December 1, Reading Notes

Daniel 8

This vision was given to Daniel two years after the vision in chapter seven. Though it involves both Persia and Greece, the major revelation of this vision concerns the people of Israel as the time of the end approaches. Although everything revealed here will apply to the next century of trials for Daniel's people, it will mirror the time of the end before the Messiah establishes His reign on earth and Israel becomes a leader for the nations.

Vs. 1-4 We'll see that the ram is Persia, the horns are Darius (representing the Medes), and Cyrus (the big horn for the Persians). By the time you get to Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah, you don't hear of the Medes anymore.

Vs. 5-8 This is Greece and the mighty horn is Alexander the Great. The four horns are the four kings and kingdoms that rose after Alexander died at 32.

Vs. 9-12 Here's that little horn again. Yesterday it was associated with the fourth kingdom, coming at the time of the end. Today we meet a king who foreshadows that coming king who will persecute the Jews and claim an authority above God. Oddly enough, the ruler from the Greeks who will arise is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who we'll refer to as AE. He will foreshadow the Antichrist (AC). It's only in English that the spelling of Antiochus and Antichrist is so similar, but still, it is ironic.

V. 10 This is hard to understand. AE and the AC will both be given power over the people of Israel and especially over those who are following God. Since we haven't read Daniel 10 yet, we don't understand that behind the earthly warfare, there is also an angelic warfare going on. So then, with all of these words that can have double references, both the human and angelic aspects of this battle could be in view.

V. 11 The prince of the host could be referring to the angelic representative for Israel.

V. 12 I think the host here is clearly the people of Israel.

V. 13 Since offerings were offered evenings and mornings, this number should be divided in half which comes closer to 3.5 years. This was the amount of time the temple was desecrated by AE and about the time it will be desecrated by AC in the future.

Vs. 15-18 This is one of four places in the Bible where we meet Gabriel. He is here and in Daniel 9, and then we see him in Luke, twice, announcing the births of John and Jesus.

V. 17 The vision is for the time of the end, but the near expression of the Antichrist in AE, will also be a help to the Maccabeans in 170 A.D. who had to endure AE's madness.

Vs. 19-26 Notice that Gabriel, in describing AE, doesn't go to the very last times historically, but rather to the end of this rogue Greek empire. Actually AE was chased out of Egypt by the Romans, so this was, as verse 23 says, the end of their kingdom.

What is to be noted here is the extreme arrogance of AE and his success against God's people. This example, and what we'll learn in chapter 10, will help the Jews living in the tribulation understand what is happening.

V. 25 AE died of madness in Persia. We've seen that before. At the end of the tribulation, it will be Jesus who does away with the Antichrist.

V. 27 Since Daniel had lived for God and for his people, I think it was the vision of this destruction of his people that made him sick. In this vision, too, what he couldn't understand or grasp was the warring in the heavens and the apparent victory given to the bad guys.

As disciples, we are following Christ in the harvest, sort of, in the lull in the storm. The Bible says the clouds are gathering. Now is the time for us to be working.

1 John 2:1-17

Since this letter is written to believers, we need to understand John's warnings in terms of believers being damaged or being disciples who walk closely with the Lord.

Vs. 1-3 Notice this is all addressed to believers, children.

V. 2 Propitiation means that God was completely "satisfied" by the sacrifice of Jesus. Nothing more is needed.

Vs. 4-6 Both in John 14:21-23 and in John 15:1-8, there is a special relationship that is promised to those who walk closely with Jesus. It doesn't mean that a child who stays distant from his father is not a child, but it will influence how much benefit and closeness he receives from the relationship. Even what I was reading this morning of Jesus acknowledging or denying His disciples before the angels of God, has to do with blessing and provision, not with salvation.

Vs. 7-11 Now John just mentioned the idea of keeping the commandments of Christ. If someone asked you what some of those commandments were, there are a few that should come right to the surface. Anyone who has had to work with Christians to work the harvest knows that church is not easy. This is one of those major commandments that Jesus gave the night before He died.

Now, in John's gospel, he says, "the true light which enlightens every man was coming into the world." This light is Jesus. Yet, if you've been in church, you know that it is possible for born again people not to like or love one another. Again, what John is saying here is that the proof of growing in Christ is loving one another. It is a sign of abiding in Christ. And if this abiding is the same as the context of John 15, this abiding is done by a disciple in the harvest, living to bear fruit for Christ. When we forget who saved us, where we are and why we are left here, all we have is a social organization called "church," in which we vie for position and recognition. The church exists to carry a light into the harvest.

Vs. 12-14 One way to try to understand this section is to understand that John is addressing everyone as little children, then as fathers, and finally as young men. John has already said in 2:1, that they are all little children. So, it seems to me that John was saying first that he was calling them little children, because they were innocent, like those who had just had their sins forgiven in Christ. He was saying they were like fathers in that they knew the Ancient of Days and could give perspective to life. And they were like young men, because they had fought and overcome the evil one by obeying God.

Then the next section of restatement adds a source or directive to what was said: little children are to grow to know the Father, fathers are to keep on doing the same thing, young men are to be strong in the Word.

Vs. 15-17 It seems that this section is a warning. Becoming sucked into these desires will keep them from the faith of a child, the perspective of a father and the victory of a young man.

This morning I was reading of Jesus warning His disciples. What is interesting is that His warning about hypocrisy beings with "beware." But when Jesus warns them against all aspects of coveting and possession, He increases the warning by saying, "take heed, and beware of all covetousness." Just like the seed sown among thorns, it got choked, its fruit did not mature and so it proved unfruitful. That describes a lot of people in churches. This is a good warning.

Psalm 120

Remember, a song of ascents was sung by the pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for the feasts three times a year, preparing their hearts for worshiping God.

I would guess that this song (sort of an unusual song to read so it must have sounded great) would have reflected a desire to dwell in the Lord's presence…"one thing have I desired and that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple."

As disciples we work where human things are often out of control, but we have a choice where our heart dwells.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V8n4L_n1kU

Proverbs 28:25-26

Vs. 25 As I've been reading about Jesus teaching His disciples not to have any anxiety about life or stuff, it not only shows you the trust that He wants His disciples to have, but that trust is the key to them being full of joy and having peace. Those who are content and trust bring that joy and trust with them wherever they go.

V. 26 This again has to do with trust. Notice in the second line the trust is in the Word (how else do we know God's wisdom?) and it leads to deliverance. This means that the person who trusts his own wisdom ends up in a trap.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.

November 30, Reading Notes

Daniel 7

Daniel is either liked because of the "children's" stories in chapters 1-6, or because of the apocalyptic portions where beasts are doing beastly stuff or where angels are warring with one another. In my opinion, if you only look at the first six chapters as interesting kids' stories, you miss the entire point, and with that, Daniel ends up in the lion's den as a 20-40 year-old man. Clearly in the first six chapters God is moving and influencing the nations for the return of Israel to their land. In these chapters we need to ask ourselves what God's purpose is in letting us have this information. I would say that God is showing how He will be moving the nations and influencing them for the return of the Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom. Yet, there is still the question of why God is giving us that information. Think about that.

V. 1 The first year of Belshazzar's reign means this vision is given to Daniel about 14 years before the lion's den. Why did God give this to Daniel now? It's all speculation; but I think, among other things, He wanted to encourage Daniel. When Belshazzar was given the rule in Babylon, while Nabonidus was living the high-life elsewhere, that must have felt bad in the entire sagging Empire. This might have been to inspire Daniel to know that God was still in charge and that this weakening of Babylon was a part of His plan to bring about the next Empire. That might be a reason for all of these chapters.

Also, this is the final chapter that is in Aramaic. Now, you could understand chapters 2-6 being in Aramaic, since they were sort of like news communications in the Empire, but what about chapter seven? This again is speculation, but I think that as chief of the wise men, Daniel published this in their literature. Chapter seven, as well as chapter two, hang together and help interpret one another. The rest of the chapters deal exclusively with Israel and how nations and events will impact God's people. Those chapters are written in Hebrew. Chapter seven belongs to the explanation of chapter two, and so I think this was also included in the official records of the kingdom, though maybe, only under "for wise guys only."

Just as an aside, we have no idea as to what Daniel did among the wise men. I can't imagine they just did card tricks all day. He must have had some input into their learning and doings. You know that the wise men who visited Jesus after His birth came from the east, from the region Daniel ruled. How do you think they knew about this coming king who would set up an eternal kingdom? Although you can't say for sure it was the influence of Daniel, it would be silly to exclude that possibility. I don't know how, but I think God began the waiting of the Magi with the influence of Daniel.

Vs. 2-7 In chapter two we had 4 metals as a part of one statue. In the last of those kingdoms, something funny happened in the feet that was a part of that last kingdom, but a continuation of some sort. In the days of those last kings, God sets up His eternal kingdom. Here we have four beasts, and in the days of that final beast something funny happens. Like the iron legs of the statue that have these toes, this final beast will have ten horns. After those horns, God will set up His kingdom. So, we have two visions with one meaning. But here, Daniel is shown something about that final kingdom and God has Daniel particularly concerned with a little horn.

Note, God used the sea often as a symbol of rebellion to His rule. Out of that sea come the nations that will claim world domination, and particularly domination of Israel.

V. 4 Just as the head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar and was given prominence, this beast is also given some honor in its description. God removes the wings and gives it the mind of a man. This is probably alluding to God's education of Nebuchadnezzar, making him rational and understanding that the living God ruled.

V. 5 The bear representing the Persian Empire would have been the breast and arms of silver on the statue. The bear was lopsided, some suggest, because it was of the Medes (weaker side) and the Persians (the stronger side.)

V. 6 This is Greece, the bronze torso and thighs of bronze on the statue. The animal imagery here is very direct. The leopard was a symbol they used; and after Alexander's death, the Empire was divided into four kingdoms: north, south, east and west.

V. 7 Breaking into pieces sort of describes this empire, both in the legs of iron and in this beast with its teeth of iron. I don't know my history, so I don't know that the Romans were more brutal than all other Empires, but they did have the distinction of being the Empire that both killed the Messiah and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. The ten horns, as we'll see, are ten kings and they would correspond to the toes on the statue. In the description of the statue, it mentions the "days of those kings." Since we know here, that there are ten kings ruling at once, looking back on that phrase and those toes makes sense. I think that because of the way both of these visions help interpret each other, Daniel wrote this in Aramaic, probably to put it together in the file with the vision of the statue.

V. 8 So, there are ten horns and then a small one comes up and plucks up three of the others by their roots, meaning, totally removed. The description of the eyes must have to do with some special intelligence given to that horn. While it is saying these great things….

Vs. 9-10 God takes His seat to pronounce judgment on mankind. This is like the beginning and duration of the tribulation. Notice that some of this description sounds like what Ezekiel saw.

Vs. 11-12 Eventually this horn was judged. The dominion of the other beasts (Iraq, Iran, Greece and Italy) have been taken away but their lands remain. We don't have enough information on this final manifestation of the final beast, but with everything that is said here and elsewhere about the horn, the killing of the beast seems to be talking about a man.

Vs. 13-14 This would be the coming of Christ at the end of the tribulation.

As a result of verse 13, the Jews had a title for the Messiah, the "Son of Man." Imagine the distress of the religious leaders, when they heard Jesus refer to Himself as the "Son of Man." If you read through the gospels next year underlining "Son of Man," it will give you an idea of how often Jesus used this title. Here are a couple of times Jesus used this title.

Mark 2:10 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he said to the paralytic -- 11 "I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home."

Matthew 26:63 But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." 64 Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." 65 Then the high priest tore his robes, and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.

Vs. 15-16 Daniel seeks help and is given a very brief summary, with the assurance that God will fulfill His promise to Israel.

Vs. 19-22 Now, some of this seems like a review of what he saw, except for the part of the horn beating up the people of Israel until God put an end to it. Daniel didn't mention it before, but God knew it would catch Daniel's eye. What concerned Daniel was that this king was fighting and beating the "saints" / people of Israel.

Vs. 23-28 Notice that this last kingdom, in the final years before the return of Christ, will have power over the whole earth. Those who stand and survive against this power will be few.

V. 25 What is significant in this description of the Anti-Christ is that he will be given power to kill the followers of Christ, who are mostly Jews, during the tribulation. We will see this when we read the book of Revelation.

V. 27 This is clearly the Millennial Kingdom with the Jews being a witness to the world and Christ reigning. For another prediction of this see Isaiah 55:5.

V. 28 Daniel was distressed because of the damage this king will do to Israel. Revelation explains a little more about this. Those days are still future for Israel, but then full vindication from God.

1 John 1

After reading Paul and Peter, what we'll find in John's letters will fall right in line. John wrote this after many churches were established, probably in the 60s A.D., before the persecution by Nero. What marked this time was the rise of false teaching in the church. God, of course, knew it would come and so He used it as a help for us to see the apostles address the issues. In dealing with the false teaching, John will also express in his unique way, the focus of disciples following Christ in the harvest to keep them on target.

Vs. 1-4 Like the introduction to John's gospel, the focus is immediately on Jesus and His message. See how many things you can find in this introduction that would be caution to the believers to resist false teachers.

V. 4 As with Paul, his joy was in seeing disciples joyfully and faithfully following Christ and making disciples.

Vs. 5-10 This section is definitely aiming at something. Now, even if there weren't false teachers, there would still be the presence of inappropriate lifestyles and the warped rationalizations that supported those in the guise of being OK with God.

Vs. 5-6 We've seen people in Corinth doing all sorts of sin, from immorality to idolatry, justifying it before God. Apparently there were teachers who were not only rationalizing this, but they were promoting it.

V. 7 Notice how this great truth not only rebukes those not honoring Christ in their lives, but it says that as disciples walk, He continually cleanses them from the sin they are constantly committing because they live in this body of death. This led John into the next extreme in teaching.

Vs. 8-10 There is no sinless perfection on this earth, whether we say, "oh that's just the flesh and it doesn't count," or if we say, "I've reached that higher plain of existence."

John and the Spirit didn't have much patience for any opinion that says we don't continually need to ask forgiveness before God.

V. 9 This is forgiveness in the family. When a child or spouse sins, it doesn't mean they are out of the family, it means that until someone says they're sorry, you can pretend that nothing happened. On the basis of the power of what Jesus did, He can justly forgive us and cleanse us as often as we sin. We only need to confess.

V. 10 Again, since this is addressed to Christians, this is not talking about before conversion, but walking with Christ. A disciple will keep a very short, and sensitive, account of his sins and will be talking with God often. It's part of the joy of that closeness with the Lord.

Psalm 119:153-176

Isn't it interesting that David used this sort of pattern to writing this entire psalm. In the first part of the statement he refers to something about his life, but the second part always says something about the Word. He goes out of his way to refer to the Word in different ways, but it is always the same. He couldn't live without being in God's Word in every situation every day and every hour. We need to learn to do the same.

As you read, notice again all of the references to distress or trouble and how the Word helps him.

I've used this song before by Jeremy Camp. Most of the words to the song come from this section of Psalm 119.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dg55eP4zw8

Proverbs 28:23-24

V. 23 I was reading this morning how Jesus strongly cautioned His disciples to avoid the leaven of the Pharisees which was hypocrisy. Immediately afterward He told them not to worry about death or persecution. To live as honestly and transparently as we should for Christ, apparently, could get us into trouble. At least Jesus must have thought so.

V. 24 After reading 1 John 1:10 isn't this a funny "coincidence?"

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.

November 29, Reading Notes

Daniel 6

In my thinking, there are few chapters in the Bible that are as under-taught, underestimated and misunderstood than this chapter. This is one of those chapters that makes Bible study a lot of fun. Buckle up!

Vs. 1-3 Now, how is this possible? It should be impossible for anyone to read this and just accept it without wondering why Darius, the conquering general and ruler over this part of the Persian Empire, should elevate Daniel. Daniel was not only the final ruler of the Babylonian empire, but he has served Babylon as a high ranking official for 67 years. These are the guys you kill when you take over. Assuming Darius was a rational man, why would he do this. It doesn’t make sense. Darius must have had very good reasons to bring Daniel into his government.

Just for fun look at the following verses. Daniel 8:1-2, 9:1 and 11:1. This is happening in the first year of Darius.

That Darius was 62 years old meant he would have been in his twenties when Neb lost his mind. There were great relationships between the Babylonians and the Persians and Medes. As royalty, Darius would have visited Babylon many times on official business or in attending events. He may even have fed Nebuchadnezzar a carrot. He would have known Daniel, all his life, as the ruler of the province of Babylon and the chief of the wise men. Daniel’s eminence would have been even greater during the seven years Neb was grazing. We don’t know when Daniel was sent as an ambassador to Susa, but we find him there in chapter eight. This would have given Darius more contact with Daniel. Now, these could have been some reasons for Darius to have respected Daniel, but as we read on, we will find some more reasons.

Vs. 4-9 There are two things that are important to see here. First, these people were very religious, and to break the will of a people, you made them compromise themselves in the worship of their gods. We saw that in Daniel 1 & 3. So, as silly as this might sound to us, it made good sense to them. Second, in verse eight, it is very clear that Darius was an equal with Cyrus, in that he could sign a decree into existence that was binding and could not be broken in the entire Empire. Official records of this would be made and put into official books. This will come in handy to know at the end of the chapter.

Vs. 10-11 Daniel went and prayed anyway. Why? I’ve heard people attribute this to the faithful habits of a person having their quiet time and their sweet hour of prayer before the Lord. That is all great stuff. But, if you really want to know why Daniel prayed, as well as what he prayed, read Daniel 9:1-19. This was an absolutely crucial time in the history of Israel. Daniel’s passion for the Lord and for his people as representatives of the God of salvation was burning in him. The seventy years were up and a new government had taken over. Daniel knew his entire life had been directed by God to save his people. He was begging God to fulfill His promise. It is really deeper than that and we’ll see it in chapter nine. There was no way in the world, regardless of the enemy or the cost, that Daniel would not beg God for His people. (By the way, we’ll see later that facing Jerusalem in prayer was a part of a promise.)

Vs. 11-13 The trap was sprung, but as we saw in Esther with Haman, sometimes the traps you set for others have a way of biting you. In this case, the biting is meant literally.

Vs. 14-20 Here we go again. Darius is acting very strangely.

V. 14 I’ve heard this explained that Darius really loved Daniel and didn’t want to lose such a cool leader. Maybe, but how do you explain that Darius is very distressed. This section shows that Darius was fearful. Read on.

V. 15 This would not have endeared these men to Darius.

One of the things that leads people to misunderstand the depth of this book is that the first six chapters are seen individually, as children’s stories. Just for the fun of it, google, “Daniel in the lion’s den,” and then click on “images.” Notice how many of the pictures do not show that Daniel was in his eighties. I found one picture that looked like “Samson in the lion’s den.” Anyway, it should be impossible to read chapters 1-6 and not know that 70 years have passed.

V. 16 How did Darius have this information? I think Darius has known this about Daniel most of his life.

V. 18 No TV, no dancing girls, no nothing! Why in the world is a pagan king fasting, and to whom? Why couldn’t he sleep?

V. 19 Why is he going to the den so early and with so much agitation? Did he want to collect the bones? Guys like this never traveled alone, so the coach or the guys who carried him apparently had to do double-time.

V. 20 Why is he crying out in anguish? Just think of what Darius says here, “servant of the living God.” That is a grade “A” shocker. How did Darius know that?

I think Darius expected that God would act that night to save Daniel. I think Darius knew about all of God’s education of Nebuchadnezzar: the first dream, the dedication and furnace, and particularly the events that led up to Neb being punished. All of these actions were official Babylonian events, recorded in Aramaic, copied, sent out to the capitals of the provinces and filed. Then, the night that Darius took over, he heard of this strange event in the ballroom. He and Mrs. Darius walk in there the next day to decide on paint and drapes, and there on the wall he sees the words carved in the plaster. Not only did he know the stories of what had happened to Neb, but now he has become a part of that history of this mighty God who mixes Himself in empires and disciplines those kings who resist Him. For Darius, living in Babylon might have been kind of like inheriting a haunted house. I think that when Darius realized he had been tricked and maneuvered into putting Daniel to death, he feared for his life before God.

Vs. 21-23 Not only was Darius happy (and off the hook), but it was a visual sign and miracle to all of those officials and soldiers who were with him.

V. 24 Darius was also very mad.

Vs. 25-27 I just have a few observations here. First, another pagan king is worshiping God. Actually, Darius is doing such a good job of it, you wonder if this event moved him to become a worshiper of Yahweh.

Second, Darius writes a binding decree for the entire Persian Empire stating that people were to fear Yahweh. Remember that Nebuchadnezzar did this after the furnace. The force of Neb’s decree was that no one dare force the Jews to worship any god but their own. That decree protected the Jews up until the Persian Empire. When the Persians came to power, they hit the “reset” button and the Jews were threatened again with being forced to worship other gods. With this decree, the Jews again are a favored people in the Empire and they only have to worship Yahweh.

Third, this information, the entire written account would have been sent out in Aramaic to all the ends of the Earth, not just the Empire. Cyrus would have gotten a copy. The first year of Darius was also the first year of Cyrus. Guess what Cyrus did in his first year and after this event? He sent the Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Was this event the catalyst to Cyrus’ decree? That makes a lot more sense to me than that God just whammied him and Cyrus mindlessly did it. Read Ezra 1:1-2, and you’ll notice that Cyrus had a lot of information, that he may have been influenced by what happened to Neb and that he might have read some of the official Babylonian documents that had been written by Daniel, that is, chapters 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7. (Chapter seven is interesting and was written in Aramaic, years earlier.) I think that God used this crisis to put the fire under Cyrus to seek the favor of God and to send the Jews home.

Fourth, look at what God does through crisis. In God’s hands, crisis is our friend. This should teach us something.

Fifth, though Belshazzar knew what God had done to Nebuchadnezzar, he failed to learn from it and paid the price. But this king not only observed, he took it to heart. Darius got an “A.”

2 Peter 3

Vs. 1-3 Peter is doing the same thing that Paul did with Timothy, telling Tim in both letters that in the last days there would be false teachers. In this case Peter is saying that there will come, from within the church, false teachers who, among other things, will cause others not to take certain things seriously. People will scoff at God.

Vs. 4-7 In this case they are creating doubt regarding the return of the Lord and judgment. Peter uses the example of the flood, to show that what happened once, will certainly happen again. The same Word that created, has brought judgment and will bring it again. I think the issue here is not only God’s delay, but whether He will bring judgment.

Vs. 8-10 Notice the prominence of the harvest and our mission in what Peter says here. The reason that God is waiting is for the harvest to be brought in.

Vs. 11-13 Since we know the judgment is coming, we should live a particular kind of life, following Jesus. By working in the harvest, bringing in those whom God will save, we are hastening the coming of the Lord.

Vs. 14-18 Notice here that Paul’s writings are equated as Scripture. The people are to resist the false teachers, wait on the Lord, honor God and work in the harvest during this time of God’s patience.

V. 18 says it all. Amen!

Psalm 119:129-152

V. 133 In reading this, I think of how strong David was when he was afflicted and distressed. He was forced to go to the Lord in His Word. It seems like David lived in the Word. When he got comfortable and busy and important in his palace, I think he let the Word gather dust, and we’ve read the results.

Vs. 147-148 I wonder if this was David’s quiet time.

Vs. 149-151 And here’s the reason David got up so early.

This makes me think that we need to pursue the Lord in times of “peace,” the way we do in times of need and distress. The reality of this life is that we live behind enemy lines, with people being deceived and destroyed around us, around the clock. God gives us peace, we shouldn’t abuse it by forgetting why he has left us here. We are to pursue God in this dark harvest, following Christ, reaching the lost, making disciples who make disciples. Very soon, both in the OT and in the NT we will begin reading about the judgment that is coming.

Proverbs 28:21-22

V. 21 I’m sure this was another reason that Jesus taught his disciples that we should expect our bread from God and lay up treasure in heaven. If that’s the case, we can’t be bought.

V. 22 I’m sure that “poverty of soul” is included in this.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.

November 28, Reading Notes

Daniel 5

One of the reasons that God has put the stories of so many people in the Bible is for us to learn from them. In a way that only God would dare, He shows us their faith and their failures. At times, like with David, He shows us things in great detail. God does this expecting us to learn from them. Put another way, God really, really, expects us to learn and be warned by what He shows us from those who lived before us.

Nebuchadnezzar’s life became an open book to the world, that Yahweh and His people were to be respected. It’s time to see who learned and who didn’t.

After Nebuchadnezzar, the Empire declined through murders and weak rulers. Finally, Nabonidus became king and reigned for the last 17 years of the Empire. He actually left the city of Babylon to rule from another city further north, and appointed his son, Belshazzar, to rule in Babylon as a co-regent. So Babylon had two rulers.

We will see from the coming chapters, that Daniel lost his position in the palace when Nebuchadnezzar died. Two of the chapters mention Daniel during the years of Belshazzar. One of those chapters puts Daniel in the Persian capital of Susa, apparently working as a diplomat. If that is the case, as we’ll see, God perfectly designed this “demotion” of Daniel. As a result, Daniel most likely knew both Cyrus and Darius, the coming rulers of the Persian Empire.

As Babylon was falling apart, the Persian Empire was going though its growing pains. The young Cyrus wanted to expand Persia, but was held back by his grandfather who ruled in Assyria. One of the royal family of the Medes, a general named Darius, sided with Cyrus and together they launched a civil war. Darius was an older man and apparently respected. It seems that Cyrus and Darius agreed to co-rule Persia. Well, the civil war went so well that they decided to go against Babylon. Nabonidus was an absentee ruler and Belshazzar was really not a ruler at all. Persia began devouring Babylon. All of the diplomatic ties were ended and the city of Babylon began to become a small lonely island.

The night of this chapter is the last night of the Babylonian Empire. Darius was working to take the city, having already captured Nabonidus. Belshazzar didn’t know that yet. The city had massive walls and enough supplies to endure a 20-year siege. Now we’ll look at what Belshazzar, this military genius and leader of the people, decided to do to stop the Persian attack on the city of Babylon.

Vs. 1-4 Belshazzar “drank in front of” them and “tasted the wine.” In other words, he got roaring drunk. At some point, probably recounting the victories of Babylon, he ordered those cups and vessels to be brought out that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. We read about this in chapter one. Then they praised the gods represented by the precious metals.

Vs. 5-6 This was a visible hand and finger and the writing was probably into the plaster of the wall. The king’s reaction might hint that he knew he did something dumb.

Vs. 7-9 Another crisis and another failed attempt by the wise men of Babylon. The king’s offer of being the third ruler in the kingdom was right, except that he didn’t know that Nabonidus was already dethroned.

Vs. 10-12 The actual genealogy of Belshazzar is hard to understand. It appears that he might not have had a clear blood tie to Nebuchadnezzar, but Neb is referred to as his father meaning he was his successor. I’ve read elsewhere that Belshazzar was a grandson and that the queen mother was one of Nebuchadnezzar’s wives, probably his queen. We just don’t have enough records to know. But this woman knew about Daniel. The excellent spirit describes Daniel’s attitude and heart.

Vs. 13-16 Notice that Daniel is still referred to as a Jewish exile. Since you know that the exile of the Jews lasted 70 years, and now, you can imagine that Cyrus will soon be sending the Jews back to Jerusalem as God foretold, you can add up some years. If Daniel was taken when he was 16, that would make him about 86 now. Sometimes when you wake up old people they get grumpy. As Daniel walked in, having served all the years of Nebuchadnezzar, I’m sure he was disgusted to see what was happening. The Empire had crumbled and this night was the cherry on top. Also, Daniel recognized the vessels of gold from the temple in Jerusalem.

Vs. 17-23 This is a very strong section of Scripture. Notice that while Daniel is respectful in turning down the riches and the offer to rule, there is a tone of acknowledging the foolishness of this evening.

What do you think is the key verse in this section? God expected Belshazzar to have learned from all He had done to Nebuchadnezzar. I would choose verse 22.

Vs. 24-28 Measured, measured, weighed and wanting, your kingdom is divided among the Medes and the Persians. Notice the writing was inscribed. It was not invisible ink. It was written into the ballroom wall.

V. 29 A very interesting, sad verse. In every chapter since chapter two, we have had a pagan king worshiping God. I know this isn’t worship, but it sure feels like Belshazzar is saying that Daniel and God are right, and he was a fool. Ordering Daniel to be given these things was his humble admission of guilt. Belshazzar was tested on what God had done with Nebuchadnezzar and got an “F-.”

Understand what has just happened here: Daniel, the 86-year-old Jewish exile, has been made a ruler of the Babylonian Empire. A proclamation was made in the still uncaptured city.

V. 30 Later that evening, Darius entered the city practically without resistance. He killed Belshazzar. At that moment, Daniel was the sole ruler of the Babylonian Empire. In a moment of time, God took Daniel from a place of forgotten obscurity; and now he is the wisest, and only, ruler of the Babylonian Empire. It might look like this is dubbing someone the captain of a sinking ship, but God was on the move at the right time, to rescue and show grace to His people. He will still bend the nations to His will. In Daniel’s years of obscurity after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, God was strategically positioning Daniel to save His people and begin their journey back to Jerusalem. What an amazing God and Savior.

Oh, Darius was 62 years old. So what? Why didn’t Darius kill Daniel? You always killed the top rulers of a nation when you took it over. Keep all of this in mind when you begin reading chapter six. There are reasons why the following events and a new crisis situation will develop.

2 Peter 2

Vs. 1-3 Peter and the Spirit are not holding back talking about the false teachers that are rising up in the church. Harry Ironside is credited with the saying, “Where there’s light, there’s bugs.” But this isn’t funny. It is terrible to see very good and godly people get drawn into something false. This is why elders have to know the Word, know the Lord and be committed disciple makers, passing on a passion for the Word.

Peter mentions four things here that result in the rise of false teachers.

Vs. 4-10 To get what Peter is saying here, notice the “if – then” structure. There are lots of “ifs,” but the “then” doesn’t come until verse nine.

V. 4 This is the first “if,” and a very interesting verse. If you look at Genesis 6:1-5 you will find that the “sons of God” saw the daughters of men and mated with them. These sons of God are fallen angels. I don’t understand it, but it wasn’t good. No other demons are bound that we know of. They are a special group. It would be nice if they all were, but this particular group violated something that God had forbidden. I’m not sure how it worked, but it increased evil in the world and it deepened the rebellion against God, and God stopped it.

Notice that all of these “ifs” are chronological. So what you see in Genesis six is correct. This action by these angels preceded the flood.

Vs. 10-16 Peter and the Spirit are on a roll.

It is hard to boil down all of these descriptions, but look to see what themes you find in this section. A couple of things stand out to me.

First, they have no real spiritual understanding, but play with spiritual things, like a drunk juggling knives. They get hurt and don’t really understand the powers they are dealing with.

Second, they are in the company of believers. They are at the feasts. They are accursed children. Worst of all, they are like Balaam, who for the sake of money gave spiritual insight to the king of Moab on how to bring God’s wrath on Israel. Paul told Timothy (2Tim. 3:5) and the Romans (16:20) to avoid these kind of people. They were to be disciplined and put out of the fellowship, but not to be argued with.

Vs. 17-22 These people promise freedom, but are themselves slaves. Worse than that, it appears that some of them might be saved, but they have twisted the truth so much, that they’ve shipwrecked their faith and warped their understanding. They will be permanently damaged on earth, only to be saved as through fire.

And in the meantime, they cause unbelievers to scoff and they “deceive the hearts of the simple minded.” (Rom. 16)

Again, this is why you are in the Word, so that as you follow the Lord in the harvest, those you bring to Christ and those you make disciples of will be firmly rooted in the Word and in following Christ in the harvest.

Psalm 119:113-128

As you see how David depended on the Word, find in each verse a concern on David’s mind. For example, in verse 113, David was concerned with those who were shaky in their loyalties, or in their promise to help him. But rather than worry about them, he found the faithfulness and firmness he needed in God’s law. That’s a good lesson for all of us. David was a very distressed individual. What would he have done without God and His Word?

Proverbs 28:19-20

V. 19 It is interesting to read this. I like the “p’s” at the end and the play on the word “plenty.” Actually, I was reading the parable of the man who built the barns in Luke 12:21. God says it is worthless to lay up treasure for yourself and not be rich toward Him.

V. 20 Why the punishment? 1 Timothy 6:9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. They punish themselves.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.

November 27, Reading Notes

Daniel 4

This chapter is one surprising, amazing chapter. Who says there is no love and grace in the Old Testament? We get to see God’s conclusion of His education of Nebuchadnezzar. Not only was this God’s mercy to Neb, but in it, though it is still years away, God is paving the way for His people to return to Jerusalem by preparing the nations. That was also love and mercy for Israel. What we will see today, was world news.

Vs. 1-3 So, to whom is this letter written? Since the reference to the peoples of the earth is general, it looks like Nebuchadnezzar is writing this to everyone. There were lots of nations outside of his control to the north, west, and east. It is very likely that there were trade and diplomatic relationships with some of these countries, like India for example. Notice how the scope of the event and the communication of the event has increased in these past three chapters.

V. 3 We have the same question reading this that the original readers would have had, “What in the world happened to Neb?” And we’d have another question, “Did he become a believer?”

Vs. 4-9 Nebuchadnezzar was having another bad dream and personal crisis, compliments of God. Notice that although Daniel doesn’t show up right away, he was still the head of magicians and wise guys. Either Daniel wasn’t on duty, or Neb didn’t think he needed Daniel for this “run-of-the-mill” malfunction.

Vs. 8-9 We’ll have to compare these words with Neb’s final words.

Vs. 10-26 This is the dream and its interpretation and is pretty straightforward. I just have three comments. First, the 7 periods were seven years. Second, the goal of this discipline on Neb is clearly stated in verse 25. Third, it is interesting that God is taking this kind of care to mold and teach Nebuchadnezzar. This isn’t to say that God didn’t give other kings lots of lessons and signs to get their attention. The kings of the northern Kingdom of Israel saw miracles like crazy from Elijah and Elisha. So what is the difference? Besides the fact that Neb was a Gentile, he responded positively to God.

V. 27 If Nebuchadnezzar had listened, he would have avoided this.

Vs. 28-33 God gave Neb time to repent, an entire year.

Nebuchadnezzar ruled for 43 years and, like Solomon, did a lot of building. Apparently he was finished. One of those things he built was a wonder of the world. Since he will be out of it for seven years, I’d suggest this happened sometime around his 30^th year of reign.

Notice that the words were not yet out of his mouth. Notice too that verses 28-33 are now in the third person. This would have been Daniel’s account of what happened.

What an incredible way to humble the ultimate human ruler. One minute you’re admiring your world wonder, and the next, you’re out on the front lawn eating grass. Now, there are Bible expositors who have found a human ailment that looks like this condition, as if to prove it is possible that this happened to Neb. So what did God do? Make him crazy? I wonder if God simply pulled away the image of God. We all take this for granted, that we are made in the image of God. This isn’t intelligence or IQ or awareness. It is something the animals don’t have, regardless of how much intelligence they show. We have the characteristics of God. We are not God, but He has shared with us His own attributes of personality and understanding. The image of God is an incredible gift, and no one really thanks Him for it. In fact, we use it to dishonor Him and claim He doesn’t exist. That’s ironic. Here is an example of what would happen if He took it away.

Vs. 34-37 This is Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony and worship of Yahweh before the world. There is a lot to observe here, but most significant is verse 37. The “now” goes hand in hand with “praise and extol and honor.” These last three actions of worship are written in a way that suggests that Neb would continue to do this.

Now, what happened here? What would this have meant for the kingdom? Why didn’t they appoint a new king? The fact that they waited for Neb to regain his “mind” meant that they believed Daniel. It is very possible that Daniel was in control of the government during this time. It had to be because of Daniel that when his understanding returned, the government was peacefully handed back to him. Because of Daniel, they could have all had this date set on their iPhones. Maybe they had a countdown clock.

Wouldn’t this have become world news? Information flow was slow, but it flowed. Not only would this have been news in the Empire, but everywhere that people knew of Neb, there would have been interest. Imagine if this happened to the President of the United States and he had lunch daily on the White House lawn. It would be the top story in the news every day. And this lasted for seven years.

Note, too, that Cyrus was probably alive, but young when this happened; and Darius the Mede was already officially serving his country. They would have known about this.

So the burning question around the world was what had caused this. Surely the word got out that it was Yahweh, if only as a rumor. Now, with this letter, the official word has been heard and Nebuchadnezzar worships Yahweh, the king of heaven. And, for the remainder of Neb’s reign, he would have given testimony to the greatness of God.

It was a long education, but I think that as a result of this letter, Nebuchadnezzar received an “A+” as his final grade from God.

2 Peter 1

It is thought that this letter was written close to Peter’s death in Rome. Peter apparently lived his final ten years in Rome, though never as the pope. The focus of this letter is not only encouragement for those who were facing suffering, but the churches were encountering more and more false teaching. Someone has said that one recognizes the miracle of the apostolic age in noticing how quickly error came into the church once the apostles were gone. We’ve seen error being countered in all of the letters of Paul; and even in Acts 20, Paul warned the elders in Ephesus that ravenous wolves would come from within that church, not sparing the flock. The next thing you know, after the history recorded in Acts, Paul sends Timothy (in I Tim.) to go to Ephesus and stop false teachers and rebuild the church. This letter from Peter is also written around that same time.

V. 1 Notice the “faith of equal standing.” It seems that this might have been said to counter some teachers who were saying there were different levels of perception or belonging to God.

Vs. 3-4 These are a very packed two verses. Simply put, we are born again by His divine power.

Vs. 5-9 Being a child of God should change our lives and our conduct. Apparently there were teachers saying that the spirit was good, but whatever you did now, in the body, didn’t count, so you could do anything. Even without false teaching, Paul said these same things in Ephesians 4:1-3, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

V. 11 This entrance into heaven is as someone who has worked hard in the harvest and honored God on earth as opposed to someone who lived a life of hiding and dishonoring Christ. To put it another way, it is the difference between the “gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay and stubble.” The Lord welcomes these people differently.

Vs. 12-15 This is Peter, the proven disciple and shepherd, making disciples right up to the end of his life.

Vs. 16-21 Peter is asking them to commit themselves to the Word and to the apostles’ teaching. Peter begins with the eyewitness account of the apostles and ends with the supernatural inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The focus of all of this is the Lord Himself.

Notice that in Ephesians 4:14, Paul talks about the equipping ministry of the leaders as protecting the people against false teachers by bringing them to maturity in knowing Christ.

What Peter is saying here is exactly why we are in the Word. To make disciples who are able to handle the Word and grow in the Word, we ourselves need to be in the Word.

Psalm 119:97-112

And David will tell us how the Word protects and matures us.

Vs. 97-104 This reminds me of the comment of the Pharisees regarding Peter and John: Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they wondered; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. And Jesus was the Word made flesh.

Vs. 105-112 Verse 105 is a famous verse, but notice the context of affliction. Emotional distress is almost blinding. It is hard to think straight or concentrate. It is hard not to instinctively react with anger or despair so quickly that it defies the ability to control ourselves. This was hard work, but this is what saved David. This is what God wants us, as disciples, to learn also. It is the Spirit, who through the Word that gives us control and leads us to safety and gives us an undivided heart in following Jesus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgEJTirpbOw

Proverbs 28:17-18

V. 17 That burden can be removed before God and before men, but that person has to be totally remade by God and in submission to the Word.

V. 18 Amen.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.

November 26, Reading Notes

Daniel 2:24-3:30

Now, when I preach this, I don’t spend much time with the dream itself, but discuss the dream along with the vision in chapter seven. The reason I do this is that if you get too wrapped up in all of the apolcalypic detail of the dream, you can miss the utterly amazing thing God is doing here. God is showing His steadfast love and is saving the Jews. Hold on to your hats.

Daniel 2:24-49

Vs. 24-26 This little introduction has some interesting detail.

V. 24 Notice that the wise men hadn’t yet been killed. Arioch rounded them up to be killed together. It wasn’t a house to house assassination action. Now, this means, that these men will owe Daniel their lives. Hmmmm.

V. 25 I like Arioch: “Oh king, look what I found.” The fact that they were designated as exiles from Judah is important. We’ll see in the next chapter, that this was a major cause for conflict and hate toward these four men, but therein will hide a blessing.

The king addresses Daniel, but from verse 36, we know that all four were standing together. You need to see those little details to paint an accurate picture.

Vs. 27-30 The humility and honesty of Daniel is amazing. This would have been the place you might have wanted to let him know how cool you were so he’d keep you around. These guys are too secure in God to do this. Jesus told His disciples to pray, “Hallowed by your name.” These guys were in a real crisis and doing it.

Daniel is honoring God and telling Neb that God is, in a sense, honoring him in that God is revealing some very important stuff to Neb.

Vs. 31-35 In this section, human rule up to the Millennial Kingdom is being condensed into a few words. Notice that the stone in verse 34 and the stone in verse 35 are Christ and His everlasting Kingdom.

Vs. 36-45 Let me suggest what we are viewing here. These are world dominating empires. All of these empires ruled many nations of the known world. Since the Roman Empire, there has not been one single empire that has claimed dominant world ruling authority. Even the British Empire, as vast as it was, didn’t rule Europe. In the last days, there will be a final human empire that will claim world dominance and there will be some similarity to the Roman Empire, but with some strange twist.

Vs. 36-38 This is the Babylonian Empire, represented by Nebuchadnezzar. In God’s eyes, Nebuchadnezzar is the finest king of any who will claim dominance over the known world. Look at what God says about him. This is pretty good stuff for God to say about a pagan king. I think you will see how God’s opinion of him is borne out by what happens in the next two chapters.

V. 39 When we get to chapter seven, we’ll see who these two kingdoms are. That’s another reason why I preach this section of chapter two together with chapter seven.

V. 40-42 Here we actually have two different empires, but the one flows into the other in this image. Verse 33 tells us the legs are iron but the feet are a mixture of iron and clay. This is a little foggy here but when we get to chapter seven it will make sense. The mention of the toes might not mean anything until we understand in chapter seven that when the Anti Christ arises, there will be ten kings and he will take out three of them, bringing the remaining seven in submission to him.

Vs. 44-45 Another tip-off as to the ten kings is that it will be “in the days of those kings” that Christ will come to set up His Millennial Kingdom. So we know the event is still future and we know there will be many kings.

The reason it mentions the stone destroying all of metals (or empires) is not because all the empires will be in existence at that time, but that Christ’s kingdom on earth is so superior, it will overwhelm and end all human domination.

So, now shake your head and forget the dream until we get to chapter seven. Buckle up, because now we get to the reason God created this crisis in Babylon.

Vs. 46-47 When is the last time you saw a Gentile king on his face worshiping Yahweh? Although he paid homage to Daniel as the representative of “the god who humans can’t contact,” Daniel understood that Neb was really worshiping God. Look at Neb’s words to be clear on this. God just took Nebuchadnezzar to school. This, I think, is why Neb didn’t destroy Jerusalem the next time they rebelled, but showed the city mercy. Nebuchadnezzar was overwhelmed by Yahweh of Israel. But this is just lesson one. There are still two to go.

Vs. 48-49 You need to think slowly through this to appreciate the impact both for the Jews and for Babylon, the city, the province and the Empire.

Daniel became the ruler of the province of Babylon, the showcase province of the entire Empire. This is exactly what had happened to Joseph by explaining a dream. Think of all of the Babylonians who would be appalled and jealous that a 19-year-old Jewish prisoner was now the ruler of this province. So much for seniority in office. Not only that, Daniel was now the head wise guy of the entire nation: a Jewish boy. (And remember, we are talking about what is now modern day Iraq.) I’m sure this didn’t sit well with all the other wise men; but hey, Daniel, actually Yahweh, just saved their lives.

The amount of upheaval in these events and in this decision would have been beyond our comprehension, and though there was no internet or TV, it would have slowly become world news. Nebuchadnezzar married a Persian princess, so you can imagine that this news also made it to Susa and to Assyria, the capital of the Median kings. The grandfather of Cyrus would have heard about this. The father of Darius the Mede, would have known about this. Both of these men would have been rulers.

Daniel’s first decision in office was to ask Neb to have Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego work under him, overseeing the affairs of the province of Babylon.

Daniel was now so valuable to the king, that his office was just a few doors down from Nebuchadnezzar’s. Daniel was now Nebuchadnezzar’s closest and most important advisor.

So, let’s talk about God’s grace. Jerusalem and Judah haven’t yet fallen and been taken into captivity. Neb only took a few people. In about five years, he will again humble the city and take Ezekiel and 12,000 skilled laborers into captivity. Before this second wave of captives arrives in Babylon, God has installed four godly Jewish young men into the top leadership of Babylonian government. Before God has fully unleashed His wrath and judgment on Israel, God is already bending the nations to show grace to His people so that they can return to Israel after the exile. I don’t know what you call that, but I’d call it grace and mercy and love.

Daniel 3

V. 1 Where do you think Nebuchadnezzar got the idea for this statue? I think God was setting him up, knowing he was a proud man and was impressed by the image in that dream. It might have been that the statue was this size. Neb had already built one world wonder, why not a second? But I’ve seen statues like this in Germany that stood on a very high monument base. If so, the combined height would have been ninety feet. Who knows? It was tall.

The plain of Dura is a couple of miles southwest of the city of Babylon.

Vs. 2-6 So Nebuchadnezzar sent for and gathered all of his officials from every county of every corner of the entire Babylonian Empire. Some people think that King Zedekiah might have been there, but I don’t know.

Notice that these are people of every nation and language. Notice too that this was a test of their loyalty. It wasn’t just the dedication of a statue, it was a test of loyalty and submission. In those days people were highly lost, but highly religious. You broke the will by making people submit to your god. You didn’t break their minds, you compromised their souls. I believe that this was the final exam of Nebuchadnezzar’s educational program. Everyone he had taught and fed and compromised had been sent out to their own countries to rule and carry out his affairs and rule the people into submission to Babylon. Now they were all called back for a big party, but also to bow to him and to his gods.

Now think with me. If you were organizing an event for several thousand people, in the showcase province of the Empire, in the capital city of the Empire, what would you have to do? Think of the lodging. You couldn’t just put them in a Motel 6. You might have to actually build accommodations. That would take time. What about the food, the kitchens, the cooks, all the service? Also, how would you get all those people out to the plain of Dura, make them walk? No way. You’d have to make “stretch” coaches. You’d import Clydesdales from the Bud plant in St. Louis to draw the coaches. Nebuchadnezzar used the Jews for building and the preparation for this event might have been one of the jobs they worked on. Actually, it is interesting that when Neb took Jerusalem the second time, he showed the city mercy, but he took 12,000 people captive. They were all skilled craftsmen. They might have worked on this event.

Also, how do you make a statue that big? They had to make a smelting furnace near the site and the heavy pieces would have had to be finished and polished and put in place and a foundation for the statue had to be made. That would require a lot of work and time.

So, if you were organizing this kind of a national party, who would be in charge? I would probably tell the rulers of the province of Babylon to do it. I think that Daniel, but especially Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were overseeing, organizing and responsible for the entire dedication event. How could you be the ruler of that showcase province and be the three top men over the affairs of the province and not be responsible for all of this? At least this way, S, M, & A got to see the crisis approaching them.

So, picture the event on the plain of Dura. Imagine it looked like a huge football field. At one end is the statue. All of the governmental officials, Neb’s trainees, are standing on the field in rows, facing the statue. Over to the left are very nice raised booths for Nebuchadnezzar and his true-blue Babylonian officials. Because he is not mentioned, Daniel’s loyalty was not in question, Neb didn’t want to mess with Daniel and his God, and he probably left him in the city to attend to other business. Somewhere, probably between Neb and the field is the orchestra. Somewhere, back to the right or left of the statue, smoke rises gently from the smelting/foundry furnace used to make the statue. A gentle reminder of what will happen to anyone who does not submit and compromise his beliefs to worship the image.

Now, since you usually put the important people forward, I would think that S, M, & A were up on the one-yard line, with an ocean of people behind them. The music played and I’ll bet they could hear all of the bending going on behind them, the wrinkling robes, the cracking knees. But they didn’t bow.

Vs. 8-12 Notice that their ethnicity is mentioned immediately. This is what leads me to believe that there were lots of hard feelings among the true-blue Babylonians who thought they should have been in line for the jobs that Daniel, S, M, & A were “unjustly” given.

Their accusation in verse 12 is the key verse in understanding the amazing thing God is going to do here. What right did they have not to worship the gods of Babylon.

Vs. 13-15 Nebuchadnezzar was not only mad, but humiliated. He hadn’t expected a fly in the ointment or anyone to ruin his event. The smoking furnace should have been enough to curb any rebellious person. Here were three non-Babylonians who he had “blessed” with great privilege. Now, if nothing else, Nebuchadnezzar would make an example of them and every official in the entire empire was there to witness it. Now everyone would be given “the fear of God.”

Notice the eerie words of arrogance that Neb spews out. God was setting him up. As mentioned in Jeremiah 29:22, Nebuchadnezzar had roasted two false prophets of Judah. Now, Neb didn’t know they were false prophets. He thought they were the real deal, so when he threw them in the furnace, they lit up. Also, I’m thinking that there weren’t furnaces all over the place and that roasting wasn’t the normal way to kill people. I wonder, just speculation, if those prophets were not prophesying against this event, or during the time the statue was being made and were thrown in this furnace. I think Neb was utterly arrogant because he had burned these two false prophets; and, in his mind, God was powerless to help them. “And who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands?” Watch out! Fire in the hole!

Vs. 16-18 Think of the spiritual presence and attitudes of these young men. They are probably now 10 years older, in their late twenties. Granted, they would have had time to prepare for this moment, but their devotion to God and their willingness to die rather than dishonor Him is remarkable. These guys were disciples.

V. 16 Since Neb asked, “and who is the God….,” they were telling Neb that he already knew who that God was. Nebuchadnezzar had already worshiped Him.

V. 17 Notice, they had no illusions. God could save them, and He would (Look at 2 Tim 4:18 where Paul, knowing he will die, says God will rescue him.) rescue them, if by no other way than by death. God’s will is God’s business. We simply serve.

V. 18 No one talked to Neb like this.

Vs. 19-23 Nebuchadnezzar’s face became contorted in anger. All of the hype, the hotter fire and the stronger men was done to make a point to all of the foreign officials and government leaders in his empire.

Vs. 24-25 Looking in the observation hole, Neb was amazed, not just by the fact that S, M, & A were unharmed, but that a fourth person was in there. He was either an angel, or, some think, the pre-incarnate Christ.

Vs. 26-27 Neb’s voice was now more humble and controlled. Notice what Nebuchadnezzar called S, M, & A. In the back of his mind, Neb knew.

V. 27 This is a huge verse. Everyone witnessed and many got close enough to really observe that they were fully OK.

V. 28 Nebuchadnezzar worshiped and gave honor to Yahweh. Notice that he blesses God.

V. 29 This decree was binding on the entire empire. All the governmental officials witnessed the event and heard the decree. No one could compel the Jews to worship any God but Yahweh. This gave the Jews a status of favor above any other people.

V. 30 S, M, & A got a raise. This might seem insignificant, but the status and wealth of Daniel, S, M, & A had ramifications. At this time, the Jews in Babylon may have numbered around 20,000. In 7 or 8 years the bulk of the people would arrive. The community of Jews was now free to organize around the worship of Yahweh. Many good things came out of the Babylonian captivity. The synagogue system came out of Babylon. A school of scholarship and study of the OT came out of Babylon. One of the Hebrew versions of the Bible came out of Babylon. It was a very fruitful time. But who financed it? Who bought the buildings? Who paid the salaries for the teachers or for the education of the students? You’d need some men with deep pockets to oversee this, but everyone was broke. The First National of Jerusalem was shut down, and no funds were transferred to Babylon. The exiles were broke and, if they were paid, they received a slave’s wages. I’m willing to bet when S, M, & A got their promotions, they didn’t buy flat screen TVs and I Pads. These four men were devoted to their God and to their nation, and they had been reared in the revival of Josiah. I’ll bet they financed and continued Josiah’s revival among the exiles.

So, after three chapters of Daniel, what are the recurring themes or events?

A disaster and crisis leads to blessing in all three chapters.

A pagan king worships God in each of the last two chapters.

God is glorified in all chapters.

Notice the sphere of the testimony of the events. In chapter two the events were mainly in the city and province of Babylon. In chapter three, the events were broadcast, through the eyewitnesses, to all parts of the Empire.

I wonder if these patterns will continue in chapter four.

1 Peter 4:7-5:14

Having seen what God is doing in Daniel, it is interesting to see how Peter is encouraging these disciples to keep following Christ in the harvest during crisis situations.

1 Peter 4:7-19

Vs. 7-11 This section begins with the call for alert, serious mindedness due to the growing crisis in the world. It ends with the glory of God, just like the chapters in Daniel. In the middle, this sure sounds like Romans 12. The church is to strengthen and encourage one another as it serves together.

Vs. 12-18 Suffering is normal and is to be expected.

Vs. 12-13 Suffering and crisis are parts of following Christ in the harvest.

Vs. 17-18 Suffering and crisis is what God uses to strengthen our faith and cleanse us from junk.

If someone was forced to throw 50 LB bags onto trucks, 12 hours a day, saving him wouldn’t necessarily be stopping him from doing that task, but rather strengthening his body and mind as he did the task. One way would make him comfortable and weak; the other would make him confident and very, very strong. Guess which way God works with us on earth, in the harvest?

V. 19 What does this say to you to see words like, “God’s will,” and “entrust our souls,” and “faithful creator?” Doesn’t this seem to say that God is the one doing it? Doesn’t this sound a little like Job?

1 Peter 5

Vs. 1-4 This is talking about shepherding/leading a group through a crisis.

V. 5 It is hard for younger men to subject themselves to the wisdom of wiser men.

Everyone is exhorted to be humble rather than defiant in the situation they were facing. Again, Jesus’ trial before the Jews is the example Peter used earlier.

Vs. 6-7 Just like S, M, & A, we are to recognize God in the crisis and humble ourselves under His hand. God is ultimately responsible for each crisis. We are to honor Him.

Do we really believe He cares for us? S, M, & A are examples of casting all their cares upon Him.

V. 8 Satan works by casting doubt on God’s care for us. “If He really loved you He wouldn’t let that happen. He’d give you a break, or a job, or better health.” Satan’s roaring has been likened to lions in the roaring around sheep that have been enclosed and encircled by hedges of thorns. The lions can’t get in and the sheep are really safe, but because of the roaring and the circling of the lions, the sheep will freak out. They will run in a circle in their enclosure and eventually a sheep will spring up over the hedge and become lunch. If we stay close to the Lord and to one another we remain safe.

Vs. 9-11 Now, how do you resist the devil? There is definitely the armor of God. There is the protection of being with others in the harvest. But if you look at Psalm 119, what was it that kept David safe and close to God? It was the Word that gave him the strength and perspective to resist giving into despair and spiritually inspired fear.

Vs. 12-14 What can you say? What a great letter to encourage the people of God in the harvest. Peace be to all of you who are in Christ.

Psalm 119:81-96

Vs. 81-84 Notice the longing for God. This kept David safe.

Vs. 85-88 This is a testimony of a man who faced dangers and stress that most of us will never face, and who resisted and remained strong in the Lord. Here is how.

Vs. 89-91 The evidence of the Word and its power is seen in creation. Creation is a reminder that everything was created by the Word of God.

Vs. 92-93 What a great testimony to the power of the Word to save us.

Vs. 94-96 Even in David’s crying out for deliverance, he is focused and thinking about the Word. That is not an easy feat.

Proverbs 28:15-16

It’s interesting to read here of another roaring lion. Is this referring to being brutal and inspiring fear? If so, that is just like Satan.

V. 16 A cruel oppressor is contrasted to someone who hates unjust gain. Is unjust gain what causes the oppressor to be cruel? If so, Satan rebelled against God to take for himself, the worship he didn’t deserve, that belongs to God. In a way, Satan is very much involved in “unjust gain.”

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.

November 25, Reading Notes

Daniel 1-2:23

The book of Daniel has been an unexpected blessing in my life. The Lord surprised me with it one day. Back in 1979 or 1980 as I was studying in an empty college classroom, I opened my Bible for my quiet time and began to read Daniel. It was one of those things where the Spirit just “opened my eyes” to some things. I saw connections. In the week that followed, my desire for reading the Word and pursuing God in it, received a huge shot of adrenaline that has carried me through to today. I remember taking a walk on one of those days thinking my life would never be the same. In a way it hasn’t been. Though the emotions of those days, and the thrill of discovery have faded, I received a lasting sense of expectation and desire to search the Word and ask the Lord to draw near to me. Even this morning as I was reading through Isaiah 55, I felt that privilege again, of having the Lord show me something in the Word and of Himself that will stay with me as I follow Jesus in the harvest.

I’m going to try to make observations here to help you discover stuff, but I know I won’t be able to help myself and I’ll probably say too much. Almost all of what I’m sharing with you I’ve gotten out of my quiet time and personal study, not from books or seminary classes. I want to encourage you to spend time in the Word, asking questions, looking for clues and connections. It will not only mark you for life with a sense of desire and joy in the Word, but when you share what you’ve learned, it will have a sense of life to it. You will become a contagious teacher.

If you are really bored in life, or suffering from insomnia, and would like to hear some sermons on Daniel, I have these posted at https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/messages

And while we’re at it, if you know of anyone looking for a pastor, let me know, I’m available.

Daniel was a special man and God used him in an incredible way. You’ve heard me hint at things about him. Yet, as we learn when we examine great men, we’ll see that there are some very normal things about him for us to learn from. In Ezekiel 14:14, Daniel is mentioned with Noah and Job. I remember asking myself why Daniel is mentioned with them and it hit me that both of those men were the most righteous men on earth at that particular time in history. So was Daniel. He is the only man I know of other than Jesus where God refers to him as beloved. We’ll see that.

So where did this “superman” come from? As we have seen with other men in the Bible, Daniel paid his dues in following God and the background and foundation of his faith were the result of a string of failures.

King Manasseh repented of his great sins, but could reverse the damage he’d done or get his son to follow the Lord. But, Manasseh spent the last six years of his life with his grandson Josiah. Josiah began to reign at age eight and was immediately known as a godly king. That had to have come from Manasseh, the failure. But there was no Bible until ten years later when they were repairing the temple and found a copy of the law. Josiah was moved to tears and was emotionally alarmed by the judgments God had spoken in Deuteronomy. God commended Josiah for his passion, but He would not withhold the fury of His wrath. As if hard of hearing and against all hope, Josiah launched a revival in the land that was the greatest Israel had ever known. In fact, I think Josiah was the godliest king Israel ever knew. But in the end, it was a failure. His sons, who became kings after him, were ungodly men. In fact, not only did Pharaoh Neco take his first son captive, but Nebuchadnezzar walked into the city, looted the temple and took some of Judah’s finest sons as captives to Babylon.

So, who is Daniel? I’m going to suggest that Daniel was about 16 when Neb took him to Babylon. If Daniel was 16, it means he would have grown up during the end of Josiah’s reign, but his parents would have been born and raised during Josiah’s revival. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were four very godly teenagers who came out of four very godly families. Their dads and moms were products of Josiah’s rival. Josiah’s hopeless effort to save the nation failed, or did it? God will use Daniel and his friends to save Israel.

God has a funny way of working under the radar. Two failed kings hoped against hope, working, knowing that God’s wrath would come. Manasseh influenced Josiah; Josiah influenced a generation of men and women. Four families had godly boys, and God used them to save the nation. Never give up. Make disciples who make disciples and leave the rest to God. I think that’s pretty cool

Daniel 1

Vs. 1-3 This is God humbling Israel. To walk into the temple of a people’s god meant your god was bigger than their god. To take that god’s stuff and lock it in the treasury of your god, showed superiority.

Vs.4-7 We will get an idea in chapter 3 of Neb’s plan in educating these boys. He apparently took young men from every country to train them and send them back as loyal servants, governing their land for the Babylonian empire. It was a brilliant plan. Alexander the Great’s idea was to encourage his men to intermarry in their conquered kingdoms, and therefore the Greeks I grew up with used to say that the original Greeks were all blond-haired and blue-eyed until Alexander conquered Persia. Anyway, you see the loyalty test for Nebuchadnezzar’s educational plan in Daniel, chapter three.

The food had all been offered or blessed in worship to Babylonian gods. Who could blame anyone under those circumstances from eating his first pork chop?

V. 6 Notice the words “among these.” Daniel & Co. were not the only Jewish boys taken, so, for good or for ill, there was a peer group of Jews.

V. 7 All the boys had names that honored the God of Israel. They were renamed in honor of the gods of Babylon.

Now, write out a list of what these boys had lost: parents, home, names, language, etc…. Not only that, they were threatened with death should they disobey. Not only that, they were with others they knew from Jerusalem. None of this put them in a “secure” situation. Why would God do this to them?

V. 8 That’s what makes this verse so deep. Daniel & Co. had every excuse to compromise. They could have said they were going undercover for God. He’d understand. And after all, “Those of us who run away, live to run another day.”

Vs. 9-16 Do you notice the words, “God gave?” You’ve seen this before in verse two. This is what Daniel & Co. knew. They understood all of this as God’s work. They might have been sad, but they never lost their understanding that the Lord was working or their understanding of the love of God. What had happened to Jerusalem and what was happening to them was from the hand of God. This is why they had the courage to suggest this test. And God gave. Think of the things that make you anxious or ready to flip out. These guys had more than enough to stress an elephant to death, but they understood the Lord and knew He was with them. They just didn’t know what God would do, but it was more important for them to honor God than to stay alive. We’ll see that very clearly in chapter three.

Vs. 17-20 And God gave. Something else happened too. They were so good that Nebuchadnezzar kept them close, in the city, in his personal service. We’ll see how that plays out in chapter two.

V. 21 This is a significant time marker. What is really interesting is that Daniel chapter ten happens in the third year of Cyrus. That’s two years later. So, why the mention of the first year of Cyrus? Why is that year so important? You should know this. In the first year of Cyrus, Cyrus the Persian King (now the ruler of all that had been the Babylonian Empire) gave the command for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The 70-year exile began the day Daniel was taken, and Daniel was still serving the day the exile ended. Daniel will be the story of God preparing the nations for the return of the Jews to Jerusalem and preparing the nations for the return of Christ to establish His everlasting Kingdom.

Notice, that even in this crisis, actually through this crisis, by means of this crisis, God was working for good.

Daniel 2:1-23

V. 1 This was the second full year of Neb being king but they may not have counted the months before that full year. It seems that this happened after the education of Daniel & Co.

Vs. 2-4 These various men were there especially for Nebuchadnezzar. They were his counselors, his support system, his access to the gods. He was in a very personal and emotional distress, and now he needed them.

V. 4 Up to this verse everything has been written in Hebrew. From this verse to the end of chapter seven, Daniel is writing in Aramaic, the common language of the empire. Great scholars wonder why. You’ll figure it out just by observing the text.

Vs. 5-11 So what do you notice here? Why do you think Neb was so ardent that they tell him the dream too? As things are heating up in this confrontation, God leads the issue to exactly the point He is going to make to Nebuchadnezzar. Actually, God is taking Neb to school. I think verse eleven is the key verse here.

Vs. 12-16 Apparently Neb went nuts. What you need to see here is that this is now a very public event in the city of Babylon. Troops are showing up at the houses of wise men (still wearing their pajamas and sorcerers’ apprentices cone-shaped hats with the stars and moons on them) and dragging them out into the street, taking them to prison to hold them for execution. The city would have been electric as well as the entire government. People in the market places would have been talking. Wolf Blitzer would have been there for CNN.

In a crisis like this, I could have imagined Daniel & Co. trying to escape somehow, but notice Daniel’s composure in this life-threatening crisis. They have seen God’s blessing, and they know God is with them, so they bring calm into the chaos.

Arioch listened, and Neb must have remembered that Daniel had made a fantastic impression during his oral exam; but apparently Daniel & Co. hadn’t yet been brought fully into service.

Vs. 17-23 It doesn’t say “God gave,” but we’re seeing that God was with them.

V. 18 Notice that they cried out to God.

V. 20 Notice that God spoke to Daniel and that Daniel spoke back.

Vs. 20-23 Notice the understanding that Daniel and his friends had. At this point, I think Daniel was about 19. I’ll explain this “guestimate” when we get to the end of the chapter.

V. 23 Notice the “us.” God spoke to Daniel, but Daniel understood that this answer was in response to all of them seeking God together.

Does crisis always mean a loss of blessing or a disaster? It depends on what we’re living for, and what we understand about God and this life on earth. As disciples in the harvest there is a lot for us to learn from looking at what God did through Daniel and his friends.

1 Peter 3:8-4:6

And now, we are on to another crisis. Peter is encouraging and strengthening these disciples to thrive in the on- coming persecution Nero will be bringing against the Christians in the Roman Empire.

1 Peter 3:8-22

V. 8 This sounds like Paul in Romans 12 and is addressed to having a kind heart toward other believers.

Vs. 9-12 It seems that Peter might have gotten some of this from Psalm 34:11-22. Very interesting. Also, this looks again like Romans 12.

Vs.13-17 We are called to be put to the test so that others can observe Christ in us and ask us why we have this hope. We need to make sure we are honoring God. These are great verses.

Vs. 18-22 And in our suffering to see the world rescued for Christ, we are following our Savior and His example.

Vs. 19-20 I have always understood that after Christ died, before He was resurrected, He spoke to those who lived before the flood, for whom there was a question of the basis on which they could be judged as righteous or unrighteous. The law hadn’t been given yet. Also, this was a very “spiritual” time, with fallen angels having much more contact with humans. I think the issue might have been raised by Satan that it would be impossible for God to righteously save mankind without violating His own righteousness. But, there were some mysteries that God held back, that Satan couldn’t have guessed at. Jesus, by His sinless life and death for the payment of sin, became the basis both for the forgiveness and salvation of all men and for the judgment and damnation of all men. Jesus spoke to all those people. A few were pronounced justified by faith (Methuselah probably died the year the flood began), but most were pronounced guilty. Apparently the people who lived between Adam and Noah were a special case.

Vs. 21-22 This salvation brought by baptism is not for salvation (the removal of dirt), but for a clear conscience in that we are committing ourselves to following Christ and humbling our lives to His leadership, putting ourselves under His authority. This is meant also to save our faith from damage. This authority was visibly confirmed on Jesus at His resurrection.

Another way to understand this is Paul’s mention to Timothy about the importance of keeping a clear conscience in 1 Timothy. By denying conscience certain persons have shipwrecked their faith. As we’ve seen before, it is possible to damage our faith and walk on earth.

1 Peter 4:1-6

Vs. 1-2 Jesus is our example of seriousness and suffering. Anyone who has suffered has been tempered to see the true perspective of this life, not living for our passions and what is temporary, but for the eternal. It is what God uses to refine us like gold and silver.

Vs. 3-5 Like Paul, Peter is warning these believers not to drift back to their former lifestyles and with their former friends, in order to look acceptable and not to be mistreated because they belong to Christ. They needed to keep the eternal perspective before them.

V. 6 Even though our bodies are judged and dead, our spirits are alive and will live forever with God in a new spiritual body. This is why we work in the harvest, letting people know that there is salvation, making disciples who make disciples.

Psalm 119:65-80

Vs. 67-72 Can you see 1 Peter 4:1-2 in these verses? Can you hear Paul and James and Peter saying that the testing of our faith is more precious than gold or silver?

Vs. 75-76 These verses remind me of Job. God afflicted him in faithfulness, and God comforted him in due time with His steadfast love.

In addition, David, even in his dismal days, had the promise he had received years earlier, as Samuel anointed him, that he would someday be king.

V. 79 Through his affliction, and having to cling to God’s Word, God made David a witness and a model for those who were suffering. In Isaiah 55 it says, “Behold God made him (David) a witness to the peoples…”

V. 80 Amen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIydUt07wWw

Proverbs 28:14

Amen, again.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.