Don't Throw in the Towel!

Let us turn to the book of Daniel, chapter 1. Little snowflakes in March, but brothers and sisters, do not be discouraged; before long, spring will overcome winter. Do not throw in the towel. And in a way, brothers and sisters, that is what this message is about. Daniel, chapter 1. Daniel, chapter 1. Glory to God. Glory to God. Especially if you were raised in the Gospel, if you were raised in a Christian home, I have no doubt that sooner or later you have read this text, perhaps in a youth group. But recently I read it in a different way; the Lord broke me by revealing something to me, and this morning I want to take the opportunity to share that revelation with you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord delivered into his hands”—into Nebuchadnezzar’s hands—“Jehoiakim king of Judah, and some of the articles from the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar”—that is, Babylon—“to the house of his god, and he placed the articles in the treasury of his god. And the king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel, of the royal lineage and of the princes, young men in whom there was no blemish, good-looking, instructed in all wisdom, knowledgeable in science and of good understanding, and fit to serve in the king’s palace; and that he should teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. And the king assigned them a daily portion from the provision of the king’s food and from the wine he drank; and ordered that they be trained for three years, so that at the end of that time they might appear before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, of the children of Judah. The chief of the eunuchs gave them names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; Hananiah, Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the portion of the king’s food…”

How many of you have read this verse before? “Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the portion of the king’s food, or with the wine he drank; therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs not to force him to defile himself.” Brothers and sisters, let us reflect for a moment on this verse that you may have read very many times. And now, in the context of how the book of Daniel opens, does this verse, this attitude of Daniel’s, not seem absurd to you, brother? Think about it carefully. Does it not seem crazy to you, something absurd? This book begins by describing what appears to be a total defeat for the people of Israel. There was an invasion; there was a conquest. Brothers and sisters, why insist on not defiling oneself, on keeping the law of Moses, on keeping kosher as the Jews do today, if Jerusalem has already been destroyed, if the war has been lost, and if there is no hope of victory?

Why insist, in that environment, on not defiling oneself… it seems crazy. And the answer, brothers and sisters? This is the answer for all of you who may find yourselves in Babylon this morning. The answer, brothers and sisters, is that the war has not yet been lost; the answer is that hope has not yet been lost; the answer is that the enemy has not gotten his way, even though everything around you says otherwise. And brothers and sisters, that is a kind of faith. And I ask the Lord to awaken that faith in you; this is a faith that refuses to be defeated. Ask the Lord for this faith that assures you that you will come out victorious even though all the evidence around you tells you otherwise. Even though everything you see, even though your circumstances advise you, “Deny your God and die.”

Brothers and sisters, this is the faith that assures you that your Redeemer lives and that your eyes will see Him, even though everything around you tells you exactly the opposite. Brothers and sisters, this kind of faith is what has ensured that the kingdom of God has survived. Thank you. The kingdom of God has survived empires, armies, kings, dictators, governments, atheists, generals, invaders such as this one, and economic and moral crises, as the book of Hebrews, chapter 36, verse 33, declares: “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fires, escaped the edges of swords, drew strength from weakness, became mighty in battles, put foreign armies to flight…” In a few words, it is a faith that holds this as certain in the very marrow of one’s bones: one lives secure in the knowledge that, in the long run, the kingdom of God always wins. Whatever happens, call it Babylon, call it Persia, call it Greece, call it Rome, call it the Soviet Union, call it Cuba, call it whatever you call it… whatever it may look like. In the long run, the kingdom of God wins, and His children come out triumphant.

And brothers and sisters, I would call this a faith that refuses to be defeated. And there is a place for short-term faith, merely to distinguish one kind, so to speak, of faith from another. And what is short-term faith? Well, there is a decision, there is an emergency, and you need an answer right now. Father, provide for this need; Lord, heal me of this discharge, of this headache; Lord, I have to make it to the gas station. Father, right now—and it is no big deal. You can handle this, God; You can; this is a small thing for You. And literally, a small thing for You. But that kind of faith, short-term faith, is not very helpful to you in Babylon… when you find yourself in Babylon. When you find yourself in Babylon, you need an invincible faith, a faith that refuses to be defeated. And brothers and sisters, sooner or later the Lord allows His children to confront a Babylon.

I do not know whether you are in Babylon, whether you have experienced a Babylon, whether a Babylon has visited your families. Why don’t we do a quick examination here? When do we know that we are in Babylon? Brothers and sisters, we are not talking about a hard day at work; we are not talking about someone scratching your car in the parking lot, as much as that bothers us. We are not talking about those challenges; we are talking, brothers and sisters… you are in Babylon, like Daniel, when you confront a situation—and this can happen in an instant. A call, an email, a text, and suddenly your life changes. Suddenly you confront a situation so overwhelming that it immediately puts to the test everything you have learned about God and everything you have learned about who God is to you and who you are to Him. It calls into question your entire relationship with God and everything you have learned about God up to that moment. In an instant it erases your spiritual boundaries; it damages your spiritual compass. That is what a Babylon does. You know you are in Babylon if, like David in that situation, the whole life you once knew—in his case, the temple, the priests, the vineyards of Judah, the faces of his family, his neighbors—vanishes in an instant; we no longer see it, and now there is a totally unknown, completely different life. Job is another example, brothers and sisters: in an instant, in a couple of days, he loses his children, provision, and health.

Brothers and sisters, isn’t the book of Job so extreme? In an instant, in the blink of an eye, his… everything you know about your family—it is not even your family; this is the powerful thing. It is the image you have of your family that is reconfigured in an instant. That husband whom yesterday you knew as a responsible man, upon whom your trust and your heart rested, goes off and runs away with another woman—wow, your life is different from that moment onward. Those children, those little ones you held in your arms—suddenly, whether it is an unexpected pregnancy, a call from the school, or worse, from the police station, now it is a different child. Now it is a different situation. Now this is a different life; this is not what you expected. Your provision. In an instant, in a couple of days—this is the drama the United States has been living through—fortunes can be lost in the blink of an eye… fortunes, houses can disappear, careers of 20, 25 years, 30 years, can disappear. A Babylon.

Your health, brothers and sisters—our bodies are the most fragile things ever invented, and a diagnosis, a lump that appears, a headache that cannot be explained, and suddenly your life is different. Welcome to Babylon. Welcome to Babylon. And the thing about Babylon is this: when that cloud passes, when that initial shock passes and the initial emotional experience passes and you dry your tears, you are still left with the reality of the rubble of this new life. And this is the thing, brothers and sisters: one does not know—a crisis of this magnitude may last a day—but rather, one knows beforehand that this is not going to pass in a day or two. When you are in Babylon, you know that you may be here for months, perhaps years, perhaps your whole life. Brothers and sisters, then, first of all, why does God allow something like this? A just God, a good God, a God who loves you, a God whom you have confessed as your God, a God whom you have worshiped, a God whom you have faithfully served. Why does God allow something like this to come upon your life? Why?

Well, brothers and sisters, I will give you at least two reasons. First, there are personal implications for your faith. There are personal implications. Frankly, brothers and sisters, any faith worth having will be tested sooner or later. Any faith worth having is a faith worth testing. Any faith worth having will, in the long run, be tested. As the Word declares in the book of James, faith without works is dead. And what does that mean? Your faith, before it is tested, before it goes through a Babylon… your faith is a profession; what you have is a profession of faith, and that is important. What you have are declarations of faith; it is theology, and that is precious. But until you go through it, until the Lord allows you to pass through the refining fire, that faith is not activated into a fervent, dynamic, and powerful life in the Lord. Imagine… your life before you undergo this test of faith is a collection of talents and gifts and promises from the Lord. Inert elements, gathered there together, until the Lord lights the flame and begins to melt those talents, mixing them with tears and brokenness; and now you really are bringing forth the Word, and now you really are beginning to exercise certain gifts; now you are a man, a woman of faith. And now you will shine, because in that fire the Lord separates the impurities; the Lord separates the dross from the gold. And brothers and sisters, when you go through this, your faith will shine.

There are personal implications. But, brothers and sisters, I want to emphasize this other implication. Another kind of refining and purifying fire: the implications that your suffering and your trial have for the kingdom of God. What do I mean by that? The Lord has invited you into an eternal drama. Do not lose sight of that. Brothers and sisters, while you are living your life, while you are walking upon this earth, do not lose sight of your drama in relation to the spiritual drama being fought in unseen places. What do I mean by this? Let us ask ourselves: why did Nebuchadnezzar need to take the cream of Judah hostage—these young men—and carry them away there? He had already done whatever he pleased with Jerusalem, hadn’t he? He destroyed its walls, burned the temple, killed the priests; to top it all off, he took the instruments of worship from the Lord’s temple, fashioned with gold from the people’s offerings—he took these articles from the Lord’s temple. How would you feel, brother? And suddenly he carries them to Babylon and gives them to his pagan gods as a graphic, climactic symbol of a complete victory—of a conquest.

Why did he need to take these young men hostage, incorporate them into his court, and indoctrinate them into his culture, his way of thinking, and his politics? What need was there for that? Do you know why? And learn this well; learn this well. When you are in Babylon. Do you know why it was so necessary for him to do this? Because there is no… the conquest is not complete until one surrenders voluntarily. The conquest is not complete until the enemy causes you to say—until he hears from your lips—“What is the point anymore? There is no hope now; the war is over; my God has died, and His promises with Him.” As Paul declares in 2 Corinthians—look, if Christ, in the context of the Lord’s resurrection—if Christ has not risen, our faith is in vain; our faith is in vain. Let us eat, dance, live—what is the point? You see how absurd Daniel’s declaration that he would not defile himself is against this background, if one is convinced that the war has already been lost. But the Lord knows that in this controversy with Satan, since ancient times, He has always maintained one thing. The Lord has maintained it. In fact, I— forgive me, God—He has wagered that a minority, a remnant, perhaps even one soul, is enough for God. One soul will refuse, will decline to surrender. Okay, let the trial come. The fire sweeps away everything holy, everything divine, all religiosity, all the trappings, everything. And He maintains that when that fire, those flames, die down, at least one Noah will remain. At least one Abraham will remain. At least one Joshua, one Caleb, will remain. At least one Job will remain. At least one Daniel will remain.

The Lord allows this, allows these Babylons in this spiritual conflict, because He says, now, in this context, we will see who loves Me; in this very negative context, we will see who still calls upon Me, who still seeks Me… who still trusts in Me. And from that person, even if it is just one soul, from that life I can create that nation. From that life I can create an entire unconquerable generation. Satan has no strategy against someone like that. And in this refining fire, the Lord is looking for souls with that spiritual DNA. That’s you. That is what the Lord has called us to. So, brothers and sisters, do not forget that this is war. Not only is this war, but as Louis used to say, we are part of a resistance army. We live, as he declared, in territory occupied by the enemy; this is occupied territory. The enemy has usurped this territory; it does not belong to him. And you are part of the legitimate kingdom, and even though everything around us makes it seem as if the enemy has taken possession of everything, we live with hope… indeed, with certainty—the certainty that before long there will be an invasion.

As in World War II: you are in France, it is the year 1944, the Germans have held Paris for more than four years, and you are certain that any day now your redeemer will arrive, and there will be liberation. Faith is the certainty of what is hoped for, the certainty of what is expected, the conviction of what is not seen. And, brothers and sisters, in this context, what is hoped for and not seen is victory—that victory—and you embrace it, you wait for it, you kiss it… even though everything around you tells you, “This is absurd—this is absurd.” So how do you do it? How do you do it in Babylon, brothers and sisters? Are we going to make it out of Babylon? How do we form ourselves into a resistance army, weakening the enemy and clearing the way for our King, who is coming to redeem us? You know what? Three pieces of advice. First, brothers and sisters, in Babylon seek the Lord by decision, not emotion. In Babylon seek the Lord by decision, not emotion. What do I mean by that? You can reduce this point to one word: discipline, discipline… spiritual discipline.

What do I mean by this, brothers and sisters? This statement about Daniel—that he resolved—the force of that word, “resolve,” speaks of determination; that implies discipline. That means, come what may, whatever I may see, I resolve, for as long as the Lord gives me life, until the Lord restores Israel, I resolve not to defile myself. And how does he do this? Brothers and sisters, in war camps, in prisoner-of-war camps, soldiers—or soldiers in a concentration camp—have the custom of maintaining certain disciplines even while they are prisoners, which seems a little ridiculous. You have heard about this: they salute one another as soldiers; they respect their ranks, even though the war is supposedly over for them because they are prisoners. What do they do? They put on their uniforms. What do they do? They straighten their uniforms. What do they do? They march every morning. What do they do? They exercise and keep themselves in shape. What do they do? They salute the flag, if they are allowed to. Why? These are disciplines that help them survive even when everything around them tells them, “Surrender.” And this is what Daniel did. We are not going to turn to this passage, but you know the story of Daniel and the lions’ den, brothers and sisters. There the Word declares that he used to come before the presence of the Lord three times a day, like clockwork, for years. This was clockwork; this is discipline. Whether he felt like it or not, he opened the windows toward Jerusalem and there sought the face of God.

And, brothers and sisters, I am going to tell you—I am going to warn you—in Babylon, and especially in Babylon, you will not feel like it; you will not feel like it. You will not feel like praising the Lord; you will not feel like seeking His face; you will not feel like hearing from Him. In Babylon that is especially dangerous because, as Daniel discovered, he was surrounded. Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom—Babylon—was everywhere, everywhere. He was surrounded by Babylon’s food, standards, culture, and immorality. Brothers and sisters, he swam in the waters of conquest like a fish. And that is what your life is like. If you let them, brothers and sisters, those waters of depression, those waters of “Look, just throw in the towel,” and negativity, those waters that you may even confront on your way from home to work, from work to the hospital, or from the hospital to your home—that will wear you out. Sooner or later, unless with discipline you come before the Lord and say, “Lord, I may not understand this situation; perhaps I do not know what I am doing in Babylon or what I did to deserve this, but I declare, even if my heart does not feel it, I confess that You are on Your throne, that You are in control. And Father, my heart seeks You, and I ask, Lord, that Your Spirit, that Spirit who intercedes with groanings too deep for words… Father, that Your Spirit would come to my spirit, for I am still unable to minister to You; I cannot even give You the worship You deserve at this moment, but You receive it.”

Brothers and sisters, those are the prayers that honor God the most. Those prayers that come from decisions and not from emotion. Those prayers that are born of principles and discipline. He prayed three times a day. Brothers and sisters, do not let go of at least once a day: before your first decision, before your first conversation, be in the presence of the Lord. Plug into the Lord before you go out into Babylon—that is point number one. Point number two, brothers and sisters: I am going to ask you to turn to Jeremiah, chapter 29. Point number two. In Babylon—and this is harder than the first point—first, maintain spiritual disciplines; second, in Babylon, brothers and sisters, serve; in Babylon, love; in Babylon, build; in Babylon, determine to be salt and light.

Young Daniel knew the book of Jeremiah. In Daniel chapter 9 there is this scene where Daniel opens this scroll and is reading the promises in the book of Jeremiah, specifically Jeremiah 25 and Jeremiah 29, which declare that after 70 years the Lord would end the exile from Jerusalem—from Judah, from Israel—and that the Lord’s people would return from all the earth and go back there. But he also knew the context of that promise. The Word declares: “Thus says the Lord,” verse 4, my brothers and sisters, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: In Babylon build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Marry and have sons and daughters; give wives to your sons, and give your daughters husbands, so that they may have sons and daughters; and multiply there, in Babylon; multiply and do not decrease. And seek the peace of the city to which I caused you to be carried away, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”

Daniel took this to heart. He was… the book of Daniel is indispensable for a leader; it must be read because it speaks of a man free from corruption, it speaks of a man who served without negligence. He is a tremendous leader. A tremendous leader. And, brothers and sisters, he served with all his heart; he blessed these men; he served king after king even when there were coups d’état—and there were quite a few during the 70 years Daniel was there. He served the next kingdom with the same excellence with which he had served the previous one. And, brothers and sisters, as he did so, the Lord blessed him. As you do that along the way, you get up and say, “Well, here goes. I am in Babylon, and I can give myself over to depression; I can stay home in my slippers and bathrobe and I can… let my beard grow and become a hermit…”

Or I can walk out that door and declare that I am a child of God, and it is here that the Lord will cause my gifts to flourish. It is here that the Lord—it was in this context; without Babylon, the revelations the Lord gave Daniel would not have been possible. Without Babylon, the gifts the Lord had… that lay dormant within him would not have flourished. This man became a prophet of the Lord, an instrument in the Lord’s hands. But, brothers and sisters, it came from a decision first to obey the Word of the Lord, to pray for the shalom, the peace of everything around him. Brothers and sisters, love even in Babylon; love even those who are responsible for your Babylon; love, serve, bless even those who are responsible for your captivity. It sounds radical, it sounds radical, but this is resistance warfare. This is a resistance warfare. As time goes on, your faith will only increase, and as time goes on, just as happened with Daniel, the Lord’s name will be exalted and glorified through your life.

As time goes on, pagan kings—this is what will happen to you—those who witness your life, the people watching your drama from afar… I am talking about angels, yes; I am talking about demons, but also your neighbors and, so to speak, the pagan kings, will be compelled to declare, “There is no God who saves like the God of Daniel. There is no God who saves like that young man’s God. There is no God who saves like that sister’s God. I cannot explain how she gets up in the morning; I cannot explain how she gets dressed; I cannot explain how she—how she goes about her business diligently; I cannot explain that smile. I do not know, but there is no God who saves like that sister’s God.” May Jehovah be glorified even in Babylon, my brothers and sisters. The enemy’s resistance falls and is corrupted even from the inside out.

Finally, brothers and sisters, do not let go of this: in Babylon, live; in Babylon, live awaiting your redemption. In Babylon, live awaiting your redemption; live as a pilgrim, a foreigner, knowing where you came from. Brothers and sisters, I believe this is Daniel’s secret: even as a young man, he was able to enter that court, confront this reality, maintain his integrity, maintain his holiness, and do whatever they asked him to do because behind him… he bound himself to this promise. In verse 10 of Jeremiah 19, the Lord promises him: “For thus says the Lord: When the 70 years in Babylon are completed, I will visit you and awaken My good word over you, to bring you back to this place.” Brothers and sisters, as a bonus, since we are already in that neighborhood, I love this verse, and you receive this too. Because in Babylon it is much harder to believe this than anywhere else, your God promises you, brothers and sisters. Even though everything around you tells you the opposite, even though every circumstance tells you something else, even though you believe that your God has abandoned you, that there is no solution, that everything is lost, that there is no reason to wake up in the morning, the Lord promises you: “I know the thoughts I have concerning you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you the end for which you hope.” Daniel got up every morning and went to bed every night, marking off the days… marking off the days. Embracing this promise.

Brothers and sisters, know the promises of the Lord. Know the promises of the Lord; search them out, swim in the promises of the Lord, drink them, digest them, write them down, memorize them, bind them upon your heart, write them, as the Word says, on the tablets of your heart; write your name into them, make them personal. Brothers and sisters, dreams that have not come true—but mark off the days. Promises of the Lord that have not yet been fulfilled—but mark off the days. Prayers the Lord has not yet answered, when one year has passed, five years have passed, ten years have passed, fifteen years have passed… mark off the days; mark them—mark them. In this conflict, the Lord will show you that He is faithful. At 80 or 90 years of age, Daniel still came before the Lord, and just look: like clockwork, when the 70 years were completed, he came before the Lord and said, “Father, what about now? What now? I have waited my whole life; I have waited; I have trusted in You. Fulfill Your promises.” Hebrews 11 declares, in verse 13 of Hebrews 11, that all these died according to faith without having received what was promised. The irony, brothers and sisters, is that Daniel—tradition says Daniel never returned to Jerusalem, but that God used him to influence King Sido of Persia because he was in his court… and that liberation—he was the vessel the Lord used. And although he did not arrive there, it says there: “But having seen it from afar, and believed it, and greeted it, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth; for those who say such things clearly show that they seek a homeland. And if they had been thinking of the one they had left, they certainly had time to return.” But the Lord declares that they longed for a better one. They longed for a better one. They longed… that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God—and, brothers and sisters, receive this word—God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Brothers and sisters, even if we only greet it, even if you greet your redemption from afar, take your… if you have children, take your children; if you have grandchildren, take them… lay hands on them; pass the promise on to them; pass that inheritance on to them; pass that warrior’s eye on to them. Let us create, brothers and sisters, an unconquerable generation. Let’s do it.

This faith that refuses to be defeated is a faith that declares even in Babylon, “Great is our God, great is our King, hallelujah, Christ is alive.” It is easy to do that here at Lion of Judah with this team; try doing it there, my brothers and sisters. It is extremely difficult to declare this in Babylon, without the temple, without everything you know. But I give you this promise, brothers and sisters: God is still on His throne. Heaven and earth will pass away; His Word will never pass away. Brothers and sisters, not one promise the Lord has made to you has fallen to the ground; indeed, Babylon only makes it more precious. Babylon only makes us long for it more; it prepares us more fully for it.

Father, we come before your presence with certainty, first of all, Lord, thanking you for making us members of your kingdom, which is a privilege beyond measure; Lord, first of all, we affirm that. We would not trade it for anything, we would not trade it for anything, Lord. We would not trade this salvation, we would not trade knowing you, we would not trade the privilege of being before your presence. Lord, we would not trade it even to gain a thousand years; we would not trade one day in your courts, because that is precious. Lord, come what may, we cannot imagine the world without you. Lord, the sun will go dark and you will still be God; Lord, heaven and earth will pass away, and you will still be God, you will still be King, you will still be sovereign, Father, and we declare this because we are your people, and we are a people of your word, and here your word is law, Lord.

And here, in this place, your word has authority; in this place, and so we proclaim the one who died on a cross and was buried, and yet you triumphed over death and came forth as conqueror. Lord, in the end, in the end every tongue will confess that you are Lord. In the end, Father, every knee will bow before you; in the end, Father, all the kings of the earth, Lord, from the days of Abel and Adam, Lord, to the present day, will all cast their crowns before you and declare, Lord, who you are. They will see who you are. What we have known within our hearts, with the eyes of faith… Father, I bind those promises; I bind my brothers and sisters to those words now in the name of Jesus; I bind their lives to those promises now, Lord, in the name of Jesus. I bind their hearts, their finances, their friendships, their family, their generation, their hopes, their dreams to those promises, Father. I declare, Father, that no one who calls upon you as God—no one here, no one in this place who calls upon you as God and King—will ever be put to shame. There is no one, Lord, who trusts in your promises who will be put to shame. There is no one, Lord, who confesses, “My God lives,” who will be put to shame, Father. You are alive, your kingdom rules, it isn’t over, it isn’t over—it is not over, Father; your kingdom is established for eternity, and in the end the victory is yours, the honor is yours. Yours is the glory.