Episodes
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NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT JOY FROM YOU.
There’s a song that says, “If you receive and you believe, testify.” I don’t really like to talk about myself, but I think it’s important to do so when we go through certain things in life and experience certain things, and whenever God’s presence is in someone’s life, it’s encouraging to share with others.
My name is Nives, and I grew up in Croatia. I was born in Yugoslavia, and I was a child from a mixed marriage between a Croatian and a Serb. This didn’t really matter when we had Yugoslavia, but when the civil war in Croatia started in 1991, that seemed to be all that mattered. On top of being from a mixed marriage, I had the last name of a Serbian president so I couldn’t hide. I belonged nowhere on either side. I’m from a town that had a lot of military presence and my town was a border town. Those were the unlucky ones in the war because for four years, there was always some kind of a fighting and shooting and bombing until the war ended in 1995.
The first year was the worst. I never knew when it was going to happen. I could be playing tennis and suddenly there’s an alarm. I’m running home and there are bombs flying, falling down, and planes are above my head. And I’d think, “All right, I’m almost home, maybe I’ll make it, maybe not.” And that’s where faith comes in, when you have no influence, no power, no control. That’s when we can say, “Okay, God, come on, step in. I just can’t do this on my own. If I make it through, if I survive, just show me the way. What’s my purpose? Why am I doing this? Why am I the lucky one? What do I do with this experience? It can’t be for nothing.”
In high school, I was an okay tennis player, and I was invited to play tennis in Germany. I told my parents, “I’m 17. I want to go. I don’t want to be here in the middle of the war. I’m done with this.” I was young and didn’t know how hard it was going to be. That was the first time in my life when I really felt like I couldn’t do this. It was just too hard. I was so attached to my mom. My life goal was to get a job in the same building with her, but it just felt like a wind behind my back. Like, you’ve got to go do this, you’ve got to go do this. Have faith that it’s going to be okay. It wasn’t even so much that I was adventurous or brave. Not at all. It was just how the whole thing happened. Even how they invited me out of nowhere, even though they never saw me play. So I went to Germany, and played one year for them. Then I came home to finish high school and while I was preparing to finish and graduate, I got an offer to come to Chicago and play tennis for DePaul University. I was 18.
I had taken a little English in school, but you can’t compare that to the college level. I didn’t even know what the SAT exam was. I got a book, studied for a month, and took the exam. Now that I have kids living here in the US, I realize what a process it is and how important it is. I didn’t know then, which was a blessing at the time. I passed the exam by five points to get in. But that’s when the real work began for me. I had to play tennis every day, travel to tournaments every weekend, along with studying and going to school as well. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about what I’m capable of doing and also just the culture here. I didn’t know much about America. I did not have an American Dream.
It just happened. When I came here, it was very different from what I was used to, and it took me many years to assimilate. I was very fortunate that I was always around people who were loving and supportive, who didn’t care that my English was broken, that I spoke funny and was missing a lot of words. I was surrounded by student athletes and over time, I got better, and the professors understood and supported me.
But of course there are people who assume that if you don’t speak perfect English, that means that you are not smart because the way you speak is a reflection of your intelligence. When we went to tournaments, we were hosted by families in the towns we played in. One time, my teammate, who was also from Croatia, and I were at the dinner table with our host family. In front of us, they discussed how scholarships shouldn’t be given to international students because that takes away from the American taxpayers. I understood her point of view, but to have that discussion at the dinner table, in front of us, that was too much.
But there are all kinds of people, and you just have to not let that influence and impact you. You just do your thing and do the best you can. In Europe, we’re surrounded by so many countries and inevitably you will travel to another country. Or if you live in a tourist country like Croatia with the coast, you will be exposed to other languages, cultures, the way they talk and even behave. And in America, even though it’s a melting pot of cultures, it’s still separated and shielded from the rest of the world. For people who are born and raised in small towns, they’re not exposed to that. New things tend to feel scary for a lot of people, but they’re not. If you look at it as exciting, you never know what you’re going to find out and learn.
After college, I was planning on going back to Croatia, which was always my plan. But I ended up falling in love, getting married, and staying here. I told my family, “Sorry, guys, I’m going to be living here from now on.” So I got married. I worked for Jewel-Osco for nine years as a procurement manager in the main office. Then, I got pregnant with twins. I lost one baby at 10 weeks and the other one at 30 weeks. It was a very unusual circumstance. But the interesting thing that happened is when I was 30 weeks pregnant, I had a placenta rupture and ended up in the hospital and the baby died. I ended up getting a bad pulmonary embolism. As I laid in my hospital bed, I heard a whisper and had a whole conversation. I believe this so firmly even though my husband and the nurses said that I didn’t say a word. That whispered conversation was God’s blessing to me, proof that I’ve got to keep believing, being faithful, and trusting God.
This might sound like a crazy story, but like I said, if it happens, you have to testify. I heard a whisper say to me that this baby was not meant to be, but the one next year would be. That made me very angry. The whisper kept saying, “You don’t need to know why. That’s just how it’s going to be.”
But the next year, I had a baby girl. And the voice had told me it would be a girl. I don’t know how to explain it, but when you live through something like that, your faith is unshakeable.
I think that prepared me for when, seven years later, my husband passed away. It was very sudden and unexpected. He left for work and never came back. He was 38, and it was just a shock. I was a widow with children ages 5 and 7, with no family to help. When I look back on my life and the tragedies that happened, I think they slowly prepared me. You can’t be fully prepared for this, but I always believe that things will be better. Without that belief and faith, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here. It’s been a long road, and there were a lot of tears and good people around me. A lot of people helped me, even helped me keep my faith. And I would always wonder, why would all these things be happening to me?
I’ve realized that all my experiences are really just a way for me to be ready and prepared to help and serve people in my life who are going through similar things. I can reach out to others and say, “Hey, I’m here to hold your hand. I’m here to talk to you. I’m here for you.” When I was in need, others saved me. One time, I was shoveling my driveway. My neighbor was also clearing his driveway. He had a snow blower and I had an old fashioned shovel. He never said a word. The next time I had to shovel, I was so tired. I couldn’t do it anymore and laid the shovel on the ground. I was done. God, Jesus, come on I need something. And as I said that, I was looking at the snow falling and how beautiful it was in the middle of my nervous breakdown, and here comes my neighbor and he says, “Hey, how about I shovel for you today?” I’m like, “Oh my God, thank you so much.” That was a small miracle. I like to think I’m strong and tough, but sometimes I’m not. I always feel that when I surrender, when I’m done controlling and doing things on my own, that’s when God says, “Okay, now you can listen. Now you can hear me.”
It’s difficult to be happy or satisfied with everything in your life. And most of the time, if we’re honest, we’re not. But if you can find joy in your life, no matter what’s going on around you, as powerless as you may feel, remember that you are God’s beloved child, no matter what. No one can take that joy from you.
There’s always hope. There is God’s grace and God’s love. And sometimes our prayers are unanswered, but it’s not because God is busy or doesn’t care or doesn’t love us. Sometimes we just have to be patient. We might not get the answers to why things are unanswered, but some things are blessings really. We just don’t know it at the time. So always keep the faith and find people in your life who support you and love you and who can be there for you and never give up. -
COMMENTARY
Daniel 12 concludes the final vision and brings the book of Daniel to a stunning close. In the first half of the vision, we read about a series of kings who would “arise” to their thrones and oppress the people of God (Daniel 11:2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 16, 20, 21, 31). We were told that each king would meet their just “end” similar to the way previous kings in the book were humbled because of their pride (Daniel 11:27, 35, 40, 45). But somewhat surprisingly, we also read that some people who remained loyal to God would meet a similar fate; they would “fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered” (Daniel 11:33).
The death of God’s faithful in Daniel 11 stands out given that in so many previous stories and visions, God rescued and raised His people to victory. God rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the furnace and raised them to positions of power. God rescued Daniel from the lions and raised him to the second-highest throne in Persia. God rescued the Son of Man and those He represented, giving them a kingdom that would never be destroyed. But now it seems that the furnace has burned God’s followers. It seems that the lions have devoured them. It seems that the enemies of the people of God have caused their demise. So what does it mean for God to be sovereign and just if this is the end for many innocent people who courageously stayed faithful to Him?
Chapter 12 presents the resolution. If God’s justice is to be ultimately realized in the world, the end for the faithful who have died won’t be death but will be one last great work of rescue and raising. Daniel 12:2-3 says, “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” Here we read the clearest Old Testament reference to bodily resurrection. The promise of the vision is that those who remain loyal to God will be rescued from death and raised to rule and reign with Him, filling the royal role that God gave humans from the very beginning (Genesis 1:26-28). This is what it means to say that the resurrected would “shine” like “stars.” In the Bible, shining stars are symbols of royalty as in Numbers 24:17, which says, “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” To be a star is to have a position of power in God’s kingdom. So as we’ve seen throughout the book of Daniel, tyrants may oppress others in their pursuit of power, but in the end, seats of authority in God’s kingdom are reserved for the humble and faithful.
This is the promise for us today if we stay faithful to God. In a society that is not so different from Babylon, Persia, and Greece, many things may tempt us to ignore, abandon, or even live in direct contradiction to our faith. Our own cultural idols and comforts may draw us away from the justice that God desires for our communities. Like Daniel, we must have the eyes to see these forces for what they are and the courage to resist them no matter the cost. God has in a sense already rescued and raised those of us who have pledged allegiance to Jesus the King. So with the power He’s invested in us, our mission is to join Him in bringing the good news of the kingdom of God on earth.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 12
THE END TIMES
1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”
8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”
9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
13 “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”
QUESTIONS
1. Now that you’ve read the book of Daniel, if someone was to ask you what it is all about, how would you summarize it?
2. What is your biggest takeaway from Daniel? How have you been inspired to live differently as a result of reading this book? -
Missing episodes?
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COMMENTARY
Yesterday, we read the introduction to the final vision of Daniel. Today’s reading reveals the message of the vision, which was “written in the book of truth” (Daniel 10:21; 11:2). This message reads like a history book. It recounts the rise and fall of various kings and kingdoms in the ancient Near East. These kings are not referred to by their names but are easily identified by the activities attributed to them. For example, the “mighty king” of Greece whose kingdom is “broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven” is undoubtedly Alexander the Great, the Greek emperor whose kingdom was divided between four generals after his sudden and early death in 323 BC (Daniel 11:3-4). Likewise, the “king of the North” who abolishes daily sacrifices, installs “the abomination that causes desolation” in the temple, and murders those who remain faithful to God is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Greek-Syrian tyrant who terrorized Judeans before his death in 164 BC (Daniel 11:28, 31, 33).
A good study Bible or commentary will help readers make these connections, but you don’t need to know exactly who each king is in this chapter in order to understand the point. Repetitious words and themes drive home the big idea. King after king will “arise” to power (Daniel 11:2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 16, 20, 21, 31). They will do whatever “pleases” them without concern for others (Daniel 11:3, 16, 36). But no matter how invincible they seem, each will meet their own “end” (Daniel 11:27, 35, 40, 45). These repetitions emphasize the fact that human history tends to follow certain patterns. Just as Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius were all humbled in their own ways after they arrogantly afflicted Daniel and his contemporaries, many other violent kings would arise and fall.
For Judeans who faced the prospect of being “burned,” “captured,” or “plundered” by these kings, this survey of history must have served as a source of hope (Daniel 11:33). God saw their suffering, and He would bring down their oppressors at His “appointed time” (Daniel 11:27, 29, 35). This message continues to be “truth” for us today (Daniel 11:2). Those with power might do what pleases them for the time being, but the seemingly unstoppable empires of the world are really just transient to God. He will bring victory to His people, in this life or the next.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 11:2–45
THE KINGS OF THE SOUTH AND THE NORTH
2 “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4 After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.
5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.
7 “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. 8 He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. 9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. 10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.
11 “Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.
14 “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16 The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it. 17 He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.
20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.
21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. 23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. 24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time.
25 “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. 28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.
29 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
33 “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
THE KING WHO EXALTS HIMSELF
36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.
40 “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
QUESTIONS
1. The situation of faithful people in Daniel 11:33-35 parallels the situations of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 1, 3, and 6. All were forced to choose between life or loyalty to God. Unfortunately, some described in Daniel 11 were not immediately rescued by God as their predecessors had been. How do we make sense of God’s seemingly haphazard dealings with the world? Can we? What is the message of Daniel 11 for those who don’t experience immediate earthly rescue?
2. Daniel 11:32 indicates that those “who know their God will firmly resist” evil powers like Antiochus IV Epiphanes. How were people back then supposed to show resistance? What do you suppose godly resistance looks like today? -
COMMENTARY
Today’s reading includes an extended introduction to the final and longest vision in the book of Daniel. It begins with Daniel seeking a message from God through the practices of prayer, mourning, and fasting. As we’ve seen God do so many times in this book, He responds to Daniel by sending an angelic messenger. But this time, the messenger is delayed by three weeks and for a strange reason. In Daniel 10:12-13, the angel says, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.”
Here, the messenger reveals an important but difficult to understand part of reality. He reveals that beyond the material dimension stands a supernatural realm where spiritual beings fight on behalf of the nations they represent. The idea that spiritual beings represent different nations was common in the ancient Near East and is reflected in other parts of Scripture. For example, Deuteronomy 32:8 (MSG) says, “When the High God gave the nations their stake, gave them their place on Earth, He put each of the peoples within boundaries under the care of divine guardians.” In this circumstance, a spirit fought to delay Daniel’s angel because the message the angel brought was about the impending fall of Persia to the Greeks (Daniel 10:20; 11:2-3).
In our modern culture, we don’t talk much about the spiritual realm. It’s clear though that biblical authors and spiritual leaders like Daniel, Paul, and Jesus often talk about this reality. So how do we live knowing this truth? We do not live by assigning mysterious spiritual causes to every event; the Bible warns us about this. Instead, we live and pray, knowing that not everything is explainable by physical realities that we can see. This should not produce fear in us but confidence in the God we serve and the truth that Jesus has conquered the principalities and powers of the world. God’s ultimate victory and supremacy in all things is already assured.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 10–11:1
DANIEL’S VISION OF A MAN
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.
2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. 16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”
18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”
When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”
20 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
CHAPTER 11
1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)
QUESTIONS
1. How much thought have you given to the reality of the supernatural realm? Does it intrigue you? Does it scare you? Are you unconcerned about this dimension? Why?
2. Daniel prayed humbly, fervently, and persistently for three weeks while he waited for an answer from God. Have you abandoned any of your prayers to God? What’s keeping you from humbly, fervently, and persistently sharing what’s on your heart with Him? -
COMMENTARY
Today’s reading continues the occasion of Daniel 9. We’ve seen Daniel praying to God after reflecting on Jeremiah’s prophecy about the seventy years of captivity. Now, Daniel receives a vision from the angel Gabriel, which reveals more about the exile of the people of God. In Daniel 9:24, Gabriel says, “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.” In other words, exile was not entirely over for the people of God. They would return to the land of Judah, but even there, their suffering would continue for “seventy ‘sevens’.”
The phrase “seventy ‘sevens’” has been the subject of endless debate. Most scholars agree that the phrase means seventy “seven-year intervals” or 490 years. They draw this conclusion by comparison with Leviticus 25:8, which talks about how an event known as the Year of Jubilee should occur after seven “seven-year intervals” or 49 years. Beyond that, scholars have offered endless interpretations about when this 490-year period might begin and end. Verses 25-27 complicate things even more. Those verses subdivide the 490 years into periods of 49 years, 434 years, and 7 years. No matter when this 490-year period is thought to begin or end, it is virtually impossible to line up all these time frames with dates of significance in Jewish and Christian history, if that is even the correct understanding in the first place.
Instead of trying to force the numbers to add up, it is probably best to interpret Daniel’s seventy “sevens” as theological math, a common phenomenon in the Bible where the significance of a number is not in its numerical value, but in what it symbolically conveys. A good example of this is in Matthew 18:21-22, which uses the same numbers as Daniel 9. When Peter asks Jesus if he should forgive someone up to seven times, Jesus responds, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22 NLT). The point isn’t that Peter should forgive someone precisely 490 times and that would be enough. Given that the number seven often conveys ideas of completion or perfection in the Bible (and much more the number 490), the point is that Peter should forgive as many times as is necessary. In a similar way, Daniel 9 seems to be expressing that at the complete and perfect time, God would act on behalf of His powerless people. This is certainly how Jesus and the New Testament writers understood the mission of Jesus. As Paul writes in Romans 5:6, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (cf. Mark 1:15; Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:10). So rather than spending our time attempting to calculate exactly when certain events did or may yet take place, we should instead spend our energies creating communities that demonstrate the qualities that God has required of His people since the beginning: justice, righteousness, and self-giving love.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 9:20–27
THE SEVENTY “SEVENS”
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill—21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:
24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
QUESTIONS
1. Daniel 9:21 indicates that Daniel received an answer to his prayer while he was still praying. Why do you suppose God was so quick to speak to Daniel?
2. Many scholars see the details of Daniel 9:26-27 as describing the events of 171-164 BC when Antiochus IV Epiphanes killed an “anointed” priest, “put an end” to Jewish worship, and installed an “abomination that causes desolation” in the Temple. If this is the case, then in Mark 13, Jesus reapplied these symbols to his first century context because many similar things were happening in His own day. He as God’s anointed would be killed, and the Jerusalem Temple would be destroyed by the Romans. Why do you suppose history seems to repeat so often? What does the end of this vision (and really all the visions of Daniel) teach us about the end of each cycle of history? -
COMMENTARY
Daniel 9 contains another vision, but unlike the previous visions, it begins with a reflection on Scripture and a prayer. The historical and biblical background for this occasion is significant. Verses 1-2 tell us that “in the first year of Darius,” Daniel meditated on a message “given to Jeremiah the prophet,” which concerned “seventy years” of desolation for Jerusalem. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet talked about how the people of Judah would be exiled in Babylon as a result of their sins but would return to their land after seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10). Now in 539 BC, nearly seventy years after Daniel’s deportation to Babylon, Daniel is meditating on these passages and wondering if the return to Jerusalem is imminent.
After reflecting on this passage, Daniel turns to God in prayer regarding the things on his mind. The prayer he prays follows a model outlined in 1 Kings 8:46-51. He starts by pleading with God to show love to God’s people. Then, Daniel makes a confession of corporate sin: “We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws” (Daniel 9:5).
What’s noteworthy about this prayer is that Daniel admits his own part in the sin of his people even though he has repeatedly been vindicated as innocent by God. In the book of Daniel, there are no accounts of any wrongdoing by Daniel. He has proven to be without corruption as an individual, but he recognizes that he was a participant in a community that was guilty of wrongdoing and sin.
Daniel’s humble posture in prayer should challenge us as Christians in America today. In our individualistic society, we tend to think of sin as the crime of individuals, not communities. When we see evil pervading the walls of governments, workplaces, schools, or churches, we blame others, never ourselves. The truth is, sin can be committed by individuals and by communities, and we can be held at fault for both. It is the action or inaction of individuals that allows corporate sin to continue and systemic wrongs to go on. Thankfully, we have a merciful God who forgives those who confess their complicity and work to bring change.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 9:1–19
DANIEL’S PRAYER
1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
QUESTIONS
1. Why do you think it is so hard for individuals to accept blame like Daniel did for societal issues?
2. What corporate sins do you think we need to confess as a country? As a society? As a church? -
I LOST MY MOTHER WHEN I WAS EIGHT, AND I’VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WRITING OBITUARIES.
I think about death a lot, and that might be totally weird. It probably has something to do with the fact that I lost my mother when I was eight, and I’ve had a lot of experience writing obituaries. I look at pictures totally differently now because I’ve had to sift through them to pick for obituaries. I had to bury two of my brothers and when I look at pictures now, they mean so much more to me because you never know how they’re going to be used.
My name is Iris Flores, and I am kind of from everywhere. I was originally born in the Cabrini–Green housing projects.Flores is my married name. People assume that I’m Latina, which I am not. A large part of my story and who I am is because I lost my mother at the age of eight. I moved a lot. I went to twelve grammar schools and three high schools, so I’m everywhere. I went to the city schools, I went to the suburban schools, I went to school in Minnesota, whoever could take me. I went to Downers Grove South High School my freshman year, Palatine High School my sophomore year, and I graduated from Senn High School. I mostly lived in the suburbs after I graduated from high school because I prefer the suburbs, but I ended up moving back to the city because I was employed by the City of Chicago.
My mother was kind of a quiet woman, and she was in excruciating pain all the time from a disease called scleroderma. I think she was heavily medicated. She didn’t talk to me a whole lot, and after she died, I moved every six months to a year. I ended up moving back and forth to Cabrini-Green a couple times. The last time I lived there, it was really bad. The hallways smelled like urine. The elevators didn’t usually work, so it was not abnormal to get out of school and have to walk up 13 flights of stairs. You couldn’t touch the railing because people would usually spit on them. It wasn’t a great place to live.
On my first day of kindergarten I had a cute little matching rain jacket, boots, and hat but by the time I got home, they were all gone. I got beat up. They took my jacket, my boots, and my hat. It wasn’t a good place by the time I went to kindergarten.
I had my first impression of religion when Father Sebastian would come to our house on Saturdays and do whatever they did. My mom was a devout Catholic, and we went to church at St. Joseph’s, but I never felt like I understood anything at church. I didn’t understand the standing, kneeling, sitting down. I didn’t understand the hymns. I never really felt like I got anything out of mass.
When I was 16, I moved in with my dad. He lived in Palatine with his new wife. He had a one-bedroom apartment and my father was very honest and very direct. I had been living with him for two weeks. My father went and bought alcohol every day and he took me with him. My father was very personable. Everyone loved him. He could’ve been the mayor of Palatine. He would go into the liquor store and there was this woman there named Lisa. I don’t know if this makes sense to you or not, but when you’re an African-American person in a predominantly white community, when you see another black person you kind of have this, “I see you” connection.
Lisa was an African-American woman. Turns out she was 14 years older than me, and we shared the same birthday. She worked at the liquor store and I started going in there just to hang out with her when I didn’t have anything to do, and we became friends within the first two weeks I lived with my dad.
I had a 10 pm curfew and one night when I got in the house, my dad and Catherine were not on the couch, and I knew something was wrong because that was not normal. My dad called me in the next room and I said, “Hey, what’s going on?” He says, “You cannot live here any longer and I’d like to know where you want to go.” I said, “Excuse me? I don’t understand.” He goes, “What are you illiterate? I said you can’t live here anymore. I don’t want the responsibility, so think of somewhere that you want to go.” I said, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it. Can I leave my things here until tomorrow?” He said, “You can stay here until tomorrow.” I said, “I’m fine. No thank you.”I left and walked over to Lisa’s house.
She lived in the same complex, and we were just hanging out. After a few minutes she says, “Wait a minute, you had a 10 pm curfew. What are you doing here?” I said, “My dad told me I couldn’t live there anymore.” She said, “Are you serious?” And I said, “Yes.” Lisa’s husband got up off the couch and put their two kids in the same bed to free a bed up, put their clothes in the combined drawers and he said, “You have a home here from now on.” I moved in with them that night, and I lived with them for about a year.
Through all that, never really having a home, and not having any real connections, I just knew that God kept me safe. I had been in so many negative places. There was a time when I moved back to the city in my junior year of high school and I got hooked up with a really bad crowd. I promise you that God had His arms around me because there was death, there was addiction, there was all sorts of things that a 16-year-old should not have been exposed to. There was no parent to supervise me. I can’t tell you how many nights I walked the streets of Chicago by myself at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 a.m.
But then I ended up meeting some girls who took me to a typical black church. I think it was a Baptist church, and I totally freaked out because I had never had that experience before. People were having the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues, so I was totally petrified, but I remember feeling some emotion. That was the first time that I ever felt like God could’ve actually been a thing that people could feel and connect with. I fell in love with gospel music and sang in the choir. I felt like I made my first true connection with God through music. Eventually I really felt like I developed a personal relationship with God.
There was a time when I was very involved in church. I was in the choir, the women’s group, and the prayer group. I always remembered the importance of leaving a little sprinkle of Jesus if I came into contact with someone who I knew was struggling. I have some friends that are agnostic, Buddhist, and nonbelievers. I always manage to just throw it out there because I know that it’s my responsibility as a Christian. I have to plant a little seed. Sometimes I think I might turn her off, and she might not call me again, but I know that it’s okay because it’s my duty as a Christian. I feel like God’s had my back because I’ve been somewhat faithful to what He wants me to do.
Later on, because my husband and I always worked opposite shifts, it was hard for us to go to church at the same time. I had been praying and praying and praying that God would find the right service for him to go to, and there were several different times when we tried to go at the same time, and it just never worked out. When he finally got the opportunity to go to church with me, it was the Sunday that a former gangster or mafia-type guy was the speaker, and his story was so similar to my husband’s that I knew God delayed my husband coming for that particular service.
I knew it 100% without a doubt. I think that was the first real experience he had where he felt a connectedness. Ironically, I eventually switched to work midnight shifts and a lot of Sunday mornings, I would get in from work at 6:30 in the morning. So, my husband started taking our girls to church by himself because he switched shifts and now was working in the afternoons.
So now he was the primary church guy in the family and over the years, I’ve seen God work in his life. Now he volunteers at the church, and he’s just completely come to understand God on a whole different level. He recently got baptized, accepted the Lord as his savior. Watching God work in his life has been another confirmation to me of how things happen in God’s time, not always when we want.
If nothing else, I’ve definitely learned that every challenge, every struggle, and every dark period was necessary for me to become who I am today. I always tell my kids that I’m just so thankful for all the struggle because it’s completely molded me. It’s made me who I am. I have so much to offer people because I can speak from a frame of reference. I feel like I give my kids such a strong foundation because I can pull from so many different areas and experiences, and they know that I come from a place of true knowledge.
And now as a police officer in the City of Chicago, I still encounter really, really difficult things all the time. My truth might not be anyone else’s truth. I can only give you what I think. I’m a woman of color, African-American, black, whatever. My husband is Hispanic. Growing up, I spent a large majority of my life in white neighborhoods. So as a Chicago police officer, I see all the sides. I am a firm believer that no one owes you anything. If you want to make your situation better, if you want to make your circumstances better, you have to put in the work. I also know everyone can use some help. Unfortunately, I think the problem is so complicated that it’s not one particular thing.
But the biggest problem I see in my community is broken homes. Although my father left when I was young, I still had one. My brothers were good guys, and I think it’s because they had a father and a mother who taught them values. But for some people, their mother might not know their father, they both might be on drugs, and they’re poor, no one’s making sure they’re eating balanced meals, no one’s making sure they’re going to school.
In those situations, I think you’re destined for failure. I think that it’s a lot of things that are the problem. I think that the judicial system is not where it should be. And of course, systemic racism has existed forever, and it might always exist.
I absolutely understand that there are some problems with some police officers, but being a black police officer, married to a man who is a non-white police officer, I can tell you that not all white police officers are racist. I think that there are more good cops than bad cops. Unfortunately, everyone can pull in an audience and tell a story if they tell it right. But every story that you hear might not be right, and you have to be so careful with what you listen to because the person that’s delivering the message might have a specific agenda. There are times when I find myself listening to news commentaries, and I have to turn them off because they’re so far from the truth. The average police officer doesn’t wake up and say, “I’m going to shoot a black guy or woman today.” That’s not the way it happens.
You have to see people on an individual basis. You have to know the totality of the circumstances, and when people ask me to discuss the video and footage, I refuse to get caught up in that conversation because we’ve gotten to the place in society where if you don’t feel exactly like the person you’re speaking to, they don’t want to have anything to do with you. But we don’t have to see eye to eye 100% or agree 100%. We just have to have an intelligent dialogue and understand each other’s opinions. My husband and I have different opinions all the time, and we talk about it and he’ll convince me to see his side, and I’ll convince him to see my side, and sometimes we just have to disagree and that’s okay. We don’t have to always feel the same.
I remember driving to work one morning, listening to talk radio, and I just got so sad from all the negativity I was hearing. I just cried halfway to work because it just seems like we’re in such a dark space. I told my husband, “I don’t know where all these white people came from who are protesting with the black people right now, because I’m feeling the most racial tension I’ve ever felt in my life.” Yeah. It’s such a complicated thing. Of course, with my job, I see racism, I see sexism, being who I am and where I am. Of course, we know racism exists. We can’t deny that, but it hurts my heart to see all the male and female officers who show up for work every day because they genuinely think they’re making a difference. It’s such a complicated job. It’s a super complicated job. It’s never one reason why things happen. It’s just so sad that it’s come down to race because I think it’s usually not the reason, you know?
It’s hard. It’s a really hard time, and it’s so sad because people don’t see police officers as human beings who have the same flaws as everyone else. They suffer from anxiety, depression, bipolar. They suffer from the same things. They’re not Superman and Superwoman, no matter what people think.
We try so hard, and it’s all the grace of God. I tell you, he has completely just wrapped His arms around our family. To see my husband grow to where he is today, it’s truly a beautiful thing. It’s just one more proof that God is real. He’s shown up for me time and time again because I prayed for my husband. I mean, from the day I got him, I prayed that he would get to know God on a personal level. We’ve been married 22 years now. In the last 10 years, I’ve seen unbelievable growth and connectedness.
Looking back, the biggest thing I learned from losing my mother at eight is that life is short, and we don’t have a whole lot of time to waste. With my job now, I leave my family with the mindset that I might not come back. You just don’t know. Don’t assume I’m living to 80. Don’t assume that my kids are going to bury me. Every time I deal with people, I deal with them like it might be the last time I see them. I tell all my partners at work, if anything ever happens to me, you know that I genuinely love you. You have no doubts about that. When you treat people right, you don’t have to have any regrets. -
COMMENTARY
Daniel 8 contains another vision of beasts and horns, which represent kings and kingdoms. Unlike previous visions, this vision gives some specific interpretations for these images. The first image Daniel sees is a two-horned ram, a representation of the “kings of Media and Persia” (Daniel 8:20). Then, Daniel sees a shaggy goat with a prominent horn, a representation of “the first king” of “Greece,” Alexander the Great (Daniel 8:21). The final image Daniel sees is a small horn emerging from the goat. This horn is not explicitly identified, but most scholars agree that it represents Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a later Greek-Syrian tyrant.
Scholars draw this conclusion because the proud exploits attributed to this horn are known to be true of Antiochus. For example, verse 11 says that the small horn “took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord.” This is a reference to Antiochus’ decision in 167 BC to ban the worship of Yahweh and murder anyone who defied his order. Also in verse 11, it says that the horn claimed divine status when it “set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord.” Antiochus famously claimed to be God when he accepted the title “Epiphanes,” a title meaning “God manifest.”
The visions of Daniel 9 and 11 will also point to the corrupt deeds of Antiochus, an indication of just how barbaric he was. Even though this vision of Antiochus was so disturbing that Daniel was “appalled,” the message of the vision was still one of hope (Daniel 8:27). Hard times would continue to fall on the people of God, but like all the arrogant kings Daniel had encountered, this oppressor would meet his “end” at God’s “appointed time” (Daniel 8:19). This is the message we should take away from the vision. Sometimes it’s not clear what God is doing or if He even cares. In reality, He sees the plight of those who are hurt by callous authorities. God’s request is simply that we stay faithful in the waiting and trust that He will make things right at the appointed time.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 8
DANIEL’S VISION OF A RAM AND A GOAT
1 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.
5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. 7 I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?”
14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
THE INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”
17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
QUESTIONS
1. The vision of Daniel 8 contains a number of parallels to previous stories and visions. What parallels do you notice between the actions of kings in this vision and the actions of kings in previous stories? What do you suppose the book is trying to teach us through these patterns?
2. Daniel 8:27 says that Daniel “got up and went about the king’s business” despite being “exhausted” and “appalled” by his vision. What do you suppose gave him the resolve to continue working for a king (i.e., Belshazzar [see verse 1]) who was not fundamentally different than the horn he saw in the vision? How does Daniel’s example speak to you? -
COMMENTARY
Today’s reading continues Daniel’s vision of the four beasts. The vision begins with beasts emerging out of chaotic waters, a scene reminiscent of biblical and Near Eastern creation stories where creation begins in the context of a watery, dark, and monstrous chaos (e.g., Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 74:12-17). The vision now moves to a new scene where God, referred to as the “Ancient of Days,” is seated in a courtroom and is surrounded by His holy angels (Daniel 7:9).
In this courtroom, another figure appears who is described as “one like a son of man” (Daniel 7:13). This figure ascends on the clouds to God and is given “authority, glory, and sovereign power.” This scene also picks up on creation themes. In Genesis 1:26-28, creation culminated with the installation of humans as God’s royal image-bearers on the earth. Here, a human being (that’s what the Aramaic phrase “son of man” means), is installed as king over the earth. In a sense, this vision depicts a new creation.
But who is this son of man? The interpretation of the vision links the figure to the “holy people of the Most High” (Daniel 7:18, 22, 27). Just as the four beasts represent four empires, so the son of man represents the faithful followers that the beasts had crushed. After a period of suffering under a beastly king, they experience a reversal; they are rescued and raised to positions of power like we’ve seen so often throughout the book of Daniel (Daniel 2:48-49, 3:30, 5:29, 6:27-28).
However, when we look at the New Testament, it’s clear that Jesus claimed this title as His own (e.g., Mark 13:26; 14:62). Why did He make this connection? Since God’s people continued to be burdened by the political, social, religious, and spiritual powers of this world, Jesus chose to stand in their place as a good king ought to. As the Son of Man, He represented them, not as a literary symbol but as a surrogate who let the beasts of this world, the principalities and powers, unleash their crushing blows on Him. What appeared to be a victory for those powers was actually their undoing. After a period of suffering, Jesus was raised to new life, launching a new creation. When He ascended on the clouds to the Father, He was set on a throne of royal authority as the preeminent image of God (cf. Matthew 28:18; Acts 2:32-36; Ephesians 1:20-22; Colossians 1:15-20).
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 7:9–28
9 “As I looked,
“thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.
11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM
15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.
“So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’
19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.
23 “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.
26 “ ‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’
28 “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”
QUESTIONS
1. The vision of Daniel 7 anticipates the story of Jesus, but it also looks back to the story of Daniel and the lion’s den in chapter 6. How does the experience of Daniel relate to the experience of the son of man in chapter 7?
2. When Jesus and the early Christian leaders spoke about the “gospel” or “good news,” their message focused on the fact that Jesus had become King and His kingdom had come (e.g., Mark 1:14-15; Acts 5:42). Why is this good news? If this is the gospel message, how should we proclaim it in our world? -
COMMENTARY
Chapter 7 marks a critical juncture in the book of Daniel. It concludes the Aramaic section of the book, which runs from Daniel 2-7. It also marks the beginning of the apocalyptic section of the book, which runs from Daniel 7-12. Technically, we have already encountered some apocalyptic material in the dreams of Daniel 2 and 4. But whereas Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams were a part of narrative stories, the dreams and visions we read now in the second half of the book of Daniel are just that, dreams and visions.
The apocalyptic material we read in this part of Daniel can seem very challenging,
but a couple tips can make this part of the book less imposing. First, it’s critical to know that an apocalypse is not necessarily a depiction of the “end of the world” as one might think from watching Hollywood Christianity. An apocalypse is simply an unveiling, a revelation, or a vision of the world through a different set of lenses. Viewing the world through this perspective can help us see reality the way God sees
it. Second, the main themes, images, and ideas that we’ve encountered in the first
six chapters all reappear in the final six apocalyptic chapters. The book of Daniel wasn’t haphazardly put together; a lot of creative genius went into designing this book. If we read it slowly and sensitively, we can appreciate the masterpiece that it is.
The opening verses of Daniel 7 draw on a number of important themes related to the first half of the book. They describe four great “beasts” that “crush” and “devour” their victims while speaking arrogantly. This imagery is reminiscent of Daniel 6, where conspirators “falsely accused” (literally: devoured) Daniel, and where lions “crushed” their bones. It is also reminiscent of Daniel 4, which describes how Nebuchadnezzar devolved into a beast after he failed to rule with justice and humility. That alone should give us a clue about the significance of the four beasts. Finally, the appearance of four symbols in a dream should remind us of the dream in chapter 2 where four metals represented four kingdoms of this world.
We will spend another day working through this critically important vision, but we can already see that Daniel 7 contains yet another prophetic critique of worldly empires. Through this apocalypse, God wants us to perceive that leaders and the structures they manage can behave like beasts, trampling upon the weakest among them.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 7:1–8
7
DANIEL’S DREAM OF FOUR BEASTS
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.
5 “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’
6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast— terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
QUESTIONS
1. Apocalyptic visions like what we read in Daniel 7 use vivid images to reveal an alternative perspective on reality. What makes images effective in shaping our view of reality? What feelings do you have when you envision the scene of four beasts?
2. How has God already been opening your eyes throughout the book of Daniel? -
COMMENTARY
Today’s reading continues the story of Daniel and the lion’s den. As we’ve seen, Darius was manipulated into making a decree that required all prayer go to him for 30 days. In humble noncompliance with the decree, Daniel offered prayers to God, just as he had always done. Now the story continues with the conspirators turning Daniel in. They say to the ruler in verse 13, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.”
Unlike Nebuchadnezzar’s heated reaction to the civil disobedience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Darius’ reaction is remarkably benevolent. Daniel 6:14 says, “When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.”
Darius may seem benevolent, at least in comparison to his erratic predecessor, but he is also characterized as incompetent. In a moment of comedy and irony, Darius desperately tries to save his only honest administrator but proves to be incapable of dissolving his own law. Admitting defeat, he says to Daniel in verse 16, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” In other words, Darius couldn’t save Daniel from his short-sighted policies but perhaps God could.
This portrayal of Darius may be comedic, but like all comedy, it contains a piercing sliver of truth. Despite all the power that human leaders may hold, there will always be limitations to what they can achieve. In American society, where we put extraordinary trust in our leaders, where we believe they can save us from past wounds and hope they can chart out an idyllic future for us, the story of Daniel and Darius should teach us to place our hope elsewhere. If we need someone to rescue us, God alone can save.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 6:11–28
11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.” 16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: “May you prosper greatly! 26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
QUESTIONS
1. In Daniel 6:21, Daniel repeats a greeting we have read several other times throughout the book: “May the king live forever” (cf. Daniel 2:4, 3:9; 5:10, 6:6). How does this greeting contrast with the affirmation of Daniel 6:26: “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end” (cf. Daniel 4:3, 34; 7:14, 18, 27; 12:2, 3, 7)? What is the book trying to teach us through these contrasting veins of thought?
2. When have you set too much hope in a human leader? How were you let down, and how does that experience shape your perspective today? -
COMMENTARY
Daniel 6 introduces us to another ruler, and not just a new ruler, but a new empire – the Persian Empire ruled by Darius the Mede. While the leaders and their governments have changed, some of the ways they conduct business have remained the same. In fact, just as the story of Belshazzar in Daniel 5 paralleled the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, the story of Daniel 6 parallels the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. In Daniel 3, three men of Judah were faced with the life or death decision of whether to bow down to a statue or remain loyal to God. Now in Daniel 6, a different man of Judah, Daniel, is faced with a similar choice: praying to an earthly king or being killed for praying to God.
In this story, Daniel is set up by a group of local politicians who are jealous of his high position within the government. Hoping to see this foreigner fail, they play on pride and self-image to manipulate King Darius into making a law that says that “anyone who prays to any god or human being” except Darius should be “thrown into the lions’ den” (Daniel 6:7). Daniel’s response to the law, which pitted loyalty to the king against loyalty to God, is noteworthy. Daniel 6:10 says, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel’s response here is an act of both defiance and discipline. It is an act of courage and also his common practice. He immediately rebels against the decree by going to God in prayer, but his prayer is not some spurious exhibition. It is simply a continuation of what he had been doing all along.
Daniel’s faithful living in the midst of his ordeal must be a model for us. His private practice produced public devotion. In our social media-driven society, we too often get those things reversed. We mistake people for their personas. We think faithfulness is primarily about what we publicly say rather than what we privately and perpetually do. That kind of faith only leads to a veneer of cultural Christianity and a private life that remains untransformed. If we want to stand firm in the face of lions, it’s the regular and unremarkable spiritual habits that will build our strength and deepen our faith.
SCRIPTURE
Daniel 6:1–10
Daniel in the Den of Lions
1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
QUESTIONS
1. Daniel 6:4 tells us that Daniel was “trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent,” even as a captive working in a foreign government. Who do you know that could be described in similar terms in a difficult work environment? Why should it matter how we conduct our business?
2. What is your current prayer life like? What is keeping you from embracing a routine like Daniel? -
Growing up, I walked to school, I was a crossing guard and the ice cream truck would come by; it was idyllic. We used to run around and play cops and robbers in the neighbors’ yards. It was wonderful. It really was.
My name is Sarah, and I grew up in Schaumburg, IL. We were raised Catholic, and while I still really enjoy and love that tradition, I never had a relationship with God then. I always thought it was the priest who had the relationship with God. But I still loved church. I love to sing in church and growing up, I would see my dad doing his quiet time at the kitchen table. There were a lot of things that he instilled in us that, now having this relationship with God, I can see was a lot of biblical wisdom. I grew up in a house with nine people. I have four brothers and two sisters. They made me resilient, but when I left Schaumburg at 19, I was ready to go. I was out of there. My parents used to have a sign on the door, and it was hilarious. It said, “Leave now when you’re 18 and you still know everything.”
So I moved in with friends, and oh my goodness. It was such a reality check, like a punch in the face. Finances were a huge shock to me, as was having to be self-sufficient.
Nobody came to wake me up so that I would be on time for school. Nobody came to check and see that my homework was done. I had to do that on my own. That was definitely interesting. And I had a lot of interesting roommates; some were very difficult. Those difficulties brought out things that had been hidden parts of my life.
I was 13 years old the first time someone introduced me to cocaine. At 13, I thought I was an adult because of the things that I had seen and gone through. It set me on the path of thinking, “Oh, this is normal.” It took being sober in Christ and time to look back and understand that was not normal at all. But there was abuse I had experienced and situations where I was introduced to very hard drugs, things that I just don’t think a young person should ever be subjected to, and those things began to shape my choices. Experiencing sexual abuse at a very young age was one of those things. The aftermath of that was that my idea around what sex is was completely broken. When you’re really young and those things happen to you in your formative years, it also starts to form your idea of what love is. I started to choose abusive partners because I was really trying to heal from past hurt, but that just led to more abuse.
As a coping mechanism, I sought out a drug, pride, buying something, eating something, or just spacing out on whatever I could as a means to cope. It compounded and then I was just drowning. Then I would change location, my hair, my job, or my boyfriend. It would always be external things.
At the time, I didn’t know that the only thing that was going to change me truly is Christ. The first time that God introduced Himself to me was actually God putting this thought into my head. God said, “I want you to be radically honest.”
Unfortunately, it’s so normal to lie, and lie on top of a lie, on top of another lie. I really began to wrestle with that at the beginning of 2017, which was a really hard time in my life. I actually refer to that season as the “dark ages” because it was just so dark. But I was able to start facing those demons and facing things that I was projecting onto other people and saying, “This is their fault.” God was introducing me to who I really was and the sin in my life, which was heavy, but God did it in a beautiful way, and I was able to see what redemption looks like in the process. I had a twisted view of what love should be and of who I am. But that has changed so much with God. I remember one of the first things I did was write on my mirror in lipstick, “I am a child of God,” because every time I would look in the mirror, it would be a place of self-deprecation, hatred, judgment, or trying to find the value in my appearance. I had to remind myself, “No, God is going to stand with you here, and you’re going to find your identity in Him. You’re going to find your worth in Him.”
The radical honesty was so amazing because God led me down this path of forgiveness to talk to everyone who had hurt me or I had hurt. To talk to my abuser and forgive my abuser, to talk to a girl that I made a mean comment to in seventh grade. It was amazing. I chopped off all my hair. I didn’t wear makeup. I lived in the same dress for a while. It was awesome because all of that, all of those things that I had placed so much value in, God said, “Let it go. This is who you are, and you’re beautiful just as you are.”
Now I can look back on my life and see that I stopped going to church shortly after my abuse and that was when I was 13. I can connect those things now. But my dad, throughout all the time since, would ask, “Hey, do you want to come to church?” He was always inviting, never shaming, but just always inviting. So it was really cool that once I was ready, I could say, “Hey, dad, I want to go to church.” I knew who to call. A seed was planted. For all the parents reading this, the prodigal child can return. I felt the Holy Spirit telling me, “Go to church.” At that point my stepmom was having surgery on her foot, and she had asked me to pray for her. So I thought, “Okay. I’m going to put a prayer request in the prayer box at church. I don’t need to talk to anybody. I’ll just put my little prayer in.” One Sunday, the prayer box wasn’t there, so I walked up to the Welcome Center and lo and behold, it’s Grace, and she asks, “Oh, are you here to sign up for small group?” I said, “Ugh, yeah. Here’s this prayer I have too.”
Oh, wow, did that change everything for me because then I found myself in this small group, and it completely changed my life. There were a lot of assumptions that I had before about Christians in general, like these people are judgmental and perfect, and I am so deeply broken that I absolutely have to pretend to be perfect in order to do this. Of course, my own shame shows up as perfectionism in my life all the time.
But the group was so not like that. It was so authentic. It was so incredible. My small group still meets and there are girls in my small group who are standing up in my wedding. It’s incredible, and the group changed my life because it was this authentic place that taught me about grace.
Before that, I was hiding, drowning, searching everywhere, searching in every religion. Really, like the Bible says, sort of tossed in the waves. My whole life had been fake, flighty, and anxious. I remember waking up every morning and having this pit in my stomach from all of this unresolved conflict and pain and all of the lies I had told, things I had done, and who I had betrayed. It was just this ball growing, rolling down a hill and growing. That was before Christ.
After Christ, there is light, compassion, grace, a chance. Philippians 4:7 is real. It is real. It is a peace that surpasses all understanding. I went back to my journals, which I’ve been keeping since I was a little kid. It was actually a way that I was able to meet myself in my abuse. I would write a lot of really dark poetry and hide my abuse there. I was able to see that it was real. That was what my life was like.
I had been broken. I was lost and sad. I was just so sad. It felt like I had no one but myself. I could never depend on anyone but myself so I was going to do it myself, even if it killed me. But then God told me, “You don’t have to die. I already did that. You are my child. You matter, and your life matters, and there’s forgiveness for you and for everyone around you. It’s going to be okay.”
And that revelation came through radical honesty and having the courage to look at myself and my world through new eyes. You can’t be free from something you’re hiding from or something you’re not acknowledging. Of course we don’t want to acknowledge that. Why would I want to acknowledge any of these things, especially when you have a reason to say, “But this person did this to me?”
“Hurt people hurt people” is so true. God gives you this new vision. Jesus gives you eyes to see the thing beneath the anger, the mean comment, or how that person treated you in the meeting at work that derailed you. And then He shows you the hurt within you and says, “Can I just sit next to you in your suffering? Can we just sit here together in it, not try to fix one another, but just sit next to each other?” That’s what God did for me, and that’s what He does for everyone. God sits with you and holds your hand in places that you think He doesn’t exist. But that’s where He’s actually the most present.
Wherever you are, you are not alone. One of the most profound moments I had in my small group was when I had relapsed with weed. With any addiction comes shame. It doesn’t matter what it is - drugs, pornography, food, TV, whatever. There’s shame, and I think the enemy wants to lock you in this little shame prison and isolate you, but I remember the Holy Spirit bringing to me the book of James and saying, “Confess to one another so they can pray for you.” I remember sitting in my friend’s house and confessing and crying. These women just held me. There was no judgment and they prayed over me. I’ll tell you what, I’ve never gone back to drugs and it’s been amazing. Even that failure was a reminder that God transforms failures too. You think you’re failing, but God is teaching you. He is guiding you. He is making you resilient so that when He’s ready to bring you into that next thing, you’re prepared.
So talk to someone. It is not weird. Therapy is the coolest thing ever. It is amazing. Everybody should go to therapy. Learn to speak about God and how He’s working in your life. Learn to feel exactly how you’re feeling when you’re feeling it and not feel bad or hide it. You don’t have to be anybody but who you are. God already knows who you are, and God loves you. I’ve discovered that I don’t have to be ashamed of my story. My story is beautiful because God saved my life and He made me who I am. Your story is beautiful, and God wants to give you the vision to see that truth too. -
COMMENTARY
In today’s reading, the story of Belshazzar and the writing on the wall continues. As we’ve seen, the local Babylonian experts have proven ineffective yet again at interpreting an omen of truly divine origin. In fact, in each successive story, they’ve shown themselves to be increasingly incompetent. In Daniel 2, they couldn’t tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream. In Daniel 4, they couldn’t interpret a dream even after hearing it. Now in Daniel 5, they are not only unable to interpret a message, they can’t even read the message!
So at the behest of the queen mother, Belshazzar invites Daniel to interpret the omen. We learn from Daniel that the inscription said, “Mene, mene, tekel, parsin” (Daniel 5:25). This succinct message lists various Babylonian monetary weights. Like the metals of the statue in Daniel 2, the value of these weights declines as the list goes on. This general decline in value might share a clue about the significance of the message: something considered great would diminish into something of little worth.
However, more help would be needed to understand the writing’s full meaning, so Daniel proceeds to interpret the message. He says, “Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” Daniel discerned this interpretation by means of creative wordplay. The Aramaic terms “mene,” “tekel,” and “peres” contain the same root letters as the words above translated as “numbered,” “weighed,” “divided,” and “Persia.” The meaning of the omen was that Belshazzar and his Babylonian empire would be brought down. The proud ruler had refused to humble himself, so God was going to do it for him.
God’s humbling of Belshazzar teaches about God’s concern for humility. In God’s upside-down value system, leaders are to live as though they are not fundamentally better than the people they lead. In fact, God wants leaders to embrace the posture of servants. Unfortunately, governments, corporations, and even churches frequently elevate their leaders to a godlike status. We must resist this impulse or else God will intervene. The writing is on the wall.
SCRIPTURE
DANIEL 5:13–31
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.
22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.
23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25 “This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin 26 “Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
QUESTIONS
1. The story of Belshazzar in Daniel 5 parallels the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4: both kings are humbled after exhibiting great pride. However, their final outcomes are different. What did Nebuchadnezzar do that Belshazzar didn’t, and what can that teach us today?
2. In Daniel 5:22, Daniel indicts Belshazzar not only for his pride but also for his unwillingness to respond to what he knew: “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.” Why would Belshazzar’s knowledge make him more culpable? What does this mean for us and our knowledge of God? -
COMMENTARY
Daniel 5 introduces us to a new ruler in Babylon named Belshazzar. The chapter begins with Belshazzar hosting a banquet. This banquet was likely the customary drinking party that ancient military commanders would host in advance of great battles. At that time (approximately 539 BC), the Persian army was approaching the city of Babylon and preparing to topple this old empire. So at his party, Belshazzar tried to encourage his people with a visible reminder of how the Babylonian gods had given them victory in the past. He called for the “goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem” so that they might drink from these trophies of war (Daniel 5:2).
What Belshazzar arrogantly fails to recognize is that the God of Israel had actually allowed this Babylonian victory in the past (Daniel 1:2). So as the story unfolds, God sends His own visual reminder to Belshazzar. A floating hand appears and writes an omen on the wall. This symbol of a hand plays off a theme in Daniel, which correlates hands and power. In the book of Daniel, hands are frequently seen as possessing power (Daniel 1:2; 2:34, 38; 3:15, 17; 4:35; 5:23-24; 7:25; 9:15). In fact, many times, words that mean “hand” in Hebrew and Aramaic are translated into English as “power” (Daniel 6:27; 8:4, 7, 25; 11:16, 42; 12:7). The point that the book of Daniel in general, and this story in particular, makes is that God holds ultimate power in His hands. God may give power to others for a time, and God can also take it away.
This omen may have been written for Belshazzar, but it should continue to speak to us today. In our independent and individualistic culture, we like to believe that we are in control, that power resides in our hands. The truth is that any power we have, really anything we have, comes to us by the permission of God. God may set power in our hands, but God can also take it away. With the power we have, we should walk humbly before God and work to bring justice on earth.
SCRIPTURE
Daniel 5:1–12
5 The Writing on the Wall 1 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
7 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
10 The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and
diviners. 12 He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
QUESTIONS
1. The message that God holds power in His hands is meant to be a message of hope
for people who are oppressed: God can bring down their oppressors. But why do you suppose He ever lets callous leaders have power in the first place?
2. How does the message that God holds power in His hands speak to you in your present situation? Is it a message of comfort? A word of warning? Both? -
COMMENTARY
Today’s reading narrates the interpretation and fulfillment of Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream. As we’ve read, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about a cosmic tree that was cut down and transformed into a beast. Now, Daniel reveals that Nebuchadnezzar is the tree and that he would quite literally take on animal-like qualities.
Nebuchadnezzar’s degeneration into a beast plays off key ideas from the opening chapters of the Bible. Genesis 1:26-27 teaches that God created humankind in His “image.” Interestingly, that word “image” is equivalent to the word that’s used to refer to statues in Daniel 2 and 3. As God’s statue-like images, humans were given the privilege of representing God as kings and queens over the earth. This role included the responsibility of ruling over beasts. Unfortunately, as the following chapters of Genesis make clear, humans repeatedly failed to rule over beasts. They were “deceived” by crafty animals, and beast-like sin came to “rule” over them (Genesis 3:13; 4:7).
In Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream in chapter 2, God told Nebuchadnezzar that the king had the same responsibility as God’s original image-bearers, the job of ruling over “beasts” (Daniel 2:38). This responsibility is symbolized in the present dream by the portrayal of Nebuchadnezzar as a tree under which “wild animals found shelter” (Daniel 4:12). However, Daniel’s interpretation of the dream makes it clear that Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and violence against the people he ruled would culminate in his own ironic downfall. Instead of ruling over the beasts, he would become one.
Nebuchadnezzar’s metamorphosis into a beast highlights a theme we will continue to see throughout the book of Daniel: when we fail in our role as God’s image-bearers by lording our power over others, we become more beast-like than human (Daniel 7; 8). Now things don’t have to end this way. God promises restoration for those who “acknowledge” their mistakes (Daniel 4:25-27). But for those who continue to devour their victims, God will bring down those beasts.
SCRIPTURE
Daniel 4:19–37
Daniel Interprets the Dream
19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”
Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds—22 Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.
23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’
24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has
issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
The Dream Is Fulfilled
28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”
31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation
to generation.
35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: “What have
you done?”
36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
QUESTIONS
1. In Mark 4:30-32, Jesus shares a parable that plays off themes from Daniel 4. Jesus says, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” Based on Jesus’ parable and Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, what characteristics might distinguish the kingdom of God from the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar?
2. The closing words of this chapter highlight an important principle: “those who walk in pride [God] is able to humble.” When have you seen pride humbled? What pride might God want to humble in you? -
COMMENTARY
Daniel 4 records the story of another dream that comes to Nebuchadnezzar. Like the dream in chapter 2 and the story in chapter 3, this dream focuses on another large object: a tree. This was not just any large tree. The tree that Nebuchadnezzar sees has cosmic features. It is described as standing in “the middle of the land” (literally: the center of the earth), is so tall that its “top touched the sky,” and is “visible to the ends of the earth” (Daniel 4:10-11).
Although Nebuchadnezzar is confused about the meaning of the dream, cosmic trees like this one were likely familiar images to the king. Cosmic trees frequently appeared in Mesopotamian iconography as symbols of imperial power. In fact, in some depictions, Mesopotamian kings are portrayed as personifications of cosmic trees. The Bible, which was written in this cultural context, uses the image of cosmic trees in several places to offer critiques of proud kings and their kingdoms. Ezekiel 31 describes the empire of Assyria as a cosmic tree that “towered higher than all the trees of the field” and was “the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.” As the prophecy goes on, it tells how God cut down the great tree of Assyria because of its pride and evil ways.
Nebuchadnezzar, who incidentally was instrumental in conquering Assyria, missed the meaning of the dream, perhaps out of ignorance or stubbornness. However, the dream’s significance shouldn’t be lost on us. Just as the great tree of Assyria was cut down, the cosmic tree of Nebuchadnezzar would be “cut down,” too (Daniel 4:14). Just as the cosmic tree of Nebuchadnezzar was cut down, so too could God bring down the proud rulers of our society. Sometimes it might seem like self-absorbed autocrats are running the world. However, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream reveals an alternative perspective on reality: “the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people” (Daniel 4:17).
SCRIPTURE
Daniel 4:1–18
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Tree
1 King Nebuchadnezzar, To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth: May you prosper greatly! 2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. 3 How great are his signs, How mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. 7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. 10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.
13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. “ ‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.
17 “ ‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’
18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
QUESTIONS
1. At a time when people are vying for seats of power across the nation, what does Daniel 4:17 communicate to you: “the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people”?
2. Scripture often describes the kingdom of God in upside-down terms. How does Daniel 4:17 reflect this upside-down value system? Where do you see our society making progress in embracing upside-down ideals? Where can we do better? -
COMMENTARY
In today’s reading, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego continues. As we’ve seen, they have been accused of refusing to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. Now, they are threatened with death in a blazing furnace. The passage begins with a stunning statement by the three men. They say in Daniel 3:17-18, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
What’s remarkable about their response is the faithfulness they show in the midst of uncertainty. They recognize that God has the power to save them. They also recognize that God might choose not to save them. In that place of unknowing, they still resolutely declare that they would never submit to the corrupt agendas of evil rulers.
In the end, God intervenes in a dramatic fashion. He sends one who “looks like a son of the gods” to deliver them from the flames (Daniel 3:25). This is the first of several times in the book of Daniel that God sends a supernatural being to save His persecuted people from suffering (Daniel 6:22; 7:13; 8:25; 10:12-14; 12:1). However, this story should not be read as a guarantee that God will save us from whatever imminent harm is looming on the horizon. In fact, the latter half of Daniel describes how God’s people undergo enormous suffering at the hands of a 2nd century BC tyrant known as Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Daniel 11:33 tells us that some who would choose to be faithful in the midst of Antiochus’ abominable policies would “fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.” God would eventually raise up these faithful followers over their oppressor, but their deliverance would come in the afterlife (Daniel 12:2-3). While the story shows us God’s ability to save, it’s more of a challenge for us to be faithful, even when we don’t know the outcome. As followers of God, we don’t do what is right because life will be easy for us or because God will save us as a result. We do what’s right because it’s what God calls us to do.
SCRIPTURE
Daniel 3:16–30
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
QUESTIONS
1. What does it say about God that He sent a representative to join Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in their place of suffering?
2. What recent or current situation are you facing that requires faithfulness without certainty? What right thing is God asking you to do? -
COMMENTARY
Daniel 3 tells the story of another colossal statue. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about a statue. Now, perhaps inspired by the dream, he builds one. (Evidently, he forgot that the statue in his dream came crashing down!)
It’s not clear who exactly this statue represented. Some suggest it was an image of a Babylonian god. Others suggest it was an image of Nebuchadnezzar himself. In any case, Nebuchadnezzar decreed that all nations and peoples were to worship the statue or be thrown into a blazing furnace. This command was a test of ultimate allegiance for the foreign captives he had taken, trained, and indoctrinated in Babylon. Would they submit to his regime, or would they suffer the consequences?
For the people of Judah who had been carried into exile by Nebuchadnezzar, this test was especially problematic. God had previously commanded His people not to bow down to any images like this one. In fact, in Deuteronomy 4, God said He would scatter His people into places like Babylon if they neglected His command. Sure enough, the people of Judah were in Babylon because they had betrayed God, and now they were being tempted to break faith again. However, it’s worth noting that in the same chapter, God reminded His people that He had saved them in the past from an “iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 4:20). If He had saved them from one “furnace” in the past, He could save them from this one. All God asked for was their loyalty.
God continues to ask that of us today. We may not face the same dilemma as the exiles in Babylon. We may not be tempted to bow down to statues. However, we do live in a society where idols like money, power, sex, and fame tempt us to submit to them daily. We live in a society where politicians and leaders demand our allegiance. In fact, you might be like Nebuchadnezzar. In your own sphere of influence, do you wield power over the people you claim to love and lead? The message of Daniel is that God is the true King, not us or the idols we are tempted to worship. God deserves our ultimate allegiance.
SCRIPTURE
Daniel 3:1–15
The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
QUESTIONS
1. Daniel 3:1-15 includes a lot of long, repetitious lists. On four different occasions, it lists six types of instruments, and twice it lists seven types of officials (Daniel 3:2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15). One effect of the robotic repetition is that it highlights how people senselessly went along with Nebuchadnezzar’s commands. How do you see people senselessly go along with corrupt agendas in our society today?
2. What “statues” in your life challenge you to break faith with God? - Show more
