The Reluctant Prophet
Today’s Passage – Jonah 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Revelation 1 – 3; Psalms 116 – 120; Proverbs 24)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read the “0924 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” – (Jonah 1:17)
“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” – (Matthew 12:40)
Introduction
The Book of Jonah is the most well-known of all the Minor Prophets but it is also the most unbelieved. There are even some Christians that deny the reality of the events that are described in Jonah, claiming that the book is only an allegory. There are ten miracles recorded in this writing, including the survival of the prophet for three days in the belly of the whale. However, the greatest miracle recorded in this book is the conversion and salvation of thousands of people who were previously destined for Hell. This Book demonstrates that God has always had his eye of compassion on the whole world, not just Israel. Jonah is the first prophet to preach repentance to the Gentiles.
The Miracles of Jonah
1 1:4 “the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea.”
2 1:7 “the lot fell upon Jonah.”
3 1:15 “the sea ceased from her raging.”
4 1:17 “the LORD had prepared a great fish.”
5 1:17 “to swallow up Jonah.”
6 2:10 “the LORD spake unto the fish…it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.”
7 3:10 “God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way.”
8 4:6 “the LORD God prepared a gourd.”
9 4:7 “God prepared a worm.”
10 4:8 “God prepared a vehement east wind.”
An interesting note – the word “great” appears many times in this Book: great city (1:2,3:2, 3:3, 4:11); great wind (1:4); great tempest (1:12); great fish (1:17); great kindness (4:2)
- The Prophet – Jonah
Not a whole lot is known about Jonah, except:
- He was the son of a man named Amittai.
- He was from Gath-hepher (near Nazareth in Galilee).
- He was a prophet to the northern kingdom during the reign of Jereboam II who reigned from 782 – 753 BC.
- He was contemporary with Amos and Hosea from the north, and Isaiah and Micah from the south.
- His name means “dove.”
An unconfirmed tradition claims that Jonah was the son of the widow woman from Zarephath whom Elijah raised from the dead (1 Kings 17:8 – 24).
The prophet Jonah was referred to by the Lord as a picture, or type, of His own resurrection from the dead. (1:17; Matthew 12:40; Luke 11:29 – 30) Jesus was in the tomb for three literal days and nights, just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale. Jesus also noted in Matthew 12:41 that the people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah.
- The People – The Assyrians (Ninevites)
The Assyrians were a polytheistic people that had been demanding “gifts” (taxes) from the Israelites for some time. Eventually, in 722 BC, they would completely conquer the northern kingdom, and even threaten the City of Jerusalem in Judah. The Assyrians were a very cruel people, especially to those who were taken captive, and they were hated by the Israelites. Jonah, no doubt, looked forward to the judgment of God upon the people of Nineveh, and the last thing he wanted was for the Ninevites to be spared that judgment.
- The Place – Nineveh
Nineveh was originally built by Nimrod (Genesis 12:10) and became a very important city situated on the Tigris River, which eventually (700 BC) became the capitol city of the Assyrian empire. At this point in history, though not the chief city, Nineveh was a very wide, wealthy, and wicked city. The circumference of the city was 60 miles which is a three-day journey on foot (3:3). The city walls were said to be wide enough for several chariots to ride abreast.
The name Nineveh is thought to derive from “ninus,” i.e., Nimrod, and means the residence of Nimrod or “nunu” (Akkadian for “fish”). The people worshiped the fish goddess Nanshe (the daughter of Ea, the goddess of fresh water) and Dagon the fish god who was represented as half man and half fish. (MacArthur, John (2006-10-10). The MacArthur Study Bible, Thomas Nelson.)
Note – Nineveh was also a place where the false gods Ishtar and Assur were worshipped.
Some Concluding Thoughts about Jonah and God’s Calling for Him
Jonah was reluctant to follow God’s clearly stated will for his life. Just as God has a plan for Jonah, He has a plan for all of us:
1 God has a plan, a calling for your life.
2 Much of what God has called you to do is revealed in His Word.
3 God has something specific for you to do, and he has a specific place for you to do it.
4 Whatever God calls you to do, He will equip you to do. (Romans 12:3 – 8)
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
5 Whatever God calls you to do, He will supply whatever you need to do it:
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
6 Usually, God will call you to do something that you will desire to do:
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)
7 However, there may be times when God will pull you out of your comfort zone and sometimes He will ask you to do something that you downright do not want to do. Your job is to discern the will of God for your life, as well as the specific wills of God for tomorrow, and then cheerfully submit to what He wants. Even Jesus prayed, “not my will but thine be done”. (Luke 22:42) Your life will be miserable until you do.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Spiritual Famine
Today’s Passage – Amos 6 – 9; Obadiah 1 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – 2 John, 3 John, Jude; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read the “0923 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:” (Amos 8:11)
Amos is writing concerning Israel about a time where there will be an absence of the Word of God among the people. But that famine of Bible instruction and principle comes as a result of the lack of desire among the people of Israel for hearing the Words of God. The people of Judah and Israel had their fill of God. They no longer desired to hear what He had to say; they no longer desired to live in by His precepts. They simply felt that they no longer needed God or His instruction.
I feel that America today is in the same boat. There is no famine here. There may be preachers out there who water down the Word of God, and there may be a lot of compromise out there; but, a copy of the Word of God is certainly available to nearly every person in America, and there really isn’t a shortage of churches out there. The problem is not the availability of the Word of God. Rather, the problem is a lack of desire for instruction from God. We have loosed from the moorings of our Biblical heritage and are floating in the sea of secular humanism. We are shouting to God from our culture, “Get Out!”, we don’t need you and we certainly don’t want you. I don’t think it is too far fetched to think about a day in the near future when our authorities try to stop the distribution of the Word of God altogether.
God will not stay where he is not wanted. In fact, the only thing holding back the judgment of God is a remnant of people in America who love the Word and the God who wrote it. So what is the solution? Can this tide of apathy and antagonism toward God be stopped, or even slowed? I am not sure. But my instructions are still to “preach the Word”, even when it is out of season. Christian, it matters not what the world thinks about our God and our Bible. We need to keep obeying God by sowing the seed of His word to the world around us. Some day soon, our job will be done; but for now it is still our responsibility to reach who we can with the glorious gospel of Christ. There are still people out there that hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Posted in Thoughts from Amos by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
Walking Together in Agreement
Today’s Passage – Amos 1 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – 1 John 1 – 5; Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read the “0922 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3)
The context of verse 3 above deals with both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and how they had chosen to live contrary to the principles of the Word of God. They had become immoral and idolatrous. They had become enamored with the cultures of the heathen nations around them. God tells them here that He cannot walk with these people because they are not in agreement with Him.
I have often quoted this verse when preaching, particularly while speaking on matters of separation. How is it that the professing Christian today feels so comfortable walking alongside the people of the world who do not know Christ? There must be agreement in order for there to be fellowship. Now, I can walk alongside anybody for a short distance. I will have to work at times with people who are not Christians; and hopefully, I will walk along with a lost man for a time trying to persuade him to trust Christ. Jesus walked and ate with some lost people at times in order to reach them. But, I do not think that this verse is talking about casual, purposeful, or limited contact with the lost world around us. It is talking about true communion. God cannot commune with people who have forsaken Him; and we should not be comfortable running with people who are not in fellowship with Him either.
Christian, be careful who you run with. Surround yourself with people who are going to influence you positively, encouraging your walk with God. Stay away from the gossips who have “the goods” on everybody else. Avoid those who are always negative: who desire to tear everything down instead of building things up. Run with people who have the same doctrine and standards that you have. My preacher used to say, “You are, or soon will be, who you hang around.” I want to run with people who will cause me to do right and grow in the Lord. Just a thought!
Posted in Thoughts from Amos by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Where Is Their God?
Today’s Passage – Joel 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – 2 Peter 1 – 3; Psalms 101 – 105; Proverbs 21)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read the “Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?” – (Joel 2:15-17)
“Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servantswhich is shed.” (Psalm 79:10)
Have you ever asked the question, “where is God?” I have often heard the people of this world ask this question when bad things happen on the earth. They will say that if there was a loving God, He would not allow all of this evil in the world. I have also heard some of the people of God pose the same thought when they or somebody they care about are experiencing hardship in life. However, the context of the verse written above is a little bit different. In our passage, the people of God have strayed far away from His will. Judgment has already come, and more judgment is on the way, and the prophet is pleading with the people to turn back to God. Notice that he wants all of the people: men, women, and even the little children to gather together. He doesn’t want any of them to not be in their place. That’s a good place to start, isn’t it. Many of God’s people today have forsaken the church house, which is “the house of the living God” for us today. Then the prophet says that the priests are to plead to God for the people. God wanted this congregation of Israel to understand that they needed to recognize that they have strayed; and then repent and turn back to God. We need to do the same thing today.
My thought for this morning, however, is that I wonder how many of of the people around us: our neighbors, our co-workers, our family members, etc. can see God in our lives. Can they see the reality of our faith working throughout our day to day living. Maybe they are tolerant and even polite to us regarding what we say about our faith; but I wonder sometimes if they aren’t secretly thinking, “where is their God?” Can they see the reality of God in our lives? No wonder we are having a difficult time reaching the people around us. If God isn’t real to us, how can he reveal Himself to others through us. I believe we have a tremendous responsibility and an awesome opportunity to show people our God through our lives.
1 Show them God by living out your faith. If you really believe God, then live according to the principles found in His Word. Walk with Him daily. Yield to His Spirit and His will. Separate from the things that are not apart of His perfect plan for your life.
2 Show them God by loving the people around you. God loves people, unlovable people just like you. Demonstrate the reality of God by demonstrating God’s love to people. Look for ways to express the love of God to the lost world around you. Don’t take separation beyond where God intended it to be. He wants us to impact their world; not only with the truth, but also with compassion.
3 Show them God by lasting. A lot of Christians start out their race, and do pretty well for a while, but eventually drop out. When a Christian throws in the towel on his faith, he is telling the world that his God was not real. When I first got saved years ago, my brother said to me that he didn’t think this new life of mine would last. He thought it was just a phase that I was going through; but now I think he has come to realize that my God as well as my salvation is very real. The greatest compliment a person could give me would be for them to say that they saw the reality of God in my life.
Posted in Thoughts from Joel by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Hosea
Today’s Passage – Hosea 1 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – James 1 – 5; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11
Read the “0919 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
A preacher cannot separate his personal life from his ministry. The life of a spiritual leader can be as much of a message as the words that he delivers on behalf of God. However, Hosea was a preacher that was asked by God to do far more than just live a life consistent with his message. He was asked to do incredible things in his personal life that were going to serve as illustrations to the people of Israel. God commanded him to marry a woman who would not be faithful to him, and to continue to pursue her even after she had strayed. This was to serve as a picture of God’s unconditional love for Israel. Israel had played the harlot throughout her history, yet God still loved her and was willing to forgive her and redeem her if she would sincerely turn back to Him.
Background Information
Hosea was a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel from approximately 750 BC until 710 BC. He was contemporary with (though younger than) Amos, who also prophesied to the northern kingdom during the reign of King Jereboam II. While Hosea and Amos were prophesying to Israel, Isaiah and Micah were preaching the Word of the Lord to the southern kingdom of Judah. The kings of Judah during this period were Uzziah, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. (Hosea 1:1)
We don’t know much about Hosea, other than the autobiographical information included in the text.
Wiersbe says this regarding Hosea:
Hosea ministered in the Northern Kingdom from about 760 to 720 b.c. Israel was enjoying great prosperity, but Hosea could see that the nation was rotten to the core; for honest government, pure religion, godly homes, and personal integrity had vanished from the land. Judgment was inevitable. Hosea faithfully preached the Word, but the nation refused to repent and was finally swallowed up by Assyria.[1]
Hosea’s name means “salvation” and is very similar to the name “Joshua,” which means Jehovah is Salvation. We know from the text that he had a father, named Beeri, of which we also know very little. We also know from the text that he married a wife, Gomer. She was to serve as a picture or type of the nation of Israel who had been unfaithful to God through her idolatry. Gomer was from “whoredoms” (Hosea 1:2 – 3), perhaps meaning that Gomer was already a harlot when Hosea had found her, and she would become unfaithful to Hosea even after they were married. Hosea and Gomer would have three children: Jezreel, Loruhamah, and Loammi. Gomer and the three children would illustrate God’s dealing with the northern kingdom of Israel.
To get a better understanding of the historical, spiritual, and cultural context of Judah and Israel during this period, it would be prudent to read 2 Kings 14 – 17, 2 Chronicles 26 – 29, Isaiah, and Micah.
The word that best describes the northern kingdom of Israel during this period is the word “whoredom,” which is used 13 times in this Book. Israel was very prosperous militarily and economically during the reign of Jeroboam II but she was also filled with idolatry and immorality, and the judgment of God was imminent. However, even though God would judge Israel for a season, He promises that He will eventually reclaim her as His bride.
The bottom line in understanding this book is that Hosea’s relationship with Gomer is a picture, or illustration, of God’s relationship with Israel.
[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 9). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Shining
Today’s Passage – Daniel 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 9 – 13; Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read the “0918 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” – (Daniel 12:3)
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” – (Proverbs 11:30)
Several years ago I received a text message from a very excited member of our church. She had taken a trip down to North Carolina to visit with her father who was very sick. She was concerned about her father’s physical health, but she was even more concerned about his spiritual condition. This young lady had never led anyone to Christ before and she was very apprehensive, but because she had such a love and burden for her dad, she boldly shared Christ with him. Praise the Lord! Her father was gloriously saved. I do not know that in the future she went on to “turn many to righteousness,” or not; but I do know that she was shining like a star the day she was used of the Lord to win her father to Christ.
I don’t know about you, but that story encourages me to be a better soul winner. I want to share Christ with the world around me. There was a time in my life when I was overflowing with the gospel; I witnessed to everybody. But to my shame, somewhere along the way, I lost some of that zeal. I want it back. Daniel says that people who turn many to righteousness will “shine.” The darker the world gets, the easier it should be to shine for Christ. Paul told the Church at Philippi: “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life;…” (Philippians 2:15-16a). Proverbs states that soul winners are wise. Harry Ironside said this: “May ours be the wisdom that leads us so to walk as to commend the gospel of Christ to all with whom we come in contact, that thus we may be in very deed winners of souls, turning many to righteousness.”
A great practical tip for being a soul winner is carrying gospel tracts with you wherever you go. If the Lord put someone in your path and an opportunity presents itself, it is easy to give the person a tract. If their reaction to the tract is positive, then you can try to talk to them further. It is also beneficial to take a class that will train you to become proficient in presenting the gospel. When I was a new believer, I went through Evangelism Explosion. This program was very helpful in that it had us memorize scriptures that are useful in teaching salvation. It also provided a step-by-step, logical plan for starting gospel conversations, presenting the plan of salvation, and drawing the net to help the prospective convert come to a decision. There are many other good programs, plans, and methods out there that will help you to learn how to share your faith, but the best way to get started is just to begin talking to people and telling them what God did for you. Learn how to briefly share your testimony. Tell people your story; how God saved you.
Posted in Thoughts from Daniel by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
The Prayer of Daniel
Today’s Passage – Daniel 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 5 – 8; Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 17)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
Read the “0917 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:” (Daniel 9:4 & 5)
The three chapters that we have read today contain wonderful prophecies about what was going to lie ahead for the people of Israel; and partially they reveal what still lies ahead for us today. Daniel receives several visions in these chapters, and for the most part they are explained to him so that he (and we) can understand them. We basically learn about all of the kingdoms that would rule the earth from the time of Daniel up until the time of the return of Christ. We learn that the Kingdom of Babylon would be overtaken by the Kingdom of the Medes and the Persians. Following them will be the Greeks; and finally we conclude with the Roman Empire which was in power at the time of Christ. This kingdom will eventually be revived and ruled by Antichrist in the last days. These are fascinating and amazingly easy to understand passages of Scripture that leave us with the assurance of knowing that we already have the victory over any evil forces that may come our way.
However, in the midst of all of this prophecy that is given in these three chapters is a prayer to God by Daniel. The thing that captivated my attention about this prayer is that Daniel includes himself in his confession to God regarding all of the iniquity of the people of God. He doesn’t say “they”; he says “we”. Now from what we know about Daniel from what is recorded in Scripture is that he was a very good man. There is not a mark against him in the Word of God. However, we know that he was a man like every other man and was not sinless. Nevertheless, he includes himself in all of the corporate idolatry and immorality that the nation was guilty of. I don’t think that he had forsaken God as the nation had, yet he took the blame upon himself.
I have a couple of thoughts regarding this humble prayer of Daniel:
1 Daniel is a type of Christ here who, though innocent, takes the blame for the sin of others.
2 Daniel is not like most men, including myself at times, who are always trying to pass the blame on to others. Why are we so full of pride that we have to try to make ourselves look to be without flaw and without sin. We are sinners. Sinners sin: it’s what we do. When we sin, we ought to be able to admit it to the Lord, ourselves, and others. We are not God. God doesn’t sin. Remember the old saying, “to err is human”. It is. Humans err; humans make mistakes; humans get away from God. Let’s not be proud of our humanity, but let’s try to humble ourselves enough to recognize it.
Christian, let me encourage you to not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. You ought always to be willing to accept blame for your actions; and even accept some blame for the actions of those you may be associated with. Daniel took full responsibility for the actions of his nation. We ought to have enough humility to come before God the same way. It really is kind of strange the way we behave. We try to present ourselves as perfect: we want to be seen as some kind of God; but God, who is perfect, took upon Himself the blame of everyone else.
Posted in Thoughts from Daniel by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
“He Shall Stand Before Kings”
Today’s Passage – Daniel 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Philemon – Hebrews 4; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 3:5 & 6
Read the “0916 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earthare reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (Daniel 4:34 & 35)
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: (Daniel 5:23)
I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. (Daniel 6:26)
In the three chapters that we have read today, we have the accounts of three different kings: Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon; Belshazzar of Babylon; and Darius of Persia. Each of these kings came to know that the God of Heaven was the only God of the universe. Each of these kings came to know this under different circumstances. The first king we saw (Daniel 4) was Nebuchadnezzar. He had already seen the power and supremacy of our God in the events that are recorded in the first three chapters of Daniel. Somehow, however, he forgot that it was God who buttered his bread; and began to think that it was he who was the source of his own success. The last straw was in v 30, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”. God had to greatly humble him. It is a principle of God that he humbles those who exalt themselves. Praise God, though, that He gave Nebuchadnezzar another chance, and He allowed him to be restored. Nebuchadnezzar did not make the same mistake twice: he gave God the glory for all that he was able to accomplish in the kingdom.
The second king we saw (in chapter 5) was Nebuchadnezzar’s “son” who appears to have never come to the place where he voluntarily submitted himself to the God of Heaven. He actually got so bad that he drank from the cups that were taken from the Temple of God: cups that were reserved only for the priests in the service of God. God revealed Himself to Belshazzar by writing his doom upon the wall. Shortly thereafter the the prophecy from the writing was fulfilled when the Persian empire came in and conquered the city of Babylon.
The last king that we read about (in chapter 6) was Darius from Persia. It seems that Darius had a great respect at least for God, though it did not appear that he worshipped him. Because of a mistake that he made, Daniel ended up in the den of lions; but somehow Darius knew that God would deliver him. He actually ended up making it official in the kingdom that everyone was to worship God.
The common denominator for all of these kings, however, is Daniel. Daniel was a steady witness; a powerful, uncompromising voice in all three of these kingdoms. He never wavered and he never yielded to the worldly influences around him. Even though he was in captivity, he was always blessed of God, and favored by each of these kings. His story is similar to Joseph’s in many ways. Let’s learn from the example of men like Daniel and Joseph, and let’s live for God; even in times when the whole world is going in the wrong direction. There will be opportunities to demonstrate the love and power of God before a lost world. When they need God, they will look for someone who they know has consistently walked with Him, like Daniel.
“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” (Proverbs 22:29)
Posted in Thoughts from Daniel by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
Staying Cool Under Fire
Today’s Passage – Daniel 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Titus 1 – 3; Psalms 71 – 75; Proverbs 15)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read the “0915 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliverus out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:17 & 18)
I enjoy reading every part of the Bible, but I have really been looking forward to getting into the Book of Daniel. These first three chapters, and the stories of Daniel (Belteshazzar), Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) were a great source of strength and encouragement to me today. I may not be facing trials and burdens that could be compared to what these young men faced, but I figure if they had faith enough to stay true to the Lord during their big ordeals, then I certainly should be able to muster enough faith to handle the little tests and problems that have come my way. These were great young men of faith, whose strength and trust in the Lord caused them to stay true to the Lord when all others compromised; and it also allowed them to stay cool when faced with the trials of their life.
In chapter one, we see the four men having a good attitude in a very bad situation. They were taken captive into the strange land of Babylon. We have no idea what happened to the rest of their families; but they may have been left behind, or possibly even put to death. These men were the cream of the crop from Israel: they were smart and well favored physically; but these gifts were not the traits that caused them to stand out from the crowd: it was their faith in God that distinguished them from everybody else. They were given a diet of the best meat and wine from the king, however the meat that the king gave them was most likely sacrificed to some pagan God. Daniel and his companions requested pulse (vegetables) and water as they did not want to compromise their faith in God by eating that which was sacrificed to an idol. The prince reluctantly agreed to accommodate them but only as long as they gave no appearance of being weak and thin. God prospered them with their vegetarian diet and they grew stronger than those that ate the meat.
In chapter two, we see them face an even greater test. The king had a dream and he wanted somebody to tell him what it meant. He made it really hard for the “wise men” in that he would not even reveal the dream: they not only had to give the meaning, but they also had to tell the king the events of the dream. This put most of the kings soothsayers out of business, and got the king mad enough to give all of the “wise men” including the four Hebrew boys a death sentence. Daniel did not panic; he prayed, and God gave him the answer to the king’s dilemma which saved his life and the lives of his three companions. It also gave them great favor in the sight of the king, and elevated them in position above all of the rest.
In chapter three, we see the stakes are raised even higher. The king has passed a new law that states everybody needs to bow to the new statue that he has made. Of course the boys refuse to bow to anything but their God. Once again the king is furious. (Kings don’t like it when the people listen to any other power but theirs) Their sentence this time is to be thrown into the fiery furnace. They trust that their God is well able to deliver them, so they continue refusing to bow to the image. The king throws them in, but miraculously God saves them, not from the fire, but in the fire. Sometimes God allows us to go through the trial: He doesn’t always deliver us from them; but His grace is always sufficient.
These are amazing, encouraging, motivating accounts of great faith. I want to have the strength of faith that these boys had. How about you? Is your faith strong or weak today? Well, did you spend time today in the Word of God? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17) There is a direct correlation between the time spent in the Word of God, and your strength in trials. Why not allow God to strengthen you today through His Word?
Posted in Thoughts from Daniel by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
The Lord Is There
Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 47 – 48 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – 2 Timothy 1 – 4; Psalms 66 – 70; Proverbs 14)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Read the “0914 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.” (Ezekiel 47:9)
“It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.” (Ezekiel 48:35)
These concluding chapters of Ezekiel paint a marvelous picture of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ which He will establish here on the earth after the Great Tribulation. The Bible speaks of a river that flows from the throne of God in the Temple that will eventually empty into the Dead Sea. The River begins as just a trickle but deepens and widens as it flows, eventually becoming a great river that one could swim in. I believe this is a marvelous picture of the presence and grace of God. We, as His children, often begin our journey only entering in ankle deep, but as we grow in our relationship with Him, we go ever deeper into those living waters of life that He spoke of also in John 4. It is interesting also that Ezekiel tells us that the waters will heal anything that they come in contact with. Even the Dead Sea, which is virtually devoid of all life today because of its salt concentration, will be healed and will be full of all sorts of fish and other living creatures. God told us in John’s gospel that He came to give us an abundant life, and at this time that Ezekiel prophesied about, all the world will experience the abundant life that only can come through a deepening relationship with Christ.
I love the last verse of Ezekiel’s prophecy. It says that the name of the city shall be, “The Lord is there.” I got to thinking about that statement and how it should apply to many things today. The presence of God indwells me today, so I can say about my life that the Lord is there. But I wonder how often my life is not a good representation of that reality. How often do I quench the Holy Spirit of God as He seeks to flow through me in order to reach the people around me who may not know Him. My family ought to be a picture of “the Lord is there,” as so should our church. In this Millennial Kingdom that Ezekiel speaks of everybody will see it: there will be no obstructions, no impairments that will hinder the people from clearly experiencing the presence of God. I want the obstructions to be removed from my life so that others will clearly see Christ in me. I want people to be able to say about me that God is with me, but my flesh often puts a bushel over the candlestick of God’s working in my life. How about you? Can people clearly see and be refreshed by the presence of God in your life? Won’t it be wonderful when this time that Ezekiel writes about comes to never have to be hindered by our flesh again: the sin nature that plaques us will be removed for good. But for now, we have to battle with our flesh; we have to surrender to the Spirit of God, and allow His abundant life to flow through us.
Posted in Thoughts from Ezekiel by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.