Exile Part 1&2
Notes
Transcript
We have the kings and we had the ugg, the bad, the ugly, and the good
We know that there is no better king than king Jesus
There is a lot more
This morning we will look at the Exile
You first need to understand there were multiple exiles and at different times
Probably the more famous exile is of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar
Remember though the people of God were divided into 2 kingdoms
So Israel was carried off into captivity
And the kingdom of Judah was carried off into captivity
They were taken from their own land for a reason
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
This is probably the more famous exile or the last part of the more famous exile
What I read was that the Exile to Babyalonian came in waves or at least 2 parts
Non the less when you think of Gods people being exile your probably think of Daniel and his friends
But do we know why
God turned over his people to the nation of Babylon
Why
I mean God is a loving God isn’t he
Yes He is
We need to know and understand that this was done for a purpose
24 Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, And in whose ways they were not willing to walk, And whose law they did not obey?
Church the purpose of them being exile from the promise land is because they refused to follow Gods commands
You can go back and read through the kings and how those kings lead the people to worship idols
Forgot God Himself
Entered into covenants with people they were not to enter into covenants with
married who they were to not marry
They did not follow Gods guidelines, his commands or statues
They did not follow God
Now let me make the jump today
You cannot expect to live in the blessing of God and remain in sin
We like to think well as a Christian I can live how I want because God is a God full of grace
Grace is getting something I do not deserve
So God is full of giving you and I something we do not deserve
yes God is a God of grace but
See how that word changes the rest of the story
God will not leave you where you are
You cannot expect to live how you want or to live in sin and be blessed of God
God expects us to be different and changed after encourtering him and if we don’t then church let me clear there are consequences
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
We cannot remain to live how we want after we expeirnece God
After we have encountered God and gave our lives to Christ
Becoming his son or daughter we cannot expect to continue to live like the world
As the Exile show us there will be consequences
And yet even while being exiled a few remained faithful
Do you understand church that our circumstances don’t dictate our level of faithfulness
The Jewish people were exiled and some of them were unfaithful because their circumstances had changed and yet we have clear record of a very few who remained faithful
Because there were children of God and because they were changed from the inside out
8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
In the midst of changed circumstances
You are carried off from our home town
You are forced into serving the king who carried you and your friends and families off
You are forced into serving the very king and kingdom who fought against your people
You could see how it would be easy to come under their authority of this new king and not rock the boat
Because they were changed from the inside out they didn’t
They did not want to be like the world
That is the power of God in your life
You may be in a job
You may be in a different place than you want to be
You may be thinking you are forced to act like the world
You may think they only way to advance your career
You may think the only option you have is to give into the authority of the world in your life
And yet just like Daniel and his friends had the power of the living God inside them
You have the power of the living God inside you as children of the most high king
That just like the judeans who were carried off into exile your circumstances do not dictate your faithfulness to the living God
Do we get it
That like Daniel and his friends we are to remember the Lord and live a life reflecting of Him and His own authority
We have great examples of these mens living their faith out
That is what they are for us today
They are examples of how to live our life as forgieners in a land that is not our own
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of every language, 5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah
Who by the way were given names that were reflective of their disdain for God
To help make them forgot their relationship with God
And yet church we have examples of them not forgetting God
Their new king built a statue the statue was as tall as Goliath
Must have been huge
And he set up a decication
At this dedication they were to play some instruments everyone was to fall down and worship
Church it should sound very very familiar to the golden caves
And very familiar to what actually got the judeans sent into captivity
The thing they were not to do very very clearly not to be doing
Not to worship any other Gods, not to worship idols
They are presented with an opportunity to fit it
It would have been very very easy to go along with the crowd right
We would have even justifyed it in our own minds
How can I proclaim Christ if I am dead
How can I proclaim Christ if I am in jail
I can do more for the Kingdom of God if I am not in jail or persecuted
Except church you cant and they didn’t
They were so moved by a realtionship with God that circumstances and location didn’t change their resolve to live a life of glorifying God
10 “You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image. 11 “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12 “There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 “Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Church if you have been in church you have probably read this or at least watched the Veggie Tales
Do you notice how in the face of persecution they refuse to disobey God
They live their life in such a way as to glorify God and not themselves
Their answer to the king
We will not and we believe that God will deliver us
We also believe that even if he doesn’t physically deliver us from the furnace we will never worship the golden image
What a great example of how to respond when our circumstances change
Or when our locations change
Or when we face persecution
That no matter what we will serve the Lord
We have the actual real life opportunity to live our lives in such a way to golorify the Lord
Just like Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus calls us to live our lives to be a light to others
No matter our location
No matter our circumstances
No matter persecution or not
That when we go to work tomorrow we have the opportunity and plenty of opportunities to be a light to a lost world
To share Jesus with people
To share the hope we have in Christ with others
No matter what we face
Just like the Exiles who remained faithful
I want to encourage you to remain faithful no matter what you face tomorrow
No matter the circumstances
No matter the location
Like Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah
Like Daniel we are to remain faithful no matter what
I leave you with this
Peters response to being arrested and beaten
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Grow your relationship to the point you cannot stop talking about what God has done in your life
when faced with persecution this is your response
That you have spent so much time with Jesus and you are so close with Jesus
You can’t help but be obedient
That you would rather be obedient than anything else
Just like the examples of faithful men during an exile of God’s chosen people
This morning as we move to our time of invitation
It is just that an inivtation to do business with God
Maybe you are here and do not know Jesus personally
I would invite you to the front and speak with someone and they will show you how you can know Jesus personally this morning
Or maybe you need to spend sometime in prayer
Would you respond obediently
