Daniel 2
King Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream verse 1- 3
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams
wherewith his spirit was troubled
and his sleep brake from him
THEN the king commanded to call
the magicians – astrologers – sorcerers – Chaldeans
for to show the king his dreams
SO they came and stood before the king
And the king said to them
I have dreamed a dream
and my spirit was troubled to know the dream
Chaldeans ask for the dream verse 4
THEN spoke the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac
O king – live forever – tell your servants the dream
and we will show the interpretation
King threatens to kill them verse 5- 6
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans
The thing is gone from me
if you will not make known unto me the dream
with the interpretation thereof
you shall be cut in pieces
and your houses shall be made a dunghill
BUT if you show the dream – and the interpretation thereof
you shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor
THEREFORE show me the dream
and the interpretation thereof
Chaldeans ask again for the dream verse 7
They answered again and said
Let the king tell his servants the dream
and we will show the interpretation of it
King tells them they are trying to gain time verse 8- 9
The king
answered and said
I know of certainty that you would gain the time
BECAUSE you see the thing is gone from me
BUT if you will not make known unto me the dream
there is but one decree for you
FOR you have prepared lying and corrupt words
to speak before me – till the time be changed
THEREFORE tell me the dream
and I shall know that you can
show me the interpretation thereof
Chaldeans tell him it is impossible with men verse 10- 11
The Chaldeans answered before the king
and said
There is not a man upon the earth
that can show the king’s matter
THEREFORE there is no king –lord – ruler
that asked such things at any magician – astrologer
or Chaldean
And it is a rare thing that the king requires
and there is none other that can show it before the king
except the gods – whose dwelling is not with flesh
King orders execution of all wise men verse 12- 13
FOR this cause the king was angry and very furious
and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon
And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain
and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain
Daniel asked what was happening and requested time verse 14- 16
Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom
to Arioch captain of the king’s guard
which was gone forth to slay
the wise men of Babylon
he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain
Why is the decree so hasty from the king?
THEN Arioch made the thing known to Daniel
THEN Daniel went in – and desired of the king
that he would give him time
and that he would show the king the interpretation
Daniel asked his three friends to pray with him verse 17- 18
THEN Daniel went to his house
and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael
Azariah his companions
that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven
concerning this secret
that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the
rest of the wise men of Babylon
LORD answered prayer verse 19
THEN was the secret revealed unto Daniel – in a night vision
THEN Daniel blessed the God of heaven
Daniel praises LORD for answered prayer verse 20- 23
Daniel
answered and said
Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever
for wisdom and might are HIS
and HE changes the times and the seasons
HE removes kings
HE sets up kings
HE gives wisdom unto the wise
and knowledge to them that know understanding
HE reveals the deep and secret things
HE knows what is in the darkness
and the light dwells with HIM
I thank YOU and praise YOU – O YOU God of my fathers
who has given me wisdom and might
and has made known unto me now what
we desired of YOU
FOR YOU have now made
known unto us the king’s matter
Daniel finds Arioch verse 24
THEREFORE Daniel went in unto Arioch
whom the king had ordained
to destroy the wise men of Babylon
he went and said thus unto him
Destroy not the wise men of Babylon
bring me in before the king
and I will show unto the king the interpretation
Arioch took Daniel to the king verse 25
THEN Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste
and said thus to him
I have found a man of the captives of Judah
that will make known unto the king the interpretation
King questions Daniel verse 26
The king answered and said to Daniel
whose name was Belteshazzar
Are you able to make known unto me the dream
which I have seen
and the interpretation thereof?
Daniel gives credit to the LORD verse 27- 28
Daniel answered in the presence of the king
and said
The secret which the king has demanded cannot the
wise men – astrologers – magicians – soothsayers
show unto the king
BUT there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets
and makes known to the king Nebuchadnezzar
what shall be in the LATTER DAYS
Your dream – and the visions of your head upon your bed are these
Daniel explains dream reveals future events verse 29- 30
As for you – O king
your thoughts came into your mind upon your bed
what should come to pass HEREAFTER
and HE that reveals secrets makes known to you
what shall come to pass
BUT as for me
this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom
that I have more than any living
BUT for their sakes that shall make known
the interpretation to the king
and that you might know the thoughts of your heart
Daniel gives king the dream verse 31- 35
You – O king saw – and behold a GREAT IMAGE
This great image – whose brightness was excellent
stood before you
and the form thereof was terrible
This image’s head was of fine gold [Babylon]
his breast and his arms of silver [Medo- Persia]
his belly and his thighs of brass [Greece]
his legs of iron [Rome]
his feet part of iron and part of clay
You saw till that a STONE was cut out without hands
which smote the image upon his feet
that were of iron and clay
and brake them to pieces
THEN was the iron – the clay – the brass – the silver – and the gold
BROKEN to pieces together
and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors
and the wind carried them away
that no place was found for them
and the STONE that smote the image
became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth
Daniel compliments king as head of gold verse 36- 38
This is the dream
and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king
You – O king – are a king of kings
for the God of heaven
has given you a kingdom – power – strength – glory
and wheresoever the children of men dwell
the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven
has HE given into your hands
and has made you ruler over them all
You are this head of gold
Daniel explains future kingdoms verse 39- 43
AND after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you
AND another third kingdom of brass
which shall bear rule over all the earth
AND the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron
forasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things
and as iron that breaks all these
shall it break in pieces and bruise
AND whereas you saw the feet and toes – part of potter’s clay
and part of iron – the kingdom shall be divided
BUT there shall be in it of the strength of iron
forasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with miry clay
AND as the toes of the feet were part of iron – and part of clay
SO the kingdom shall be partly strong – and partly broken
AND whereas you saw iron mixed with miry clay
they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men
BUT they shall not cleave one to another
EVEN as iron is not mixed with clay
Daniel explains the Rock verse 44- 45
AND in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven
SET UP A KINGDOM
which shall NEVER be destroyed
and the kingdom shall not be left to other people
BUT it shall break in pieces and consume
all these kingdoms
and IT SHALL STAND FOR EVER
Forasmuch as you saw that the STONE
was cut out of the mountain without hands
and that it brake in pieces
the iron – brass – clay – silver – gold
The great God has made known to the king
what shall come to pass HEREAFTER
AND the dream is CERTAIN
AND the interpretation thereof SURE
King praises Daniel’s God verse 46- 47
THEN the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face
and worshipped Daniel
and commanded that they should offer an oblation
and sweet odors to him
The king answered unto Daniel
and said
Of a truth it is that your God is a God of gods – and Lord of kings
and revealer of secrets – seeing you could reveal this secret
King elevates Daniel and friends verse 48- 49
THEN the king made Daniel a great man
and gave him many great gifts
and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon
and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon
THEN Daniel requested of the king
and he set Shadrach – Meshach – Abed-nego
over the affairs of the province of Babylon
BUT Daniel sat in the gate of the king
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 And the king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. (6470 “troubled” [pa ‘am] means to stir, to be beaten, be disturbed, or to be agitated.)
DEVOTION: Have you ever had a dream that you just didn’t understand why you had it and what it was really about? You wake up in the morning wondering why you dreamed the way you did. Dreams sometimes are important and sometimes they just happen. We have to watch what we read before we go to bed. Sometimes we have to not watch some things that cause us to have bad dreams that scare us.
Here was a king of a great nation that had a dream that scared him so much that he forgot the dream. He called all his wise men and asked them for the dream and its meaning. They couldn’t do it. They were used to hearing a dream and then making up a meaning. This time it didn’t work. The king was mad.
He ordered all the wise men killed. Well, Daniel and his friends didn’t make the first meeting with the king, so when they came to kill him he asked what was going on. They told him and he asked the king for more time.
Back in the Old Testament God spoke to people in dreams to reveal what was going to happen to the person or to the nation they were part of. In this case it was a revelation of a future King that was going to conquer all the nations of the world and rule over them. This King or Rock in the dream was Jesus Christ.
HE is going to come and reign over the world in the future.
The Bible gives us answers to what is going to happen in the future if we study it correctly. Watch out for people who say they know the date of the return of Christ because they are not telling the truth. Only the LORD knows.
CHALLENGE: Also don’t read too much into your dreams. Sometimes we will come up with our own answers to what they mean. We could be wrong.
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: 11 And it is rare thing that the king requires, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. (3358 “rare” [yaqqiyr] means precious, dear, requiring mental effort to comprehend, difficult, improbable, or hard)
DEVOTION: Here we have heathen wise men saying that there is only one group of individuals that could tell the king what his dream was and what the interpretation of the dream was about. Their answer was that only the gods could do such a thing and they didn’t dwell with men in flesh and blood.
It is interesting that they should state it that way. Here we have a dream that is going to deal with the fact that the True God of the Universe is going to send HIS Son to die on the cross in HIS first coming.
This is God the Son coming to live among men for thirty three years and then die on the cross for the sins of the world. There was enough blood shed on the cross for every individual who will ever live. The problem is that most of those who live will reject this offer of salvation.
But God came in the flesh to dwell among men. The dream is about HIS second coming to set up HIS kingdom. HE is the Rock that is going to destroy all the other kingdoms of the world.
CHALLENGE: Understanding the future through the Word of God needs to be characteristic of every believer. Do you believe what the Bible teaches to be TRUTH?
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. (1288 “blessed” [barak] means commend, praise, extol, to kneel down, thank for goodness, or salute)
DEVOTION: The king of Babylon had a dream that he forgot after he woke up. He called all the wise men of Babylon together and asked them to tell him his dream and its interpretation.
The wise men said that it had never been asked of any group of wise men before this and that it couldn’t be done. The king ordered all the wise men killed. When they came to Daniel he asked what was happening. Apparently he was not in the group that was first called. He told the man who had come to gather them for execution that he was acting too quickly. Daniel went into the king and asked for time to give him the dream and the interpretation.
Daniel then went to prayer to the LORD for an answer to the king’s request. The LORD gave Daniel the answer to his prayer by revealing the dream and interpretation to him.
What did Daniel do next? He thanked the LORD for the answer to the prayer request. Would this have been our first action? Do we thank the LORD for each answer to pray?
Our responsibility to the LORD is great. HE expects our thanks when HE does things for us. If we neglect saying thank you to HIM would HE continue to answer our prayers? We are to be a thankful people.
Daniel was a thankful person and the LORD continued to use him for HIS glory. Daniel outlasted many rulers. We will even see that the LORD revealed much more to Daniel throughout this book that was written for our edification.
CHALLENGE: Read this book in the light of the rest of the Word of God. Connect the verses that deal with the future reign of the Messiah. It will bless your heart.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 29 As for you, O king, your thoughts came into your mind upon your bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that reveals secrets makes known to you what shall come to pass. (7328 “secrets” [raz] means hidden, information or omens so enigmatic or baffling that only revelation from God can make it understandable.
DEVOTION: There are two languages in the Old Testament. The main one is Hebrew. The second one is Aramaic. This word is Aramaic. It is used seven times in this chapter. It informs us that there are some things that are hidden from the world. There are things that God only reveals in HIS time.
Here we have a man who was taken from Jerusalem and put in the palace of the king of Babylon. Remember that Ezekiel is in the countryside with other captives from Jerusalem. Jeremiah was a prophet to those who were left behind in Jerusalem. All three men had a message from the LORD. Here we find Daniel giving a message from God to the king of Babylon.
There is a plan that is working in the background of our world that only the God of heaven knows.
HE decreed it before the foundation of the world. HE is working HIS decrees. HE knows the past, present and future. HE rises up leaders and takes them down.
The king of Babylon wanted to know the future. The LORD decided to show him the future. The wise men and other knowledgeable men of Babylon couldn’t even figure out the dream, let alone the interpretation. The LORD gave Daniel the dream and interpretation. When Daniel received the dream and interpretation, he first praised the LORD.
When we receive something special from the LORD is our first thoughts to praise him? Remember that the Bible tells us that if any of us lack wisdom, we need to ask of God and HE will give us the wisdom we need. The LORD is Sovereign in our world. The king of Babylon realized it when the dream and interpretation were given to him. We need to look to HIM for wisdom daily.
CHALLENGE: Our life as a believer should be a life of praise to the LORD for all HE is doing in our world and in our life. Remember to praise HIM today!
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Desire the mercies of the God of heaven verse 18
Daniel asks for dream of LORD verse 18
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Praise verse 20- 23 Thank verse 23
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 18- 20, 23, 28, 37, 44, 45, 47
God of heaven verse 18, 19, 37, 44
Blessed the name of God forever verse 20
Wisdom verse 20, 21, 23
Might verse 20, 23
Changes the times and seasons verse 21
Reveals deep and secret things verse 22, 29
God of my fathers verse 23
God in heaven verse 28
Great God verse 45
God of gods verse 47
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 47
Lord of kings verse 47
Revealer of secrets verse 47
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Stone verse 34, 35, 45
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Nebuchadnezzar verse 1- 49
Dreamed dreams verse 1- 7, 9
Human spirit verse 1, 3
Magicians verse 2, 10
Astrologers verse 2, 10
Chaldeans verse 2, 4, 5, 10
Interpretation of dreams verse 4- 9
Wise men of Babylon verse 12, 18, 24
Arioch – captain of the king’s guard verse 14, 15, 24, 25
Image verse 31- 45
Province of Babylon verse 48
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Magician verse 2, 10, 27
Astrologers verse 2, 10, 27
Sorcerers verse 2, 27
Lying & corrupt words verse 9
False gods verse 11
Wise men verse 27
Soothsayers verse 27
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Counsel verse 14
Wisdom verse 14
Interpretation verse 16, 24- 26, 30,
36
Mercy verse 18
Secret revealed verse 19
Night vision verse 19
Blessed God of heaven verse 19, 20
Prayer verse 20- 23
Wisdom verse 21, 23
Knowledge verse 21
Understanding verse 21
Revelation verse 22, 28- 30, 47
Thanksgiving verse 23
Praise verse 23
Might verse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Daniel (Belteshazzar) verse 13- 20, 24- 49
Hananiah (Shadrach) verse 17, 49
Mishael (Meshach) verse 17, 49
Azariah (Abednego) verse 17, 49
Daniel blessed the God of heaven verse 19
Judah verse 25
Daniel ruler & chief of the governors verse 48
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
Ver. 11. And it is a rare thing the king requireth, &c.] Meaning not scarce, or seldom heard of; for they had before asserted it never had been required; but that it was hard and difficult, yea, with them, and as they supposed with any other, impossible to be done: and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh; these men own there was a God, though, they held, more than one; and the omniscience of God, though they seem to have no notion of his omnipresence; and to suggest as if he had no concern with mortals; had no regard to men on earth, nor communicated the knowledge of things unto them. Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and Saadiah, interpret this of angels, who are incorporeal; but the superior deities of the Gentiles are rather designed; who were supposed to dwell in heaven, and to have no conversation with men on earth; these, ’tis owned, could declare to the king what he desired, and no other; and therefore should not persist in his demand on them (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 279). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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2:29 Before Daniel revealed the dream’s contents, he reminded Nebuchadnezzar of the circumstances of the dream. As the king was lying upon his bed before falling asleep, he began to ponder what would happen in the future, possibly “the destiny of the world” but more likely the fate of his own kingdom. Daniel told the monarch that God (“the revealer of mysteries”) had granted his heart’s desire.
2:30 Daniel humbly refused credit for his amazing knowledge and declared that his God had revealed the dream to him to satisfy Nebuchadnezzar’s desire to know the future.
Evident throughout this passage is the reality that true knowledge concerning spiritual matters and the future come only from God. Fortune tellers and psychics claim to have the ability to forecast events in advance, yet their predictions seldom are accurate. As Daniel declared, only God knows for certain what tomorrow holds. He has revealed glimpses of the future to his people today through the Bible. (Miller, S. R. (1994). Daniel (Vol. 18, p. 90). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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26–30 As Nebuchadnezzar half-incredulously asked Daniel whether he could actually describe his dream (v.26), Daniel used to the full his opportunity to witness to Yahweh’s unique power to reveal what the false gods of the pagan seers could not tell them—viz., the substance and meaning of the dream (vv.27–30). As he spoke of their inability to unravel the mystery (v.27), Daniel implied the worthlessness of their theology—indeed, of polytheism in general. That he alone, as Yahweh’s spokesman, had the answer points unmistakably to the reality of the God of the Hebrews (v.28). “But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries,” in contrast to all the imaginary gods of the heathen who are helpless to reveal anything. “He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come” (beʾaḥarîṯ yômayyāʾ, lit., “in the end of the days,” a phrase generally pointing to the times of the Messiah, when human history will be brought to its close; cf. Notes). Then, having explained his ability to do what none of the others could do—all because of his wonderful God—Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar what he had seen in his dream.
In v.29 Daniel reminded the king of the train of thought that had preceded his dream: “As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come.” So he implied that Yahweh had graciously taken note of the king’s statesmanlike concern and had granted him a full answer to his inquiry (v.30). Again Daniel disclaimed any personal ability in transmitting this revelation but openly and publicly gave God all the glory. (Archer, G. L., Jr. (1986). Daniel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, pp. 44–45). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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I want you to notice that title—“The God of heaven.” Nothing shows the divine source and verbal inspiration of the Scriptures more clearly than the way in which the names and titles of the Deity are used throughout the Bible. Unspiritual and ignorant men have sometimes tried to make capital out of the diversity of divine names, supposing different gods to be meant, and arguing therefrom a piecemeal arrangement of some of the books. But the fact of the matter is that all these names and titles are used in a most exact and careful manner. For instance, in the entire Old Testament, Jehovah is always used in one particular sense, and Elohim (God, plural form) in another. When it is the Creator that is brought before us, then we have the Hebrew word Elohim, implying the Triune God, now revealed in three persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When it is a question of God’s covenant with His people, of His having to do with the men whom He has made and taken into relationship with Himself, then it is Jehovah. It is not only in Genesis, but throughout the Bible, that this holds good.
Now as to this expression, “The God of heaven,” there are three books in the Old Testament where it is used, and one in the New Testament—the Revelation. The three Old Testament books are Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel. All refer, practically, to the same period, when God had scattered His people among the nations, because of their sins. He had forsaken His throne at Jerusalem. The glory had gone up to heaven, and He was no longer called the Lord of the whole earth. He was now the God of heaven, and, so far as the world is concerned, that is still His title. He will never again be owned as the Lord of the whole earth until the Millennium. (Ironside, H. A. (1953). Lectures on Daniel the Prophet (2d ed., pp. 29–30). New York: Loizeaux Bros.)
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The phrase “latter days” (“last days,” “last times”) is found frequently in Scripture, beginning with Genesis 49:1 and ending with 2 Peter 3:3. Our Lord ushered in the “last days” with His death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven (Heb. 1:2; 1 Peter 1:20), so we are living now in that period of time when God is “wrapping things up.” God has plans for the “latter days” of Israel (Gen. 49:1; Deut. 31:29; Dan. 2:28) which will climax with Messiah returning to earth and being received by His people (Hosea 3:5; Micah 4:1; Joel 2:28–29). The “last days” for the church include perilous times (2 Tim. 3:1), the apostasy of many, and the rise of scoffers and deniers of the truth (2 Peter 3:1ff); and this period will end when Christ takes His church to heaven (1 Thes. 4:13–18). (Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be resolute (pp. 29–30). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor)
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Ver. 29. As for thee, O king, &c.] So far as thou hast any concern in this matter, or with respect to thee, the following was thy case; these the circumstances and situation in which thou wert: thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, which should come to pass hereafter; as he lay on his bed, either sleeping or waking, very probably the latter, his thoughts were employed about this great monarchy he had erected, and what would be the issue of it; and was very desirous of knowing what successors he should have in it, and how long it would continue, and what would be the fate of it; when he fell asleep upon this, and had a dream agreeable to his waking thoughts: and he that revealeth secrets; a periphrasis of the God of heaven, as in the preceding verse: maketh known unto thee what shall come to pass; this he did by the dream he gave him, though he had forgot it; and now by restoring that, and the interpretation of it, by Daniel. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 282). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
2 Kings 2
The Lord takes Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind.
INSIGHT
Miracles don’t permeate the entire Bible. They tend to be concentrated during the times of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus. They occur other times as well, but these are the times of greatest concentration; and Elijah and Elisha represent one of the strongest periods. In our lives today, God seems rather inactive in comparison. Yet that is not because He is unable to act-but rather because He has chosen not to act in the same way. The power is still there, and we can rest in the confidence that He still has all things under control. (Quiet Walk)
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DRAWING ASIDE
And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. Exodus 33:7
Moses set the Tabernacle up outside the camp—“afar off from the camp.” Now here is the point at which I am most liable to be misunderstood, but it is here, and it is part of the teaching. There is invariably, in the history of every revival, this drawing aside. Let us not forget that the camp of Israel was then the “church” of God. In the Old Testament the nation of Israel was the “church” in the wilderness. This is the church we are talking about, and yet you see what Moses did? He took this tabernacle from the midst of the “church,” as it were and put it up outside, “afar off from the camp.”
No revival that has ever been experienced in the long history of the church has ever been an official movement in the church. That is a strong statement, is it not? But I repeat it. No revival that the church has ever known has ever been an official movement. You read of the great precursors of the Protestant Reformation, people like Wycliffe, Jan Hus, and others. It was always unofficial, and the officials did not like it. It was the same with Martin Luther. Nothing happened in Rome. No, it happened just to this monk in his cell. And so it has continued to happen.
Even after the reformation of the Church of England, there were men who began to feel dissatisfied, and they began to follow this pattern and do the self-same thing. That is the origin of Puritanism. Then you are all probably familiar with the story of Methodism in its various branches. The two Wesley brothers and Whitefield and others were members of the Church of England. But they did not begin to do something in the Church of England but formed what they called their Holy Club, outside the camp.
A Thought to Ponder: No revival that has ever been experienced in the Church has ever been an official movement in the church.
(From Revival, p. 166, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)_
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Baptism in the Holy Spirit
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)
This is a definitive verse on one of the great themes of the Bible. The preposition “by” is the Greek en, which can take many meanings (by, with, through, etc.) depending on context but is most frequently and most naturally rendered simply as “in.” The baptism in one Spirit is the theme of this passage, teaching us that every one of the “brethren” (v. 1)—those who “speaking by the Spirit of God” have acknowledged Jesus to be their Lord (v. 3)—have been “baptized into one body,” the body of Christ Himself.
This baptism is accomplished in the Spirit for every genuine believer, Jew or Gentile, slave or master, male or female, young or old. Furthermore, the passage is actually in the past tense: “[In] one Spirit [were] we all baptized into one body.” This baptism does not take place repeatedly in one’s life, as may be true of the “filling” of the Spirit, but once, at the time of true conversion. There are only seven explicit references in the Bible to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. All except our text are referring to the initial baptizing work of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). It deals with the ongoing work of the Spirit in all future instances of true conversion to Christ. Since His first baptism of Jewish believers (Acts 2) and then of Gentiles (Acts 11), all—both Jews and Gentiles—are baptized in the Spirit into the body of Christ.
Therefore, let true Christians rejoice that the Holy Spirit has placed each of them securely in the body of Christ, united to Him and sharing His resurrection life, with all functioning together through “the same God which worketh all in all” (1 Corinthians 12:6).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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TRANSFORMING LESSIONS: Here are some practical lessons from the war and uneasy peace between Jacob and Esau.
First, mistrust sometimes necessitates that we set boundaries to keep some people from constantly sowing discord in our lives.
Second, God sometimes uses a crooked stick to make a straight line.
Third, true reconciliation is God’s work.
It is impossible to be reconciled fully to God without wanting to be reconciled fully to those from whom you are estranged.
Jesus said, “If you cannot forgive those who have wronged you, your Father can’t forgive you” (Matthew 6: 14-15)
(p. 72-74, When You’ve Been WRONGED by Erwin W. Lutzer)
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