Daniel-repentance

While a teenager, he watched as they beat and killed his father, raped his mother and sisters, burned his home, slapped him in shackles, and desecrated his temple. They took him, his friends, and the others of the community who survived on a thousand mile march. The chains tore into the flesh, grinding the bones of his wrists and ankles. The wind sand blasted his face and chest. The sun blistered his back during the day, while mosquitoes feasted off him at night. Life had changed. He had just become conquered. He had just become a slave.

One night Daniel, a teenager began to ask some questions. "Who are these people? How did they beat our warriors? Why has this happened? What's going on?" Has God just handed us over to them? In exhaustion, he kept asking, "Why?"

At that point, one of the old men leaned over, "Do you want to know why this has happened? I can tell you." So Daniel motioned to his three friends to scoot closer so they could hear the old man. Then he began, "The God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob made a covenant with our father, Abraham. The covenant involved reflecting God in character and blessing every family of the earth. This covenant would be passed down through the generations. But we have turned our back on the covenant."

The old man explained further, "We have profaned the holiness of God's great name in many ways. We take our wives for granted and treat them with contempt and ridicule. We do not pass on the faith to our children by teaching them to pray and obey God. We let them choose. We have cheated in our businesses. We have been arrogant claiming our strength and our work ethic has made our nation great. We have storehouses of food while others starve at the edges of our city. We have become careless in our leisure. We have turned our back on the poor and needy (see Ezekiel 16:49). We have ignored God's will to bless every family on earth with our selfish cry, "Blessings begin at home!"

That night, while listening to the old man, Daniel and his three friends made a solemn vow with each other. They knew their people had turned away from God and pursued the things of this world. They knew even the priests had corrupted themselves before the holy God. And they knew that they would probably stand alone in their commitment. But they vowed. No matter what the cost, they would live their lives to the honor of God.

They had seen the way their nation had become. Their nation gave lip service to God, while the people still ignored the statutes of the Almighty. The people shacked up and profaned God's name by ignoring the eternal and holy place God ordained for marriage. They killed their unwanted babies, sacrificing them to the spirit of the age just like other nations did. They gathered for worship with alcohol on their breath, gossip on their lips, and jealousy in their eyes. They had changed worship from adoration and confession to a gathering for feeling good. Daniel and his friends knew they would probably stand alone in their vow to honor God.

Within days of arriving at Babylon, they began making the changes. They found out very quickly that if they were to live lives to the honor of God, they would have to change. Their own integrity demanded it. They had made the vow to live in a covenant with God. They had received His forgiveness and mercy. They had benefited from His power. They had enjoyed His blessings. They had learned quickly that these things required them to change. So, they changed.

When looking at Daniel, his friends, and their nation, I often wonder if we have come very far. I watch as "Christians" commend men for working long hours that result in them neglecting their wives. I shake my head in amazement at "Christians" who believe they may engage in sexual activities without marriage. I listen as "Christians" defend the right to choose to kill our babies. I am shocked at the number of "Christians" who attend worship services for what they can get out of it instead of pouring themselves out to God. I wonder about "Christians" who stock food in their cupboards, refrigerators, and pantries claiming the entire time that the hungry and homeless are the responsibility of the government. I wonder about "Christians" who really believe God gives forgiveness without us turning from the sin. And I wonder about "Christian" parents who rely on the church to teach faith to their children while they themselves remain models of gossip, lying, stealing, profanity, selfishness and indifference. I am utterly shocked at the "Christians" who neglect to read the Bible and yet claim to know God's will. Utter arrogance.

Why did God speak to us in the Bible if we are going to ignore Him? Why read Holy Scripture and then turn it completely around to believe He forgives when we keep on sinning? Why bother to claim Christianity if we make ourselves to be God choosing right from wrong and doing our own thing anyway? We, His people have not changed much in 2500 years.

We still believe we decide right from wrong. We still believe right and wrong can change from person to person and situation to situation. Or even worse, we believe right and wrong can be voted on. We still rebel against God at practically every turn. Then when disaster strikes, we cry out to God for forgiveness and blessing while we keep asking, "Why?"

My prayer is that we have more than just one who will commit themselves to live to the honor of God. I pray that we, the people of God will turn from our idolatry, indifference, and selfishness. Like Daniel, we will have to change.

Rev. Ted Beam