To many people’s surprise, the Bible touches and sometimes addresses explicitly every arena of life. The Bible is God’s handbook for a successful life (as God defines success). Whether it be for an individual or a nation, the Scriptures are the final authority in the believer’s life. So, we should not marvel that the Lord does have something to say about the State mandating things to be ingested into one’s body. One of the best examples of this is found in Daniel 1: 3-20,
Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.” So, Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” So, he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. Thus, the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink and gave them vegetables. As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore, they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.
Daniel and his friends were a part of the Babylonian exile after the Southern Kingdom (Judah) had fallen. They were deported as teenagers and lived for over 60 years in this pagan atmosphere navigating their faith in sometimes hostile waters. The exciting part of Daniel’s life is that he was able to find favor despite the adversity, but he did so by standing courageously by his convictions. I have often said that I think that the book of Daniel may be one of the best books in the Bible to helping us answer the question as to how to engage civic government. It starts by simply learning how to say, No”.
As we begin to form a theology of medical freedom and consider how Daniel 1 might speak to that, I think a couple quick observations of this chapter are in order.
It is fascinating how the State (Nebuchadnezzar) wants to instantly mandate some things to control these exiled people. He begins with:
1. A mandate to be enrolled in the Babylonian educational system (v.4).
The Bible tells us, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7), so is it any wonder that the “Babylonian” educational system would be central to controlling the thoughts and eventual actions of a generation. Lincoln said it best when he stated:
“Whoever controls the classroom in one generation will control the philosophy of government in the next generation.”
This is an incredibly touchy subject to so many people as public education has been a type of untouchable arena for discernment for years. But there has been an undeniable trajectory of concern with regards to what children are learning within the walls of this institution. There is a perpetual cycle of training from elementary school through the university that promotes values and philosophy diametrically opposed to the Christian Faith as well as traditional American virtue and values. The uncomfortable truth is, you cannot send your children to Babylonian schools and expect they will come out anything less than fully indoctrinated Babylonians.
Nebuchadnezzar understood this strategy as all state governments do. It is the first step to easily mandating a philosophy to the citizenry.
The second mandate may be the most relevant:
2. A mandate as to what these Hebrew boys ingest in their bodies (v.5).
Why?
If the state controls or even forces what you eat (ingest), it can pretty much determine just about anything in your life. In fact, if the state can create a pattern of uncritically accepting this role through the years, it becomes easier for you to accept any mandate determined by the state to be beneficial to you. Therefore I maintain that the state has as much propensity to act in a cult-like manner (example: Jim Jones and the command to “drink the Kool-Aid”), as any preacher of a religious sect.
But this is the point many people get confused and double-minded as to whether these mandates should be resisted or complied. We know that there are certain mandates we all accept on a daily basis (Licenses like: Driver’s, hunting, fishing, conceal carry; payment of taxes, speed limits, inspections for construction, and the like).
As Christians, we are not anarchists or radical libertarians. We understand that Government is indeed GOD’S IDEA, however, what we have confused and conflated and generally messed up is what are civic government jurisdictions and when (if any) can they jump over these lines that God has established. Nowhere in the Bible will you find authority given to civil government in the area of preventive health. In fact, each instance where infectious disease is mentioned, the authority to quarantine resides in the church leaders, not the state (see for instance Leviticus 13, Luke 17:12-14 & Mark 1:40-44). Even if we were to grant the argument that the state does have authority in matters of health (something wholly unsupported by Scripture), notice that in the passages referenced above people were only restricted if symptoms were present. On top of that, when symptoms were present, no health care was coerced or prescribed, only quarantine was required. This is a very critical point. Many Christians are getting snagged in the area of exemptions because we have been inconsistent with our application of biblical worldview.
I have been reading recently various companies’ questionnaires about exemptions from the vaccine mandate they are seeking to implement, and they are challenging our theology. For example, the following questions are a compilation from a hospital and a major U.S. corporation…
What is your sincerely held belief or practice that you are seeking an accommodation?
Does this belief affect any other area of your life?
Has your view of receiving vaccinations changed over time and do you now accept other vaccinations?
Describe the conflict between your religious belief and receiving the COVID-19 vaccination?
Identify specifically all areas of conflict?
Does your belief prevent you from receiving ALL vaccines or just this vaccine?
Have you received any other vaccine over the past 5 years? (Like flu or tetanus?)
Please explain how your religious beliefs prevents you from taking other medications or medical practices.
Based upon your religious beliefs do you practice certain dietary restrictions?
Does your religious belief prevent you from complying with other safety protocols or requirements to keep you safe? (Wearing goggles, steel-toed boots, or wearing a seat belt while driving?)
Is your religious accommodation based in part on the use of fetal cell lines and do you reject the following: (Which have purportedly used fetal cells in their development or testing.)
Acetaminophen
Tylenol
Pepto Bismol
Tums
Lipitor
Guaifenesin
Mucinex
Prilosec
Maalox
Ex-Lax
Ibuprofen
Motrin
Advil
Benadryl
Sudafed
Aspirin
Albuterol
Preparation-H
Z-Packs
Metformin
Lidocaine
Claritin
Zoloft
Suphedrine
Robitussin
Aleve
(This is only a partial list)
I have no idea if these medicines were indeed tested by fetal cell lines, but I am convinced the word “purportedly” is the caveat to create dissonance in the Christian believer. You can see quite quickly that the world is beginning to call us out on potential inconsistencies and our convenient claim of biblical worldview when it comes to vaccinations.
Let me be clear: I am not here to encourage you -or- discourage you in mask wearing, vax taking, or any other individual choice. (You do what you feel is biblically warranted.) I am not telling you what to do. (I have no more jurisdiction over your body than Uncle Sam does.) Admittedly, private companies do have certain autonomy to require you to adhere to their mandates (as uncomfortable as that is.) This is why I am advocating that Churches start developing their own economies with business owners and job hiring. And while I am grateful for several federal courts halting mandates; what I am here to do is to prepare you for increasing violation by civic government of your personal, bodily jurisdiction and to encourage you to begin to think it through biblically and consistently because this is only the beginning.
(Next blog we explore how Daniel approached this mandate.)
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