SFJ Bible Reading Plan

Daniel 2:1-30

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2:1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic,¹ “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm—9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared² to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.

God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:

  “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
    to whom belong wisdom and might.
21   He changes times and seasons;
    he removes kings and sets up kings;
  he gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22   he reveals deep and hidden things;
    he knows what is in the darkness,
    and the light dwells with him.
23   To you, O God of my fathers,
    I give thanks and praise,
  for you have given me wisdom and might,
    and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
    for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

24 Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.”

25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” 26 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.

Footnotes

[1] 2:4 The text from this point to the end of chapter 7 is in Aramaic

[2] 2:15 Aramaic answered and said; also verse 26

(ESV)

Going Deeper

Major Prophets (6-4-16)

This week and next, we have a different task with the prophets in that we are not focusing on one person but many. In this we are covering an important and large span of time. Today’s going deeper is an effort to give you an overview of the major prophets and their stories.

1. What and who are the major prophets?

This week you have had a brief sampling of the major prophets of the Bible in your reading. They are not called the major prophets because they were greater men than others, but because their books in the Bible were longer. These prophets span a large amount of time as well as locations. Isaiah and Jeremiah predicted the coming exile. Ezekiel was deported off into Babylonian captivity. Daniel was deported as a young man and lived through the rise and fall of two other empires.

A prophet is someone who declares the Word of God. This can be a foretelling of events or a forth telling which is declaring God’s words or commands. God has given us His Word through many different men, declaring Himself to us, by making promises about the future and telling us what is expected of us in the revelation of the Bible. These prophets spoke words directly from God, usually with a ‘thus says the Lord’. We should be thankful for the testimony of these men.

That is, “The significance of a Bible preacher or prophet is not the man himself but is the message he delivers.” At the end of the day, the biography of a preacher or prophet is much less important than the message from God that he brings.

2. Isaiah

Isaiah was a great prophet. Israel and Judah are on the verge of judgment. The Assyrian army is growing in strength. Isaiah was sent to call Israel and Judah to repent of their sins and unbelief and to trust God alone for personal and national salvation (deliverance).  In chapters 1-35 we see Isaiah speaking to a nation awaiting God’s judgment. This occurred in 722 B.C. for the northern kingdom (Israel), and 586 B.C. (100 years after Isaiah) for the southern kingdom (Judah). Isaiah warns of judgment, but also gives comfort in that God would deliver the faithful ‘remnant’ of His people. Isaiah gives prophecies of judgment that are interspersed with prophecies of the coming kingdom where everything is made right.

In chapters 36-39, King Hezekiah is lifted up as an example of someone who trusted God and saw the kingdom miraculously delivered from Assyria. This was short lived as 21 years later they fell to the Babylonians in judgment by God.

Chapters 40-66 give comfort and hope. God promises a return from exile. Isaiah gives us some of the most revealing passages about the coming messiah. Some of the greatest passages on Christ come from this section such as Isaiah 42 & 53. Isaiah 53 is the clearest gospel presentation of the Old Testament. We see its fulfillment in the death, burial and resurrection of our savior.  Take a moment to read it.

We start in Isaiah chapter one with the vision Isaiah is given. God calls the earth and heavens to hear what He is saying. God is sitting in judgment over the wickedness of Israel. In the Old Testament, we see the example that anytime there is a judgment people are to witness or act as witnesses. This should bring to mind that of a court room. God proceeds to then list off the sins of Israel. Israel, specifically Jerusalem and Judah, are on trial here. God’s case is stated all the way down to 1:16, then God proceeds to give comfort making this statement, “If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land” (1:19).  Prior to this in verse 18, God makes a promise to wash their sins.

See the beauty in this: the gospel is rich in this book! There is punishment for wickedness. God will not let it stand, He will punish it because He is holy. This is the vision of Isaiah in chapter 6. Isaiah gets a vision of the holiness of God. The text states this three times – holy, holy, holy, in Hebrew a doubling is an intensifier. This is like a couple exclamation points at the end of a sentence. God’s holiness is so great!!! Isaiah realizes his problem in this vision and he realizes he cannot stand before the God of the universe. God in His mercy and grace purifies Isaiah. This theme of salvation from God and by God is throughout Isaiah. As you read the book you can see the beautiful Messiah, the branch of David, brought forth- a suffering servant who gave himself to redeem a people to himself. You can also see, even though Israel doesn’t deserve it, God comfort even while disciplining; telling them of the future and that His promises will still be fulfilled.  Have your sins been washed white as snow? Have you trusted in the Servant broken for the remission of sin?

3. Jeremiah

Jeremiah begins his ministry 60 years after Isaiah. The Northern Kingdom has already fallen 722 B.C. Assyria is at the end of her glory days and a new super power is on the horizon -Babylon. Most of Jeremiah’s ministry was showing Israel that they needed to repent and have faith. Jeremiah longed for a nation that trusted in God.

Jeremiah was the most persecuted of the Old Testament prophets. He was forbidden to pray for his nation (Jer. 7:16-27). God tells Jeremiah that his ministry will be tough, that people, kings and priests will not listen to him but will fight him. Jeremiah gives an eyewitness account of the fall of Jerusalem. Even in the midst of judgment God gives hope. It is in the middle of Jeremiah that we have one of the greatest passages in the Old Testament that looks forward to the hope in the coming Messiah.

Jeremiah 31:31-40 proclaims the New Covenant. Even though Israel is in the middle of judgment, God proclaims that He will make a New Covenant. This is hope that even though Israel has failed miserably, God is going to make a covenant with his people. God not only promises a New Covenant, but it will not be like the last. God says He will put His law on our hearts and all of his chosen people will faithfully walk with and know the Lord. If this is not great enough, the Lord proclaims that this will happen as surely as the sun and the moon run their courses.  God gives hope in the midst of trials and judgment for His people. This is a great blessing of being a child of God, part of the elect. God does not leave us without hope and this hope is in the form of promises. What God says He will do, HE WILL DO. He has never broken a promise. In your trials and struggles take comfort in God. That is one of the great lessons of Jeremiah. God’s arm is not short so that He cannot save, but is working His perfect plan. He is helping you to see sin as He sees it: heinous and deserving of punishment. He is working sanctification in you all the while giving you precious promises in His Word.

4. Ezekiel

The prophet Ezekiel was taken down several years before the destruction of Jerusalem. He was the son of a priest. Ezekiel had a unique role as a prophet in that much of what he did was an illustration or word pictures to the people of Israel. For example: in Ezekiel 3:24 Ezekiel is commanded to be tied up in his house. Chapter 4:1-3 Ezekiel is to take a brick and engrave ‘Jerusalem’ on it and set siege works about it. Ezekiel is also told by God that God is going to take his wife and he is not allowed to mourn for her. This was a sign to Israel that the sanctuary will be profaned and that there is going to be death and destruction. Many visual illustrations are used throughout the book to teach Israel about their sin and its consequences.  Ezekiel has one of the saddest chapters in the Old Testament, chapter 10. In chapter 10 the glory of the Lord leaves the temple.

The book of Ezekiel can be broken into two sections- chapters 1-24 which contain prophecies about the fall of Jerusalem and 25-48 after the fall of Jerusalem. The purpose of Ezekiel is to help the Jews understand that their captivity and the destruction of their homeland are because of their rebellion against God and disobedience to Him. The second reason for the book is to show us how God is merciful and He intends to restore holiness and that He will take care of His people.

The promises of the New Covenant are throughout the book of Ezekiel. In these promises we are given a new heart- not of stone, but of flesh- and that God will breathe new life in us. In Ezekiel 37, we have one of the greatest displays of God’s grace. This chapter is known as the valley of dry bones. The dry bones are representative of Israel, but is also a shadow of what God does in the gospel bringing new life to us. God is going to bring the exiles back and breathe life into them. This will be better than before because they will know that ‘I am the Lord’.

God has not left. He is doing a work. So many times in our life we become despondent with trials. Ezekiel gives us hope. God does not leave His people. He will carry us through the trial giving us hope and giving us His precious promises that this trial is not the end, but that He is doing something and in His wisdom and power it is something great. Are you looking to the precious promises of God? Are you relying and trusting in Him?  Do you see the work He is doing? His Word declares it. One day it will be complete.

5. Daniel

Daniel is the last of the major prophets. Daniel is an amazing character. He was taken into captivity at a young age.      Daniel 1:8-9 “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he             drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

             9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs”

 Daniel set the pattern early on for obedience. God gave Daniel and the three other men learning and skill in all literature and wisdom. The works of God among a pagan nation by His servants is amazing in the book of Daniel. Many of us remember the friary furnace, the lion’s den, the handwriting on the wall.

There are many lessons we can learn from Daniel. He lived in a pagan culture and was a devout man of God. He was trapped by his religious zeal. He did not get upset or rail against the king or God. He still prayed and was obedient to God, but accepted his punishment for defying the kings decree (Daniel 6). The pattern for Daniel is to respectfully disobey when things went against the commands of God. His strength surrounded by pagans is amazing.

In Daniel 9, we have an amazing prayer. Several things we can glean from this chapter. 1. Daniel was aware of the promises of God. He knew how long they were to be in captivity. 2. Daniel based his prayer on the promises of God in Scripture. This is a great way to pray by lifting up and clinging to the promises of God. 3. Daniel came in great submission to God in prayer: by fasting and prayer in sackcloth showing an outward state of inward debasement. Sometimes it is helpful to put the outward in a posture for the heart to follow (try praying on your knees or lying flat as an outward sign of an inward position). Fasting is the giving up of a physical item as a way to focus on our dependence and satisfaction in God. 4. Daniel was open in laying out sin to bear. If you go through the text and highlight everywhere Daniel acknowledges and repents of the sin of Israel, you will see how Daniel had a right vision of the breaking of the Law of God and how horrible it is. 5. Daniel relies on the character and attributes of God: God’s steadfast love.

Use Daniel’s prayer as an example of how to pray. It is helpful to remember that what Daniel has prayed for has been fulfilled. The people started returning. Gabriel the angel (messenger of God) came and gave Daniel insight and understanding. Gabriel speaks of the spiritual return. James says the prayer of a righteous man has great power as it is working. Confess your sin and lay it before the Lord. Walk in righteousness: trusting in the righteousness of Christ. Do what is right. Prayer is important. It is a way for us to commune with God. How is your prayer life? See the example of Daniel. Read through the prayer. Read a verse or two and pray what comes to mind. Pray out loud. Don’t just keep it in your head.

We have seen some major themes that flow across the major prophets. The heinousness of sin, God will punish sin, and that God gives hope for His children and we must cling to it. Reading the major prophets will help you grow in these things.

May the Word of God move in our hearts and cause us to trust in God and obey his commands.  May we not take lightly the cost and lessons of those who have gone before us but grow and learn from them.

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd

Soldiers for Jesus MC

Daniel 9:1-27

Daniel’s Prayer for His People

9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us,¹ by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord,² make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

Gabriel Brings an Answer

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.

The Seventy Weeks

24 “Seventy weeks³ are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.⁴ 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again⁵ with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its⁶ end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,⁷ and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

Footnotes

[1] 9:12 Or our judges who judged us

[2] 9:17 Hebrew for the Lord’s sake

[3] 9:24 Or sevens; also twice in verse 25 and once in verse 26

[4] 9:24 Or thing, or one

[5] 9:25 Or there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again

[6] 9:26 Or His

[7] 9:27 Or seven; twice in this verse

(ESV)

Ezekiel 37:1-29

The Valley of Dry Bones

37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley;¹ it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath² to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling,³ and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”

I Will Be Their God; They Shall Be My People

15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 “Son of man, take a stick⁴ and write on it, ‘For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ 17 And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18 And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ 19 say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah,⁵ and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. 20 When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, 21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. 22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings⁶ in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

24 “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. 25 They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land⁷ and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”

Footnotes

[1] 37:1 Or plain; also verse 2

[2] 37:5 Or spirit; also verses 6, 9, 10

[3] 37:7 Or an earthquake (compare 3:12, 13)

[4] 37:16 Or one piece of wood; also verses 17, 19, 20

[5] 37:19 Hebrew And I will place them on it, the stick of Judah

[6] 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts dwellings

[7] 37:26 Hebrew lacks in their land

(ESV)

Jeremiah 31:37-41

37   Thus says the LORD:
  “If the heavens above can be measured,
    and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,
  then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel
    for all that they have done,
      declares the LORD.”

38 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”

(ESV)