February 7, 2023: 1 Peter 1:7 - The Genuineness of Our Faith Will be Tested (Part 1)
“…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” - 1 Peter 1:7
Our faith - is it real, is it genuine? How do we know that is genuine? What is left of our faith when we have yet gone through another very difficult time in our lives? Does our faith remain intact? Is our faith intact when we are blessed in many ways in our lives? We know that our faith in Jesus is genuine when, after having gone through one difficult time after another, and also during the times when we are comfortable, without trial, our faith in Jesus Christ still remains.
When we are going through a trial in our lives, whether it be in our marriage, with our children, with friends, with our jobs, whatever it may be, to whom do we turn when we are going through it? Do we pray to God, asking Him to help us? Do we praise Him? Is He worthy of our praise in all things, good and bad? Do our circumstances change the fact that He is worthy - so worthy - of our praise? Do we trust in Him to get us through this trial, or do we blame Him for allowing us to go through it? I must admit that for years, I blamed Him for allowing me to go through a very difficult time in my life, for making me feel like a trapped bird, with no way out. I felt like He didn’t love me, for if He did, He would have gotten me out of this mess that I was in, the mess that my own sin contributed to. What happens to our faith if we keep praying for Him to help us to get out of something, but that is not His plan for us? What if there is a purpose in our going through something so difficult that it is only when we go through it, that we fully turn to Him, trusting in Him alone to get us through it?
Let us remember Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all of whom had been deported from Judah to Babylon when they were teenagers, along with “some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s [Jehoiakim, king of Judah] descendants and some of the nobles”. (Daniel 1:3) The Babylonian king was King Nebuchadnezzar. They had been chosen by the one of the king’s staff, the master of his eunuchs (men who have been castrated), to serve in the king’s palace. The book of Daniel 1:4-5 tells us of these young men:
“in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.”
All four of the young men were given new, Babylonian, names and underwent a three-year process of trying to re-educate them to make them forget their past, their Jewish education, history, and even their own names. They were also offered foods and delicacies to eat and wine to drink that previously they did not eat, for it would defile them in the eyes of God. Having approached the chief of the eunuchs, Daniel appealed to him to let them eat vegetables and drink water and if after ten days their appearance was worse than those who ate of the king’s food, then they too would eat of it. However, after ten days, their appearance was found to be better than those who ate of the king’s food and they were able to continue to eat as Daniel had requested. Could Daniel, Hannah, Mishael, and Azariah have not stood up for their faith in God and in what He had commanded them to abstain from eating, and instead eat of the king’s food, with the justification that it was God who had put them there in the first place? Yes, they could have, but they didn’t. Their faith was tested and was found to be genuine. Daniel 1:17 tells us, “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” After their training was completed, they were interviewed by the king and none of the other men who had been trained were found to be like them. Thus, they were chosen to serve the king.
Sometime later, the king had a disturbing dream and had summoned his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and the Chaldeans. He told them to tell him the dream he had and to interpret it. They said to him that they couldn’t but if he told them his dream, then they would be able to interpret it. But the king stood firm and refused to tell them his dream. He demanded them to do what he had told them to do. The Chaldeans then told him, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.” (Daniel 2:10) The king then gave an order to kill all of them, including Daniel and his friends. When the king’s captain came to kill Daniel and his friends, Daniel asked him why the king’s decree was so urgent. After Daniel found out why, he went and asked the king if he would give Daniel some time to tell the king the interpretation. Daniel was allowed to go back into his house. Daniel then told his three friends about what had happened, “that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” That night, the king’s dream was made known to Daniel. Daniel then blessed God, saying:
“Blessed be the name of the God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with HIm. I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the king’s demand.” (Daniel 2:20-23)
Daniel had passed the test. He could have said something like the king’s magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans had said - that no man on earth could do this. However, Daniel knew that his God could do this, for the God he served is the one true God and He can make the impossible, possible. Daniel trusted in God not only with his life, but with the life of his three friends, all of whom had been dragged away from their families and their homeland to this foreign place of false god and idol worship. And yet, Daniel’s faith in God remained steadfast, without wavering. Daniel went on to tell the dream to the king and interpreted it but before he did, Daniel gave the credit to where credit was due - to God and to Him alone. Daniel said:
“The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days…But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.” (Daniel 2:28-30)
Daniel then proceeded to tell the king’s dream to the king and then Daniel interpreted it. In the king’s dream, there was a great image of a man whose body represented four kingdoms. The first part of the body was the head of gold, which represented King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. The second and third kingdoms would be inferior to the first kingdom. The second part of the body were the chest and arms of silver, which represented the future kingdom of Medo-Persia. The third part of its belly and thighs of bronze represented the future Grecian empire. The fourth part of its legs of iron and feet of iron mixed of clay represented the future Roman empire. In the last part of Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, Daniel prophetically spoke of the eternal kingdom of God, which will never be destroyed and will consume all of the earthly kingdoms:
“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44)
Before Jesus the Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords would be born, the angel Gabriel spoke of Jesus’ kingdom when he told the virgin Mary that she would conceive and bring forth a Son by the Holy Spirit:
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall all His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
How did the King Nebuchadnezzar respond to Daniel’s telling of the king’s dream and the interpretation of it?
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. The king answered Daniel, and said, ‘Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.’” (Daniel 2:46-47)
The king promoted Daniel and gave him many gifts, “and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.” The king also set Daniel’s three friends over the affairs of Babylon. (Daniel 2:48-49)
In tomorrow’s post, under the same title, I will discuss the amazing lives and genuine faith of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and how it relates to us in our own trials and testing of our own faith. ✝️