There are two stories going on in your life – the Upper Story and the Lower Story. We all live in and see life from the perspective of the lower story. No matter how hard we try, we can only see so far down the road because humanity’s viewpoint is linear, horizontal, limited. All our decisions require some sort of faith or trust in what we cannot control around the corner. The Upper Story is how the things look from God’s perspective. His viewpoint is panoramic, vertical, unlimited. Not only does he see around the next bend in the road, he sees it all from beginning to end. The goal is to align our Lower Story to God’s Upper Story because when we do, God promises it will be a good story.
SUMMARY
Judah’s best and brightest, including Daniel and his trio of friends, were deported to Babylon when Jerusalem was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar introduced them to their new homeland by lavishing the four young men with food and wine from the king’s table and by inviting them to enjoy cosmopolitan pleasures of the world’s most sophisticated city. Daniel and his companions graciously resisted. They asked for vegetarian meals to stay faithful to Jewish dietary laws. The king’s official worried that their meager diet might leave them pallid and weakened, but God blessed their choice with academic success and physical stamina. They flourished and the ruler of the world’s greatest empire took notice.
The king awoke one morning having been greatly troubled by a dream. He demanded an explanation of its meaning from his wise men and also expected them to tell the dream itself as a guarantee of accuracy. Failure was no big deal except for the accompanying death sentence. The request was impossible, of course, except that God revealed both the events of the dream and their meaning to his servant, Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed of a four-layered statue. Its head of gold represented Babylon’s might. The remaining layers of silver, bronze, and iron symbolized world empires that had not yet risen to power. Daniel’s interpretation satisfied the king and saved his life and the lives of all the magicians and wise men in the kingdom. King Nebuchadnezzar promoted Daniel to ruler over Babylon, made high-level officials of his three friends, and worshipped Daniel’s God.
This devotion, however, was only temporary, as the king’s advisors played to his pride. He built a gold statue in his own honor and all were commanded to bow down and worship at its feet. Daniel’s three friends, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, were faced with a grim choice: idolatry or death. They refused to bow. The king was enraged and ordered them to be thrown into a fiery furnace. They defied the king’s last chance order and chose to remain faithful even in the face of death. The fire was stoked and the young men were bound and thrown into the inferno. An astonished king watched a fourth man join them as they walked unbound and unharmed through the fire. And once again the king praised their God.
Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by Belshazzar. King Belshazzar threw a grand party using the holy goblets they had stolen in the raid of Jerusalem’s temple. The LORD sent him a mysteriously written message that appeared on the wall of the banquet hall. The king was terrified…for good reason. Daniel explained that the message said the king would soon meet his Maker. That same night the Persian army invaded Babylon. Belshazzar was killed and Persia became the silver layer in the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed of years before.
The new king, Darius of Persia, gave Daniel a promotion. Daniel’s rivals were jealous and plotted his death. They deceived Darius into signing an irrevocable decree forbidding prayer to anyone except the king. The penalty was a single night stay in a cave of hungry lions. Daniel responded by doing as he had always done; he knelt and prayed. Of course, the king’s officials felt “duty bound” to bring such dangerous activity to the king’s attention and Darius was forced to throw his trusted servant to the lions. So, the king spent a restless night and rose in the morning to find that Daniel was safe and sound in the lions’ den. And the great King of Persia worshipped Daniel’s God.
While Daniel, his friends, and the other exiles were kept in Babylon during the seventy years of captivity. The prophet Jeremiah carried out his duties in the ravaged city of Jerusalem. Jeremiah sent a letter of hope to the captives reminding them that God would one day bring them back to Jerusalem and encouraging them to prosper even as exiles in a foreign land. Daniel had done just that. He watched the rise and fall of kings and kingdoms and remained faithful. In the great Upper Story of God, Babylon had been a detour rather than a destination.
QUESTIONS
- What types of situations or circumstances cause you to lose your cool?How do you respond when the heat gets turned up? Do you stand strong or fold under pressure?
- What did Daniel’s prayer life entail? What does your prayer life look like right now? Are there things you could learn from Daniel’s witness? What might you commit to trying in the week ahead to increase your habit of prayer?
- List the various ways God revealed his supernatural power in this chapter. What message did God’s actions send to the exiles? When have you been overwhelmingly convinced that God is alive and at work in your life or in the lives of others?
- Look back at God’s covenant with Abraham (p. 13 or Genesis 12:1-3.) How was it fulfilled through Daniel and his three friends? Which other promises of God’s can you recall at this point in The Story? Have God’s promises changed at all over time? How have they held up under the test of time?
- When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to the golden idol, they did not know whether God would save them or not. How do you stand up for God when you know the results could be disastrous? What consequences are you willing to accept in order to stand firm in your faith?
- How did God show Himself to be sovereign over human kingdoms and rulers? How does this help you view our world today? how does it motivate you to pray for our government leaders?
- What do we have in common with Daniel and the three friends? Read Hebrews 11:9-10 & 13-16, 1 Peter 2:11-12, Philippians 3:20, Ephesians 2:6 for insights.
- Daniel’s integrity was so consistent and above reproach that even his enemies could find no grounds to accuse him (p. 257-258). Examine your own life. Do any inconsistencies exist between your public life and your private life? How does your life point others to God?
TAKE-AWAY
Standing up for what we know is right is not always easy. The world will not applaud or reward us for our courage. Yet we can align our lives to God’s Upper Story because we know He will go into the furnace with us. In fact, He’s already there so don’t be afraid to stand up, stand out, and stand firm.
PRAYER
Sometimes in a sea of pressure to follow the ways of the world, it seems like I’m the only one who wants to do the right thing. I wonder if it’s even possible to do the right thing, or if it’s just easier to go along with everyone else. Help me know clearly the difference between Your way and the way of the world. Give me faith to trust Your guidance and provision, no matter the cost.
