Daniel 1:1,2 – “Adonai”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹In the year of third to the reign of Jehoiakim the king of Israel came Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babel [to] Jerusalem and besieged it. ²And Adonai gave in[to] his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah and part of the vessels of the house of God and he brought them [to] the house of his god and brought the vessels [to] the house of the treasure of his god.

As related in the last post, the young man Daniel is living his life in 605 BC when suddenly the wickedness of his king brings the most powerful man on earth right to the very gate of his city. But this is not just any city, it is Jerusalem, the City of David, the home of the temple of the true and living God. Just a little over 100 years before, the most powerful man of that day, Sennacherib the king of Assyria, came and besieged Jerusalem and what happened? The Angel of the Lord slew 185,000 Assyrians and sent Sennacherib back home in disgrace. But, what will happen now?

It had to be a fearful thing to look out over the city wall and see the vast and powerful Babylonian army surrounding the city. If the siege goes on for months or even years, will the people all starve to death? If the Babylonians breach the wall or get into the city, what will happen? Will they abuse people? Will they kill everyone? Daniel would have reason to fear not only for himself, but also all of the people he cared about – his parents, his brothers and sisters, his relatives, his friends. One has to realize the situation is not just scary, it is terrifying.

Daniel, his family and his godly friends must have been praying fervently for the Lord to defend them as He had earlier against Sennacherib.

But what happens? Somehow, the Babylonian army is suddenly inside the city. It is possible they quickly found a weakness and breached the wall, but I think it more likely Jehoiakim “chickened out” and surrendered. Regardless, the City of David is suddenly a conquered city.

Then what should happen? Nebuchadnezzar takes some of the vessels from the very temple itself! Not only has he made it inside the city, but now his evil minions are carting away the golden vessels of the very temple of God! And to do what with them? To put them in the temple of their idols!

To every appearance, this world has gone completely out of control. Godly King Josiah is dead and his wicked selfish son is sitting on the throne. Now the city of Jerusalem has fallen and godless men are carrying away the vessels of the temple as trophies of their idol gods! “Where is God?” the people would be asking.

Verse 2 makes a startling statement, “And the Lord gave Jehoiakim into his hand along with some of the vessels from the temple …”

“The Lord gave …”

Let all the world know, it was not the might of Nebuchadnezzar that conquered Jerusalem or even gave him the power to carry off the temple vessels. But let me also add, neither was it the weakness or even the wickedness of Jehoiakim. It was the Lord.

Interestingly, the Hebrew here even emphasizes this point. When it says “the Lord,” in Hebrew it is not the usual Yahveh (the great I Am) or even Elohim (God). In Hebrew it is His name Adonai (Ah’-doan-eye), which means Master. Even in speaking God’s name, Daniel recognizes the truth of this whole affair – the Lord is still the Master.

Is this not one of the most important truths in life to learn? Our great God is Adonai, the Master. Even here, the “great” Nebuchadnezzar thinks he’s the master. But it won’t be long and he’ll be crawling around eating grass like a cow until he acknowledges that “the God of Daniel, the Most High, rules.” He will find out soon enough who is the Master. This same God said to Pharaoh, “Let My people go,” and in his arrogance, the Pharaoh replied, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him?” Wow did he find out.

I love this name of God. Out of all His names, it is probably my personal favorite. Adonai. Master. King of kings and Lord of lords. Amy Grant included this name of the Lord in her song, “El Shaddai,” which I love, and then the group Avalon did a beautiful song actually entitled "Adonai," sung by Nikki Hassman. Both songs rate high on my list of favorites. Adonai. Master.

Of course it is true that, in our sinful hearts, we chafe at anyone ruling over us. But, as a believer, I long ago found I actually want the Lord to rule my life. For myself, it was even more His rule than His forgiveness that brought me to Jesus for salvation. I wanted Him to change me, to rule over me, to help me live. I wanted Him to rule over me. Once I was reading and someone related that back in the days of slavery, one might see a wagon full of slaves enter town and see them all bedraggled, clothed in rags, skinny, and miserable. Then another wagon would appear loaded with smiling, healthy, well dressed slaves. One could ask, “What makes the difference?” The answer? “Who’s their master?”

“Who’s their master?”

And here I sit loved, well-provided for, surrounded by blessing and so much more. And why is that? “Who’s my Master?” Adonai. It is an unfathomable blessing to know that the King of the Universe is my Master, the God of love, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the One who “opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing.” It is wonderful to live every day knowing He is watching over me, that He will only do me good.

But, like Daniel, it isn’t always so obvious. Most of the time, in one way or another, it looks fearfully like evil has finally won. Our world is a scary place. Not just in the big huge political world (though that is bad enough!), but also in the ebb and flow of our minute to minute lives. Life is just plain scary.

And sometimes, in spite of our earnest prayers, things not only don’t get better, they get worse. What is our hope in those times? Adonai. Our God’s name is Adonai.

It was Daniel’s hope in 605 BC when his world was collapsing around him.

And it is our hope today.

Lord, help us today, to live the faith of Daniel. May we rest in the arms of Him whose name is Adonai, Master. Help us give You our fears and may we live in the freedom of love because, no matter what, we trust our Adonai.

Daniel 1:1 – “My World”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹In the year of third to the reign of Jehoiakim the king of Israel came Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babel [to] Jerusalem and besieged it.

I have been enjoying my study through the book of I Thessalonians but I need to take a break and do some OT study for a while and then come back to it. I don’t like to spend too long away from either Greek or Hebrew. That being the case, and needing some OT exercise, I have long loved the book of Daniel and it is a delight to actually slow down, exegete the Hebrew, ponder over each verse, and see what the Lord would teach me.

The study also possesses two personally pleasant aspects for me, one being that I’m studying the book specifically at the suggestion of my mother, who enjoys these studies with me, and the second being that my son’s name is Daniel. Not only is the mere mention of his name a delight but it also gives me great pleasure to note that, from his very birth, he has always lived up to his name. Just like his Biblical namesake, he’s always been a man you could count on to do the right thing. It was quite the pleasure for me to realize that even at a very young age, I already could respect and admire my son!

This study is also a considerable pleasure for me because I love history. Like our own, the world in which our Biblical Daniel lived was a world of rapidly changing politics, with the fortunes of four great ancient empires – Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia – rising and falling, while his own nation Israel was seemingly caught squarely in the middle (or should I say “cross-fire?). It is fascinating to me to understand some of the history that was happening even as our book of Daniel was unfolding.

It is also fun as a portion of the book is actually written in Aramaic, which was the lingua franca of the ancient world. (The actual language of Babylon itself was Akkadian). Aramaic is very similar to Hebrew, yet not the same, so I get to explore yet a third ancient language in the course of my studies.

Finally, I want to say it is a particularly pleasant prospect for me to embark on a study of this book because I have always found it to be of profound practical implications. So much of the OT is set in the context of the nation of Israel where the Lord Himself is at least supposed to be King. In the book of Daniel, we find a godly man living in a world that feels no obligation to even acknowledge the God of Heaven, much less respect His will. Much like us Gentiles, Daniel had to live out his faith in a completely pagan world, and, in that, I find his example to hold what I believe are profound implications for your life and mine.

And so we embark. May the Lord richly bless the study of His Word and may He through it enable us to live more holy and faithful lives, even as the political landscape of our own world rises and falls around us like a storm-tossed ocean.

I could probably write for months on this one verse, but perhaps I should refrain? I’ll try. The year is about 605 BC. For centuries Egypt has been a dominant power in the Middle East. For at least a couple of hundred years, that power has been challenged by the kings of Assyria. But a new power has risen in the east, the kingdom of Babylon. In this year of 605 BC, young Nebuchadnezzar has fought a decisive battle in Carchemish, north of Palestine, and forever broken the power of Assyria and Egypt. Jehoiakim was a vassal to Pharaoh Neco of Egypt, so no doubt in order to protect his western wing, Nebuchadnezzar determines he will subjugate Jerusalem and besieges it.

The very good and godly king Josiah was killed just four years earlier in 609 BC at Megiddo by the same Pharaoh. Josiah was actually a supporter of the Babylonian empire and went to Megiddo to stop or slow the Pharaoh on his way to battle with Nebuchadnezzar’s father Nabopolassar. Following that battle, Jehoiakim was actually placed on the throne of Judah by Neco himself.

So the world is in convulsions politically. No matter who you side with, you may end up dead.

On the home front, Jehoiakim is a completely inept and wicked king. He learned nothing from his father Josiah. In Jeremiah 22:13-19, we find him building for himself a lavish palace and then refusing to pay the workers when they’re done. What can they say? He’s the king. Then in Jer 36:23ff, we find the account of Jehoiakim impudently cutting up Jeremiah’s scroll and burning it in his fire. One can only imagine the heartbreak and consternation of the godly people in Judah who only four years earlier had Josiah for their king. While the rest of their world is in complete turmoil, in their own land, they have a godless, wicked king.

And now, to top it all off, this new powerful king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem.

Pretty encouraging world to live in. Yes? Obviously, no.

But this is the world that Daniel lives in.

Here he is in the year 605 BC. He’s probably 15 to 20 years old. The events of world history are swirling around him. His nation is led by a godless man whose wickedness has brought disaster to the very gate of his city.

But this is the world that Daniel lives in.

The choice before him is not whether he wants to live in this world or not, but only how will he live in this world?

And actually, as we all know, it’s going to get worse. Soon.

Sound familiar? It should. It’s your world and mine.

I don’t think I’m being morose to say we too live in a world of political convulsions and godless leadership that is sure to bring down tragedy and hardship on the heads of us and our children. But this is the hope of the book of Daniel. We’re about to wade through glimpses of the life of a man who lived in our same world but lived it well.

It will be a fun study!

I Thessalonians 2:19,20 – “People”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁹For, what [is] our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing – is it not even you – before our Lord Jesus in His coming? ²⁰For you are our glory and joy.

This passage is a delightful expression of exactly what the Lord’s presence ought to do in every life – make us love people above all else in this world. Jesus’ words were clear that only two things ultimately matter – to love God and love people, and obviously Paul is a living expression of that truth.

As I read the words, their first expression is, of course, the love of a minister for his people. His people are and certainly ought to be his greatest reward simply and in and of themselves. Further, the words would express the joy any of us have if we think we were instrumental in any way in someone else’s salvation. But then, being a parent, they express what I think are the very deepest expressions of my own thoughts toward my children and grandchildren. Compared to them, nothing else even matters in this world. My children are, in fact, my “hope and joy and crown of rejoicing,” my “glory and joy.” Being a man, I can’t imagine how much more deeply these words express the love of a mother. I hope it true of myself but it is definitely true of mothers that they would happily die rather than see their children deprived of the slightest necessity. One hears occasionally of the mother who miraculously lifted a car off her child – the same woman who one minute later couldn’t even budge the thing. From the time a woman conceives, she begins dying for her child. To be a mother costs her everything – her health, her time, her own personal dreams (whatever they may have been dissipate in the face of her baby), her money, even her vanity – she happily sheds it all that her child may prosper. So it is in our passage here.

People. Others. Our children. They are the good and proper and right receptor of our deepest affections in this world.

All that said, I’d like to take this passage in perhaps a very different direction than pretty much anyone else I’ve ever heard or read. Almost unanimously, commentators limit this passage to the ministers themselves, or at least to the business of soul-winning. What they write I believe betrays an attitude that in the end is actually destructive to the success of the Gospel in our world. What they essentially imply is that the work of a minister or soul-winner is the only work that really matters to God. The real truth, they think, is that everyone else is a second-class Christian. Those of us who work for a living have settled for something “second-best.” If we were all truly spiritual, we’d quit our jobs and engage in some full-time ministry.

One author wrote: “The merchant rejoices over his gains, the warrior over his victories, the artist over the achievements of genius; but there is no joy so sweet, so exquisite, so abiding, as the successful winner of souls.” Of course, if all the merchant sees is his “gains,” if all the warrior sees is his “victories,” theirs will be a hollow end. However, for those of us who do love God and want to be used of Him, what does this man’s thinking imply? It directly implies that what the merchant does all day every day is worthless. The efforts of the warrior really don’t count for anything, or the artist’s either. I actually heard a minister say from the pulpit, “Your job is just how you make money” – once again implying that what we all do all day every day doesn’t really count for anything. His clearly stated implication was that only the time spent in “ministry” mattered.

Is this bifurcation really Biblical? Is it true that ministry work is all that matters in this world and that we all face only two choices – to be in full-time ministry or to waste our lives on something less? I would like to assert that I Thessalonians 2:19,20 does not teach this bifurcation. Paul’s words were not intended to imply any comment on the fact that most believers always have and always will be people who spend most of their time simply living. That wasn’t his point at all. In fact, I would suggest, a proper understanding of what he is saying would energize God’s people. I would suggest it is an enormous tragedy that this very subtle error actually robs the church of what should be one of its greatest powers to advance the Gospel.

As you and I go about those “useless,” “second-class” lives – while we go to work, and buy groceries, and go to the dentist, and attend our kids’ track meets – where are we and who are we with? We are exactly where Jesus wants His church – in the world. In the world – rubbing elbows and intricately intersecting the lives of the very people who need Jesus. I believe it is actually the genius of the church that God gave us the Gospel and then called just a few men to actually teach and preach it full-time, then designed that the vast majority of believers would, by the very reality of their lives, spread out to literally fill the world all day every day with born-again people. Think about it – a minister may prepare and preach a powerful sermon on Sunday morning. But how far do his words carry? They don’t even reach 99.9% of the people who need to hear them. But then what happens? That little motley crew he calls his congregation goes out to spend all day every day in that very world that needs that very message. Jesus’ message then becomes a message written not on tablets of stone but on the hearts and lives of people.

I would suggest the problem is not that people spend all day every day simply living. The problem is when they don’t see how important that very “living” is to God. The problem is precisely when all the “merchant sees is his gains, and the warrior his victories …” What did Jesus say is all that matters in life? To love God and to love others. If that is true, then what should the merchant and the warrior and the artist see? People. The problem is when we fail to see that those lives are ultimately about people.

Here’s another assertion I’d like to make: In the end, no matter what you do for a living, in one way or another, your job is to do good for other people. Your job is to love and give. It is not just “how you make money” – it is your calling to do good to the people of your world. The Bible says “…and so David served his generation, and then he died.” It says of Jesus Himself, He was “a man ordained of God, who went about doing good...” As God’s people go about their lives, being born-again doesn’t mean suddenly they’re wasting their lives on something “second best.” It means suddenly they are free to realize that every moment of every day becomes precious in the sight of God, that as they go out to live their lives they are about something so much greater than just their paychecks. They are “serving their generation.” They are “going about doing good.” Everywhere they go they carry in their very bodies the Holy Spirit of God and the Presence of God. They literally are Jesus to the people they interact with. While you and I go about our daily lives, what matters is the people we touch.

And just so I’m not misunderstood, I am emphatically not saying that as we go about our lives, all that matters is that we are passing out tracts and starting Bible-studies over lunch. Those things may be fine in their time, but the first and most important thing you and I do is simply be faithful. Titus 2 says us workers ought to be found faithful to our employers and that, when we are, we “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” The first most loving thing I do at my job is simply to do my job. Everyone else is counting on me. If I don’t do my job, it makes someone else’s day miserable. Part of the “people” and part of the “love” is simply being faithful. Beyond that, there is the kindness with which we treat people, being considerate of their lives, their time, their jobs. There is the caring about those young people who are just starting their lives and their careers. They need someone to be patient with their youthful arrogance, to be willing to spend that extra minute explaining things they need to know, the effort to remember to ask how that baby is doing, to be genuinely excited for them when they’re buying their first house, etc. What matters all day every day is the people and that we genuinely love them, whoever they are, in whatever ways are truly love at that time and in that situation.

As you and I go about that loving, as we sincerely try to live Jesus everywhere we go, God will touch people. People will see your “good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” There will be people who will come and “ask a reason of the hope that is in you.” And at the end of your life, what will matter is not how much money you made, but how many people’s lives you touched.

I would suggest that, no matter what you do, when it’s well done, it will leave you saying, ^“For, what [is] our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing – is it not even you – before our Lord Jesus in His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”

It’s about the people. No matter what you do. Whether you’re in full-time ministry or changing diapers. It’s all about the people.

God help every one of us believers to see our world through Jesus’ eyes all day every day no matter what He’s called us to do at those moments. May the Lord through us “spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” May we be “an aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”

May it be our greatest joy to say to the Lord, “Behold, here am I and the children you have given me.”

I Thessalonians 2:17,18 – “Figuring It Out”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁷But we, brethren, endeavored exceedingly earnestly to see your faces in much desire, being torn away (painfully) from you toward a short season, to face, not to heart.¹⁸Because we, even I Paul, wished to come toward you even once and twice and Satan hindered us.

This passage brings up a subject I’m not so sure I understand completely, and that is exactly how to figure Satan into my thinking.

Paul here is telling the Thessalonians how much he wanted to come see them, but then says he had not specifically because Satan had hindered him.

For myself, I have absolutely no problem believing that Satan exists. I have no problem believing that, in a sense, the world in which we live is the grand battlefield of Gen 3:15, the war between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Satan is a murderer from the beginning, a liar and the father of lies, the one who deceives the nations, the great red dragon, the ancient serpent, the devil, the roaring lion who roams the earth seeking whom he may devour. He and his minions are the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience, masquerading as angels of light, and blinding the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ. I also believe that he is a defeated foe, the one who on the Cross struck Jesus on the heel, but Jesus crushed his head. His doom is already sealed. He will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire while Jesus and His people enjoy endless happiness in a new heavens and a new earth.

So what is my problem? What is it I’m not sure I understand? I will try to explain it. I pretty much try to fill my heart and mind with the truth of Romans 8:28, that in all things my great God is working for the good of us who love Him. As I have often bemoaned, I am an incorrigible worrier and want desperately to learn to see the Lord above every moment of my life, to trust Him implicitly, even recklessly, and He has helped me in this immensely just in the last year. I want to see that everything that happens, every moment, every situation, every pain and fear and hardship is Him working in my life to do me good, to help me put off my old man, to make me more like Jesus, to make me kinder, more patient, more gracious, more loving to others.

I’m trying to learn to see everything as coming from the hand of the Lord. And I think the Bible clearly teaches that is exactly the case, that this is the ground of hope and strength in our lives.

It is clear in the Bible that Satan cannot do anything except what God allows. Even his horrific, evil assaults on poor Job had to have the Lord’s permission.

The Lord reigns.

So why do I have to think about Satan at all? It seems like I could just forget about him and focus totally on the Lord. Of course he would still be there, plotting my murder and trying to feed me lies, but I’d be living inside the hedge the Lord keeps about me.

Clearly, in spite of all the teaching on the Lord’s providence and sovereign control, He still wants me to know about Satan, to be “sober and vigilant,” and to not be “ignorant of his devices.” Paul in our passage says he wanted to visit the Thessalonians – then does not say, “But the Lord did not allow it.” He rather says, “But Satan hindered me.” In II Cor 12, although the “thorn in his flesh” was given by the Lord “to keep him from becoming conceited,” yet Paul calls it “a messenger of Satan to torment me.” Peter told the Jews, “Jesus was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the Cross” (Acts 2:23).

Although the Lord does reign, although He is totally in control and works all things together for our good, yet He still wants you and me to recognize the malevolence of Satan, his minions, and people who follow him.

It suddenly makes sense to me that this is another example of the dignity the Lord grants to us. He is in total control, He certainly doesn’t need us, and He will work out His good plan with or without us. Yet He invites us to be His servants, to be involved in that mighty work – again, not because He needs us, but just because He’s kind. I think of Jesus’ words, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

I never cease to be amazed at the Lord’s endless kindnesses, but this one always floors me – when I see that He has granted me dignity, that He has allowed me some honor. It’s like when the children are small and you go on a trip. They don’t know anything about the route or maps or anything. They just play and sing and color blissfully while Dad and Mom take care of “getting there.” Yet, at some point, a good father says to the oldest, “I want you to help me,” gets out the map, explains the route and engages that child to “watch for signs.” It is much the same. The father really doesn’t need the child’s help. He would see the signs. He would get there with or without that child’s help. But it is a great honor to be asked “to help” and of course a great learning tool.

It suddenly makes sense to me that is why the Lord wants us to know about Satan and why we should be involved in the fight against him. The Gen 3:15 battle is the Great Warfare and the Lord wants us to join Him in it, to fight beside Him and under Him. Like Job we can daily place each of our children before the Throne of Grace. Like Daniel, we are allowed to know that “the prince of Persia” is warring against us, yet Michael is fighting for us. We can see that our warfare is not “with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” and so “put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.” We can see at times that our afflictions really are “messengers of Satan to torment us.” We can see that our Gospel really does turn people “from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God.” We can see that our sins “give Satan a foothold.” And we are called to be “sober, be vigilant,” recognizing that “the devil, like a roaring lion, roams the earth seeking whom he may devour.” We actually can hear the Savior say, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

Hmmmmm. Interesting. This is something I’ve pondered for years and never quite understood – how a knowledge of Satan is important to me when I live under a good God who is in absolute control. Now I see it is another one of His dignities that He grants to us humans, an honor to be a part of what it is He’s doing.

Lord help me always to fill my mind with You, but at the same time may I see Your enemy clearly, may I in fact be sober and vigilant, and may I work and pray as a faithful soldier in Your good army.