Daniel And Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon and requested that some of the children of Judah be brought into the palace to be taught the “learning and the language of the Chaldeans.”
Daniel and his companions were among those brought to the king. Instead of eating the rich foods and drinking the wine that the king provided for them, Daniel requested vegetables and water so that they would not be “defiled.” After three years, they were brought before the king and it is at this point that the story of Daniel really begins.
You know his companions better by the names given them by the prince of the eunuchs who were in charge of them: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Daniel has been going against the wishes of the king by not eating the rich foods and wine, but felt that he and his companions were following the will of God. The king was pleased with Daniel and his friends, but this would not be the last time that they would need to choose between the wishes of the king and the law of God.
Not breaking the dietary restrictions seems like a small thing, but I’m sure that refusing the delicacies and the wine wasn’t always easy for the young men. However, resisting temptation in small things builds up a resistance to make it easier to resist temptations for bigger things.
Think about diet as a good example. You have been told to avoid fats. You’re out to breakfast and your friend offers you a piece of bacon. You can say “yes” or “no.” The more often you say “no” the easier it is to say “no” to other forms of fat. The same goes for salt or sugar or whatever tempts you.
The same is true of other major or minor forms of temptations that are placed in front of us daily. It’s just one pen, and I need it. It’s just one piece of candy. It’s just one dollar, they’ll never miss it. As you can see, temptation is all around us and usually starts small. The person who embezzled millions didn’t start there. We can all start practicing to shun temtation today. Temptation its self is not a sin but the yielding to the temptation becomes sin.
Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.
Temptation is persuasion to do what is wrong. It is part of a crafty plan that appeals to our natural desires in attempt to separate us from God. It’s also Satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up on God’s kind of life. Often, temptation begins in seemingly harmless pleasure, soon gets out of control, and progresses to full blown idolatry. Although, temptation can be used positively in scripture, we most associate temptation with giving in to sin and evil. The bible teaches that temptation to sin is Satan’s main activity in our lives even though our own selfishness and appetites certainly make the tempter’s work easier. For instance;
- Suppose your boss asks you to tell a lie that he believes will benefit the company you work for. You realize that your job may be on the line. What are you going to do? Will you maintain your integrity?
- Suppose you’re in charge of the money for some organization, and no careful accounting of the funds is required. In other words, it would be real easy for you to take some money without anyone finding out. Will you maintain your integrity?
- Suppose you’re planning to sell a car and this car has some “hidden” defects—some which might not be noticed by the average buyer. When he asks you if anything is wrong with it, what are you going to say? If you tell the truth, you may not make as much on the sale. Will you maintain your integrity?
- Suppose you’re asked by the girl you’re dating to go the dance with her. You really like her a lot, and you don’t want to risk losing her; but you know what the Bible says about lasciviousness, about lusting and causing others to lust. What are you going to do? Will you maintain your integrity?
- Suppose you’re asked to quit teaching on a particular Bible subject, because some people are offended. You know your responsibility to God, but you hate to disturb the peace in a local church. If you’re supported by this church to preach the gospel, you may even lose your job. Will you maintain your integrity?
If we are going to be people of integrity we must have substance. No facades. No flimsy supports. We must depend on God. We must grow deep roots. We must be consistent…the real deal. People with real integrity don’t allow their gifts to make way for excuses, exceptions and deceptions. The thing is, the truth always comes out and people are always found out for who they really are. The private rarely only affects the private…it ultimately gets expressed in public one way or another (through our actions, attitudes, etc)…people pick up on these things. Once integrity is compromised it is only a matter of time until something gives and the whole thing comes crashing down. If the cracks were obvious we wouldn’t ever let a bridge collapse because the consequences of an event like that are devastating.
