Daniel 1:1-2:23, 1 Peter 3:8-4:6, Psalm 119:65-80, Proverbs 28:14
Today is the 25th day of November, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian, it’s great to be here with you today. On a day all over the world, I think it’s all over the world, known as Black Friday, definitely is known that way around…around these parts, big shopping day. Big sales. It’s like…it’s like Christmas just descends upon us, and now…now here we are. We’re one month from today, is Christmas day. So that’s where we are in the year, that’s where we locate ourselves and gather around the Global Campfire and well, let’s take the next step forward together.
Introduction to the Book of Daniel:
And our next step has us squarely at the threshold of a brand-new book, the book of Daniel. Which is really one of the most interesting books in the Old Testament, it's…it’s because of its imagery. So, Daniel is respected for its historical account but it’s very, very famous for the sweeping prophetic visions that are contained in the book and those prophetic visions have been poured over and studied and consulted over thousands of years, in the studies of the end times, eschatology. And Daniel is a hotly debated book, in that regard. There are biblical scholars that would argue that the things that Daniel are writing about are things that he has experience of and is speaking to. And so, Daniel than is rooted in the Babylonian exile because that’s the perspective that the story is written from. Then there are other biblical scholars would argue very convincingly and like all biblical scholars, very passionately, that Daniel is a much more recent book than the Babylonian exile and this debate even crosses over to Hebrew biblical scholars and not only Christian biblical scholars. And if it’s more recent and that is the argument, then the interpretation for Daniel saying then becomes a product of debate. If it’s a more recent writing and when I say more recent, I’m like, not like last year or in the last decade, I’m like, within a century-ish of Jesus, as opposed to centuries earlier than that, at the time of Babylon. And there are a huge amount of debates about, is what Daniel saw, no matter when he saw it, is what he saw about the future, like distant future as an like, it’s been thousands of years since this book has been written, are we still looking to the future for what he is…is saying symbolically, or was he speaking more to a more immediate context and using symbolic apocalyptic language that would be apparent to the reader, what the symbols are. And way, way, way smarter people than me continue the debate. Nevertheless, the imagery in Daniel is written about the time of the exile, contemporary with books like we just read, the book of Ezekiel. We know from history, as well as from the Bible, that when exile, when Jerusalem fell and was destroyed and the people were carried into exile, that was very, very difficult and Daniel is one of the exiles, who remarkably finds favor. He finds favor with God, but he finds favor with those around him. He was a gifted man who became an influential advisor in the Babylonian kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar and then beyond. But here’s where it kinda gets interesting, Daniel was in exile, he was a Hebrew, he was prophetic, but he wasn’t a prophet for or against Israel. The things that Daniel sees that we’re going to read, the visions that he sees aren’t Jewish, particularly. Which makes Daniel have a unique voice in the Bible. So, as we begin the book of Daniel, the first half of the book roughly we’ll be reading the story of Daniel’s life. And within that retelling, are some of the most famous stories, like stories that are Sunday school stories, stories that I have well, I don’t know when I learned them. But I can’t remember not having heard them. Stories, like Daniel in the lion’s den, right. Stories like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. That kind of famous. And then, kinda as we move toward the back half of the book, we shift to these prophetic visions of great world empires. And if you are a student of eschatology and the end times is the thing that you feast upon the most, then there is no way to avoid Daniel. Daniel has been part of that discussion for a long time. But whether you’re trying to figure that out or you’re not, Daniel shows us, regardless of what we’re looking for in the book of Daniel, that God is sovereign over all the kingdoms of the world. This is His world. He made this world. He is sovereign overall. And so, we’re gonna begin. By the time we get out of the book of Daniel, we’ll be in the final month of the year. And as we’ve talked about a number of times along the way leading up to kind of this point in the year, this is…this is when rhythms change. We’re in the holiday season and it’s just very, very easy to find all the distractions in the world to pull us away from finishing well, what we’ve begun, this journey, so many days ago. That it brought us to this point. But the rhythm of the Scriptures in our lives, should be something that, by now, we’ve noticed. And that we’ve valued and although things may get disruptive, this is the last thing we should let go of. W need the Scriptures in our lives every day. They make a massive amount a difference. So, let’s finish well, as we begin Daniel chapter 1 verse 1, through two verse 23 today.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word. Thank You for another day, another week, another year we’re always moving through all of those things, and we thank You that Your word is present in all of it. And now, as we are turning toward the end of week, but also really the inauguration of the busiest season of the year and it’s a blessed season. It's…it’s a season where we celebrate Your arrival, where we long for it and wait for it and then rejoice over it and give gifts to each other in celebration of it. That the world has changed irreversibly because You came. It’s also a busy season, very busy, it can be very disruptive, it changes up our rhythms, and we need You in it. And we’ve learned by walking through the Scriptures that disruption is a part of the story, and we can fight against it, or we can embrace it and look for You in it. And that’s what we want to do. We don’t want to get bulled over and upside down and full of anxiety and all kinds of conflict, we want to look for You in all of the adventure that is ahead. Come, Holy Spirit, into this time, into this season and into this present moment, leading and guiding us forward into all truth. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is home base, that is the website, that is where you find out what’s going on around here. Today is the day known as Black Friday in the world, big shopping day, big kind of opening day for the holiday festivities that are all around us and all around the world. And I guess it’s not all that different here at Daily Audio Bible. The Daily Audio Bible Family Christmas box for 2022 is now available, you can find that at dailyaudiobible.com or in the Daily Audio Bible app. Just go to the Shop Section and in the Shop Section you will find a Christmas category and the Christmas box is in that category, and we have packed the Christmas box full, we actually had to get a bigger box this year, to pack it full. And so, in the Christmas box this year: Promised Land, Photographs From the Land of the Bible, which is a coffee table addition, the God of Your Story, which is another hardbound beautiful book that we published and it is, it was, most of the things in the Daily Audio Bible take years to make but this one, for sure did because it was kind of mining the gold of all of the things that we’ve talked about throughout all of the years of the Daily Audio Bible and trying to put that in written form, in a daily form, so that it can be reviewed or if we’re away from the Internet we can continue kind of our rhythm and our journey around the Global Campfire. And so, that is the God of Your Story. Also, Reframe, From the God We’ve Made to God with Us and Sneezing Jesus, How God Redeems our Humanity. Those are all included in the box this year, as well as your choice of the wind farm DAB blend whole bean coffee or the honey motion rooibos boutique wind farm tea. You get to take your pick there. The Daily Audio Bible Christmas ornament for 2022, which can only be found in the annual Christmas box, is included in the Christmas box. So, that has our word rooted as well as Daily Audio Bible 2022, on it. And I have that hanging on my tree as…as we speak, even though I can’t see it right this minute, I know it’s there, I put it there myself. So, that’s hanging on the tree with all the other years. We’re also including the Global Campfire candle, that indeed gives off the aroma of campfire and is just beautiful room filling aroma, that reminds us of the community that we share as we move through the Scriptures each and every day. So, that’s in the Christmas box. A Global Campfire pop socket, as well as two Global Campfire stickers. And you could see all that, right where I said, in the Christmas Section of the Daily Audio Bible Shop, so check that out.
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And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Hey family, it’s Valiant Val a.k.a. Val in Vegas. Right now, we gonna gather around this campfire for our sweet Jasmine in New York. Oh family, she’s going through her senior year in high school, and she feels like she does the right thing in the summer but then when it comes to school there’s, she strays a bit. She’s going through that human experience, as we all go through. Jasmine, I need you know that you girl, you just ministered to my heart in such a way. Please forgive me, ya’ll know I’m a crier. God just renamed me Valiant because He says I’m courageous and brave. And like you Jasmine, I don’t feel courageous and brave all the time. Heavenly Father, send my friend, my sister, my beloved sister, Jasmine in New York, in her senior year, Lord. Send her somebody that chases after Your heart God. Like she does, Lord Jesus. Lord, Your word says the one can get 1,000 but two can get 10,000. So, God, send her two. Lord, send her a friend that loves the Lord. Someone that she can be bold and courageous with, Heavenly Father. I see you starting an amazing Bible study in your senior year at your high school, Jasmine. I see great things in your future, girl. And you don’t wait a year to call in. We need to hear from you. Lord, go and be with my sister Jasmine, in Jesus name, Father. Give her the courageousness and the braveness that she needs, Lord, to pronounce You, Lord. In Jesus name.
Hi, Daily Audio Bible, this is Paul from Houston. And I’m just calling to pray for Chris-Ann who called in on the 22nd of November for her marriage. She had I guess, going through a divorce for 13 years. And I just want to encourage you, you said you had a court date on Friday. And I just want you to believe, to realize that God is with you. And as you’re going into the courtroom, that you realize His presence is with you. Cause wherever you step, that He is there with you. And so, let’s pray. Thank you, Jesus for Christ, Lord, for her, her marriage. I know she’s gone through so much, for so many years and she’s stood in faith and believed in different things but Lord, as things change Lord, we ask God, that Your will, will be done. And that Your presence will be there with her. And I thank You Lord, that You take her even through this, this challenge and taking care of kids, you know, it being alone and different things Lord. That You would just anoint her and just be with her and just thank You Lord for blessing her. Even though she’s walking through these very challenging places, God. And I just ask Lord, that You would be with her and help her to, help her to feel your presence, Lord. Help her to know on a tangible way, Lord, that You are there with her. That You know all the different circumstances in her life, Lord. And I thank You, Lord, for being with her and anyone that’s walking through a divorce or through a separation and things. And Lord, I thank You, Lord, that You accept up, Lord. You accept those people that have been hurt and rejected by other partners, Lord. And Lord, I thank You love us. When sometimes we can’t love ourselves, Lord. And I just thank You, Lord,
Hello DAB family, Pastor Steve from Southeast Ohio. Just calling in to pray and trust all of you have the joys and blessed Thanksgiving. I know there are many out there that probably are looking for a place to be with someone that would care enough to have them sit at their table. So, I’m praying for those people today. Just, we have so much to be thankful for. And He is a good, good Father, as the Psalm would tell us. But I’m also asking that the Lord be with all those people that call in everyday, that have many, many needs, that God is right there to answer. Been there and still there myself. So, I give Him praise. Praise the Lord, everyone. And Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus and by the help and the anointing of Your Holy Spirit, I just ask that You would touch each name and each person and every soul, that is in special need today, that have called in. And I know You have it and You’ll take care of it. And I give You the glory for it. Thank You, in Jesus name, Heavenly Father. And also, thank you all DAB family for your prayers for me and my family also. Take care and have a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving. Bye Bye.
Hello DAB family. I want to leave a prayer for the children in Haiti. The orphanages and their caretakers. I’m sorry, I don’t remember the names. But I do want to leave a message. Holy God, Holy Father, You are the God of all things, Lord God. Everything is in Your control, Lord God. All power, Father, and glory and might and honor, Lord God. There is not one thing that is beyond Your control. Lord God, those children need their food and their medication, Lord God. They need to stay safe, Lord God. And we ask that You would put a hedge of protection around them, Lord God. Many mighty angels. Mimi, whatcha doing? I’m praying buddy. Why? Because the children in Haiti need it, so shush, shush for a minute. Anyway, Lord God, we pray Father that Your mighty banner of Holy angels would surround them, and You would bring the schemes of the enemy to nothing. I also lift up Jesse from Washington and his children, his daughters 7 and his son, 3. Lord God, who are also in danger, Lord God. There is abuse happening there, both physical and verbal Lord God. Father, please, God, put this to an end, Lord God. Allow the truth to come out, Father. Help the reporters to see the truth, Lord God. In Jesus name. Amen.
Hello, this is World Changing Mom, in the Bay Area, California. I am excited to share how reading the Bible has changed my life. Growing up in the church I just thought maybe reading the Bible once through, was this impossibility that just hung over me. I had no idea how I would ever be able to do it. And now, that I’ve been a part of the Daily Audio Bible community about ten years, it is one of the joys of my life, to see how the word of God has just infiltrated every part of every aspect of my life. I’m so grateful for how the word of God has come to life through the meetings here. And my deepest gratitude and appreciation go to the Hardin Family and all who make this the beautiful place that it is to grow and enjoy the word of God. Thank you.