Turning the page…
Turning the page…
Glory · Prophets & Exile
Exile is the right picture for the Christian life, and it is not a defeat. Peter addresses his readers as foreigners living in the Dispersion, and he tells them to do two things at once: abstain from the desires that war against the soul, and live so well among their neighbors that slander turns into glory to God. Jeremiah told the exiles in Babylon to build houses, plant gardens, and seek the city's peace, because their welfare was bound up with it. So Christians neither conquer the culture, nor flee it, nor melt into it. They bless it, stay distinct where God has spoken, expect hostility without surprise, and keep their hope fixed on the city that is coming.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/how-should-christians-live-as-exiles · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Jeremiah 29:4-14
As you read: A letter telling exiles to settle down rather than agitate, and the promise attached to seeking the welfare of a pagan city.
4Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, to all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit.
6Take wives, and father sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and don’t be diminished.
7Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you shall have peace.
8For thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Don’t let your prophets who are in your midst, and your diviners, deceive you; neither listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
9For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: I have not sent them, says Yahweh.
10For thus says Yahweh, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
12You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
14I will be found by you, says Yahweh, and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says Yahweh; and I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.
Daniel 1:1-17
As you read: How a young exile says no to compromise while saying yes to serving well, and what God gives him in return.
1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god: and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
3The king spoke to Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the children of Israel, even of the seed royal and of the nobles;
4youths in whom was no defect, but well-favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and endowed with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king’s palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the language of the Chaldeans.
5The king appointed for them a daily portion of the king’s dainties, and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at its end they should stand before the king.
6Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7The prince of the eunuchs gave names to them: to Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, Shadrach; and to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
9Now God made Daniel to find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs.
10The prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths who are of your own age? so would you endanger my head with the king.
11Then Daniel said to the steward whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
12Test your servants, I beg you, ten days; and let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink.
13Then let our faces be looked on before you, and the face of the youths who eat of the king’s dainties; and as you see, deal with your servants.
14So he listened to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15At the end of ten days their faces appeared fairer, and they were fatter in flesh, than all the youths who ate of the king’s dainties.
16So the steward took away their dainties, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.
17Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
1 Peter 2:9-17
As you read: The two halves of the exile life: abstaining from what wars against the soul, and doing good that silences slander.
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
10who in time past were no people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme;
14or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.
15For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.
17Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
1 Peter 3:13-17
As you read: How to respond when following Christ costs: without fear, without hostility, and with a reason for hope.
13Now who is he who will harm you, if you become imitators of that which is good?
14But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t fear what they fear, neither be troubled.”
15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:
16having a good conscience; that, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ.
17For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil.
Peter writes “to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion,” and calls them “foreigners and pilgrims.” Hebrews describes the faithful as people who “confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth,” and Paul says flatly, “our citizenship is in heaven.” Jeremiah's letter to Babylon assumed a long stay, not a quick exit. Being a resident alien is normal Christianity, not a crisis, and it is the posture Scripture expects us to hold for as long as we are here.
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,”1 Peter 1:1
“Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”1 Peter 2:11
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”Hebrews 11:13
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”Philippians 3:20
God did not tell the exiles to sabotage Babylon or to hide from it. He told them, “Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit,” and then gave the command that shapes Christian civic life: “Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you shall have peace.” He added that His thoughts toward them were “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.” Daniel lived this out: he rose to govern the whole province of Babylon while his windows stayed open toward Jerusalem.
“Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit.”Jeremiah 29:5
“Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you shall have peace.”Jeremiah 29:7
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.”Jeremiah 29:11
“Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.”Daniel 2:48
“When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.”Daniel 6:10
Daniel drew one clear line: “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s dainties.” Yet he did not withdraw. He learned the language and literature, served in the administration, and God gave him “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom.” Jesus prays the same balance over His people: “I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one.” Paul never asked the Corinthians to leave the world, only to stop being ruled by it. Exiles are not called to be strange where God has not spoken, but they must be unmistakable where He has.
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”Daniel 1:8
“Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”Daniel 1:17
“I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one.”John 17:15
“As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.”John 17:18
“yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortionists, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world.”1 Corinthians 5:10
Peter's strategy is not protest but goodness: “having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God.” He says that “by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men,” and he compresses the ethic into four commands: “Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” When hostility comes anyway, the response is neither fear nor counterattack: “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear.” He grants that suffering may come, and simply says “it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil.”
“having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.”1 Peter 2:12
“For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:”1 Peter 2:15
“Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”1 Peter 2:17
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:”1 Peter 3:15
“For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil.”1 Peter 3:17
The exile posture only makes sense with a destination in view. Hebrews says the pilgrims were “seeking a country of their own,” and that “they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Jesus told His people they are “the light of the world,” and that “a city located on a hill can’t be hidden.” So live, Peter says, “in reverent fear” during “the time of your living as foreigners.” We are not home yet, and that is precisely why we can love this place deeply without needing it to be heaven.
“For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.”Hebrews 11:14
“But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”Hebrews 11:16
“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.”Matthew 5:14
“If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear:”1 Peter 1:17