Daniel 1:1-2 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.God has a plan for nations which we often don’t see. God allowed Jerusalem to be besieged by Nebuchadnezzar because King Jehoiakim of Judah did evil in His eyes. As a result, Daniel was thrown into a new environment when he was brought to Babylon to serve the king. Though caught in a change of authorities beyond his control, he did not escape, carry out a coup or refuse to serve the new leadership. He learnt submission.
We often struggle when we are caught in a new environment—from company to national levels—because we all prefer status quo, and our sinful nature coupled with today’s “Have It Your Way” culture make it very easy for us to be swept into the world’s way of claiming our rights and insisting our own way if we don’t have a Godward focus or remember the commands of His Word.
Our true self is often revealed where there is an actual or even a perceived unfavourable environment. Instead of submitting, we might rebel by fighting every decision by the new management or leader, but it’s always better to wait for the deliverance of the Lord than to take the situation into our own hands. In fact, it is during times like these that we can be seen to be different—to be the salt and light in the world!
Ranking or positions in any organisation is God’s ordained structure of authority, and God takes it personally whether we will submit to someone He has set over us. However, God is the supreme authority over all authorities. He has His strategic plan for His Kingdom and the end times, and God will test our ability to submit to authorities whether in church, the office or the country where He has placed us.
Daniel 5:18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.
Daniel’s heart was at the right place despite the change of leadership from King Nebuchadnezzar to King Belshazzar. He respected the position and the authority whom God has put in place although it wasn’t the kingdom that he belonged to as a Jew. Let’s learn to submit like Daniel!
Sermon Series: The Daniels of Today (Part 1)
学习像但以理一样顺服
但以理书 1:1-2犹大王约雅敬在位第三年，巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒来到耶路撒冷，将城围困。主将犹大王约雅敬，并神殿中器皿的几份交付他手，他就把这器皿带到示拿地，收入他神的庙里，放在他神的库中。
上帝对万国万邦有个计划，我们却往往看不见。上帝允许耶路撒冷被尼布甲尼撒围困，因为犹大王约雅敬行了祂看为恶的事。结果，但以理被带到巴比伦为国王服务时，他就陷入了一个新的环境。尽管他身不由己地换到了另一个权下，但他没有逃离，也没有发动政变或拒绝为新的领导层服务。他学会了顺服。
当我们陷入从公司到国家层面的新环境中时，我们常常会挣扎，因为我们都更喜欢安于现状，而我们的罪恶天性加上当今的“按自己的方式行事”文化使我们很容易被这个世界捍卫自己的权利和坚持自我的方式所影响，如果我们没有专注于神或不记得圣经的诫命。
我们真实的自我往往在实际环境中或者仅仅是当察觉到不利环境时就显露出来。 我们可能会与新的管理层或新任领导所作出的每一个决定作对，而不是顺服。但是，与其凭一己之力掌控局势，不如等候神的拯救。事实上，人们正是在这样的时刻看到我们的不同 – 我们要作世上的盐和光！
在任何组织中的等级或职位都是神规定的权柄结构， 我们对祂所置放在我们之上的人顺服与否，祂都会当作是针对祂个人的。但是，神是所有权柄之上的最高权柄。他对祂的国度和末世有自己的战略计划，无论我们身处于教会、办公室或祂将我们放置的国家，神将考验我们顺服权柄的能力。
但以理书 5:18王啊，至高的神曾将国位、大权、荣耀、威严赐与你父尼布甲尼撒。
尽管领袖从尼布甲尼撒国王换成了伯沙撒王，但以理的心却在正确的地方。他尊重神所赋予的地位和权柄，尽管这不是他作为犹太人所属的王国。让我们学习像但以理一样顺服神！
讲章系列：现今时代的但以理（第一部分）