Most of us eat every day, some of us too much because yesterday's food
is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do some
of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to keep
us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change all
of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to
live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host,
author speaker, Elle David Harris. Good morning, good morning, Good morning.
It is Sunday, December seventeen, twenty twenty three. Hello, my
name is El David Harris. I am your host, and this is your
Daily Portion where we give you God's Word every single day, and today is
no exception. We are continuing in our Lesson study series. God's Mission,
My mission. Our caption for today is captive in a foreign culture. Captive
in a foreign culture. I've lived in different cultures, but I've never been
captive in those cultures. I was there by choice. Interesting concept We'll get
into in just a moment, But first I'd like to say happy, Happy,
Welcome to the first day of the week. And yeah, God is
being very kind to us to get us into a good launch into the work
week. And by God's grace, we will continue to build in our connection
with Him and do our work well and whatever else that we do God entrusts
to us. And in the meantime, in the meantime, we want to
just open up God's word and see what He has to say to us so
we can have an impact on the cultures that we are now living. Let's
go ahead and pray, and then we will get underway. Bother and Heaven,
thank you for the privilege you have given us to open up this work
week with you. Please give us your holy spirit and wisdom. Teach us
how to love you, teach us how to serve you, no matter what
the environment is. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen and Amen again.
Now there are many of you, because I know that this is a
worldwide ministry, there are many of you who live in cultures very similar to
the ones that we discuss currently now, like in the East and in ancient
Babylon. The cultures have been very similar for you. But I've never lived
anywhere like that where the customs are the same. And then of course the
Persian culture will talk about just well, we won't talk about the culture,
but we'll talk about God's people in Persia or under the Medo Persian regime,
just for just a moment today as well. So I've never lived anywhere like
that, where and where God's people were also like before they were in captivity,
where the religion of the land and the politics of the land were one
and the same. The lifestyle, politics, and religion they were all the
same. Like, I've never lived anywhere like that. I know that in
America they say that it's the same, but it's absolutely not. That's a
different discussion. So it's very interesting to look at things from the perspective of
people who live in a country whose God and religion and culture, how they
eat right, their politics, everything is the same. Very interesting. And
then you live somewhere with all of that, and then you go somewhere where
the culture is counter to that, where their religion they're multiple gods. Their
food, their customs, their moras they're different. And so now there is
a clash, There is a real live clash that it's very difficult to navigate.
And so when you read now from the Book of Daniel, chapters one,
three, and six, you see a major, major, major class.
So let me just read a few verses from chapter one, beginning at
verse one. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, King of
Judah. So these are God's people, came Nebucad Nezar, king of Babylon,
absolutely not God's people, unto Jerusalem, God's place and besieged it.
So Nebeka Nezar is given the green light to go in and besiege the city
of Peace, God's city, and take his people captive. Verse two,
and the Lord gave Jehoiakim, King of Judah, into his hand with part
of the vessels of the House of God. Wait a minute, which carried
into He carried into the land of Shinar, to the house of his God.
You see now there is this cultural shift where God's people are now captive.
They are taking implements of worship from God's people and now dedicating them to
the false gods in Shina. Wait a minute, And he brought the vessels
into the treasure house of his God. Lowercase g. And the king spake
to Ashpinaz, the king of the Eunuchs, and that he should bring certain
of the children of God, the people of God God the king's seat,
and of the king's seed, and of the prince's children, in whom there
is no blemish, well favored and skilled in all wisdom and cunning, and
knowledge and understanding and science, which and such as had the ability in them
to stand in the King's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and
the tongue of the childeans. And it goes on. The king gives him
a portion of the king's meat, like they're supposed to receive from the king's
table, the kind of food and drink that the king would prescribe. Why,
because he's trying to make this elite class from those he's conquered, even
the people of God. Well, there's a clash, a spiritual and cultural
clash here, because the people of God are like, what bade a minute
pause. The people who are well favored that are now among the pickings from
the king are saying, but hold on, we don't eat that way,
we don't drink that way. But the king is making an elite set of
people who can advise him. What do you do when the king of that
place, who's also considered a lower case, g like well, not to
the people they believed him to be superior. But the one who was considered
to be god like is saying like, this is how you will eat,
this is how you will drink, this is what it will take for you
to be established into this privileged class. And God's people are like, nah,
I'm not doing that. We can't do that. The three Hebrew young
men, right Micheel hananayah as Aiah. Of course Danielle, they were like,
no, we're not going to We don't have any intention of defiling ourselves.
And the Bible does teach in verse eight. But Danielle proposed it purposed
in his heart that he would not devile himself with the portion of the king's
meat, nor with the wine that he drank. Therefore he requested a prince
of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought daniel
into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs, and then,
of course Lord bless him. He was able to broker a deal where they
would eat and drink the way God would have them to do. And they
proved wiser, they proved stronger, They proved, as they said in air
quotes Fatter that meant healthier than the men who ate from the king's table.
And to make a long story short, while they are bound in Babylon,
the king is having visions from God or dreams from God and doesn't understand what
they are, and he uses all of his influence and says to the people
under his domain like I need you to tell me my dream. And also
the interpretation. They couldn't do it, but God's people did because God showed
favor on them. And to make a long story short, God gave Nebuchadnezzar
understanding of history, long history, and he showed even the fall of Babylon,
even though at the time he was at the top of the world.
Anibeka Neezar, being the unholy person that he was, was saying, wait
a minute, I will never fall. So I am going to now fast
forward a couple of chapters in the book of Daniel. I'm going to erect
an idol that says that I'm going to be here forever, and everybody must
worship well. The people of God who were now advisors to the king are
shown as Ariah, Michel, Hanna, Andaiah shown as not being willing to
worship the king only willing to worship God, they would not bow. And
at the threat to the pain of death, they would not bow. And
in that place where they were threatened with bodily harm and death, and their
families threatened with bodily harm and death, those men stood firm. They stood
firm with their connection with God, their dedication to God. And no matter
what king, those young men stood for holiness. And then you fast forward
into chapter six where now Daniel, who's been through multiple empires, now is
serving the king. And the people were jealous of him and envious of him,
and they made up something so that Daniel would be in a similar pickle.
And to make a long story, Shart, the man of God continued
to worship God even though they were trying. They threw him into a den
of lions. God protected his people through the fiery furnace, through the den
of lions, through the cultural strangeness and differences, because why they were dedicated
to serving God even though they were captive in a foreign culture. Are you
willing to serve God? Come what may, no matter where you are.
Peace. Thanks for joining us listening. Friends, Always remember we cannot live
by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
This has been your daily portion with El David Harris. Make it a
great day. Yeah,