After Nebuchadnezzar went to Jerusalem and sieged the city and the land of Judea, he took many Jews to Babylon which was in the region of Babylonia. Babylonia was a part of the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia. The scriptures for today in the book of Daniel take place in Babylon. Some of the captured men that were fit and strong were selected to be in a three year training to work for the King’s administration. The King’s chief official gave them new names: Daniel became Belteshazzar; Hananiah became Shadrach; Mishael became Meshach; and Azariah became Abednego. The faith of all of these men written about in these scriptures was unbelievable.
The city of Babylon was founded more than 4,000 years ago as a small port town on the Euphrates River. The town of Babylon in present-day Iraq, would be about 50 miles south of Baghdad. It grew into one of the largest cities of the ancient world under the rule of Hammurabi. Several centuries later, the Babylonian Empire spanned from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. During this period, Babylon became a city of beautiful and lavish buildings. It was destroyed in the Persian conquest.
Adult Challenge:
Look at a map back in the 600 BC period to get a feel where Jerusalem was in relation to Babylon and the surrounding areas. It was quite a displacement for the captives. How would you do in a foreign land? Would you be disappointed that God let that happen? Ponder whether you would be strong enough to stand up for your faith in God or would you go along with the culture that you were currently placed in.
Youth Challenge:
Can you think of a time when everyone around you was doing something you knew was not right or went against what you believed? Sometimes those situations allow us to simply step aside or keep our mouths shut. But what happens when you really have to stand up or speak out about something? It is important for us to have a strong understanding of why we believe something to be true and just. If we do not have strong convictions, it could be easy for us to simply join in with the crowd. I encourage you today to think about the things you believe and take the time to ask yourself; why do I believe this, what does this mean to me, could anything change it? Because there may come a time when much like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Your faith will be tested in a real way and how you respond in that moment could make a really big impact on you and the people around you.
Children's Challenge:
It’s not always easy to take a stand for what you know is right, but God will always stand with you. No matter what, God never lets you down.
Have you ever been tempted to join your friends in doing something you knew was wrong? What can you do to be ready to stand firm and make the right choice?
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