September 17 - Daniel 10-12: God Loves His Chosen People through Persecution

Today’s Reading: Daniel 10-12

The Message

English Standard Version

The end of Daniel marks the end of 32 books. Only 7 more to go! And you are less than 2 weeks away from finishing the Old Testament! Keep going! You're almost there!

Thought to Guide Your Reading

These visions are about the same time as yesterday's reading and set up the story of the Apocrypha (which I am not going to read or comment on).

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Daniel saw a vision about the future of Israel's exile.
The northern and southern kings would wage a long, protracted war. God's Chosen People would be persecuted to show an example of faithfulness.
The northern king would think he was a god—to his death. The southern king would attack and win. Tens of thousands would die.
Michael, the prince over Israel, would eventually deliver everyone for judgment.
Someone asked when these things would happen. "A time, times, and half a time." Daniel was told to seal the words for later generations. God would reward Daniel for constant, steady faith.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Daniel's vision would help the Jews understand why these things were happening.

The northern and southern kings would fight continuously. Their people would stage coups and rebellions. Israel was in for a very tumultuous time. God wanted them to understand that their difficult persecution was not meant to punish them but to make sure they stayed holy. God wanted Israel to know He would always care for them—even if they died in the process. God loves His Chosen People—even through death.

God would judge everyone, regardless of their power.

Even with the great persecution and trials coming Israel's way, God would eventually judge everyone's actions and separate them according to how they lived. Those who set things right would have eternal life. Those who did not would have eternal punishment. No matter how strong the world may be, God will judge in the end.

God's Judgment would come when you least expected it.

The phrase "time, times, and half a time" seem strange. Why not 3.5 years, months, days, etc? During university, I took a class by Kevin Youngblood who helped us understand that these are meant to help us pace when it would happen:

• Time – This is the amount of time you think should occur before God acts.
• Times – When you think it is time for God to act, it is not yet time.
• Half a time – When you think God will never act—God acts.

God wants His Chosen People to understand that our timing is not His timing. God works on His Time, not on ours.

Do you trust God to judge everyone in His time?

September 16 - Daniel 7-9: God Wins in the End

Today’s Reading: Daniel 7-9

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

God shows Daniel the future using grand visions with animals.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

God told Daniel through a vision that although four countries would rule over them, God's saints would receive an everlasting kingdom. The kingdoms would fight Israel but God would win in the end.
Two years later Daniel had another vision of Greece defeating Media and Persia. Greece would fight Israel, but God would win in the end.
Daniel prayed to God, "We deserve shame. May Your Mercy and Grace deliver us. You will give us salvation only because Your Name is great."
Gabriel answered Daniel, "God will set your relationship right but first Israel must have its evil removed."

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Daniel's visions tell of the immediate future.

Similar to Nebuchadnezzar's dreams and Ezekiel's visions, Daniel's visions were meant to deliver a message for his day. The visions foreshadowed the regime changes that would soon occur. Each small part of the vision would correspond to a distinguishing characteristic of each king to come. In the second vision, Daniel sees the rise and fall of Alexander the Great's kingdom. Both the four kings and Alexander the Great would fight God's Chosen People. God's purpose for Daniel's visions was to prepare His Chosen People for persecution.

God would win in the end.

At the conclusion of each vision, the same event happens—God defeats the beast(s). Since God's Chosen People would have difficult times ahead, God wanted to make sure they knew He would defeat their enemies. The four beasts and the ram would not get the final say against Israel. No matter the persecution, God will win in the end.

Daniel thanks God for His Grace and Mercy removing Israel's sin and punishment.

When Daniel realizes Israel would be returned in 70 years (as Jeremiah informed the exiles), he also realizes Israel has not become holy. They do not deserve to be returned to their land. God would return them, though, because God wants to set all things right with those with whom His Relationship is strained. He is willing to set our relationship right repeatedly hoping we will acknowledge His Mercy and Grace and set things right in our relationships with others. How awesome is our god! Our forgiveness is not dependent on our actions but on our acceptance of God's mercy and passing it on.

Do you trust that God will win in the end?

September 15 - Daniel 4-6: Daniel's Steady Trust in God Inspires His Kings to Trust God

Today’s Reading: Daniel 4-6

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

While the kings of Babylon were taken out of power because of disobedience, Daniel continued steady, non-compromising faith.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Nebuchadnezzar praised God:
"I had another troubling dream. Daniel said God would remove me from power because of my ego. Soon enough, I believed I created Babylon and lived among animals for seven years. God returned me and I praise Him!"
Nebuchadnezzar's son Belshazzar, who inherited Babylon, outdid his father's arrogance. God presented a public vision against Belshazzar. That night he was killed and Darius took over.
Darius made Daniel a high leader. Daniel's enemies conspired to execute him. Darius was forced to throw Daniel in a lion's den. God protected him. Darius then decreed that God would be worshiped.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

All three kings (Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius) were caught by their egos.

All three believed they were gods. Two needed to be disciplined by God. The third would learn from his mistake because of its consequences. Beware of power—it can make you think more highly of yourself than you should.

Daniel's power came by giving glory to God for his great works.

Nebuchadnezzar knew Daniel was not the source of his power. He knew Daniel's power came from Daniel's God. Since Daniel did not claim God's Work as his own, God was praised. God greatly blessed Daniel and Babylon in return. When we give glory to God for our good work, others will understand God's Goodness and God will bless us all.

Daniel never tells the kings to stop worshiping their gods.

Nebuchadnezzar gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar after his god. Nebuchadnezzar was not fully dedicated to worshiping God; however, Nebuchadnezzar was not a Chosen Person. Daniel never told Nebuchadnezzar to become a Jew or offer sacrifices to God. He told the king to set things right in the kingdom and God would keep him in power. Why did Daniel tell the king to set things right instead of being circumcised? God wants to set all things right, not create religious people. Don't get me wrong—religious people setting all things right is God's ultimate goal. But he prefers people to set things right instead of being religious.

The kings praised God because they saw His Work through Daniel.

We saw part of this yesterday. Nebuchadnezzar tells a story praising what God did for him—including his punishment. Darius, after decreeing no one could pray to any god except him, told the kingdom to worship Daniel's god. Belshazzar made Daniel the third-highest leader in Babylon, although only for a few hours. When non-Chosen People see God's Chosen People giving credit to God, they praise Him, too.

Daniel's problems came because he was loyal to God.

Considering all of the problems Israel and Judah had with loyalty, Daniel serves as the complete opposite of his people. Daniel's loyalty gets him into hot water with the other governors. The entire plan was to kill Daniel. Notice that because of Daniel, Darius trusted in God to save Daniel from the lions, "Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this" (6:16, The Message). Loyalty to God does not ensure a quiet life. Loyalty to God ensures a life others cannot speak against.

Do non-Chosen People praise God because of His works through you?

September 14 - Daniel 1-3: God Sets Things Right for Those who Trust Him

Today’s Reading: Daniel 1-3

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah trusted in God even after seeing God's great punishment.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

King Nebuchadnezzar assembled exiled Judah's brightest for training. Daniel (Belteshazzar), Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego), proposed a developmental competition: their vegetable-and-water diet against the king's menu. The four became exceedingly-more helpful than their peers.
Nebuchadnezzar's dream deeply disturbed him. Daniel asked God for its interpretation. God told Daniel it forecasted Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. Daniel and his three friends were highly promoted.
Nebuchadnezzar ordered his kingdom's leaders to worship his statue. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. Nebuchadnezzar threatened them. They again refused. Nebuchadnezzar threw them in a furnace. They were unaffected—and joined by a god-like figure. Nebuchadnezzar blessed God.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted God more than they feared their captors.

Before we look at this story we need to understand that Daniel and the three men with him have seen terrible atrocities in Jerusalem. They (presumably) had to watch their family and neighbors die horrible, agonizing deaths. Questioning, doubting, or rejecting God would be a reasonable response. Full faith in God even when given the opportunity to live a long, luxurious life in the king's palace would be unfathomable. This setting is what makes their test of a diet full of vegetables and water vs. the king's food and wine a test of faith, not a proof of the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. Although they were improved by not drinking the king's wine and eating all of his food, their test proved it was better to trust God than abandon Him—even in their exiled land. Trust God in everything and God will set things right in your life. You may not be rewarded as Daniel and his friends, but you will excel.

Daniel's trust in God soothed Nebuchadnezzar's nerves.

The king wanted the young men to learn magic and fortune-telling—two things specifically prohibited in God's Law. When his dream disturbed him, he called the ones who learned magic and fortunetelling to figure out and interpret the dream (and exposed fortunetelling as a fake practice of reading a person and telling them what they want to hear). Daniel and the three prayed to God to give them the interpretation. God gave Daniel both the dream's contents and its interpretation. Daniel blessed God. When Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar the dream's interpretation he gave God the credit. Nebuchadnezzar blessed God. When God's Chosen People trust Him, God can set things right for non-Chosen People.

God protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because of their trust that He would set all things right.

The great lesson from the three being thrown in the furnace is two-fold: 1. God will protect His Chosen People to uphold His Name; and 2. When non-Chosen People see God's Protection, they, too, will give praise to God. The three were unwilling to compromise their trust in God even in the face of death. Nebuchadnezzar saw God protect them and praised God for doing so. What an awesome God!

Are you willing to trust God to set all things right?

August 30 - Ezekiel 13-15: God vs. Israel's Prophets

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 13-15

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Judah would need to clear out their hearts and their houses to receive forgiveness.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

God told me Israel's prophets would be punished, "I'm dead set against them. These women prophets are especially bad. They kill souls to become rich and famous. They will know I am God.
"Israel's leaders have idols in their hearts. When they remove them I will listen to their prayers. Otherwise both idolaters and prophets will be punished.
"Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were here they could not save this nation. Jerusalem will get four types of punishment—war, famine, wild animals, and disease. Then they will ask for salvation and you will understand why I allowed their punishment."

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

God will punish those who speak in His Name without consulting Him.

Israel loves prophets who speak only good things; therefore, these prophets knew their income depended on how positive they were. Consulting God would only lessen their income and ultimately cost their careers. Jeremiah did this and almost lost his life. God protected him, though, and would protect any prophet willing to consult Him, too. These prophets who told Judah to continue doing whatever they wanted, as long as they kept the contributions coming would be punished, thrown off their land, and shamed in public. Their advice would lead to death. God will not stand for people speaking for Him without first speaking with Him.

Israel has a heart problem.

God realizes the issue is not the physical idols set up in the city, the squares, and the Temple. The problem is that they have installed idols in their hearts. God will not listen to their prayers because they refuse to listen to His Command—be wholly God's. Our relationship with God is never severed because of a physical act. Our relationship with God is always severed by something becoming more important in our heart than God. The physical act comes as a result of the idol set up in our heart.

God wants everyone in the land to give up their gods.

God, though Ezekiel, while telling the leaders to take down the idols in their hearts He includes this:

To every last person from the house of Israel, including any of the resident aliens who live in Israel—all who turn their backs on me and embrace idols, who install the wickedness that will ruin them at the center of their lives and then have the gall to go to the prophet to ask me questions—I, God, will step in and give the answer myself. (14:7, The Message)

God's punishment would extend out to those who were not part of the Promise of Abraham. They were part of the punishment because God expects holiness from anyone who lives with His Chosen People. No one is excused.
What does this mean for today? If churches who have issues with holiness want to regain God's favor, they cannot allow people who are "living" with them to slide by. Everyone must be on the same page—even if they are not "members". What does "living" mean? It means anyone who wishes to be associated with them, even if they do not want to be affiliated with them.

No one could save Judah and Jerusalem—even Noah, Daniel, or Job.

What an interesting grouping. When you think of Old Testament stories of a person standing up to defend another I would think of Abraham or Moses, not Noah, Daniel, or Job. But these are the three God places together. What are they known for? I think they are known for steady, non-compromising faith. Because of their faith they prevented God from destroying their family, their people, or themselves. That is what makes this section so depressing—God's exclaims to Ezekiel that no single, steady, non-compromising faith could help Israel. They had gone so far away from God that they would be unwilling to learn from the example of a strong, faithful person. Beware idols which infiltrate the heart because they will eventually lead you past the point of no return.

God punishes with hopes of saving His Chosen People.

All along I have mentioned that God's Reputation is salvation and He punishes Israel to clean out bad influences from the land. In Ezekiel's vision God tells him,

When they come out to you and their salvation is right in your face, you’ll see for yourself the life they’ve been saved from. You’ll know that this severe judgment I brought on Jerusalem was worth it, that it had to be. (14:22, The Message)

God's punishment is meant to help us see how we can live better with God setting all things right.

Do you have idols installed on your heart?