God's plans always exceed our Prayers

 Read Daniel 9.

When the Babylonian empire fell, Daniel turned to the Scriptures.  He read again the words of the prophet Jeremiah regarding the time when God would restore Israel.

"For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."  (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

Daniel realized that the seventy years was coming to a close and now God would act.  God's call to seek Him moved the prophet to pray a prayer of national intercession.  He confessed the sins of the people for not listening to God's word and rebelling against Him.  He pled for mercy, forgiveness, and for the LORD not to delay in acting on behalf of His people.  That is all Daniel could see from the Scriptures he had.  What he could not see was much more that God intended to do in the future.  Therefore, God responded to Daniel's prayer by sending the angel Gabriel.

Gabriel did not speak of the seventy years but seventy sevens (not weeks), or 490 years.  In Hebrew it is a play on words.  469 of those years have been literally fulfilled in history.  It is the 70th week (7 years) that has not happened yet.  Revelation describes the time of Tribulation as a 7 year period.  The descriptions of that time by Jesus and in Revelation confirm those future events as foretold in the book of Daniel.  We are now living in the gap between "an anointed one shall be cut off" (v.26, the crucifixion of Messiah) and when the Tribulation will begin.  The Apostle Paul explained it this way: "...a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." (Romans 11:25b)

In the meantime, we may be assured of two things:
1. God will keep His promises to His ancient people.
2. He will be faithful to us today and for eternity.

 

 

A prophecy for then and Now

 Read Daniel 8.

Two years later God gave Daniel this second vision.  Some of the events in this chapter were future to Daniel and history to us.  Some of these prophesies remain future to us. 

This is the third time in the book that the same sequence of empires is presented in a dream or vision.  See also chapters 2 and 7.  Each time the interpretation is included within the chapter.  The angel Gabriel explained what Daniel saw.  The prophet observed a ram with two horns in verse 3.  In verse 20, we are told that this represented the kings of Media and Persia.  Next, in verse 5, a goat appeared with a powerful horn that broke the horns of the ram.  In verse 21, the goat is identified as Greece and the first powerful king was Alexander, the Great.  After Alexander, the empire was divided among four generals (vv.8 and 22).

As predicted in verses 23-25, one of those generals, Antiochus Epiphanes, became intolerant of any who did not conform to Greek culture.  He especially hated the Jews.  He stormed the Temple in Jerusalem and offered a pig on the altar to desecrate the holy place.

What remains unfulfilled?
Some of the statements do not match the historical events.
Three times in verses 16-19 alone, it is stated that the vision is for "the time of the end", "at the latter end of the indignation", and "the appointed time of the end".  In Matthew 24-25, some of these events were still future to Jesus.  While Antiochus did fulfill what Daniel saw, he only foreshadowed a similar evil ruler to come in the end times.  The final period of wrath, or indignation, will come during the Great Tribulation.  The Antichrist will possess the same attributes and perform similar acts of hatred against Israel.

So, what do we learn from this?
1. God will not tolerate pride. (vv.4, 25)
Where is the once powerful Medo-Persian Empire?  Where is the seemingly unstoppable empire of Greece?  Their downfalls came due to the same basic root.  When a person becomes self-deceived into thinking they are great, they live only to please themselves, and they do not need God, their downfall becomes certain.

2. God can use unbelievers to accomplish His purposes. 
Though these leaders and their empires did not honor God, He used them to fulfill His plans.  "Surely the wrath of man shall praise you." (Psalm 76:10a)  We do not have to live in fear of the evil others may do.  "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!" (Psalm 37:7)

3. God has a plan for restoration.
The exiled Jews in Daniel's day looked forward to being restored to their homeland, the Temple being rebuilt, and their relationship with God renewed.  Even in the toughest of personal times, God is in the business of renewal and restoration.  The key is repentance of sin.  Elihu was spot on with his counsel to Job when he said, "Then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness.  He sings before men and says: 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, and it was not repaid to me.  He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.'" (Job 33:26-28)

 

Who is the Son of Man?

 Read Daniel 7.

It was Daniel's turn to have a prophetic dream from God.  In the previous chapters, he only interpreted the dreams of others.  Here, he saw four beasts rising up, one at a time, out of the Mediterranean Sea.  And, as in the past, we are not left in doubt as to what it all means.  The second half of the chapter provides the interpretation.

The meaning and message is the same as Nebuchadnezzar's dream in chapter two.  God revealed the succession of empires that would rule from Babylonia to Medo-Persia to Greece to Rome.  No one ever conquered the Roman Empire.  It fell from within and, according to the Bible, it has never ceased to exist.

There is coming a day when the Anti-Christ, the little horn with the big mouth (vv.8, 20), will wage war against the saints.  But greater than he will be the coming of the "son of man" (vv.13-14).  When the Messiah appears in His second coming, all the earth's kingdoms will be under His control.  "All peoples, nations and languages" will serve Him.

Why did Messiah come the first time?
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10)

Why did the religious leaders want to crucify Messiah?
"...Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?'  And Jesus said, 'I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.'  And the high priest tore his garments and said, 'What further witnesses do we need?  You have heard his blasphemy.  What is your decision?'  And they all condemned him as deserving death." (Mark 14:61-64)

How should we respond?
"Jesus...said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?'  He answered, 'And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?'  Jesus said to him, 'You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.'  He said, 'Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped him." (John 9:35-38)

 

When your faith is under attack

 Read Daniel 6.

This is a story of a man who would be god versus one who was God's man.

While Cyrus, the Persian, served as head of the empire, Darius, the Mede, had been appointed as king.  The pagan Babylonian advisers continued to have access and influence.  Their jealousy of Daniel, and their hatred of the Jews in particular, provided the basis for this bizarre episode.

By this time, Daniel would have been over 80 years of age.  His reputation as a wise and faithful man had been impeccable.  After a lifetime of top-level government service to the Babylonians and now to the Medes and Persians, Darius planned to promote Daniel to very highest position in the kingdom (v.3).  The adversaries could find no fault in which to accuse him.  So, they plotted against him spiritually.  They used a legal tactic to prohibit Daniel from the free exercise of his faith, though it had nothing to do with his job performance.  In short, they tried to make it illegal to worship the Lord God.  They observed Daniel's spiritual disciplines and lied to the king about Daniel's loyalty (v.13).

What did Daniel do under such a threat of death?
-Should he have sued these advisers for slander?
-Should he have attempted to negotiate a compromise?
-Should he have conceded that his critics may have a valid point?
-Should he have changed his spiritual disciplines and kept his faith secret?
He did none of these.  "He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." (v.10)

What should we do when our faith is under attack?  Be on guard.
1. Guard your personal conduct.
"That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2:15)

2. Guard your public conduct.
"Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2:12)

3. Guard your prayer commitments.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)

 

Some people never Learn

 Read Daniel 5.

This is the story of a king who did not learn from history.  He did not learn from his own family.  He did not learn life's most important lessons, though all the information had been given to him.

Belshazzar, a son of Nebuchadnezzar, became the king of the Babylonian Empire in 553 B.C.  Some years had passed and Daniel was no longer serving in his once high position.  It appears that he was almost forgotten.  The events recorded in this chapter take place in a single evening. 

While the king hosted a drunken party, the Persians along with the Medes had already surrounded the city.  But that did not seem to have fazed Belshazzar.  Why not?  His pride proved beyond that of his father's.  He thought the city to be indestructible and, with all their defenses in place, he was untouchable.  So, instead of preparing for battle, the king threw a drunken party.  He ordered the sacred gold vessels that had been taken from the Temple in Jerusalem to be brought and used for their wine.  Using these things dedicated to God for a pagan party was an affront to the Living LORD.  To make matters worse, the crowd began lifting the vessels in praise of earthly, inanimate elements as their gods.     

The Lord will be heard even by those who do not wish to listen.  Belshazzar was going to get the message.  The handwriting was on the wall (v.5).

As his father discovered, none of the so-called wise men of astrology, wizards and enchanters proved of any help.  Daniel again was called to the scene because spiritual things may only be rightly appraised by someone who has the Spirit of God within them (vv.10-12).  Daniel was quick to point out that Belshazzar did not learn the lesson against pride that God dramatically gave his father (v.22).

The downfall and transition of the once great Babylonian Empire requires only two verses (vv.31-32).  One hundred and fifty years earlier Isaiah 47:9 prophesied this taking place in a single day.  The Medes and the Persians then ruled from India to Africa.  The partnership of these two corresponds to the next part of the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in chapter two.

At the root of Belshazzar's pride was his belief that he was in control of his life.  Daniel's message from God in verse 23 was this:
1. God owns our life.
"in whose hand is your breath"  James 4:14-"yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."

2. God owns our life's journey.
"and whose are all your ways"  James 4:13 and 15-"Come now, you who  say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'--"Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'"

3. God is to be honored as the Owner.
"you have not honored him."  We are stewards of life and are being held accountable for how we use the time and resources the Owner has allowed to please Him.

Belshazzar did not listen or learn.  "He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing." (Proverbs 29:1)

 

Some lessons are learned the hard Way

 Read Daniel 4.

The LORD will bring about the necessary life circumstances so that His voice will be heard.  But pride can keep us from hearing what God is saying.

Twice God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a dream, foretelling what would take place in the future.  In chapter two, the LORD revealed the evolution of world empires over the ensuing centuries.  He did this by presenting a visual of a human statue.  According to Daniel's interpretation of the dream, the king was the head of gold.  In chapter three, the king made such a statue.  But instead of using it as a teaching tool for the Omniscient God of Heaven, he made it about himself and demanded to be worshiped.

After each spiritual challenge, Nebuchadnezzar rightfully acknowledged who God is and even made declarations for the empire (2:47, 3:28-29, 4:3).  While he appears to know the truth, his commitment is half-hearted.  Babylon was always the center of poly-theism and the king chose never to rid himself of the false spiritual advisers who surrounded him.  Again, Daniel stepped in to help the king understand what God was trying to say to him.  The king would undergo seven years of a type of insanity but in the end would be completely restored.  Why?  And, what was God's message to him?  It was all about the man’s personal pride.

After God clearly warned him, he did not change.  A year went by and, perhaps, he thought the LORD had changed His mind or nothing would really happen.  He stood on the palace roof top and declared that the empire was all his and by his own doing.  "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" (v.30). Note the words "I" and "my".  He offended God's sovereignty and robbed God of His glory.  Immediately, the Lord responded and the seven years of insanity followed.

At least three times (v.17, v.25, v.32) the purpose of the king's downfall was explained.  It was to teach him once and for all concerning God's sovereign rule over nations, leadership, and individual lives.  "...until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will." (v.32)

It took a long time, but the king literally came to his senses (v.34).  In the last recorded words of Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible, he said, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble." (v.37)  A painful lesson learned the hard way because he did not listen and make a wholehearted commitment to the LORD at first.

The key principle: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6b)
The key requirement: "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

 

4 prayer requests when our faith is Challenged

 Read Daniel 3.

How should we respond when our faith is challenged?  After some time, King Nebuchadnezzar built a monument based upon his dream. 

Daniel interpreted the gold head of the image to be Nebuchadnezzar.  However, he overlaid the entire 90' statue of himself with gold.  This is probably an indication that he wanted his empire to endure, rather than the changing empires of his dream.  Second, he had dismissed his spiritual statements of chapter two concerning God and made this statute an idol above all the multiple gods of Babylon.  To dedicate the statue, the king convened all the governmental leadership of his empire. 

Bowing before royalty has always been a common gesture.  But Nebuchadnezzar demanded worship, perhaps in the same sense the Pharaohs were treated as deity.  It is obvious from reading the book of Daniel that the pagan advisers never forgot their embarrassment in chapter two and the promotion of captive Jews over them in leadership.  In their first retaliation, they accused Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego of not worshiping the idol. The accusation was true.  These servants of the one and only true God would not violate their spiritual commitment (vv.16-18).

Nebuchadnezzar's foolish ego led to a senseless, angry response.  His instructions on executing the three Hebrews caused some of his elite guard to die in the process.  But, again, God is shown to be faithful.  He miraculously delivered the three men by a preincarnate appearance of Christ Himself (v.25).  Then, Nebuchadnezzar made his second acknowledgment of God's sovereign superiority (2:47) and issued a royal decree for the empire.

This is not an example of merely being stubborn about one's spiritual commitment to God.  We want others to see and understand the difference the Lord has made in our lives.  Here is how to pray when our faith is under attack.
1. That they will see we are true servants of God. (v.26)
2. That they will see the ineffectiveness of their actions against God. (v.27)
3. That they will see the undeniable power of God. (v.28a)
4. That they will see the depth of our love for God and want to know Him also. (v.28b)