Daniel Theme Trace

Theme Trace for Daniel –

Resolve, Request, Remain, Receive

                Some specific instances from the book of Daniel display an extreme confidence in the LORD and directly translate to personal application for us today. In chapter one, it is described that the youths of nobility were positioned in the kingdom of Babylon so they would learn the literature and language of the Chaldeans (1:4). Prior to their defeat and captivity, the LORD had commanded His people to seek the welfare of the city where they were sent, and pray on their captors' behalf, for their own well-being would be aligned with those who were in authority over them. (Jeremiah 29:7)
               While Daniel and his friends were being instructed in the way of their captors, the chief of the eunuchs presented the food of the king and some of his wine. The text portrays that it was extravagant and something with which Daniel had resolved (1:8) he would not defile himself. This statement of purity and simplicity may have reflected the state of mourning that the exiles would have been living. The Word then tells us that God gave Daniel favor and compassion before the chief. As Daniel moved forward with steps to live the life of a man righteous in the eyes of His God, he presented a plan to the chief to test them for ten days and allow them to refuse the extravagant meals. The result was that the LORD sustained Daniel and his friends in their fasting and allowed them to follow through with that which he had resolved to sacrifice.
                During a time when King Nebuchadnezzar could not find anyone to reveal both his dream and its interpretation to him, he became so angry that he decreed all the wise men would be killed. When Daniel heard, he stepped out in faith and requested an appointed time before the king to reveal the interpretation. After this, he sought prayer from his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and they sought mercy from God to grant them understanding of the mystery(2:15-18). An act of surety based on who He knew God to be. The LORD did indeed reveal this(2:19) to Daniel, and it resulted in Nebuchadnezzar honoring Daniel, and more importantly, proclaiming that Daniel’s God was the ultimate God! (2:47-48) By requesting in faith, Daniel brought glory to God and reminded himself that whether he was secure in an earthly kingdom, he was secure in his place under the authority of the Lord of all Kings(2:47).
                At another point during their captivity, Nebuchadnezzar made a towering golden image and proclaimed that all people were to worship it. Though God had made it clear to the people to physically submit to the yoke of Babylon, Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abednego (Azariah) did not yield to these spiritual compromises. The penalty for disobeying the king was to be thrown into the fiery furnace, but these three youths understood what it meant to remain steadfast in the LORD’s eternal covenant. Their primary allegiance was to the command to have no other gods but JEHOVAH and not to bow to any images. They contested the king’s command(3:16-18). They professed that whether or not God delivered them did not change the truth that He was capable of doing so, displaying an undeniable trust that the LORD would do what He saw fit and it did not alter His goodness or power. In that they would remain, no matter what it meant to their physical, temporary bodies.
                An additional testimony to the original reader came from observing the benefit of their captors. Daniel gave praise to God and acknowledged that He was the one who “changes times and seasons; who removes kings and sets up kings…” (2:21) This could have been initially very painful for the OR because of its implications for them recognizing the fall of their beloved nation. That being said, both King Nebuchadnezzar and Darius the Mede, experienced the sovereign power of God. He removed, humbled, and then appointed King Nebuchadnezzar who proclaimed, “my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever…” (5:34). Nebuchadnezzar understood what it mean to be brought low and then to see God as the giver and himself as the receiver. Likewise, after Belshazzar refused to humble his heart before God, he was killed and “Darius the Mede received the kingdom…” Daniel was reminded all people of his prophetic praise unto God- that He is the one who appoints kings and tears them down. God is the TRUE KING, and people should receive from Him with humble hearts.
                There would come a time when the Jews would return from their exile. A time of judgment had come upon them and would last for about seventy years, but it was not purposeless punishment. God wanted to reveal to His people and to the world that He is above every kingdom. A lesson of humility comes upon those who are foolish and prideful before Him. The Original Reader could be inspired to kneel before their King: resolved to honor His covenant; requesting from Him forgiveness for their sins and vision and understanding for their future; remaining faithful to Him – “the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action”(11:32) – no matter the cost; and receiving with grateful hearts all that He lavished on them. The Original Reader longed to return from exile to “the glorious land,”(8:9) and they would finally have been filled with remorse for the sins of their past;  true repentance. This was the purpose of their judgment, and these stories would have continued to build up the faithful remnant- God’s Chosen Ones- to walk in His commandments and love Him with their whole heart.
                Today we still have a command to Resolve, Request, Remain, and Receive. One of the most recent examples is how John Wesley made a list of resolutions that he desired to live by in order to best serve the LORD. By prayerfully considering what God has called us to (for a specific time or over the course of our lives), I believe it is essential for Christians to have a clear vision statement. This should be rooted in the Word of God, and can even be as simply worded as: I am resolved to spend time in prayer each morning, or Resolved: to contemplate that each moment I live is a gift from God [and one I will give account for]. These types of resolutions will reestablish our purpose in a new way and serve as boundaries when people seem to be going about their life a different way- this gives us confidence to know, I cannot participate in something because it is something I would rather not answer to before Jesus. If it is not propelling us forward, it is holding us back. Requesting is an action that will remind us not to try to be self-reliant. By requesting help from God and others, we are reminded to stay humble and helpful to others ourselves.
               For Christians to Remain means we abide in Christ. Our very life comes from Him, the true vine (John 15). Only through abiding and remaining in the LORD can we have strength through small storms to raging seas; from smaller discouragements to martyrdom and persecution. But to remain IN God, we need to intentionally spend time IN His Word and IN relationship with Him. And to Receive from God, we need to keep our eyes on His sovereignty. We need to be grateful for all that He gives to us, because He never changes, though our circumstances do. We can receive being promoted or demoted because, overall, it is about Christ being the Risen King, and not about us. We trust that this life is temporary and preparatory for an eternal life where we will co-reign with Jesus. We have received NEW LIFE from Him, and we will receive grace to get through any of the storms that come our way. 

Habakkuk Theme Trace - Live by Faith

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith[1]… In Whom or What? 

                During a period where Israel was being heavily influenced by foreign cultures and religions, the prophet Habakkuk began by entreating the LORD to respond to his cry for help. He cried out for salvation from violence and wickedness[2]. Their kingdom had been divided; Israel had since fallen to Assyria, and Judah was foolishly following in their footsteps of rebellion from the LORD's covenant. They believed YAHWEH was their National God, but they also worshipped the Astral gods: Molech, Asherah and the Baals. Their hearts were unfaithful and proud. Habakkuk's pleas imply that he associated vindication and redemption with the character of God. He came before the LORD with expectations and God’s answers helped him to see the coming judgment as a reproof[3]. In the near future, God would use a nation more wicked than Judah in order to subdue and discipline them. This was a source of struggle for Habakkuk, whose heart was to serve YAHWEH alone. When Habakkuk made his petition to the LORD, he retreated to his watchpost[4] where he stationed himself to intentionally wait for the LORD's response. This reflects the trust Habakkuk had in YAHWEH, because he anticipated receiving an answer. 

                Throughout his own wrestling, he maintains a heart of praise. Habakkuk proclaims things he knows to be true of God, the Rock[5] who is “of purer eyes”, amid asking questions[6] that display the difficulty he is having in accepting God’s plan. Raised up to be a prophet to the LORD's chosen people, Habakkuk passionately longed for the day when Israel and all creation will be restored to their rightful place in the kingdom of God. He speaks with reverence and awe: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).

Even in his questioning, Habakkuk knows when to be silent[7] before the LORD and how to walk in healthy fear[8] of His testimonies: “I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us” (Habakukk 3:16). Two variations on the way this verse could be translated, firstly, that Habakkuk is terrified of the coming invasion, but has reconciled his fears with his trust in the sovereignty of God; yet another phrasing of the verse (depending on Bible translation) could imply that he deeply fears the coming doom but trusts that when the time is right, the LORD will deliver them from those who oppress Israel. Either way, the essence of the verse is that Habakkuk has put his faith in YAHWEH, and will not allow the circumstances in which he finds himself to alter that trust. Whether the LORD will solely deliver them into the hands of the Babylonians- or the prophecy also includes Israel one day being delivered from the hands of the Babylonians, Habakkuk knows that God is righteous- and in that peace of understanding he will wait quietly. His faith is not contingent upon when the LORD will save His people, Habakkuk knew the covenant was everlasting, and probably grasped through his dialogue with God that man cannot place his trust in the circumstances. His hope was in the person of God, not necessarily in His plan. This is reiterated as Habakkuk ends his prayer: in the midst of necessity, desperation, unfortunate conditions, He would rejoice in the One who remains constant in His Peace, Holiness, and Promises.

                Depending on in whom or what you put your faith, this ability is determined. Each person puts their hope or faith or trust in something or someone. It may be willpower, success, a lover or yourself. But as sure as history repeats itself, the law of letdowns proves as true as the testimony of the ages: only the Creator God is trustworthy and one in whom we can rightly place our faith. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." (Hebrews 1:1-3) All other objects of adoration will fail us, whereas we can feel let down by the LORD and yet know that His sovereignty is unarguably perfect. Those originally present in Habakkuk's time had long been forgetting their God, and He went to great lengths to remind them of their need for him and His desire for relationship with them. These words would have been a source of comfort for the righteous who were living by faith during the exile, and the timelessness of the message encourages generations of the remnant that survived aforementioned captivity. In order for believers to better develop their own trust in the LORD, they can call to memory His faithfulness and testimonies and reflecting on who they know Him to be, rather than focus their energy on the circumstances in which they find themselves.

                Questions arise from humanity now as much as they have in ages past. Where are you, LORD, and how can you stand by while these situations infiltrate our world/ my life? God does not shy away from these petitions and cries, and we are free and invited to speak our hearts openly to Him. Yet, as Habakkuk exemplified, at some point it is the stepping back from presenting these fears and questions to the LORD that allows us to fix our eyes on Who we know Him to be: Someone on whom we can quietly wait. Whether wrestling or waiting, let us aim to remember and welcome the peace of His presence- trusting the God of our salvation to act in His sovereignty.

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[1] Contrast: Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

[2] Atmosphere: Habakkuk 1:2 “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save?” 

[3] Atmosphere: “… O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment… established them for reproof.”

[4] Imagery: Habakkuk 2:1-2 “I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the LORD answered me:”

[5] Who: Habakkuk 1:12 “Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? … O LORD… O Rock…”

[6] Question: Habakkuk 1:13 “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?”

[7] Contrast/Atmosphere: Habakkuk 2:18-20 “What profit idol? … But LORD holy temple; all earth silence before him.

[8] Atmosphere: Habakkuk 3:2 “O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the ears revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”