Just as Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi spoke of the Israelites return from exile, Ezra also describes what life was like for God’s people as they returned to Jerusalem. Ezra told how God stirred the heart of King Cyrus of Persia to let God’s people return to Jerusalem for the specific purpose of rebuilding the Temple. Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and all the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.

This stirring of hearts created a culture of generosity. Cyrus generously returned 5400 articles of silver and gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple. Those who had lived among the Israelites and been their neighbors for so many years also gave generously of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They voluntarily lavished God’s people with valuable gifts to take with them (Ezra 1:1-11).

In response to this generosity, the leaders of each family unit among the people of God returning to Jerusalem also gave voluntary offerings, each leader giving as much as they could. God was generous stirring others’ hearts toward generosity and the response was the desire of God’s people to also be generous (Ezra 2:68-69).

When God’s people arrived in Jerusalem, they assembled with a unified purpose – to rebuild God’s Temple. During the seventy years that the Israelites had been gone, other peoples had settled into the city, making it their home. Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the Lord each morning and evening (Ezra 3:3).

Imagine the excitement after all these years to be back home again, offering daily sacrifices to God – dedicating each day to God. The first Festival they celebrated was the Festival of Shelters, reminding the people of God’s guidance and care for His people as they spent 40 years living in tents in the desert as they traveled from exile in Egypt to their new home in the Promised Land. Wow! How significant this must have been to the people as they had just completed their own journey living in tents, traveling from exile in Babylon back home to Jerusalem. God’s timing is always significant though, isn’t it?!

When the foundation of the Temple was completed in their second year back in Jerusalem, the people stopped to celebrate. With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: “He is good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid (Ezra 3:11). Many wept aloud. Others were shouting for joy. The sounds of the shouting and weeping could be heard far into the distance.

As often happens when things are going well, opposition began to arise among those from other nations who were living in Jerusalem. They wrote a letter back to the King Artaxerxes of Persia convincing him to stop the reconstruction of the Temple. Then, with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building. The construction remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia (Ezra 4:23-24).

Now we are caught back up to where we were at when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah were encouraging God’s people to finish what they had started as God had commanded, as we looked at last week. The building started back up again, as did the opposition. God’s people had confidence that God was watching over them (5:5) and the local residents once again tattled back to the King, reporting that the work was going forward with great energy and success (5:8).

King Darius, however, found a scroll with the decree from King Cyrus that the Temple should be rebuilt on the site where the Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundation (6:3). His reply back to the opposition was to “stay away…do not disturb…let it be rebuilt…do not hinder…Moreover, I hereby decree that you are to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this Temple of God. You must pay the full construction costs, without delay, from my taxes collected in the province west of the Euphrates River so that the work will not be interrupted.” He also donated young bulls, rams, and male lambs to be used for burnt offerings presented to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine and olive oil. His desire was that the Israelites would present acceptable sacrifices to God and pray for King Darius and his sons (6:6-10).

Do you ever just get tickled at these kinds of stories? We still hear them today! What others do in hopes of harming or discouraging us, God makes into opportunities to bless us! Today’s morning coffee was rich with encouragement for me.
– Generosity births more generosity.
– When we are unified with one purpose given by God, we have strength to move forward even in the midst of fear and opposition.
– When God works through us to accomplish His will, it is time to celebrate and give Him praise!
– When faced with opposition, trust in God to make something wonderful come out of the struggles.

As God’s people were returning from exile to a city and land that had been destroyed, they were discouraged with the work that lay ahead of them – the task God was calling them to. God reminded them, as He sometimes reminds us, that their current condition was a direct result of their own sinful decisions. There are times when we choose to do our own thing and make a mess of what God could have made a masterpiece.

“Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit…Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. THEY turned their pleasant land into a desert.” – Zechariah 7:11-14

What was the message they had refused to listen to? What did they refuse to do that God was telling them to do? Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against one another (7:9-10). So God wanted them to put the needs of others above their own desires and they refused. God wanted them to honor the truth and love God by loving others and they chose self-preservation instead, only to find out that by trying to build a life for themselves, they had instead destroyed their chance of truly experiencing life.

God went from being an angry God determined to punish to a God of grace determined to bless His people once again. But his instructions remained the same as before. “But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord…The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace” (8:16-19).

God was ready to dwell among His people – to bless them with His presence – but He demanded they live in peace with one another and treat each other justly. Sometimes this is where we struggle in families or in Churches. We pray for God to bless our efforts, to bless our growth, but we stubbornly hold on to grudges or sit back and wait for someone else to come begging for forgiveness instead of seeking restoration with each other. Truth and peace – God would love to turn our mourning into joy and celebration but we must first love truth and peace.

When God lives among us, He creates a sense of community with each other. You may say this is impossible for the group of people you are thinking of right now, but God says nothing is impossible for Him! Invite Him to dwell among you and He can reveal truth and restore peace into any situation. Look at what He did for the Israelites when they returned to their war-torn country.

“And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem…Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play…All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? Says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (8:3-6).

When we have fixed our relationships with each other, when we are truly living in peace and truth and God’s presence is dwelling among His people, then we can be about the task of doing what God has told us to do! We must first obey God’s command to love Him by loving others before we can follow His calling in our lives. Then, when peace is restored, He strengthens us with His presence and tells us: “Be strong and finish the task!” and “So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!” (8:9,13).

And this is my favorite part! When we are living in truth and peace, and God’s presence is living among us, it will become evident to all those around us. They will see the difference God’s presence is making in our lives and they will want to become a part of it. As in Zechariah 8:23, people will see what we have and say, “Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

Oh, may God’s presence be evident in our lives today! May others see God living in us and among us in such a powerful way that they want what we have – God’s presence in our lives!

Do you ever question why we have some of our traditions or why we do the same things year after year? After God’s people returned to Jerusalem, they asked the question: “Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple’s destruction, as we have done for so many years?”

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply: “Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting? And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?” – Zechariah 7:3-6

A question of responsibility was answered by a question of sincerity. The heart of God’s people was being exposed. I have to admit I felt a little exposed as well. How often do we go through the motions on a Sunday Morning? Has the worship become more about what pleases us or are we sincerely offering our praise to God so that He will be pleased? How often do religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter become more about family traditions, foods and gifts than about God?

The prophet Malachi also spoke of the tendency of God’s people to offer less than their best to God – to sacrifice for the sake of fulfilling a ritual instead of making a true sacrifice of the heart.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!
“But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’
“You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.
“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’
“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that theses worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings… – Malachi 1:6-10

Our sacrifices to God are defiled when we give less than our best, less than He requires of us. He wants us to give from our heart, genuinely showing our love and faithfulness. He wants us to give to please Him and not to please ourselves.

Malachi also speaks of how unconfessed sin can stand in the way of God accepting our worship – again pleasing ourselves instead of obeying God to please Him:
Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altars with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. – Malachi 2:13-14

These blocks to our sacrifice and worship involve loyalty – putting God first includes the vows we made before Him, whether that’s marriage or anything else we have promised to do. God wants us to put Him first and to give Him first place in our lives. If we pour out ourselves to God, He will pour out blessings on us.

Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone astray?’
“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for you whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies (Malachi 3:7b-12).

“Return to me and I will return to you” – God loved His people and longed to renew His relationship with them. When they were in captivity, He continued to watch over them and allowed other nations to have dominion over them but that time of exile was over. God was sending two contrasting messages now – “My love for Jerusalem is passionate and strong. But I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions” (Zechariah 1:14-15).

God chose two men to play an important role in the rebuilding of the Temple and the rebuilding of the nation. He placed Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel as governor of Judah (you’ll recognize him as a part of the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1) and Jeshua son of Jehozadak as high priest (Haggai 2:2).

The passage of Scripture in Zechariah chapter 3 describes beautifully how Jeshua was cleansed from his sins and called by God. Before you read the passage, I ask you to prepare your heart. Picture that this passage is about you. Satan is pointing out all the times you have sinned and revealing all your imperfections but the Lord is rejecting Satan’s accusations – saving you from the pit of Hell and clothing you with redemption. Claim this Scripture today and rebuke Satan for the ways in which he tries to discourage you and tell you that you are not worthy or capable of what God has told you to do. Put yourself in place of Jeshua the high priest, coming out of exile and receiving his call from God.

Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.”

Then the angel of the Lord spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here. – Zechariah 3:1-7

When the accuser tells you that you cannot do what God has called you to do or that you cannot live the holy life that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies expects, remind him of the Lord’s words to Zerubbabel: “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain for him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone at the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’” (Zechariah 4:6-7).

God had commissioned Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple – not an easy task. But He wasn’t asking him to do it of his own strength. In that regard, the Accuser is right. We aren’t capable to do what God is asking us to do, at least not of our own strength. But God equips us, He fills us, He works through us to accomplish His will. Where there seem to be mountains before us, God is capable of leveling the path ahead. And when God is in it, God will bless it!

Just as God had promised, the exile for the Hebrews ended after seventy years. Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, conquered Babylon and allowed all of the nations exiled to Babylon return to their homelands. He did this in order to form alliances with these nations, expecting loyalty in future diplomatic matters. The Jews returned to Judah and Jerusalem. The stories of their return are recorded by the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi. God was calling His people to return – return to the Promised Land and return to Him.

“I, the Lord, was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’ Don’t be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the earlier prophets said to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Turn from your evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.’

Where are your ancestors now? They and the prophets are long dead. But everything I said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said. As a result, they repented and said, ‘We have received what we deserved from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He has done what he said he would do.’” – Zechariah 1:2-6

You have received what you deserve – God pointed this out in the first chapter of Haggai as well. The people had returned to Judah and started to rebuild the temple but their enthusiasm soon turned to discouragement and then to apathy. They turned their focus to their own homes and to making a living for themselves without restoring worship back into the community. Here is God’s response:

“Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. Your drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes.”

“…Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills – a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.” – Haggai 1:4-11

You are getting what you deserve but here’s how to deserve what you wish you were getting – Return to me and I will return to you. This is essentially what God was saying. God desired to lavish wonderful gifts on His children but He needed to get their attention because His intent was not only that they return to their land, His intent was that they return to Him. He wanted them to RETURN and REBUILD so that He could RENEW His relationship with them.

The people began to fear the Lord and a new enthusiasm for building the Temple was ignited in their hearts. They finished the Temple but realized that the new Temple was nowhere close to the splendor of the previous Temple. God reminded them that He is the keeper of the silver and the gold. He promised them that a day would come when He would restore glory to His Temple beyond its past glory.

Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?”
And the priests answered, “Yes.”
Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin.” – Haggai 2:13-14

In order for God to fully RENEW the relationship with His people, He needed them to REPENT. He reminded them of how little their crops produced before they rebuilt the Temple and asked them to look and see how He was now blessing them after the Temple had been restored. “Think carefully,” the Lord said (Haggai 2:18). God desired to bless them but was requiring them to turn from their sin – to repent.

What does God want to do in our lives? In what ways does the Keeper of the silver and the gold – the Keeper of all blessings – desire to bless us? Return to me and I will return to you. RETURN, REBUILD, RENEW and REPENT.

What God was asking of Daniel, was huge! The visions Daniel had left him feeling weak and physically pale, as if all his strength had left him. Have you ever experienced this to a degree? The journey God has you on or the life situations you are facing have left you drained of all energy and strength. Do you ever feel alone? May today’s words to Daniel wash over you and give you strength. May you hear the voice of God and picture the heavenly realms today. May you know with confidence that you are loved by God and that you are most definitely not alone.

My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.” – Daniel 10:8b-12

Have you ever been so drained from your life experiences, from the struggles and troubles surrounding you, that it was difficult for you to pray? You fall on your knees before God and perhaps weep but there are no words. There are times when we need the strength of God simply to be able to come before him and speak – to pray what we are feeling and present our requests to Him. Praise God, He is just the kind of God to give us the strength we need to pray.

While he was speaking to me, I looked down to the ground, unable to say a word. Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, “I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak. How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.” Daniel 10:15-17

It’s too much! It’s more than I can handle! I can’t breathe! Have you ever spoken these words or prayed something similar? There are times when what God is asking us to do or asking us to endure seems impossible, seems too big for us. At times the situation ahead is difficult, painful, overwhelming or just seems impossible. Listen to God’s words to Daniel:

“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”
As he spoke to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.” – Daniel 10:19

God went on to reveal to Daniel what was happening in the spiritual realms that man could not see in the earthly realm. There was a spiritual battle taking place on behalf of God’s people and God had commissioned His archangels to fight the battles. Daniel’s visions spoke of what would happen at the end of time. It is difficult for us to understand and comprehend, just as it was difficult for Daniel. But here God was saying – I will fight the battle! I will be victorious! (Daniel 10:13-14, 20-21).

Praise God! He does not leave us alone during the difficult times. He does not ask us to do something by ourselves, of our own strength. He is with us. His angels are defending us. He is strengthening us for what he has called us to.

The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. – Psalm 29:11

God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. – Psalm 68:35

The Lord gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king. Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever. – Psalm 28:8-9

Have you ever read a portion in Scripture or a Bible story that you’ve heard since you were a child yet now, as an adult, you have an increased understanding of what the Scripture is saying? God’s word is familiar but it comes to life as if you were hearing it for the first time.

Daniel was a young man when he was brought into the royal service but he would have heard from his parents and grandparents the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He might have celebrated Passover and heard how the angel of death passed over the homes of the Israelites who had sprinkled the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. He would have heard the stories of how Moses led them out of captivity in Egypt into the Promised Land and he would have most likely had the Ten Commandments memorized. Yet now at this stage in his life, he is coming to a new understanding of what God has done for His people and their continued unfaithfulness generation after generation.

During the first year of King Darius’ reign, Daniel is studying the word of the Lord as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet. He reads that this exile to Babylon is to last seventy years. It must be apparent to him that the seventy years is coming close to completion. He sees the need for his countrymen and his people to fully repent and turn to God so that their captivity can come to an end and they can return home again – home to Jerusalem.

Daniel put his spiritual concerns ahead of his physical needs and began fasting, turning to the Lord God in prayer – pleading for his people. He went into mourning by dressing in burlap and sprinkling himself with ashes. He took it upon himself to fall before the Lord and confess on behalf of the Israelites.

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets…

“O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary. O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city – the city that bears your name – lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.” – Daniel 9:4-19

I love this next part! What happens next reminds us that God hears our prayers, sees our hearts and responds from His heart. Consider what the angel Gabriel said to Daniel in response to his prayer and hear God’s words to you this morning as you pour out your heart to Him.

“Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. 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…” – Daniel 9:22-23

Dear Lord, this morning we come before you in repentance – repenting for our own sins and for the sins of our nation. Heavenly Father, You have poured out Your blessings upon us and we have rebelled against You. As a nation, we have not obeyed you. O merciful God, lean down and listen to us this morning. We plea for your mercy on behalf of our country, even though we do not deserve it. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! Please give us new insight and understanding. Like Daniel, may we hear from You today – may we hear the words from Your heart, “You are a very precious to God.” Amen.

Chapters 7 & 8 – that’s where I found myself this morning as I move through the story of Daniel. I knew what was coming so I was partly dreading what I knew I would read today. I don’t know if it is because of all the end time movies we had to watch in the 70’s and 80’s or because of the complexity of the study of end times, but I have mostly avoided the topic and skipped to the next chapter.

I am not going to attempt to explain or interpret the visions Daniel had foretelling what would happen in the end times. I find it interesting to read but over my head to completely understand. I went through the study of Daniel by Beth Moore several years ago and found it fascinating but I am still without a deep enough understanding to wrap my mind around all of it. I would like to point out a couple of things that stuck out to me though before I move onto Chapter 9.

These two visions went into great detail of what the beasts, ram and goat looked like but not a lot about them beyond their appearance and actions. What was described sounds familiar to what we have seen earlier in the book of Daniel – how arrogance and pride can be destructive. Daniel described the little horn as having a mouth that was boasting arrogantly and described the ram as doing whatever it pleased, becoming very powerful.

Out of the four beasts, the fourth with the little horn whose speech was described as boastful was the only one who was immediately killed and destroyed by fire. The other three lost their authority but were allowed to live a while longer (7:11-12). It is as if the Ancient One sitting in judgment had heard enough and swiftly shut the mouth of the beast. I love the power and authority displayed in Daniel 7:20-22:

This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, UNTIL the Ancient One – the Most High – came and judged in favor of his holy people.

Go God!!! I love the power displayed by our Omnipotent King of Kings! Daniel 8:23-25 describes again the victory that will take place over evil. “At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. 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. 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.”

Whether we completely understand how the end times will play out or what Daniel’s visions mean, what we can understand is that our God is powerful and that He has always been and will always be victorious. As God’s holy people, we can see that our future is strong in the hands of God. There is nothing to fear.

“But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.” – Daniel 7:18

“But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. 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.” – Daniel 7:26-27

The future of those who bow to the authority of their Lord and Savior holds victory. But let us also remember that the future of those who are arrogant, proud and boastful is bleak. Those whose speech is boastful and who do whatever pleases them will be brought down and destroyed. There is only one God – the Most High, Omnipotent God – and our future is in His loving, yet just, hands.

As we read on in chapter six of Daniel, God’s blessings on Daniel are met with opposition. Yesterday we described Daniel as more capable than others, faithful, always responsible and completely trustworthy. I guess it is no surprise that those around him reacted with jealousy and found pleasure in the possibility of seeing something go wrong in Daniel’s life. We see this reaction play out today on the job, within families and, sadly, the Church.

Everything has gone right for Daniel – well, except for the whole captivity thing Let’s review: Daniel goes from being a Jewish captive to a member of the royal service to ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all King Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men. Under King Belshazzar’s reign, Daniel is made the third highest ruler in the kingdom and Darius the Mede then appointed Daniel as one of three administrators over all the high officers. Now Darius is making plans to place Daniel over the entire empire and the other administrators have had enough!

The plot to destroy Daniel strikes where they know it will affect him the most – worship of his God. They stroke the pride of King Darius and trick him into issuing a decree that no one can pray to any god except the King himself. Once more, someone placed in a leadership position and given authority allows pride to take over and makes a foolish decision based on his own wants and desires.

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. Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help (Daniel 6:10-11).

Just as he had always done, Daniel went to his knees to pray to his God for help. He was not praying because he was now in a difficult situation and needed rescuing; he prayed just as he had always done, three times a day, giving thanks to his God. Daniel had faithfully developed a habit or life pattern of spending time in prayer, which is what made him the kind of man we have described this week. Spending time daily in God’s presence resulted in God’s presence dwelling daily within Daniel, giving him strength and wisdom. Today was no different. Daniel trusted in God, just as he had always done.

As a result of his decree, King Darius had no choice but to follow through with the punishment as declared in the new law – Daniel would have to be thrown into the den of lions. We do not know how Daniel reacted to this but we know that the king was deeply troubled and spent the night fasting for his faithful servant, Daniel.

Was Daniel scared? Did he ask God “why?” Did he question his decision to pray just as he had always done, with the windows wide open? I choose to believe that Daniel reacted the same way his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did. I choose to believe that Daniel trusted in God to save him but loved God enough to say, “But even if he doesn’t…”: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” – Daniel 3:16-18

The next morning, the king hurried to the lion’s den and called out, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel answered, “Love live the king! 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.” – Daniel 6:20-22

As a result of Daniel’s faithfulness and his testimony of how God had rescued him from what man would consider an impossible situation, God was glorified and given the praise. I pray those around us can see that we serve God faithfully and that we trust in Him through all situations, good and bad. Let’s join King Darius this morning in praising and trusting in the Most High God!

“For he is the living God, and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end.
He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions” (Daniel 6:26b-27).

The days of you being in control are numbered (Mene), you have been weighed (Tekel) on the balances and have not measured up, and your kingdom has been divided (Parsin) and given to someone else. This is the writing on the wall – God’s message to the next King of Babylon, Belshazzar.

King Belshazzar knew his history. He knew that King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart and mind had been puffed up with arrogance and that he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven from human society and made to live like an animal until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them. Knowing all of this, King Belshazzar still did not humble himself but proudly defied God by drinking from the cups brought to Babylon from the Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 5:20-23).

“You have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! So God has sent this hand to write this message. This is the message that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN” (Daniel 5:23b-25).

He knew better. He knew what could happen if he put himself and what he wanted above the Most High God. He knew and yet he chose to build his own kingdom instead of honoring God. How often could we be found guilty of the same thing? If we were weighed on a balance would we measure up? When we choose our own way and do our own thing and hope that God will bless our plans, we are fooling ourselves. The days of us being in control of our own life are numbered and the blessings God has poured out on our life can easily be taken away and given to someone else.

Let’s see how Daniel measures up when he is weighed on the balances:
But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened. There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king – your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar – made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon. This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” – Daniel 5:10-12

The queen mother was not a believer and yet she knew the difference in Daniel. She knew that Daniel had a holy spirit within him that set him apart from others. Each day we are surrounded by unbelievers and we have the opportunity to let them see something different in us that cannot be found in the hearts of the world – they can see Jesus!

That night King Belshazzar was killed and a new king took his place, King Darius. Just as the writing on the wall foretold, his days were numbered and his kingdom was divided.

Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 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.

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 – Daniel 6:1-4.

Daniel: insight, understanding, wisdom, exceptional ability, filled with divine knowledge and understanding, ability to interpret and solve difficult problems, capable, faithful, always responsible and completely trustworthy. Wow, what a description. When weighed by others, Daniel was found to be all of these things. When weighed by God, Daniel was found humble and faithful and God’s blessings increased in his life.

If we were weighed on a balance would we measure up? If left to our own ability and strength, probably not. But Daniel had something we have even more access to – a Holy Spirit. Being all of these things is not a matter of trying harder and hoping to be something extraordinary, it is a matter of humbling ourselves before God and allowing Him to fill us with Himself so that He can be exactly who He is and we can become just what He created us to be.