Mission in a Pagan Land: Daniel and Company

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope

September 13, 2008
Larry R Evans

Quiz for Reflection

[To get the most from the quiz read the passages in brackets and look for a thread of thought which may give more depth and understanding to the question being asked.]

1. Since parents know what their children will face in the future they can be selective with which Bible stories they teach their children. True or False? [Deut 4:9; 6:6,7]

2. A great power in the battle with temptation is the power of choice. True or False? [Dan. 1:8]

3. For Daniel and His companions there was no difference between taking pagan names and eating pagan food. True or False? [Dan. 1:6-8]

4. If God has given someone a spiritual gift it is not necessary to pray for its development. True or False? [Dan 2:17-23]

5. The test of how genuine our faith really is can be summed up as: As in the case of Daniel and the lions den, if God intervenes and saves us from threatening dangers then we know our faith is genuine. True or False? [Dan 3:16-18; Matt 10:38; Heb 11:32-40]

6. God is glorified by the faithfulness of His children—whether it be in big things or in small ones. True or False? [E.G. White in Prophets and Kings, p.512; Mt 25:23]

Reflective Review

The notion that God sends and therefore protects is not as simple as is sometimes suggested. Was God sending Daniel and his three companions into Babylon? Was God involved in creating the hardships they encountered? These questions are fairly easy to answer when the outcome is positive but what about the many missionaries (and others) who have encountered severe difficulties, disappointment, discouragement and even death? Was God behind their going, their trials, their death? Where was He? We are reminded in Scripture that “our” perspective of “being sent” may not be as complete as we would like to think. His thoughts, so we are told, are not ours. (Isa. 55:8) Countless stories can be shared of hardships and even death that have come to those who undoubtedly lived faithful lives but who have suffered immeasurably. The “faith chapter” (Hebrews 11) is all about faithfulness despite stumbling blocks thrown in the pathways of God’s servants. Indeed the mission of God is fraught with disappointments and even dangers. The nature of the battle is not only earthly; it is cosmic. We sometimes measure life by its ease and its length. Perhaps we need to rethink our assumptions. God often has a greater objective than what we can comprehend from where we are. One encouraging thought is found in the book The Desire of Ages, p.528 which affirms that God is near despite the circumstances in which we may find ourselves: “To all who are reaching out to feel the guiding hand of God, the moment of greatest discouragement is the time when divine help is nearest. They will look back with thankfulness upon the darkest part of their way . . . From every temptation and every trial He will bring them forth with firmer faith and richer experience.” Daniel and his companions stand as beacons of hope that yes God can and does intervene but the nature of the intervention is left to Him, His wisdom and His course of correction. Faith is always rewarded. The question which must be left to Him is “How and when?”

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