Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the Est came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2
God’s ways are perfect and He takes everything into account, putting all the pieces together for His will to be done. All throughout the Bible, we see the sovereignty and details God put into place for His plan to be accomplished. It is said that there are over 300 prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament and everyone of them concerning His birth were fulfilled in what we call the Christmas story. The taxation that Caesar placed on the people required Joseph and Mary to leave Judea and go to Bethlehem to register about the time Mary was to give birth and it fulfilled the prophecy that Jesus would come from Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be rule over Israel.” Not only did God orchestrate events, He also provided the finances that would be needed for Joseph and Mary to care for Jesus as they fled from Herod. “The silver is Mine, and the gold is mine.” says the Lord of hosts.” God owns everything and He is not stingy with His people and the plans, He has for them, not only does He give us clear instructions on how to fulfill the plans He has for our lives, He also makes sure we have the resources to fulfill the calling. Just as the Israelites left the captivity of Egypt with the wealth of Egypt, God would use the riches of the land and government that had held His people captive in Babylon to provide lavishly for His Son, the new born King. God does not waste even the difficult seasons n our lives. He promised in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose.” He never said that all things would feel good or that if we love God everything would be easy, instead He promised that He would work all things together for our good. Since we know God is sovereign and He takes everything into account, not leaving anything out, we know that He planned for the Magi to come from the East and bring riches to provide financially for the newborn Savior and His family. Who were the Magi and where did they come from? Since they came from the East, many theologians believe they came from Babylon. How did the Magi know to watch for the star and be able to interpret the significance of the star they saw in the night sky? For answers we must go back almost 600 years in the history of Israel. When Israel sinned against God and forsook Him, following other false gods, God allowed them to go into captivity in Babylon because they broke their covenant with Him to serve Him. Instead of killing the men in the cities they conquered, the Chaldeans took the choicest young men captive, took them to Babylon, and trained them in the ways of the Babylonians and used their skills and abilities to build the Babylonian empire and they served under the different governments in Babylon for seventy years. One of the young men that was taken captive was Daniel. Even though he came into Babylon s a slave, his devotion to God and his character caused him to rise and serve in a place of prominence under five kings and to finally be the second in command under Cyrus the King. God gave Daniel the ability to interpret dreams and to prophecy about the events that would come. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that frightened him and none of the wise men in Babylon could interpret the dream, Daniel was brought before him and Daniel interpreted the dram, saving the lives of all the wise men in the country. King Nebuchadnezzar saw the anointing on Daniel and made him ruler over all Babylon and the chief administrator over all the wise men in Babylon. (Daniel 2:48) Because Daniel was over all the wise men on Babylon, he was given the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy and to lay the foundation in the wise men, teaching them to look for the promised Messiah. When a nation is in captivity, it causes them to long for a Messiah, someone to deliver them from their captors and allow them to go back to their homeland. Each day we make choices and the choices we make determine not only on what happens in our lives, but also affects the following generations. Daniel chose to submit to the plan God had for his life, instead of being bitter he chose to honor God and used every opportunity to influence the world around him. I believe he was very intentional with his teachings and sharing the good news of a promised Savior, the King of the Jews with the wisemen, teaching them to discern the times and seasons and how to read the stars, looking for His arrival. Daniel was very wise and he left a legacy that would last over 500 years as well as write one of the most prophetic books in the Bible. He not only looked for the Messiah, he influenced the other wise men to look for Him which lead to their lavish financial gifts that would bless the young family as they fled into Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. What things did Daniel do that allowed him to leave such a lasting legacy?
To leave a great legacy, we must put God first and honor all His commandments. Daniel 1 tells that Daniel “purposed in his heart not to defile himself” and refused to even eat and drink wine that would bring defilement. Daniel and his three friends knew God and determined to keep all the law, even when it was not popular and their obedience could cost them their lives. They chose not to eat things that were contrary to the law, and to drink the wine offered. Daniel used wisdom when he asked the chief of the Eunuchs for permission to eat only what was pleasing to God. God blessed his sacrifice and made him look healthier and fatter than the other men who ate the king’s portions. God blessed their obedience with “knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all dreams.” Isaiah 1:19 “If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land.” To leave a great legacy we must obey God in all things even when no one else is willing to be obedient. In order to obey God, we must know God and have a personal relationship with Him.
The only way to really know God is the time we spend in prayer and in His Word. Daniel was a man of prayer. The other leaders in Babylon were jealous of Daniel and tried to find a way to catch him doing something wrong. The only thing they could come up with to trap Daniel was to get the king to sign a decree that anyone who petitions any god or man other than the king would be thrown in the lions’ den. Daniel knew the decree was signed and he would not allow the foolish law to keep him from praying as he always did. Instead he opened his window wide and knelt down facing Jerusalem and prayed three times a day. Our prayer life will determine the levels we rise to in the spiritual world. The more time and consistency we spend in prayer, the better we know God and the more He is able to change us and to conform us into His image. Daniel 11:32 “The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” It is not enough to know about God, we must spend time getting to know Him. Time talking with God and listening to Him and studying His Word will bring us into a deeper relationship with Him. There is always more that God wants to reveal about Himself with us. One of the greatest legacies you can leave for your family is for them to see you consistently have a time of prayer. Prayer not only changes things, it changes us.
Daniel knew how to trust God. He had the character to be able to stand against popular beliefs and to honor God with everything he had. The dealings Daniel had, were done with integrity and humbleness. As a young man, he decided to honor God no matter the consequences and as he followed God, he learned the faithfulness of God. When we learn that God is faithful, it is easier to trust Him when things become difficult. There is no scripture that says Daniel threw a fit or accused the wicked leaders of it being a trap, instead he trusted God even in the den of hungry lions. God sent an angel and supernaturally shut the mouths of the lions. The bible says “no injury was found on him, because he believed in his God.” To navigate the difficult times, we are in and to leave a legacy, we must know our God, and knowing God creates a trust in Him that defies logic and everything we see. Daniel was also a man of great character. His enemies could not find any fault in him, so they used his consistent prayer time a s a trap to ensnare him. Character determines the person you are and how you deal with other people. Character is the way someone thinks, feels and behaves. It makes you distinct and you stand apart when you have good character. Good character will cause a person to do what is right no matter the circumstances or who is watching. Gifts and talents will take you to great places; Proverbs 18:16 “A man’s gifts will make room for him and bring him before great men.” Character will sustain you in great places. How many famous people have lost everything because they do not have the character to stand in great places? As we walk with God, our relationship and time spent with Him will change and grow our character so we can stand in places of influence to leave a legacy.
Daniels legacy changed the culture of his day and sustained him in a place of leadership through five different kings. His passion and commitment to the hope of a Messiah left a mark on the wise men of Babylon that would last for 5 or so generations even after he went to be with the Lord. It is safe to say that Daniel took dominion over the world God placed him in even though it was a place he did not originally chose to go to. We are called to leave a legacy in our families. Proverbs 13:22 “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children. The best inheritance is the Godly legacy we live before them. Not only should our legacy affect our families, they should change the world we live in and the people we come in contact with. God told Adam in Genesis 1 to be fruitful and multiply, and take dominion over the earth. Our light should shine so bright that we change the atmosphere when we enter into a room, or situation. Philippians 2:14-16 “Do all things without grumbling and complaining, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.” To leave a living legacy, a person must have a personal relationship with God that comes from time spent in prayer and in His Word. We must determine not to defile ourselves with even the “innocent” sins that are so rampant now. Our trust in God should come naturally as we see His faithfulness to us in every situation. We must allow His Word and our time in prayer to correct our flaws and to build great character in us so we can thrive in the great places God places us in. Take time to think about the legacy you are leaving and if there is something you could do better to leave a greater impact. You are important to God and He has a specific part for you to fill.
Cathy Nesmith