Questions for thought:
1. Throughout our studies so far, what is the nature of man?
2. Throughout our studies so far, what is the nature of God?
3. Throughout our studies so far, we can divide the people into two groups. What are they?
Let’s do a short review of what we have looked at in the many past blogs. We began with creation and looked at how soon after creation man fell. Upon his fall, God promised a redeemer to come from the seed of woman. We saw the sin in Cain when he killed his brother due to jealousy. Then we looked at a world full of sin with only Noah and his family being found pleasing to God and surviving the flood. Next, we took a quick look at Job and how God allowed Satan to afflict him but he remained faithful. Then we found the seed promise again given to the man, Abraham. God promised to make him a great nation and through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed. It was to Abraham’s son Isaac that Jacob, later named Israel, was born. His 12 children, became the 12 tribes of Israel, and are referred to as God’s chosen people of the Old Testament.
Jacob eventually lived in what is referred to as the land of Canaan which God had previously promised would belong to Abraham’s seed. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and renewed the previous promised He had made to Abraham to make of him a great nation, and that through his seed all nations would be blessed. One of Israel’s sons, Joseph, was a young man of dreams. His brothers did not appreciate him and sold him to a band of merchants and he ended up in slavery in Egypt, leaving Israel with the impression Joseph was dead. A great famine came upon the land where Israel lived and he sent all his sons except the youngest, Benjamin, to Egypt to get food.
Now unknown to his brothers, Joseph had risen to power in Egypt. When the brothers arrived to get food, Joseph knew them but they did not know him. After a time, the brothers and Israel moved to Egypt where they remained about 400 years. All was well for them until Joseph died and another king came to power. Israel’s children were made slaves and had to work for the king. In addition, the king decreed all Israelite baby boys were to be killed when they were born.
During this time, Moses was born and instead of killing him, his mother put him in the river in a basket. The current king’s daughter found him and raised him as her own. When he grew up, Moses saw an Israelite and an Egyptian fighting and he killed the Egyptian. Then he had to flee to save himself. In time, God sent him back to deliver Israel from Egypt. Of course, the king was not about to let Israel leave until through Moses God brought about the ten plagues the last of which was death of all the first born in Egypt. Israel would not be harmed if they put the blood on their door post as God commanded. When the firstborn of all Egypt families died, the king let Moses take the people and go although he did later go after them and was unsuccessful in that his army perished in the waters.
As the people left Egypt it was no time at all until they were complaining. They wandered in the wilderness 40 years and only two of those who were 20 years old or older who left Egypt made it back to the promised land which Jacob had left some 400 years earlier. Once in the promised land of Canaan, God gave Israel judges to lead them. The people not only were complainers but they were evil. God would give them a judge and get them straightened out and then they would once more fall away from obedience to God and even worship idols. Finally, they insisted upon having a king like the nations around them. God gave them what they wanted and we saw a united Israel under Kings Saul, David, and Solomon. Then the nation split into two parts, northern Israel with 10 tribes and southern Israel with 2 tribes. From that point on, there was never a united kingdom again.
We looked at the many prophets who warned the divided kingdoms of what was going to happen to them if they continued in their wickedness. God warned them they would be taken into captivity. Even then, He promised there would be a remnant saved. The people would not listen and eventually in about 720 B.C., the northern kingdom whose capital was Samaria, fell. Judah survived until around 586 B.C. when she too was conquered. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied to the captives reminding them they were in captivity because of their sins and letting them know a remnant would someday be allowed to return.
Throughout the books we have looked at in the Old Testament there are themes that continue to appear. We see a people who serve God for a while and then fall away. They complain. They serve idols. They see themselves as innocent. We see a God who loves His people and continued to provide resources for them in the way of religious leaders and prophets. He continues to beg them to return to Him. Finally, we have seen two groups of people. Those who accept God as God and obey what He says and those who seem to believe they answer to no one and they will do what they please. Has anything changed from then to now?
Which brings us to the book of Daniel. Historians tell us based upon how Daniel described his captivity, He was taken into captivity in the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign which would have been in 606 B.C. and Daniel recorded in chapter 11 that the prophecies he received were in the third year of Cyrus’ reign which would have been around 535 B.C. It is believed Daniel was a young man maybe in his teens or early 20s when he was taken into captivity, so he would have lived at least 80 years. After a period of preparation, Daniel was placed into the king’s service where he was known for interpreting dreams. He and his three companions give us great examples of how to continue serving God when all around there are those who do not serve your God.
In addition to interpreting dreams, Daniel was given prophecies from God to share with the people. I have been reading many comments concerning these prophecies and through the next few blogs, I will share some of those with you. Some of those who have written commentary on the book of Daniel consider everything in the book to have already taken place, while others believe the books of Daniel and Revelation both have events that have not been fulfilled. I encourage you to read the book for yourself and study it deeply to come to your own conclusions.
I am taking my time with this book because it is very deep. Next time we will begin with Daniel chapter 1.
Christian Women's Responsibility in Sharing God's Word 