Matthew 5:13-16 | Pentecost 25 | November 22, 2020

Theme: The Christian Difference

Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Most of you know that when it comes to sports, I am a Michigan fan, especially when it comes to college athletics. I know that’s tough to hear out here in Husky (or sometimes Coug) country. But when you’re watching a college game on TV, it’s common for each University that is competing to have an advertisement (a commercial) for their school. As I happen to tune into Michigan games, I’ve become quite familiar with their commercial.

In it, they highlight some of the groundbreaking work they are doing as a research university, as well as certain studies and disciplines that set them apart from other schools. The overall theme of the advertisement is “The Michigan Difference.” To the inquiring student, the University of Michigan wants to be seen as different than the rest. They want the student to believe that there are opportunities and experiences at Michigan that cannot be found anywhere else.

It’s a catchy, and I’m sure, effective, advertisement. The PR group that developed it has tapped into the growing desire in our culture to be different – to highlight one’s uniqueness and to strive for things that will set us apart from others. We live in a culture where being different is highlighted and celebrated. But, as Christians, we have to be careful with this as well. People are encouraged to strive to find ways of emphasizing their uniqueness and originality to the world – even if their expression comes at the expense of God’s design for their life. The Church has always been on guard against becoming too different from the way that God intended our lives to be.

It’s not wrong for a public university to highlight what makes it unique. But, you can take that same line of thinking and multiple by ten in terms of the prevalence of humanity today to glorify individual expression and choice above God’s will. On both an individual and societal level, we tend to take our self-expression to the extreme over and against God’s Word. We live in a generation that pressures young people especially to define their lives and express their thoughts and actions in whatever ways they choose – even more so when it bucks the traditional trends of Christianity. Newer and bolder ways of identifying oneself are lauded and celebrated. It’s considered mature and enlightened to push the envelope of what is deemed acceptable.

I saw another example of this much more blatant form of being different this past week. It was a web article about a popular male singer and actor in his twenties who recently conducted a photo shoot for a trendy magazine where he dressed up in women’s make-up, jewelry, and clothing. The move was celebrated by many in the media as original, bold, and brave. The young man was praised as being socially conscious enough to liberate himself from the shackles of traditionalism. Perhaps this kind of thing isn’t surprising anymore but it’s also clear that it would not have been celebrated or accepted to such an extent in a different era. Our culture has changed and part of that change has been a desire to be different to an extreme – where choices are deliberately made to make others uncomfortable, to generate debate, and to stretch the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable, and even moral. The attitude behind such a movement is nothing new – it’s rooted in sinful human pride that wants to exalt itself over the rules and laws of the eternal God.

The desire to be different is simply the current manifestation of this sinful pride. The Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day suffered from the same root issue, but they showed it in being unwilling to change from tradition instead of craving personal liberty above all else. Many other examples could be brought to mind from history – both as it concerns those within and outside of the church. Human pride has no limit in its desire to subvert God’s standards of righteousness. Under the thin veneer of human acceptance and popular trends lies the rotten, corrupted human heart that seeks to control your identity and your every expression, rather than letting the Holy Spirit conform you closer to Jesus.

The impression has long been that Christians never want to change or be different in any way. There can be isolated attitudes from Christians which exemplify that stereotype but often it is a very limited characterization of the Church. The truth is – Christians are called to be different – very different, but in a different kind of way. The words of Jesus in our text from the Sermon on the Mount talk about what this difference is to be – and it’s more radical that anything the world can come up with.

Two illustrations are used – salt and light. These images encapsulate the Christian difference. Jesus first says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Today, we think of the primary use of salt in providing flavor to our food, but it wasn’t that way in Christ’s culture and many other ancient civilizations. Salt was used with food, but as a preservative. The use of electrically powered refrigerators to cool and freeze food is a very new development in history. For thousands of years before this invention, salt was used as the standard preservative – to keep food good to eat for a longer amount of time.

The preserving agent in the life of the Christian is the gospel message of Christ. When this permeates in our lives, it acts as a preserving agent in the world around us – both in stemming God’s righteous judgment of sin but also giving people a confidence and hope for salvation that doesn’t rest in their own works. Paul put it succinctly in Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. The law of God reveals the rottenness and corruption of sin – the grace of God in the gospel abounds over the curse of the law and covers the imperfections we carry in our lives – it’s a preserving agent against the effects of sin. And God guarantees that wherever sin’s rottenness resides, the gospel can be more powerful in its effect.

Jesus also says, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” Believers are also different as lights. A light has one very basic purpose – to reveal something, to make it known and open to the world. Jesus mentions the illogical idea of lighting a lamp just to cover it up with a basket. By doing so, you are defeating the entire purpose of the light.

We are used to enjoying the blessings of having plenty of lights to keep darkness at bay – in our homes, on our vehicles, and on our streets. We might wonder why anyone would want to cover the light that we are called by God to shine. Well, sometimes we don’t like to see what the light reveals. You see, that’s the other aspect about using a light as it’s intended to be used. It shines light on everything – not just on what we choose to reveal. In terms of our lives with God – there are many areas that we’d rather keep hidden in the darkness of sin.

David confessed this of his own life in Psalm 19 saying, 12 Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. 13 Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule over me. Like mold in a damp basement, sin loves to stay hidden in the dark – either by willful ignorance on our part of genuine lack of awareness. When sin stays covered and hidden it can grow. That’s why David asked the LORD to forgive even the hidden areas of sin that David wasn’t thinking about. We need God’s light to shine even on the parts of our lives that we don’t want it to.

It’s no wonder that Jesus would declare Himself to be the light of the world in John 8, and that John would continue building on that theme throughout his gospel account and three epistles. The difference between light and dark in terms of our sin and God’s righteousness is clear and basic to our faith. Therefore, Jesus, the light, expects the same expression in our lives - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Believers are to be willing to reveal God’s truth in whatever direction it takes. Paul says, Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Here you can see that believers are called to be different, and these differences are something we should celebrate and support in our lives and in the lives of fellow Christians. But here also we see the primary difference between the world and the Church. The differences fueled by human pride are designed to center a person’s identity and expression on themselves. The differences fueled by faith in Jesus are designed to center a person’s identity and expression on Jesus.

It really comes down to identity. For the child of God – his or her identity is no longer in their own desires, efforts, or even thoughts. But they have been changed – made different – by Jesus. Paul writes in Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Differences exist and abound in life and that reality certainly is present in the Church. Part of the difficultly of being in a church, at times, is working with the differences of others. But the beauty of the Church is that it provides a level of unity despite our differences. We are all the same in Christ Jesus – sinner redeemed to saint – a prodigal son or daughter who has returned to their Father, and the many differences we have begin to fade in importance to the oneness we have in Jesus.

Part of that unity of faith is embracing how God calls us to be difference. The salt preserves in order to keep God’s truth intact. The light reveals the Savior’s will – not our own. In so emphasizing Christ, we also indirectly emphasize the most important and valuable aspects of who we are – how we are identified and found in His name by faith.  Amen.  

Daniel 12 | Pentecost 24 | November 15, 2020

Daniel 12 – Pentecost 24

We’ve reached the end of our study on the book of Daniel. As it is with any milestone of study, it’s wise to take stock of what was learned. So, what have you learned? We’ve covered a lot of subject matter, mystery and intrigue, and several historical events. Many things come to mind. We’ve been reminded that God is all-powerful and in control as we’ve reviewed familiar stories in Daniel’s life. We’ve talked about how God’s kingdom is eternal in contrast the earthly rulers that come and go. We’ve witnessed Daniel’s strong faith and his life dedicated to service. We’ve also seen that every message given by God was about preparing His people for the coming of Jesus. There’s a lot to be learned, and many of the themes from Daniel fit with our lives as well.

But sometimes at the conclusion of a study of Scripture, a different response comes to mind. Sometimes we’re left with more questions than answers. Daniel experienced this feeling too, as we read in verse 8: Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, "My lord, what shall be the end of these things?"

I have that verse circled in my Bible. In the margin I have written “The Theme of Daniel.” That verse is important because it reminds us that sometimes after an intensive study of God’s Word, we are left with the same reaction – “Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” Now, Daniel was talking about this final vision that was being given to him. And at this point in the vision, Jesus was instructing Daniel about THE end of days – the same end we’re still waiting for. It’s not just Daniel, or us – this day is mystery to all people. Jesus mentioned what will happen on that day in verses 1-2, And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

But Jesus has also stated clearly, Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” When it comes to the Last Day, our task is not to predict and prophesy – rather it is to prepare. But the same can be said of any other time we come before Scripture. There’s a thought contained in Daniel’s words that fits with God’s revelation in general, not just concerning the Last Day. We have no doubt learned much in our study of Daniel, details and truths worth remembering, and yet we still can be perplexed at the overall purpose. “What is the end of it Lord?” Other more familiar ways of asking the same thing are, “Why do it this way Lord?” Why must the true teaching be this or that, Lord?” “What is the impact of this on my life, Lord?” We look not just to learn, but to comprehend - to understand the purpose of the Lord’s will. And this question arises whenever we open our Bibles and study His Word.

So, when you think to yourself, What did I learn from Daniel?, the answer is bit harder when we think of that question from a big picture perspective. We see that God wants us to listen and to understand.

Jesus lamented the lack of this hearing in His time, as He stated that a prophecy of Isaiah had been fulfilled in the peoples’ reaction to His teaching, Matthew 13:14-16 "And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: `Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' 16 "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

In this immediate context, the type of revelation from God was the form of parable. The disciples asked Jesus, why do you use parables? Essentially, why, Jesus, don’t you speak more plainly? The answer Jesus gave was in the verses we just read. The people did not believe or trust in God – therefore they did not find truth in His Word. The parables were meant to instruct, but also to get them to dig deeper into issues in which they were lacking understanding. Parables being much simpler in form - an earthly story with a heavenly meaning as we know them - are inherently designed to awaken a hunger and thirst in the listener for more. But unfortunately, that was not the case with many of the people Jesus ministered to. Their hearts were dull and unresponsive to His Word. (Same truth apparent in Paul’s ministry at the end of Acts 28)

Sometimes this reaction of listening but not understanding is a product of unbelief and defiance toward God. Sometimes, people don’t want to understand, even if they present that they do outwardly. Sometimes, they really aren’t invested in finding God’s truth, but only the parts of God’s truth align with their personal beliefs. But, there are instances like Daniel. Every indication we have is that Daniel was the model believer. The first story we learned about his life was one where he risked his life and reputation out of faithfulness to God. Daniel was not afraid to defy authorities and to stand for God’s truth even when no one else would. Daniel valued faithfulness to God even higher than his own life. Daniel clearly trusted God, respected God’s Word, and sought to glorify God’s name as much as he could.

But, here at the end, Daniel doesn’t get it. He says, “Although I heard, I did not understand.” Sometimes, listening but not understanding happens to believers. What was Daniel to do? What are we to do? The Lord’s answer is telling, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” Also, the very last verse of the book, “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

When Daniel asked the Lord about this struggle, God’s answer was – “Go,” literally one word in the Hebrew text. When the believer reaches the pinnacle of faith’s struggle, trying to comprehend and apply to our lives the divine mysteries of an almighty God, and we reach a point that stretches beyond the ability of our finite brains and hearts, God says – “Go.” Not go in the sense of get out of my sight and be gone with you – but go in the sense of keep going with what I have given you. As our text reads, “Go your way until the end.”

This is faith’s built-in safety device. It leads us to the riches of God’s wisdom, power, and love. It reveals sublime records, stories, and promises. Paul wrote of this experience saying, Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways! Faith borne of the Word of God is continually faced with the divine. Certainly, faith has a great capacity for understanding, wisdom, and acceptance of the treasures of God’s Word. Without a doubt, it is the very substance of eternal salvation and hope in Jesus Christ – the greatest of all truths. But as faith resides in our hearts and minds, there is a limit – not of faith’s doing but of our own. And when faced with the incomprehensible from God – we are reminded to keep going. God takes us from eternally mysterious and divinely complicated, which human words fall short of fully expressing, and brings the path back down to our comfortable level of one-word answers.

But just as we see a clear division between the eternal future of believers and unbelievers in Daniel’s text, so also there is a marked division between this quest for answers among each. While all people regardless of belief and confession struggle to understand God and His truth, what separates the two is the One who fills in what is lacking. The difference maker is Jesus, of whom Paul wrote, 1 Corinthians 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- 31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."

This is why verse 8 is circled in my Bible. It’s also why I encourage you to remember it well. It’s a valuable passage because it reminds me that it’s okay when I hear but don’t understand. Not because God accepts such an outcome, but because Jesus fills in what I lack. I should always strive to learn and understand, and God is able to instruct and reveal a lot that I don’t know on my own. The unbeliever is faced with the same predicament, the only difference being having to do the heavy lifting themselves. What comfort, then, is packed into the single word “Go.” I can go my way in life, not indifferent to God’s truth, but also not in terror of it, because Jesus takes my place. And that mediation from my Savior applies even to the truths of God beyond my sinful comprehension. My confidence of faith is not founded on my intellect, experience, or feeling. Rather, I boast in the LORD, and the marks of His sacrificial love for my ignorant rebellions.

Here also, is where we see faith in action. It is easy to confess Christ in words. It is simple to claim Him as your Savior as passing thought. But, that confession is measured in the effect your faith has in your life, precisely when you come face to face with divine wisdom. Here are some examples of what this looks like:

The believer of a small congregation struggles to see the Lord’s hand at work. She says, “I use the Word, I come to church, I receive the Sacrament, but I feel very little. So many people in our community are indifferent to Jesus. Many have left our church for others. Where is God’s work? Why won’t He bless our faithful witness and complete reliance on His Word?” That believer hears, but doesn’t understand. The answer seems unobtainable, out of her reach. But God tells her, “Go your way, some answers will have to wait for eternity.”      

A different believer struggles with a teaching from God – call it one that is unpopular, one that many churches have changed in their lust for attention and approval from the world. He knows what God says. The Bible is clear. He is encouraged by parents, pastor, and other faithful friends in what God says. Yet, the struggle is real. He is tempted to doubt, to despair, to substitute lies for truth. He is discouraged at God’s silence in the matter. He has prayed and prayed and prayed but the struggle feels the same. The pressure to conform is overwhelming. That believer hears, but doesn’t understand. But God tells him the same, “Go your way, some answers will have to wait for eternity.”

Daniel’s words unlock one of the most undervalued, yet important aspects of faith in Jesus – it never demands of God what God does not graciously give. And there is a simple joy and peace in this, because the inner safety device of faith leaves us no other option (other than rejection of God) than submitting our cause to Him and going on our way. And whenever you are called to do such a thing, two constants never change – Jesus will have your back and God will do more with your question than you can do with the answer.

Every Word of God is true. Every question in our hearts has an answer from God. With both things, we wait patiently by faith in Jesus in our quest to hear and understand – and that’s okay. Because, with Jesus, we are saved for eternity and we are safe for today. 

Amen.

Daniel 10 & 11 | Pentecost 23 | November 8, 2020

Theme: Strengthened by Words

The final three chapters in the book of Daniel speak of one single event. Today, we cover chapters 10 and 11 because it is most helpful to study them together. Chapter 10 begins with the final vision that was given to Daniel. At this point in history, the first wave of Jewish exiles had returned home at the decree of King Cyrus. Daniel, who at this time was at least 80 years old, remained behind in Persia. Just as he came to Babylon with the first group of exiles, in order to prepare to lead God’s people spiritually, so Daniel’s mission would be to remain in Persia. This was his task from God.

In this final vision, Daniel speaks with a mysterious man. Daniel’s description of the man is quite unique: I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. (Dan 10:5-6)

One of the big questions of the final chapters is, who is this man? Our first impression might be that it is an angel from God. However, in the preceding chapter, when God sent an angel to Daniel, He specifically stated such (Gabriel). Also, the appearance of this man in chapter 10 doesn’t exactly fit with an angel. When angels are described in the Bible, they are indeed described at bright and powerful in their appearance, but this individual is on a different level of glory. The most intriguing detail in identifying this man is the effect he has on Daniel. As we trace this throughout the chapter, the most likely answer is that Daniel was speaking with Jesus. Now, this is obviously a pre-incarnate form that Jesus takes – meaning before His own conception and birth into this world. It’s clear that if this is Jesus, He has purposely taken this glorified form to draw attention to the importance of His message. As God, we don’t know what Jesus’ form was in heaven at this point, or even if He had a form. But, for the purpose of this vision, Jesus took this form to reveal this message to Daniel.

And quite a message it was. At this point, let’s work back from chapter 11. The reason we take chapters 10 & 11 together is because it’s difficult to understand them separately. Chapter 11 is essentially a very detailed prophecy about the history of God’s people – first the history of the physical nation of Israel up to the time of Christ and second, the history of the Church up to the final day of judgment. This vision is very much along the same lines as the others that we have studied which God gave to Daniel. They all serve the purpose of preparing Israel for the period of history leading up to Christ’s first coming, and also to prepare believers for the period of time leading up to Christ’s second coming.

The prophecy of chapter 11 is probably the most detailed prophecy in all of Scripture. Like the others in Daniel, it traces the history of kings and nations that played a role in God’s plan of salvation. We don’t have the time to go into detail about the entire chapter, but as a summary, the different parts of the prophecy, and its fulfillment are printed in the bulletin. The transition from v.35 to v.36 marks the transition from Israel to God’s Church. As we saw in chapters 7and 8, Antiochus Epiphanes was a precursor of the actual Antichrist. Just as Antiochus tormented God’s people of Israel, so that Antichrist torments God’s Church. So, Jesus was giving Daniel a message about both Old Testament and New Testament events as they affected God’s people. Therefore, the details of chapter 11 were helpful to the people of Israel in their preparation of Jesus’s first coming. But they are also helpful to us today in our preparation of Jesus’ second coming. What Israel endured before the first advent was a picture of what the Church will endure before the second Advent.

That is about all we can say at this point about chapter 11. The more important area of focus is understanding the connection to chapter 10 within this context.

As we mentioned at the beginning, everything in chapter 10 revolves around the messenger – which we believe is Christ. There’s a reason He spends so much time prepping Daniel for this vision. To start, Daniel is near the end of his service and he strikes us as someone who is worn down. He speaks of being in mourning for three weeks and refusing to eat choice foods or drink wine. When Daniel first witnessed this messenger, he was terrified and put his face to the ground. It’s probable that some of Daniel’s anxiety was generated from the difficulty the returning exiles were having in the land of Israel. If you read the historical accounts of this side of the story – from Ezra and Nehemiah, you will remember that even though the people had Cyrus’ blessing in returning, they were not exactly welcomed back home. This news may have been the source of Daniel’s mourning, but clearly there was a lot that concerned him in this chapter.

Since there is so much emphasis in chapter 10 in the messenger, and because this individual clearly was sent from God to enlighten and encourage Daniel, we can track the flow of the chapter through the words that are spoken. In this way, chapter 10 serves as a timely metaphor for our lives. As we were reminded of last weekend, the age of prophetic vision has been sealed shut. We should not expect God to appear before us as He did here in chapter 10. He does not reveal His will to us through dream and interpretation as he did throughout the life of Daniel. But here in chapter 10, we see what God uses in our lives – words.

When you have the opportunity, I encourage you to review chapter 10 in your Bible and underline all of the references to words spoken. It’s the predominant theme. And as the source of God’s revelation to us today, we trace our life with God through words. Think about our worship service so far and every other weekend. Every special thing we do, each item of truth from God, is given and received through Words. Sometimes that seems old fashioned and boring. Our traditions and methods are often criticized by those who are interested in a much more emotionally and visually stimulating experience – those who desire the “dream and vision” forms of communication. But God has sealed shut outwardly miraculous forms of communication and so we trust that He works in us and teaches us through His Word.

What we also see in chapter 10 is that God’s Word breaks down to build up. It’s not just a matter of breaking down and building up. Sometimes, we think of the Word’s effect in that way but there’s a more deliberate process to God’s activity. He breaks down to build up. He’s intentional about doing it that way. Why is that an important distinction? Because who wouldn’t rather skip out on the breaking down process and focus on the building up process? (we like to separate those two ideas)

In Christian, Bible-based terms, you’ve learned about this as the distinction between law and gospel – and it is the heartbeat of your faith in Jesus. Law and Gospel not only come only through God’s words, they also are the only way to properly break down to build up.

You can see the Law and the Gospel come forth in Daniel 10 when you track the words. The initial dialogue between Daniel and Jesus is filled with the effect of the Law. In verse 9, we’re told that upon hearing the first words of Jesus, Daniel put his face to the ground. In verse 11, Daniel said that the words caused him to tremble. In verse 12, Jesus tells Daniel that he came to Daniel because of Daniel’s prayer (words) which were offered in the humility of faith. In verse 15, Daniel again turned his face to the ground and was speechless.

We don’t know what exact words were being given to Daniel from Christ, but clearly they produced the same effect as the law of God. The law is righteous and true, and inwardly we desire it because we know it is good. But, inwardly, we also struggle with imperfection and the decay of sin. The law’s effect, therefore, when we are honest about it, is to convict us of unrighteousness before God. Daniel certainly felt that reality and it caused him to tremble before this divine messenger. Daniel knew that he had no right to stand before Christ, because Daniel was a justifiably accused sinner before God. The only thing that Daniel did deserve was judgment.

But what a different response he received from God. As Daniel bowed in humility, Jesus came and touched Daniel’s lips and strengthened him. And He said to Daniel, “O man, greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” And upon receiving that divine renewal, Daniel stood, strengthened, and confessing, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” And so, chapter 10 ends, and Jesus proceeds to reveal the vision of chapter 11.

Everything changed when the Lord came to Daniel and strengthened him with His Word. This scene reminds me of a similar instance for another one of God’s prophets. In Isaiah 6, Isaiah sees a similarly remarkable vision from God and is overcome in humility at the prospect of his sin. He confessed, "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." And in that moment of repentance, an angel from God took a live coal from the altar and touched Isaiah’s lips with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips, your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”

From that moment, Isaiah was not only equipped to move forward as a representative of God as a prophet, but he was comforted in his heart that his own sins had been cleansed by God. We see the same thing happen here with Daniel. In his weakness, the LORD strengthened him. He renewed Daniel in this moment of agony, and He used words. So much attention is given in the book of Daniel to the dreams, visions, and miracles that we quickly forget – God’s Word has the most powerful effect. (the signs confirm the Word, just as in Jesus’ ministry) Jesus came here to Daniel in chapter 10 for the express purpose of reaffirming Daniel’s trust in the Scripture of Truth, so that Daniel would no longer mourn, tremble, or fear. And it worked. Daniel was renewed. He was at peace. He was strengthened.

Since the truth of Scripture never changes, you have access to that same source of renewal, peace, and strength. God gives you words to encourage you. Each moment you spend in God’s Word He is coming before you to reveal an important message. When you use the Word of God without adding your opinions to it, without detracting from its intended meaning, and with confidence that it delivers what God promises – it will break down to build up. Don’t be intimidated or offended that the Word works this way – it is God’s way; it is His design to encourage and strengthen you.

The law will expose unrighteousness wherever it is found, whether that be in Satan’s schemes, the world’s lusts, or your own heart. It will shine the light of truth in an unapologetic way. Many try to hide and avoid it, but no one can. But don’t let your reactions of sorrow, frustration, or anger block out God’s purpose through it – to build you up in His grace. The gospel is good news indeed, sweet and consoling – but only to the sinner stricken with grief before God. Let it be so in your life.

We can be patient with the dreams and visions. One day Jesus will appear before us in His full glory – the day is coming. But for today – we have God’s Words – powerful, effective, and precious – let us use them as God intended. Amen.

Daniel 9 | November 1, 2020 | Pentecost 22

Theme: A shared reality and difficulty.

We’re covering two very important, yet difficult topics today: 1. Personal responsibility before God and 2. Understanding the “why” of God’s will. I’m going to frame today’s study by referring to #1 as the “reality” and #2 as the “difficulty.”

Up to this point in our study of Daniel, in all the stories we have covered, God’s people have been the protagonists and foreign entities have been the antagonists. In simpler terms, the problems we have covered have been orchestrated and implemented by unbelieving rulers and individuals. Daniel, his friends, and the people of Judah have been the victims of such abuse. Because we have been looking at this limited window of context, it’s easy to forget that God’s people were not heroes or righteousness in this history. Today, as we reach what is really the most important chapter in Daniel’s book, we are reminded that everything we have covered came about as a result of the unfaithfulness of God’s people in Judah. Daniel gives us the extended view of the history.

Throughout our study we’ve learned many valuable lessons. Faithfulness to God. Humility before God. Trust in God in extreme trails. Patience and longsuffering in the midst of disaster. Each one of these important lessons in Daniel, and wherever else we find them in Scripture, are meant to bring us to the theme of chapter 9 – repentance before God and hope through His mercy. Faith is not about academic lessons that we learn and get better at mastering in our lives. Faith is about having Christ. The themes and lessons of the prior chapters have brought us to the theme of chapter 9 – so also this is the purpose of every other truth (doctrine) from God’s Word. Every word of God’s truth is important – but it ultimately it is meant to bring us to Christ. And one’s relationship with Christ is personal – therefore, these themes also necessitate responsibility. No matter what happens to us in life or what others do to us that is unfair, the single most important truth of faith remains what Christ has done for you – and to focus on that you need to retain personal responsibility.

Too often, people become victims in a totalistic sense, meaning, they never get back to their personal responsibility after they have been wronged or mistreated. Therefore, despite the many atrocities we’ve seen from Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and many others – and the lessons of faith we’ve gained from them – God brings us back to consider our own hearts. Daniel’s entire emphasis is that no matter what happened to him, or any other person, the single most important thing for them was confessing their sins before God so that they would be forgiven. This is the most important lesson, and it is only between you and God. Every other lesson from God is meant to bring you closer to that most important reality.  

So, Daniel brought it back to the beginning, saying: Righteousness is yours, Lord, but we are filled with shame this day—we the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both near and far, in all the lands where you have banished them because of the treachery with which they betrayed you. 8 Lord, we are filled with shame—our kings, our officials, and our fathers, who sinned against you. 9 Acts of compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, even though we have rebelled against him. 10 We did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God by walking according to his laws that he set before us through the hand of his servants, the prophets.

This reality is not to excuse the prevalence of wickedness, injustice, and persecution in this world – those things abound. Rather, God’s intention, even through those realities, is to keep your faith alive and strong, and to do that He needs to re-focus you on your responsibility in the matter. Unless an individuals has been flawless in the things Daniel states, righteousness, obedience, listening to God’s Word and those who teach it, showing compassion and forgiveness to others – you have no reason to avoid personal responsibility. 

The danger in embracing the victim mentality is that it gives us a reason to think that our personal responsibility is no longer important, or in the least, not as important as what others are doing to us. But in every activity – God is trying to bring you back to considering yourself as an individual before His divine nature and immutable will. He does not want you to avoid that reality – which really has eternal consequences. This reality about personal responsibility brings directly to the difficulty – understanding the “why” of God’s will.

Sometimes, the more we dig into faith in Jesus the harder it becomes and the more strain it puts on our senses. This is not to discourage you from growing in your faith, or in seeking answers to questions of faith. Rather, it is simply an attempt to be honest about the struggle of engaging in this as a sinner before God. Here’s the dilemma. God created all humans as rational and emotional creatures. This means we have the ability to perceive and sense the divine nature of God, even if we are unable to fully comprehend or accept it. We are different from animals and plants – the other living creatures of the world – because we are designed with an ability to perceive God – and even more than that – to have a union with Him.

And as it is with all created things – you prosper best when you do what you were created to do. So, avoiding the reality of God is not going to work for our lives. It does not help us. We were made to perceive God and to have a relationship with God. But because of the fallenness of our natures, the more we attempt to be in union with God, the harder it becomes. The more we attempt to do what we were created to do in this way, the more questions surface, the more inconsistencies of our natures are brought to light, the more concerns we have about life here on earth as it is now. And naturally, we want to avoid what makes us uneasy or what reveals our limitations.

Personal responsibility now comes back into the picture. As Daniel states, to truly commune with God one must deny himself. The path to God must come through humility and repentance because 1) we are not equal to God and 2) we are sinners who are naturally separate from God. But no person feels inclined by nature to embrace repentance and humility.  

When we look at the “Why” of God’s will, the answer is that it is meant to bring us closer to Christ. This is why God allowed the judgment to happen to Judah. This is why God allows hardship, temptation, and persecution to come into your life. So these difficulties are meant to bring us back tot eh reality – trust in Jesus by faith on an individual, personal level.

So, what we see through this chapter is that, not only is there more than what we typically think about as it concerns the difficulty we face (there’s a loving plan from God behind all that), there’s also much more than we typically think about as it concerns the blessings that come out of following God. Taking personal responsibility is hard, and easily avoided, but it is also a tiny step on the path to receiving eternal blessings from God.

The imagery of the 70 weeks was given to describe God’s plan for bringing people into union with Him by faith. This would start with re-establishing true worship in Israel – the restoration of God’s people going home and rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple (the first seven weeks). The next step would be the arrival of Jesus – the fulfillment of God’s long-standing promise to send a Savior that was first given to Adam and Eve (the next 62 weeks). And the final step was the work of that Savior – offering His own life as a payment for our sins and thereby nullifying Satan’s claim to humanity through the just curse of God’s law (the final week).

Jesus, therefore, provides the only true and coherent answer to the both the reality of personal responsibility before God and the difficulty in discerning the “why” of God’s will. Jesus provides clarity and peace to both. We emphasize personal responsibility because faith in Jesus is a gift to the individual. It does not change the pain or disastrous effects that can come about at the hands of others. But Jesus also provides fulfillment to our desire to see why God does what He does. Every word God has spoken, every action God has committed, every step God leads you upon in your life, is meant to bring you closer to Jesus. You may not always understand how God is doing this, but that doubt is of lesser importance to your life than the truth that you can trust God is doing it.  

Notice how Daniel points to the work of God through Jesus in this chapter. He comes back again and again to it as his hope – as his reason for confessing his sins.

v. 4: O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him.

v. 9 :To the LORD belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. (Grace)

v.17: For the LORD’s sake, cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary.

v. 18 For we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.

Gabriel to Daniel v.23: “you are greatly loved.”

Daniel did not complain or wallow in self-righteousness because he was being mistreated by others. Daniel did not rebel against God because God allowed this. Daniel accepted his role in the matter – even though there were other factors beyond his control. It was not Daniel’s fault that the nation of Israel had forsaken so much. It was not Daniel’s fault that they tolerated idol-worship. It was not Daniel’s fault that they rebelled against God’s will. But, Daniel knew the guilt was collective because they were all sinners.

And Daniel’s willingness to deny himself created an opening in his heart for Jesus to fill. This led to greater peace, hope, and sense of purpose than Daniel could ever have achieved on his own. And Daniel confessed exactly how he received such a tremendous gift. In mercy, God acted for His own sake (out of His own power), to keep His long-standing covenant that He would forgive the sins of the repentant. – that is how Daniel was forgiven.

This, too, is the heritage of faith you share with Daniel. It’s why we can study the narrative of his life in Scripture and benefit from it today for our lives – not just in learning moral lessons for wisdom or good behavior, but to be truly restored and forgiven by the same Savior in the exact same way as Daniel. This is the heritage that is so often clouded and obscured by the craft of man’s vanity, as churches become beacons and havens for humanism rather than justification by faith in Christ. This is the heritage that was restored from such a fate at the time of the Reformation. Each one of you has been blessed by God to have been raised upon such a foundation and to have the opportunity to daily build upon it.

But just as it was for Daniel and for Martin Luther, so it is with us. No shortage of dangers surround our faith. The need to be diligent, faithful in Scripture and the Sacraments, and walking with wisdom and love is just as great. The reality and the difficulty continue – but in all things they point us to Jesus. May it ever be to His glory – Amen.

 

Daniel 8 | October 25, 2020 | Pentecost 21

Theme: The impact of troubled times on God’s people

Life changes a lot from childhood to adulthood. No brainer right. One element of that truth as it pertains to the Christian faith involves what is important to consider under one’s calling as a child of God. Essentially, what areas of morality we focus on. For a newborn infant – there is very little to focus on, since their intellect is not yet developed. For a toddler, learning to listen to mom and dad and to be kind to others is the most pressing need. For a child in middle school, perhaps the biggest area of focus is how to handle responsibility, respect toward teachers, and self-control when peers are unkind. For the high schooler, a wide array of concerns come to mind, such as not giving into vulgar language, being respectful in appearance, exercising self-control in sexual desires, and continuing to be respectful of mom and dad despite a new sense of burgeoning independence.

For those in early adulthood, it is important to accept responsibility and to work hard at establishing a life. Marriage enters the scene here, which means more blessings but also more obligations under God’s law – designed at protecting those blessings. Establishing a new family identity also becomes a primary focus. Middle adulthood involves achieving fulfillment in one’s calling and finding new ways to serve children and younger generations. Stress is no stranger as the pressing needs of society, family, and marriage abound and grow. Responsibility should really be fruitful at this point in life as you are in charge of protection and provision for many others. And in the elderly years, new challenges arise as one’s body slows down, and possibly breaks down, and the reality of the end of life here on this earth is the mind.

Each stage of life has its own challenges, but we tend to look back and reminisce at how simple things were. But it wasn’t that way in the present. You all walked into the sanctuary this morning without thinking twice, but that was impossible when you were an infant. You surely struggled to respect mom and dad when you were 6 or 7 years old, or 13 or 14 years old, but perhaps in your 30s it isn’t as big of a challenge. There once was a day when you never thought about marriage, but before long you reflect on 30-40-50 or more years under its blessings. Challenges come and go, and they grow and change as we get older. But God designed our ability to meet challenges like a set of stairs that ascends. This skills you learned early in your life, which now seem easy and so stress-free, are the very foundation that you stand upon that allows you to make such a claim. And in 10 years, or less, you’ll look back on what you are going through right now and reflect on the simplicity of it all – even as you remember the present challenges.

It’s natural in life for us to over-emphasize the impact of what’s happening right now. How quickly we feel like everything is lost or worthless – that one set back equals a tragedy of insurmountable proportions – only for God to gently lead us through it and on to the next step. But as easy as it comes to us to make mountains out of molehills, it’s equally easy to forget that we stand upon what we’ve endured in the past. Good or bad – it’s part of our story and it has a hand in shaping who we are.

The Word of God works similarly for your faith. We are told these stories of people who lived thousands of years ago. Sometimes they were confronted with challenges that seem simple compared to the complexity of life in our age. Sometimes, they come across as ignorant and simple-minded in their ways – far less educated and advanced than us, and on the surface that is true at times (yet education and intellect hardly are markers of good morals). Today, we study a chapter devoted to a specific period in history that does not concern our lives – at least as it portrays events that have come and gone. But the key is recognizing the steps that God takes in His Word, and how our faith today stands, in part, upon the faith of believers who came before us – from much different times and circumstances. And through that feature of Scripture, we see that there is always something for us to learn and benefit from in each section of God’s Word. Here in Daniel chapter 8, the message from God concerns the theme of hos God delivers and protects His people – both in the Old Testament and in these final days before the judgment of the world.

This vision in chapter 8 is a more detailed look at one piece of the vision from chapter 7. The two-horned goat was the Mede-Persian empire. The one-horned goat was the Greek empire. God gives Daniel a more detailed vision of the activity of these kingdoms, particularly with respect to their impact on the people of Israel. This message, like that of chapter 7, is a something to prepare God’s people for the timeline of history leading up to the birth of Christ. But what separates chapter 8 from chapter 7 is that God includes here a message about endurance under trial.

The lasting theme of this vision is that tough days were ahead for Israel. These foreign powers would not be kind to them, or supportive of their faith in the coming Messiah. Daniel described this part of the vision in verse 10: It (the goat which represented the Greek empire) exalted itself against the army of heaven. It made some of that army and some of the stars fall to earth, and it trampled them. It exalted itself against the Prince of the Army. It deprived him of the continual sacrifice, and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down.

In his explanation of the vision, the angel Gabriel explains this scene: “His (the Greek ram) power will be very great, but not from his own power. He will destroy mighty men and the people of the saints.” Gabriel was telling Daniel that a great persecution would be placed upon God’s people at the hands of the Greek empire following the death of Alexander the Great. This persecution would involve depriving them of being able to worship the true God – the vision even gave the graphic description of “throwing truth to the ground.”

Christians have always seen the fulfillment of this vision in the person of Antiochus Epiphanes. When the Greek empire was divided into 4 portions, one of those areas covered the land of Israel. Antiochus was a Greek general who came to power in this quadrant of the empire in 175 BC. He bestowed upon himself the title of “Epiphanes” meaning “God manifest” in the Greek. The reign of Antiochus, which lasted 11 years, was one of sheer terror for the Jewish people.

Antiochus profaned the Temple in Jerusalem by erecting idols to Zeus in it. He stripped the Jews of their religious rights, disallowing, for the first time in their history – the daily sacrifice that was offered to Yahweh in the temple. Sources outside the Bible even say that Antiochus brought a pig into the temple (which was a ceremonially unclean animal to the Jews) and sacrificed it in a pagan ritual upon the altar. His atrocities were not limited to religious persecution either, by the time his 11 years were up, it was estimated that Antiochus had killed over 100,000 people. 

This Antiochus fits with the vision of the little horn coming out of the four within the Greek empire. He exalted himself against the true God. He deprived God’s people of the daily sacrifice, the worship through which they communicated and received the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins. He trampled the believers – spiritually and literally. And he certainly threw truth to the ground.

These tragic events at the hands of this Greek tyrant are a lasting reminder of the cost of faithfulness to the God. Christians throughout time have walked similar paths. God’s warning to Daniel in this vision was to prepare for tough days ahead. Many wonder how a loving God could allow such a thing to take place to those who love Him. When unfair and unjust things happen to Christians at the hands of those in the world – even secular leaders – it reinforces two important truth.  

1. It is not God’s desire that we suffer. God may allow hardship, but He is not the author of such tragedy. This truth does not mean that secular enemies of Christians have power over God. Truly, they can only do what they do when God allows them to. They do not hold Him hostage. They are not in control. But the logical question to this first truth is why? If God has not lost control. If He is not overcome by evil – why would He allow it? That question leads to the second truth that we learn.

2. God uses persecution for our good. He does not desire it. He does not design it. But God overcomes even the most wicked and vile of moments because He uses it to bless us. The key is that this kind of blessing is only by faith. Persecution will not benefit you materially or physically – but it can bless you spiritually. A couple of weeks ago we read a summary of Hebrews 11 – the heroes of faith chapter – of a telling of believers from past who were persecuted for their faith. The chapter summarizes the blessing of this at the end: “They longed for a better land – a heavenly one. For that reason, God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:16).”

These persecutions – as difficult and unfair as there were – served as blessings for God’s people because they strengthened their faith in Christ, a faith that looks to the better home in heaven. God loves His children enough that He allows them to fall into hardships – even from Satan himself – in order to make them stronger in faith, and more fully confirmed in the truth. And it’s a faith and truth with the greatest outcome possible – eternal life in heaven. This is God’s desire for you, and if He must lead you through the “valley of the shadow of death” in order to keep it more firm in your heart – He will. 

The willingness of God to allow suffering into our lives is not a product of His lack of care – rather it is one of the greatest examples of it. And so, we build upon this lesson given to Daniel and the Old Testament believers. Antiochus has come and gone. The vision of chapter 8 is complete. But we use it for our faith just the same. We may be a few steps higher on the staircase, but we can be grateful that our heritage in Jesus is based on truth and faithfulness, even under the most extreme trials. Our lives are not separated from the experiences of former Christians. Rather, we are connected through our faith in Jesus. Therefore, in the same context of Hebrews, God extended the message to our present lives saying, “Endure suffering as discipline. God is dealing with you as sons. Is there a son whose father does not discipline them? No discipline seems pleasant when it is happening, but painful, yet later it yields a peaceful harvest of righteousness for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:7,11).

Let us not forget that the title of disciple finds its home in the word discipline. This is the purpose of chapter’s eight’s vision. We will endure hardship when following Jesus. The world rages against us. Satan comes at you with all his might. And in the midst of such realities – God’s love abounds for you. His is not the shallow love of the self or the world – which simply wants fleeting pleasures and temporary blessings. God’s love is deeper and more intricate than that. He will love you through what you need, not just in what you want. And that’s why no matter how intense the struggle against your faith becomes – even to death – nothing can overcome the love of Jesus for you. It is tried and tested in battles of the soul. We see it in believers of the past and we have confidence God will protect and lead us in the same today. Amen.