Greetings blessings...
Reading to reflect: Daniel 1
Christian ethics consists in keeping the precepts of God and categorically assumes two aspects of utmost importance: the existence of God, and the authority derived from God, given by the holy scriptures as a revelation of God himself to his people to act.
The manual for acting and preserving ethics is immersed in the Bible
Let's see the following example:
DANIEL TO A CHALLENGE
The first chapter of the book of Daniel, narrates the first deportation of the Jews to Babylon. In this first group was Daniel, "a young man of the children of Israel, of royal lineage, of good looks, taught in all wisdom, wise in knowledge, and of good understanding" (Daniel 1: 3-4). These characteristics made him ideal to be in the royal palace. Daniel, along with other young people, was separated to receive a special preparation according to the wishes of King Nebuchadnezzar. This preparation consisted of "receiving instruction in the letters and language of the Chaldeans". He would have a special nourishment, "from the provision of the king's food and the wine that he drank" (Daniel 1: 5). All care and attention would be under the responsibility of the head of the eunuchs. He would receive this preparation for three years, at the end of which he would present himself before the king.
Daniel being a young man who knew Jehovah, the God of Israel, being subject to the learning of a pagan culture like that of Babylon, involved being surrounded by temptations and facing a challenge: to remain faithful to God or to be dragged along by the idolatrous current and pagan of this culture.
As a historical detail, let us see that the Babylonians were polytheists, that is, their religion allowed them to believe in many gods, even the extyrem that the names of their gods reached around two thousand five hundred. They were represented in images with human forms in which, according to them, the represented god lived. Clear evidence of this is found in Daniel 3: 8-14; when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, friends of Daniel, who were also taken captive to Babylon, were maliciously accused before the king because they did not worship the golden image that he had built, nor did they honor their god. Says the word: "Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that ye honor not my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?"
Daniel found himself faced with a very difficult situation, since his culture and education clashed with the new teachings and the new culture and his education clashed with the new teachings and the new culture, for these pagan ones. In addition, even his name was changed. His original name, Daniel, gave recognition to God, since it means "God is my judge". Instead, his new name, Beltasar, honored a pagan god and meant "the prince of Bel." Bel was the supreme god of Babylon. He was the sun god.
Faced with this serious situation, Daniel made a firm decision; he would not let himself be contaminated. 2Y Daniel proposed in his heart not to contaminate himself with the portion of the king's food, nor with the wine that he drank ... "(Daniel 1: 8) He could not stop himself from being taken to Babylon, to change his name for a pagan, to be served by the king's food and drink, but no one could force him to accept all this, he did not accept it Daniel did not change his beliefs and his security in God for the world.
He did not deny God, and God honored him. "... he therefore asked the chief of the eunuchs not to compel him to defile himself, and God placed Daniel in grace and good will with the chief of the eunuchs" (Daniel 1: 8-9). Thus, his special diet, consisting of legumes, made him develop healthy and strong among the rest of the young people, honoring him God for his fidelity to Him.
This attitude of Daniel is a message to the people of God. We can not be faithful to God, being friends of the world. "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity against God?
Anyone who wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. "(James 4: 4) A believer can not compromise his Christian ethic or serve two masters at the same time.
"No servant can serve two masters, because either he will hate the one and love the other or will estimate the one and despise the other. You can not serve God and riches "(Luke 16:13)
What was God's purpose in taking Daniel to the king's palace?
Daniel took the firm determination not to contaminate himself.
God blessed him and made him prosper in the midst of a pagan environment. God had a very special purpose in allowing Daniel to come to the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar and to go through all these situations. God is "a God of purposes and order." Daniel became the king's trusted man. This made him governor of the whole province of Babylon and supreme leader of all the wise men. He was the king's counselor in all matters of wisdom and intelligence. The king consulted him, and was thus before him.
Daniel is considered one of the greatest prophets, and also the apocalyptic prophet. Between his book and the book of revelations, that is, the apocalypse, there is a great similarity.
God revealed great prophecies to him; some already fulfilled, and others to be fulfilled in the first few days. We can say that the prophecy in written history, before the event takes place or fulfillment. In this book the theme of the politics of Gentile nations and its relationship with the Israeli people predominates. Prophecy is always seen through faith. God, through his servant Daniel, lets us see the whole panorama of the last Gentile empire and the outcome of the people of Israel.
¡The Christian has as a responsibility to preserve the Christian ethic, because, Christian ethics can not be compromised, this is what identifies the Christian in every place he walks!.
Blessings.
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