Word In Life Study Bible
GOD HAS HIS PEOPLE EVERYWHERE
Dan.4:27
As you look at the world today, you may feel that the tide of evil is rising, while the number of people committed to godly faith and righteousness is on the decline. It may seem to you that control of things has slipped into the hands of those of have no fear of God. But in evaluating the state of the world, consider this: God has His people everywhere, in places and positions that most of us would never imagine.
That was true for the Jews deported to ancient Babylon. Most of them were resettled along the Chebar River, a canal northeast of the city of Babylon. It is probable that they were conscripted for labor on Nebuchadnezzar’s vast building projects in the nearby city.
This left the Jews free to live in their own communities, but dependent on the Babylonians for work. In other words, it left them poor. Nor did they have much reason to hope for a change in their circumstances. They lived in ghettos with few freedoms, limited resources, and few advocates with the government.
But Daniel was one those advocates. We do not know how much contact he had with the Jewish exiles. They may have been unaware of him; but he was not unaware of their situation. Perhaps he had them in mind as he urged Nebuchadnezzar to change his ways by “showing mercy to the poor” (Dan. 4:27). In doing so, the king would be showing mercy to Daniel’s own people, who were also God’s people. Thus God was at work on behalf of the Jews, even though they were completely unaware of it.
Daniel’s strategic placement is a reminder that God never leaves Himself without a means of accomplishing His purposes. He has a way of placing the right person where we would least expect it. This is cause for God’s people to have hope. No matter what “hot spot” in the world we may point to, the likelihood is that God has a believer or two strategically placed in the center of it. They may have limited control over what happens, but their presence can promote much good and avoid much evil in ways that we can hardly imagine.
Study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible, copyright 1993,1996, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible appearing at this web site are for personal use only.
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