SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/7/2013 9:49 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-1 God displays His Wisdom &
Power
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Daniel
2:24-45
Message of the
verses: I believe because of the
lateness of the hour we will not get too far into this section, but we will
begin to look at it and then hope to finish it tomorrow.
Introduction: “24 Therefore,
Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men
of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: "Do not destroy the wise
men of Babylon! Take me into the king’s presence, and I will declare the
interpretation to the king." 25 Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into
the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows: "I have found a man among
the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!" 26
The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to
make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?" 27
Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which
the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are
able to declare it to the king. 28 “However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries,
and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was
your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. 29 "As for you, O king, while on your bed
your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals
mysteries has made known to you what will take place. 30 "But as for me, this mystery has not
been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living
man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and
that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.”
As we continue to study the book of Daniel we will see
the humility of this man, and how he will give glory to the Lord, who deserves
all the glory.
One other thing we have been looking at in chapter too is
that Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams were troubling to him, something that Daniel knew
for he received this from the Lord, but also saw it firsthand. Nebuchadnezzar
seems to be worried what will happen to his kingdom, as I suppose many rulers
of nations are.
We first see the man Arioch in this section being told by
Daniel that he has been given the interpretation of the king’s dream and wants
him to take him to see the king right away.
What we read that Arioch tells the king is not exactly all true for he
states that “he” has found a man from the exiles of Judah who can interpret the
king’s dream. Dr. Wiersbe writes the
following about this statement, “Daniel wasn’t the kind of person who worried about who got the credit
so long as God got the glory.” I
would hope that there are many believers today that feel the same way as Daniel
did, for Daniel knew that he only had to please the Lord.
Next we see that in reply to the king’s question that
Daniel immediately gave all the glory to the Lord, for after all He was the One
who gave Daniel the dream and the meaning of the dream. I have mentioned before that Daniel reminds
us of Joseph, for Joseph gave glory to God too when he interpreted the king’s
dream too. What we will see when we
begin to look at the kings dream and the interpretation of it is that it will
reveal the future sequence of the Gentile kingdoms and how Gentile history
would climax with the appearance of an eternal kingdom.
Dr. Wiersbe goes into the meaning of the term “latter
days,” or last days and I wish to make his commentary known so we can better
understand this phrase that is found in different places in the Scriptures
beginning with Genesis. “The phrase
‘latter days’ (‘last times’) is found frequently in Scripture, beginning with
Genesis 49:1 (“And Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together, that
I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.”) and ending with 2 Peter 3:3. Our Lord ushered in the ‘last days’ with His
death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven (Heb. 1:2; 1 Peter 1:20), so we
are living now in that period of time when God is ‘wrapping things up’ God has
plans for the ‘latter days’ of Israel (Gen. 49:1; Deut. 31:29; Dan.
2:28-29). The ‘last days’ for the church
include perilous times (2 Tim. 3:1), the apostasy of many, and the rise of
scoffers and deniers of the truth (2 Peter 3:1ff); and this period will end when
Christ takes His church to heaven (1 Thes. 4:13-18).” I hope this brief description of the “last
days” will help clear up some of the things that have been given to the Church
in various times and ways.
Dr. Wiersbe go on to say “The image Nebuchadnezzar beheld
in his dreams depicted what Jesus called ‘the times of the Gentiles’ (Luke
21:24), a period of time that began in 605 BC when Jerusalem was taken by
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army.
This period will end when Christ returns to establish His kingdom (Luke
(21:25-28). During the ‘times of the
Gentiles,’ there will be four successive kingdoms, climaxed by a fifth kingdom
that will destroy the other four and fill the earth. The fifth kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord
Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”
We must not confuse the “times of the Gentiles with what
Paul writes about in Romans 11:25, the “fullness of the Gentiles.” The “fullness of the Gentiles” is when God
has gathered into His church all who shall be saved during the present age we
live in that day, which began on the Day of Pentecost and will end with the
rapture of the Church. Acts 15:14 says,
“"Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from
among the Gentiles a people for His name.”
In the Church we have a combination of both Jews and Gentiles, but
mostly Gentiles.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: In this section
today I have seen God’s sovereignty, along with His power and His plans which
will take place.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to work out His will for my
life, as I too am part of the Church.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 32:7-10
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
Your surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah. 8 I will instruct you and
teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon
you. 9 Do not be as the horse or as the
mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to
hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he
who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround you.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
Question: “Judah” (2 Kings 18:14)
Today’s Bible
Question: “Who did Cain kill”
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
4/7/2013 10:54 PM
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