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the new reality

Daniel 1:1-7 (JDV)

Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took control of it.
Daniel 1:2 Yahveh gave into his hand King Jehoiakim of Judah, along with some of the equipment from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon, to the house of his god, and put the equipment in the treasury of his god.
Daniel 1:3 The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility –
Daniel 1:4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the Chaldean literature and language.
Daniel 1:5 The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years and at the end of that time, they were to take their stand in the presence of the king.
Daniel 1:6 Among them, from the Judahites, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Daniel 1:7 The chief eunuch gave them names; he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.

These four young men had seen the horrors of invasion and occupation. They knew about all the atrocities performed by this evil king and those who obeyed his wishes. After all they knew, I cannot imagine them not saying to themselves “Why would God allow this?”

Around the world today, there are people with the same thoughts. If you read history, you know how cruel and evil people can be toward those they envy, hate, or fear. If you are honest with yourself, you sometimes wonder what it would take for you to be one of those holding the gun or the noose.

These four men could have defined themselves as victims. They did not. They decided to be part of the new reality. They would yield to the tyrant’s wishes — even allowing themselves to be renamed. But they would not become what the tyrant wanted.

Every day we face similar choices. We need to decide who our God is, and who we are.