One thing common with all oppressors is they try to wipe out the identity of their victims completely because in so doing, they can easily gain control over them.
The Germans did this during the holocaust in their horrific ‘death camps’ by taking their victims’ names and giving them numbers instead. Reducing them to nothing but another number. The colonizers did this by imposing their names, languages, dressing style, administrative and justice systems just to name a few on their victims.
The underlying goal in all those actions was to wipe away any sense of true identity and impose a new one, a false one. If the oppressor can get their victims to somehow believe that they are the same, after all sharing the same names, dressing similarly, must mean that they are the same and share the same goals then gaining total control over them will be a walk in the park.
Nebuchadnezzar used this same system when he captured Judah. He selected some people to basically indoctrinate by teaching them his language and literature, making them eat his food and ultimately being like one of his (See Daniel 1:1-5). He intended for them to forget who they really were, to forget their identity.
Daniel and his friends however were aware of his scheme. That’s why when offered the ‘privileges’ of their oppressors they adamantly refused to succumb. You have to know that this wasn’t an easy decision! Daniel and his friends were being offered a lifestyle that anyone at that time would probably give up anything to have. Babylon was the biggest empire at that time (think the USA today), Nebuchadnezzar was feared and revered not just as a king, but as a god! These boys were being offered the food, the clothes, the lifestyle of Nebuchadnezzar himself! Yet, they turned it down.
“The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank.
Daniel 1:5a ESV
Daniel resolved to fight to keep his identity! Though surrounded by all this exotic food and lifestyle, he fought to protect his identity.
“But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.”
Daniel 1:8 ESV
Looking at the world today as a Christian woman, we’re in a kind of Babylon. We’re surrounded wherever we turn by lifestyles and ideologies that are slowly seeping into our churches and homes. If we don’t resolve like Daniel did to protect our identity in God, we will be transformed into a false version of ourselves. We’ll take on the identity of the world and forget who we really are.
So today, here’s a reminder of who you are;
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
1 Peter 2:9 ESV
Say this out loud;
I am chosen by God
I am holy
I belong to God
My life proclaims his excellence
I’ve been called out of darkness into his Marvelous light
Therefore go out and live like who you truly are! Be intentional about protecting this identity in all that you do.
This is very timely. I am Chosen by God. My life proclaims His excellence. AMENNNNNN. THANK YOU