01 | Exilic Imagination
Our Spring series will be rooted in the Old Testament book of Daniel. Daniel and his 3 friends are ripped out of the land of Israel and dragged into Babylon, the land of Israel’s greatest enemy. They’re re-homed, re-named, re-educated, and re-purposed as Babylon attempts to stamp out their Jewish identity and their allegiance to Yahweh. But God speaks a surprising word to his people: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf” (Jeremiah 29.7). So here’s the tension: These exiles must love and bless Babylon, but they must not be conformed to it; They must serve their enemies, but they cannot serve their gods; They must be among the Babylonians for the good of the Babylonians, all while maintaining their allegiance to God and their identity as his people. Our series will explore these tensions, looking at how the New Testament writers pick up this biblical theme of exile as a way to describe the Christian experience. This week we explore the de-forming influences of our own Babylon, discuss what faithfulness looks like, and celebrate the good news that Jesus is on his throne sovereignly orchestrating all of history for his glory and our joy!
Read Daniel 1 and 1 Peter 2.9-12. What parallels do you notice?
What are the de-forming influences - think narratives and perspectives - of our Babylon?
Where do you most feel the tension between allegiance to Jesus and the pressures of our culture?
Have you “resolved” like Daniel? If so, what does that look like? If not, what might it look like to do so?
February 27, 2022 - Steve Hart