Daniel 2: 1-13
(1) Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.
Remember, Daniel and his friends were taken to Babylon in Nebuchadnezzar's first year of his reign, and their schooling was for three years. So this dream story actually happened while they were still doing their studies.
(2) Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams.
So Daniel was not among those who were called to counsel the king, he was still a student.
(3) The king said to them, "I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream."
(4) Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation."
This looks like a reasonable request: tell them the dream and they'll interpret it for him.
(5) The king replied to the Chaldeans, "The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap.
(6) "But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation."
Obviously the king has forgotten what the dream was. He just was left with the uneasy feeling that it had to be important. But he's a king, and he doesn't want to look weak or forgetful, so he puts onto these advisers to come up with the dream itself, then tell him what it means.
(7) They answered a second time and said, "Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation."
So they again asked the King to tell them the dream.
(8) The king replied, "I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm,
(9) "that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation."
This king doesn't want to admit that he forgot the dream, so he states that if they are so smart, then they should be able to tell him what he dreamed. Then he would know that they can interpret it accurately.
But if they don't already "know" what he dreamed, then they must suffer consequences. It looks like in his pride he's digging himself a hole that he will push them into.
(10) The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on Earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer, or Chaldean.
(11) "Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh."
Now these "wise men" are calling him out on this foolishness. No person can know what another person has dreamed or is thinking inside his head. Only some spirit being who doesn't have a mortal body would be able to get inside his head to know this.
(12) Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
They pushed him, and he's not going to relent. He has to maintain his own royal pride, even if it means depriving himself of all the wise counsel he will need in the future. He's a rock up against a hard place, and he will suffer if this goes on.
(13) So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them.
Even youths being educated to be "wise men" have fallen under this order. So what's going to happen to Daniel and his friends?
O my Father, please show us how giving in to pride will cause us to harm ourselves, as well as others. Teach us to be humble before You and to put others' needs and importance before our own. Even if we're kings and presidents and prime ministers. Which most of us aren't!
But, Father, we still tend to think our own importance demands recognition by others. Just as Satan convinced Eve that she could be her own god, and not need to bother God any more; so he uses the same tactic with every one of her children. He hasn't changed his methods, he just uses all the new stuff Mankind invents to present it in different ways. And we still fall for it.
My Father, teach us to be like Your Son, Jesus. He did not consider His being Your Son, just as much God as You are; but He humbled Himself even to death on a cross. Show us how to humble ourselves as He did. Strengthen us to be firm in our trust in You to do what You know is good for us, even when it appears that we will be taken down a peg.
O Father, pride is one of those things You hate (Proverbs 8:13; 6:16-17; 16:5). Help us to divest all pridefulness from our hearts, and see ourselves and one another as You see us. We are the work of Your hands, now we are Your hands doing Your work for the Kingdom.
Jesus is Your Son, and He shows us what You, the Father, are like. And He was humble. Teach us to be humble like Jesus.
Help us, Father, to show the world who You are, and how much You love all of us so much! Lead us to Your chosen ones, to draw them to the birth into Your own family, and let no one have any excuse for not choosing You.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Monday, April 13, 2020
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Happy Easter!
Easter is the lynch pin that holds the Christian faith together. It is the day Jesus was Resurrected from the dead, when He rose from the grave, alive. If He'd not risen, we would have no basis for our faith, and it would have died out before it started!
Jesus died to pay the eternal debt we all owe for sin, the sin-nature as well as all the sins that originate in and emanate from it. He fulfilled the personal sacrifice on behalf of each of us, because we all are the criminals who deserve execution.
But death could not hold Him, because He is the only One who doesn't deserve to die! So He rose from the grave, having conquered and gained the victory over death. So He didn't just resuscitate, He Resurrected. The difference is, He came back to life with a different kind of life, not the one He died with.
He died in our place, and was Resurrected with a new life. Now He gives us that same new life, when we admit that we deserve death and let Him take our place, individually.
That's when God puts His Spirit into our spirit, causing us to be born spiritually, as members of His own family. Then we also will Resurrect, with a spirit-body like His, because we already have that Spirit in us.
II Corinthians 5: 15
And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
And while we are still living this mortal life, just because we still have these flesh bodies, we don't have to be slaves to them, giving in to all the worldly cravings. We also have that new life, God's own Holy Spirit living in our spirit, so we can go in His strength to serve our Lord and promote His Kingdom.
I want to wish all my readers and subscribers a very blessed and happy Resurrection Day!
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Jesus died to pay the eternal debt we all owe for sin, the sin-nature as well as all the sins that originate in and emanate from it. He fulfilled the personal sacrifice on behalf of each of us, because we all are the criminals who deserve execution.
But death could not hold Him, because He is the only One who doesn't deserve to die! So He rose from the grave, having conquered and gained the victory over death. So He didn't just resuscitate, He Resurrected. The difference is, He came back to life with a different kind of life, not the one He died with.
He died in our place, and was Resurrected with a new life. Now He gives us that same new life, when we admit that we deserve death and let Him take our place, individually.
That's when God puts His Spirit into our spirit, causing us to be born spiritually, as members of His own family. Then we also will Resurrect, with a spirit-body like His, because we already have that Spirit in us.
II Corinthians 5: 15
And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
And while we are still living this mortal life, just because we still have these flesh bodies, we don't have to be slaves to them, giving in to all the worldly cravings. We also have that new life, God's own Holy Spirit living in our spirit, so we can go in His strength to serve our Lord and promote His Kingdom.
I want to wish all my readers and subscribers a very blessed and happy Resurrection Day!
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, April 11, 2020
The Final Exam
Daniel 1: 18-21
Daniel and his friends have finished their three-year course of studies. Not only did they master every branch of Akkadian and Sumerian scholarship, but Daniel also mastered oneiromancy, the interpretation of dreams. This was no doubt a gift from God, similar to Joseph's ability; and since the king expected his wise men to be able to do this (chapter 2), he may have had opportunity to hone this skill in his course of study.
(18) Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.
Now Final Exam day came, and the king himself will administer the oral exam. Ashpenaz was doubtless very proud to present his students to the king.
(19) The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service.
Out of the entire group of brilliant young men, the king found that the four highest scorers on all the exams were none other than Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Mechach, and Abed-Nego.
So these four got the jobs, they were appointed to be the king's own personal advisers, very responsible posts in his government.
(20) As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.
And the king's judgment on their "grades" was vindicated, as in their positions of authority they proved to be superior to all the other government officials, and even, ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers in the whole realm. These were considered the smartest, most learned men, and these Jews outshone them all.
God honored their faith and their commitment to His ways, and they served with distinction.
(21) And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.
We're not told how long the four lads lived, but at least Daniel lived to a ripe old age. The first year of Cyrus would probably be calculated as 536 B. C. when Daniel retired. So if he had been about 15-20 years old in 605 when he was deported out of Judah, then he probably lived to be at least 90 years old, because he was still kicking two years after his retirement, in "the third year of Cyrus" (10: 1).
O my Father, this story concerning these four of your children of Israel is so amazing and fantastic. It almost reads like a fantasy novel. But Your Truth is so much better than any dime paperback. All the ideas for the world's storylines seem to have come from the true biographies You have chosen to preserve.
To know these four young men and the wonders You worked in and through them in the pagan society You placed them in, is a real treat to enjoy. We're not told of their family lines and they had no descendants after them, they just stand alone in this epic. But they stand tall, faithful to the only One that is True. And they did not have any of the advantages we have: Your completed Scripture, which supplies everything we need to know to do Your will.
And the Time to live after Your Son has fulfilled all the Law, and history has almost finished playing out. We can see the whole story, and we will receive the promises that all these ancient people hoped for and never saw (Hebrews 11).
O Father, You are so good! You have been so good to me, to have chosen me and drawn me to Yourself through all the troubles and heartaches, and caused me to be born into Your own family. And even allowed me to live where I do and be in the human family I have.
My Father, help me to grow in my appreciation of You in the midst of all the troubles that surround us all in this vale of tears. Be our strength when we're weak, be our supply when we are impoverished, be our light that we can shine in the darkness.
And let our stories go out, our experiences of what You are doing. And we will gain the victory through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
(Today is Holy Saturday. Go here to see what Jesus was doing while His body was in the grave.)
Daniel and his friends have finished their three-year course of studies. Not only did they master every branch of Akkadian and Sumerian scholarship, but Daniel also mastered oneiromancy, the interpretation of dreams. This was no doubt a gift from God, similar to Joseph's ability; and since the king expected his wise men to be able to do this (chapter 2), he may have had opportunity to hone this skill in his course of study.
(18) Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.
Now Final Exam day came, and the king himself will administer the oral exam. Ashpenaz was doubtless very proud to present his students to the king.
(19) The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service.
Out of the entire group of brilliant young men, the king found that the four highest scorers on all the exams were none other than Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Mechach, and Abed-Nego.
So these four got the jobs, they were appointed to be the king's own personal advisers, very responsible posts in his government.
(20) As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.
And the king's judgment on their "grades" was vindicated, as in their positions of authority they proved to be superior to all the other government officials, and even, ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers in the whole realm. These were considered the smartest, most learned men, and these Jews outshone them all.
God honored their faith and their commitment to His ways, and they served with distinction.
(21) And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.
We're not told how long the four lads lived, but at least Daniel lived to a ripe old age. The first year of Cyrus would probably be calculated as 536 B. C. when Daniel retired. So if he had been about 15-20 years old in 605 when he was deported out of Judah, then he probably lived to be at least 90 years old, because he was still kicking two years after his retirement, in "the third year of Cyrus" (10: 1).
O my Father, this story concerning these four of your children of Israel is so amazing and fantastic. It almost reads like a fantasy novel. But Your Truth is so much better than any dime paperback. All the ideas for the world's storylines seem to have come from the true biographies You have chosen to preserve.
To know these four young men and the wonders You worked in and through them in the pagan society You placed them in, is a real treat to enjoy. We're not told of their family lines and they had no descendants after them, they just stand alone in this epic. But they stand tall, faithful to the only One that is True. And they did not have any of the advantages we have: Your completed Scripture, which supplies everything we need to know to do Your will.
And the Time to live after Your Son has fulfilled all the Law, and history has almost finished playing out. We can see the whole story, and we will receive the promises that all these ancient people hoped for and never saw (Hebrews 11).
O Father, You are so good! You have been so good to me, to have chosen me and drawn me to Yourself through all the troubles and heartaches, and caused me to be born into Your own family. And even allowed me to live where I do and be in the human family I have.
My Father, help me to grow in my appreciation of You in the midst of all the troubles that surround us all in this vale of tears. Be our strength when we're weak, be our supply when we are impoverished, be our light that we can shine in the darkness.
And let our stories go out, our experiences of what You are doing. And we will gain the victory through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
(Today is Holy Saturday. Go here to see what Jesus was doing while His body was in the grave.)
Friday, April 10, 2020
Become Godly While Studying The World
Daniel 1: 14-17
Daniel and his friends were chosen to participate in the King's program of education to make them world-citizens and erase any specific nationalism.
So they qualified for the king's Royal Academy and were given new, Babylonian names to change their identities.
But Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were Israelites, chosen by God, and they worshiped only God, not any of the many idols in this foreign land.
They realized that this is their new reality, and that God had purpose for them here. They looked at how they could have the most influence in this pagan society, so they accepted the advantages offered to them, while still maintaining their identities as Jews. This could bring many conflicts and problems with this ungodly culture, which it did.
So they decided to pick their battles carefully. Dietary requirements were very foundational to their faith in Yahweh.
What do you think would have happened if Daniel had simply refused to eat the food that wasn't Kosher? If they adopted this adversarial attitude, they would have been expelled from the school and kicked out of any possibility of having an influence on the culture at all.
Daniel was wiser than that. He negotiated for the four of them, and they were willing to abide by whatever decision the commander made concerning the food.
(14) So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
This meek attitude and reasonable request allowed this "professor" to consider this test, and allow them to do it.
(15) At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.
I can imagine how fresh and vibrant these four looked after their ten-day cleanse! I think it was the best idea Daniel could have come up with, so I would contend that God put him up to it.
(16) So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.
They didn't have to eat anything that would be unhealthy, and that battle was won. So they could eat all the plant-based foods that provided all the good nourishment they needed, and they flourished.
(17) As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.
Doing things God's way will bring God's provision. These were highly intelligent guys, and with the clear thinking that resulted from the non-processed foods they consumed, they were able to apply themselves to learn all these new languages and concepts, with understanding and discernment.
And Daniel's gift of vision and dream interpretation will help him to become indispensable to the king. Also part of God's plan.
Today Christian kids can learn all about atheistic evolution while believing that God created it all; and Christian theologians can study the Koran and distinguish the conflicts it presents against Scripture. We can learn all about the world's ways and wisdom, while still growing in our knowledge of our God and His ways.
This is what Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did. Their faith in Yahweh never wavered, but grew stronger through this time. And they still learned everything there was to learn from all the ancient manuscripts, scrolls, and tablets.
O my Father, please help us to know You and Your written word so well that we will also grow in our faith and holiness even as we study this world and see everything that is happening around us. Father, help us to understand where other people are coming from, to discern what they are already believing, so we can gently and compassionately draw them out of the deceptions that have gotten hold of them, and shine Your light of Truth into their lives.
O Father, lead us to all Your embryonic children to bring them to the birth in Your family, to fill Your house with Your uncountable family, and surround Your Great Banquet Table to fellowship with You and one another forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Daniel and his friends were chosen to participate in the King's program of education to make them world-citizens and erase any specific nationalism.
So they qualified for the king's Royal Academy and were given new, Babylonian names to change their identities.
But Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were Israelites, chosen by God, and they worshiped only God, not any of the many idols in this foreign land.
They realized that this is their new reality, and that God had purpose for them here. They looked at how they could have the most influence in this pagan society, so they accepted the advantages offered to them, while still maintaining their identities as Jews. This could bring many conflicts and problems with this ungodly culture, which it did.
So they decided to pick their battles carefully. Dietary requirements were very foundational to their faith in Yahweh.
What do you think would have happened if Daniel had simply refused to eat the food that wasn't Kosher? If they adopted this adversarial attitude, they would have been expelled from the school and kicked out of any possibility of having an influence on the culture at all.
Daniel was wiser than that. He negotiated for the four of them, and they were willing to abide by whatever decision the commander made concerning the food.
(14) So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
This meek attitude and reasonable request allowed this "professor" to consider this test, and allow them to do it.
(15) At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.
I can imagine how fresh and vibrant these four looked after their ten-day cleanse! I think it was the best idea Daniel could have come up with, so I would contend that God put him up to it.
(16) So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.
They didn't have to eat anything that would be unhealthy, and that battle was won. So they could eat all the plant-based foods that provided all the good nourishment they needed, and they flourished.
(17) As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.
Doing things God's way will bring God's provision. These were highly intelligent guys, and with the clear thinking that resulted from the non-processed foods they consumed, they were able to apply themselves to learn all these new languages and concepts, with understanding and discernment.
And Daniel's gift of vision and dream interpretation will help him to become indispensable to the king. Also part of God's plan.
Today Christian kids can learn all about atheistic evolution while believing that God created it all; and Christian theologians can study the Koran and distinguish the conflicts it presents against Scripture. We can learn all about the world's ways and wisdom, while still growing in our knowledge of our God and His ways.
This is what Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did. Their faith in Yahweh never wavered, but grew stronger through this time. And they still learned everything there was to learn from all the ancient manuscripts, scrolls, and tablets.
O my Father, please help us to know You and Your written word so well that we will also grow in our faith and holiness even as we study this world and see everything that is happening around us. Father, help us to understand where other people are coming from, to discern what they are already believing, so we can gently and compassionately draw them out of the deceptions that have gotten hold of them, and shine Your light of Truth into their lives.
O Father, lead us to all Your embryonic children to bring them to the birth in Your family, to fill Your house with Your uncountable family, and surround Your Great Banquet Table to fellowship with You and one another forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Daniel's Humble Request
Daniel 1: 8-13
These four Jewish boys had qualified and been accepted into the king's Royal Academy, so their lives would be busy and purposeful, learning all of the knowledge of the literature and languages of the Chaldeans.
They had been given new identities to become part of the high society in this new culture. Did all these privileges affect their moral integrity?
(8) But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank;
Daniel picked his battle. There were doubtless many things different from his home culture, so he discerned what was pivotal. He resolved to retain his identity as an Israelite by following the dietary guidelines the Lord had laid out. But how can he fit this into this new culture?
so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
He realized that he was under their authority, and he honored that authority, and didn't demand his rights, but humbly asked their permission to alter this one detail of their regimen. He approached the "headmaster" or "principal" of the Royal Academy.
(9) Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,
God had sweetened Daniel's personality in the eyes of this commander, so he approached him, reasoning that he would listen to his request, and not brush him off.
(10) and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king."
This commander did listen to him, and explained to Daniel the position he was in, that he was responsible for the physical condition of his charges, and would "lose his head" if he allowed them to look less healthy than the others.
Instead of just saying "No!" this man explained the reason why he couldn't allow it, so Daniel had something to go on.
(11) But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
So Daniel came down the ladder of authority and approached his immediate superior, his "professor," with a proposition.
(12) "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
He asked that the meats and wines would be withheld, leaving them the vegetables and water. These meats would have come from animals forbidden by God to eat for food, and from clean animals that had been used in sacrifice to their idols, defiling them.
Knowing that he may refuse, Daniel asked him for only ten days of this change, which would not make a permanent difference, considering their course was three years.
(13) "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."
Daniel put himself on the spot here. He left it to the overseer to decide, and he could have gone either way. So he was really leaving it in the Lord's hand, as it was the Lord who caused him to be under this man's authority.
Daniel did everything right here. He humbled himself under his God-appointed authority, he made no demands but only a simple, respectful request, and he left it in other hands to make the decision.
Even given all the luxuries and privileges and opportunities, and the pressure to conform to this new, pagan culture, Daniel still remained resolute to follow the Lord God of Israel. He still determined to maintain his Jewish identity. But he wanted to get along and use these worldly things in service to this pagan king, in order to have a godly influence here where it was so needed.
He humbly left himself open to the demands of those over him, and apparently would not argue if the decision went against him. But I think he would have thought of something else, if this test didn't work.
Tomorrow we will see how this went.
O my Father, Your ways are not our ways, they are so far above our ways that we just can't reach them. Thank You for bringing them down to us.
Father, help us to understand the order of authority that You have designed to bring order in our society. Give us the humility to submit to the authorities You have placed over us, even when it seems inconvenient, or even dangerous, leaving the results in Your hand. Teach us the wisdom and discernment You gave Daniel, to meekly present our requests, that we may worship only You.
O Father, Daniel didn't know if this test would work, but He knew that only You are God, and He trusted You to perform Your will in his life and circumstances. Help us also to trust You when we don't see the outcome of what is being put on us. Help us to trust You to do what would be in our own benefit also, when we must leave the decisions in other hands.
We know that You are good, and You have all power to do whatever You want. And You are Love, You love us more than we can comprehend! And everything you bring into our lives is for our good, even when we see only trouble.
We have seen how Joseph suffered so much adversity, through whole years in Egypt, until the time Your purpose was revealed. Daniel knew the story of Joseph, and we do, too. Daniel also trusted You, and didn't succumb to the temptation to fit into the society that wanted to honor him.
Father, thank You for giving Daniel strength and humility and meekness to work with the overseer and the commander over him. And to trust You in putting the decision into their hands. Teach us, also, to have the same attitude of confident submission to our authorities, realizing our own responsibilities.
My Father, help each of Your children to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we will be His hands and feet in this broken world, and shine the Light of Christ into the darkness. Lead us to Your chosen ones, to draw them to the birth into Your own family, that Your house will be full with Your uncountable family members, all surrounding Your Great Banquet Table, enjoying sweet fellowship with You and one another forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
These four Jewish boys had qualified and been accepted into the king's Royal Academy, so their lives would be busy and purposeful, learning all of the knowledge of the literature and languages of the Chaldeans.
They had been given new identities to become part of the high society in this new culture. Did all these privileges affect their moral integrity?
(8) But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank;
Daniel picked his battle. There were doubtless many things different from his home culture, so he discerned what was pivotal. He resolved to retain his identity as an Israelite by following the dietary guidelines the Lord had laid out. But how can he fit this into this new culture?
so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
He realized that he was under their authority, and he honored that authority, and didn't demand his rights, but humbly asked their permission to alter this one detail of their regimen. He approached the "headmaster" or "principal" of the Royal Academy.
(9) Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,
God had sweetened Daniel's personality in the eyes of this commander, so he approached him, reasoning that he would listen to his request, and not brush him off.
(10) and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king."
This commander did listen to him, and explained to Daniel the position he was in, that he was responsible for the physical condition of his charges, and would "lose his head" if he allowed them to look less healthy than the others.
Instead of just saying "No!" this man explained the reason why he couldn't allow it, so Daniel had something to go on.
(11) But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
So Daniel came down the ladder of authority and approached his immediate superior, his "professor," with a proposition.
(12) "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
He asked that the meats and wines would be withheld, leaving them the vegetables and water. These meats would have come from animals forbidden by God to eat for food, and from clean animals that had been used in sacrifice to their idols, defiling them.
Knowing that he may refuse, Daniel asked him for only ten days of this change, which would not make a permanent difference, considering their course was three years.
(13) "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."
Daniel put himself on the spot here. He left it to the overseer to decide, and he could have gone either way. So he was really leaving it in the Lord's hand, as it was the Lord who caused him to be under this man's authority.
Daniel did everything right here. He humbled himself under his God-appointed authority, he made no demands but only a simple, respectful request, and he left it in other hands to make the decision.
Even given all the luxuries and privileges and opportunities, and the pressure to conform to this new, pagan culture, Daniel still remained resolute to follow the Lord God of Israel. He still determined to maintain his Jewish identity. But he wanted to get along and use these worldly things in service to this pagan king, in order to have a godly influence here where it was so needed.
He humbly left himself open to the demands of those over him, and apparently would not argue if the decision went against him. But I think he would have thought of something else, if this test didn't work.
Tomorrow we will see how this went.
O my Father, Your ways are not our ways, they are so far above our ways that we just can't reach them. Thank You for bringing them down to us.
Father, help us to understand the order of authority that You have designed to bring order in our society. Give us the humility to submit to the authorities You have placed over us, even when it seems inconvenient, or even dangerous, leaving the results in Your hand. Teach us the wisdom and discernment You gave Daniel, to meekly present our requests, that we may worship only You.
O Father, Daniel didn't know if this test would work, but He knew that only You are God, and He trusted You to perform Your will in his life and circumstances. Help us also to trust You when we don't see the outcome of what is being put on us. Help us to trust You to do what would be in our own benefit also, when we must leave the decisions in other hands.
We know that You are good, and You have all power to do whatever You want. And You are Love, You love us more than we can comprehend! And everything you bring into our lives is for our good, even when we see only trouble.
We have seen how Joseph suffered so much adversity, through whole years in Egypt, until the time Your purpose was revealed. Daniel knew the story of Joseph, and we do, too. Daniel also trusted You, and didn't succumb to the temptation to fit into the society that wanted to honor him.
Father, thank You for giving Daniel strength and humility and meekness to work with the overseer and the commander over him. And to trust You in putting the decision into their hands. Teach us, also, to have the same attitude of confident submission to our authorities, realizing our own responsibilities.
My Father, help each of Your children to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we will be His hands and feet in this broken world, and shine the Light of Christ into the darkness. Lead us to Your chosen ones, to draw them to the birth into Your own family, that Your house will be full with Your uncountable family members, all surrounding Your Great Banquet Table, enjoying sweet fellowship with You and one another forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Who Really Was This Daniel?
Daniel 1: 1-7
Who is this Daniel? What do we know about him?
(1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
(2) The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
This was in 605 B.C., the first of three stages of captivity. This is when Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim to Babylon in fetters (II Chronicles 36: 5-7). Daniel and his friends were also deported at this time to Babylon.
(3) Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,
(4) youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had the ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Nebuchadnezzar adopted an enlightened policy of enlisting the most promising young men of his new empire into government service, whatever their nationality, instead of reserving leadership for the Chaldeans alone, or even for the ethnic Babylonians whose cultural traditions reached back to the age of Hammurabi.
Since the hostages from Judah included the finest of the royalty and nobility, it was reasonable to open up special opportunities for gifted young Jews at the Royal Academy, once they qualified. This fulfilled what Isaiah prophesied to Hezekiah in II Kings 20: 17-18;
The word used for "officials" is also translated "eunuchs" and apparently Daniel and his friends never married, so it is possible that they may have been involuntarily castrated.
(5) The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank,
He wanted them to be nourished adequately and be healthy.
and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
So the Royal Academy had a three-year degree course of study. Those who graduated would be considered for high rank in the king's personal service.
(6) Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
So these four were not the only ones, just the ones we will focus on in this book. I'm sure that there were quite a few others who were offered this opportunity, but didn't qualify or live up to the high expectations.
(7) Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them;
They were to take on new identities, as world-citizens, to remove any sense of local nationality. This has continually been the goal of every aspiring world-dictator. This attitude is still prevalent, even today, as there are still people who want to set up a "One-World" government for their own benefit.
and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.
These four had names that honored The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel: Daniel means "God is my Judge;" Hananiah means "Yahweh has shown Grace;" Mishael means "Who is as God is?"; and Azariah is "Yahweh Has Helped."
The new names given them all give honor to Babylonian idols.
Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, which means "Nebo, Protect My Life!"
Hananiah was called Shadrach, which means "The Command of Aku."
Mishael was given the equivalent name Meshach, which means "Who is as Aku is?
And Azariah was called "Abed-Nego" which means "Servant of Nego" (or "Nebo").
Nebo was the idol that Nebuchadnezzar worshiped (4: 8).
These four young men were committed to a very demanding and many-faceted course of study. This must have included not only the mastery of spoken Chaldean, but also of Akkadian, the official, literary language of Babylon from before the days of Hammurabi. Babylonian religion had always required a thorough knowledge of Summerian literature--religious, magical, astrological, and scientific. These four were subjected to a very rigorous and demanding curriculum, requiring their full attention as they mastered the important documents written in cuneiform Akkadian and Summerian and contained in the central imperial library in Babylon. And by the time Daniel wrote this book, the spoken language was Aramaic, in which he wrote chapters 2-7, using Hebrew for chapters 1 and 8-12.
So they received a full doctoral program of education in three years, and had to prepare themselves for the final exam in "all kinds of literature and learning" (v. 17). Talk about pressure!
The young men were all, not just these four, were expected to apply themselves and be able to learn a tremendous amount of information in a short period of time, as a matter of course! Were people smarter than us back then? Who today would expect such a large segment of a people group to be able to handle this curriculum successfully?
At any rate, these four young Jews were given a tremendous amount of technical knowledge to learn in only 3 years time, so they must have been exceptionally intelligent.
This is who Daniel was. He was an exceptionally smart young man who grew up in this pagan society as a privileged member of the upper class. What do you think this would do to his moral integrity?
O my Father, You gave Daniel and his friends so many advantages, and in doing so, you had him write and teach us some very important lessons.
Father, help us to learn these lessons in this classroom of life while we walk in this world among the evil and wickedness surrounding us. Teach us to be faithful to You and Your ways no matter what is going on around us, good or bad.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Who is this Daniel? What do we know about him?
(1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
(2) The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
This was in 605 B.C., the first of three stages of captivity. This is when Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim to Babylon in fetters (II Chronicles 36: 5-7). Daniel and his friends were also deported at this time to Babylon.
(3) Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,
(4) youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had the ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Nebuchadnezzar adopted an enlightened policy of enlisting the most promising young men of his new empire into government service, whatever their nationality, instead of reserving leadership for the Chaldeans alone, or even for the ethnic Babylonians whose cultural traditions reached back to the age of Hammurabi.
Since the hostages from Judah included the finest of the royalty and nobility, it was reasonable to open up special opportunities for gifted young Jews at the Royal Academy, once they qualified. This fulfilled what Isaiah prophesied to Hezekiah in II Kings 20: 17-18;
"Behold the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord. Some of your sons who shall issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away; and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon."Daniel and his friends qualified for entrance into this Academy, apparently having no defect, good-looking, intelligent, and having a high degree of discernment and understanding, mental and social skills and abilities.
The word used for "officials" is also translated "eunuchs" and apparently Daniel and his friends never married, so it is possible that they may have been involuntarily castrated.
(5) The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank,
He wanted them to be nourished adequately and be healthy.
and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
So the Royal Academy had a three-year degree course of study. Those who graduated would be considered for high rank in the king's personal service.
(6) Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
So these four were not the only ones, just the ones we will focus on in this book. I'm sure that there were quite a few others who were offered this opportunity, but didn't qualify or live up to the high expectations.
(7) Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them;
They were to take on new identities, as world-citizens, to remove any sense of local nationality. This has continually been the goal of every aspiring world-dictator. This attitude is still prevalent, even today, as there are still people who want to set up a "One-World" government for their own benefit.
and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.
These four had names that honored The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel: Daniel means "God is my Judge;" Hananiah means "Yahweh has shown Grace;" Mishael means "Who is as God is?"; and Azariah is "Yahweh Has Helped."
The new names given them all give honor to Babylonian idols.
Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, which means "Nebo, Protect My Life!"
Hananiah was called Shadrach, which means "The Command of Aku."
Mishael was given the equivalent name Meshach, which means "Who is as Aku is?
And Azariah was called "Abed-Nego" which means "Servant of Nego" (or "Nebo").
Nebo was the idol that Nebuchadnezzar worshiped (4: 8).
These four young men were committed to a very demanding and many-faceted course of study. This must have included not only the mastery of spoken Chaldean, but also of Akkadian, the official, literary language of Babylon from before the days of Hammurabi. Babylonian religion had always required a thorough knowledge of Summerian literature--religious, magical, astrological, and scientific. These four were subjected to a very rigorous and demanding curriculum, requiring their full attention as they mastered the important documents written in cuneiform Akkadian and Summerian and contained in the central imperial library in Babylon. And by the time Daniel wrote this book, the spoken language was Aramaic, in which he wrote chapters 2-7, using Hebrew for chapters 1 and 8-12.
So they received a full doctoral program of education in three years, and had to prepare themselves for the final exam in "all kinds of literature and learning" (v. 17). Talk about pressure!
The young men were all, not just these four, were expected to apply themselves and be able to learn a tremendous amount of information in a short period of time, as a matter of course! Were people smarter than us back then? Who today would expect such a large segment of a people group to be able to handle this curriculum successfully?
At any rate, these four young Jews were given a tremendous amount of technical knowledge to learn in only 3 years time, so they must have been exceptionally intelligent.
This is who Daniel was. He was an exceptionally smart young man who grew up in this pagan society as a privileged member of the upper class. What do you think this would do to his moral integrity?
O my Father, You gave Daniel and his friends so many advantages, and in doing so, you had him write and teach us some very important lessons.
Father, help us to learn these lessons in this classroom of life while we walk in this world among the evil and wickedness surrounding us. Teach us to be faithful to You and Your ways no matter what is going on around us, good or bad.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
The End Of Human Rule
Daniel 2: 44-45
We've just seen that this dream-statue represents the remaining kingdoms that will proceed one after the other through the flow of time until the end of all human kingdoms. A power not of human origin will overpower and supplant all of the kingdoms and rulerships of Mankind.
(44) In the days of those kings
During the time human kings and presidents and prime ministers and all the other titled rulers are still ruling from their bases of authority, then, without a lull, suddenly this "stone" will come hurtling out of the mountain to crush all human authority and power.
the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that Kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.
All these kingdoms lasted for a short or long time, but they all came to an end, and were handed over to others. God's Kingdom will put down every other kind of government, and will establish His rule in righteousness.
(45) Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold,
No human hands have any part in this Kingdom. The Divine power gave authority to Mankind, and He will take it away again. He will return to this Earth to reclaim His throne that He gave to David to rule from, and He will bring this Earth its true Golden Age for the thousand years He has allotted us.
the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.
Our God is true and trustworthy, who has revealed this information. None of it had come to pass yet, except the golden head, who was King Nebuchadnezzar, the beginning of the line. And he was shown the rest of the line, all the way down to the final culmination of all things.
There's no time left, people. Everything has come to pass, and the powers that be in our world today are biding their time until it's over.
Everything God told us would happen, has happened, and is happening right now, as I sit and type this blog entry. Nothing is left, the End is so near, it's right at the door right now.
Are you ready? Will you face your King with confidence, or in fear? He's coming!
O my Father, please draw into Your family the rest of the stragglers, who are stumbling along, looking for You! Bring in the fullness of the Gentiles, that all Israel will be saved in a day, that Day when they see Messiah's feet split the Mount of Olives!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
We've just seen that this dream-statue represents the remaining kingdoms that will proceed one after the other through the flow of time until the end of all human kingdoms. A power not of human origin will overpower and supplant all of the kingdoms and rulerships of Mankind.
(44) In the days of those kings
During the time human kings and presidents and prime ministers and all the other titled rulers are still ruling from their bases of authority, then, without a lull, suddenly this "stone" will come hurtling out of the mountain to crush all human authority and power.
the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that Kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.
All these kingdoms lasted for a short or long time, but they all came to an end, and were handed over to others. God's Kingdom will put down every other kind of government, and will establish His rule in righteousness.
No human hands have any part in this Kingdom. The Divine power gave authority to Mankind, and He will take it away again. He will return to this Earth to reclaim His throne that He gave to David to rule from, and He will bring this Earth its true Golden Age for the thousand years He has allotted us.
the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.
Our God is true and trustworthy, who has revealed this information. None of it had come to pass yet, except the golden head, who was King Nebuchadnezzar, the beginning of the line. And he was shown the rest of the line, all the way down to the final culmination of all things.
There's no time left, people. Everything has come to pass, and the powers that be in our world today are biding their time until it's over.
Everything God told us would happen, has happened, and is happening right now, as I sit and type this blog entry. Nothing is left, the End is so near, it's right at the door right now.
Are you ready? Will you face your King with confidence, or in fear? He's coming!
O my Father, please draw into Your family the rest of the stragglers, who are stumbling along, looking for You! Bring in the fullness of the Gentiles, that all Israel will be saved in a day, that Day when they see Messiah's feet split the Mount of Olives!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
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