Monday, December 9, 2013

DAY 343
REMINDED OF OUR NATURE
Daniel 10, 11 & 12 and Jude
Today I finish blogging about Daniel and I feel like I have barely scratched the surface. I felt like I dug into Isaiah, but haven’t been able to give you all the richness that many scholars see in this rather short book of the Bible.
Before I dive into Daniel just a few short words about 2 John, 3 John, and Jude; certainly short letters. I pointed out when commenting on 1st John what the issue was. This concern continued in 2nd John and beyond, but the situation that the authors of these letters are pointing out is one that persists today. Quite simply because the Christians were showing hospitality, some were coming into their midst, gaining positions of influence, and yet full of all sorts of crazy ideas and ungodly behaviors. Today we generally try and be nice to people when they come to church. We don’t always get it right, but we try. We even invite people to participate…we want to be open. But there is a rub. If these folks have not been allowed the time to understand what we believe, and how we are trying to behave, then we are doing them a disservice and putting the church at risk. We must remind ourselves that we are spiritual people, involved in a spiritual exercise for God. It is interesting that the Letter to Jude refers to Michael, because it is in Daniel where we read of this angel and it is to Daniel that I now turn.
In Daniel 10 there are a few things to point out. First the experience Daniel is having is not something only in his mind…after fasting for many days God manifests himself to Daniel and those around him. It is the people around Daniel who are terrified that provide the clue that this is more than a dream or an internal vision. Then of course there is what Daniel sees…it makes him completely weak. He sees a great man who speaks to him and says some amazing things. This man says that he was in a battle with the kings of Persia and that Michael came and helped him. What Daniel has is a message from God that there are battles taking place in the spiritual realm with angels involved in fighting them…and it seems as if Daniel’s prayers are effective in those battles!
I know that is a lot to take in, but because we cannot see the spiritual world it is easy to forget about it. This vision from Daniel reminds us that God and his angels are contending for us in this realm. And this is not just in Daniel, we read in Jude today about Michael contending with the devil (v.9). You have also read that “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” in Ephesians 6:12. We are spiritual beings connected to God and involved in God’s business—we must not forget it
I think that is about all I am going to say about Daniel. If you are interested in chapter 11 and 12 below is a link to a commentary. They are very different. Chapter 11 is another detailed prophecy about what will happen in the world. It is so accurate that some believe the Book of Daniel was written after all these events. Chapter 12 is Daniel’s vision of the end times.
What I take away from this Book is Daniel and his friend’s lifelong faithfulness in a hostile culture lead them to amazing service of God, and so we by His grace can do likewise.


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