“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11).

Daniel must have been a very special man. He was an attendant in the Jewish Temple and knew the requirements of the Law. He and three friends, among others, were taken captive when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem. The friend’s names were Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel and his friends may have been young when taken to the pagan city of Babylon, but these four young men loved God Almighty. In Babylon, the king attempted to change their hearts and turn them into pagans. First, their names were changed. Daniel was renamed Belteshazzar, Hannaniah was renamed Shadrach, Mishael was renamed Meshach, and Azariah was renamed Abednego.

Nebuchadnezzar had told Ashpenaz to bring him young captives. “And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans” (Daniel 1:3-4).

And so, Daniel and his friends were taken to Babylon. We aren’t told how old they were, only that they were “children.” They were young, and Nebuchadnezzar thought he could brainwash them to follow the ways of the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar had no idea of the integrity of Daniel and his friends. They loved God and had unshakable faith.

Nebuchadnezzar started their training by providing them the best food and wine. He didn’t count on the strength of the faith Daniel and his friends had. Daniel would not defile himself. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8).

How many children or adults do you know who would put honoring God above their own desires? God blessed him. Daniel and his friends weren’t able to return to their beloved Jerusalem, but they prospered in Babylon without becoming a part of the culture. Their faith wasn’t lip service, but they lived it. Christians could learn a lot from these young Jewish boys.

As we read further in the book of Daniel, we find out more about their faith. They wouldn’t eat the king’s food, and Melzar, their overseer, finally agreed to allow them to eat less fancy food for ten days. “Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse” (Daniel 1:16). What is pulse? Vegetables! They ate vegetables and drank water. God blessed them because of their faith.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him. So, he called the magicians and astrologers and sorcerers to tell him about his dream. The king had an incentive plan. “The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream and the interpretation thereof” (Daniel 2:5-6).

He didn’t remember his dream, so he wanted them to tell him the dream and interpret it, or he would kill them. Their response was, “Are you nuts?” Well, maybe they used more tact, but that’s what they meant.

When the decree was told to Daniel, he asked for more time, then he and his friends prayed. I’m sure their prayer was from their heart because their lives depended upon God’s answer. God answered by giving Daniel a night vision as to what the king’s dream was all about. Daniel earnestly thanked God. It wasn’t a quick “Thank God” but a heartfelt prayer of praise and gratitude. Daniel was taken before the king, where he first made known to the king where the information came from.

“Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed are these” (Daniel 2:27-28).

Then Daniel proceeded to describe the dream. The king had seen an image with a head of gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly and thighs of brass, and its legs of iron, and his feet were part iron and part clay. Then, a stone that was cut out without hands struck the image. The interpretation was that the various kingdoms on Earth are represented by the metals in the image. The final kingdom will be the one that is set up by God. It shall never be destroyed.

Daniel’s faith was rewarded. “Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king” (Daniel 2:48-49). Daniel had great faith, and he never denied God. There is still a God in Heaven who answers prayers. Jesus Christ is always willing to hear prayers of Christians.

Even in a nation where idol worship was common, Daniel and his friends were faithful to God. They wouldn’t bow down before any idol. I admire these four young men for their integrity. Their faith was tested when Nebuchadnezzar erected a huge statue. It was decreed “That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up” (Daniel 3:5). The punishment for not bowing to this idol would be death by being thrown into a fiery furnace. Of course, these young Jewish friends refused to bow before any idol. Brothers and sisters, we should never bow before idols no matter what the threat is if we don’t bow.

Some men noticed that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not bow. I can’t imagine that Daniel would have bowed his knee to an idol, so he must have been away on business. The king called them before his throne to explain why they didn’t bow before the king’s gods. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image when thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).

These men honored God in spite of a government decree to bow to idols. If only our faith was as strong as theirs. They were thrown into an exceptionally hot furnace, but God protected them. Brothers and sisters, we need to encourage each other. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego helped each other to stand firm in their faith, and we need fellow Christians who won’t compromise to please the world.

Government rulers come and go, and eventually Darius became king in Babylon. Daniel continued to be a part of the government of Babylon, and he never compromised His faith. His faith wasn’t a show put on to draw media attention. It was true faith, and he wouldn’t compromise to please the world. His faith pleased God but didn’t make any friends among other government officials. “Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him” (Daniel 6:4).

Things don’t change much over time. Evil government officials care nothing about God’s truth and persecute those who serve the Lord.

All the members of the government conspired to get rid of Daniel. “Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God” (Daniel 6:5). They knew that Daniel would not compromise his faith in order to please the evil government. It seems we have the same evil over nations today. All manner of perversion is legal, and any god can be publicly worshipped except the one true God. Our schools teach evolution, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, and libraries carry books that are pure filth, but the Bible is banned. What is the school board and government afraid of? Are they afraid a man like Daniel might ruin their agenda?

Well, back to Babylon. The government officials decided that a law must be made “…to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions” (Daniel 6:7b).

I’m always amazed that laws can be easily passed as long as the right people are flattered. Darius had a huge ego and went along with the plot. Where were the men of faith like Daniel a couple of years ago when the government of the United States forbade Christians to gather to worship God? Will there be any men like Daniel when they try to do it again? When God-fearing men keep silent, evil grows stronger. The American Constitution seems to be being torn to shreds. Shame on Godly men who won’t stand firm against tyranny and ungodliness.

What did Daniel do? “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10). Daniel didn’t change his habits. God ruled his heart, not evil men. The evil men could make his life tough, but they couldn’t make him compromise his faith. “Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God” (Daniel 6:11). They went and tattled to the king. Darius liked Daniel but realized his mistake too late. The law was established, and there was no choice but to put Daniel in the den of lions. Darius should have been smarter than to sign that law, but his ego was puffed up.

In America, as well as other nations, evil people are pulling the puppet strings of government leaders.

“Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee” (Daniel 6:16). Daniel had been a strong witness for God. He never compromised, nor did he allow human government to dictate his faith. I admire Daniel.

Darius spent a sleepless night concerned for Daniel, and very early in the morning, he went to check on Daniel. When he got to the lion’s den, he called out, “…O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” (Daniel 6:20b). Daniel was an amazing man. He showed no bitterness but was respectful to Darius. “Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt” (Daniel 6:21-22).

Daniel honestly and continually honored God. It wasn’t something he only did when he was facing lions. Daniel lived his faith daily. The king knew of Daniel’s faith, but his enemies also knew. That’s how they trapped him. Daniel didn’t allow evil men to dictate his worship habits. Daniel’s faith is an example to all of us.

Babylon was filled with pagan idols and was a cesspool of wickedness. It’s not a city to be admired. The world today is very much like Babylon, with evil rulers and sin running rampant. Where are the men who will stand firmly upon the word of God? We need men like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who refuse to bow before idols. We need men like Daniel who worship God Almighty openly in spite of what they may face. We need Godly women who won’t settle for less than Godly men.

Christ entered His creation knowing full well that he would be persecuted and put to death. The evil men could only kill His body. Because of Christ, death has been conquered for all who believe in Him, and we need to live our faith and not just give lip service to Him. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Don’t compromise your faith.

Christians need open and true faith like Daniel. God will see us through whatever persecution we may face, but our faith must not waiver.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com

www.prophecyupdate.com

www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

We tend to view many of the historical accounts in Scripture as children’s stories. We see Noah and the Ark as a cute little cartoon, forgetting the serious truth of why Noah built the Ark. Daniel in the lion’s den usually shows Daniel petting the heads of friendly lions, but we forget that he was thrown to hungry lions because he would not bow before an idol, but God shut their mouths.

Another “cute” account is Jonah being swallowed by a whale. There is a very serious reason for this, but we tend to water down the truth. Jonah was running from God, who had asked him to warn Nineveh of coming judgment. Jonah wanted the people of Nineveh to be condemned, not forgiven. Do you think that God only began caring about Gentiles after Jesus gave His life for the salvation of the world?

The truth is God loves His creation, no matter what the ethnic background is. For many years, God focused His attention on Israel, but He didn’t forget the Gentiles. That is seen very clearly in what happened in the very evil and wicked city of Nineveh. This very large city was located in ancient Assyria, and the Assyrians were very wicked; they were enemies of Israel. One day, the Lord spoke to Jonah and said, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me” (Jonah 1:2).

How would you react if God clearly told you to go to Baghdad and walk through the city warning of coming judgment? More than likely, you would do what Jonah did and run the other way! God wanted the people of Nineveh to turn from their wickedness, idol worship, and all the evil that was a part of their lives. “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD and went down to Joppa: and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD” (Jonah 1:3).

Jonah forgot that there is nowhere to hide from the presence of God. . It’s easy to read the story of Jonah and wonder why he ran, but I can tell you I’m thankful God hasn’t asked me to go to San Francisco or New York City or Hollywood and speak against the wickedness and evil there. What if you were asked to go spread the Gospel to Washington DC? Would you go, or would you head the other way?

God was serious about preaching against the evil found in Nineveh. When Jonah got on the boat to Tarshish, God set about changing Jonah’s mind. God sent a great wind that made even the sailors afraid. Each of those sailors cried to his own god. That’s still the problem today. Too many people don’t trust God Almighty but trust in the gods they create… the god of money, the god of sex, the god of self, and more. Like Jonah, we try to hide from God and don’t share the Gospel with any of them. While all of the wind and fear were happening, Jonah was asleep. “So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not” (Jonah 1:6).

Christians, are we sleeping? There is a major storm raging all around us, a spiritual onslaught, but we act as if there’s no problem. The battle is Spiritual, and evil is behind the storms we face, and we need spiritual armor to fight (study Ephesians chapter 6). What can we do? The answer is simple: “O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God.” God needs strong Christian soldiers fit for battle.

Jonah confessed he was Hebrew and claimed he feared the Lord. “And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:9). If he was in fear of the Lord, why was he running? The excuses are much like the ones we use today: “I’m afraid.” “Does God really want me to preach to them?” “They deserve judgment,” “I don’t know Scripture well enough to say anything.” Jonah knew he failed and that the storm was caused by his disobedience. “And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you” (Jonah 1:12).

Sometimes even a bad witness can be used by God. The sailors, who all had their own gods, ended up crying out to the Lord. “Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou O LORD hast done as it pleased thee” (Jonah 1:14). What a statement coming from a group of men with no faith in God! Brothers and sisters, our silence and our joining in worldly lifestyles cause us to hold our silence while the evil storms get stronger.

We know what happened next. The sailors threw Jonah overboard, but God wasn’t done with him. “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly, of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). What does that remind you of? The Scribes and Pharisees wanted Jesus to give them a sign (as if He hadn’t shown many signs before). “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly: so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40).

The Scribes and Pharisees wanted theatrics, but Jesus didn’t come to earth to put on a show. He was serious about His mission here. He gave His life and spent three days and three nights in the tomb, but on the third day, He arose!

Jonah was in quite a predicament. Almost as a last resort, Jonah prayed. “Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly” (Jonah 2:1). His prayer was heartfelt “And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 2:10). Yuck! Can you imagine the mess he was? I’m sure he smelled pretty bad, too. It took a real wake-up call to get Jonah to come around to God’s will. It would have been a lot easier on him if he would have obeyed God and headed to Nineveh rather than running away.

“So Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days journey” (Jonah 3:2).

Now that his troubles were behind him, off he went to Nineveh. The question is, was he sincere? How often do we find ourselves in a very bad situation and pray to God for help? Oh, we make all kinds of promises. If God gets us out of the belly of the whale, we will do anything He asks. That was Jonah’s attitude, and off he went to Nineveh.

“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed, and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thin:, let them not feed nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands” (Jonah 3:4-8).

Jonah wasn’t preaching the love of God but rather seemed happy to preach that God would execute judgment in forty days. Jonah didn’t want them to survive. In spite of his bad attitude, everyone in Nineveh turned to God.

God is always willing to forgive, but the repentance has to be real.

When Solomon had finished building the Temple, he called the people together, and they had a feast of dedication, and everyone was joyous. After the celebration, the Lord went to Solomon by night and told him He had heard his prayer and He was pleased with the Temple. Among other things, God told Solomon, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

These words were for the Jewish people, but when we give our lives to Christ, we are known as Christian… we are called by His name. It’s time for us to humble ourselves, pray, and truly seek God. Nineveh, a pagan Gentile city, did humble themselves before the Lord. They did turn from their wicked ways, and their judgment was delayed until they returned to their wickedness.

Jonah should have been very pleased. He survived a storm and being swallowed by a big fish, and his words to Nineveh were effective. The city repented. “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry” (Jonah 4:1). Jonah had a snit fit, and he explained to God that the reason he had run away was because he knew that if he went to Nineveh, they would repent. Jonah didn’t want that. He wanted them to face God’s judgment rather than God’s mercy. He was so upset that he asked God to take his life and let him die.

How would you feel if you witnessed to someone who was a very evil person and they surprised you and humbled themselves and repented? Would you be filled with joy and gratitude? What did Jonah do? Rather than being happy for Nineveh, Jonah pouted. “So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city” (Jonah 4:5). Jonah really wanted Nineveh to face judgment. That isn’t the way we should approach witnessing. If Jonah would have joyfully obeyed God instead of running away, he might have been able to rejoice when the whole city repented and came to know the true God.

What lesson can we learn from Jonah? There are many truths hidden in this four-chapter book. God wants everybody to come to know Him. He doesn’t want anybody to face His judgment. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

If God asks you to speak to a friend, family member, or someone you consider an enemy, will you joyfully do it? Or will you do everything you can in order to get out of witnessing? If so, you should become more comfortable with Scripture. In that way, you can have answers to questions others may have. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

If God can use a man like Jonah, He can use you. Be obedient to His word and spread the Gospel. Judgment was coming, but Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to repent. Do you want your enemies to repent? Wake up, O sleeper. Don’t be like Jonah and run, but with humility and prayer, share the Gospel. God wants everyone to come to salvation.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).