Winds of Change (Part 2)

I strongly believe that God has a specific destiny for our nation. One that we've veered away from. When a nation pushes God aside, he will shake her foundation stones so that radical change takes place to bring her back on course once again. Israel veered off course many times during its long history. If we take the time to study some of her past, we may benefit and learn from her past mistakes. Hopefully we can learn from her experience and knowledge left behind for us to use.

The story of Joseph in the book of Exodus in the Bible is a good example. Joseph was sent into captivity and was there for many years. He slowly arose in rank and became a power within the Egyptian culture. All of this was so that a baby named Moses, a Hebrew, could be born in Egypt. Moses also became a prince, but he had to run for his life because he committed murder. God called Moses to go back to Egypt, the one place that Moses did not want to return to. God wanted Moses to confront Pharaoh because of his cruelty to the Hebrews. Moses returned and confronted Pharaoh. Moses stood up in the harshest of circumstances and didn’t back down on what God told him to do or say. Because of Moses’ faithfulness and willingness to obey when everything was pitted against him God rescued the Jews.

Another pivotal time in history was during the life of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a prophet right before the Jews went into captivity in Babylon. Jeremiah spoke the truth to his people and was severely persecuted for it. Jeremiah told the people that they were going into captivity, but if they didn’t resist, God would be with them, protect them and release them after seventy years. Many people resisted and ran and died, just as Jeremiah said would happen. The ones that followed what God said through Jeremiah were protected. The land of Israel was destroyed, but her people and her future was not. Jeremiah was offered a life of luxury in Babylon. He refused it because as a prophet, he knew his place was still with his people.

Daniel was a young man that was carried into captivity by the Babylonians. He knew God intimately. Daniel become part of the Babylonian culture without losing his principles and his identity as a Jew. Daniel was a man of prayer. Three times a day he knelt facing Jerusalem and prayed for God to bring about his perfect will. The government made a law that for one day no one was allowed to pray to any god but King Nebuchadnezzar under order of death. Daniel continued to pray and was thrown into the lions den. Daniel was protected by God and came out without a scratch. Daniel trusted God over man. Daniel became a close advisor to many of the Babylonians kings. Daniel knew he was to be an influence to help protect his people in a culture that despised the Jews.

(Part 3 tomorrow)