SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/17/2023 11:25 AM
I am going to do something different at this time and so
I will explain what it is that I am going to do. Now because we have just finished looking at
my Spiritual Diaries from the book of Acts yesterday I had to figure out what I
am now going to do next, and what I believe that the Lord desires for me to do
is to look once again at the book of Daniel.
Now I have looked at Daniel a few years back, but before I begin to use
those Spiritual Diaries I wanted to first of all look at the introduction that
John MacArthur gave in his series on Daniel way back in 1979, after that I will
begin to put onto my blogs what I wrote about from Daniel in March of
2013. At that time I would do one
chapter of Daniel each month so the first chapter was done in March, the second
chapter in April, and so on until it was done.
We begin with John MacArthur’s introduction, which I will break up into
small bites as it is very long.
“God's Man for a Time of Crisis, Part 1
Code: 27-01
Daniel,
the last in the books known as the Major Prophets and just before the minor
prophets in the Old Testament. I really believe that tonight, as we begin our
study of the book of Daniel, we embark upon a great adventure. This is one of
the most fascinating and intriguing books in all of Holy Scripture. It’s a book
that I have longed to pursue through all the years of my ministry, been anxious
to come to this very moment that I share with you tonight. Daniel, I guess, is
to the Old Testament what Revelation is to the New Testament.
Daniel
is the book in the Old Testament that sweeps from a time of crisis in Judah’s
history to the Second Coming of Messiah and touches events all the way along.
Daniel gives us a panorama of the history of the world. And really in saying
that I – I have to add that at the same time it’s an intensely practical book.
You know, Peter had an important word for us. Peter said in 2 Peter, “Seeing
that you know all these things shall come to pass, what manner of persons ought
you to be?”
Having
insight into the future that has no bearing on the present is useless.
Speculation about something that’s going to happen that has no effect on what
is happening is meaningless. Peter was saying that if you know what is coming
to pass, it will change the way you live now. And I think that’s a great truth
for the book of Daniel. For Daniel gives us the panorama of the history of the
world to its consummation and in that very panorama lies the motivation to
living for this very moment.
And
I think that if there was anything that solidified Daniel’s commitment, if
there was anything that drove his roots deep, if there was anything that made
him stay faithful through 80 years of lifetime in a pagan society, I think it
was the fact that the more visions he had and the more revelations he had of
the future, the greater impact it had on his present life. In fact, John says
in 1 John 3 that if we have this hope in us, we purify ourselves. If we
really believe that this is going to come to pass, it changes the way we live.
So
Daniel has two parts and tonight we’re just going to give you a basic
introduction to the book. And it’s – it’s going to be somewhat detailed and I
don’t really know how far we’re going to get but this is a foundation upon
which you’ll build your whole comprehension of Daniel’s prophecy. Daniel has
two parts: the prophet and the prophecies, the man and his message. You might
say, in connection with the man it is here and now, in connection with the
message it is then and there. And so Daniel is really two parts. Chapters 1
through 6 deal with the man and 7 through 12 deal with his message: 1 through
6, the prophet, 7 through 12, the prophecies. Although there is overlap in all
of the book those seem to be the major thrusts.
There
is in the beginning of Daniel’s book and also throughout the book a look at
spiritual truth that is drawn from the uncompromising lifestyle of Daniel as
he, a Jew in exile, withstood the onslaughts of pagan, heathen, Babylonian
society. At the same time Daniel has visions, interprets dreams that lay at our
feet an incredible comprehension of the future of the world until Jesus comes.
11/17/2023 11:34 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment