People of the Promise: Exile & Return – Lesson 3

 

For the next few weeks we will be studying the book of Daniel.  Who was Daniel?  Daniel was taken into exile as a young man together with 3 of his close companions.  He was famous for his prophetic visions, his ability to interpret dreams, and is unshakable faith.  He had a very important vision where he saw “one like the son of man”; this was Jesus.  He predicted when the Messiah would return, referred to as the ‘prophecy of weeks’.  He is a model for how Christians should live in the world.  He lived in one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history, but his writings are filled with hope.

Daniel 1-2

Daniel and Friends Taken to Babylon – Daniel 1:1-7

God allowed Judah to be taken into exile because all had transgressed and turned away from God’s law.  They refused to obey so God pored judgments on them.   They became more and more unfaithful and followed the detestable practices of other nations; they defiled the temple of the Lord.  The Lord sent messengers again and again, but they mocked them and despised God’s Words.  (2 Chron. 36:14-17, Dan. 9:11-14)

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.  He ordered his officials to bring       some of the Israelites from the royal family, young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. 

Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  They were given new names – Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; Hananiah, the name Shadrach; Mishael, the name Meshach; Azariah, the name Abednego.  This was done probably to replace references to the God of Israel with that of Babylonian gods. 

By changing their names, the king wanted to take away their identity from them.  Daniel’s name meant ‘God is my judge’; Hananiah’s name meant ‘Yahweh has favored’; Mishael’s name meant ‘who is what God is?’; Azariah’s name meant ‘Yahweh has helped’.  Their names were changed, but their true identity in God was not changed.

Principle:  As the world tries to change your identity, trust in God to stay true to your identity in Christ.

Daniel Encountered Challenges – Daniel 1:8-21

Daniel objected to the prescribed diet while in the king’s service, because it was a violation of the dietary laws for the nation of Israel.  Certain foods would make them unclean.  Probably because it had been sacrificed to idols.  Also eating the king’s food implied fellowship with Babylon’s culture.

Daniel made a courageous decision.  He suggested a diet plan to the chief official.  He asked him to test them by letting them eat nothing but vegetables and drink water for 10 days.  Then compare their appearance with the others who ate the royal food.  God caused the official to agree so he tested them.  After ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than the others who ate the king’s food.

Principle:  We must not compromise when faced with worldly habits and pressures.

Believers can work within ungodly systems without falling into sin by understanding who our loyalty belongs.  We can seek God’s guidance through His Word and prayer asking Him for strength and discernment.  We can watch the words we use, show respect to others, and always speak the truth even it difficult situations.  We can respect others by treating them with love and kindness.  We can avoid participating in activities that are ungodly by refusing to take part in anything that is unethical.  We can ask ourselves ‘what would Jesus do?’.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream – Daniel 2:1-23

King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream and couldn’t sleep.  He summoned magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he dreamed, but they could not.  They realized that no man on earth who can do what the king had asked.

The king was so angry and furious that he wanted to have all the wise men put to death.  Daniel went to the king and asked for time so that he could interpret the dream. 

Daniel’s response teaches us several lessons.  He didn’t seek help from his friends; he sought help from the Lord. He asked his friends to plead for mercy from God concerning this mystery so he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men.  No matter how wise or smart we are, if we try to do things on our own, we will fail.  We must seek the Lord first because only He gives true success. 

Principle:  When facing difficult or seemingly impossible challenges, go to God in prayer.

Daniel Described and Interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream – Daniel 2:24-49

During the night the mystery of the king’s dream was revealed to Daniel in a vision.  God not only described the dream to Daniel, but interpreted it.  Daniel praised God for giving him the wisdom concerning the dream.  Then Daniel asked to see the king so he could describe and interpret the dream.  Daniel told the king, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.” – Daniel 2:27  Notice he didn’t take credit for himself, but gave credit to God.

People today take credit for something God did.  They attribute their success to their own hard work and don’t acknowledge God’s role in it.

Daniel 2:31-45 – Daniel described the king’s dream as a large statue awesome in appearance.  We learn about earthly kingdoms represented by the materials of the statue:

The head of the statue was gold representing Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom.

The chest and arms were silver representing another kingdom that will rise inferior to the king.

The belly and thighs were bronze representing a third kingdom that will run over the whole earth.

The legs were iron representing 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 others.

The feet partly were iron and partly baked clay so this will be a divided kingdom; it will have some strength.  The toes were partly iron so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. The people will be a mixture and will not remain united.

The dream describes world history from Babylon time till the end of the world.  The different metals of the image represent earthly kingdoms.  Gold is Babylon, silver is Medo-Persia, bronze is Greece, iron is Roman, and iron-clay are the empires of Western Europe.  It starts with Nebuchadnezzar kingdom and ends with the kingdom of God.

We also learn about God’s kingdom.  The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.  It will crush all the others and bring them to an end. 

The ‘rock’ in Matt. 7:24-27; 16:16-19; 21:42-44; Rom 9:33; 1 Cor. 10:1-4; and 1 Peter 2:2-10 is Jesus.  It also symbolizes the Kingdom of God which will last forever and can never be destroyed. 

When Christ returns, the world will react the same way Nebuchadnezzar reacted.  He was in awe and recognized the divine power.  The world will recognize Him as Lord and Savior.  Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Phil. 2:20-11)

Principle:  Earthly kingdoms will come and go, but God’s kingdom will last forever.

Next week we will continue our study of Daniel.  Hope to see you here.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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People of the Promise: Exile & Return – Lesson 2

 

God’s Purpose Revealed – Ezekiel 36:1-6-37:28-37

Ezekiel 36:16-23

God poured out His wrath on the Israelites because they defiled their own land by their conduct and their actions.  They defiled it with idols and profaned the Lord’s Name.

God exiled them from their land.  When they were among other nations, they profaned God’s Name and didn’t glorify Him.  The other nations questioned the power and reputation of God.  They saw this as God’s rejection of His people, which probably looked like Israel’s God was weak and that He didn’t keep His promises.  God risked His own reputation in the world for the sake of Israel.

God intervened on His people’s behalf  for the sake of His Holy Name so the nations would know that He is Lord.

Sin impacts the world today and it impacts God’s reputation. It affects us as individual and as a society.  Scriptures tell us over and over that sin leads to death and destruction because there are consequences when going against the grain regarding how God designed us to live and obey Him.  Sin is seen in the moral decay of society as corruption, greed, and injustice. Then when God deals with our sin, it makes God look like the bad guy.  We need to be ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20).  Others look to Christians as examples.  When we act right and do right because of Jesus, we are building the reputation of God.  When we don’t do right, we are damaging His reputation because we are supposed to be like Him.

God’s holiness and the greatness of His name should change the way we live.  We should be more loving, more patience, show more kindness, gentleness and self-control.  We need to be more like Jesus. 

Principle: God loves us and never gives up on His people. 

God’s Promises Give Hope – Ezekiel 36:24-38

God promised physical and spiritual blessings to His exiled people.  He said He would take them out of the nations and bring them into their own land.  He would make them clean from all impurities and idols.  He would give them a new heart and put a new spirit in them causing them to follow His decrees and to keep His vows.  He would be their God and they would be His people.  He would make them prosperous. (Ezekiel 36:24-30)

These promises relate to salvation in Christ.  When we accept Him as Savior we are a new person; the old self is dead and we have a new heart and a new spirit.  He forgives us for all sin and makes us pure.  This love and mercy cause us to follow His commands; we are now part of His people.

Ezekiel 36:31-32 – Grief over our sins is profitable.  When we are truly sorry over our sins, it brings repentance.  Then it brings happiness, comfort, change, healing and spiritual growth.  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” – Matt. 5:4. 

Principle:  Repentance from sin brings salvation, comfort, change, and healing.

God’s Promise of Restoration – Ezekiel 37:1-14

Ezekiel had a vision.  By the Spirit of the Lord he was set in the middle of a valley full of dry bones.  The Lord asked him if these bones can live.  Ezkiel answered, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” – Ezekiel 37:3  He knew the bones had no hope of living, but he was confident God did know.  He had faith in God.  This reveals that God is omniscience; He knows all things.  He knows the past, present, and the future.  He even knows our thoughts and intentions.

God told him to prophesy to theses bones.  “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!” – Ezekiel 37:4.   God told the bones they would live.  Then the bones began to rattle and come together with tendons and flesh but there was no breath in them.  (Ezekiel 37:4-8)

Ezekiel prophesied a second time.  Then breath entered the bones and they came to life.  They stood up on their feet into a vast army.  (Ezekiel 37:9-10)

God interpreted the vision.  He said these bones are the whole house of Israel.  These bones were dry with no hope.  Their only hope for life and restoration was in God.  Our bones are dry and our hope is lost without Jesus. (Ezekiel 37:11-14)

Principle:  Our only hope is in Jesus Christ.

God’s Promise of Unity – Ezekiel 37:15-28

God commanded Ezekiel to perform a dramatic, prophetic visual.  He told him to take a stick of wood and write on it that it belonged to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.  Then He told him to take another stick and write on it that it was Ephraim’s stick belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him.  Then he was to join the sticks together to become one stick.

God said his visual illustrated that God would bring Joseph’s stick and the Israelite tribes associated with him and join it to Judah’s stick making them a single stick.  God would take the Israelites out of the nations and bring them back to their own nation.  They would be a single nation under one king.  They would no longer defile themselves with idols and He would save them from all their sinful backsliding.  They would be cleansed.  They would be His people, and He would be their God. (Ezekiel 37:18-23)

Ezekiel 37:24-26 points to Christ.  Christ is the true David, Israel’s King of old.  Jesus is a descendant of David.  Jesus is the eternal King who reigns over God’s people forever.

Ezekiel 37:27-28 offers hope.  God said His dwelling place will be with them and He will be their God and they will be His people.  Then the nations will know that He, the Lord will make Israel holy.  His sanctuary will be among them forever.

God’s presence and work within His people provide a witness to the world by believers who follow His teachings and show acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  These actions attract others and draws them to Jesus.

Principle:  God promises to unify His people under one king, King Jesus.

Next week we will continue our study in the book of Daniel.  Hope to see you here.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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People of the Promise: Exile & Return – Lesson 1

 

 

We begin with the book of Ezekiel.  Who was Ezekiel?  His name means “God is strong”.  He grew up in Jerusalem and was trained to be a priest in the temple.  He was exiled to Babylon along with other fellow Jews.  While in Babylon, he became a prophet of God.  The 1^st chapter relates how the prophet received his divine commission when the glory of the Lord appeared to Him.

Ezekiel 1-2

God Called Ezekiel As His Prophet – Ezekiel 1:1-3

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon sieged Jerusalem and took everyone captive leaving only the poor.  Among those captured was the priest Ezekiel.  His day in captivity must have been dark, but he was not forgotten; God had plans for him.  While in exile Ezekiel saw visions of God. 

His circumstances might have impacted him personally.  Since he was a priest, his being exiled from the temple might have caused him to lose his faith and even doubt God.  Life was probably hard and challenging.  He was unfamiliar with the culture and probably stressed with his situation.

Two phrases in verse 3 reveal the Lord’s involvement in Ezekiel’s life -- the Word of God came to him and God’s hand was upon him. 

These phrases are significant and teach us that we need to be open and listening for what God has for us.  We are to stay in His Word and in prayer to help us navigate through any of life’s difficult situations.

Principle:  God has a plan for each of us.

Ezekiel’s Vision – Ezekiel 1:4-21

In Ezekiel’s vision he saw a windstorm from the north, a cloud with flashing lightning surrounded by a brilliant light.  The center of fire looked like glowing metal.  In the fire it looked like four living creatures.

The four creatures – their form was that of a man with four faces, legs were straight, feet were like a calf and gleamed like bronze, under their wings they had hands of a man, four had faces and wings, wings touched one another, each went straight and did not turn as they moved.  Each face had a face of a man, on the right side was a face of a lion, on the left a face of an ox, each also had a face of an eagle.  The wings spread upward. These creatures’ appearance was like burning coals of fire and moved back and forth. 

The wheels – a sparkling wheel on the ground beside each creature, each wheel looked like a wheel intersecting a wheel, as they moved in the direction the creatures faced, their rims were full of eyes.  When the creatures rose, the wheels also rose.  The spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

His vision displayed the majesty and glory of God.  It illustrates the omnipresence and omniscience of God.  Later in Ezekiel 10, Ezekiel identified these creatures as cherubim, angels of unique power and glory surround God.

The kind of impact the vision had on him was so overwhelming that he fell to the ground in shock and  reverence.  It was a humbling surrender to God’s glory.  This was probably encouraging and strengthening to see the mighty God.

The symbolism in Ezekiel’s vision reveals the majestic power of God.  He is not confined to any one place; He is active and the sovereign ruler of the universe.

Principle:  God is stronger, greater, and mightier; He still rules over all domains.

Ezekiel Humbled Before God’s Glory – Ezekiel 1:22-2:2

He looked up into the sky above the creatures which looked like sparkling ice or crystal.  He heard the sound of their wings which sounded like rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty.  Then he heard a voice from above.  The creatures responded by lowering their wings.  Over their heads was the likeness of a throne of sapphire and above was a figure of a man looking like glowing metal, full of fire and with brilliant light surrounding him.  This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

When Ezekiel heard a voice speaking, he fell facedown.  As God spoke to Ezekiel, He told him to stand up so He could speak to him.  To stand is to give his utmost attention so he could receive the Spirit and to courageously proclaim His Holy Word.  Then the Spirit came into him and raised him to his feet.  He didn’t have strength of his own until the Spirit entered him.

This illustrates a believer’s position before God.  Christ is found in every believer.  Christ has made the believer righteous.  A believer doesn’t have it on his own, but through faith in Christ that comes from God alone. (Phil. 3:9)

Principle:  God will speak to us, when we stand ready to do what He commands us.

God Commissioned Ezekiel – Ezekiel 2:3-10

God told Ezekiel He was sending him to the Israelites who were rebellious, obstinate and stubborn toward Him.  God told him to not be afraid but speak boldly and to speak to them whether they listened of not.  This prepared Ezekiel for the rejection he would face.

Ezekiel was handed a scroll.  On both sides were written words of lament and mourning and woe.  This was God’s complete message.

We can be encouraged by God’s words to Ezekiel.  People today are also rebellious and stubborn.  It’s our responsibility to share God’s message to others whether they listen or not.

Principle:  God always equips those He calls.

The truth about God is revealed in Ezekiel 1-2.  He has not been defeated or turned away from His people.  He loves us no matter what we’ve done.  There is hope for us today even amid difficult circumstances, we can know that an all-powerful God is active and present in our lives.

Next week we will continue our study in Ezekiel 36.  Hope to see you here.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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