I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed

Daniel Chapter 9 NLT (excerpted)

Dan. 9:1 It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, . . .2  . . .I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the LORD, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. . . . 

   4  I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: 5   . . . we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. 6 We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.  . . . 11 All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice. So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin.  . . . .

   20 I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. 21 As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. 23 The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision. 

   24 A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times. 

   26 After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. 27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”

God gave Daniel visions of things that would take place in decades, in centuries, and in millenia after the time he saw them. He tells Daniel about the restoration of Jerusalem, for a time, and the coming of Messiah the King. He tells Daniel about the sacrifice and rejection of Messiah, and the victory over sin by faith in Messiah that would benefit all who would believe from every tribe and nation. Daniel is made to understand both his visions and the scripture he had been reading from earlier prophecies by others of God's servants. From Gabriel's lesson to Daniel we understand the second coming. We understand the period of time known as "the end" or the 'church age' as others describe it. We understand that God has extended the boundaries of His people from beyond descendants of the ancient Jews, to include anyone and everyone willing to trust in Christ alone for salvation. We understand that the a giant leap over thousands of years during that 'end time' will culminate in one last desperate hopeless struggle by Satan and the forces of evil to overcome God but it will not happen. As Daniel has been shown in many visions, the people of God win in the end and for eternity.

It was precisely 69 sets of seven years (483 years) from the time the people were sent back to Jerusalem and the temple rebuilt until the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So we understand that another period of seven years involving Israel is to take place, just seven years prior to Christ's return and earthly rule (the 70th week). Matthew 24:15 suggests this time comes under a figure termed "Antichrist" and leads to the final judgment.

More important to me, in reading Chapter nine is Daniel's prayer. He confesses sins, not his own but those of his ancestors and his nation. He takes responsibility for failure to obey God even though he, himself, had meticulously obeyed God most of his life. When I think how we in the church should be praying about others in the church, it occurs to me that we ought to be praying for forgiveness for sin-- if not our own then the sins of others who should know better. We ought to be seeking God's mercy upon our local congregations where leaders are not listening to God. We ought to be asking for wisdom to be poured out upon other Christians who are not now showing they hear the wisdom of Christ. We ought to be apologizing for the sins of others, even when they do not.  How have you prayed today? Was it anything like how Daniel prayed in chapter 9 vv 5-19? Check that out as a model of prayer and ask God what you might do with that model.

Your servant in Christ

Dan

drdanelliott@gmail.com

In the End, God Still Reigns!

Daniel Chapter 8 NLT (excerpted) 

   1 During the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, saw another vision, following the one that had already appeared to me. . . .

    21 The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire. 22 The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first. 

   23 “At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. 25 He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power. 

   26  This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret.” 

27  Then I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for several days. Afterward I got up and performed my duties for the king, but I was greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it.

Daniel's visions in this book are not in chronological order. If put in order then chapter eight and seven would precede chapter 5. This dream occurred most likely in 551 BC when Daniel was about seventy years of age. The vision in chapter 9 takes place along with the vision in chapter 6 as well.

In Chapter 8, the vision of the Goat is revealed to Daniel to be Greece under the leadership of Alexander the Great. The Two horns of the other Goat are the Medo-Persian Empire overtaking Babylon. All were conquered by Greece. Later the Antiochus Epiphanies (the small horn) in the second century BC overtook Israel and replaced worship of God with Greek Idol worship.  These visions continued to disturb Daniel because he was seeing God's people fail to BE God's people and them losing out to empires of the World because they would not obey or Trust in God.

The time of the end, mentioned by Gabriel to Daniel refers to the entire time from the return from Exile, through the time of Christ in the first century, across the mellinia until the final coming of Christ or the 'second coming of Christ, that we all await today. The 2,300 days represent the time from the end of Captivity until the time Jesus was born. The events that characterized the destruction by Antiochus will be repeated on a wider and more perverse scale against 'the holy people' by the demon-possessed ruler of the final kingdom. He will defeat all the world's opposition and will dare to stand against God. Verse 25 calls this evil super-ruler a  master of deception, so we know he is  empowered by God's enemy, the Devil. He will be so deluded that he will attempt to stand against God Himself, but of course will instantly fail at that point.

The visions of Daniel feed into the visions of John the Apostle from the book of Revelation. We do not know how long until they are completed. We do know this, however without doubt. The evil one will take on "the Prince of Princes," God,  but will be broken. Daniel is being reminded of his previous vision that in the end God wins and God's people rule forever. We are being reminded as well, that no matter how awful the world's affairs turn, no matter how bad the judgments of God against the people of the world get, in the end, and forever, God reigns and we with Him.
Your servant
Dan
drdanelliott@gmail.com

The Sovereignty, Power, and Greatness of all the Kingdoms will be Given to. . . .

Dan. 7:15-28 NLT  

   1 I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me. 16 So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this: 17 “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. 18 But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.” 

   19  Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It had devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, trampling their remains beneath its feet. 20 I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, 22 until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom. 

   23  Then he said to me, “This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path. 24 Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. 25 He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time. 

   26  “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. 27 Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.” 

   28  That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.

Daniel's vision continues. Though he had seen millenia of human history in the first three beasts, a fourth came into his seeing that was far worse than any he had previously seen and across a short span of time. The kingdoms of this world work evil, generation after generation. They have laws that are supposed to be for general good but evil arises out of them all. They keep order, instead of chaos, but even evil can be orderly!

In the time of The End-- the time of the fourth kingdom-- one of ten kings overpowers and usurps the resources the others. It exceeds all the power of the previous ten to become the actual first global kingdom of this world. It is a kingdom driven by God's enemy, Satan. The leader, inspired by the author of evil, even seeks to destroy God's people wherever they are found. According to verse 26, even the special days and times of God's people become controlled by the world-wide kingdom of evil-- until God steps in and turns it all around.

We have not yet seen the rise of this world-wide kingdom but we are witnessing the rise of world-wide evil and a stage being set with Chaos. According to another prophetic writer, John, this evil kingdom's ruler rises precisely because of world-wide chaos. He and that kingdom are welcomed because of the fear of disorder. And even this God permits.  We learn from the books of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible, that the affairs of nations are only seemingly controlled by the people who rule them. In reality, however, all the world stage is set for the last and final act. God permits Daniel to see this last act but he does not fully comprehend it. And so, he tells us that what he saw terrified his thoughts so he kept it all to himself and did not write more down. John, too, was terrified by the same vision but gives us details that were held from Daniel thousands of years earlier.

So you ask, we see world wide chaos. We see world-wide wars. We see world-wide earth quakes. We have seen disturbances in the atmosphere and in the oceans. Is this the time of the end?  I say, it might be or it might not be for yet some generations to come. However, how should you and I be living? I suspect we should be living as if it was the time of the end. I suspect we should be living according to God's priorities and not our own. I suspect we ought to be seeking God's purposes ahead of our preferences. I suspect that even today, we should live for Christ as we would if we knew for certain the end was coming tomorrow.

Your servant in Christ's Presence

Dan

drdanelliott@gmail.com

His rule is eternal—it will never end

Dan. Chapter 7-14 NLT (Excerpted)  

   1 Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream . . . 2 In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction. 3 Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others. . . . 

   7 Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns. . . . suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. 

   9 I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow,   his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne  with wheels of blazing fire, 10 and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session,  and the books were opened. 

   11  I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn’s boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire. . . .  13 As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

In the book of Daniel, chapter 7 drops back to a few years before the time when Babylon was taken over by Darius the Mead. The previous King-- grandson of the great Nebuchadnezzar, was king still. God gives Daniel a vision of the end of history before the eternal kingdom commences. It must have been horrific for Daniel to see a fast forward pictograph movie of the entire coming four thousand years of human history at a macro level. There were endless conflicts and centuries of war among nations. Each nation exercised what it thought was its authority. However, all of it was part of God's great plan. The interepretation of the dream given to Daniel in vv 17-28 conveyed that God is in control at every turn of world events. The suffering, the conflict, they wars, the persecutions of righteous people-- they all play a part in God's great plan and prepare many for what we read about in verse 14 and verse 27-- the time when the 'holy people of the Most High' will be given God's kingdom and it "will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey Him."

We can read the updated version of the dream in the vision given to John the Beloved in his book of Revelation. The interpretations match and convey a picture that many, today, are seeing as an approaching time in human history. Even in the past two weeks the news talk shows have been taking up the worried discussion about this being the approaching end. There is the great world disorder, that will precede the fourth world ruler, who attempts to set himself up as 'god.' We have seen in Daniel's writings that such an attempt does not work out so well for those who make it. That will be true of the fourth kingdom's world ruler as well. It all ends in fire, while the persecuted people of God receive the Kingdom from the Messiah the Prince.

Notice, beginning in verse 9, the awesome scene of the Judgment Seat of God. What Daniel saw was probably beyond his ability to describe and these were the best words he could come up with based on his life experiences. We notice that God is in the seat of power and the source of fire (a purifying substance). We notice that while millions of angels do his bidding, this one arrogant world ruler stands ignorantly defiant of the Creator exercising his boastful pride. Boasting and pride never end well. They always lead to a downfall. This usurping little horn (political power) build his kingdom on treachery of other rulers who gave him his start. And he thinks he can usurp the power of God Himself so he boasts and rebels, until fire consumes him.

With such an outcome to boastfulness, I think I want to ask that the Lord deliver me from any time of boasting about anything other than in the power of God alone. How about you?

Your servant,
Dan
drdanelliott@gmail.com

He still prays to his God three times a day

Dan. 6:11-28 NLT

   11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. 12 So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?” “Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” 

   13 Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.” 

 14  Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. 

  15 In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.” 

   16  So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” 

   17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night. 

   19  Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” 

   21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” 

   23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. 

   24 Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den. 

   25 Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:    “Peace and prosperity to you! 26 “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.  For he is the living God,  and he will endure forever.  His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end.  27 He rescues and saves his people;  he performs miraculous signs and wonders  in the heavens and on earth.  He has rescued Daniel  from the power of the lions.” 

   28  So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

We last saw our faithful friend, Daniel, knowing he was being watched, deliberately praying to God before open windows. He knew the trap was set for him in the law his enemies had tricked the king into signing, but he also knew the power of God and trusted that power and the will that God held out for him. The enemies run to tell the king and note the King's response. He suddenly realized they had manipulated him into this situation but he felt trapped by his law. He realized he should have been wiser but it was too late. He delayed responding to their demands hoping to think of a way to deliver Daniel from this fate, but none was coming. It was, in fact, God's will for Daniel to endure this fate and glorify God's name. 

We see Daniel dropped into the lion's den and we see King Darius praying to God "May your God, whom. . . rescue you." We even see the king fasting and praying all night instead of sleeping. Daniel's life had already convinced the king that God was real and powerful. In the morning we see the king rushing to the lion's den expectantly, calling out to Daniel. He hears Daniel's response and glorifies God. Oh, and those enemies? They were fed to the lions. It is a dangerous thing to try to manipulate circumstances against the will of God. It will always bring worse harm to the perpetrators than the harm they intended. Check out verse 24 to see their fate.

Darius was a faster learner than the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. It only took him this one time to learn who God was and who he was in relationship to God. The King's decree was that everyone should tremble with fear before God.  Darius had discovered that God is a living God enduring forever, and re realized that the Kingdom of God could never be destroyed by anyone. Doubtless this was why the people of Israel were permitted to return to their homeland with help and rebuild their kingdom 70 years to the day after Daniel and his people had been taken into captivity.



How faithful to God are you ready to be in the face of public pressure? How ready are you to face death? How willing are you to trust the unseen hand of God to deliver you according to His will and plan even when you don't know what those plans include before they happen? How often did you pray to God today-- at least three?

Your servant in Christ's love
Dan
drdanelliott@gmail.com

He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done

Dan. 6: 1-10 NLT

   1 Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. 2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. 

   4  Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.” 

   6  So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! 7 We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. 8 And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” 9 So King Darius signed the law. 

   10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. (continued next time)

Faithful Daniel, having served generations of kings, next became a senior official in the reign of the very king that had, at God's planned time, defeated Babylon's silly latest king who dared to challenge God. The messages about the miracles performed by God where kings were concerned was, no doubt, circulating around the empires so the stories of the fiery furnace, and of Nebuchadnezzar's seven years in the wild outback, surely were widely told. Now a new king, Darius, over the Meado Persian empire, who had just defeated and assumed rule over the Babylonian empire was to learn the lesson of humility and of the power of God.

It is always the case that people in high power positions are surrounded by others who want to manipulate them for personal gain. Darius had appointed Daniel to be one of three to rule the kingdom and was about to become prime minister-- a position he had fulled well under Nebuchadnezzar for decades. The other leaders and their supporters probably Meado-Persians and not all that familiar with the events in Babylon, where Daniel and the Hebrews were concerned, began the same old scene. Let's trick the king into making a harsh law that will only serve to single out and remove Daniel-- his favorite-- from being over us. Foolish arrogance, to be sure!

Their proposal may have made sense as this was a time when Darius should be consolidating his leadership control over the newly gained part of his empire. Flattery and deception go hand in hand where politics are concerned. Others in the political tree also joined into the plot so that many top officials proposed the idea. Darius should sign a law (irrevocable under their culture) saying that only the Emperor might be worshiped, prayed to, or otherwise adulated for the following 30 days.

For sure Darius was smarter than it might seem, but in such a culture, a top leader is often susceptible to the influence of flattery and can be turned in a direction that he or she will eventually regret. This is a reason to make our leadership founded deeply on humility in fully surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought to make our daily prayers, as leaders, asking that we do only that which is aligned with the will of God, rather than our own.  We will be more effective as leaders and we will be more helpful to clients, constituents, and colleagues.

Next time we shall 'the rest of the story.'  For now, the great lesson is in Daniel's response to the obvious plot. It was not new to Daniel, he had experienced it all before. His response was to be very deliberate about his praise and worship of God first. Regardless of what others said, thought, or did, Daniel had always worshipped God and would continue to do so. Oh that we can be as faithful under pressure as was this great leader whom God had prepared across the years.

Your servant,
Dan
drdanelliott@gmail.com

"you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up"

Dan. 5:17-31 NLT (Excerpted )

   17 Daniel answered the king, . . . but I will tell you what the writing means. 18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. 19 He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. . . . 20 But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them. 

   22 You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. 23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. . .. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! 24 So God has sent this hand to write this message. 

   25 This is the message that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. 26 This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’ —God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.  27 Tekel means ‘weighed’ —you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. 28 Parsin means ‘divided’ —your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 

   29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 

   30  That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

Nebuchadnezzar may have learned his lesson for the remainder of his reign but his royal successor did not. Even though the reformed king proclaimed that everyone should worship God, his next in line (probably a grandson) Belshazzar lived in his own pride and arrogance. The first half of the chapter describes how the king had a party with wives and concubines and nobles-- probably an orgy. To show his supremacy over all the world, he called for the captured sacred articles taken from the Jewish temple 60 years earlier and proceeding to use them as party plates and cups. By calling for the sacred articles and treating them as common dinner ware, he was demonstrating that he thought himself to be greater than God, to whom those articles had been dedicated before being captured. He, in effect, challenged God to a duel. And God took up the challenge!

Daniel was still around advising kings. He was now an old man but just as sharp and tuned in to God's word of prophesy. The young king's mother remembered what her father, the former king had experienced and had her son call for the one man left in the kingdom who had proven knowledge and relationship with God. Daniel informed the young king of the sentence that was placed upon him by the Hand of God Himself because he so reveled in his pride and arrogance and forgot the lessons learned by his predecessors in relationship with God who orders all things across all time. He paid the price as did his kingdom and those who identified with him.

We experience this in the church, the body of Christ, today. When younger generations grow up in their local congregation hearing reports of the faith of their elders they often ignore the lessons that are being rehearsed for their benefit. They fail to make their own relationship with the Holy Spirit of God, through a vital faith in Christ. Because of that, trials and the pull of the world's sin separates them from their family's faith and some never make it back into the fold of faith. There are churches that tell them they can never be lost, but the scriptures disagree. Rather than argue that point it is much better that we all ensure our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is a tight bond of our personal submission and surrender to His will and daily leadership. We do better pursuing the will of God with every fiber of our being, at all times of every day. There is nothing to be gained by withdrawing from the Kingdom of God and everything to be gained by pressing on into it with our full attention upon God through our faith in Christ and trust in, and obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Your servant

Dan

drdanelliott@gmail.com