NOVEMBER 26
Daniel
2:24-3:30
Now, when I preach
this, I don’t spend much time with the dream itself; but I discuss the dream
along with the vision in chapter 7. The reason I do this is that if you get too
wrapped up in all of the apocalyptic 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 hatred toward these four men, but therein will
hide a blessing.
The king
addresses Daniel, but from v. 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 the king 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 be your name.” These guys were in a real crisis and praying
that prayer. 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 v. 34 and the stone in v. 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 a
strange twist to it. All of these empires also ruled over Israel.
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 7, we’ll see who these two kingdoms are. That’s another reason
why I preach this section of chapter 2 together with chapter 7. The next empire
is Persia and the third is Greece.
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 7 it
will make sense. The mention of the toes might not mean anything until we
understand in chapter 7 that when the antichrist 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 the 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. Notice
too that the kingdom will only come at the end of those kings and it will
immediately grow large. That is all to say that the kingdom is not on earth
today.
Among other
purposes for this vision, I'm sure this was a huge encouragement to the
faithfulness of Daniel & Co. So, now shake your head and forget the dream
until we get to chapter 7. 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. To Neb's
credit, and unlike Pharaoh in Exodus, Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself. 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 the first lesson. 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 just
became the ruler of the province of Babylon, the showcase province of the
entire empire. A world wonder was there. 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. Darius the
Mede, a young prince at the time, would have known about this. All the rulers
and people of the surrounding nations would eventually have heard this story.
Certainly they would have wanted to know why four Jews were in power and why a
nineteen-year-old Jew was the head of the wise men.
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, been destroyed or
been taken into captivity. At first, Neb only took a few people. In about five
years, he would 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 survive as a people and 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 stand 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 bring their 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
projects in Babylon, 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.
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 been finished and polished and put in place. 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
(Daniel) and be the three top men over the affairs of the province (S, M, &
A) 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, so 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 v. 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 whom 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 already 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, and they lit up,
it proved for him again that his gods were more powerful than Yahweh. 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 very 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, so he said, 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 rescue them, if by no
other way than by death. God’s will is God’s business. We simply serve. (Look
at 2 Tim. 4:18 where Paul, knowing he will die, says God will rescue him.)
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 were done to make a point to all of the foreign
officials and government leaders in his empire who were standing there shaking
in their sandals.
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 dare compel the Jews to
worship any god but Yahweh. This gave the Jews a status of favor above any
other people in the Babylonian Empire. It saved them by allowing them to remain
a distinct people, worshiping their God only.
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 seven or eight 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 iPads. 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. Maybe that revival
didn't die; it was just carried on by some disciples.
So, after three
chapters of Daniel, what are the recurring themes or events?
A disaster and
crisis lead 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 2 the events were mainly in
the city and province of Babylon. In chapter 3, the events were broadcast,
through the eyewitnesses, to all parts of the empire.
I wonder if
these patterns will continue in chapter 4.
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. Isn't it interesting that Peter says
this is a "fiery" trial. I wonder if Peter and the Spirit were
thinking of Daniel, chapter 3.
Vs. 12-13
Suffering and crisis are parts of following Christ in the harvest. (See John
15:18-20.)
Vs. 17-18
Suffering and crisis are 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 mean stopping him from doing that task, but rather it
might mean strengthening his body and mind as he did the task.
"Saving" him the first 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, entrust their 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. Notice the emphasis
on leaders being shepherds.
V. 5 It is hard
for younger men to subject themselves to the wisdom of wiser men, especially in
times of crisis and stress. Everyone is exhorted to be humble rather than
defiant in the situation they are 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, not duck the crisis. 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 that encircle sheep in the wilderness
that have been enclosed in a tall hedge of thorn bushes. 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. Roaring
is just roaring.
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 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 the testimony of a man who faced dangers and stress that most of us will
never face, yet resisted and remained strong in the Lord. Here is how. Keeping
close to the Word and comforting ourselves, secure in the steadfast love of God, is our hope.
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. This isn't just flashy power;
it is security. If God can do that with His Word, then strengthening us is also
within His power. It is also interesting to think that the creation itself
testifies to God's power and the power of the Word. David might not have always
had his ESV One Year Bible at hand, but he could always see the creation
and gaze into the universe at night.
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. We wonder sometimes what we need to do to take
our mind off our problems and guard our minds against the memories of things
that have been spoken against us. Filling our minds with the Word and God's
thoughts is the idea that is being recommended here.
Proverbs
28:15-16
V. 15 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, and that rightfully belonged to
God. In a way, Satan is very much involved in unjust gain.
The phrase prolong his days is interesting if you
think about Isaiah 53:10, Yet it was the
will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an
offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the
will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Jesus is the Ruler who hates unjust gain. He gained us
"justly" by buying us with His blood.
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
complete description of this model of being and making disciples you can find
it in my book: Simply Disciples*Making Disciples.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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 comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like
documents containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download these to use on your computer or to
print.
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