The prophets

• 1^st – Who were the prophets…
  • The prophets of Israel were sent by God to call Israel to repentance…
    • First and foremost – through the preaching of the Word of God…
    • Because it is through the Word that there is conviction – it reveals our sinful nature…
    • Just like people today – Israel thought they were GOOD PEOPLE…
    • They did not see anything wrong with their idolatry / sexual immorality…
    • Because they did not realize the standard of righteousness that God required…
    • So the prophets came to declare the Word of God to them – show them their need to repent!
  • But there was also an aspect of the Prophets to foretelling the future…
    • Not so much because God wanted His people to know what the future held…
    • But so that when the future came – people would know see God knew in advance…
    • Because only the Lord is outside of time – only he sees the end from the beginning…
    • The prophecies in the Bible are His fingerprint proving He is the author of the Word!
    • Isaiah 46:9-10 – “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.”
• 2^nd – The 3 periods of the prophets…
  • The Divided Kingdom…
    • 930 B.C. – After the death of Solomon the Kingdom of Israel was split in two…
    • The Northern 10 tribes – called Israel – ruled at first by Jeroboam…
    • Judah and Benjamin – called Judah – ruled at first by Rehoboam…
    • Israel would not be reunited again as one nation until 1948 – Ezekiel 37:21-22
    • 40 Kings would rule over the two kingdoms – 20 in Israel / 20 in Judah… 
    • This is the period of Israeli history that we studied in I and II Kings / II Chronicles…
    • Most of the prophets wrote during this time – Isaiah / Jonah / Micah to name a few…
    • The period ended with the Diaspora – 722 B.C. – the fall of the Northern Kingdom …
    • And 586 B.C. – when the southern Kingdom was taken captive to Babylon for 70 years!
  • The Babylonian Exile…
    • There were 3 sieges of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon…
    • The first took place in 605 B.C (Jehoiakim) – this is when Daniel was taken captive…
    • The second was in 597 B.C. (Jehoiachin) – this is when Ezekiel was taken captive…
    • The final siege was in 586 B.C (Zedekiah) – led to the destruction of the Temple and exile!
    • It was during this captivity that Jeremiah / Ezekiel / and Daniel were written!
  • The post exile Kingdom…
    • 536 B.C. – the Jews returned to the Land – Fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 29:10!
    • The captives returned to Judah in 3 waves – Zerubbabel / Ezra / Nehemiah…
    • It was during this time that the prophets Haggai / Zechariah / and Malachi prophesied

• The book of daniel – 5 things…
  • 1^st – Who wrote the book of Daniel…
    • It turns out there is quite a lot of modern scholarship that casts doubt on the authorship…
    • The dilemma for them comes in the incredible accuracy of the prophecies of Daniel…
    • He laid out all the major gentile powers from Babylon / Medo-Persia / Greece / to Rome!
    • They argue there is no way it could have been written during the 70 year Captivity!
    • Instead they view the last 6 chapters as a compiled work from the time of the Maccabees
    • Yet Daniel credits himself as the author – Daniel 8:1 / 8:15 / 8:27 / 9:2 / 10:2/ 10:7
    • More importantly – Jesus event credits Daniel as the author – Matthew 24:15
  • 2^nd – The theme of the book is the sovereignty of God…
    • We see God is sovereign over His people – protecting them from fire / and from the lions den…
    • We see God is sovereign over all kingdoms of this world – till the very end…
    • We see that nothing happens apart from His purposes / and His plans!
    • Proverbs 21:1 – “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD…  He turns it wherever He wishes.”
    • This is a VERY encouraging message – especially in light of the upcoming election…
    • Even when life seems uncertain – we can be confident ultimately God is in control!
  • 3^rd – When was the book written – the exile prophets…
    • Jeremiah was the prophet to Judah – writing from Jerusalem…
    • Ezekiel was the prophet to Judah – writing from the Babylonian captivity…
    • Daniel was the prophet to the Gentiles (nations) – writing from Babylon!
    • Written in the later years of his life – he lived to be around 90 – until after the fall of Babylon
  • 4^th – The importance of Daniel…
    • The prophetic influence of the book of Daniel cannot be overstated…
    • The book of Daniel is to the Old Testament / what the book of Revelation if to the NT!
    • The timeline given in Daniel 9:24-27 – is the outline for the entire book of Revelation!
  • 5^th – The division of the book…
    • The book of Daniel is broken up into 2 very simple divisions…
    • The first half the book – chapters 1 to 6 – deals with the life of Daniel…
    • The second half of the book – chapters 7-12 – deals with the prophesies of Daniel

No Compromise… (3 things)

• Indoctrination
  • There is a lot of emphasis in our culture today on being politically correct…
  • If we do not tow the line / agree with the common view – we are a bigot / bad person!
  • In an era of safe places / #love wins / gender fluidity / moral relativity…
  • It can be reasonably asked – What is the truth! And how can we stand up for it!

• 1^st – The fall of Jerusalem… vs. 1-7
  • 1^st – In the third year of Jehoiakim (Eliakim) king of Judah – 605 B.C… vs. 1-2
    • Egypt was conquered by Babylon – never again rose to a world power – Jeremiah 46:2
      • Judah had been under the authority of Pharaoh Necho for 4 years – II Kings 23:34-36
      • So when Nebuchadnezzar took Egypt – he also took Judah as a spoil!
    • Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem and removed some of the gold articles from the Temple…
      • He did not take them all – because in this first siege – he only made Judah a vassal state…
      • Jehoiakim was left to rule in Judah – and worship continued at the Temple…
      • Nebuchadnezzar took the gold articles – and brought them into the temple of his god…
      • It was his way of saying – see – my god defeated and is better than your god…
      • But those same gold cups and plates what would later be used by Belshazzar – Daniel 5:2
      • And the hand of God would come and write on the wall – proclaiming the fall of Babylon!
    • Because there is no other God like the Lord – no one who can compare to Him!
      • Too often people make the mistake of thinking God has an equal – satan…
      • Satan is not Gods equal – God has no equal – God has absolute power over all…
      • God kicked satan from glory – kicked out of heaven – Revelation 12:9
      • He and the angels that followed suffered quick reprisal for rebelling against God…
      • He fell like a flash of lightning – so quick if you had blinked you would’ve missed it!
      • One day all of them will bow down and kneel before Jesus – Philippians 2:10
  • 2^nd – Nebuchadnezzar instructed Ashpenaz – take captive the best of Judah… vs. 3-6
    • Young men – likely teenagers – who were handsome and smart…
      • Included were Daniel – God is my judge / Hananiah – favor from God…
      • Mishael – who is like God / and Azariah – God is my helper
      • I am sure at that point these boys did not understand what God was doing…
      • Yet God would use three of them to stand up to Nebuchadnezzar – defying death…
      • And God would raise Daniel up to become 2^nd only to the King of Babylon!
      • Too often we focus on the negative – and as a result miss what God is doing…
      • Anytime we get our eyes off Jesus and onto our circumstances we are in trouble…
      • If we focus what is happening around us – we are bound to be overwhelmed!
      • It is when we keep our eyes on Jesus that we see what God is doing in spite of our troubles!
      • II Corinthians 4:18 – “We do not look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen [Jesus]. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.”
    • The captives were to be taught the language and literature of the Babylonians…
      • They were to be taught the language and literature of the Babylonians (indoctrination)!
      • They plan was to destroy the faith of these boy – and replace it with a pagan philosophy!
      • Not that different from what we see today…
      • The common convention today is – if you want to be wise then go to college…
      • Yet more often than not – universities today are turning out fools!
      • Psalms 14:1 – “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
      • Because they are not teaching the Bible / about the consequences of sin…
      • Instead the students are told there is no right or wrong – it is all relative…
      • There is no sin – as long as you think it is ok – it is good!
      • Judges 21:25 – “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
      • Do not mistake knowledge for wisdom – universities might give LOTS of knowledge…
      • But the knowledge of men – if we listen – can blind us to our need for Jesus…
      • That is not wisdom – that is foolishness – because it keeps us from God!
    • Like evolution – Romans 1:20-22
      • There are only two possibilities for the origin of life – design or accident…
      • Today the smartest – most educated men in the world – believe in ‘Evolution’…
      • Because men choose to deny the creator – they instead believe life is all an accident!
      • I wear a watch on my wrist so I can tell the time – it is relatively simple device…
      • But suppose I tried to convince you it was the result of an accident…
      • I threw some gears up in the air – and they fell down as a working watch – foolish!
      • How much more foolish to think we are an accident – deny the God who created us!
    • Like gender identity…
      • As part of rejecting the creator – the very definition of gender has been challenged…
      • We see people today questioning the design of the creator – there is no non-binary!
      • Genesis 1:27 – “God created man in His own image… male and female He created them.”
    • Why so much pressure to deny God / the creator – deny His design…
      • For one simple purpose – because men LOVE sin!
      • Because men LOVE (agape) sin they hate the light – Jesus – that reveals their sinfulness!
      • John 3:19-20 – “This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved (agape) darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil..”
  • 3^rd – The names of the 4 young boys were changed… vs. 7
    • The were given names to dedicate them to the 4 leading heathen gods of Babylon
      • Daniel: Belteshazzar – Bel’s (Marduk) prince – chief deity of Babylon / god of judgment…
      • Hananiah: Shadrach – belongs to the god Sheshach – the sun god…
      • Mishael: Meshach – who is like Shak – the Babylonian goddess of earth / love…
      • Azariah: Abed-nego – servant of Nego – the god of the shining fire…  
      • The Chaldean (Babylonian) Bible translates ‘Lucifer’ in Isaiah 14:12 – as Nego…
    • The names were meant to destroy their connection to the God of Israel…
      • But these men would defy their new names – and refuse to bow to peer pressure…
      • It would end up getting them thrown in the flames of Nego – Daniel 3…
      • But God would keep them safe from those flames – it is when they walked with God!
      • We live in world that would love try to and change our name / our character…
      • Try to get us to belong to this world – rather than look for a better home in heaven…
      • Convince us that nothing is better than living for this life – seeking love…
      • Ultimately trying to make us servants of satan – rather than children of God!
      • But the good news is when we stand up – though it will mean trials and tribulation…
      • We ultimately will find we are victorious – we are saved from the fire (here and eternally)! 
      • Hebrews 11:25 – “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin…”

• 2^nd – Set apart… vs. 8-17
  • 1^st – Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the Kings wine and food… vs. 8
    • Daniel and the 3 boys did not partake of the Kings wine…
      • Because alcohol will impair your judgment – keep you from thinking clearly…
      • The Bible does not say that it is wrong to drink alcohol (except for Pastors)…
      • The Bible does say it is wrong to be drunk – to loose self control – Ephesians 5:18
      • When full of wine you will do things you will regret (and not remember)…
      • But when you are full of the Spirit you will do great things for God that never fade!
    • Daniel and the 3 boys did not partake of the Kings food…
      • There are likely 3 reasons why the Daniel saw the food as defiled…
      • Babylonians ate unclean animals that were forbidden by the Jewish law – Leviticus 11-12
      • They also ate animals that had been strangled – still had blood – Leviticus 7:23-27
      • And the animals that were eaten were first offered to their false gods
    • Instead Daniel asked to only eat vegetables (first vegetarian in the Bible)…
      • Not that there was any problem with eating meat – it is not Biblical to be a vegetarian…
      • In fact Jesus would go on to say you can eat anything – Matthew 15:11
      • It was not about the wine and food – it was about being holy (kadosh)…
      • If someone saw Daniel eating bacon that had just been offered to Marduk…
      • The natural assumption would have been that he was a believer in that false deity!
      • If we as Christians look and act just like those who do not know Jesus…
      • Why would anyone want to hear about Jesus – come to church…
      • God calls us to be Holy – we are called to be saints…
      • The NT word saints – hagios – means to be holy – set apart…
      • We are called saints – it means we are to be set apart from the world for God!
      • The NT word for church – ekklesia – mean to be called out – of the world…
      • It is only as we are HOLY – that we are able to shine and point others to Christ!
  • 2^nd – Not living for this life… vs. 9-17
    • The chief eunuch was hesitant to grant the request of Daniel…
      • He was concerned if Daniel and his 3 companions did not eat / drink their appointed food…
      • They would start to noticeably loose weight – and look unhealthy…
      • Then he would come under the wrath of the King for disobeying his orders!
      • So Daniel offered a test – just give the 4 youth water and vegetables for 10 days…
      • Vegetables – Myerzh – means seeds – so they were eating vegetables and grains…
      • And if they looked unhealthier than the rest – who ate the kings meat / drank his wine…
      • Then they would agree to do whatever the eunuch thought was best
    • After 10 days – the 4 young men looked healthier than all the rest…
      • This was not a result of a great new fad diet (though there is one) – it was a miracle of God…
      • And it had nothing to do with looking healthy – or trying to get fit…
      • It was about realizing there was something far more important – obeying the Word!
      • As a result God gave them health – AND blessed them with wisdom / knowledge / and skill!
      • AND Daniel was given a spiritual gift – understanding in ALL visions and dreams!
      • We live in a culture that is obsessed with outward appearances…
      • Americans spend $3 billon a year on gym memberships / $46 billion on diets…
      • I Timothy 4:8 – “Bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things…”
      • Yet no matter how much we work out / diet – the end is still the same – we die…
      • That is not to say we should pork out – there is wisdom in being a steward of our body…
      • But why do we waste exorbitant time and effort on something that cannot last…
      • Like Daniel we would be much wiser to instead invest in obeying the Bible…
      • Then we would find the Lord taking care of our health – as we serve Him…
      • But far more than that – we will find we grow in the Lord – so we can be used by Him!

• 3^rd – Blessed by the Lord… vs. 18-21
  • 1^st – At the end of 3 years – all the young man came before Nebuchadnezzar…
    • The king interviewed them all – and none were as impressive and Daniel and the boys…
      • Notice they are referred to by their Hebrew names / not the Babylonians ones…
      • Therefore they served the King directly – the highest appointment…
      • And he found them to be 10 times better than ALL of the officials in his kingdom!
      • And Daniel continued to be used by God into the reign of King Cyrus (70 years later)!
    • The result of being set apart / holy – is a life long legacy of being used by God!
      • God is going to use our lives no matter what – but how will He use us…
      • II Timothy 2:20 – “In a [Great house] some [pots] are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive [pots] are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special [pot]…”
      • Are we going to be special pots used for extraordinary purposes – or ordinary pots…
      • I think a lot of people are baffled at why the Lord does not use them more…
      • The better question is – how much of ourselves do we give to the Lord to be used!
      • There is no limit to what God desires to do with our lives – Ephesians 3:20
      • But we can limit what God does with our lives – by how we live our lives…
      • Do we choose to live for this world – living for ourselves / momentary pleasures…
      • Or like Daniel – do we purpose in our heart to be set apart for the Lord!