Four Men Who Dared to Be Different ~ Part 2

I can see those little monkeys set apart and huddled in the corner of their cage saying, “hear no evil, speak no evil, and say no evil”; but, how many of us would boldly do the same? Would we dare to be different from all the rest of the ones in the cage of our society? Are we willing to feed ourselves on something different from the rest of them?

To reiterate; this is about four men who dared to be different - four men who refused to eat the foods that would cause them to defile themselves and set cause to break the laws of their religious beliefs.

A few days before beginning this new journey through the book of Daniel, I was doing a little online surfing for articles and blogs on how people are coping in light of the downward spiral of the world’s economic systems.

Of course, there a great increase in number of articles and blog entries on how people are coping and saving money, of recent. It is reflecting the times in which we are living.

People are downsizing, particularly with the large population of baby-boomers entering their more senior years. Personal debt and bankruptcies are at an all-time high. Companies are moving their production facilities to cheaper lands, investments are plummeting in the stock market arenas, and people are losing jobs left and right. Oh, what troublesome times we are living in, but should we be surprised?

Aside from the inundation of articles and blogs and frugality, there are a newer substantial amount of blogs and sites for a growing number of people who are now opting out of the societal pressures to look like we have it all made. They are choosing instead, to move with a purposed directive towards a new trend called “voluntary simplicity”. They are the new army or breed of those fighting to step back from the society’s focus on self absorption and indulgence, and the overwhelming pressure to “keep up with the Joneses”.

Living the great American dream is no longer the dream.... in fact, it has become a nightmare! Society is starting to say “we have had enough”. They are opting out, and discarding all the stuff that really isn’t necessary. They are no longer interested in accumulating treasures, and storing the “stuff”.

My own sister-in-law and brother-in-law made a decision, a little over year and a half ago, to sell off their home and all of their world possessions, in order to purchase a large RV motorhome and drive off to discover North America. The timing, they felt, was right. Their kids, now in their twenties, had left home, and being only in their forties themselves, they were young enough to enjoy the concept. They also wanted to do it while they have the health to do it. They were both of tired of their jobs and the rat-race, and were ready for an all-out adventure. So in just a few short weeks, they got rid of their stuff, and were waving farewell.

Their challenge and part of the whole exploit would be to see how little they could spend. It would be more like a game, but not a regimented, unbending requirement. They wanted to do it all as simply as they could.

They chose an online trip journal, and daily post their happenings, as well as keep a running tab on their expenditures; namely fuel, food, and overnight fees. Since they have never been big spenders to start with, they spend very little, and have surprisingly, on average, spent only around a thousand a month over the past year, for their new style of living. Internet is picked up randomly here and there, on whatever signals they happen to find along the way, and cell phone pay-as-you-go is a monthly five dollar phone card they keep topped up only for roadside emergencies, should they ever need it.

Board-games, cards, strolls on the beaches, bike rides, dog-walks, and get-togethers with other fellow RV-ers are high on the list of activities. They trade books with other travellers, eat foods in season and with simplicity, pickup cheap dvd movies once in a while to watch on their laptops, they read the headlines and news videos online, and participate in free activities and touristy items as they motor along. It’s a low-key lifestyle they have become accustomed to, and that they absolutely love. So, what started out with intent to be only a couple of years long, has now become a lifestyle, and has progressed into plans for a longer timeframe.

They have chosen, and they have dared to be different.

While there is a part of many of us that may be envious of such a freedom to be able to pick and move like that. I, personally, have to say that I am too busy enjoying this season of writing and ministry. I absolutely love what I am blessed to be doing right now, and of where He has me. I love the simplicity of what we, as a family unit of our own, have chosen for this very busy season in our lives.

While we have never been too passionate about keeping up appearances, we have opted to step out of the influences and to clamp down on spending. Like others, who are choosing to rebel, we are no longer interested in spending our money or time on the unimportant things. Again, like many others, we have chosen to say "no', and to no longer conform to make the status quo - we choose to store the stuff, instead, where it counts... both personally and spiritually.

Do we, as believers in Christ, want to be strong in our conviction to not be conformed of this world?

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:20 (NIV)

It is all about setting our boundaries. We can choose to be a part of what is happening around us or to standout and be unique – to dare to be different and set apart.

We can certainly live in the world, but we don’t have to live of it.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Rom 12:2 (NIV)

Part of the study of His Word, is the factor of application; taking what you learn and applying it to your own life. So with an awareness of our own financial situations, and with the conviction of my faith - for the length of time that I am studying this amazing book of the Bible, I am personally committing to eat simply and at home (as much as possible), to not to spend any unnecessary money on what could be construed as frivolous items, and to live my life as simply as possible. I shall commit to purging out my belongings in order to downsize our home to its’ simplest form, and its' most mobile, move-ready basics. Not because I have to to, or because circumstances may force it in the future... but simply, because I want to.

We can learn much from the example of four men. Four men, who opted to take a stand for the simpler things - to eat with the simplicity of a diet of strictly vegetables and water, (and not the indulgent diet of a royal palace), and of whose bodies and minds ultimately reflected its intrinsic value. Four men, who chose to not be conformed to the patterns of the world around them, but to take a stand for righteous faith and respect for the Law.

Four men, who dared to be different.

Four Men Who Dared to Be Different

All of the offers of the world, sat before the men who dined at the King’s table. The finest, most tantalizing, highest quality fruits, vegetables, pastries, breads, meats, wines, and cheeses were spread before them in a very specific quantity – all, no doubt, for optimum physical performance and maximum, mental fuel.

Yes, indeed, the prolific abundance and resources of the royal kingdom were being invested into the physical bodies of the finest specimens in the kingdom – all handpicked and chosen to be trained for the king’s service.

There was only one hitch.

There were a couple of men, who didn’t want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. In their culture the foods were considered unclean, and eating them would have defiled the Law to which they would stanchly defend and preserve. To break that Law, would be to sin against their God.

Let’s read the first chapter of Daniel, in the New International Version, and see how the actual story is recorded...

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.
6 Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

While it was, no doubt, probably an honour to have been chosen, (and most assuredly the family and friends, of those that made the cut, were proud of their loved ones), it was apparent that not everyone was willing to compromise!

Four men, who dared to be different. Notice the court officials even tried to change their names. Talk about losing your identity, and just becoming another one in the crowd!

It was all about motive, pleasure and self indulgence; the king’s, his courts’, his interns’, and his nations’. Oh, how this parallels our life, here in the present day, and from within our western culture! Indeed, we are living in a modern-day version of Babylonia! After all, it wasn’t just the name of a place, it was a culture, a way of life, and a philosophy for living!

The world is our oyster! Our eyes and ears can now hear and see and experience the voices of influence from around the world in a nano-second, through technology and media, all as never before in history - all implying that we really are the center of our own universe!

Think about it. We are enraptured with pleasure for ourselves - our five senses are never dulled and they too, are fed their finest! Education is now available through means and sources never dreamed or perceived in years past; physical health is scientifically explained, altered, reproduced, and cloned in peitre dishes; and dictionaries have words that are now considered parts of everyday speech - words that would make even an animal blush!

Our hands fondle the finest of textures and objects in their purest, natural form or their man-made, artificial counterparts. Our palettes exercise the diversity of cultures and tastes, and exotic aromas fill our nostrils, taking our imaginations to distant lands across the globe.

We can feed not only our bodies, but our egos! We can choose to find ourselves, remake our appearance, access unlimited banks of knowledge, get cash at the touch of a button or the swipe of a card, and cross oceans and continents in a heartbeat! We have choices like no other time, or nations, in history; and, we tell ourselves it is entirely possible to have it all!

Well they too, had it all, and it was being offered to them on a silver platter, literally. However, they made a choice, and like Mary would, many years later, they chose what was better!

Four men, who dared to be different.

© January 2009 Brenda Lois Crowe
All rights reserved.

Going Back to Nineveh - Part 2

Originally posted by Brenda, Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:32:00 GMT on Pawn to King and is filed under Bible Study Notes ~ Copywrite July15, 2008

To review where we left off in part one...

In the midst of the raging tempest, Jonah was down deep into the belly, or hull, of the ship fast asleep. It is a natural inclination to shrink away from those around us, when we feel guilty about something and to hide out, and Jonah was no different from the rest of us. Pulling the covers over his head probably seemed like a good idea at the time, and it was simply a place to escape and shut off the truth that was no doubt permeating his thoughts. It was a temporary solution to what was going to be a never-ending problem.

Meanwhile, overhead, the fellow shipmates were wildly throwing things overboard in their panic to lighten their load, and avoid sinking into the surging waters. We are not told, but since they were a ship from a major port we could most likely assume they were regular sailors of the sea, and that their terror in the midst of the storm was evidence that things were truly of magnitude proportions.

Now they were all in it together; Jonah was running from fear, of perhaps failure more than anything, (aside from God’s possible wrath), and the men feared their own deaths at sea.

Doing all they could do in their natural circumstances, they were doing the exhaustive heaving of their cargo overboard, and at the same time, their circumstances were causing their own mortality to stare them in the face. They were calling on their gods and nothing was breaking in their situation. And all the while he is down there snoozing. Things were about to get ugly... Is the word “mutiny” ringing any bells with anyone? In all likelihood, it was probably crossing their fleshly minds about then.

The story continues with the captain in charge of the ship coming to the slumbering Jonah...

6 “The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish." 7 Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah."

Most likely due to both frustration and fear, they were already deducing that Jonah and his sin was probably the cause of all their problems – and that he was responsible for the mess that they were in.

8 "So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" 9 He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." 10 This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)"

Did you catch how quick they were to lay blame, and point fingers? They take no responsibility for their own sinful roles of seeing help in the wrong places in this saga, instead they choose to wager as to who is to be blamed for their crisis. The gamble was only a corroboration of what he had already told them. It was also an opportunity for him to confess his guilt with his own words and to absolve themselves of any wrong-doing - they knew he was attempting to hide, but from what? They had to know, so they inquired of him as to the cause of his running.

It would seem to be a strange time to be asking questions, particularly since he had already explained his plight to them. But again, the reiteration that sin effects not only ourselves, but those around us, also causes one to acknowledge that others will also reap those repercussions, particularly when the one who sins is in close proximity to us. As a teacher/preacher/prophet he was going to be held answerable for his actions. He was reflection the state of his own people, and likewise was going to be held responsible for his actions just as Israel would be. The storm was God’s tool of verification and they were not about to mess with Him when they now knew He was in control of all of it.

11 "The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?" "

Sure enough, when trouble hits, both the innocent and wicked people will cry out for God, and they asked Jonah to do it on their behalf. The bottom line is that even in their desperation to save themselves, they were not going to touch what they recognized as a “man of God”, and they correctly presumed he would know the solution to their dilemma – the act of appeasing God for the sins that had taken place.

12 "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."

He was taking responsibility for his actions; and bless him, he was sparing the innocent in this tale, of their possible outcome. It was a true parallel of sparing the nation of Israel.

13 "Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried to the Lord, "O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased." 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him."

Jonah’s chances, of surviving the storm, were not likely a reality in their minds. The intensity was only worsening as they went along. The idea of shedding innocent blood was also not an avenue that they wanted to pursue either, as there was accountability for that too. So, they tried to head back, but it was clear there was only one option. Finally in their desperation, they pleaded for His mercy, and tossed Jonah overboard.

At the calming nature of the sea, the men actually then started to repent from their past and to worship the One True God. Unfortunately, it had come from fear, and not with a pure heart motive. They promised a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows, most likely to give Him even more of what was due Him, when they landed.

17 "But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights."

This was a dramatic conclusion to the first portion of his journey... being swallowed up into the belly of a fish. Ironically it was another parallel to the earlier time when he opted to hide in the belly of the ship. Once again, he was residing in the deep, dark, place...

The scripture says God prepared a great fish, and much debate exists today as to the type of fish it was, but that is not of true relevance to this actual story. It is the miraculous ability for Jonah to breathe life while in the captivity of that environment. It was a divinely orchestrated miracle that would mirror the effects of not only Jonah’s sin, but also that of both Israel and Nineveh.

A prophet is often marked by experiences that make them empathetic, sympathetic, and compassionate for the people to which they speak.

It truly is always about the heart choosing the right thing...but more often than not, the journey can be about choosing the wrong thing...

Poor old Jonah still may not even have known it at that point, but he was going back to Nineveh.

Going Back to Nineveh - Part 1

Originally posted by Brenda, Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:38:00 GMT on Pawn to King and is filed under Bible Study Notes ~ Copywrite July 14, 2008

Have you ever had a Biblical character that you can truly relate to? More than once, I have found certain commonalities with many of the rich, yet vibrant, ordinary men and women of God’s Word.

Not too long ago, one of my ministry partners, Eric, and I were having a conversation online, and he commented how he felt like David. Now, feeling like David isn’t such a bad thing, as David was a man after God’s own heart, and so is Eric. Eric is also a worshipper, just like David was. So in his contemplative state, that was a good place to be.

As for me, I just had to chuckle. It was one of those days, and I felt like Jonah. It was like I had been swallowed up and spit out on the beach, and now I was heading back to Nineveh to finish what I should have done in the first place. Truthfully, I could have saved myself a lot of time, especially since I knew I would have to deal with it eventually - as we always do.

Since one of the purposes of the Pawn to King blog, is to bring the relevance of scripture and to parallel it with the journeys of our own lives, perhaps we will break this into a couple of small bite-sized chunks for a couple of days, and take pause to think about our connection to “the something familiar” in each of us.

The “something familiar” in this lesson is that “we all have a tendency to want to run from something in our lives”, and Jonah was no acceptation. So let’s check out his story and see what transpired with him....

Going Back to Nineveh

Let’s start at the beginning of Jonah’s story in Jonah 1:1-3 (NIV)...

"1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord."

The bottom line? God spoke. The man had a mission to fulfill, and he opted not to do it. Not only that, he ran from it.

Jonah’s father's name was Amittai. It was the Hebrew word for "truth". "Truth-telling" was most appropriate to a prophet and this must have been a powerful accountability reminder to Jonah in more ways than one. So, facing the truth that was staring him in the face was unavoidable - he had been instructed and commissioned.

He knew exactly what his assignment was. This prophet of the Lord was being sent to provoke His people to them to a place of repentance. God was pointedly sending him to Nineveh, into a dangerous, powerful, threatening, heathen culture; not for its’ own benefit, but also for the purposes of shaming Israel. Just imagine, the city could possibly be turned around by one single prophet that was on his first preaching assignment - while they themselves had missed the messages of various, prolific, prophets from the past and their current day. So really, just how would that look for them? No doubt, it didn’t feel like a good position for Jonah to want to be put into as they would have no excuses, and neither would he.

Jonah’s choice was to run.

Let’s face it, if all those previous guys couldn’t accomplish what God had sent them there to do, what were the chances that he would? Who could blame him for feeling that way? He would most likely seen as some young prophet spouting words, or perhaps even appearing to them to be a false prophet. Perhaps Jonah’s flesh would even end up getting in the way. No doubt, he probably would have liked to see them going down far more than watching them get right with God. Either way, he had a message to give and he was opting out.

The consequences of withholding the information were not going to be fun. There is an awareness that sin never effects just the person committing it - it effects all those around them too, so one has to wonder what was going through his mind at that very moment. Somebody was going to pay for his deliberacy of omission.

True, Jonah felt weak and inadequate, (we find out just how so in Jonah 4:2, later on), it was because he saw how little he had helped in bringing his own people to God. The other bottom line? He forgot that God was going to help him in his divine calling as a prophet.

“4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.”

The ship was going down, and in their panic they began tossing the stuff overboard to keep from sinking. In their turmoil, they called upon their own gods and idols for help. Jonah however, was oblivious. Lying down and sleeping was probably his way of coping and hoping it would all go away.

Really, what he sought was a little peace and quiet... but did he really think he could run from God? Psalm 137:7-10 would have been a familiar word to him...

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

So why did he think that he would be able to escape the land of Israel, and the prophetic anointing that was on his life?

Seriously, how often do we just want to pull the covers over our head and wish that it would all go away? Do we ourselves think that God is just going to let us off the hook, when He asks us to do something? Even Jonah knew the real answer to that one.

Take this time and ask yourself, "what has He been asking you to do that you are running from, or procrastinating about"? What is that purpose and destiny He is calling you to? Do you already know? Have you ever even asked?

Have you thought about the passions of your heart, and the dreams that you once had? You will often find the answers have been there all along.You do know you are going to end up doing it eventually, right?

We can either work with Him, or against Him... His methods may not always make sense right away, but they will certainly work.

He will always win, and eventually we will find ourselves "going back to Nineveh"... to finish what we should have done in the first place.