Daily Bible Reading December 1st - The Lions Den

Daniel 5:1–6:28 Psalm 136:10–26 Proverbs 29:12–13 2 Peter 2:1–22

- Daniel 5: 1-6:28 - Belshazzar (Daniel is Belteshazzar) (The number of idioms we get from the Bible is astounding) Check out a few today.
- the king made a great feast, brings the gold and silver vessels from the temple... to drink from them, (Jerusalem) 4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
- God's hand writes on the wall: (the kings knees started knocking... the queen has wisdom...
- There is a man in your Kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God - your father the King made him chief of magicians etc...
- Daniel is promised gifts and to be the 3rd ruler but Daniel says: "Let your gifts be for yourself... God gave your father majesty and power, whomever he wished he executed he set up in power and tore down etc BUT when his heart was lifted up in pride....he was deposed (turned into a beast in the field) (Satan's heart was lifted up in pride...as is humanity)
- BUT you have not humbled yourself and you knew all this... and have lifted yourself up against the Lord of Heaven.
- Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin "Idiom" your days are numbered.
- The medes and persians are going to take your kingdom (Statue of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron and clay)
- The clothed Daniel in purple (awkward) that very night Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Mede received his kingdom.
- Daniel 6 - Darius puts Daniel in a position of leadership, Daniel distinguishes himself again
- So the others get jealous and want to trap him...
- MacArthur notes excellent Spirit Daniel is over 80 now... notes God wanted him in place of leadership for the return to their land under Cyrus in B.C 539-or 537
- The Temple was rebuilt with the help of Cyrus's money, (sounds like Exodus a bit)
- 30 days of only praying to Darius trap is set... Daniel knew that they had signed this (80 years old kind of reminds me somewhat of another 80 year old that just took on the state of Ca)
- day,
- 10 with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
- Darius was upset when they tricked him into trapping Daniel and thought how to deliver him... (Daniel needs a great Deliverer :Jesus
- NOTICE this: “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” this is the opposite of the attitude of Neb before he threw the 3 into the fire, and notice he seals the den with a stone and seals it with his ring...
- This is not a direct connection to Jesus in the tomb but you can certainly see the similarities and the shadowy connection
- Daniel Servant of the living God (Wow) - been able to deliver you from the lions... "O King live forever, My God sent his angel and shut the lions mouth... (The lion of death and judgment awaits all accept those that have repented and trusted....
- Darius rights yet another decree exalting the true and living Triune God! Men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
- Psalm 136:10-26
- Exodus from Egypt... sound familiar His Mercy endures forever, God leads and loves his people, he does not abandon them.
- Proverbs 29 - If a ruler listens to lies his servants become wicked... LORD is the light giver to the common man and the oppressors' (Image of God)
- 2 Peter 2:1-22 - False teachers - destructive heresy, deceptive words, - God did not spare the angels who sinned... Noah one of 8, a preacher of righteousness, sodom and Gomorrah, ash heaps, sin is lawlessness, really has to do with the character and nature of God, (the law is a reflection of this)
- The Lord will deliver the Godly from temptation, self willed and presumptuous, walk according to the flesh, (Notice God again opposes the self willed...
- 12But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13and will receive the wages of unrighteousness,
- Compare that with Neb - and his time as a beast and his son Belshazzar, ... same idea, notice the wage for breaking God's law (Justice is owed) mercy is not,
- 19While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
- Can tell a thing's nature: at least in part by its actions
- False teachers and false religions are the worst kind of evil, the represent a damning message that is the most hateful thing imaginable, instead of light / darkness, instead of liberty everlasting doom,
- Macarthur notes they may deny: LORDSHIP of Jesus, (if he isn't Lord what is he?) , virgin birth, Trinity, deity, Bodily resurrection, Second coming etc...