Various Stories Retold
Daniel in the Lion’s Den
Let’s revisit a story you probably heard countless times in Sunday School – Daniel in the Lions’ Den. We all know the Top Line version: Daniel stays faithful to God despite the threat of death, gets thrown into a pit of hungry lions, and God miraculously shuts their mouths. The lesson? Trust God, and He’ll protect you. True and powerful… but only half the story.
Here’s the part we rarely hear about – what happened next:
Daniel 6:25-26
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: “May you prosper greatly! 26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.
Wait – did you catch that? Daniel’s faithfulness didn’t just save his life (Top Line); it led to the most powerful king on earth proclaiming God’s greatness to every nation in his vast empire (Bottom Line)! This wasn’t just about God protecting one faithful servant; it was about God revealing Himself to the entire known world through that servant’s faithfulness.
The Bottom Line lesson? When we stay faithful to God, we become living testimonies that can influence entire nations. Daniel’s personal deliverance became a megaphone for God’s glory to the nations. Once again, A = B: God’s blessing to Daniel equaled blessing to the nations through Daniel.
This makes us wonder: How many other familiar Bible stories have we been reading with only one eye open?
David and Goliath
Remember David and Goliath? It’s probably one of the first Bible stories we ever learned. A young shepherd boy facing down a nine-foot warrior with nothing but a sling and five smooth stones. We’ve always focused on the Top Line lesson: With God on your side, you can face any giant in your life. And that’s absolutely true!
But listen to David’s actual words before the battle:
1 Samuel 17:45-47
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
Hold on – did you catch that? David wasn’t just thinking about winning a fight; he was thinking about God’s reputation among the nations! “The whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.” Remember those merchants we talked about earlier? As they traveled through Israel, they’d hear about the shepherd boy who defeated a giant, and this story would spread across the ancient world like wildfire.
Once again, we see A = B: David’s personal victory (Top Line) became a global testimony of God’s power (Bottom Line). This wasn’t just about slaying a giant; it was about showing the world who God is!
Suddenly, this familiar children’s story takes on cosmic significance. David wasn’t just fighting for Israel; he was fighting so the whole world would know the true God.
Plagues of Egypt: More Than Just Punishment
We’ve all heard the story: God sends ten devastating plagues to punish Egypt for enslaving His people. Seems like a clear case of God favoring Israel over Egypt, right? (A > B) But wait – there’s something remarkable happening beneath the surface that most of us have missed.
Look closer at each plague, and an astounding pattern emerges: Each one is a direct challenge to a specific Egyptian god. It’s not just punishment – it’s a divine demonstration! God isn’t just showing His power; He’s systematically proving to the Egyptians that their gods – the very ones keeping them in spiritual bondage – are powerless.
But did this divine strategy work? The answer lies in this seemingly minor detail after the exodus:
Exodus 12:38 – Many other people went up with them…
Who were these “other people”? They were Egyptians! People who witnessed the true God’s power and chose to leave their false gods behind to follow Yahweh. The plagues weren’t just about getting Israel out of Egypt – they were about getting Egypt out of its spiritual slavery.
Once again, we see A = B in action. While God was delivering Israel (Top Line), He was also offering liberation to any Egyptian willing to recognize Him as the true God (Bottom Line). This wasn’t just an exit strategy; it was an invitation to both Israel and Egypt to know the one true God.
Suddenly, a story we thought we knew reveals a God who loves both the oppressed and the oppressors, working to free them both – Israel from physical slavery and Egyptians from spiritual slavery.
Even the Ten Commandments Tell Both Stories
Just when you think you understand the Ten Commandments, there’s another layer to discover. Look at their structure: The first five commandments focus on our relationship with God – the Top Line. Through these, we learn how to walk in blessing with our Creator. The final five govern our relationships with others – the Bottom Line, showing us how to be a blessing to the world.
But there’s more. Listen to what God says about these commands:
Deuteronomy 4:6 – Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
Even these sacred laws weren’t just for Israel’s benefit – they were meant to showcase God’s wisdom to the watching world!
And this pattern? It’s everywhere in Scripture! Before God ever chose Abraham, He was active in the world – just read the first eleven chapters of Genesis or the entire book of Job. His love for all nations shines through the stories of Ruth (a Moabite), Esther (saving Jews in Persia), Obadiah, Jonah (sent to Nineveh), and Nahum.
By the time we reach the New Testament, who do we find writing a Gospel and the book of Acts? Luke – a Gentile doctor! And Paul, the Jewish pharisee, ends up writing most of his letters to Gentile churches.
This is what makes Bible reading an adventure – discovering these hidden treasures that keep confirming A = B. God’s love for His people equals His love for the world. It’s not just scattered evidence; it’s the very DNA of Scripture.
And now, as we approach the conclusion of God’s Story, everything we’ve discovered is about to come full circle…