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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ002119A
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00:26 In the year 605 B.C. a great warrior king named 00:31 Nebuchadnezzar led his army through the grand Ishtar gate 00:34 of Babylon and struck out westward on a mission of 00:38 conquest. After defeating the Egyptian army at Carchemish 00:41 Nebuchadnezzar turned his attention to Jerusalem. The 00:47 Babylonians besieged and plundered the city looting the 00:51 temple and carrying off many of the sacred golden vessels. 00:57 Daniel a young prince was captured and with the cream of 00:59 the city's youth he was carried off to Babylon as a war hostage 01:03 where he remained in exile for the rest of his life. The life 01:09 a hostage isn't easy. It's fraught with danger. There were 01:13 trials, tests, and persecution. He was threatened by death at 01:18 every turn. But for 70 years Daniel not only survived but 01:24 thrived in the most difficult circumstances through an 01:28 adventure of faith, intrigue, tyranny and miracles. By a 01:33 remarkable turn of events Daniel the hostage became Daniel the 01:39 prime minister for Babylon and the king's most trusted advisor. 01:44 In fact, he prospered under the reign of four kings. How did he 01:48 do it? How did he survive? And what's the secret of his inner 01:54 courage? What kept him going year after year separated from 01:58 his home and family? Well today we're going to take a closer 02:03 look at this young hostage in the middle east who managed to 02:06 survive 70 years of captivity and his secret of inner 02:11 spiritual strength will provide us with the key to surviving the 02:15 challenges of modern life and more importantly the end time. 02:22 ♪ ♪ 02:52 On the 7th of March 1984 Jeremy Levin's world was turned upside 02:57 down. He was kidnapped by Shiite Muslims walking to work 03:01 in Beirut, Lebanon. A gun was shoved into his waist and he was 03:05 forced into a car. He was threatened with instant death 03:09 if he opened his eyes. Jeremy was the Beirut bureau chief for 03:14 CNN. He was blindfolded, beaten and interrogated in a local 03:19 apartment. Then he was gagged, wrapped from head to foot in 03:23 packing tape and driven from Beirut to the Bekka Valley 03:27 several hours away. There he was kept blindfolded and chained to 03:32 a wall in a tiny unheated room. He never saw another human face 03:38 for 343 days and the only time he had contact with another 03:43 human being was when he was escorted blindfolded to the 03:47 bathroom once a day. He felt isolated, helpless and afraid. 03:54 Crouched in the corner or a windowless room hour after hour 03:58 month after month, Jeremy desperately needed to talk but 04:03 he was afraid that if he just talked with himself he'd go 04:06 crazy. So he considered the idea of talking to God. At first this 04:11 made him feel uncomfortable. Although he was the grandson of 04:15 a rabbi Jeremy had decided long before that he would believe 04:20 only in concrete things, things he could touch and feel. He had 04:25 rejected his Jewish religious heritage. But there was so 04:29 little to touch and feel in that lonely cell that Jeremy 04:33 eventually reached out to God and he began talking. Soon he 04:39 realized that he was having a meaningful two-way conversation. 04:43 He tried hard to remember the bit of religious instruction 04:47 he'd picked up in his youth. He also remembered hearing about 04:50 the teachings of Jesus. And finally everything began to fit 04:55 together and make sense. He realized that Jesus Christ was 05:01 truly exceptional and that's when Jeremy faced a big choice. 05:05 He'd made the leap of faith. Now how was going to live? Well 05:11 Jeremy decided as he later wrote: 05:21 This tough newsman, a former atheist, said: 05:32 And it was all for Jeremy Levin. His life was changed. Eventually 05:39 he managed to escape his captors and was reunited with 05:43 his family. But he'd already experienced an even more 05:47 significant reunion. Jeremy didn't just survive the ordeal. 05:53 He came out a new man, a new man in Jesus Christ. Now you and 05:59 I may never be held hostage like Jeremy Levin was but each of us 06:04 faces difficult and discouraging situations of our own. How can 06:10 we successfully endure the challenges we face? Well to 06:16 understand more specifically how we can survive and even thrive 06:20 in the midst of trials let's go back and take a look at another 06:25 Hebrew hostage, a young man held captive in Babylon. The 06:29 challenge this hostage faced was rather different from Levin's 06:34 experience. It wasn't a meager diet or primitive living 06:38 conditions that threatened to wear him down. It was the very 06:42 opposite. A table absolutely loaded with the best Babylon 06:45 could offer. Daniel's captors were trying to win him over to 06:50 their side. This is how it all began. When the young Hebrew 06:59 walked through the splendid gages of Babylon as one of the 07:02 trail of captives following behind victorious king 07:06 Nebuchadnezzar he heard this kind of mockery: If your God's 07:10 the true God why is Jerusalem in ruins? Why couldn't he protect 07:14 you from us? Why did he allow you to go into captivity anyway? 07:20 These must have been extremely difficult questions to answer. 07:24 After all the Babylonians had sacked Jehovah's sacred temple 07:29 and brought its precious vessels to this heathen city. It seemed 07:33 as if the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob couldn't even defend 07:37 his own city Jerusalem. I believe these questions are very 07:44 relevant for us today. We're living in a world in which 07:47 religious values and secular values increasingly clash and 07:52 all too often the secular values are winning. The spiritual seems 07:57 more and more crowded out by other voices, other images. It's 08:01 my conviction that this tension, this conflict will increase not 08:06 decrease as time goes along. In fact I believe it will soon come 08:11 to a tremendous climax as we near the end of earth's history. 08:15 The astounding Biblical prophecies of Daniel and 08:20 Revelation predict that God's people will face captivity and 08:25 even imprisonment in earth's last hours. So the question of 08:30 how to survive as a hostage is very relevant to anyone 08:34 interested in surviving in the time of the end. Everyone will 08:39 have to face that challenge. Where is your God? If he's so 08:43 powerful, how come you're in so much trouble? Why can't he 08:47 defend his people in the real world? The book of Daniel 08:53 contains some remarkable prophecies about how history 08:57 will come to a climax. It gives us a picture of last day events. 09:02 But it does more. I believe this book shows us how to live in the 09:07 end times. The stories of the book of Daniel reveal the 09:11 character qualities of faith, courage, prayer and perseverance 09:17 necessary for living just before the coming of Christ. 09:24 Nebuchadnezzar had a special strategy to win the allegiance 09:28 of these Hebrew captives. It included a process of 09:31 reeducation or brainwashing. We read about it in Daniel chapter 09:36 one verses 3-5. Here the scriptures state it succinctly. 09:41 Listen to this in Daniel chapter one and verses 3-5: 10:03 Nebuchadnezzar wanted to turn the best of the Hebrew young men 10:08 from hostages into civil servants. They were to be 10:12 educated in the customs, practices and principles of 10:15 Babylon. They were to study its science, its religion, its 10:19 philosophy and finally when they'd been thoroughly 10:23 indoctrinated and brainwashed they were to be sent back to 10:27 their nation to rule for Babylon Nebuchadnezzar didn't place 10:32 Babylonians as rulers over conquered territories. That 10:36 would only encourage rebellion. Instead he selected native 10:41 peoples from these places to be trained and brainwashed in 10:45 Babylon so they would rule their own captive cities as 10:48 his puppets of course. Surprisingly enough this is the 10:53 situation many of God's people will find themselves in as we 10:57 near the close of time. Satan the enemy of God is bent on 11:02 world conquest. His kingdom is in mortal combat with the 11:07 kingdom of God. It's a war between the forces of good and 11:10 the forces of evil. In an attempt to destroy our inner 11:14 longings for God Satan attempts to capture our thoughts through 11:20 the senses. He's working to submerge our world in a 11:24 thoroughly secular culture. We see it everywhere, from the 11:28 agnosticism of much of Europe to the growing materialism of Asia 11:33 and to the erosion of spiritual values in the western world 11:36 including Australia and New Zealand. We are being 11:40 indoctrinated in a secular world view, a secular philosophy, a 11:45 secular way of life. So how do we resist this pervasive 11:50 influence? How do we stand for the kingdom of God in the midst 11:54 of a culture that's often hostile to it? Well amazingly 11:58 enough Daniel succeeded in doing exactly that against all the 12:03 odds. He thrived in a hostile and secular environment. After 12:08 all the attempts to reprogram him his faith was still standing 12:13 his values were still standing tall. And I believe that this 12:18 young Hebrew has a lot to tell us about succeeding spiritually 12:22 in a secular environment. Watch as Daniel, a captive in a 12:29 strange land gives us the important first clue. As soon as 12:33 Daniel and his companions reached Babylon the pressure 12:37 to conform began to build. We can see that in the new names 12:42 given to these Hebrew captives. When a Hebrew mother named her 12:46 child the name most often stood for character qualities she 12:51 desired the child to have or some significant aspect of 12:54 Hebrew history. The name constantly reminded the child 12:59 of his allegiance to the true God. Daniel's name in Hebrew 13:04 means God is my judge. This young man was continually 13:09 reminded that he lived before the God who sees all things. 13:13 But the head of the eunuchs in Babylon gave him a new name - 13:18 Belteshazzar. This name means may the god himself protect the 13:23 king. His friend Hananiah whose name means the Lord is gracious 13:28 was given the new name Shadrach meaning inspiration of the sun. 13:35 Mishael whose name means Godlike was now called Meshach meaning 13:39 like the god Artu and Azariah whose name means God is my 13:45 helper was given the name Abed Nego meaning servant of Nebo. 13:52 Nebuchadnezzar wanted the Israelites to forget their God 13:56 and their Hebrew heritage so he gave them names representing 14:00 the gods of Babylon. We can see from this that Nebuchadnezzar 14:05 was bent on fashioning loyal Babylonians from those 14:09 vulnerable young hostages. Now we come to the first great 14:14 challenge. Daniel and his companions were ushered into the 14:18 banquet hall of Nebuchadnezzar. The table was spread with a rich 14:22 variety of Babylonian delicacies Candle light shimmered and 14:27 danced off the golden bowls. The guests were seated and invited 14:31 to partake. That's when Daniel faced the choice. There were two 14:36 problems with the food. First it has been offered to idols and 14:41 Daniel believed that to eat it would be to participate in the 14:45 worship of those idols, something that he was 14:48 continually being pressured to do. Secondly according to God's 14:53 clear instructions much of the food was unclean. It was not to 14:57 be eaten. Staring at this tempting food Daniel must have 15:03 felt a tremendous urge to just go along with the crowd. The 15:06 glories of Babylon dazzled his senses. The finest wines of the 15:11 land beckoned him. Why keep hanging onto his religious 15:15 scruples. Surely a few rules could be just winked at in this 15:20 foreign culture. For a hostage who'd seen the land of the true 15:24 God desolated it would have been very easy to cast his lot with 15:28 the new power, the new dominant culture of Babylon. But this 15:33 young captive made a remarkable decision. It's recorded in 15:37 Daniel chapter 1 and verse 8: 15:54 Daniel resolved. What a story is contained in these words. Here 15:58 is a decision that would reverberate through history. 16:02 Its lessons would echo and reecho throughout the centuries. 16:07 Daniel made his choice. He would be faithful to the Lord of 16:13 heaven and earth even as a captive to another monarch. He 16:16 would honor God in all the details of life even while 16:21 surrounded by a heathen culture. It might cost him his life but 16:25 nevertheless he would be faithful to God. Remember Daniel 16:33 resolved. He determined to be faithful to God long before 16:36 the test of the banquet. He resolved ahead of time. He had 16:42 made up his mind that he wasn't going to sell out in order to 16:46 have it easy in Babylon. He wasn't going to sell out his 16:50 conscience cheap. He was going to remain a child of the living 16:55 God. He was not going to let this heathen culture take away 16:58 his faith piece by piece. That's how it usually happens you know. 17:04 The enemy typically doesn't try to overwhelm us all at once. 17:08 He just tries to chip away at our faith a little at a time. 17:14 This practice isn't so important he says. Or you can live without 17:19 that belief. Listen I think it boils down to this. People who 17:24 flourish in the end time will be people who know who they are. 17:28 People who are secure in their relationship with God. If Daniel 17:33 had been embarrassed about his identity was a Hebrew, he'd be 17:36 trying to hide his religious scruples and he probably would 17:40 have given in and disappeared into Babylonian history. But he 17:45 wasn't embarrassed. Far from it. Daniel was confident that his 17:50 Lord knew best. People who survive at the end time will be 17:55 people who know and love God's truth. They would rather than 17:59 die than bring dishonor to God. When Daniel voiced his objection 18:05 to the food at the banquet, the official was worried about what 18:08 King Nebuchadnezzar would say. He feared that Daniel and his 18:13 companions would start looking rather scrawny if they didn't 18:16 eat the delicacies spread before them. But here's where Daniel 18:20 shows his confidence. He made the following proposal recorded 18:25 in Daniel chapter 1 verses 12 and 13: 18:47 Daniel believed that the principles God had laid out in 18:51 scripture were for the benefit of mankind and he was bold 18:55 enough to propose an experiment, a 10-day test. He and his Hebrew 19:01 friends would be fed the simple Judean diet, probable of fruit, 19:06 nuts, grains and vegetables. The others would have the rich spicy 19:12 diet heavy with meat. This must have been the world's first 19:16 comparative dietary study and scripture records the result. 19:20 It says that at the end of 10 days the Hebrews looked 19:25 healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who 19:29 ate the royal food. And so Daniel was able to continue 19:34 abiding by the principles of God's word. He continued being 19:38 faithful in the details. Why? Well not because he had 19:43 compromised but because he had boldly issued a challenge. 19:47 He offered to demonstrate that God's way was best. He was 19:53 confident in the principles of his faith. That's the kind of 19:58 Godly boldness we need in our time. Are you committed to God's 20:02 truth? Are you convinced that there's no better way to live? 20:05 How is it in your life right now with the little things. When 20:10 someone makes a racist slur or an obscene joke. Do you just go 20:14 along? When you're offered alcohol or maybe some drugs do 20:19 you just try to conform? What's filling your computer screen? 20:24 What are you feeding your mind? You cannot develop spiritual 20:29 thoughts if you feed your mind with the world's agenda. Daniel 20:34 was a hostage with a mission, not just to survive but to be 20:38 faithful to God. Daniel resolved Daniel decided it ahead of time. 20:44 No matter where, no matter when God's way is best. You know in 20:50 the time of the end great pressure will be brought to bear 20:54 on every man, woman and child who attempts to serve the true 20:59 God. Have you decided in your heart that the only thing that 21:03 really matters is not what other people think, but what God 21:08 thinks. Have you resolved to be faithful to him unconditionally? 21:12 Daniel make that decision and for him that turned disaster 21:17 into triumph. The book of Daniel opens with a great disaster, the 21:24 destruction of Jerusalem, the defeat of God's people. But soon 21:29 through the faithfulness of a few Hebrews we see a hint of 21:33 God's triumph. Listen to what happened when they were brought 21:37 before Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel chapter 1 verses 19-20: 22:06 The four Hebrews were still held in Babylon. They were still 22:10 surrounded by an alien and secular culture and they were 22:14 called into the king's service. But here's the difference. 22:19 They didn't go in as Babylonians they didn't go in as idol 22:22 worshipers. They went in as representatives of the God of 22:28 heaven and earth and as such they would have a tremendous 22:32 influence in that great kingdom. They retained unique wisdom that 22:37 had as its source the fear of God. These men could never have 22:42 been used for good if they started discarding their faith 22:45 piece by piece. They would never have stood head and shoulders 22:50 above all the magicians and enchanters of the whole kingdom. 22:56 Daniel and his companions show us how to stand in the end time. 23:01 They resolved ahead of time to be faithful to God no matter 23:06 what. Daniel chose not to indulge in the king's delicacies 23:12 because he was looking forward to another table, another 23:15 banquet. The book of Revelation tells us about the marriage 23:21 supper of the Lamb which will be celebrated when God's people 23:25 are welcomed into heaven. All God's faithful children will sit 23:30 down with him to a great feast. It will be like a family 23:33 reunited at last gathered around a table of love. Will you 23:40 determine in your heart to be there for that banquet no matter 23:44 what? It's so important to have a strong purpose, to be able to 23:49 stand alone. Forces are building in our world that will soon bear 23:55 down on all those who want to be loyal to God. We need to 23:59 determine in our heart ahead of time to be faithful to him. To 24:04 demonstrate that his way is indeed the best. And we can 24:09 have confidence that he will make us Daniels. He will help 24:13 us to be overcomers instead of just conformers. He will enable 24:18 us to stand. Will you dare to be a Daniel? Why not make that 24:24 decision right now as we pray? 24:27 Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the example of 24:33 Daniel in the courts of Babylon. Thank you for your promise to 24:36 stand by us as we face the challenges of life. We want to 24:41 trust you more completely today. Our aim is to please you and 24:45 always stand true for you. Accept our commitment now in the 24:50 name of our Savior, Jesus Christ Amen. 24:56 The story of Daniel the captive has encouraged and inspired 25:02 people all over the world. He lived in a high pressure 25:05 environment, a hostile, very secular world. Yet he rose to 25:10 incredible heights in an alien land and he did it by remaining 25:15 faithful to his values and principles and above all 25:19 faithful to God. We can feel overwhelmed when struggling with 25:23 the challenges of life in a hostile and secular world. 25:27 But if you're looking ways to live a better life and find 25:31 inner peace and true happiness, if you'd like to get closer to 25:35 God, then I'd like to recommend a free give we have for all our 25:39 viewers today. It's the free Bible reading guide on the Bible 25:44 book of Daniel. This is our gift to you and is absolutely free. 25:49 There are no costs or obligations whatsoever. So make 25:54 the most of this wonderful opportunity to receive the gift 25:57 we have for you today. Here's the information you need: 26:03 Phone or text us at 0436-333-555 in Australia or 020-422-2042 in 26:12 New Zealand or visit our website www.tij.tv to request today's 26:19 free offer and we'll send it to you totally free of charge and 26:23 with no obligation. So don't delay. Call or text 0436-333-555 26:30 in Australia or 020-422-2042 in New Zealand or visit our website 26:38 to request today's offer. Write to us at: 26:54 Don't delay. Call or text us now. 26:56 The Incredible Journey and Pastor Gary Kent with Pastor 27:02 Louis Torres and Carol Torres as the principal trainers are 27:06 opening a Bible college in Sydney in February of 2020. 27:09 This 14-week program will give you the skills you need to be an 27:13 effective co-laborer with Christ to carry the message of a 27:17 crucified, risen, and soon coming Savior to the whole world. For 27:22 more information and to register phone or text us at 0481-315-101 27:28 Email us at info@TiJ.tv or visit our website at TiJ.tv/events. 27:39 If you've enjoyed today's journey to ancient Babylon and 27:42 our reflections on the life and times of Daniel, then be sure to 27:47 join us again next week when we will share another of life's 27:50 journey's together. Until then remember the ultimate 27:54 destination of life's journey. Now I saw a new heaven and a new 27:59 earth. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 28:02 There shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying. There shall 28:07 be no more pain for the former things have passed away. 28:13 ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2021-06-10