Much like our own conflict between the North and the South from the American civil war, today’s text recounts the grim story of a very long war between two kingdoms that were North and South of Palestine.
Have you ever tried to jam in a puzzle piece that just doesn’t quite fit? That is what interpreting this Scripture is like. When you turn it one way, most of the edges line up, but it won’t go in. And when you twist it another way, the part that wouldn’t fit before lines up perfectly, but now two other edges won’t fit. For some of us who like to have control (we know who we are!), this can make some Scriptures, like today’s, frustrating to study.
On Mother’s Day, I thought it would be interesting to consider Daniel’s story from a mother’s perspective. We don’t know anything about Daniel’s mother except that he must have had one, so this is pure speculation. But if these young men were only about 13 or 14 years old when taken from their homes by a foreign army, it stands to reason that their mothers, if they survived the siege of 605 BC, would have been utterly devastated. As this story unfolds, I wonder -- would Daniel’s mom, and the moms of his faithful friends Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, be proud of their sons?
Disclaimer: I’m directing today’s message primarily toward the men of the church, young and old, because many of the ladies are still at our women’s retreat. For the ladies who are here today, I would like to humbly ask two things: first, your indulgence. I don’t get the chance to speak directly to the men like this very often, and I want to take advantage of this opportunity! Second, I would ask you to remain open to what God might say to you through this message.
This blog is written by leaders of SVCC. The people who write here are not perfect or "holier than thou." They just strive to seek after God with all their hearts.
We hope that God will speak to you as you read the words He's placed here through the hearts and minds of people who follow after Him.
