THRIVING IN BABYLON by Larry Osborne in Review

Thriving in Babylon is a book that I believe any Follower of Jesus would benefit from reading. Looking into how Daniel “thrived” in Babylon seems to be popular in light of all that has happened in America over the last few years. Timely, well written and researched, “Thriving in Babylon” has a message that we need to hear. It’s upbeat, informative, and full of the hope/confidence that comes from being reminded of God’s promises because, while we don’t understand all that’s happening at the time, we know how the story ends.

I love Larry Osborne’s writing style that flows so easily across the page. The depth is there, thorough and well thought out, but laced with humor and written just like he’s sitting across from you. This is an excellent book not only for personal use, but one from which pastors would benefit in their study.

Larry Osborne’s focus is not just on our desire to be influential in a world steadily growing less tolerant of Christian values, but how to be influential in today’s culture – and his answers just might be totally different than what you would expect. The book of Daniel specifically has a lot of application for today’s ungodly climate because Daniel lived in a pagan culture without compromising his beliefs and he was respected as a result. Learn how Hope, Humility and Wisdom matter in our time and how to live in a way that these qualities can point others toward God in the process.

[Daniel] found a way, in a culture far more wicked than anything we face, to glorify and serve God with such integrity and power that kings, peasants, and an entire nation turned to acknowledge the splendor of the living God. Which raises the question: How did he do it? –Thriving In Babylon, pg. 27

BIG TAKEAWAYS

• Followers of Jesus can earn the right to be heard through hope, humility, and wisdom.
• Daniel didn’t just survive in Babylon, he thrived. And he thrived because he was deeply concerned about the welfare of the leaders he served. He didn’t secretly hope they would fail.
• Daniel knew which fights were worth fighting (continuing to pray when commanded not to) and which ones could be compromised (changing of his name). Not every fight is worth dying for, and we need the wisdom to know the difference.
• People who are still searching for Jesus are not the enemy of followers of Jesus and we would do well to remember that in our speech and actions.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Section One: Daniel’s Story

It’s so easy for Christians to read the story of Daniel and his friends and think, “Oh! If I just serve God faithfully then God will deliver me from persecution and hardship!” But while God may have delivered Daniel from the lion’s den, Hebrews 11 reminds us there are plenty of “others” that didn’t fair so well. What we find from Daniel is an incredible example of how to thrive in a pagan culture.

Though Daniel was caught up in the midst of the Babylonian exile of the Kingdom of Judah, in the very first verse of his writings he shares his perspective: “And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into [Nebuchadnezzar’s] hand…” Ultimately it wasn’t Nebuchadnezzar’s victory, it was God’s will and it was God who was in control, not the king. Daniel was able to keep his perspective on who was in control when things seemed out of control. Osborne remarks: “It’s the first thing [Daniel] wants us to know before he dives into the rest of his story.” And the rest of his story certainly wasn’t an easy one. Forced from his home, Daniel is forced to study a godless religious and educational system (astrology and the occult), he is forced to change his name, forced to probably be castrated to become a eunuch, and forced to serve a wicked, self-centered king. Wow! It has never been easy to serve God, so don’t think our circumstances are unique and think fondly of “the good ol’ days.”

Section Two: Prepared for Battle

It’s easy to be a Packer fan when the team is winning! But introduce a bit of hardship and a few losses and the fair-weather fans start running for the hills. The same is true in following Jesus. Osborne says, “God uses hardships and trials to reveal the genuineness or the fraudulent nature of our faith. And just as a hot fire is necessary to burn off the dross that refines gold, so too our fiery trials are necessary to burn off the spiritual dross and refine that which is genuine.” (pg. 61) For many Christians, spiritual fruit that comes from life in the Spirit has been regulated to “extra-credit status.”

When things go south, our theology often goes out the window. When the path of obedience doesn’t make sense, appears too costly, or doesn’t seem to be working, we’re quick to blaze our own trail. It’s easy to obey God when we agree with Him. But that’s not really obedience. –Thriving In Babylon, pg. 81

Osborne lays out five qualities all Christians require if they are thrive, much less survive, in our culture:

1. Obedience
2. Perspective
3. Endurance
4. Confidence
5. Courage

Section Three | Hope: Where Courage Is Birthed

It cannot be overstated how important the meaning of words are when we use them. When I was a kid people said, “That’s so bad!” and what they meant was, “That’s so awesome and good!” Semantics are important when we think about words like ‘hope.’ Usually it’s meant as wishful thinking, but biblical hope rests upon our “deep-seated confidence in God’s character and sovereignty.” (pg 94)

If our sins are forgiven and our destiny assured, if we are joint heirs with Jesus and certain He’s coming back to set all wrongs right, then despair and panic over the latest court decision, or even the steady erosion of morality in our culture, hardly seems like appropriate responses. –Thriving In Babylon, pg. 102

Daniel’s hope was based on what he knew to be true, not on what he blindly wished to be true. He knew God was in control, he knew God would restore His people and judge the Babylonians in His own time – therefore He could embrace his role with a heart full of hope. Osborne speaks of the dangers of placing our hope in any other place such as politics: “I’m simply stating that it’s a tragic miscalculation to place our hope in political solutions. At the end of the day, no matter how many elections we might win or how many laws we might pass, political power is fleeting.” (pg. 137) God’s ‘Plan A’ has and always will be the Church. Period. It carries the message that is the hope of the world. With three children of my own, I am challenged to raise them to be modern-day Daniels: living with hope, humility and wisdom.

Section Four | Humility: How Credibility Is Earned

Daniel’s hope gave him courage. But it was his remarkable humility that gave him favor in the eyes of his captors. In order to thrive in Babylon, he needed a strong dose of both. –Thriving In Babylon, pg. 145

In defining humility, here is what Osborne says humility is not:

• It’s not low self-esteem: We’re not to think too highly or too lowly of ourselves
• It’s not a lack of ambition: Daniel and his friends were very ambitious, graduating the top of their class
• It’s not downplaying our accomplishments: The only reason we have the book of Daniel is because Daniel took the time to write it down for us!

What humility is, is serving others.

If we want to significantly influence our modern-day Babylon, we’ll have to change our tactics. Instead of avoiding or attacking the godless leaders of our day, we’ll need to begin to engage them in the same way Daniel did, humbly serving whomever God chooses to temporarily place into positions of authority. –Thriving In Babylon, pg. 151

Daniel was respectful, humble and genuinely cared for his pagan leaders. He is remorseful that God’s vision of destruction was for Nebuchadnezzar and not the king’s enemy (Daniel 4:19). This is a big contrast from the angry, spiteful, disdainful rhetoric used by some Christians who speak against leaders with whom they disagree. How can we expect to gain credibility when we use the same weapons as the world? Followers of Jesus must remember that people who are not following Jesus are not the enemy. We should seek to serve and persuade and that with respect. When Peter commands we be prepared to give a defense, or a reason, for the hope we have, he says to do so “with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1 Peter 15b-16)

Section Five | Wisdom – The Power of Perspective

Having knowledge and information does not equate to having wisdom. Wisdom is the correct application of that knowledge. Followers of Jesus who know God is in control, but live as though He is not, lack wisdom. “When they choose earthly treasures we can’t keep over heavenly treasures we can’t lose or judge God’s goodness by today’s problems instead of Good Friday’s sacrifice or respond to sinners with knee-jerk repulsion rather than the pursuing heart of Jesus, they’re stuck in spiritual immaturity. And it breaks God’s heart.” (pg. 170)

In the past, Christianity as a predominant political force held great power and influence. Unfortunately it did not always wield that power and influence with humility for the service of others. As Christianity grew in power centuries ago, many flocked to join it, not because they wanted to follow Christ, but because they wanted to gain power and influence. Now that the influence of Christianity has wained in the west, is it any wonder that we need to earn the right to be heard? We must even work extra hard to make up for the damage that is done in the name of Christ by people who protest soldier funerals and the like.

The wisdom to pick his battles prudently was one of the most important keys to Daniel’s success and eventual influence in Babylon. -Thriving In Babylon, pg. 176

Daniel allowed his name to be changed and even studied astrology and the occult to graduate at the top of his class (many Christians would have shouted at him then like they shout at pastors of large churches today and assume his thriving was due to compromising the commands of God), he compromised on those issues because they weren’t battles worth fighting. But when it came to a kosher diet or praying to anyone other than God…He was willing to fight and even die.
Thriving in Babylon: Why Hope, Humility, and Wisdom Matter in a Godless Culture