Under siege, government takeover, economic collapse, gender issues, defiled food supply, slave labor, immigration, competing visions, and uncertain futures. How do we live in and through this?! These are not new problems. The book of Daniel gives us the hope and future where we are all invited to discover The God of Daniel.
Can you remember a time when you turned your attention to something that you had not payed attention to before? What got your attention? How did it change you?
Lord we thank you that you are The God of Daniel. You have a plan that you have been carrying out since the beginning of time. We like the people in Daniel’s day are living in captivity waiting for you to restore us to yourself and your land. Help us to learn from you and each other. May we represent you regardless of what is handed over to us, be determined, and be willing to remain where you have us. Allow us to dream about your kingdom, know when to say we will not, and dream about you. Help us honestly consider what have we done while being faithful just as others did before us. As we are striving for your Kingdom Vision, guide us to see that the mess we are in is Because of Rebellion, and may we repent turning our attention to You the King of kings and Lord of lords, The God of Daniel. Amen
Remember where we are in the story. God has raised up the nation of Babylon to discipline his children Because of Rebellion and punish the nations (especially Assyria) for their treatment of His children.
God has been warning for generations through many prophets that all this would happen if people would not listen and repent. Now, He told his people they should surrender the land and themselves to Babylon. After Nebuchadnezzar’s 1st siege of Jerusalem, Daniel with many other young men of the royal family of David have surrendered and been exiled to Babylon. They are now slaves, have been made eunuchs, and have to figure out how they will follow their God Yahweh for the rest of their lives in Babylon waiting for His return.
At fxchurch we talk about the differences between… Promised Land theology- IDEA: We currently live in the promised land that we are trying to keep or a promised land that we are trying to create on earth through our works. Wilderness Theology- IDEA: We are just wandering around living until we die and the next generation takes over so there isn’t much we can do but be survive and wait. Captivity Theology- IDEA: We are captives, strangers, and aliens in a foreign land. We are waiting on and telling others about our coming King, His kingdom that He is building, and how to get ready for the promised land He will bring on a new earth with new bodies. (Philippians 3:18-20, John 17:14-18, 1 Peter 2:9-13, Romans 7:21-24)
To avoid the reality of living for The God of Daniel in captivity, much of our christian culture today tends to live and make decisions by PRAGMATIC (whatever works), THERAPEUTIC (whatever feels right), MORAL (whatever is not short term bad for us), and DEISM (whatever keeps God off my back and/or keeps Him blessing me). Instead, we need learn to be faithful to The God of Daniel.
By chapter nine Daniel is likely in his 80s and has been serving as a eunuch slave in Babylon for more than 60 years. We have no indication of him having any of his own visions until his these last years of his life. God in His mercy is preparing Daniel, and His people for the disaster and chaos of the reality of kingdoms dying and other kingdoms rising. So often, God does the already but not yet in future telling prophesy. Daniel’s vision is both a nearer future and a farther future prophesy. The vision Daniel had has already been fulfilled in history but not fully yet. If you study the Old Testament and history, you will see what already happened. If you read passages like Revelation, you will see what has not yet happened. There will be another Babylon raised up and defeated in the imagery of Revelation with more kingdoms that will finally be defeated by God. Daniel’s visions prove to be incredibly historically accurate. They are so accurate that many unbelieving scholars say it was written by someone else after Daniel’s life and then added to the book.
READ Psalm 137:1-6, Revelation 21:1-4
READ Jeremiah 29:1-14