I'm your name is Father Mike Smith and this is Ascension Presents.

So I was reading the Bible recently and there's the Book of Daniel.

People of Israel were taking into exile in Babylon.

So what happened is the Kingdom of Israel, the United Twelve Tribes, become the Northern

tribe of Israel and then the Southern tribe of Judah, or Kingdom of Judah, which was made

of two tribes, Judah and Benjamin.

At one point the Northern tribes, Northern Kingdom, Israel is dispersed.

It's a destroyed essentially, but the Southern Kingdom of Judah, the Babylonians come in and

they basically exile a majority of the population.

They bring them up to Babylon and that's where you have Daniel and the lines then that's

when you have the story of the three young men, Hennonai, Azirai, Mishayel.

So at one point, if you know the story, King Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, he has

an image of himself and the three young men they don't bow down before it and so they're

thrown into the fiery furnace.

Now just pause.

Imagine being in their situation.

Imagine saying, okay, so I'm part of the Kingdom of Israel.

I'm part of God's chosen people, which is true.

The Jews are God's chosen people.

But there's a lot of pain and there's a lot of disappointment and wait and second God,

if you're your chosen people, why are we in exile right now?

I'm faithful to you.

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