Sunday: The God of History
Read Ezra 1:9-11 and Daniel 1:1-2. How do the texts in Daniel help us understand what Ezra was referring to?
Notice how in Ezra details are given, while in Daniel the big picture was presented. Together, though, these texts show that the Lord is in control.
“The history of nations speaks to us today.
To every nation and to every individual God has assigned a place in His great plan. Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes” – Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 536.
Read Daniel 5:1-30. What do these texts teach us about the judgment upon Belshazzar?
Babylon fell in October, 539 B.C., when Cyrus, king of the Medo-Persian army, conquered it. Belshazzar, falsely relying on his successes, luxury, and fame, was so arrogant that he had organized a wild banquet on the night that would end up with his being killed. The divine hand wrote on the palace wall that his days were counted and coming to an end. Even though he knew the fate and conversion story of the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar, he did not learn his lesson. It is always tragic when we do not listen to God’s warnings and do not follow His instruction.
The prophet Daniel was always there, but he had been ignored. When we lose the sense of God’s holiness and His presence in life, we tread a path accompanied with complications, problems, and tragedies, which ultimately ends in death.
| After recounting to the king the story of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel said, “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this” (Dan. 5:22, NKJV). How can we make sure that we, in our own context, don’t make the same kind of mistake that Belshazzar did? How should the reality of the cross always keep us humble before God? |
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The history of spiritual development and understanding is not one of continued and growing enlightenment. One would have thought that after Nebuchadnezzar had experienced the events of the dreams and miracles recorded in Daniel that he and his children would come to an understanding of the true God and want to pleas him. Sadly this was not the case. Nebuchadnezzar was put out to pasture for 7 years, and Belshazzer apparently lived a self-indulgent life. Unfortunately, truth does not ring a bell and announce that you have found the answer. And clearly as in the case of Bablyon's royal family, the idea of living in harmony with the truth is easily forgotten.
In many ways our relationship with God is a bit of a rollercoaster ride. If you want more biblical examples, read Kings and Chronicles - the historical narrative (You can skip the lists of peoples names if you like). Some kings harkened to the Lord while others did evil in the Lord's sight. And some of them started out on the right track and then went their own way, while others had an epiphany and came good.
What is the take away message for 21st century Christians? Knowing truth is not the same as saving truth. Truth has to be lived and nurtured to be kept alive. We do not arrive at truth; we live and experience it.
Thanx so very much for your wonderful thoughts and practical applications and simplification of sometimes difficult subjects. I reach out to unchurched kids and look forward to using many of your concepts. It works. May God continue to pour in your mind practical thoughts and applications from His mind.
Much Love Be Blest.
Hindu religion teaches you are born again, again and again until you are purified so that you can enter the most holy. In Short history repeats itself.
For an evolutionist history has no purpose, the world will collapse on its own and will continue to repeat in an infinite cycle.
History of the bible is a revelation of God's love regardless of who we are and what we have done.
It is His story of love reflected from Genesis to Revelation.
All the books of bible converge on one point Jesus Christ.
We are His workmanship to do good work that was prepared for us before the foundation of the world.
We have the potential to change history. Changing history for God comes with the cost of self sacrifice.
John 19: 10 & 11
10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.
When Jesus said you have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. He was illustrating His submissive nature which was contradictory to sin.
Jesus made history by His self sacrifice.
Each time we deny our self for the cause of God we are making history.
There is danger in knowing the truth but choosing to ignore it. The Queen in this article clearly was not part of these wild celebrations and indulgences, to the point of using sacred vessels. She tries to lead the king back in track but was a little too late, the King's fate was sealed. As Christians we need to be very careful on how we celebrate, whom we celebrate and why we celebrate them. Our God is a jealous God who acts swiftly when we consult other gods in clear disregard of His past warnings. Many of our very on members still consult other gods secretly for various reasons, today's lesson reminds us that God will surely act if we brazenly disrespect Him and His word
When you mention that “...God is a jealous God who acts swiftly...”, “...if we brazenly disrespect Him...”, are you suggesting that God overrides our free will when the choice does not fit into “His will”? Or that He punishes “bad actors”? Or do you mean that God never gives up trying to “free” sin-cursed and enslaved humans until we can no longer make decisions?
Gary, there are differing views even in our community of faith on whether the LORD directly punishes one or just lets one reap the consequences of one's choices or a combination in varying degrees.
My understanding is based on the fact that the LORD is the source of all Life and we have the choice to love Him or reject Him, however if we reject Him He withdraws His Life giving power and we no longer will exist.
We see right at the beginning the LORD said if you eat of the tree of good and evil you will die Gen 2:17 and Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden to prevent them eating from the Tree of Life Gen 3:22-24.
However because the LORD is also merciful He instituted a time of probation and allowed the universe a period to experience the true consequences of evil and to understand why He will eradicate it completely because He is a loving Saviour.
So in the Bible we see the LORD executing immediate judgment like turning Lot's wife into a pillar of salt or Ananias and Sapphria struck dead on the spot among many other examples while most live out their natural lives and will only experience their judgment at the resurrection after the 1000 years.
Why they ignored prophet Daniel while always was there?
The Writing Is On The Wall: Here, we have the declaration of judgement, the circumstances, and the effects of which are full of significance. I chose to deal with the circumstances of the judgement and it's significance.
The Circumstances Of The Judgement.
A) It was in the Kings Palace:
Heavily guarded by the Presidential guard in modern day politics. But no one could keep off or shut out the divine messenger. False security does not help in committing sin. Judgement will find us wherever we are. (Isaiah 37:33)
B) It was at a time of pleasure: The intoxication of pleasure blinds man of the coming judgement, (Matthew 24:28) but can not stay it. The moment of great pleasure bring along with it deepest ruin to man's life and character.
The Effects Of The Declaration Of The Judgement.
It led to the introduction the best Counselor of Righteous to have ever lived on planet earth: Daniel. He had been neglected in favor of congenial companies. Now he is sent for. Man has a tendency to remember God in their affliction but neglect, ignore, blasphemy and rebel against him in good times
Man's Natural Relations With God.
I am touched by the last statement of verse 23.
1. "But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways." Man whether believer or nonbeliever has relations with God. We often act as though we don't have any relations at all with God. God is the First Cause: The Origin of life (Genesis 1:24-27). He is the sustainer of it. He provides for it. He protects it. Without Him, man are nothing and can do nothing (John 15:1-8). The King is reminded of this truth even though there is no record of him being a worshipper of the God of heaven.
2. Our destiny is shaped by God (James 4:14-15). We may try to curve out our own destiny, and no doubt it is not largely on our efforts.
Therefore man has a Natural Relations with God that can never be removed. On way or the other, we are going to account for it before the Great Judge, whether we have lived a reckless life or a worthwhile life.