Tag: Captivity

Living in the Image of God

Mediation Example from Daniel

Living in the Image of God M05S17

Early during captivity in Babylon, Daniel negotiated an alternative diet of vegetables and water to replace a daily ration of food and wine ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar. The diet ordered by the king presented a conflict for Daniel and his compatriots. Accept the diet and violate their relationship with God or disobey the king by refusing the diet. Through stepwise negotiation, Daniel won an agreement that enabled him and compatriots to stay obedient to the king without accepting the diet ordered by the king. They completed their training and entered the king’s service. The principles he applied in the mediation are consistent with principles based on the mediation in Ephesus. However, application of the principles depends on the facts and circumstances of each specific dispute. Daniel built understanding of the facts and circumstances through earlier negotiation and used the understanding in subsequent negotiation.

Mediation Example from Daniel 24:12

This study is the second of a two-part bible study for understanding the principles of Christian mediation—for resolving single-party or multi-party disputes. The first study discusses conflict resolution by a city clerk in Ephesus. He diffused a riot instigated by fear of potential impact of the Gospel on business interests. The current study discusses conflict resolution by Daniel, between commitment to God and obedience to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel and his compatriots were living in Babylon as captives under King Nebuchadnezzar, who had conquered Judah, looted the Jerusalem temple, and took selected people captive. In Babylon, he placed the captives in training to prepare them for the king’s service. By an order of the king, the trainees were assigned a diet based on daily ration of food and wine from the king’s table.

However, the assigned diet was problematic for Daniel and his compatriots, because food and wine from the king’s table would likely have passed through Babylonian religious rites. They would violate their relationship with God by consuming such food and wine. In contrast, refusing the diet would violate the king’s order. Therefore, the diet presented a single-party conflict to Daniel and his compatriots. Accept the diet and violate their relationship with God or disobey the king by refusing the diet.

Daniel negotiated a peaceful resolution accepted by all. Through stepwise negotiation, he won an agreement that enabled him and compatriots to stay obedient to the king without accepting the diet ordered by the king.

The discussion shows that mediation principles based on the conflict resolution by Daniel are consistent with principles based on the mediation in Ephesus. However, application of the principles depends on the facts and circumstances of each specific dispute.

Continue reading “Mediation Example from Daniel” →
Mordecai and Esther, Responding to Adversity

Living in the Image of God through Adversity

Example from Mordecai—
Worshiping and Serving God Even in Adversity

Mordecai’s interactions with others show he was committed to worship and serve God, determined what the commitment meant in every situation, and interacted in a way to uphold his commitment. He did this while facing severe adversity due to being the descendant of a captive exile in Babylon. In a subsequent study we show that living in the image of God in spite of his adversity propelled him to triumph over the adversity.

CLICK PICTURE TO PLAY VIDEO

Download or Play Audio

Download PDF

 

 

 

We continue our study series on Responding to Adversity with a sub series on Mordecai, descendant of one of the Jews that fell captive to Nebuchadnezzar and lived in Babylon as exiles for several decades. We examine Mordecai’s life in captivity, focusing on adverse circumstances that befell him and three interactions with others as he lived through the adversity. We discuss the interactions to show how they relate to the meaning of a commitment to worship and serve God. Further, in subsequent studies under the sub series on Mordecai, we highlight how the interactions triggered event sequences that coalesced to lead him to triumph over his adversity.

The sub series helps us understand the life of Mordecai as an example of living in the image of God through adversity and lifting over the adversity as a result.

Continue reading “Living in the Image of God through Adversity” →

Responding to Adversity

David Proclaims Civil Rights Principle

Responding to Adversity—
Base Burnt, Flocks and Families in Captivity

We discuss a biblical event to illustrate that God could use adversity to guide a person to greater purpose. The adversity of follower families taken captive from his base led David to an opportunity to enunciate principles of basic civil rights and responsibilities. To respond to the adversity, he sought and received direction from God, pursued and caught up with the raiders, defeated them in a battle, and recovered everything and people taken from his base. Also, as he worked toward the rescue, he evaluated and disposed of issues as they arose; such as letting two hundred of his men that were exhausted return to base while four hundred continued in the pursuit. By so doing, he set the stage for resolving a dispute on sharing battle proceeds, which led to his ruling on civil rights and responsibilities.

CLICK PICTURE TO PLAY VIDEO

Download or Play Audio

Download PDF

 

 

 

An adversity could present opportunities for greater accomplishment. We discuss an example in David’s rescue of follower families captured from his base by a raiding party. The rescue led him to define basis for civil rights and responsibilities while settling a dispute on sharing battle proceeds among his people.

Recovered all plus more
Recovered all plus more
Sweet Publishing | freebibleimages.org

David and his men had left their base in Philistine territory to present themselves to fight alongside their Philistine host. However, the Philistines refused their offer and asked them to return to their base. On their return, they found their base raided, burnt, and plundered and their families taken captive by the raiders. David sought and received God’s direction, pursued and caught up with the raiders, defeated them in a fierce battle, recovered all that was taken from his base including family members, and took additional plunder. Subsequently, the plunder opened an opportunity for David. To settle a dispute among his people on sharing the plunder, he made a ruling that became a lasting foundation for the interpretation of basic civil rights and responsibilities.

The study provides opportunity for increased understanding that God may use an adversity to guide a person toward greater purpose. Therefore, seek his direction in every adversity. He establishes a way to communicate with every person and will respond to guide you if you seek his direction. Recognizing potential opportunities in an adversity will motivate a person to respond positively by seeking direction from God to defeat the adversity and any temptation that it might represent.

Continue reading “David Proclaims Civil Rights Principle” →

Famous Persons

Daniel Thrives in Adversity

From Captive to Chief Administrator and Adviser

While living in Babylon as captive, Daniel won respect and admiration of many and served three generations of kings in high positions. He was reputed to have the Spirit of God and superior human excellence and as upright and thorough in his conduct of public affairs. He accomplished all these through unwavering commitment to worship and serve God and living in accordance with the commitment even while facing adversity.

CLICK PICTURE TO PLAY VIDEO

Download or Play Audio

Download PDF

 

 

 

Five testimonies in the book of Daniel provide for understanding Daniel’s life in captivity in terms of his unwavering commitment to worship and serve God, how the commitment affected his day to day human interactions, and the reputation that grew about him as a result. He was brought to Babylon as a captive under King Nebuchadnezzar, was appointed a king’s adviser after three years, and served three generations of kings at high positions. During the period, people believed he had the Spirit of God in him, had more knowledge and wisdom than any other person, and was upright and thorough in his conduct of public affairs.

Daniel as captive in Babylon
Daniel as captive in Babylon
Moody Publishers freebibleimages.org

The first testimony arises from events that occurred early in his life in captivity, when he recognized a conflict with his commitment to worship God while being respectful and obedient to the king and functionaries. He negotiated a resolution of the conflict so he could respect and obey the king and his staff without violating his commitment to worship and serve God. The second testimony arises from the king’s demand for someone to interpret his dream but first retell the dream to demonstrate competence in dream interpretation. Daniel recognized the task was beyond normal human competence and invoked the power of God to satisfy the king’s demand.

The other three testimonies were given publicly by highly placed people as part of their interactions with or about Daniel. One testimony was given by King Nebuchadnezzar as he explained his relying on Daniel to interpret a second dream. God revealed to Nebuchadnezzar through the dream that he would be banished to the animal kingdom until he recognized that “… the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses” [Daniel 4:25]. The other testimony was given by the queen of Belshazzar (Nebuchadnezzar’s successor) to calm the king of his fright from a strange writing that appeared on a wall in his palace. She informed him there was a man Daniel in his kingdom with a reputation of understanding and interpreting such mystery. The third testimony in this category was given by a group of administrators and provincial governors under King Darius (2nd successor after Nebuchadnezzar). The group had conspired to raise charges against Daniel to dissuade Darius from setting him up as a chief administrator over the whole kingdom, second only to the king. They searched his several decades of public service but could not find any basis for a conspiracy: “…They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent” [Daniel 5:4]. Finally, they said of Daniel: “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God” [Daniel 6:5].

We discuss these testimonies as basis for an understanding that Daniel thrived in a foreign land despite the adversity of being a captive, because he was committed to worshiping and serving God and lived a life based on the commitment. He lived the commitment through his interactions with people—both ordinary people and those in authority—in his day to day life and his conduct of public affairs. The testimonies provide evidence of his reputation as one with the Spirit of God, more knowledgeable and wise than any other, and upright and thorough in his conduct of public affairs.

Continue reading “Daniel Thrives in Adversity” →