6 Days at Babylon High School
DAY ONE - GOING TO SCHOOL IN BABYLON
Have you ever wondered if anyone in the Bible could possibly understand what it's like for you to try to live as Christian in your high school? Chances are you've never thought there's anyone in the Bible who knows what it's like to be in your situation.
In fact, there are several people in the Bible, three guys and a girl, who experienced something very similar to your situation and their names were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Esther. You see, the people of Judah were conquered by the Babylonians in 605 BC and were taken to Babylon where they lived for the next 70 years. A few of the young captives were chosen to serve within the leadership of the Babylonian Empire. Their actions provide a good road map for those of us trying to figure out how to follow Jesus in our schools today. Here's how Daniel chapter 1 describes the situation.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.[b] 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were taken from their homes (no choice in the matter) and sent to the Babylonian equivalent of high school. They had three years of classes, tests, and cafeteria food! Later on, Esther, would go through a similar process. Sound familiar? And when they graduated they were given a job.
So how can these four Bible characters help us learn how to live for God in a place where that's just not what people do? The next several days their stories will teach us 5 important truths to help us live God's way in your middle school or high school.
DAY TWO - PURPOSE IN YOUR HEART TO HONOR GOD
When Daniel and his friends were taken into exile in Babylon in 605 BC, they went to school to prepare them for service in the Babylonian government. They were to be educated in the language, culture, and religion of the Babylonians. Right in the middle of facing some hard decisions they purposed in their hearts to honor God in a couple of important ways.
First, while in training, food was provided by the king, but it was food that contradicted God’s laws. It would have been easy, even understandable, for them to say, “We aren’t in Israel anymore so we should just eat what the Babylonians provide.” Instead, they chose not to eat that food because it would dishonor the God that they served. What a decision! If a person can honor God in such a basic part of life as the food they eat, they can probably honor God in anything! In this world we are going to face choices like this; people will want us to participate in things that we know do not honor God. Daniel and his friends had apparently made the decision to honor God no matter what long before this situation occurred because the decision took no time, no deliberation, and no wise counsel. They knew what they would do immediately. They had already chosen long ago to honor God in all things. And, as we know, God honored their decision. He kept them healthier on the vegetables they ate than their classmates were on the king’s food.
Shortly after this, we read that Daniel and his friends finished their training and were brought before King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 1:19-20 says the king examined them and found none equal to these young Hebrews. “In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.” They had studied hard and were the very best students that they could be. They apparently believed that excellence was honoring to God. What a great lesson for us! Whatever we do - athletics, academics, theater, music, etc. - we should do our very best. Think about the God who made snowy mountain peaks, great evergreen forests, majestic ocean creatures, the stars and the galaxies, molecules and atoms. The God who made all of that is worthy of us representing Him well. When we are creative, hardworking, and do our best work, that is a good witness to those around us.
Living for Christ in our schools will constantly be challenging - but one decision will prepare us to make all others. We must decide now to honor God, no matter what.
DAY THREE - COMPASSIONATELY SPEAK GOD'S TRUTH INTO THE LIVES OF OTHERS
One night, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled and confused him. He assembled all of the wise men of Babylon to find someone to tell him the meaning of his dream, but he had one qualification; they also had to tell him what the dream was. Imagine taking a test where you had to give the right questions AND the right answers! Immediately, the wise men argued that such a thing was impossible; they argued that they had to hear the dream before they could interpret the meaning of it. Nebuchadnezzar was a little bit crazy, but he wasn’t dumb. He knew the only way to get the true meaning of the dream was to find someone who could correctly tell him what his dream was first. Otherwise, these guys could make up whatever they wanted.
When none of his advisors could do as he commanded, the king threatened to have them all killed, including Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When Daniel heard the king was about to go on a killing spree, he asked Nebuchadnezzar for more time to interpret his dream. Then Daniel prayed to God to reveal the dream and its meaning. When God revealed all this, Daniel then told the king the dream and explained it’s incredible meaning. As it turned out, the king was dreaming about the coming of the Messiah and the coming Kingdom of God!
There’s so much confusion and anger in our world today. People all around us have big questions - things they just don't understand. They may not have had troubling dreams, but many are confused about life and what it means. Although they likely don’t know it, what people are really searching for can only be found in Jesus - and in the freedom, hope, peace, strength, and forgiveness that God gives. People need someone, like Daniel, to step up and compassionately speak God's truth into their lives. Usually, it’s just a matter of looking for opportunities; when people bring up their pain, their doubts, their frustrations, or their needs. God often provides those openings if we pray for them and if we are looking for them. Daniel had credibility with the king because of how he lived and we need credibility too, to share God's truth with people. When we do, it can make a huge difference. Daniel saved many people's lives by seeking God and speaking the truth into a confused man's life.
When we live our lives to honor God, He will provide opportunities to speak His truth to those around us. And like Daniel, we should seek to be motivated by compassion and care for those who are perishing without a knowledge of God’s grace and truth.
DAY FOUR - HUMBLY REFUSE TO BOW DOWN TO IDOLS
In Daniel chapter three, we have one of the Bible’s greatest stories. Perhaps because of his dream in chapter two, King Nebuchadnezzar built a giant, golden statue, possibly an image of himself. He ordered everyone to bow down and worship this idol or be burned alive in a furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego humbly remained standing when everyone else bowed down. They were not obnoxious about refusing to bow - they were simply obedient to God. They were confident in God’s ability to rescue them, and they willingly accepted the punishment of being thrown into the furnace because of their choice. Nebuchadnezzar was enraged at their disobedience and had the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. When they were thrown in, God showed up and went through the fire with them. We all know from the story that they came out alive and well, not burned at all and not even smelling like smoke.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, Nebuchadnezzar said “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” (Daniel 3:28) Like those three young men, when we refuse to worship the idols of our culture, we are probably going to take heat for living differently, but we can know that God will be there to go through it with us!
In America we have perfected idol worship. Think about the idols that people worship in our culture. Money, power, hobbies, celebrities, fame, technology, food, entertainment, and sports might all be on the list. However, the most dangerous and hard-to-recognize idol that we worship is self. We all know people who tease, mock, or bully others in order to make themselves look or feel better. We also know people whose sole focus is their own success on the field, in the classroom, or on the stage. So, how do we refuse to bow down and worship the idol of self? Simply by loving God and loving others! Love the person who is alone and lonely. Love the person who is considered inferior for whatever reason. Love your enemies, love those who irritate and aggravate you. Loving God by loving others is the strongest way to resist serving the idols everyone worships today.
As strangers and aliens in this world, there is one thing that followers of Jesus must be known for: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Love is the mark of a follower of Christ and we will stand out when we love others.
DAY FIVE - COURAGEOUSLY OBEY GOD NO MATTER WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T
In Daniel chapters 4 and 5, we find Daniel speaking truth again, very hard truths, to Nebuchadnezzar and then to King Belshazzar, which resulted in the end of the Babylonian empire. After many years of living in Babylon, Daniel was an old man in a position of great power, serving another king and another kingdom. Imagine having a reputation so stellar that the new king of a new kingdom wanted to keep your job! Pretty amazing. His fellow royal advisors were extremely jealous of Daniel and set out to bring him down. The problem, of course, was that Daniel lived his life in such a way that these guys couldn’t get any dirt on him. The only thing they could accuse him of was praying too much! Can you imagine that?
So Daniel’s co-workers tricked King Darius, the new Persian King, into making illegal the one thing that Daniel did often - praying to his God. We all know what Daniel did - he prayed anyway, got caught, was thrown in a den of hungry lions, and an angel of God rescued him. Notice that Daniel did not hide or pray in secret. He didn’t rationalize the situation, saying “Since prayer is illegal for 30 days, I’ll just wait until that’s all over to start praying again.” He didn’t try to get the king to change his mind. He didn’t make bargains with his enemies. Daniel was simply faithful in his walk with God, trusting Him fully no matter what the consequences.
So how does this apply to living for Christ in your school? If someone tells us that we are not allowed to pray, or read the Bible, or start a religious club, or wear a Christian t-shirt, should we shout and fight and insist that we get our way? Should we argue and make a big deal about it? Probably not. But we could politely, humbly, and with great respect tell that person that while we respect their authority, we will continue to pray, continue to read God's Word, and if we have to face consequences for doing so, we will gladly do that. If you ever face this situation, pray hard about it and your pastor or youth pastor for wisdom to respond to the situation like Jesus would.
In Acts chapter 4, Peter and John were jailed and then brought before the Sanhedrin where they were told to stop preaching about Jesus. They responded by saying they had to obey God rather than men. We need to be prepared to have this kind of courage - not to be obnoxious and annoying - but to purposefully, humbly, and compassionately obey God like Daniel and like Peter and John.
DAY 6 - THIS IS YOUR TIME!
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego inspire us to live purposefully, compassionately, humbly, and courageously in the days we find ourselves in. The prophecies of the rest of the book of Daniel (chapters 7-12) fill us with great hope that our God is the one in control of this world and no matter what happens around us, God is sovereign and has His hand on everything. Chapter 7 says about the coming Messiah, “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14). Life in this world will continue to be crazy and difficult, but a time is coming when all of God’s purposes will be fulfilled and He will rule and reign over the kingdoms of this world. That's encouraging!
There's one more story from this time we must talk about. Shortly after Daniel's life there was a young woman named Esther living in Babylon. She was a young woman who was also taken from her home and found herself caught up in some serious political games. When the lives of her people, the Israelites, were threatened by a sinister plot of the King's right hand man, Esther courageously stepped up in the face of her opponent and overwhelming odds and saved her people from being exterminated! Her great courage resulted in a victory that is remembered and celebrated thousands of years later.
There's a powerful line in the book of Esther where her uncle, Mordecai (her coach!), encourages her that God has put her in this place “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:13-14). God knew who she was, where she was, and had a crucial role for her to play. We too are where we are, when we are, for such a time as this. There’s no mistake here - God knew what would be happening in the world at the time we were born and He has a plan for our lives for the here and now. You are in your town, in your school, surrounded by the people you know because God has put you there. Whether you are at the beginning of the school year, the middle or the end, let’s choose, no matter what this year brings, to purposefully honor God in all things. No matter what this year brings, let’s compassionately speak God’s truth to the hurting and lost around us. No matter what this year brings, let’s humbly refuse to worship idols but instead love God and love people unselfishly. And no matter what this year brings, let’s courageously obey our great and awesome God, knowing that He holds all of our lives in His hands and this is His time for us!
Have you ever wondered if anyone in the Bible could possibly understand what it's like for you to try to live as Christian in your high school? Chances are you've never thought there's anyone in the Bible who knows what it's like to be in your situation.
In fact, there are several people in the Bible, three guys and a girl, who experienced something very similar to your situation and their names were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Esther. You see, the people of Judah were conquered by the Babylonians in 605 BC and were taken to Babylon where they lived for the next 70 years. A few of the young captives were chosen to serve within the leadership of the Babylonian Empire. Their actions provide a good road map for those of us trying to figure out how to follow Jesus in our schools today. Here's how Daniel chapter 1 describes the situation.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.[b] 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were taken from their homes (no choice in the matter) and sent to the Babylonian equivalent of high school. They had three years of classes, tests, and cafeteria food! Later on, Esther, would go through a similar process. Sound familiar? And when they graduated they were given a job.
So how can these four Bible characters help us learn how to live for God in a place where that's just not what people do? The next several days their stories will teach us 5 important truths to help us live God's way in your middle school or high school.
DAY TWO - PURPOSE IN YOUR HEART TO HONOR GOD
When Daniel and his friends were taken into exile in Babylon in 605 BC, they went to school to prepare them for service in the Babylonian government. They were to be educated in the language, culture, and religion of the Babylonians. Right in the middle of facing some hard decisions they purposed in their hearts to honor God in a couple of important ways.
First, while in training, food was provided by the king, but it was food that contradicted God’s laws. It would have been easy, even understandable, for them to say, “We aren’t in Israel anymore so we should just eat what the Babylonians provide.” Instead, they chose not to eat that food because it would dishonor the God that they served. What a decision! If a person can honor God in such a basic part of life as the food they eat, they can probably honor God in anything! In this world we are going to face choices like this; people will want us to participate in things that we know do not honor God. Daniel and his friends had apparently made the decision to honor God no matter what long before this situation occurred because the decision took no time, no deliberation, and no wise counsel. They knew what they would do immediately. They had already chosen long ago to honor God in all things. And, as we know, God honored their decision. He kept them healthier on the vegetables they ate than their classmates were on the king’s food.
Shortly after this, we read that Daniel and his friends finished their training and were brought before King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 1:19-20 says the king examined them and found none equal to these young Hebrews. “In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.” They had studied hard and were the very best students that they could be. They apparently believed that excellence was honoring to God. What a great lesson for us! Whatever we do - athletics, academics, theater, music, etc. - we should do our very best. Think about the God who made snowy mountain peaks, great evergreen forests, majestic ocean creatures, the stars and the galaxies, molecules and atoms. The God who made all of that is worthy of us representing Him well. When we are creative, hardworking, and do our best work, that is a good witness to those around us.
Living for Christ in our schools will constantly be challenging - but one decision will prepare us to make all others. We must decide now to honor God, no matter what.
DAY THREE - COMPASSIONATELY SPEAK GOD'S TRUTH INTO THE LIVES OF OTHERS
One night, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled and confused him. He assembled all of the wise men of Babylon to find someone to tell him the meaning of his dream, but he had one qualification; they also had to tell him what the dream was. Imagine taking a test where you had to give the right questions AND the right answers! Immediately, the wise men argued that such a thing was impossible; they argued that they had to hear the dream before they could interpret the meaning of it. Nebuchadnezzar was a little bit crazy, but he wasn’t dumb. He knew the only way to get the true meaning of the dream was to find someone who could correctly tell him what his dream was first. Otherwise, these guys could make up whatever they wanted.
When none of his advisors could do as he commanded, the king threatened to have them all killed, including Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When Daniel heard the king was about to go on a killing spree, he asked Nebuchadnezzar for more time to interpret his dream. Then Daniel prayed to God to reveal the dream and its meaning. When God revealed all this, Daniel then told the king the dream and explained it’s incredible meaning. As it turned out, the king was dreaming about the coming of the Messiah and the coming Kingdom of God!
There’s so much confusion and anger in our world today. People all around us have big questions - things they just don't understand. They may not have had troubling dreams, but many are confused about life and what it means. Although they likely don’t know it, what people are really searching for can only be found in Jesus - and in the freedom, hope, peace, strength, and forgiveness that God gives. People need someone, like Daniel, to step up and compassionately speak God's truth into their lives. Usually, it’s just a matter of looking for opportunities; when people bring up their pain, their doubts, their frustrations, or their needs. God often provides those openings if we pray for them and if we are looking for them. Daniel had credibility with the king because of how he lived and we need credibility too, to share God's truth with people. When we do, it can make a huge difference. Daniel saved many people's lives by seeking God and speaking the truth into a confused man's life.
When we live our lives to honor God, He will provide opportunities to speak His truth to those around us. And like Daniel, we should seek to be motivated by compassion and care for those who are perishing without a knowledge of God’s grace and truth.
DAY FOUR - HUMBLY REFUSE TO BOW DOWN TO IDOLS
In Daniel chapter three, we have one of the Bible’s greatest stories. Perhaps because of his dream in chapter two, King Nebuchadnezzar built a giant, golden statue, possibly an image of himself. He ordered everyone to bow down and worship this idol or be burned alive in a furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego humbly remained standing when everyone else bowed down. They were not obnoxious about refusing to bow - they were simply obedient to God. They were confident in God’s ability to rescue them, and they willingly accepted the punishment of being thrown into the furnace because of their choice. Nebuchadnezzar was enraged at their disobedience and had the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. When they were thrown in, God showed up and went through the fire with them. We all know from the story that they came out alive and well, not burned at all and not even smelling like smoke.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, Nebuchadnezzar said “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” (Daniel 3:28) Like those three young men, when we refuse to worship the idols of our culture, we are probably going to take heat for living differently, but we can know that God will be there to go through it with us!
In America we have perfected idol worship. Think about the idols that people worship in our culture. Money, power, hobbies, celebrities, fame, technology, food, entertainment, and sports might all be on the list. However, the most dangerous and hard-to-recognize idol that we worship is self. We all know people who tease, mock, or bully others in order to make themselves look or feel better. We also know people whose sole focus is their own success on the field, in the classroom, or on the stage. So, how do we refuse to bow down and worship the idol of self? Simply by loving God and loving others! Love the person who is alone and lonely. Love the person who is considered inferior for whatever reason. Love your enemies, love those who irritate and aggravate you. Loving God by loving others is the strongest way to resist serving the idols everyone worships today.
As strangers and aliens in this world, there is one thing that followers of Jesus must be known for: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Love is the mark of a follower of Christ and we will stand out when we love others.
DAY FIVE - COURAGEOUSLY OBEY GOD NO MATTER WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T
In Daniel chapters 4 and 5, we find Daniel speaking truth again, very hard truths, to Nebuchadnezzar and then to King Belshazzar, which resulted in the end of the Babylonian empire. After many years of living in Babylon, Daniel was an old man in a position of great power, serving another king and another kingdom. Imagine having a reputation so stellar that the new king of a new kingdom wanted to keep your job! Pretty amazing. His fellow royal advisors were extremely jealous of Daniel and set out to bring him down. The problem, of course, was that Daniel lived his life in such a way that these guys couldn’t get any dirt on him. The only thing they could accuse him of was praying too much! Can you imagine that?
So Daniel’s co-workers tricked King Darius, the new Persian King, into making illegal the one thing that Daniel did often - praying to his God. We all know what Daniel did - he prayed anyway, got caught, was thrown in a den of hungry lions, and an angel of God rescued him. Notice that Daniel did not hide or pray in secret. He didn’t rationalize the situation, saying “Since prayer is illegal for 30 days, I’ll just wait until that’s all over to start praying again.” He didn’t try to get the king to change his mind. He didn’t make bargains with his enemies. Daniel was simply faithful in his walk with God, trusting Him fully no matter what the consequences.
So how does this apply to living for Christ in your school? If someone tells us that we are not allowed to pray, or read the Bible, or start a religious club, or wear a Christian t-shirt, should we shout and fight and insist that we get our way? Should we argue and make a big deal about it? Probably not. But we could politely, humbly, and with great respect tell that person that while we respect their authority, we will continue to pray, continue to read God's Word, and if we have to face consequences for doing so, we will gladly do that. If you ever face this situation, pray hard about it and your pastor or youth pastor for wisdom to respond to the situation like Jesus would.
In Acts chapter 4, Peter and John were jailed and then brought before the Sanhedrin where they were told to stop preaching about Jesus. They responded by saying they had to obey God rather than men. We need to be prepared to have this kind of courage - not to be obnoxious and annoying - but to purposefully, humbly, and compassionately obey God like Daniel and like Peter and John.
DAY 6 - THIS IS YOUR TIME!
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego inspire us to live purposefully, compassionately, humbly, and courageously in the days we find ourselves in. The prophecies of the rest of the book of Daniel (chapters 7-12) fill us with great hope that our God is the one in control of this world and no matter what happens around us, God is sovereign and has His hand on everything. Chapter 7 says about the coming Messiah, “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14). Life in this world will continue to be crazy and difficult, but a time is coming when all of God’s purposes will be fulfilled and He will rule and reign over the kingdoms of this world. That's encouraging!
There's one more story from this time we must talk about. Shortly after Daniel's life there was a young woman named Esther living in Babylon. She was a young woman who was also taken from her home and found herself caught up in some serious political games. When the lives of her people, the Israelites, were threatened by a sinister plot of the King's right hand man, Esther courageously stepped up in the face of her opponent and overwhelming odds and saved her people from being exterminated! Her great courage resulted in a victory that is remembered and celebrated thousands of years later.
There's a powerful line in the book of Esther where her uncle, Mordecai (her coach!), encourages her that God has put her in this place “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:13-14). God knew who she was, where she was, and had a crucial role for her to play. We too are where we are, when we are, for such a time as this. There’s no mistake here - God knew what would be happening in the world at the time we were born and He has a plan for our lives for the here and now. You are in your town, in your school, surrounded by the people you know because God has put you there. Whether you are at the beginning of the school year, the middle or the end, let’s choose, no matter what this year brings, to purposefully honor God in all things. No matter what this year brings, let’s compassionately speak God’s truth to the hurting and lost around us. No matter what this year brings, let’s humbly refuse to worship idols but instead love God and love people unselfishly. And no matter what this year brings, let’s courageously obey our great and awesome God, knowing that He holds all of our lives in His hands and this is His time for us!
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Im grateful to Travis Deans for this app!!
Hi Travis, what a wonderful read for high schoolers! We plan on sharing the App with our students who are members of their school’s Students Standing Strong club. Our clubs are currently in 21 states. The app is so well done and the student stories are great.