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  • Daniel 6

    Daniel 6

    Read Daniel 6

    Daniel in the Den of Lions

    6 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

    6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.

    10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

    The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

    13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

    15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”

    16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

    17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

    19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

    21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

    23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

    24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

    25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:

    “May you prosper greatly!

    26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

    “For he is the living God
        and he endures forever;
    his kingdom will not be destroyed,
        his dominion will never end.
    27 He rescues and he saves;
        he performs signs and wonders
        in the heavens and on the 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.

    Go Deeper

    This is a story that many of us have read before, but it is so powerful to read it again within the greater story of Daniel! Daniel lived above reproach, stood firm in the face of fear, and pointed people to the One True God. His faith was unwavering. This chapter begins with a plot against Daniel. Daniel and his friends were in exile in Babylon and gained favor with King Darius. However, people became jealous of Daniel and plotted against him. The problem was, they couldn’t find any charge against Daniel. He was, “trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent” (v. 4). The only way they could get him in trouble was if it went against the God he served. He lived above reproach in everything he did. 

    Daniel obeyed God as his ultimate authority, not the king’s decree, and that led him into the lion’s den. King Darius sealed it with his signet ring, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. But we know that God is sovereign, and there is no king or power on earth that can seal the fate of our life. God shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel came out unharmed. There was no wound found on him. As a result of the work of God and the faithfulness of Daniel, King Daruis issued a new decree. He was so moved by this miracle that he said, “In every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel” (v. 26). King Darius praised the Lord saying, “For he is the living God, and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions” (v. 27). Daniel’s loyalty to God in a dire circumstance led an entire nation to come to know and worship the Lord.  

    This story of Daniel ultimately points to Jesus! Daniel is considered to be a typology in Scripture, or a type of Christ, in numerous ways. He is called a “servant of the living God,” which is also one of the ways Jesus was described (Acts 3:26). Daniel was a righteous man who walked with God. The people couldn’t find any charge against Daniel, so his enemies manipulated the ruler to put him to death. The same is true of Jesus. The chief priests and elders couldn’t find any guilt in Jesus, but His enemies pressured Pontius Pilate to release Him to be crucified (Luke 23:4). Daniel’s enemies wanted him to bow to something other than his God, and The enemy wanted Jesus to bow down and worship him while he was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:9). 

    Despite the betrayal Daniel faced, he continued in steadfast prayer and remained faithful to the One he served. In the same way, Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Neither uttered a word in self-defense and both were placed in a cave with a rock sealed over it. They were both found alive in the same place they were supposed to be dead, after a miracle took place. People came to know the one true God because of their faithfulness. They were both surrendered to the perfect will of the Father, and it led Daniel to the lion’s den and Jesus to the cross.   

    Proverbs 28:1 says that “the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Daniel is the epitome of boldness and fearlessness. He stared at the face of a lion and declared that his God was more powerful. In the midst of this trial, Daniel had a firm trust in the Lord. We might find ourselves in situations where we feel like we are in the lion’s den, but that gives us a greater opportunity to depend on the Lord. Regardless of our situation, we can walk boldly believing God is who He says He is. Our God is a God who shuts the mouths of lions and raises the dead to life. He is a sovereign God whose dominion will endure forever. He always has us, He’s always for us, and He’s always with us.

    Questions

    1. Daniel lived above reproach to the point where his enemies could find no charge against him. What does it look like for you to live above reproach? 
    2. Like Daniel, we can be walking in the perfect will of God and still end up in the lion’s den. What is a trial you have faced? Have you used a trial in your life to point people to Jesus? 
    3. The same God who delivered Daniel from the lion’s den is still performing miracles today. What is a miracle you have seen God do? What is something that God has delivered you from? Praise Him for that today!

    Keep Digging

    Are you interested in diving deeper into this famous Old Testament story? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org to learn more!

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  • Daniel 5

    Daniel 5

    Read Daniel 5

    The Writing on the Wall

    5 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his fatherhad taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

    5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.

    7 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

    8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrifiedand his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.

    10 The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12 He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”

    13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

    17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

    18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzarsovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death;those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.

    22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

    25 “This is the inscription that was written:

    mene, mene, tekel, parsin

    26 “Here is what these words mean:

    Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

    27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

    28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

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

    30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

    Go Deeper

    In Daniel 5, we see a theme that is demonstrated all throughout Scripture–God’s authority. This chapter gives us insight into two ways of living: one that leads to abundant life and one that leads to death. The path to abundant life is found in choosing to recognize God’s authority and surrendering to Him, while the path to death is found in pridefulness and our own attempts at control.

    The thing about surrender is that God is in control regardless of our choice to surrender to Him or not. Surrender is really just our choice to recognize His control. In His goodness and grace, surrender allows us to more fully experience the abundant life found in walking with God. We see that clearly in the person of Daniel. He uses the gifts God has given him to go where God is leading. Daniel is obedient out of faithfulness to God, not for worldly reward (v. 17). Even so, Daniel lives out a life that is fully surrendered to the Lord, and finds himself exalted before kings and nations. 

    Through King Belshazzar we see the consequences of pride and a refusal to acknowledge the authority of the one true God. Matthew 23:12 tells us, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” In Belshazzar’s choice to misuse items dedicated to God and choosing instead to give thanks to false gods, he is ignoring the authority God holds. Daniel tells him, “But you did not honor the God who holds in his hands your life and all your ways” (v. 23). 

    The God that holds King Belshazzar and Daniel is the same God that holds us. We can choose to resist God’s authority, or we can choose to rest in it. Our pride can be the thing that ruins us, or we can humbly submit to God’s hand, knowing that He is for us (Romans 8:31). As we learn who God is and understand His goodness and faithfulness towards us, may it lead us to a place of surrender, trusting Him all the more as He holds us.

    Questions

    1. What are you withholding from God? Spend time in prayer asking God to bring something to mind that you have yet to give over to him completely. 
    2. What would you gain by choosing to surrender to God’s authority in your life?
    3. What do you think gives Daniel the confidence to walk into situations so boldly? Do you believe that it is available to you, too?

    Pray This

    Father,

    It is easy for me to get caught up in the opinions of others, the overwhelming circumstances or hurdles I am facing, and the worldly, prideful desires that grasp for my attention. Turn my heart and my eyes toward you. Remind me of your goodness and faithfulness toward me, and teach me again to trust in You, the God who holds my life and all of my ways. May I live a life fully surrendered to You, experiencing the abundance that is found in communion with You, and may it lead me to boldly share your Good News with those around me. 

    Amen.

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  • Daniel 4

    Daniel 4

    Read Daniel 4

    Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Tree

    4 King Nebuchadnezzar,

    To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth:

    May you prosper greatly!

    2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

    3 How great are his signs,
        how mighty his wonders!
    His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
        his dominion endures from generation to generation.

    4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. 7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologersand diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)

    9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. 10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed:I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.

    13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

    “‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven timespass by for him.

    17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’

    18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

    Daniel Interprets the Dream

    19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”

    Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— 22 Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

    23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’

    24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

    The Dream Is Fulfilled

    28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

    31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

    33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

    34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

    His dominion is an eternal dominion;
        his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
    35 All the peoples of the earth
        are regarded as nothing.
    He does as he pleases
        with the powers of heaven
        and the peoples of the earth.
    No one can hold back his hand
        or say to him: “What have you done?”

    36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

    Go Deeper

    In Daniel 4, we see King Nebuchadnezzar proclaiming the signs, wonders, and kingdom of the Most High God. He’s gone from a pagan king who demanded his own people worship him, to someone who exclaims the generational sovereignty of the God of Israel. He’s clearly seen what the Lord can do in saving Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he’s intrigued by the miraculous works of the Lord.

    The King has a dream that confuses him, and none of his usual dream interpretation methods or people work, so he calls for Daniel to see if he can help him. In his dream, the king hears a message, that “the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes…” (Daniel 4:17). This same phrase is repeated in Daniel 4:25 and 4:32. 

    After hearing about the King’s dream, Daniel was both perplexed and terrified. It appears that Daniel is terrified and dismayed because he knows it’s not a good outcome for the King. In fact, it’s more of a nightmare or bad dream! Daniel knows he has a choice—he can either tell the King what would make Nebuchadnezzar happy, or he could tell him the truth about his dream. Daniel knows he must tell the King the truth, but in doing so, he knows he’s risking his life. He’s not excited about telling one of the most powerful people in the world the same bad news.

    Daniel’s heart breaks for the King, but he still chooses to tell Nebuchadnezzar the truth. Over and over in the book of Daniel, we see Daniel’s remarkable courage, and we have much we can learn from him. The King could have Daniel killed, tossed into a fire, or thrown into a lion’s den. But, Daniel knows the Most High is sovereign over all. Whether in plenty or in want, Daniel knows the secret of being content because he trusts in God. And he asks the King to do the same—to renounce his sin and wickedness. Daniel’s same challenge applies to us all today as we get the privilege of speaking the truth in love to others.

    Questions

    1. Daniel was dismayed for the king. Does your heart break for others in the midst of pain/challenges? How’s your empathy for others?
    2. Galatians 1:10 says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Do you choose to please man or please God?
    3. Take a moment and pray to God the King’s words from Daniel 4:37: “Praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

    Did You Know?

    King Nebuchadnezzar calls Daniel “Belteshazzar,” after the name of his Babylonian god, Bel. Even though the King seemed to have a genuine conversion experience, he still clung to his pagan idols and practices. You can learn more in this article on Got Questions.

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  • Daniel 3

    Daniel 3

    Read Daniel 3

    The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace

    3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

    4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

    7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

    8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews.9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

    13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

    16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

    19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednegoand throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

    24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

    They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

    25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

    26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

    So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

    28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

    30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

    Go Deeper

    After yesterday’s review of Daniel 2, one might think that Nebuchadnezzar would remember and be changed by Daniel’s God given dream interpretation. Now in Daniel 3, the same king constructs and displays a 9-foot golden image requiring all the people and leaders in Babylon to worship. How quickly Nebuchadnezzar forgot “from whom his help came from.” This is part of the lesson for all of us as we study Daniel 3 as we, too, can forget how amazing our God is. This chapter is arguably one of the most memorable stories in all of the Bible. It is obvious that God was not finished using Daniel and his friends to display to the world that He was not one of many gods, but He was the only God. 

    By refusing to worship this golden image, their punishment (according to the king’s edict) was death in the fiery furnace. Perhaps there was jealousy or hatred from the Chaldeans toward the honor and leadership positions bestowed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Perhaps they were still frustrated by the fact that they could not interpret the dream of Daniel 2 for Nebuchadnezzar. Whatever the case, it is obvious they were out to get them by going to the king to tell him of these men’s disregard for the king’s worship mandate. Daniel 3:6 states, “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.”

    Our world can make us try to conform to its false mandates through fear, lies we believe, hatred, anxiety, envy, and strife that turn our hearts away from worship, surrender, trust, and love for Christ. Sometimes we think we “have to” do something to fit in or follow, and it can be our undoing. As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are brought before the king, their words are ones we all need to remember. In Daniel, 3:17-18, they reply, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to worship the golden image you have set up.” 

    They proclaim to Nebuchadnezzar that their commitment to God is not conditional. Martyrdom or deliverance are one and the same. The question to ask ourselves is obvious: are we able to stand and believe God for the same in our own lives? 

    Not only are these three heroes of the faith headed for the fire, but they are headed for a furnace that is seven times hotter than the usual. We read that not a word was said by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they were thrown into the fire by the king’s best warriors. Ironically, the warriors were burned to death throwing the three in the furnace due to the deadly heat. The king watched in amazement as Daniel 3:25 says, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”

    Scholars discuss this as a preincarnate appearance of Christ which adds to the miraculous events of this story. No matter who it was, God sent this divine companion to save these three heroes of the faith. In Jesus Christ, we have the same companion who will guide, walk through, and protect us in our “fiery furnace” events of our lives. As Nebuchadnezzar ordered the three men out of the furnace, they stood before him without even a single hint of being in the fire. This earthly king knew he was defeated at this crucial moment. What he meant for destruction, God used for His purposes to keep His people consecrated, separated, holy, and resolute in their faith. Even the king reversed the mandate to protect the worship of the one, true God!

    No matter what we are facing, we have a God who is good, powerful, and loving, and has His and our best interests in mind. Ephesians 4:16 says, “May He grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.”

    Questions

    1. Why do you think Nebuchadnezzar made the golden image? 
    2. How do you see God move here when the mandate of worship was completely reversed at the end of this story?
    3. Has your faith ever been tested like this? How can you better strengthen your commitment to Christ after reading Daniel 3?

    Pray This

    Lord, I need deliverance that can only come from You. As you delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I ask You to move in such a way that I and others know that it was You and You alone. To you be the glory.

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  • Daniel 2

    Daniel 2

    Read Daniel 2

    Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

    2 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”

    4 Then the astrologers answered the king, “May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

    5 The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”

    7 Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

    8 Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”

    10 The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”

    12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

    14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.15 He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

    17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said:

    “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
        wisdom and power are his.
    21 He changes times and seasons;
        he deposes kings and raises up others.
    He gives wisdom to the wise
        and knowledge to the discerning.
    22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
        he knows what lies in darkness,
        and light dwells with him.
    23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
        You have given me wisdom and power,
    you have made known to me what we asked of you,
        you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

    Daniel Interprets the Dream

    24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.”

    25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.”

    26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”

    27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:

    29 “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

    31 “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

    36 “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

    39 “After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

    44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

    “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

    46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”

    48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49 Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.

    Go Deeper

    There are major biblical prophecies that come from the book of Daniel. In Daniel 2, we read about a troubling dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had. The king wanted to know its meaning so he asked all the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers for the interpretation of it. These men explained to the king that the task was impossible. They said, “No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans” (v. 11). So, King Nebuchadnezzar commanded that wise men in Babylon be put to death. Daniel responded to this by going to the king and asking for more time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

    Daniel asked his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to plead with him for mercy from God, so that they would not perish. They were asking for a miracle to take place. God graciously revealed to Daniel the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in a vision and Daniel responded by giving praise and honor back to God. Daniel proclaimed, “I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king” (v. 23). Daniel comes to the King with the interpretation of his dream but points all the credit to God.  He said, “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (v. 27-28). Daniel had a prophetic gifting but recognized that only God could give him this special insight. Daniel pointed his gifting back to the Lord. God gives us certain gifts or abilities that we are to use for His glory, and to point people to Him. 

    The dream was of a statue. The vision described the head of the statue as “made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay” (v. 32-33). The head of gold was King Nebuchadnezzar, which meant that God had given him great power. The dream also meant that the next kingdoms that arise will be inferior to Babylon. This was fulfilled in history with the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires that came after Babylon. However, there was another kingdom in the dream, depicted as “strong as iron… so it will crush and break all the others” (v. 40). This is a kingdom that will never be destroyed (v. 44). This is a prophecy that God is going to set up an eternal kingdom that will never perish. We can look forward to the day where this world will “become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15). 

    Questions

    1. What are some examples we can follow from Daniel in this chapter? 

    2. Daniel sought the Lord for wisdom and help first in prayer. Is prayer always your first response in a difficult situation?   

    3. What are gifts or abilities that the Lord has given you? How can you use them to build God’s Kingdom?   

    Keep Digging

    Interested in digging deeper into the prophecies in Daniel 2? Click here for a helpful infographic to learn more!

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  • Daniel Overview + 1

    Daniel Overview + 1

    Daniel Overview

    The book of Daniel is the fifth of the five books that are considered the “major prophets” in the Old Testament. This book is a unique mix of both history (the first seven chapters of the book) and prophecy (the final five chapters), including prophecy surrounding the Messiah and God’s ultimate plan for His people. Interestingly enough, it’s not written chronologically but is instead split between the two different types of literature in this book. As we read this book, you’ll encounter familiar stories that you have likely read before as well as prophetic visions that require a couple of read-throughs to understand exactly what’s happening. 

    It’s important to understand who Daniel was before we dive into the book. Once Jerusalem was destroyed, the Israelites were taken captive and were forced to live in Babylon, which was a different setting, in a different culture, and under the rule of a different empire. Daniel, because of his faithfulness as a follower of God, was elevated and promoted into a position of leadership within the Babylonian empire. Throughout this book, several different rulers (and kingdoms) are referenced, so pay close attention to the names listed from story to story. 

    As we read the book of Daniel as twenty-first century followers of Jesus, there are principles we can learn and apply in our own lives. We, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, are living in an exile of our own right now. We’re not home yet, so we need to figure out how to live as exiles while God has us here on earth. Pastor and commentator Chuck Swindoll says this about the book of Daniel:

    “Have you ever endured the weight or consequences of sin and felt as though God had left you behind, that He had stranded you in a world far from the comforts associated with home? The book of Daniel paints a portrait of how to serve God faithfully in the middle of such a world and how to persevere in hope even with no immediate solutions to the problems that get us down.”

    Over these next twelve chapters, let’s ask God to use the book of Daniel to reveal to us how He wants us to faithfully live. 

    Read Daniel 1

    Daniel’s Training in Babylon

    1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babyloniaand put in the treasure house of his god.

    3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

    6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

    8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

    11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

    15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

    17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

    18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

    21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

    Go Deeper

    This book is aimed to encourage the Jews in exile to stand firm in what is true and to point them to God’s prophetic plan for the future. God raises up Daniel to remind God’s people of who they are and what they were called to do. In this chapter, we see Daniel taken into Babylon (v. 1-7) and his faithfulness displayed and rewarded there (v. 8-21). The king of the Babylonian Empire was a man named Nebuchadnezzar. At this point he had conquered most of the known world. He went into Jerusalem, burned down the Temple, and took captives. The first wave of these captives was taken into Babylon, which included Daniel and his three friends: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Nebuchadnezzar took these men who were the best of the best and trained them up for three years to be in his government. 

    The Babylonian empire was known for brainwashing people and mixing them into their culture. They indoctrinated these four men and taught them the Chaldean language, gave them daily food and wine, and changed their names. Daniel, which means “God is my judge” was changed to Belteshazzar meaning “Bel protects his life”, the name of a pagan god.  Hananiah, which means “God has been gracious” changed to Shadrach meaning “commander of the moon god.” Mishael, which means “who is like God” was changed to Meshach meaning “who is like the moon god.” Azariah, which means “God has helped” was changed to Abednego meaning “servant of the god nego.” Names were an important part of Hebrew culture and were given to remind people of God. However, these exiles were expected to forget about the God of Israel, and ultimately forget their true identity. 

    These captives had their world flipped upside down. But the four men had their hearts set on the Lord and remained faithful to the one true God. We read that Daniel “resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way” (v. 8). Eating this food was in direct disobedience to the Word of God. The food was considered defiled because it was not kosher, it had likely been sacrificed to idols, and it represented conformity to the Babylonian culture. Daniel requested that they test him and his friends for ten days by only giving them vegetables to eat and water to drink. At the end of the ten days, these four men looked better and healthier than the men who were eating the king’s food. 

    This request to abstain from food might seem small but demonstrated that Daniel and his friends refused to compromise on God’s Word. They feared the Lord more than they feared the king. God honored their faithfulness, and He “gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds” (v. 17). There was no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, and the king “found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom” (v. 20). This is a reminder for us to be faithful in the little. It can be tempting to compromise on small things, but we are called to faithful obedience even when it is costly. We are called to follow God’s ways, even when the world is going in a different direction. We are not of this world. We are called to be set apart.

    Questions

    1. The Babylonian empire was known for being a place of pagan worship. These four men were set apart in Babylon. What does it look like for you to be set apart in our culture that does not always honor God? 
    2. Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself or compromise (v. 8). What can we learn from this? What does this show us about Daniel’s relationship with God?
    3. Daniel respectfully asked for permission from the eunuch not to defile himself. How do you handle situations where you disagree with someone or something that contradicts your faith?

    Watch This

    For a high-level overview of this book as we begin it, check out this nine minute video from The Bible Project!

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  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. 

    Blog Post: How God Uses Evil to Destroy Evil

    There’s some overlap between Nahum and Habakkuk (two minor prophets that we recently read) in that God uses evil to destroy evil. But why?

    On this rest day, check out this article from The Bible Project called “Nahum’s Oracle and Habakkuk’s Grievance.”

    Worship with us

    Join us in person or online at 9a or 11a at harriscreek.org/live. We will not be having the 7p service for the duration of the summer! We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

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  • Habakkuk 3

    Habakkuk 3

    Editor’s Note

    We’re also going to take a brief pause from our summer books (1 & 2 Chronicles) to read from some of the minor prophets that are either directly mentioned in 1 & 2 Chronicles or that lived and prophesied within the time frames of those books. 

    These short prophetical books help us understand what God’s people would have been hearing (and feeling) as they lived through some tumultuous times and help add color to the historical books we’re reading over the next couple of months! 

    Read Habakkuk 3

    Habakkuk’s Prayer

    3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

    2 Lord, I have heard of your fame;
        I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
    Repeat them in our day,
        in our time make them known;
        in wrath remember mercy.

    3 God came from Teman,
        the Holy One from Mount Paran.
    His glory covered the heavens
        and his praise filled the earth.
    4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
        rays flashed from his hand,
        where his power was hidden.
    5 Plague went before him;
        pestilence followed his steps.
    6 He stood, and shook the earth;
        he looked, and made the nations tremble.
    The ancient mountains crumbled
        and the age-old hills collapsed—
        but he marches on forever.
    7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
        the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

    8 Were you angry with the rivers, Lord?
        Was your wrath against the streams?
    Did you rage against the sea
        when you rode your horses
        and your chariots to victory?
    9 You uncovered your bow,
        you called for many arrows.
    You split the earth with rivers;
    10     the mountains saw you and writhed.
    Torrents of water swept by;
        the deep roared
        and lifted its waves on high.

    11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
        at the glint of your flying arrows,
        at the lightning of your flashing spear.
    12 In wrath you strode through the earth
        and in anger you threshed the nations.
    13 You came out to deliver your people,
        to save your anointed one.
    You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
        you stripped him from head to foot.
    14 With his own spear you pierced his head
        when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,
    gloating as though about to devour
        the wretched who were in hiding.
    15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
        churning the great waters.

    16 I heard and my heart pounded,
        my lips quivered at the sound;
    decay crept into my bones,
        and my legs trembled.
    Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
        to come on the nation invading us.
    17 Though the fig tree does not bud
        and there are no grapes on the vines,
    though the olive crop fails
        and the fields produce no food,
    though there are no sheep in the pen
        and no cattle in the stalls,
    18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
        I will be joyful in God my Savior.

    19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
        he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
        he enables me to tread on the heights.

    For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

    Go Deeper

    “Why God?” is the question we see Habakkuk asking the Lord in this book. Why is there injustice? Why is there violence? Why is there oppression? Why is God judging wicked Judah by raising up wicked Babylon? Why isn’t God setting things right? Habakkuk is grappling with some tough questions. He is crying out to God about the oppression and violence in front of him. Why is God tolerating this wrongdoing? Many of us have asked these same questions. How can God be good and there still be evil in the world? How can the Lord love us, but allow us to experience suffering? 

    Habakkuk recognized how dark and chaotic this world can be. He saw the violence and injustice around him and concluded that this world is not how it should be. Despite these questions Habakkuk was asking, he concluded with a joyful praise. He reminded himself of who God was despite his current circumstances. Habakkuk says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!” (v. 17-18). There is no fruit on the trees, no grapes on the vines, no produce, and no livestock. Regardless of this, he will rejoice. 

    Paul makes a similar statement in the book of Philippians expressing that he has found joy despite his situation. Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13). We can endure all things through Christ. God alone is the source of our joy. However, this is sometimes hard to believe. It is tempting to seek security and satisfaction from the things of this world. But Jesus is so much better than this world has to offer. Our contentment is not found in physical blessing or circumstances, but in a relationship with God. Only He will truly satisfy.

    We can come to the Lord with our honest questions and the ways we feel He has let us down, but it is important to remind ourselves of His consistent character. There is evil in this world, and God is still good and in control. There are troubles in this life, and we can take heart because He has overcome. We can have confidence in God knowing that we don’t see the full picture, He does. The Lord is still on His throne, no matter our circumstances. He is worthy of our trust. He is a just God and will punish the wicked. He will make all things right.

    Questions

    1. What trials or struggles are you currently walking through? 
    2. Is there a time where you have wrestled with believing God is good when your circumstances are not? 
    3. Like Habakkuk, how can you praise God in the midst of trials?

    Listen Here

    Listen to this episode of the Pray the Word podcast with pastor and author David Platt on Habakkuk 3:17-18 and be encouraged today!

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  • Habakkuk 2

    Habakkuk 2

    Editor’s Note

    We’re also going to take a brief pause from our summer books (1 & 2 Chronicles) to read from some of the minor prophets that are either directly mentioned in 1 & 2 Chronicles or that lived and prophesied within the time frames of those books. 

    These short prophetical books help us understand what God’s people would have been hearing (and feeling) as they lived through some tumultuous times and help add color to the historical books we’re reading over the next couple of months! 

    Read Habakkuk 2

    2 I will stand at my watch
        and station myself on the ramparts;
    I will look to see what he will say to me,
        and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

    The Lord’s Answer

    2 Then the Lord replied:

    “Write down the revelation
        and make it plain on tablets
        so that a herald may run with it.
    3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
        it speaks of the end
        and will not prove false.
    Though it linger, wait for it;
        it will certainly come
        and will not delay.

    4 “See, the enemy is puffed up;
        his desires are not upright—
        but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness—
    5 indeed, wine betrays him;
        he is arrogant and never at rest.
    Because he is as greedy as the grave
        and like death is never satisfied,
    he gathers to himself all the nations
        and takes captive all the peoples.

    6 “Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,

    “‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
        and makes himself wealthy by extortion!
        How long must this go on?’
    7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
        Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
        Then you will become their prey.
    8 Because you have plundered many nations,
        the peoples who are left will plunder you.
    For you have shed human blood;
        you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

    9 “Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain,
        setting his nest on high
        to escape the clutches of ruin!
    10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples,
        shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.
    11 The stones of the wall will cry out,
        and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

    12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
        and establishes a town by injustice!
    13 Has not the Lord Almighty determined
        that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,
        that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?
    14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
        as the waters cover the sea.

    15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors,
        pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
        so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
    16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
        Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed!
    The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you,
        and disgrace will cover your glory.
    17 The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
        and your destruction of animals will terrify you.
    For you have shed human blood;
        you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

    18 “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman?
        Or an image that teaches lies?
    For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
        he makes idols that cannot speak.
    19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
        Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’
    Can it give guidance?
        It is covered with gold and silver;
        there is no breath in it.”

    20 The Lord is in his holy temple;
        let all the earth be silent before him.

    Go Deeper

    There is no future for the wicked. 

    As we survey the world today, this promise can be hard to believe. Everywhere we look, the world celebrates the proud. The greedy accumulate wealth and luxuries. The violent wreak havoc on cities without consequence. The drunkards appear to experience more fun and pleasure than we do. The idolatrous seem to have all the answers. 

    Scripture is clear that those who defy God will be judged, and whenever that day comes, they will be brought low before Him. Everyone who appears to gain from their wickedness will receive their due, in this life or the next.  

    Habakkuk 2 is one of the many passages where God explicitly makes this  promise. It opens with Habakkuk receiving a word from the Lord about the coming Babylonian conquest of Judah. He is instructed to send the warning to all the earth and trust that no matter how long it takes, the promise “speaks of the end and will not prove false” (v. 3).   

    The chapter categorizes five types of people (and nations) who will ultimately face God’s judgment: the proud, the greedy, the violent, the drunken, and the idolatrous. Line by line, God lays out the fate of those who defy Him and His ways. Amazingly, these same words apply to our modern world just as they applied to ancient Israel.

    Sins such as drunkenness, extortion, greed, and violence easily translate to the modern world. We can comprehend how wealthy people exploit the poor and how arrogant people acquire power. The description of idolatry isn’t far from our modern understanding either. Maybe we don’t ask carved images to come alive, but we do have technology devices covered in gold and silver. They have no breath, and yet we ask them to “wake up” and give us guidance. While we may be tempted to accuse other nations or other people of sin, let’s not rush past where God’s warnings apply directly to us.    

    Questions

    1. Verses 4-8 are about Babylon’s pride, while verses 9-19 are about Israel’s sin. Why does God allow Babylon to conquer Israel? 
    2. Of the five types of wickedness represented in Habakkuk 2 (pride, greed, violence, drunkenness, idolatry), which applies most to you? What can you apply from this passage? 
    3. How does this chapter end, and why is it significant?

    By the Way

    Habakkuk 2:4 reads, “The just shall live by his faith” (KJV). Paul references this same phrase in his letter to Romans when he talks about how both Jews and Gentiles can find salvation through Christ. “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17, KJV).

    Paul encourages the people that while God’s wrath will come upon those who are wicked and godless, His grace allows anyone who has faith in Jesus to experience His righteousness and to live. All sinners who put their faith in Jesus are justified by God! God is calling us to put our faith in Him because He is gracious to sinners and longs for us to be free from sin that deceives and destroys.  

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  • Habakkuk Overview + 1

    Habakkuk Overview + 1

    Editor’s Note

    We’re also going to take a brief pause from our summer books (1 & 2 Chronicles) to read from some of the minor prophets that are either directly mentioned in 1 & 2 Chronicles or that lived and prophesied within the time frames of those books. 

    These short prophetical books help us understand what God’s people would have been hearing (and feeling) as they lived through some tumultuous times and help add color to the historical books we’re reading over the next couple of months! 

    Habakkuk Overview

    Habakkuk is another one of the 17 prophetic books in the Old Testament. Considered one of the minor prophets, Habakkuk is different from his counterparts because instead of relaying a message from God, Habakkuk is delivering a message to God. This book gives us a glimpse into a prophet’s wrestling with the nature of God and the questions that are on Habakkuk’s mind. 

    Habakkuk prophesied during the reign of King Jehoiakim’s reign from 609–598 B.C. To Habakkuk’s fellow believers in the one, true God, their entire world felt upside down. As a prophet in Jerusalem, Habakkuk looked around and wickedness was on full display and God seemed pretty…silent. In fact, that’s an important sticking point as we read this book: God’s silence has bewildered Habakkuk to the point that he can’t remain silent any longer. And God doesn’t shy away from Habakkuk’s questions–He answers him! 

    As we read this book, let it serve as a helpful reminder to us that God’s always working in the world around us–even when He seems quiet and distant. While this book is short (only three chapters), there is much to be learned and applied for us as readers and students of God’s Word. As you’re reading, underline and/or highlight the things that stick out to you. Write questions in the margins or in a notebook and dive in headfirst looking for answers! Ask God to speak to you as we read these ancient words this week.

    Read Habakkuk 1

    1 The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received.

    Habakkuk’s Complaint

    2 How long, Lord, must I call for help,
        but you do not listen?
    Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
        but you do not save?
    3 Why do you make me look at injustice?
        Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
    Destruction and violence are before me;
        there is strife, and conflict abounds.
    4 Therefore the law is paralyzed,
        and justice never prevails.
    The wicked hem in the righteous,
        so that justice is perverted.

    The Lord’s Answer

    5 “Look at the nations and watch—
        and be utterly amazed.
    For I am going to do something in your days
        that you would not believe,
        even if you were told.
    6 I am raising up the Babylonians,
        that ruthless and impetuous people,
    who sweep across the whole earth
        to seize dwellings not their own.
    7 They are a feared and dreaded people;
        they are a law to themselves
        and promote their own honor.
    8 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
        fiercer than wolves at dusk.
    Their cavalry gallops headlong;
        their horsemen come from afar.
    They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;
    9     they all come intent on violence.
    Their hordes advance like a desert wind
        and gather prisoners like sand.
    10 They mock kings
        and scoff at rulers.
    They laugh at all fortified cities;
        by building earthen ramps they capture them.
    11 Then they sweep past like the wind and go on—
        guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”

    Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

    12 Lord, are you not from everlasting?
        My God, my Holy One, you will never die.
    You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment;
        you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.
    13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
        you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
    Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
        Why are you silent while the wicked
        swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
    14 You have made people like the fish in the sea,
        like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
    15 The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks,
        he catches them in his net,
    he gathers them up in his dragnet;
        and so he rejoices and is glad.
    16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
        and burns incense to his dragnet,
    for by his net he lives in luxury
        and enjoys the choicest food.
    17 Is he to keep on emptying his net,
        destroying nations without mercy?

    Go Deeper

    Habakkuk wrote this book during the last years of the southern kingdom of Israel when the people had given themselves over to injustice and idolatry. These chapters were likely written after the death of King Josiah of Judah but before the destruction of Judah. Habakkuk is wrestling to believe God is good even in the midst of mass tragedy. He asks questions like, “Why isn’t God saving us from violence?” or “Why does God allow injustice?” 

    If we are honest, these questions don’t sound much different than ones we ask today. Our world is full of injustice, violence, and evil. On top of that, global, up-to-the-minute media makes us hyper-aware of this evil. If we go back to the text, God’s response to Habakkuk’s questions is far from what we would expect. God certifies that He is aware of Israel’s corruption and is going to allow one of the most wicked nations of all the earth to overthrow Israel. The people of Israel who have turned from God will face their punishment from a cruel and ruthless nation. 

    Let’s put ourselves in Habakkuk’s shoes for a moment. Now the question is: “Why would God use wicked people to bring holiness back to Judah?” As followers of Jesus, it makes sense for the injustice and wickedness of the world to concern and disturb us. Habakkuk shows us that we can bring our concerns to God and ask Him to bring an end to the unrighteousness. Habakkuk gives us an example of how to be brokenhearted for those who have turned from God and to petition God to make things right, even if His answer is unexpected.

    Mark 9 tells a story of a young boy who is possessed by a spirit that makes him convulse and become mute. His father brings him to Jesus to see if he can be healed.

    ‘But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’”
    “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
    Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:22b-24)

    Jesus questions the father’s faith, and the father is honest in his response. With a simple change in how we word our prayers, they become sentences of faith rather than doubt. Instead of looking at injustice and asking God “why” or “if you can,” we can rely on the hope that Jesus offers and ask God to help us have faith in those areas of doubt.

    Questions

    1. What stuck out must to you in this passage? Why?
    2. What doubts do you struggle with? Have you prayed to God about them? In what ways can you turn doubtful thoughts into faithful thoughts? 
    3. What can you do to spend more time in prayer this week?

    Pray This

    Father, thank you for Your word and that it speaks to things we struggle with even today. Help me to be brokenhearted for sin in our world, but even more, help me know that You are righteous and that You care for us. I believe You are good; help my unbelief. Amen.

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