Daniel 1:1-2:23, 1 Peter 3:8-4:6, Psalms 119:65-80, Proverbs 28:14
Today is the 25th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s always great to be here with you as we come together around the global campfire and…and release the stresses of the day and engage with the Scriptures and take the next step forward. And that next step forward is going to lead us into a new book today. We completed the book of Ezekiel yesterday, which will lead us today into the book of Daniel.
Introduction to the book of Daniel:
Daniel is one of the more fascinating books in the Old Testament and it’s prized, actually for a couple reasons. One is the historical account that the Daniel tells and then Daniel also has really cinematic sweeping prophetic visions, not unlike some of the visions that Ezekiel had. In fact these visions of Daniel have of been consulted over thousands of years in the study of the end times which is the study of eschatology. So, Daniel was contemporary with Ezekiel. They lived at the same time and Daniel had been taken into exile when Jerusalem fell to Babylon in 597 BC, which is the territory that we’ve been covering for a while now in some of these prophetic books. So, we know that that was a very traumatic time for the people who had been conquered, remarkably difficult for those who had been deported with families being broken apart and all. And these things we heard in the biblical narratives. So, we know this. We know the Daniel went into exile but even though he was exiled he was also favored by God. He was a gifted young man who rose to become very influential, an advisor to the Babylonian kingdom and to King Nebuchadnezzar and beyond. Here’s where things get a little interesting. Even though Daniel was and exile, he was a Hebrew who had been exiled from Jerusalem, and he was a profit, he wasn’t a prophet for or against Israel. The visions that Daniel has in this book aren’t particularly Jewish which gives him a unique voice. So, as we enter the first half of our time in the book of Daniel, which ends today we’ll read the story of Daniel’s life and in the process of reading the story of Daniel’s life we’ll encounter some of the richest stories in the Bible…like stories that I’ve known my whole life, like the story of Shadrach Meshack and Abednego in the fiery furnace or Daniel’s story, Daniel in the lion’s den. This is the Daniel that we’re talking about. And then as we move into the back half of the book of Daniel, we’ll focus on the prophetic visions of four great world empires and the imagery is highly symbolic and it’s this portion of the book that has been and continues to be scrutinized by eschatological scholars. So, obviously if the end times is something that you are a fan of or study or if that’s your pursuit, educationally, well then Daniel is a part of that story and will become a centerpiece of that study. But whether or not that’s your passion, Daniel’s portrayal of God’s sovereignty over all the kingdoms of the world, over all things is a powerful reminder for us. And Daniel will carry us all the way into the final month of the year which isn’t that far away. So, let’s settle in and enjoy the 27th book of the Old Testament, the book of Daniel. And today we’ll read chapter 1 verse 1 through 2 verse 23 and we’re reading from the New International Version this week.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for this new week in Your word and this is…this is a busy week here in the United States. This this the week of Thanksgiving and then Black Friday all over the world and we immediately find ourselves catapulted into the holiday season, which only gets busier and busier, certainly full of joy, certainly full of goodness, certainly full of wonderful opportunities to ponder and contemplate Your arrival, but nevertheless a busy season. And, so, this week kind of transitions us into that zone, into that space that will carry along with us through the end of the year. And, so, as we move into the book of Daniel, we invite Your Holy Spirit to lead us. And as we continue our journey through the New Testament, we stay in lockstep harmony with You. This is our desire, not only to finish the Bible strong and well but to receive from You everything that You have for us as we continue this rhythm of life. And, so come Holy Spirit we pray into this week and to all that is before us in this week and to all of our thoughts and words and deeds. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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And I’ll tell you, this is the week, right? This is…and that might not make perfect sense to you everywhere in the world, but this is Thanksgiving week in the United States and Thanksgiving happens this Thursday and it’s a day of gratitude, but it’s a national holiday and it’s right before Black Friday and it’s like this is sort of the inauguration of the holiday season. And, so, no matter where we are in the world, pretty much, you know, after this week, there’s a lot of marketing going on and a lot of…a lot of incentives to buy a lot of things for a lot of people and a lot of festivity and a lot of joy but a lot of chaos too, right? Just a lot of disruption happens around the holiday season because we’re just changing our rhythms and we’re heading into it. So, let’s stay connected to our journey through the Scriptures as we…as we enter into the new season. And one of the ways that we do that, obviously, is come around the Global Campfire every day, but one of the things that helps us to keep involved in the rhythm is the fact that we’re doing this together. So, there are a number of ways to stay connected during the season.
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And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.