Daniel 6:1-10 – You Can Take the Boy Out of Jerusalem…
For a time in the 1970s, Henry Kissinger may have been one of the most recognisable US citizens on the planet. Yet Kissinger was not a natural born American. His birth name was in fact Heinz, not Henry, and he lived in Germany until he was 15 years old.
I remember seeing a video clip of Kissinger being interviewed by a German journalist for German TV. As the interview was about to commence, the former Secretary of State made a simple request – “is it OK if we do the interview in English?”
German was his native tongue, yet he felt awkward and unnatural whenever he had to speak it. It appears that decades of speaking English and breathing in US culture meant the he felt far more American than German.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that of course! But it’s interesting, because Daniel and “Heinz” were probably around the same age when they were suddenly uprooted from their native lands. By chapter 6, Daniel has been breathing in Babylonian culture for almost an entire lifetime. It would be entirely understandable if he had become a dyed-in-the-wool pagan.
Yet notice in v10 where Daniel looks towards when he prays – Jerusalem. Now, this is not a superstitious practice (like Muslims praying towards Mecca), rather it is an outworking of the fact that his heart lies with God’s people in God’s city. Daniel never forgot who he was. You can take the boy out of Jerusalem but you can’t take Jerusalem out of the man.
It should be the same with us. It’s easy to get sucked in by our favourite TV shows, sporting teams, jobs, or even patriotic fervour for our countries. Yet, first and foremost we are to be citizens of heaven. We are fundamentally different from the people around us. One of the secrets to living faithfully for Jesus Christ is this: remember that you are a stranger and an exile here on Earth. We look to the city “whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:10)
Questions
- Which pleasures/worries of life make you forget that you are a stranger and exile here on Earth?
- What can we do to help us remember where our true citizenship lies?
Prayer Points
- Pray that God would keep you from feeling too “at home” in this sinful world.
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.