Ancient Babylon was a great civilization. The king of Babylon had a troubling dream and he was desperate to find some one who could tell him what it meant. There was no one above him and he was a brilliant man. Help was hard to find.
This sounds like a story but it actually happened and it is recorded in the book of Daniel.
"Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: 'I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.' The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, 'Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?' Daniel answered the king and said, 'No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.' " - Daniel 2:25-30 ESV
The king said, 'Are you able?' because that is what kings say. Unless you are able to do things you have no use. A king is 'able' or he is not a king for very long.
Daniel does not have ability like the king does. Daniel is a revealer not a doer. Daniel tells the king, 'God has favored you with a special dream.'
It was a very special dream. It would map out ancient human history. Scholars insist that the book of Daniel must have been written later or changed because it is so accurate to ancient civilizations and events.
"You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all--you are the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."" - Daniel 2:31-45 ESV
This is a map of human history. Things have unfolded just this way. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome are each represented. Europe and western civilization as we see it today is an extension of Rome. It is iron mixed with clay and it bears the weight of history on it's brittle structure.
Yes. This speaks of men and their history but it also tells us of each individual man and his history. All fallen men have heads of gold and feet of iron mixed with clay. Victory is mingled with failure.
"Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. The king answered and said to Daniel, 'Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.' " - Daniel 2:46-47 ESV
This King had a troubling dream. It was so troubling and mystifying that he could not solve it by natural means. He was a monument to his own accomplishments. Most men are.
The 'stone cut by no human hand' is Jesus and when He comes on the scene he destroys our constructs so that a vast kingdom can be established. Our idol of self must be smashed so that an eternal kingdom can be revealed.
We as listeners are most favored. That is the message of those who speak for God.
"Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." - 2 Thessalonians 1:2 KJV
God doesn't sugar coat our natural failings but He also doesn't dilute His favor. That stone does a complete work. He died in our place and is raised to sit on a throne in Heaven as our justification.
Your feet are made of clay but grace unto you.
That grace is where we find our identity. That grace puts praise on our lips if our identity shifts from personal accomplishment to eternal perspective.
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Showing posts with label Babylon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Babylon. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Recognizing The Child
"Daniel answered the king and said, 'No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries... The king answered and said to Daniel, 'Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.' Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon." - Daniel 2:27-28a, 47-48 ESV
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'... When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." - Matthew 2:1-2, 10-11 ESV
How did the wise men know to look for this star? Maybe someday we will find out. We do know that God raised up Daniel in Babylon and he brought what God gave him to the table as chef prefect over the wise men of Babylon.
In Ezra we see a return of Hebrew people to Israel after a 70 year Captivity but only a fraction of them went back.
"The whole assembly together was 42,360," - Ezra 2:64 ESV
This isn't the whole number. More returned over time after the temple and city walls were restored but most lived where they were taken and were scattered among the nations of the world.
Daniel's God Is the God who reveals mysteries. The God of the Hebrew Is the Father of the Messiah.
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" - Romans 8:29-32 ESV
This Messiah is the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.
Those who believe have seen a star hover of the person of the Messiah. Jesus isn't just another man to us. He Is the Savior of the World. We go where He Is to worship Him and say, 'This One is special.'
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
'Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.'
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
'Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel...' " - Luke 2:25-34a ESV
Yes. He Is.
The glory of God hovers over the Gospel of Grace. It is not like other messages. It doesn't tell us how to please God. It tells us how God was pleased with His Son and that we also can come into that pleasure just by believing in what Jesus has done.
That is the star I follow all year long. It brings me to the person of Christ. It brings me into the embrace of the one who has loved me before time began.
Follow the Star home this Christmas. Maybe God will also give us a few who will come with us.
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"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'... When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." - Matthew 2:1-2, 10-11 ESV
How did the wise men know to look for this star? Maybe someday we will find out. We do know that God raised up Daniel in Babylon and he brought what God gave him to the table as chef prefect over the wise men of Babylon.
In Ezra we see a return of Hebrew people to Israel after a 70 year Captivity but only a fraction of them went back.
"The whole assembly together was 42,360," - Ezra 2:64 ESV
This isn't the whole number. More returned over time after the temple and city walls were restored but most lived where they were taken and were scattered among the nations of the world.
Daniel's God Is the God who reveals mysteries. The God of the Hebrew Is the Father of the Messiah.
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" - Romans 8:29-32 ESV
This Messiah is the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.
Those who believe have seen a star hover of the person of the Messiah. Jesus isn't just another man to us. He Is the Savior of the World. We go where He Is to worship Him and say, 'This One is special.'
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
'Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.'
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
'Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel...' " - Luke 2:25-34a ESV
Yes. He Is.
The glory of God hovers over the Gospel of Grace. It is not like other messages. It doesn't tell us how to please God. It tells us how God was pleased with His Son and that we also can come into that pleasure just by believing in what Jesus has done.
That is the star I follow all year long. It brings me to the person of Christ. It brings me into the embrace of the one who has loved me before time began.
Follow the Star home this Christmas. Maybe God will also give us a few who will come with us.
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