Music...
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Hello and once again we welcome
you to Daniel All Access,
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our chapter by chapter
walk through the book of Daniel
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in an effort to see
what Daniel has to say to us
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in these latter days
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and I think
we've been finding that
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though Daniel is
a prophetic book,
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it has much to tell us
about our lives today...
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about practical living
and practical Godliness.
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Daniel allows us to go as
deep as our shovel will take us.
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There are many, many, many
layers to the book of Daniel
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and we will also see this
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in our upcoming
series with Pastor Lomacang
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as we deal with
the book of Revelation
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that these books are
prophetic, yes, they are,
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Revelation is
prophetic and apocalyptic
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but more than that,
these books have much to say
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to our walk every
day with Jesus Christ.
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There are lessons to be learned
and paths to be walked in
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that, if we would
but open our eyes,
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we will see them
very, very clearly
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and so, tonight, we
want to enter into a study
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of Daniel chapter 6.
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The title of our
message is: Shlemiel Schlimazel.
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Shlemiel Schlimazel...
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and if you're a New
Yorker or you live some place
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where there is a
heavy Jewish influence,
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you are familiar
with those words.
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Shlemiel Schlimazel...
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you will all know what they
mean ere our night has concluded
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because God has much to say to
us in Schlemiel and Schlimazel.
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Shall we pray?
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"Father God, how we
praise you and thank you
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for your love... your
mercy... your goodness...
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and your grace.
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We thank you for the Bible
which is a lamp unto our feet
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and a light unto our path
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and that if we will
but walk in that light,
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we will see the way that
leads from earth to glory
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and so, bless us
tonight, dear Father,
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as we look at your Word,
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as we see you anew
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and again, teach us those things
that you'll have us to know,
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help us to do them
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because it is in the doing that
we are made like Christ Jesus
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and we thank you dear
Father, in Jesus' name, amen. "
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Our discussion of the
book of Daniel chapter 6
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begins in the book of Isaiah
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and so I would ask you to turn
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to Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 1.
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You may ask why do we begin a
discussion of Daniel chapter 6
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in the book of Isaiah
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and what is there to
learn from Daniel chapter 6
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in the book of Isaiah.
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The answer is much.
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There was much to learn
because we learn of the Messiah
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and a Messiah in
the book of Isaiah.
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We see the state of
play spiritually in Israel,
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we also see much
about God's people
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and why they
landed in captivity.
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So, let's look at the book
of Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 1.
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We get an idea of the
state of play in Israel
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right, as we
say, "Out of the Gate"
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here in Isaiah 1.
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The Bible says,
"The ox knows its owner;
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The donkey its master's crib;
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But Israel does not know,
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My people do not consider... "
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so, right off, we see
the state of play in Israel.
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God has a complaint
against His own people.
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Dumb animals know
who their owners are
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but God's people seemingly
don't know who their God is.
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So we see at the very outset,
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God has a
controversy with His people.
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We see God telling them about
the deplorable and detestable
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conditions that His
people are living in.
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His people have become
alienated from their God.
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Pause.
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They have walked
away from their God
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and yet God offers
them in the book of Isaiah
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an unmistakable
olive branch of peace.
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In exchange for
their infidelity,
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God offers His people hope
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and peace and love.
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You know, we serve a
God who is very limited
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in the weapons that He can use.
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Satan is almost unlimited.
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Satan can use lies,
treachery, force, coercion...
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God only has a
couple of weapons:
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love, peace and justice
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that's all He's got
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and that's all He ever uses.
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It's love, peace and justice.
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So, we see in
the book of Isaiah,
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long before we get to Daniel,
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a vision of God that is
without parallel or equal
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in the Old Testament.
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We see God in... in
Isaiah as "stripped down"
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and as pure as any
place in the Bible.
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Our view of God
in the book of Isaiah
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is an exalted one,
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in fact, it is the most exalted
in the entire Old Testament.
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God's holiness is the salient
theme in the book of Isaiah...
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the unsurpassing
love and holiness of God
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but it is not... it is
not a transcended holiness
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we see a God
who is high and holy
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and yet intimate and
loving in the book of Isaiah...
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like nowhere else
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and that's why Isaiah is
such an important book for study
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because you see...
you see a picture of God
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as pure and unvarnished
as anywhere in the Bible.
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Pause.
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God's holiness is underscored
in the book of Isaiah
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more than anywhere
in the Old Testament.
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The portrait of the depth and
the height of the love of God
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is a vast deal
beyond impressive.
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Pause.
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The term, "The Holy One"
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is used in Isaiah 26 times.
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Pause.
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In the entire Old Testament,
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it is only used
six additional times
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so, the idea that there is a
God there who is high and holy
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and yet
intimate and loving is...
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is proffered in Isaiah
like nowhere else in the Bible,
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it's... it's an intimate
look at the God that we serve.
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God's sovereignty is
also a significant motif
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in the book of... of Isaiah.
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In Isaiah, we see a
high and holy and lofty God
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who is desperate for an intimate
relationship with His people.
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We see as nowhere
else in the Bible,
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that though He's
high and lifted up,
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He wants to be
right by your side.
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He wants to put
His arm around you.
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He wants to comfort
you and walk with you
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and He wants to be
your personal friend
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and He's determined
to hold on to a people
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who are just as determined
to turn their back on Him.
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It is an interesting
picture of God that we see
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in the book of Isaiah
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and I say again, the
only weapons that God has
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at His disposal
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are
righteousness, justice and love.
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So, one of the
things God does in Isaiah
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is to reveal
Christ... the coming Messiah.
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One of the things that
He does is to reveal to us
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Christ the suffering servant.
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Look at what God says
here in the book of Isaiah.
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He says, "Bring no
more futile sacrifices;
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Incense is an abomination to Me.
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The New Moons, the Sabbaths,
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the calling of assemblies...
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I cannot endure iniquity
in the sacred meeting. "
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God is asking
for purity... purity.
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Your New Moons...
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your appointed
feasts my soul hates;
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They are a trouble to Me,
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I am weary of bearing them. "
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God is saying, "I
don't want form...
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I don't want faction, I
don't want 'Play Worship'
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what I want is heart.
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So don't come to me
with sacrifices and incense
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and prayers
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if your heart is not with me. "
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"When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
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Even though you
make many prayers... "
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He says, "I'm not going to hear.
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Your hearts are full of blood.
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Wash yourselves,
make yourselves clean;
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Put away the evil of your
doings from before My eyes.
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Cease to do evil,
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Learn to do good; Seek justice,
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Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless"
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He says, "Plead for the widow,
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Come now, let us
reason together... "
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Amen.
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"Says the Lord,
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'Though your
sins are like scarlet,
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They shall be white as snow;
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Though they are
red like crimson,
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They shall be as wool.
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If you are
willing and obedient... '"
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You see how desperate God is?
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He starts out by saying,
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"When you pray,
I'm not listening...
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when you raise your hands,
I'm going to turn my back. "
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But before He's done, He says,
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"Okay, let's reason together,
come on... come on... come on,
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pause
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I can make your
red sins like wool,
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if you are
willing and obedient... "
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you know, when... when
you read the book of Isaiah
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you want to jump up in praise.
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Audience: Amen.
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Because God is
saying, "As bad as you are,
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that's how good I can be. "
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Audience: Amen.
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"Yeah, I'm upset
with you, I am upset...
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don't come to me with
that 'praying in your heart'
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but if you're willing,
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pause...
00:11:01.59\00:11:04.06
if you're obedient,
I will change my mind.
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You shall eat of
the good of the land...
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as bad as you are... you
know you need a spanking,
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but if you behave yourself... "
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like my parents used to say,
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good Barbadian father...
you know West Indian dad...
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"Yeah, I give you a
good caning, boy... "
00:11:22.41\00:11:25.15
"... but if you behave yourself,
if you just behave yourself,
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you'll eat of
the good of the land.
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But if you refuse and rebel,
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you shall be
devoured by the sword. "
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You see how desperate
God is to love His people
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and to have a loving
relationship with His people...
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he's... he's... he's
pulling out his hair...
00:11:45.60\00:11:47.30
"I'm blessing
you... I'm cursing you...
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I'm trying to... to help you...
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what can I do to
get you to accept me?"
00:11:50.77\00:11:55.74
And that's what we see
throughout the book of Isaiah,
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throughout the book of Isaiah...
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this... this God who is
desperate to love this people,
00:11:59.35\00:12:03.28
and desperate to
have them love Him.
00:12:03.32\00:12:07.02
"For the mouth of
the Lord has spoken it. "
00:12:07.06\00:12:10.69
That's... that's
the seal of approval...
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that's the...
the notary public...
00:12:14.40\00:12:17.23
that's God saying,
"It's guaranteed...
00:12:17.27\00:12:20.04
what I said is going to
happen is going to happen...
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the mouth of the
Lord has spoken it. "
00:12:23.67\00:12:25.57
We see this Holy One of
Israel over and over again
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so many times in
the Old Testament.
00:12:29.98\00:12:33.08
I say again, "God's tools... "
00:12:33.11\00:12:37.15
we... we serve a God
who is kind of limited.
00:12:37.19\00:12:40.29
He's got Justice,
He's got Righteousness
00:12:40.32\00:12:43.43
and He's got love.
00:12:43.46\00:12:44.99
That's all He's got.
00:12:45.06\00:12:46.53
Satan's got a bag of tricks
00:12:46.56\00:12:48.96
but God's got Justice,
Righteousness and Love.
00:12:49.00\00:12:54.20
It just so happens that
Justice, Righteousness and Love
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are the most
powerful tools in the universe
00:13:00.14\00:13:04.11
amen
00:13:04.15\00:13:05.48
and that's all God
has for you and for me.
00:13:05.51\00:13:10.55
So, one of the
things God does in Isaiah
00:13:10.59\00:13:15.32
is reveal Christ
the coming Messiah.
00:13:15.39\00:13:20.06
and He structures Him
as the suffering servant
00:13:20.10\00:13:24.93
in Isaiah chapter 53.
00:13:24.97\00:13:26.57
I... I like this, I
truly do... it's humbling...
00:13:26.60\00:13:30.64
I just came across this again
in the middle of the night...
00:13:30.67\00:13:33.88
the other night...
couldn't sleep... got up...
00:13:33.91\00:13:35.24
opened the book of Isaiah and
ran into the suffering servant.
00:13:35.28\00:13:38.08
What is God's
antidote for His ailing people?
00:13:38.11\00:13:44.95
A Jesus who's
going to suffer for them.
00:13:44.99\00:13:48.22
That ought to break your heart,
00:13:48.26\00:13:50.66
He's not going to get mad,
He's not going to get even,
00:13:50.73\00:13:54.66
He's going to send
you a suffering servant
00:13:54.70\00:13:57.83
to help you through your sins.
00:13:57.87\00:14:00.24
So, God shows now His
people the suffering servant
00:14:00.27\00:14:04.04
who is Jesus Christ...
00:14:04.07\00:14:05.77
who is the cosmic confluence
00:14:05.81\00:14:10.11
if you let me use those
terms of justice and love.
00:14:10.15\00:14:12.85
God is showing
Israel His own faithfulness
00:14:12.88\00:14:17.82
in return for
their faithlessness.
00:14:17.85\00:14:21.66
There are many
magnificent promises
00:14:21.69\00:14:25.43
of His unfailing love
in the book of Isaiah.
00:14:25.46\00:14:29.26
Can a mother
forget her suckling child?
00:14:29.30\00:14:32.43
They may forget
but God will not.
00:14:32.47\00:14:37.24
It's a powerful promise.
00:14:37.31\00:14:39.07
God is saying, "I
will never forget you"
00:14:39.14\00:14:42.14
and this is so very, very
evident in the book of Daniel.
00:14:42.18\00:14:46.01
They're... they're
in... they're in captivity...
00:14:46.05\00:14:49.02
but God is doing
some marvelous things
00:14:49.05\00:14:52.95
for His people in captivity.
00:14:52.99\00:14:54.32
They are suffering because
they turned their backs on God,
00:14:54.36\00:14:58.66
that's what Daniel is all about
00:14:58.69\00:15:00.33
but we've seen in...
in Daniel 1 through 4
00:15:00.36\00:15:04.27
that even though they're in
Babylon... a heathen kingdom...
00:15:04.30\00:15:09.60
that is synonymous
with anti-God activity...
00:15:09.64\00:15:13.21
what does God do?
00:15:13.27\00:15:14.61
He reaches down and
saves Nebuchadnezzar
00:15:14.64\00:15:16.51
and once
Nebuchadnezzar stands up
00:15:16.54\00:15:20.05
and acts like a Christian,
00:15:20.08\00:15:22.02
things go pretty
good for God's people...
00:15:22.05\00:15:25.22
Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego are exalted,
00:15:25.25\00:15:28.39
Daniel is exalted...
00:15:28.42\00:15:29.76
things are going well...
00:15:29.79\00:15:31.13
so, even though they're
suffering for their own sins,
00:15:31.16\00:15:33.19
God has not forgotten them
00:15:33.23\00:15:35.50
even though they've
tried their best to forget Him.
00:15:35.53\00:15:39.70
Moreover, God expresses His
intention in the book of Isaiah
00:15:39.73\00:15:45.31
to explain to the world
00:15:45.34\00:15:48.81
His majesty and Lordship.
00:15:48.84\00:15:52.21
If you look up... in the
book of Isaiah chapter 66
00:15:52.25\00:15:54.62
Isaiah shows us what we could
call His divine commission...
00:15:54.68\00:16:01.12
it's kind of equal to Matthew 28
00:16:01.16\00:16:03.96
but that... that commission...
00:16:03.99\00:16:06.49
that great
commission in Isaiah 66
00:16:06.53\00:16:08.96
God is saying, "I want all
people to know about my love,
00:16:09.00\00:16:12.40
I want all people to
know about my goodness"
00:16:12.43\00:16:14.77
so, God's great commission
is also in the Old Testament
00:16:14.80\00:16:18.77
it's right there
in Isaiah 66 verse 18.
00:16:18.81\00:16:21.91
So, the truth is... and I'm
spending a little time here,
00:16:21.94\00:16:26.01
when you get a handle on Isaiah,
00:16:26.05\00:16:28.22
you get a handle on
the intimate, extravagant
00:16:28.25\00:16:33.05
unvarnished reality
of who and what and why
00:16:33.09\00:16:37.83
the Messiah is the answer
to the problems of the world
00:16:37.86\00:16:42.96
and in the midst of
unparalleled treason and evil,
00:16:43.00\00:16:49.14
we see God's answer to
evil and His name is Jesus
00:16:49.17\00:16:55.18
and He is prefigured
in the book of Isaiah.
00:16:55.21\00:16:59.95
"Who hath believed our report?
00:16:59.98\00:17:02.65
Surely He hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows. "
00:17:02.68\00:17:09.12
The Great
Commission there in Isaiah 66
00:17:09.16\00:17:12.73
is just as powerful
00:17:12.76\00:17:14.56
as the Great
Commission in Matthew chapter 28
00:17:14.63\00:17:18.30
but the truth is...
and you know this well...
00:17:18.33\00:17:22.00
there cannot be
sin without recompense
00:17:22.04\00:17:27.71
and we discussed this
last night that when sin...
00:17:27.74\00:17:32.01
when the punishment
for sin is... is delayed...
00:17:32.05\00:17:36.28
somehow man just gets worse
00:17:36.32\00:17:39.72
and Isaiah along with Jeremiah
00:17:39.75\00:17:43.09
ratified the fact
that sooner or later...
00:17:43.12\00:17:46.90
sooner or later... they
were going to go into captivity.
00:17:46.93\00:17:52.10
Isaiah chapter 28 begins
several messages of woe...
00:17:52.13\00:17:58.77
six messages to be exact,
00:17:58.81\00:18:03.51
six sermons of doom and judgment
00:18:03.55\00:18:06.85
but they are counter-balanced
by six promises of salvation.
00:18:06.88\00:18:13.56
So the woe is...
the list of invectives
00:18:13.59\00:18:17.66
starts with
Ephraim... Ephraim...
00:18:17.69\00:18:21.56
Ephraim is a symbol of
Israel's northern ten tribes.
00:18:21.60\00:18:29.94
So, when the Bible says,
"Ephraim" in the book of Isaiah,
00:18:29.97\00:18:34.41
it's a symbol of
the ten northern tribes.
00:18:34.44\00:18:38.28
It's a another
series of predictions
00:18:38.31\00:18:41.62
that one day the northern
tribes would be no more.
00:18:41.65\00:18:46.19
That happens within
just years of this prophecy.
00:18:46.22\00:18:50.76
720... the Syrians came in
00:18:50.79\00:18:52.93
and totally erased the ten
northern tribes as a nation
00:18:52.96\00:18:57.27
but as remarkable as that
almost-immediate fulfillment is
00:18:57.30\00:19:01.54
there is a second footfall
of prophecy in Isaiah 44
00:19:01.60\00:19:06.57
where God speaks now
to the southern kingdom...
00:19:06.61\00:19:11.51
the kingdom of Judah
00:19:11.58\00:19:13.58
and He tells them
00:19:13.62\00:19:15.55
that something is
going to happen there also
00:19:15.58\00:19:19.69
but rather than
just explaining the doom,
00:19:19.72\00:19:23.46
God gives them a little hope,
00:19:23.49\00:19:25.63
He says, "Who says of
Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd,
00:19:25.66\00:19:31.10
and he shall perform
all My pleasure... '"
00:19:31.13\00:19:35.60
500 years before Cyrus was born,
00:19:35.64\00:19:39.11
God identifies him as a servant
00:19:39.14\00:19:42.54
that He will use to
chastise His people.
00:19:42.58\00:19:47.55
Pause.
00:19:47.58\00:19:51.62
The promise is... that
they will go into captivity,
00:19:51.65\00:19:55.52
that they will come out.
00:19:55.56\00:19:59.53
For those who think God
is a... a... a mean God,
00:19:59.56\00:20:04.40
you got to look a little deeper.
00:20:04.43\00:20:07.24
God says, "You're
going to go into captivity"
00:20:07.27\00:20:11.71
but then the same God
says, "You're going to come out"
00:20:11.77\00:20:15.51
that's a blessed promise...
00:20:15.54\00:20:17.68
pause
00:20:17.71\00:20:19.11
yeah, "You're going
to suffer for your sins,
00:20:19.15\00:20:21.58
I'm not going to leave you,
I'm not going to forsake you"
00:20:21.62\00:20:25.25
and the Bible shows
that even in captivity,
00:20:25.29\00:20:28.32
the blessing hand of
God was on His people.
00:20:28.36\00:20:31.29
"Yeah, you're going to go in,
but you're going to come out. "
00:20:31.33\00:20:34.23
same way that God
promised them in the wilderness,
00:20:34.26\00:20:36.97
"You're going to
go in the wilderness,
00:20:37.00\00:20:38.33
but you're going to come out. "
00:20:38.37\00:20:39.83
God says that to us today.
00:20:39.90\00:20:42.14
There will be
troubles in our lives,
00:20:42.17\00:20:44.37
you're going to
go into some things
00:20:44.41\00:20:46.54
but stay by God's side
00:20:46.57\00:20:48.54
because you're
going to come out, amen...
00:20:48.58\00:20:50.45
and God is faithful.
00:20:50.48\00:20:52.31
Pause.
00:20:52.35\00:20:53.92
God has always had a remnant...
00:20:53.95\00:20:57.05
always...
00:20:57.09\00:20:58.49
there has been a remnant.
00:20:58.52\00:20:59.89
Always there have been people
00:20:59.95\00:21:01.29
who would stand
and speak for God.
00:21:01.32\00:21:03.93
God has always had a people
00:21:04.09\00:21:05.53
and He has a
people in these last days.
00:21:05.59\00:21:07.20
He had a people
in the Middle Ages,
00:21:07.23\00:21:08.76
He had a people
in the Dark Ages,
00:21:08.80\00:21:10.23
He had a people in
the... the New Testament period,
00:21:10.27\00:21:12.97
God has always had a people
00:21:13.03\00:21:14.37
and I am so glad, we're
part of the people of God
00:21:14.40\00:21:17.17
in these last
days, what do you say?
00:21:17.21\00:21:18.74
So it pleased God to
name the name of His chastiser
00:21:18.77\00:21:24.95
500 years before
he was even born.
00:21:24.98\00:21:27.52
Isaiah chapter
45, the Bible says
00:21:27.55\00:21:30.02
that Cyrus would be
a... an anointed one...
00:21:30.09\00:21:35.62
Cyrus would be
one who God would use.
00:21:35.66\00:21:38.63
Little side bar,
00:21:38.66\00:21:41.46
"Humble yourselves in
the sight of the Lord,
00:21:41.50\00:21:45.07
and He will lift you up. "
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.00
Even when you are...
suffering for your sins,
00:21:47.04\00:21:54.44
God likes a humble spirit.
00:21:54.48\00:21:57.35
Amen.
00:21:57.41\00:21:58.85
When you acknowledge your sin,
that's when God can help you,
00:21:58.88\00:22:02.08
when... you see,
it's hard to get "found"
00:22:02.12\00:22:04.45
when you don't
admit you're lost.
00:22:04.49\00:22:06.15
Pause.
00:22:06.19\00:22:08.12
Yeah, you got to
admit you're lost
00:22:08.16\00:22:09.79
then you can
work on getting found.
00:22:09.82\00:22:11.46
Peter adds in 1st Peter 5:6
00:22:11.49\00:22:14.16
that He will life
you up "in due time"
00:22:14.20\00:22:17.27
you may spend a little
time in the wilderness...
00:22:17.30\00:22:19.70
God's going to bring you back
00:22:19.73\00:22:22.00
and that's what this story of...
00:22:22.04\00:22:24.24
this sojourn in
captivity is all about
00:22:24.27\00:22:28.68
so, Isaiah 44, we
just looked at it,
00:22:28.71\00:22:32.35
"Who says of
Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd,
00:22:32.38\00:22:35.75
he shall perform
all my pleasure... '"
00:22:35.78\00:22:39.09
so even in captivity, God
is designating kings and rulers
00:22:39.12\00:22:43.46
to look out for His people.
00:22:43.49\00:22:44.89
Pause.
00:22:44.93\00:22:49.36
There are three words for
"Shepherd" in the Old Testament
00:22:49.43\00:22:52.03
all of them have to do
with keeping and directing
00:22:52.07\00:22:56.71
and serving.
00:22:56.74\00:22:58.07
"Shepherd" in the Old Testament
was a servant of the sheep
00:22:58.11\00:23:02.18
not a Master...
00:23:02.21\00:23:03.71
very, very interesting.
00:23:03.75\00:23:05.75
Cyrus now is going
to serve God's people
00:23:05.78\00:23:09.42
not master them... there's
a very subtle difference.
00:23:09.45\00:23:12.25
Yeah they're in captivity,
but Cyrus will be my servant
00:23:12.29\00:23:17.16
over my people
00:23:17.19\00:23:19.39
and in a real sense,
00:23:19.46\00:23:21.26
the relationship began 100 years
00:23:21.30\00:23:24.87
before that king ever made
his exit from his mother's womb.
00:23:24.90\00:23:28.60
Now, having said that,
00:23:28.64\00:23:30.44
we don't meet Cyrus
until the end of the chapter
00:23:30.47\00:23:34.48
in chapter 6,
00:23:34.51\00:23:35.84
and then only tangentially.
00:23:35.88\00:23:38.81
Chapter 6 is dominated by the
Median King, Darius or Darius
00:23:38.85\00:23:45.12
who, the Bible states,
was 62 when he took office...
00:23:45.15\00:23:50.53
or when the
kingdom was handed to him,
00:23:50.56\00:23:52.49
he conquers Babylon at age 62.
00:23:52.53\00:23:56.36
Though stated as inferior,
the Medo-Persian Empire,
00:23:56.40\00:24:00.14
as we said last night,
really was quite a bit larger
00:24:00.17\00:24:03.84
than the Babylonian Empire,
00:24:03.87\00:24:05.21
about two or three times bigger.
00:24:05.24\00:24:06.74
Babylon was the
smallest of the world empires
00:24:06.78\00:24:09.41
but by far the richest.
00:24:09.44\00:24:10.81
The Medo-Persian
Empire was quite a bit larger
00:24:10.85\00:24:14.65
covered quite a
bit more territory
00:24:14.68\00:24:17.49
and the movements of
God versus His people
00:24:17.52\00:24:20.22
are subtle there... but
they become very, very nuanced,
00:24:20.26\00:24:23.69
and very, very
obvious in just a little bit.
00:24:23.73\00:24:26.43
You see that Christ
is moving in history
00:24:26.46\00:24:29.10
even though His
people are in captivity,
00:24:29.13\00:24:31.73
they are still
under the watch-care
00:24:31.77\00:24:33.80
and control and love of God.
00:24:33.84\00:24:37.21
Suffering is their own
fault but God loves them still
00:24:37.24\00:24:42.64
and that... that's the
subtle message of chapter 6.
00:24:42.68\00:24:48.05
In fact, it's the subtle message
of the entire book of Daniel.
00:24:48.08\00:24:50.69
People were suffering because
00:24:50.75\00:24:52.65
they chose not to
recognize God as their Lord
00:24:52.69\00:24:56.09
and yet God is still
there taking care of them.
00:24:56.12\00:24:59.49
One of the
things that we will see,
00:24:59.53\00:25:00.86
Ladies and
Gentlemen, when we get to heaven
00:25:00.90\00:25:02.70
is the fact that
00:25:02.73\00:25:05.43
even in those times when
we weren't doing our best
00:25:05.47\00:25:10.91
and walking as we should,
00:25:10.94\00:25:13.71
God never abandoned us,
00:25:13.74\00:25:16.44
yeah, we will only
see that clearly...
00:25:16.48\00:25:18.88
you'll only see that clearly
in heaven... looking back
00:25:18.91\00:25:21.62
you can't see it
now... you really can't,
00:25:21.65\00:25:24.09
you should get glimpses
but you see the whole picture
00:25:24.12\00:25:26.52
that even times when you weren't
doing all you should have done,
00:25:26.55\00:25:30.49
though you were faithless...
God was still faithful.
00:25:30.53\00:25:35.76
You'll see times when,
had you gotten on that plane
00:25:35.80\00:25:40.97
or stepped on that
wire or gotten on that bus
00:25:41.00\00:25:46.34
or were in that place,
00:25:46.37\00:25:48.54
the outcome could
have been different.
00:25:48.58\00:25:52.05
You will see, very clearly,
00:25:52.08\00:25:54.68
those subtle times
when God inserted Himself
00:25:54.72\00:25:57.59
in your life
00:25:57.62\00:25:58.95
and said, "No,
don't go here... go there"
00:25:58.99\00:26:01.62
and you didn't know
why, you just went there
00:26:01.66\00:26:03.99
or "don't take
that... take that... "
00:26:04.03\00:26:07.10
or "save that little bit
of money, don't spend it now,
00:26:07.13\00:26:10.73
just hold on to it"
00:26:10.77\00:26:12.10
and you wonder why you get
these little curves in your life
00:26:12.13\00:26:15.17
and God is giving you
a subtle little nudge,
00:26:15.20\00:26:17.47
"Don't do this... do that"
00:26:17.51\00:26:19.67
and in heaven,
you'll see the big picture
00:26:19.71\00:26:22.54
and you'll understand
why God did what He did
00:26:22.61\00:26:25.85
and said what He said
and acted the way He acted
00:26:25.88\00:26:29.12
and why your life
turned out the way it did
00:26:29.15\00:26:31.42
and,
by-the-way, let me say this,
00:26:31.45\00:26:33.25
Ellen White says,
00:26:33.32\00:26:34.66
"When we get to
heaven and look back...
00:26:34.69\00:26:36.26
at the way God brought us,
00:26:36.29\00:26:38.46
you will have
wanted to come no other way
00:26:38.49\00:26:41.30
than the way God
has brought you. "
00:26:41.36\00:26:43.06
You will know and understand
00:26:43.10\00:26:45.10
that God's way was
indeed the best way...
00:26:45.13\00:26:48.27
not always the easiest...
not always the most pleasant...
00:26:48.30\00:26:52.54
but indeed the best...
00:26:52.57\00:26:54.48
and when you get to heaven...
00:26:54.51\00:26:55.88
heaven will be
cheap enough, praise God
00:26:55.91\00:26:59.01
and you would not
give one day in glory
00:26:59.08\00:27:02.15
for all the money in the world.
00:27:02.18\00:27:05.02
So, we see now, God
giving His people a platform
00:27:05.05\00:27:12.76
to magnify the Lord.
00:27:12.79\00:27:15.30
Before a minimum
of five world empires,
00:27:15.33\00:27:19.27
and countless tens
of thousands of people.
00:27:19.30\00:27:23.00
It's... it's wonderful
that when you humble yourself
00:27:23.04\00:27:24.87
before the Lord,
00:27:24.91\00:27:26.24
God is able to lift us up
and do great things for us
00:27:26.27\00:27:30.48
to us and through us.
00:27:30.55\00:27:32.81
All right,
00:27:32.85\00:27:35.22
so Darius is the king
00:27:35.25\00:27:38.62
and right away, the Bible says,
00:27:38.65\00:27:42.26
he begins to
reorganize the kingdom.
00:27:42.29\00:27:45.36
He divides the
kingdom into provinces,
00:27:45.39\00:27:48.36
he divides the empire into
manageable, administrative units
00:27:48.40\00:27:55.47
and he puts Daniel in a position
to be in-charge of these units
00:27:55.50\00:28:02.51
in fact Ellen White
says, "It was in his mind
00:28:02.54\00:28:04.68
because he saw this
excellent spirit in Daniel
00:28:04.71\00:28:06.82
to put him
in-charge of the whole kingdom
00:28:06.85\00:28:08.62
pause
00:28:08.65\00:28:11.95
but immediately,
things begin to happen.
00:28:11.99\00:28:14.69
Pause.
00:28:14.72\00:28:16.99
120 Satraps...
they're regional leaders...
00:28:17.03\00:28:19.46
three governors... and Daniel
is the Head of the 3 governors.
00:28:19.49\00:28:23.50
Now, this is done so that...
00:28:23.53\00:28:26.20
the Bible says, "So
that nothing is lost"
00:28:26.23\00:28:28.30
in order words, Daniel had
administrative jurisdiction
00:28:28.34\00:28:32.14
over these people,
00:28:32.17\00:28:33.68
he was their...
oh, how do we say it?
00:28:33.71\00:28:36.78
Chancellor of the ex-Checker,
00:28:36.81\00:28:38.41
he was the one who made
sure that nothing got stolen,
00:28:38.45\00:28:40.72
nobody took anything
they weren't supposed to take,
00:28:40.75\00:28:42.98
no one put
something in their pocket
00:28:43.02\00:28:44.39
and took it home at night,
00:28:44.42\00:28:45.75
it was Daniel's job
to check to make sure
00:28:45.79\00:28:47.69
everything was as
it was supposed to be
00:28:47.72\00:28:49.86
no embezzling... so
that the Bible says,
00:28:49.92\00:28:52.03
"The king would suffer no loss"
00:28:52.06\00:28:53.93
so, Daniel is
checking books, he is auditing,
00:28:53.96\00:28:58.43
he's looking at things so
that the king suffers no loss
00:28:58.47\00:29:01.40
and these
governors are among those
00:29:01.44\00:29:04.54
who are the eyes
and the ears of the king
00:29:04.57\00:29:07.58
and one of the big
things was that this foreigner
00:29:07.61\00:29:15.12
is asked to oversee
the work of the local guys
00:29:15.15\00:29:22.66
and he is honest
and he is thorough
00:29:22.69\00:29:29.13
and he is exacting
and he eats differently
00:29:29.16\00:29:34.14
and he thinks differently
and he talks differently
00:29:34.20\00:29:37.14
and he worships differently
00:29:37.17\00:29:38.94
and it is
precisely these differences
00:29:38.97\00:29:41.58
that aggravate...
aggravate the local guys.
00:29:41.61\00:29:45.11
Daniel chapter 6 verse 3,
00:29:45.15\00:29:47.58
the Bible says...
and I mentioned this...
00:29:47.62\00:29:50.15
the king thought...
00:29:50.19\00:29:51.52
"You know, I
should just give him
00:29:51.55\00:29:52.89
just reign over everything. "
00:29:52.92\00:29:54.49
So, the Governors and Satraps
00:29:54.52\00:29:56.56
are trying to find
something to pin on Daniel
00:29:56.59\00:29:59.46
and one of the
things I want to show you
00:29:59.49\00:30:00.96
when we get to Daniel chapter 9,
00:30:01.00\00:30:02.33
this is really interesting...
this is really good.
00:30:02.36\00:30:04.10
Daniel chapter 9...
00:30:04.17\00:30:06.20
when you reference
back to Daniel chapter 6,
00:30:06.23\00:30:08.20
this was actually the
worst time in the life of Daniel
00:30:08.24\00:30:13.61
to try to find
something to pin on him,
00:30:13.64\00:30:16.44
when we get to Daniel chapter 9,
00:30:16.48\00:30:17.81
I'm going to show
you interplay here...
00:30:17.85\00:30:19.18
it's... it's...
really, really interesting,
00:30:19.21\00:30:21.02
just ran across this one night,
00:30:21.05\00:30:22.65
but they couldn't
have found a worse time
00:30:22.68\00:30:24.82
to try to do something
against Daniel and his God.
00:30:24.85\00:30:28.19
They couldn't find
anything on his politics
00:30:28.22\00:30:31.73
so they said,
"Let's find something
00:30:31.76\00:30:34.90
about him and his God"
00:30:34.93\00:30:37.97
and so the cabal is,
00:30:38.00\00:30:41.00
"We can't get him on his job...
00:30:41.04\00:30:42.67
we can't get him
on his performance...
00:30:42.70\00:30:44.64
we can't get him on
his loyalty to the king
00:30:44.67\00:30:47.98
let's get him on his
relationship with God. "
00:30:48.01\00:30:51.28
So, now they've got to try
to massage this 62-year-old man
00:30:51.31\00:30:59.45
who was ruling for his
relative and is in-charge
00:30:59.49\00:31:04.43
and at 62, he ought
to kind of know better.
00:31:04.46\00:31:07.36
You're only 62-years-old,
you ought to know better.
00:31:07.40\00:31:10.37
Most of the scholarship says
00:31:10.40\00:31:13.54
that Darius lived
only two more years
00:31:13.60\00:31:16.77
so, evidently,
this... this... this...
00:31:16.81\00:31:19.91
what can I call it?
This trickery... this plot
00:31:19.94\00:31:23.14
took place right on the heels
00:31:23.18\00:31:25.58
of his coming in and taking
over from the Babylonian Empire,
00:31:25.61\00:31:29.32
so, the
reorganization of Government
00:31:29.35\00:31:32.05
took place immediately...
00:31:32.09\00:31:33.42
and immediately, the
devil begins to work.
00:31:33.46\00:31:36.62
It didn't take long... the devil
began to insinuate jealousy.
00:31:36.66\00:31:41.16
You know, Ladies and Gentlemen,
00:31:41.20\00:31:42.53
I think jealousy is
almost the original sin.
00:31:42.56\00:31:46.00
Jealousy in heaven,
jealousy on earth...
00:31:46.03\00:31:49.70
there is more... can
I use the word, "mess"
00:31:49.74\00:31:53.31
stirred up because of jealousy
00:31:53.34\00:31:56.41
than I think in
anything in the world.
00:31:56.44\00:31:59.45
Somebody gets something nice,
others are going to be jealous.
00:31:59.48\00:32:03.72
Somebody gets
their name mentioned...
00:32:03.75\00:32:05.85
others are going to be jealous.
00:32:05.92\00:32:07.26
Somebody gets a nice car,
somebody's going to be jealous.
00:32:07.29\00:32:10.29
Somebody gets a nice wife,
somebody's going to be jealous.
00:32:10.33\00:32:13.36
Somebody gets a nice house,
somebody's going to be jealous.
00:32:13.40\00:32:16.33
Somebody gets a nice job,
somebody's going to be jealous.
00:32:16.36\00:32:19.23
Somebody gets an education,
somebody's going to be jealous.
00:32:19.27\00:32:22.57
Somebody graduates cum laude,
somebody's going to be jealous.
00:32:22.60\00:32:25.74
It's... it's
almost the original sin
00:32:25.77\00:32:28.04
and Daniel is... is made
Prime Minister of the country
00:32:28.08\00:32:33.21
and somebody is jealous
00:32:33.25\00:32:36.08
and their plot
is to destroy him.
00:32:36.12\00:32:39.49
So, they go to the king
and they get him to pass a law
00:32:39.55\00:32:46.83
that is
irrevocable and unalterable.
00:32:46.86\00:32:50.83
Once this law is
passed, you can't amend it,
00:32:50.87\00:32:54.24
you can't add to it,
you can't take from it,
00:32:54.27\00:32:57.61
you cannot change it and
the law is good for 30 days.
00:32:57.64\00:33:02.54
Make no mistake, it
is born of jealousy.
00:33:02.58\00:33:08.45
"Therefore King Darius... "
00:33:08.48\00:33:12.72
a 62-year-old man
who ought to know better,
00:33:12.75\00:33:18.03
"signed the decree. "
00:33:18.06\00:33:19.59
Pause.
00:33:19.63\00:33:22.66
Now, let's go
ahead to look back.
00:33:22.70\00:33:24.73
Pause.
00:33:24.80\00:33:26.97
I'm in Daniel
chapter 6 verse 14,
00:33:27.00\00:33:29.94
pause
00:33:29.97\00:33:32.47
"And the king, when
he heard these words,
00:33:32.51\00:33:35.64
was greatly
displeased with himself... "
00:33:35.68\00:33:38.25
he's mad at himself...
00:33:38.28\00:33:40.22
because he knew he got...
00:33:40.25\00:33:41.58
in modern-day language
we'd say, Pastor, "played"
00:33:41.62\00:33:44.75
he got "played"
00:33:44.79\00:33:47.22
he was mad at himself
00:33:47.26\00:33:50.39
"and set his heart on
Daniel to deliver him;
00:33:50.43\00:33:53.43
and he labored till
the going down of the sun
00:33:53.46\00:33:56.43
to deliver him. "
00:33:56.46\00:33:58.23
The problem was,
there's nothing he could do.
00:33:58.27\00:34:00.54
He signed a decree... he
put the ink on the paper...
00:34:00.57\00:34:05.11
and the decree was
irrevocable, unalterable...
00:34:05.17\00:34:09.38
the decree said, "If
anybody prays to any God,
00:34:09.44\00:34:13.31
and asks anything of
any God except the king,
00:34:13.38\00:34:16.85
he's going to be
thrown in the den of lions. "
00:34:16.89\00:34:20.32
There's no way
to get around that,
00:34:20.36\00:34:22.26
it's signed... it's sealed...
00:34:22.29\00:34:24.83
it is ratified...
00:34:24.86\00:34:26.46
does Daniel change his activity?
00:34:26.49\00:34:29.03
No...
00:34:29.06\00:34:30.67
hmmm... hmmm...
00:34:30.70\00:34:32.20
and when we get
to Daniel chapter 9,
00:34:32.23\00:34:34.20
and I'll bring
it back to Daniel 6,
00:34:34.24\00:34:35.80
you'll...
you'll... you'll see why
00:34:35.84\00:34:37.41
because this is... this is...
00:34:37.44\00:34:38.77
there's a fabulous
interplay and interweaving
00:34:38.81\00:34:41.61
of the message of
God and the power of God
00:34:41.64\00:34:44.51
and the timing of God
00:34:44.55\00:34:46.11
and the faithfulness
and fidelity of Daniel.
00:34:46.15\00:34:50.49
Pause.
00:34:50.52\00:34:54.39
So, the king now
is upset with himself.
00:34:54.42\00:34:57.16
He works all
day... up until night
00:34:57.23\00:35:01.50
to get Daniel free...
there's nothing he can do
00:35:01.56\00:35:06.50
because he's a prisoner
of his own ego and pride
00:35:06.53\00:35:11.47
and there's
nothing that he can do.
00:35:11.51\00:35:14.11
So, the king signs the decree
00:35:14.18\00:35:18.51
and he has Daniel
put into prison...
00:35:18.55\00:35:23.39
now, I want to take
you to Yiddish School.
00:35:23.42\00:35:25.39
You're going to
go to Yiddish School.
00:35:25.45\00:35:27.82
When I was in New York,
00:35:27.86\00:35:29.72
every doctor I
had was... was Jewish.
00:35:29.76\00:35:36.23
My Eye Doctor was Jewish,
my Eye Surgeon was Jewish,
00:35:36.26\00:35:42.17
my Internist was Jewish,
00:35:42.20\00:35:45.37
all the people they
referred me to... were Jewish
00:35:45.41\00:35:49.74
but I had some of
the best discussions
00:35:49.78\00:35:52.11
with my... my Jewish Eye
Doctor, Dr. Michael Lieberman.
00:35:52.15\00:35:55.45
I met him in 1981 and I kept him
00:35:55.48\00:35:57.69
till I left New
York several years ago.
00:35:57.72\00:36:00.49
We had great discussions because
my eyes are hard to dilate
00:36:00.52\00:36:03.79
so he put the drops in my eyes
00:36:03.83\00:36:05.29
and while my eyes were dilating,
we'd sit and discuss the Bible
00:36:05.33\00:36:08.36
because he was a
student of the Bible,
00:36:08.40\00:36:10.23
his father was an
Ashkenazi Jew, Pastor Lomacang,
00:36:10.27\00:36:13.17
he was... he was a
conservative Jewish Rabbi
00:36:13.20\00:36:16.10
and we would... we would
talk about Old Testament things
00:36:16.17\00:36:20.11
and it was just
very, very exciting
00:36:20.18\00:36:22.14
and so, when I
was looking at this,
00:36:22.18\00:36:24.15
I... looking at Darius here,
00:36:24.18\00:36:27.95
I... I called
him back and I said,
00:36:27.98\00:36:29.75
"What do you think... Mike...
00:36:29.78\00:36:31.85
was he a
schlemiel or a schlimazel?"
00:36:31.89\00:36:35.86
Because he's a Jewish expert
and he's a Yiddish expert.
00:36:35.89\00:36:40.13
Yiddish, as I said,
is... is a combination of
00:36:40.20\00:36:42.86
German... East-European
language and classic Judaism
00:36:42.90\00:36:45.60
and there's all kinds of words
00:36:45.63\00:36:47.94
that have slipped into
the American vocabulary
00:36:47.97\00:36:50.44
for people in New York.
00:36:50.47\00:36:53.07
Words like "nosh"
there are so many...
00:36:53.11\00:36:57.25
"Yentl" and "Yenta" and
all... all kinds of words.
00:36:57.28\00:37:02.15
"Schelp" and if
you're from New York,
00:37:02.18\00:37:04.35
you know all these words
because they're part of the...
00:37:04.39\00:37:06.25
part of the vocabulary,
00:37:06.29\00:37:08.46
you got to
"schlep" to Carbondale...
00:37:08.49\00:37:09.86
you know, those kinds of things,
00:37:09.89\00:37:11.23
it was part of
the... the Jewish...
00:37:11.26\00:37:12.59
so, I asked him, "Was the
king a shlemiel or a schemazel?
00:37:12.63\00:37:18.17
so, now I'm going to
tell you what those are.
00:37:18.20\00:37:20.47
A Schlemiel is one who suffers
from his own bad decisions.
00:37:20.50\00:37:24.11
You make a decision...
that's a schlemiel...
00:37:24.14\00:37:26.68
always making bad
decisions, you know,
00:37:26.71\00:37:28.54
always doing the wrong thing,
00:37:28.58\00:37:30.01
go outside on the beach with
fair skin and don't put any...
00:37:30.05\00:37:33.28
don't put any sunblock on...
00:37:33.31\00:37:35.22
you're a schlemiel...
00:37:35.25\00:37:36.58
so that night,
you're red like a lobster
00:37:36.62\00:37:38.55
and you're burning...
that's... that's a schlemiel...
00:37:38.59\00:37:40.62
you're fault because you
should have put sunblock on.
00:37:40.66\00:37:42.46
A "Klutz... "
00:37:42.49\00:37:44.16
now "Klutz" is
another Yiddish term
00:37:44.19\00:37:45.69
a "Klutz" is a clumsy person
00:37:45.73\00:37:47.30
who's always
stumbling and falling.
00:37:47.33\00:37:48.66
That's a... that's a klutz.
00:37:48.70\00:37:50.03
Someone who is
taken advantage of...
00:37:50.07\00:37:52.87
so, Schlemiel is the person
00:37:52.90\00:37:54.40
who other people
take advantage of
00:37:54.44\00:37:56.50
because they're
not always thinking...
00:37:56.54\00:37:58.57
they're making bad decisions.
00:37:58.61\00:37:59.94
That's a Schlemiel.
00:37:59.97\00:38:01.31
The next word is a Schlimazel.
00:38:01.34\00:38:04.11
Schlimazel...
00:38:04.15\00:38:05.55
a Schlimazel suffers from
the bad malevolent decisions of
00:38:05.58\00:38:10.39
others. He is
chronically unlucky.
00:38:10.42\00:38:12.12
That's a Schlimazel.
00:38:12.15\00:38:14.42
They say in Yiddish...
00:38:14.46\00:38:16.62
a Schlemiel is the one who
spills his cup of hot soup...
00:38:16.66\00:38:21.53
the Schlimazel is the one
who the hot soup lands on.
00:38:21.56\00:38:26.10
That's a
Schlemiel and a Schlimazel.
00:38:26.13\00:38:29.04
So I asked Mike, I
asked, "Was... was...
00:38:29.07\00:38:32.24
was Darius the king... was
he a schlemiel or a schlimazel?
00:38:32.27\00:38:35.98
I said, "I think
he's a schlimazel
00:38:36.01\00:38:38.81
because he let those... those
leaders talk him into something
00:38:38.95\00:38:43.32
that he should not have done. "
00:38:43.35\00:38:45.59
But my Eye Doctor
said, "No, he's a schlemiel
00:38:45.62\00:38:49.36
because he made
a bad decision. "
00:38:49.39\00:38:51.09
So, we disagreed on that
so, I made the title of...
00:38:51.13\00:38:55.33
of the presentation,
"Schlemeil and Schlimazel"
00:38:55.36\00:38:58.33
because he's both.
00:38:58.37\00:39:00.10
He made a bad decision
but he listened to others
00:39:00.14\00:39:03.77
who pushed him
into that bad decision,
00:39:03.81\00:39:06.07
so, he's a schlemiel
and he's a schlimazel.
00:39:06.14\00:39:09.64
But suffice it to
say... he made a decision,
00:39:09.68\00:39:13.15
he was stuck with the decision,
00:39:13.18\00:39:16.18
he had no opportunity
to change the decision
00:39:16.22\00:39:20.06
and at age 62, he
should have known better...
00:39:20.09\00:39:24.99
he should have known better,
00:39:25.03\00:39:26.36
he's old enough to
know... to know better.
00:39:26.39\00:39:30.83
So, jealousy is
amplified and intensified
00:39:30.87\00:39:35.14
and he makes this
decision and he's paying for it.
00:39:35.17\00:39:41.64
Now, here's what's interesting,
00:39:41.68\00:39:43.65
Ellen White,
Prophets and Kings, page 540
00:39:43.71\00:39:51.75
pause
00:39:51.79\00:39:53.86
"In the conspiracy thus formed,
00:39:53.89\00:39:56.89
Satan played an
important role. "
00:39:56.93\00:39:59.63
So, it doesn't matter...
00:39:59.69\00:40:01.76
it does not matter whether he
was a schlemiel or a schlimazel,
00:40:01.80\00:40:05.47
he was a dupe of the devil.
00:40:05.50\00:40:07.87
Pause.
00:40:07.90\00:40:09.84
This plot was a
Satanic-inspired plot.
00:40:09.87\00:40:14.78
This was an attempt by the devil
00:40:14.81\00:40:18.68
to once again
destroy God's servant.
00:40:18.71\00:40:22.55
Satan played an important role.
00:40:22.58\00:40:25.52
He got into the
hearts of the Satraps
00:40:25.55\00:40:28.56
they got into
the head of the king
00:40:28.59\00:40:31.56
and Daniel ended up in jail
00:40:31.59\00:40:35.00
or in...
rather... the lions' den.
00:40:35.03\00:40:37.50
He played an important role.
00:40:37.53\00:40:39.03
This is important,
00:40:39.10\00:40:41.30
"In all cases where the
king had a right to command,
00:40:41.34\00:40:46.98
Daniel would obey;
00:40:47.01\00:40:49.21
but neither the
king nor his decree
00:40:49.24\00:40:53.25
could make him swerve
00:40:53.28\00:40:55.18
from allegiance to
the King of kings. " Amen.
00:40:55.22\00:40:57.65
Audience: Amen.
00:40:57.69\00:40:59.52
So, it is important.
00:40:59.55\00:41:00.89
Our number one
allegiance is to God
00:41:00.92\00:41:05.33
it is better rather to
obey God rather than man.
00:41:05.39\00:41:10.57
So, the king has some rights,
00:41:10.60\00:41:12.93
the king has some prerogatives
00:41:12.97\00:41:15.20
but the king cannot come
between you and your God.
00:41:15.24\00:41:19.87
Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar
that which is Caesar's... "
00:41:19.91\00:41:25.05
you got to pay your taxes,
00:41:25.08\00:41:27.12
amen
00:41:27.15\00:41:28.55
your got to pay
your mortgage... amen
00:41:28.58\00:41:31.35
you got to do all those things
00:41:31.42\00:41:33.25
but nothing and no one is to
come between you and your God
00:41:33.29\00:41:37.23
and so, Daniel was
a faithful servant...
00:41:37.29\00:41:40.00
he was a... a good citizen
00:41:40.13\00:41:43.10
but no command of any king
00:41:43.13\00:41:46.03
could come between
Daniel and his God.
00:41:46.07\00:41:49.47
Daniel understood
what was being done.
00:41:49.50\00:41:52.84
Ellen White says... even
before the king understood
00:41:52.87\00:41:57.28
Daniel understood the purposes
00:41:57.31\00:41:59.45
of those men who
were trying to trap him.
00:41:59.48\00:42:01.42
Daniel knew the deal...
he understood the plot...
00:42:01.45\00:42:06.02
but he also knew that
his God could be trusted
00:42:06.05\00:42:09.36
and I say again, I've
said this every night,
00:42:09.39\00:42:12.66
I want to say it yet again,
00:42:12.69\00:42:14.03
at some point in
your Christian experience,
00:42:14.06\00:42:17.07
you are going to have
to answer the question,
00:42:17.10\00:42:20.17
"How much is
Jesus worth to me. "
00:42:20.20\00:42:24.11
Everybody's got
to wrestle with that.
00:42:24.14\00:42:27.94
In word and in deed, you
will answer that question.
00:42:27.98\00:42:32.05
"How much am I
willing to give Jesus?"
00:42:32.08\00:42:34.18
"Will I give him
some... will I give him half...
00:42:34.22\00:42:37.62
will I give him all?"
00:42:37.65\00:42:39.09
You will find...
00:42:39.12\00:42:40.89
you only get
all... when you give all.
00:42:40.92\00:42:44.49
Amen.
00:42:44.53\00:42:45.86
You got to answer that
question, could be your job...
00:42:45.89\00:42:49.00
could be Sabbath work...
00:42:49.03\00:42:50.53
could be any number of things,
00:42:50.57\00:42:52.83
but each of us will
be faced with a question,
00:42:52.87\00:42:56.60
"Am I willing to rest
everything on Jesus... "
00:42:56.67\00:43:00.38
and you will
answer that question
00:43:00.41\00:43:02.78
sooner or later in
your Christian experience
00:43:02.81\00:43:06.48
and, dare I say,
your Christian experience
00:43:06.51\00:43:10.15
will only grow
as far and as fast
00:43:10.19\00:43:12.45
as you answer that
question in favor of Jesus...
00:43:12.49\00:43:14.79
cannot stay on the fence.
00:43:14.82\00:43:16.93
You got to answer that question.
00:43:16.96\00:43:18.76
So, the king had a
right to make some demands
00:43:18.79\00:43:23.50
but nobody had a right to
come between Daniel and his God
00:43:23.53\00:43:27.80
so, Daniel opens the doors,
he doesn't go into his closet,
00:43:27.84\00:43:32.04
he doesn't sneak around,
00:43:32.07\00:43:33.58
he opens his doors... he
faces west to Jerusalem...
00:43:33.61\00:43:39.68
and he prays out loud
00:43:39.71\00:43:41.95
so that everybody can
hear and that everybody knows.
00:43:41.98\00:43:47.16
Three times a day... he prays
00:43:47.19\00:43:50.86
three times...
00:43:50.89\00:43:52.99
and Ellen White gives indication
and we'll touch on this again
00:43:53.03\00:43:56.43
when we get to Daniel chapter 9
00:43:56.46\00:43:57.80
that those
tricksters were watching...
00:43:57.83\00:44:01.20
they saw him open the
door three times to pray
00:44:01.27\00:44:06.21
but what they didn't know
00:44:06.24\00:44:08.84
that there was somebody
in the room right beside him.
00:44:08.88\00:44:11.61
When we get to Daniel chapter 9,
00:44:11.65\00:44:12.98
we'll walk through
the same experience again.
00:44:13.01\00:44:14.88
It's really kind of exciting
00:44:14.92\00:44:16.25
pause
00:44:16.28\00:44:18.89
and the king
spends a sleepless night.
00:44:18.92\00:44:23.06
He's worried...
00:44:23.09\00:44:27.13
Ellen White says this,
00:44:27.16\00:44:28.50
"Daniel stands
before the world today
00:44:28.53\00:44:32.37
a worthy example of Christian
fearlessness and fidelity. "
00:44:32.40\00:44:39.11
Amen.
00:44:39.14\00:44:40.91
He's not afraid... he
knows what the punishment is,
00:44:40.94\00:44:44.91
he knows what his
lot is going to be
00:44:44.95\00:44:48.28
but he stands before the
world today... a worthy example
00:44:48.32\00:44:54.99
of Christian
fearlessness and fidelity.
00:44:55.02\00:44:59.53
How many of us when
we know that paycheck
00:44:59.56\00:45:04.03
may be interrupted... we
kind of step back a little bit
00:45:04.07\00:45:08.40
or if we know that
a member of the family
00:45:08.47\00:45:12.44
is going to be displeased,
00:45:12.47\00:45:13.84
we kind of
downplay our love for God
00:45:13.88\00:45:16.14
but Daniel was fearless
00:45:16.18\00:45:19.11
and it was true
then and it is true now
00:45:19.15\00:45:24.09
that when you
stand up for Jesus,
00:45:24.15\00:45:27.29
Jesus stands up for you.
00:45:27.32\00:45:30.76
How many know that to be true?
00:45:30.79\00:45:32.46
How many can look back
over their lives and say,
00:45:32.49\00:45:34.86
"You know, there was a time
00:45:34.90\00:45:36.23
when I kind of put it
out there for the Lord
00:45:36.26\00:45:38.27
and the Lord kind of
put it out there for me. "
00:45:38.30\00:45:41.00
It happened in my life.
00:45:41.04\00:45:43.17
Pause.
00:45:43.20\00:45:47.18
So, he's an
example to all of us.
00:45:47.21\00:45:50.85
"King gave the command,
00:45:50.88\00:45:53.62
they brought Daniel and cast
him into the den of lions... "
00:45:53.65\00:45:56.89
pause
00:45:56.92\00:46:01.59
this... this... you know,
this... this is... this...
00:46:01.62\00:46:04.03
this is the same thing that
happened with Nebuchadnezzar.
00:46:04.06\00:46:05.89
I thought... I put it in here.
00:46:05.93\00:46:07.36
Daniel chapter 6 verse 16,
you remember when... when...
00:46:07.40\00:46:12.57
when Nebuchadnezzar
was going to give...
00:46:12.60\00:46:14.30
sorry... when Daniel was going
to give Belshazzar the bad news
00:46:14.34\00:46:18.47
about the end of the kingdom,
00:46:18.51\00:46:19.87
Belshazzar said to him,
"Don't... don't be upset...
00:46:19.91\00:46:22.21
don't... don't be
upset... " you know,
00:46:22.24\00:46:24.35
"say what you got to
say... " this is... this is...
00:46:24.41\00:46:27.52
this is showing you
that... how God is working,
00:46:27.55\00:46:30.55
now, the king speaks,
he's comforting Daniel saying,
00:46:30.59\00:46:37.93
"Your God, whom
you serve continually,
00:46:37.96\00:46:41.86
will deliver you. "
00:46:41.90\00:46:43.23
You think that was a...
an affirmative statement
00:46:43.26\00:46:46.87
or a prayer.. or a hope...
00:46:46.94\00:46:48.97
or a wish...
00:46:49.00\00:46:50.61
"I'm... I'm praying... "
00:46:50.64\00:46:51.97
he liked Daniel... he
knew that Daniel was God's man
00:46:52.01\00:46:55.71
you know... when... when...
when the Lord is in your life
00:46:55.74\00:46:58.58
even though people may
not appreciate it because
00:46:58.61\00:47:02.52
righteousness always shines
the light on unrighteousness.
00:47:02.55\00:47:06.35
They got to respect you.
00:47:06.39\00:47:09.09
Amen.
00:47:09.12\00:47:10.79
When... when
you're standing for Jesus,
00:47:10.83\00:47:12.59
they... they may not like
it but they got to respect you
00:47:12.63\00:47:16.36
and if you press
them, they'll say,
00:47:16.40\00:47:17.73
"You know what? Yeah,
he's an honest person,
00:47:17.77\00:47:19.67
yes, she's an honest person"
00:47:19.70\00:47:21.20
they... they got to respect you,
00:47:21.24\00:47:23.14
so, the king saw
the goodness in Daniel,
00:47:23.17\00:47:26.47
he knew about Daniel's God,
00:47:26.51\00:47:28.78
so he's saying,
00:47:28.81\00:47:30.45
"Please, your God whom
you serve continually...
00:47:30.48\00:47:36.25
He's going to deliver you"
00:47:36.28\00:47:37.89
He's got his fingers crossed.
00:47:37.92\00:47:39.92
"He's going to do it for you,
00:47:39.95\00:47:41.76
I know He's
going to do it for you"
00:47:41.79\00:47:43.49
and, of course, the
king spent a sleepless night,
00:47:43.53\00:47:45.59
can't sleep, can't eat
because his friend is in prison.
00:47:45.63\00:47:48.23
He's down there
with a bunch of lions
00:47:48.26\00:47:50.30
in that Lions' Den.
00:47:50.33\00:47:51.70
He knows who God
is... as the king...
00:47:51.73\00:47:54.47
but he hasn't
really trusted in God
00:47:54.50\00:47:57.17
and he's hoping that
Daniel's trust in God
00:47:57.21\00:48:00.61
will see Daniel through.
00:48:00.64\00:48:02.18
Your... your... your
God can do it for you.
00:48:02.21\00:48:04.51
He didn't say, "Our
God" he said, "Your God...
00:48:04.58\00:48:06.85
your God can...
He can do it for you
00:48:06.88\00:48:08.85
you'll be all right...
00:48:08.88\00:48:10.25
you're going to be fine... "
00:48:10.29\00:48:14.12
he spends a sleepless
night worrying about his friend.
00:48:14.16\00:48:19.33
Pause.
00:48:19.36\00:48:23.06
In a relatively short time,
00:48:23.10\00:48:24.70
Daniel had become a most
trusted advisor and friend.
00:48:24.73\00:48:29.30
Just like Joseph in
the days of Potiphar,
00:48:29.34\00:48:32.21
just like the maiden in
the household of Naaman,
00:48:32.24\00:48:36.81
just like Esther and Mordecai
in the days of this same empire,
00:48:36.85\00:48:41.22
God has always
00:48:41.25\00:48:43.95
and will always have a
voice and a representative
00:48:43.99\00:48:47.99
and that's why Daniel
stands as a worthy example
00:48:48.02\00:48:51.99
of fearless
devotion to the Lord.
00:48:52.03\00:48:54.50
Remember I told you... when
Daniel started this journey,
00:48:54.56\00:48:58.17
he was a young man sub-20,
00:48:58.20\00:49:00.24
we figure about 18 years of age.
00:49:00.30\00:49:01.87
Daniel has been serving
the Lord for 50 years now
00:49:01.90\00:49:05.54
and you develop a lot of
cache with God after 50 years.
00:49:05.57\00:49:09.74
Daniel knew his God
and God knew Daniel, amen.
00:49:09.78\00:49:15.38
So he could trust Him.
00:49:15.42\00:49:17.42
He, God, could trust Daniel
and he, Daniel, could trust God.
00:49:17.45\00:49:22.29
So the king is worried
but I don't think Daniel was.
00:49:22.32\00:49:26.90
The king spent the night
awake but Daniel went to sleep,
00:49:26.93\00:49:31.43
I suspect, a nice fluffy lion
00:49:31.47\00:49:34.10
will be a nice
pillow to lie down on.
00:49:34.14\00:49:36.10
Audience: Agreeing.
00:49:36.14\00:49:37.61
Warm... heart beating...
00:49:37.64\00:49:40.41
little fat on the bones...
00:49:40.44\00:49:43.14
just crawl up and
lie down and go to sleep.
00:49:43.18\00:49:46.48
So, poor Mr. King is
worried... Daniel is not.
00:49:46.51\00:49:51.55
Poor Mr. King can't
eat... Daniel is fine
00:49:51.59\00:49:57.13
because he trusts in his God
00:49:57.16\00:50:01.40
and the trap that
was sprung did not work
00:50:01.43\00:50:05.93
because when you
stand up for God,
00:50:05.97\00:50:08.34
God stands up for you.
00:50:08.37\00:50:11.14
He labors till sundown
00:50:11.17\00:50:13.91
and Daniel ends
up in the Lions' den.
00:50:13.94\00:50:16.44
Pause.
00:50:16.48\00:50:23.39
Command is
given... Daniel's in...
00:50:23.42\00:50:27.16
and the king is worrying.
00:50:27.22\00:50:29.19
Pause.
00:50:29.22\00:50:33.96
He goes to the
palace... he spends the night...
00:50:34.00\00:50:37.27
and I like verse 18...
00:50:37.30\00:50:40.84
no food...
00:50:40.87\00:50:42.84
no musicians...
00:50:42.87\00:50:45.87
no sleep...
00:50:45.91\00:50:48.84
he's worried about his friend
00:50:48.88\00:50:52.35
and even music
couldn't comfort him,
00:50:52.41\00:50:55.72
so he's worried about his friend
00:50:55.75\00:50:59.85
but his friend is under
the control of... of God.
00:50:59.89\00:51:03.76
Pause.
00:51:03.79\00:51:06.09
That's not a picture
of a confident man, is it?
00:51:06.13\00:51:08.83
Doesn't look confident...
00:51:08.86\00:51:11.10
and the Bible says,
"Very early the next morning"
00:51:11.13\00:51:18.07
very early the next morning...
00:51:18.11\00:51:20.21
he didn't wait for
the alarm clock to go off
00:51:20.24\00:51:22.61
before the sun to come up...
00:51:22.64\00:51:24.58
very early the next morning,
he goes to the lions' den
00:51:24.61\00:51:32.39
and... and the words...
00:51:32.45\00:51:35.42
and I wish we had time
to read the whole chapter
00:51:35.46\00:51:38.29
so you can get the context
00:51:38.33\00:51:39.66
but it will take too
much time to read everything,
00:51:39.69\00:51:41.26
but if you... if you look at how
he structures his... his plea...
00:51:41.33\00:51:44.80
"Daniel, servant of
the Most High God... "
00:51:44.83\00:51:48.74
pause
00:51:48.80\00:51:51.97
this is a man who's worried...
00:51:52.01\00:51:54.28
but he knows that Daniel
serves a high and holy God
00:51:54.31\00:51:58.01
and so, he puts
it all in context,
00:51:58.08\00:52:00.32
"Daniel, you servant of God... "
00:52:00.35\00:52:02.52
pause
00:52:02.55\00:52:08.06
he sees Daniel and
he wants to know...
00:52:08.09\00:52:13.80
"Has your God been
able to deliver you?"
00:52:13.83\00:52:18.97
Because he knows that
if Daniel is delivered
00:52:19.00\00:52:24.11
it had to be God who did it.
00:52:24.14\00:52:26.37
Amen.
00:52:26.41\00:52:27.74
So, he's admitting
the sovereignty of God.
00:52:27.78\00:52:31.01
"Daniel, you
servant of the living God,
00:52:31.05\00:52:34.92
has your God been
able to deliver you?"
00:52:34.95\00:52:38.79
I wish he could have
said, "Has our God... "
00:52:38.82\00:52:40.66
but he didn't
know God just yet...
00:52:40.69\00:52:44.39
not as he should...
00:52:44.43\00:52:45.99
and from the words... from
the darkness of that den...
00:52:46.06\00:52:51.30
came... and I'll
put it in my words...
00:52:51.33\00:52:55.77
"I'm fine... "
00:52:55.80\00:52:58.14
Amen.
00:52:58.17\00:53:00.18
"I'm fine... "
00:53:00.21\00:53:02.24
and I think the
king was ecstatic
00:53:02.28\00:53:06.88
and now, the third
king honors Daniel...
00:53:06.92\00:53:12.75
the third king.
00:53:12.79\00:53:15.26
You know, we do not
serve a vengeful God
00:53:15.32\00:53:20.36
the king did some vengeful stuff
00:53:20.40\00:53:24.30
on the heels of this
00:53:24.33\00:53:27.07
but I'm glad that we
don't serve a vengeful God.
00:53:27.10\00:53:30.64
Audience: Amen.
00:53:30.67\00:53:32.01
When someone does you wrong,
00:53:32.04\00:53:34.31
you don't have
to lie awake nights
00:53:34.34\00:53:36.44
thinking of ways
to get back at them,
00:53:36.48\00:53:38.55
we don't serve a vengeful God.
00:53:38.58\00:53:40.82
Deuteronomy chapter
32 verse 35, Romans 12:19
00:53:40.85\00:53:45.42
both say the same thing,
00:53:45.45\00:53:47.09
one... Old Testament...
one... New Testament...
00:53:47.12\00:53:48.46
they say,
"Vengeance is the Lord's... "
00:53:48.49\00:53:50.19
now that's not saying
God delights in vengeance,
00:53:50.23\00:53:53.19
what the context is... when
something bad happens to you
00:53:53.23\00:53:56.90
at the hands of somebody else,
00:53:56.93\00:53:58.27
don't you seek vengeance,
put them in the hand of God.
00:53:58.30\00:54:01.84
"Let me take
care of vengeance...
00:54:01.87\00:54:04.21
vengeance is mine...
let... let me sort it out... "
00:54:04.24\00:54:07.21
one: you may not know
the... the whole story...
00:54:07.28\00:54:11.01
I'll tell you a quick story.
00:54:11.08\00:54:12.88
When I was in
college, I had a roommate,
00:54:12.91\00:54:15.78
bless his heart, I
won't call his name,
00:54:15.85\00:54:18.32
he used to chew
with his mouth open
00:54:18.35\00:54:20.79
and when I was in school,
00:54:20.82\00:54:23.22
there was a big
thing about eating granola,
00:54:23.26\00:54:25.36
everybody wanted to be healthy.
00:54:25.39\00:54:27.16
You know granola's crunchy,
you got to chew it a lot,
00:54:27.20\00:54:29.10
and my... my
roommate use to... used to...
00:54:29.13\00:54:31.23
you know, we... when I
was... at Oakwood particularly,
00:54:31.27\00:54:34.64
we would keep our milk on the...
00:54:34.70\00:54:36.20
on the windowsill outside in
the winter... when it was cold
00:54:36.24\00:54:38.44
and he'd have a granola and
we'd be studying in the room
00:54:38.47\00:54:40.51
and, of course, when you're...
00:54:40.54\00:54:41.88
you're in a small dorm room,
00:54:41.91\00:54:43.24
you and your
roommate are very intimate,
00:54:43.28\00:54:44.61
you know... you just...
you can't get away from us,
00:54:44.65\00:54:46.35
if he does something, you
will be... end up doing it
00:54:46.38\00:54:48.32
because you're very intimate,
00:54:48.35\00:54:49.68
well, he would
chew with his mouth open
00:54:49.72\00:54:51.85
and... just... his
family just did that,
00:54:51.89\00:54:54.19
he'd take a spoonful of
granola and just aowmph...
00:54:54.22\00:54:57.39
aowmph... aowmph...
aowmph... aowmph... aowmph...
00:54:57.43\00:55:00.56
and that would
just drive me crazy,
00:55:00.60\00:55:02.46
it would just
drive me up the wall,
00:55:02.53\00:55:04.37
and I said, "You know,
he's doing that on purpose...
00:55:04.40\00:55:06.07
there's nobody that would chew
with their mouth open like that"
00:55:06.10\00:55:08.80
and he... he'd be so loud...
00:55:08.84\00:55:10.64
aowmph... aowmph... aowmph...
aowmph... aowmph... aowmph
00:55:10.67\00:55:13.64
and it would just... I would
just put my fingers in my ears
00:55:13.68\00:55:16.61
and I... I couldn't drown it...
00:55:16.64\00:55:18.08
I was just like, "He
is doing that on purpose"
00:55:18.11\00:55:20.08
I really got kind of mad at him
00:55:20.12\00:55:21.45
and come to find out
when graduation came and...
00:55:21.48\00:55:25.29
and my family and his
family all went out to dinner
00:55:25.32\00:55:29.19
at the restaurant,
00:55:29.22\00:55:31.39
his whole family did that,
00:55:31.43\00:55:32.76
it was just a family thing
00:55:32.79\00:55:34.13
they sat and they oumph...
owmph... owmph... owmph...
00:55:34.16\00:55:36.23
owmph... owmph...
everybody chewing like that
00:55:36.26\00:55:37.97
and I said, "You
know, all this time,
00:55:38.00\00:55:39.73
I've... I've been
kind of hating him...
00:55:39.77\00:55:41.44
kind of hating him
00:55:41.50\00:55:44.21
because I thought he
was just trying to do that
00:55:44.24\00:55:45.81
to get on my nerves"
but the whole family did it
00:55:45.84\00:55:47.81
and my mother said...
when we went back to the room,
00:55:47.84\00:55:49.78
she said, "You ever met
anybody who chewed like that?
00:55:49.81\00:55:52.21
The whole family
chews like that. "
00:55:52.25\00:55:53.58
Laughter...
00:55:53.62\00:55:55.45
And I really was thinking of
ways to try to get back at him
00:55:55.48\00:55:59.32
tell the truth...
00:55:59.35\00:56:02.52
I said, "You know what?
This... this is ridiculous... "
00:56:02.56\00:56:04.46
every day I got to listen to the
owmph... owmph... owmph... owmph
00:56:04.49\00:56:08.30
oumph...
00:56:08.33\00:56:09.66
but... but it wasn't...
it was just a family thing...
00:56:09.70\00:56:11.57
the whole family
had this way of chewing
00:56:11.60\00:56:13.23
and enjoying their food
00:56:13.27\00:56:14.60
and that's kind
of how they did it
00:56:14.64\00:56:16.50
and... and I'm thinking
of ways to get back at him
00:56:16.54\00:56:18.87
and... and didn't
know that it was innocent,
00:56:18.91\00:56:22.61
my point is, sometimes
00:56:22.64\00:56:24.48
you think that people
are doing things on purpose,
00:56:24.51\00:56:26.21
it may not be...
00:56:26.25\00:56:27.85
or even if it
is... the Bible says,
00:56:27.88\00:56:30.09
"Vengeance is
mine saith the Lord. "
00:56:30.12\00:56:32.29
Daniel could have said,
00:56:32.32\00:56:35.02
"All right, these
guys tried to get me,
00:56:35.06\00:56:38.19
now let me get them"
00:56:38.23\00:56:39.73
but he didn't...
00:56:39.79\00:56:41.23
he just gave praise to the Lord.
00:56:41.26\00:56:43.47
Ellen White says,
"Satan had an important role. "
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You see, the
person next to you...
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even though they do you
wrong is not your enemy.
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Pause.
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Satan is the enemy...
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Satan is the enemy,
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we spend a lot of
time looking around...
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head kind of... on a
swivel looking at other people,
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Satan's not... I
mean... they are not your enemy,
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the person you
see is not your enemy,
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Satan is the enemy.
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Now, does sometimes
Satan get into people?
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Hmmm... hmmm...
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yeah...
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he got into those Satraps
who were jealous of Daniel
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and he does get into people,
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but Satan is the real enemy.
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So, pray for the people
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and let the Lord
take care of Satan.
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Amen. Audience: Amen.
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So, Daniel didn't say,
"King, put them in jail,
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put them in the Lions' Den"
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they ended up there but
it wasn't at Daniel's request
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because vengeance
belongs to the Lord.
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That's pretty frightening...
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that's pretty
frightening but Daniel escaped.
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Daniel was honored
by God as an ambassador.
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This is a long reading
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but I'm going to
tell you what it says,
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It says that in the
days of Nebuchadnezzar,
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Daniel prospered...
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in the reign of
Darius, Daniel prospered...
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why?
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because as long
as you serve God,
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God will bless you.
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When you stand up for Jesus,
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Jesus will stand up for you.
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