Children of Light

Posted by Chris on June 24, 2007 under Sermons

Read Ephesians 5:3-14.

Imagine with me the scene of an ancient baptism. The church has gathered at a river and those prepared for baptism are waiting to be immersed. They have been prayerful and maybe they have even fasted for a day or two. Their focus has certainly been on the Lord Jesus – his baptism, his teaching, his death, burial, and resurrection. Believing in Christ, they have renounced sinfulness and selfishness and are now submitting themselves to the Lord.

One of the shepherds of this ancient congregation has just finished reminding these repentant souls of the gospel and the kingdom way of life they are entering into. Then he baptizes them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And as they come up from the water, the gathered congregation welcomes the newborn Christians by singing a little hymn that says, “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)

This speculation about the practice of ancient baptism is based on ancient sources (such as the Didache, Chapter 7) that describe what baptism was like in the late first or early second century. It would certainly embody the belief of Ephesians 2:1-10 and Romans 6 and other NT Scriptures that describe how baptism is a defining moment in which one dies to the worldliness of sin and lives a new life in Christ. Thus, it makes sense that Eph 5:14 is a hymn or statement that was pronounced at baptisms.

If you’ve been baptized into Christ, what was it like at your baptism? What was said? What was done? What does that baptism mean? The message of Ephesians teaches us that our baptism is a transition. Once we were darkness, but now we are light. I hadn’t really noticed this before, but the transition is described as a change of nature (v. 8). Once we were darkness, not in darkness, but we were darkness. And now, being in Christ, we are light. Sometimes we tell children who are afraid of the dark that there’s nothing to be afraid of because everything in the dark is the same as it is in the light. That will work as long as we are talking about being in the darkness or in the light. But there’s one thing in the room that isn’t the same when the lights come on. The darkness is no longer there. Darkness is not the same in the light. Light is not the same in the darkness, in fact light changes darkness. Our transition is just as striking, now that we are in Christ we are no longer darkness. We are light. We are the children of light.

Our baptism then is a change of nature and a change of rule in our lives. And the implications of this are so important that it won’t wait until the day we get to heaven. It makes a difference right now.

Children of light live a certain way. Our lives make a difference. There’s a mix of metaphors in v. 9 – light bears fruit. Goodness, righteousness, and truth are the outgrowth of living as children of light. This is a grand vision for our lives. It means we can live in such a way that we are not just doing good or being good. We can live in such a way that our lives generate good. Likewise with righteousness and truth. Have you ever known someone who inspires you to goodness, righteousness, and truthfulness? Have you ever seen the legacy of goodness, righteousness, and truth that someone has left behind in their journey through life? That’s what it is like when Christ is in us and his light shines on us making us children of light. That really can be you.

The transition of our baptism also means that we have waken up in a new land. When we were darkness, a different power had dominion over us. It may have been our own greed and selfishness, it may have been fear, it may have been an addiction, it may have been anger or lust. But being in Christ means that we are under the dominion of Christ. When one is under dominion it means that one has a lord. That lord could very well be ours own self. That’s always sounds good. It’s very independent and ruggedly individualistic. Most of us, if we are honest, are lousy lords. We wouldn’t treat anyone as harshly and crudely as we treat ourselves. Perhaps we criticize ourselves endlessly, perhaps we do whatever we please with our own bodies and attempt to satisfy our never-ending lusts for sensual pleasure in ways that hurt us and in ways that never satisfy, perhaps we say anything we want and vent our anger and discontent but instead of earning us respect it drives people away. And when we do all of this and more we make a point of reminding ourselves and others that we free people and in charge of our own lives.

One always tries to please one’s Lord. When we are in Christ, we find out what pleases our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is as if the light comes on. We see clearly how the deeds of darkness never satisfy. They are fruitless.

I won’t pretend it is simple to talk about having a Lord and being in his dominion. We are a people who very rightly have a negative association with oppression and slavery. We should. Our history is stained with the legacies of dark dominions. But when we are in the Lord’s Dominion, we are light. Our lives are sources of goodness, righteousness, and truth. We find out what please the Lord, and though it may not always be easy we may just find that it is satisfying.

The Madness of King Nebuchadnezzar

Posted by Chris on June 17, 2007 under Sermons

Daniel 4: Four Moves

1. Praise and Prologue (1-9)
2. Dream: “I See a Tree” (10-18)
3. Daniel’s Interpretation (19-27)
4. Grazing in the Grass (28-37)

A Dream of a Tree

1. The tree is a symbol of life and protection
2. The tree reaches the sky and is highly visible
3. A heavenly messenger orders the tree to be cut down and the stump bound
   1. Note that Nebuchadnezzar trusts Daniel’s interpretation. He even gives him reassurance to speak the truth of the dream
   2. The tree is a symbol of life and protection. It provides fruit and other food. It provides shelter and shade. The birds nest in it. The beast of the field shelter beneath it.
   3. The tree is tall and highly visible. It touches the sky. This is an image of the majestic and mighty.
   4. A heavenly messenger descends from much higher than the tree and orders the tree trimmed and cut down. The stump is bound and kept from re-growing until the cycle of sevens had passed.
   5. The presence of the heavenly messenger is important. Something is being said in a contrast about earthly power and heavenly power (compare to the statue dream).

Who’s In Charge?

1. God elevated Nebuchadnezzar
2. God humbles Nebuchadnezzar
3. God will restore Nebuchadnezzar

Ruins of Hanging Gardens

One Year Later

• David warns Nebuchadnezzar to change his ways (v. 27)
• Nebuchadnezzar is proud of his self-serving kingdom
  ? My residence
  ? My majesty
• He gets a message from heaven

Daniel proves himself the wise man by offering advice: “King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.”
A year later, Nebuchadnezzar takes in his grand kingdom. He regards the city of Babylon as his personal residence and it is all for his glory.
That’s when he gets the message from heaven – “This message is for you!” You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’

The King’s Madness

• Seven seasons = a definite period
• He is reduced to animal existence (diet and appearance)
• He is driven away from human society
• Reversal of status

There is often too much attention to the seven times or seven seasons. Seven is the Hebrew number of completion. What is being said is that Nebuchadnezzar’s sentence of madness is definite. It will end at a time God has already chosen.

The effect of his madness is that he starts to behave like an animal. His hair and nails are unkempt. Worst of all, the shining star of human civilization is driven away to the fields of the earth. Whereas he was once high and mighty, now he is drenched in the dew of heaven.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Testimony

“When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before.
“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All His acts are just and true, and He is able to humble the proud.”

So What?

1. What does God expect of those he has placed in power?
2. What kingdom or nation will endure forever?

2007 VBS Blessing

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

[Blessing for the VBS Workers — have them stand and be recognized]

If you were to ask these hard working servants why they do this they may give you any number of reasons. I imagine that one common theme to all their reasons is that someone made a difference and set an example for them when they were very young.

I am teaching the Junior High Class with Gary Brown this summer. We have dwelled on the theme of people who make a difference. In preparing for the class, Gary and I both reflected on the people who shaped our lives when we were young. We recall them by name and we remember that their attitude of service and their respect for us made a difference. It’s not that we were necessarily deserving of the service. Not at all, but that’s what made the attention and instruction that these Christ-like servants gave us so noteworthy – they served us even though they didn’t have to.

Has it really been six months since we were listening to God’s word and praying about new shepherds for our church family? During that time we dwelled in a Scripture that has been very important for our congregation when it comes to understanding what a shepherd is. It has also helped understand what a disciple of Jesus does … Read John 13

Jesus asks, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” This week I have witnessed people who understand it …

There have been so many good people taking their own time to help out with VBS and even help others. Ed Grist showed up just in time to help me set up the cardboard synagogue. I lamented that I didn’t have time to put up the curtains, but Carlene Payne was so eager to help out with that. That was kind. That was being a servant. I see that they understand what Jesus was doing when he washed the feet of those disciples.

Bard and the youth group have been working on setting up booths, getting supplies, practicing skits. They set up these tents in the auditorium. It’s a great synergy – they have the experience and skill of the senior high and a large labor force in the junior high. Brad told me last week that they worked so hard and so well that they were ahead of schedule all week. I see that these young people understand what Jesus was doing when he washed the feet of those disciples.

This year has been especially significant for our family. For my oldest son, Wyatt, it’s his first year to NOT be one of the kids in VBS and I was wondering how he would handle that because I know he really enjoys VBS. I was delighted last Monday night when I heard him say, “I like working at VBS more than I like just going to it!” I see that my own son understands what Jesus was doing when he washed the feet of those disciples.

I know he’s not the only 7th grader facing that transition from being served to being the servant. It can be difficult, but I see our 7th graders really getting with it. Olivia Kleman approached me when I was setting up the synagogue on Thursday. She wanted to come to the synagogue during VBS and get me to write her name in Greek. “But you’re not in VBS this year,” I said. I could see that the thought kind of stunned both of us. “What are you going to be doing at VBS now that you are a worker?” I asked. She said she was a family leader. “Then you bring your tribe into the synagogue as a leader and I can write your name along with the others.” She seemed to like that idea even better. That’s when I can see that she understands what Jesus was doing when he washed the feet of those disciples.

I don’t know anyone who works as hard as Dena Jenkins putting VBS together. Well, wait a second maybe I do — because everywhere Dena goes she has a wonderful assistant named Abbey. This last week I was asking Dena questions but on many of the questions it was her daughter, Abbey, who knew the answer! I was looking for duct tape. Abbey found the duct tape for me. Not only is she a servant, but she is competent and knows the essentials of VBS. [Duct tape is vital to VBS. One cannot have VBS without duct tape.] Abbey of course follows the example and tradition of her family when it comes to being a servant. She is doing what her mother and aunt did when they shadowed her grandmother who had worked at VBS for 40 years. But I also see that Abbey understands what Jesus did when he washed the feet of those disciples.

I am pleased that our church family is learning to understand what the Master did when he served. It’s not limited to VBS. There is a spirit of Christ-like service that is always growing in this family.

Certainly there are times that we will be served and that we need to be served. That’s as it should be. Jesus has served each of us, there’s not a one of us in the kingdom who’s a “do-it-yourself-er.” But being a servant and finding a way to serve can be intimidating. The good news for all of us is that this way of discipleship isn’t limited at all. Jesus can teach any of us how to follow him and be a servant. So maybe we want to serve, but we’re not sure how; or maybe we’ve convinced ourselves that service just isn’t our thing. Either way, the living Jesus teaches us when he washes the feet of those disciples. Just try and understand it and do what he did.

The Fourth Man

Posted by Chris on June 10, 2007 under Sermons

Daniel 3: Four Moves

1. Babylonian Idol (1-7)
2. Who’ll Save You Now? (8-18)
3. Fourth Man (19-27)
4. Don’t “Dis” Their God! (28-30)

Idol Time
The idol that Nebuchanezzar sets up on the plain of Dura would have been a typical practice of kings in the ancient world. Kings built statues of their gods to represent their rule. Examples:

• Ashurnasirpal (9th cent)
• Temple of Bel in Babylon (6th cent) – Herodotus speaks of a statue to the “Babylonian Zeus” (Marduk?) in Babylon (I, 183)
• Antiochus IV (2nd cent) – “[Antiochus IV] directed them … to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals… Whoever refused to act according to the command of the king was put to death.” – 1 Maccabees 1:44-50

When Antiochus invaded Jerusalem, he looted the Temple. Later a Greek idol was placed in the Temple. Any Jew who refused to bow and sacrifice to the idol was killed. In 168 BC, the temple was dedicated to the worship of the pagan god Zeus Olympius by order of Antiochus, who forbade the practice of Judaism. An altar to Zeus was set up on the high altar. Those who resisted Antiochus’ orders were killed.

Who Will Save You?
Dedication to God despite threat of harm. This theme continues through the New Testament …

From Thief to Philanthropist

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Overview the text of Ephesians 4:25-5:2 – Show how the negative habits/manners break down community, but the positive ones build it up.

1. Lying erodes trust, it demeans others and judges others unworthy of the truth. Honesty, by contrast respects one another and believes in one another

2. Anger that is unprocessed becomes bitterness, rage and malice. Relationships are shattered and wounded. But when we make amends and forgive, when we reconcile we grow stronger.

3. Harsh and hateful words poisons the hearts and minds of others, but when we use our words to encourage and heal we build one another up.

This section of Scripture is a description of what our life together could be like when we live out our Christian calling. It is a vision for what the church, the people of God, can really be.
          This is a high vision for human life. It is inspiring and encouraging. It is a high standard. The final example shows just how much God envisions for his people: The thief can become a philanthropist.

Stealing is parasitical. It consumes and takes what others have, perhaps for selfish gain or perhaps out of desperation. What sort of community and life together can be formed when we steal from one another?

In his book, Mere Morality: What God Expects from Ordinary People, Lewis Smedes describes what stealing and theft have done to our society: “When people sense that their private lives are vulnerable, they fear every stranger in their midst. And so they shut out strangers. They build walls, bolt doors, and install electronic vigilantes. … Thus, community shrinks to confined quarters where only proven friends are allowed. … Stealing closes us in on ourselves and paralyzes us; love is frozen when people live in fear of thieves.” [p. 190]

We may be even more paranoid and closed in than Smedes described 25 years ago. Stealing is more sophisticated and less tangible than ever before. Once we could trust in physical things like keys, locks, steel vaults, and even “the club.” But now we rely on passwords and PIN codes. The simplest of activities such as shopping, watching movie, playing music are subject to encryption and encoding. Why? Because of stealing. Because of the thief. What’s next in a world where your identity can be stolen?

With the help of God’s word, let’s imagine another way. What if our hope is in sharing rather than security? What if God’s spirit could effect a change in all of us so that we could live with each other in a very different way?
          The “rather” in verse 28, is all important. Instead of life as a thief, instead of taking and consuming without any sort of return, instead of that one might use his or her resources and talents to share. And it isn’t enough to just make a living or even get wealthy, one should earn a profit so that one can help others.
          “Love requires us – and enables us – to move out toward our neighbors in ways that bring them at least what they have coming to them by virtue of their presence among us as human beings.” [p. 207]

Here’s a high vision for what it means to be a follower of Christ. As God’s people we are going to be faced with a lot of challenges and struggles. Being a Christian isn’t a guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen, but our vision of who we are as individuals and as a church family will make all the difference in how we face difficulties and challenges. Our manners and ethics are more than being polite; they are the habits of a people who are devoted to imitating the spirit and mind of God.

If God’s inspired writer believed that a thief could become a philanthropist then I believe you and I can become more than anything we can imagine.
I choose to believe that we can be a noble people who live up to the standard God envisions. I choose to believe that we can live not only for ourselves, but for the good of one another. I choose to believe this, because I believe in Christ. What do you believe?

Statue and Stone

Posted by Chris on June 3, 2007 under Sermons

The narrative of Daniel 2 may be understood as Five Moves:

1. The King’s Dream (1-12)
2. Daniel’s Intervention (13-23)
3. Mystery of the Dream Revealed (24-30)
4. Statue and Stone (31-45)
5. The King Honors Daniel’s God (46-49)

The King’s Court
      The king’s bad dreams are more than psychological torment. In Babylon they do easily divide the world into secular and spiritual as we too often want to do.

Ancient Astrology was commonplace in the Babylonian court. Magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans would have been the king’s advisors and counsel. They paid close attention to the spiritual world. The stone pictured is an image of a Babylonian astrologer taking note of heavenly objects such as the moon and sun.This isn’t just “hocus-pocus” or trickery. The astrologers are the scientists and advisors of the day and their craft utilizes mathematics and astronomy.

Ancient Wisdom: Daniel is being distinguished as a unique man of wisdom. He is the wisest of the wise men. The source of Daniel’s wisdom is God. Notice what he says in v. 2:27.
Like Joseph in Egypt, Daniel attains to a high position in the royal court through his God-given gift for reading the signs and showing wisdom.

I will show three very popular scenarios and then explain why deciding on one doesn’t actually matter too much …

In the first scenario, the head of gold equals Babylon (this is really never under dispute).The silver torso is the empire of the Medeans. The bronze waist is the empire of the Persians and the legs of iron is the Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great, including the feet mixed with clay which represent the divided Greek empire. (See next graphic.)

The major problem with this scenario is that there is no historical evidence that the Medeans were ever a separate empire from the Persians, at least not on this timeline.

The second scenario that is widely connected to the statue is as follows: Babylon is the head of gold, the Persians are the silver torso, the Greeks are the bronze waist, and the Roman Empire would be the iron legs. The iron-clay mix of the feet represent the division of the Holy Roman Empire into West and East. The ten toes are even regarded as ten nations that will form an empire in the latter times.

The major problem with this scheme is that the age of the Roman Empire is outside the historical scope of Daniel. Daniel is a Tale of Two Ages – the 6th century and 2nd century B.C. Furthermore, equating the legs, feet, and toes with Rome and the ecclesiastical divisions that follow is an attempt to make Daniel fit with Revelation. This reads Revelation back into Daniel. Daniel does not make any distinction about the toes.

The third scenario does the best job of interpreting the iron legs and the mixed iron-clay feet. The head is Babylon, the torso is Persian, the bronze waist is Alexander the Great’s Macedonian Empire. (This fits well with 2:39 which describes this empire as a large world empire). The iron legs and feet then are the warring empires of the Ptolemies and Seleucids. History notes that these empire did try to establish peace through intermarriage.

Whichever scenario one deems best, the final message is the same: God’s eternal kingdom will break down and outlast any and every human kingdom. This is the meaning of the rock that crushes the statue.

So What?

1. The Sovereignty of God – The sovereignty of God is not dependent on any political power. God establishes the rule of all nations as he chooses. Those who do rule, rule by his grace – they are subject to his judgment.
2. God’s people bless the nations – Daniel demonstrates the promise of Abraham. God’s people are to be a blessing to all nations. Because Daniel uses his gift for the king of Babylon, others are spared.
3. God cares about and redeems Nebuchadnezzar. – He has conquered God’s people, but God cares about him and wants him to rule as he is supposed to do.

Anger Management

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Spider-Man 3 – When Spider-Man dons his black suit made of the mysterious black ooze from outer space, it makes him feel strong and powerful, but it also brings out the worst in him. It feeds on his anger and hatred and causes him to act in rage. He hurts the people he cares about because of his uncontrolled anger.

The black suit is a poisonous force. It is a consuming power. It is a parasite that seeks a willing host. What gives it the open door to infect someone is anger.

Watching the movie this week I thought: “This is our text played out as a comic book parable.” READ Ephesians 4:25-5:2.

The destructive power of anger and hatred isn’t limited to the imaginary world of Spider-Man and the movies. On every level of human society, whether it is two friends or nations, anger will open the door to sin and brokenness when we do not control the anger. It “gives place to the devil.”

1. Anger is going to happen. We shouldn’t be na?ve. Anger will be there. Certain things trigger our anger. And it wouldn’t hurt for us to pay attention to what “pushes our buttons” and start doing something to control it. Why don’t we defuse the dynamite before it goes off? That’s much better than walking around with a chip on our shoulder. (This phrase actually originates in the practice of young men in the 19th century who would make an excuse to start a fight by placing a chip of wood on their shoulders and daring another to knock it off.)
2. We always have a choice about the way we deal with our anger. Anger is going to be there. Even if we take the chip off our shoulder or unhook the wires to the “button.” Anger is a real and valid human emotion, but we always have a choice as to what are we going to do with it. “If you do get angry, do not sin.” (Note: that the text isn’t licensing sin. It should not be read in such a way that it says anger is just fine as long as you don’t sin. That’s like an unmarried couple saying “making out is fine as long we don’t go all the way.” It’s a justification of something dangerous.) Long before the black-suited Spider-Man, God described sin as a force waiting for a willing host. In Genesis 4, God spoke to Cain. He knew how angry Cain was getting with his brother (and with God). God urged him to be careful because sin was crouching outside the door waiting to consume him. God urged Cain to make the right choice and dispel the anger before it opened the door to sin. But Cain did not and he set off a chain of event that led to the death of his brother and God’s response to Cain’s sin.
3. Someone says, “But I just go into an immediate rage when I get angry.” (i.e. I become the Hulk) – If that’s true, then 1. You may need medical or psychological attention if it is truly that severe, or 2. You are letting the anger go too far before you act. I suspect that most of us we know when we are getting angry. This is why the text uses proverbial wisdom. “Do not let the sun go down on your rage.” Whether anger is creeping up on us or right on us, we recognize it. It is at this point that we have the choice to do something about it. We can dispel it or convert it. If we are being offended by another we can work to resolve the matter peacefully and without condemnation. But if we allow the “sun go down” on our anger, it will grow into a grudge or a hatred or contempt. Like an untreated wound it festers. Anger takes on a less benign form such as rage and fighting, or more subtle but equally destructive forms like bitterness, slander, and malice. The original matter that made us angry may even go away, but the damage done by the festering is remains.
4. And do not give the devil a foothold. The devil seeks to infect our community in this way. If the biblical writers had known about microbiology, they would certainly have describe the devil as a virus that infects a church seeking to replicate his “DNA” even as he wrecks the health of the church body. All that is needed is a foothold. When you and I refuse to manage the anger we feel in healthy, godly ways, we become the foothold that the devil uses to tear up our life together. This alone should be motivation to deal with our anger and to make the right choices when we are angry.
5. Verse 32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Anger has this dangerous to turn inward. We get angry at others then angry at ourselves for getting angry. And that often causes us to avoid reconciling. We think it’s too far gone. It’s never too late. It’s never too far gone. That’s one of the lies that the enemy uses to prevent reconciliation. Forgiveness brings about healing. (It’s an important theme in the Spider-Man movie. The heroes win not simply by applying brute force, but they win through forgiveness and a new day dawns for all of them.) Kindness and compassion are not idealistic sugary sentiments. They are the virtues of God that we may imitate. They are virtues that are developed as we mature spiritually.

God has forgiven us. How shall we imitate him? Is there someone you should forgive, even if doing so means letting go of anger? Why not? Let’s get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, slander, and malice. Such negative forces really hurt us the most. And it injures the Holy Spirit of God with you.
Do you need to forgive yourself? Sometimes that is the source of anger.

Food Fight

Posted by Chris on May 27, 2007 under Sermons

The narrative of Daniel 1 is comprised of Four Moves:

1. Setting (1-2)
2. You Will Be Assimilated (3-7)
3. Food Fight (8-16)
4. Rising to the Top (17-21)

Key Questions – Daniel 1

• What is the royal food and wine?
• Why is it defiling?
• What is Daniel’s alternative diet?
• Why do “Daniel and Co.” end up healthier and heartier?
• What does it mean for us?

What is the royal food and wine?
“The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table.” (1:5)
This is the king’s provision and hospitality.
The king is their host. He provides for them. To share from his provision is to be a part of his court. It raises the question of whom we trust.
This is about more than food choice. They live in a world of simple starvation, famine, and no refrigeration. When you depend on someone for food, you are closely aligned with him.

Why is the food defiling?
There are four options:

1. Daniel is ascetic or fasting (suggested by Josephus). Problem: There’s no evidence for this. None in the text or otherwise.
2. It’s not kosher. It is unclean or improperly prepared. Too much blood. But wine isn’t un-kosher. And nothing is said of the nature of the food – it couldn’t have been pork for three years!
3. It is not healthy. Why not? What do we mean by healthy? We should be careful not to read our sensibilities about food back into the ancient world’s concepts of health. Food was kept differently and processed differently. Fat was needed keep people alive. What is healthy for a starving person or a person who rarely gets to eat isn’t necessarily the same thing as what is healthy for an overfed person.
   • The example of “Ezekiel Bread” is instructive here. At the health food store you can get bread made according to the recipe in Ezek. 4:9. There’s nothing wrong with that. It is much better for some people than regular processed white bread. Thankfully, the recipe for the bread stops at Ezekiel 4:9 and does not include 4:12, which suggests that the bread is either cooked over human dung or possibly mixed with it.
   • The bread Ezekiel eats is a prophetic sign of the poor conditions the nation in exile will have to endure. This is poor people’s bread – not bread for fitness elitists. (Having said that, there’s still nothing at all wrong with the bread and if it benefits some, then that’s great – – but don’t read dietary considerations back into the text.)
4. Accepting the food means losing identity and freedom. They already had their name changed and they were already going to learn the language of the natives. But to accept the food was to declare their total dependence on the graciousness of King Nebuchadnezzar which compromised their dependence on God. It means becoming “the king’s man.”
   • Daniel 11:26-27 uses the same word for provisions: “Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time.” The meaning here is that those who are closely associated with the king will turn against him.

What is Daniel’s alternative diet?
What is “pulse?” (KJV) Answer: Seeds, vegetables, beans. This is inferior food. It would not be considered part of a well-balanced breakfast or any other meal for that matter. Daniel’s alternative is what he gets for turning down the king’s food. It is simply that which he can scrape together. It isn’t his health-conscious secret diet.
Don’t miss the point of the story.
Why do Daniel and his friends end up healthier and heartier?
They choose not to defile themselves and God vindicates them.
They do well in spite of their diet and not because of it. The story is indicating that God gives them health and wisdom.

In God We Trust
All the stories in Daniel 1-6 will set up situations in which Daniel and friends find it difficult to trust in God. In every case, God proves trustworthy. Daniel and friends are vindicated.

So What?
Who am I? Whose am I? – Perhaps we don’t ponder enough what it is that defines us. What gives us our identity? What gives us our freedom? Memorial Day is a good example of a time for reflection that often is given up to nothing more than recreation.

We are in a changing culture. The values we have appreciated are changing and that creates crisis. Do we have to change everything back to the way it was to establish our identity? What if we cannot change anything? How do we assert our identity? Daniel and his friends maintained their independence and freedom by keeping their integrity, they didn’t have to launch a revolution. They didn’t get anxious. They stayed true to God.

We can place our trust and security in many things that less dependable than God. And we can revere some things even more than we revere God. Israel learned to remain true to God even though they lost some of their symbols and rituals. Can we do the same?

And finally, our trust may be best reflected by our attitude of thanksgiving. We live in a culture that thinks of food more in terms of what we do not eat rather than what we cannot eat. (When you are poor you eat what is available). When we give more thought to whether or not our food will make us fat, maybe we are missing the point of being thankful.

Of course this text is about more than food. It is about remaining true to God and not accepting the compromises of culture that will cause us to lose our integrity and identity as God’s person. Sometimes that is difficult, but who do you trust?

The Whole Truth

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

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Welcome To My World

Posted by Chris on May 13, 2007 under Sermons

Daniel is an exile. He and his companions are taken from their home in Jerusalem and hauled away to a strange and alien land. They live among people who follow different customs and religions. As people who resisted “graven images” they would have been stunned by the prevalence of bizarre sculptures and strange animals depicted everywhere. For them Babylon was a strange world.

Daniel’s experience in a strange world with different ways is not unlike our experience with the strange world of apocalyptic literature. We are familiar with the straightforward stories, but the odd material in chapters 7 through 12 can become confusing and daunting. However, if we understand the rules and expectations of apocalyptic literature, and also gain some familiarity with the concerns of the 6th and 2nd centuries B.C., then maybe we will feel more welcome in Daniel’s world.

Where In The World Is Daniel?
Geographically, Daniel takes place in the Middle East in the area which now contains Iran and Iraq. Daniel’s story and his visions involve a scope of four centuries. In that time, this region changes politically more than once. Political change in the ancient world is fluid and sudden. The fate of millions and many nations may change because of a single lost battle or the death of a monarch with an unworthy heir.

Before the Babylonian Empire, the Assyrians were the super-power in this region. The Babylonians conquered Judah, which was untouched by the Assyrian Empire. Their rule over Jerusalem and Judah began approximately with the start of the sixth century and ended in 539 B.C.

In 539 B.C., Cyrus marched on Babylonia and took the country without a struggle. Babylon opened its gates to the Persians. The Persians left the native religious institutions intact and appointed a governor to rule the territory of the Babylonian Empire. The Persians were also accepting of the Jews asserting their own religious institutions and returning to Judah and Jerusalem.

In 331 B.C., the Persian king, Darius III, faced Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela. Darius III escaped the battle but the Persian forces were defeated. Darius III was assassinated by his own people and the Persian Empire was absorbed into Alexander’s empire.

Alexander ruled the area of the Persian Empire, including Jerusalem and Judah, from 332 until his death in Babylon in 323. After Alexander’s death, the empire was divided up among Alexander’s generals after the wars of succession. Two of those generals, Ptolemy and Seleucus, would rise to prominence and establish the two largest powers within the Macedonian empire – the Ptolemaic dynasty centered in Egypt and the Seleucid dynasty centered in Syria and Babylonia.

In addition to surveying the geographical and political terrain, let’s also survey the literary terrain.

Part 2 – Apocalyptic Visions

1. Apocalyptic literature is the account of a selected visionary who is given a view of history on cosmic scale, or from heaven’s perspective
2. Apocalyptic literature uses symbolism: animals, numbers, and colors do not function with strict literal meaning. They engage mystical and metaphorical meanings.
3. Apocalyptic literature reveals God’s involvement in history. Suffering and persecution are re-interpreted in light of what is taking place unseen in heaven.
4. Apocalyptic literature gives hope to the faithful by promising that God will intervene at a designated time.
5. Apocalyptic literature is a revelation of heavenly secrets; as such it always has an air of mystery.

Really Good Resources

http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/imperial-history.html
See the 5,000 year history of the Middle East unfold in 90 seconds.

Thom Lemmons, Daniel: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow. Multnomah Press, 1991.

Donald E. Gowan, Daniel: Abingdon Old Testament Commentary. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001.