? Do you tense up, get angry, feel intimidated? How can you acknowledge and hold space for these feelings while also living your faith out the way that you desire to?
What can you do to be more intentional to stand for God bravely as Jeremiah did?
Have you ever argued with God when He has asked you to do something? What did you do? What can you learn from that experience?
Seek Grow Love 