Tag: Jake Ballard

Miracles and the Miraculously Malcontent

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezra 4-6

POETRY: Psalm 139

NEW TESTAMENT: John 12:37-50

The Gospel of John, chapters 7-12, have been happening in conjunction with our Old Testament readings these past two weeks. In the gospel of John, Jesus does not perform miracles per se. At least, John doesn’t call them miracles. Instead, John calls them signs. There are seven signs. These signs work with John’s overall mission. In John 20:31, we read “These are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in his name.” “These things” that are written are the teachings of Jesus, but also the signs that show that he is the Messiah. 

If you see the signs, you should recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. 

That’s the point. 

I really need to drive that home because I want to focus on a part of John 12 that has always bothered me deeply. It was not today’s reading but yesterday’s. Let’s look at verse 9-10 again: “The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.” 

The seventh miraculous sign Jesus performed was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. It shows the power Jesus has been granted from the Father over the grave, and that Jesus himself is the resurrection and the life. 

And the chief priests plan to kill Lazarus. They plan to take the one benefitted by the sign and put him down. They are so focused on preserving the comfortable way of life they have that they don’t realize they are destroying the good, the truth, the life of what is coming. A better way Jesus came to make. Maybe some of them knew Jesus really was the Messiah. It is even worse for them because they are knowingly attacking the resurrection and the life. The one who is the only way to the Father. They are doing so by denying his sign.

As you go through this advent, as you share the message of Jesus, the hope, peace, joy, and love he brings, don’t be surprised that there are those who cannot or do not want to hear the truth of that message; there were those in the time of Jesus who wanted to kill a man who Jesus raised from the dead. There will always be malcontents who cannot bear to experience joy and life. 

What you are called to do is to love them, but never become like them. 

May you be full of joy and life, this day and every day. 

May you hear the voice of Jesus and jump for joy. 

May you be raised by Jesus when he comes in his kingdom. Amen. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. In the account of the raising of Lazarus, where do you see yourself? Place yourself in the scene and imagine – what would be your thoughts, feelings, words, actions?
  2. In what ways have you heard the voice of Jesus? What is your response to Jesus?
  3. What is your response to those who reject the message and signs of Jesus that say he is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God?

Jake Ballard is pastor at Timberland Bible Church. If you’d like to hear more from him, you can find Timberland on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TimberlandBibleChurch/ ) and on Instagram (https://instagram.com/timberlandbiblechurch?igshid=t52xoq9esc7e ). The church streams the Worship Gathering every Sunday at 10:30. Besides studying and teaching God’s word, he is raising three beautiful children with the love of his life, plays board games and RPGs, and is currently learning how to speak Klingon. If you’d like to reach out to talk Bible, talk faith, or talk about whether Kirk or Picard were the better captains (though, of course, each were necessary in their own time), look Jacob Ballard up on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jacob.ballard.336) or email him at jakea.ballard@yahoo.com. 

God bless you all! 

Qapla’!

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“That took a turn…”

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezra 1-3

*POETRY: Psalm 139

NEW TESTAMENT: John 12:20-36

Psalm 139 is beautiful. 

God searches us and knows us. 

He is all around us, ready to be there for us no matter where we go. 

He thinks precious thoughts of us. 

I desire that God will slay the wicked because I hate them so deeply. 

God will lead me in the everlasting way. 

Yes, truly beautiful. 

Wait a second, what was that part about slaying the wicked. 

For 18 verses we are given a beautiful declaration about the wonder and majesty of God and his deep and unending love for his people. Then verse 19 comes along and the psalmist is declaring his homicidal thoughts for everyone God hates. Wait, that GOD hates? God hates people?! What’s going on?

Let’s remind ourselves what the Psalms *are*. The Psalms are collectively, the songbook of the people of Israel, composed by different men, women, and bands across hundreds of years and in different places. Each psalm is, individually, a poem, lyrics to the song composed.  

The Bible is inspired, authoritative, and true, but the personality and desires of the author comes through. God’s inspiration is not so thorough as to remove the human element from the text. Here, we can see the way in which David, who either wrote the psalm or who inspired the psalm (see note below) considered his faithfulness to God displayed. While God cared for David, David loved God by, in this case, defending his honor. There are men, men who desire bloodshed, who speak wickedly against God, who are enemies of The Most High. David desires that they do not get away with their sinful lifestyle, but that they instead have their evil come back on their own head. 

Here’s where this can make sense to us: God is not shocked by your anger, your revenge plots, your bitterness. He wants to hear it. He wants you to “put pen to paper” or, maybe more accurately, put word to thought, and express your feelings. Where they are justified (sin is evil and WILL be overthrown) he will allow those feelings to continue and where they are wrong (God desires all to be come to a knowledge of the truth, not hating his enemies) God will work to correct them. He knows what is on your heart, but he wants you to acknowledge that reality yourself. 

When you acknowledge the dark part within yourself, not denying it but confessing it and repenting of it, then you will be able to say “see if there is any hurtful way in me.” 

And God will lead you in the everlasting way. 

(Note: “Of David” could mean either “by David” or “in the style of David.”)

__________

-Jake Ballard

Questions

  1. Any where you go, God is already there. In theological terms, we call this God’s omnipresence. He is everywhere all at once. Is this comforting or terrifying? It is freedom or oppression? Why do you think that?
  2. Each person is fearfully and wonderfully made by God, knit together in the womb of their mother. People are people in the womb, known and loved by God. How should that impact how we think about little humans in wombs in our world?
  3. Are there any dark parts that you need to declare to God? Anger, bitterness and resentment you need to release, because he cares, as well as already knows your heart?
  4. “Search me and try me” are bold statements. If you have had a blessed day, ask God this difficult question, expecting God to give you an answer. If you have not had a good day, pray that God would show up clearly and lead you clearly tomorrow. 
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Two Kinds of Eternity

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 12

POETRY: Psalm 139

NEW TESTAMENT: John 12:12-19

Jesus says, in the gospel of John, “God loved the world in this way: He gave his unique, one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (3:16) Later, in the Revelation of Jesus, we read that anyone whose name is not written in the book of life shall be judged, but that those who conquer will never have their name blotted out of the book of life. (3:5)

As we come to a close in Daniel, we are struck with weird, disconsonant numbers. Yesterday, I gave you a giant history lesson; maybe today you are worried about a deep dive into math! Let me give you some hope, we aren’t doing math. (I can hear the sigh of relief from here.) 

Instead, I am going to get very personal and very honest: eternity awaits you. This is not an “infinity-and-beyond” kind of aspiration. While the New Testament is very explicit in the book and verses we looked at above, it is what permeates the teaching and focus of Jesus. Eternity is coming. Whether at his return or at the end of our lives and our resurrection into the next, there is something coming. In Daniel 12 (and most places in the Bible) there is one resurrection at the end of the world. Daniel is full of metaphor and numbers, but here, the language is bolstered by the literal teachings of Jesus, and also other places in the New Testament. Daniel 12 tells us there will be a real, literal resurrection. Those who sleep will rise. But with one resurrection, there are two outcomes. One is everlasting life. One is shame and everlasting contempt. The gospel of John repeats as much: “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29 ESV) What does everlasting shame and contempt mean? Humans are not, in and of themselves, immortal. We die, the dead know nothing (Ecc. 9:5), the dead do not praise God (Psalm 115:17); instead the dead are, metaphorically, asleep, unaware of the passing of time. This matters because what is offered in Revelation is eternal life or the second death. Not torture forever, but the finality of hope, and the end of existence. 

I am not a fire-and-brimstone kind of guy, and I won’t want to scare you. I want you to think through your options. Today, you have set before you life and death. More than that, you have eternal life or eternal death. I beg you, choose life! Jesus, the sacrifice for our sins, the ruler of God’s kingdom, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, he desires to write your name down in his book of life. He, like his father, does not desire that any should perish, but all, whoever calls upon him, should live and live eternally. 

My friends, may you call upon the name of the Lord Jesus. 

May your name be found in the Lamb’s book of life. 

May you spend eternity with all those who have called upon Jesus.

May you be blessed so that you may see God in his kingdom. 

Remember, one day, we will all go on our way. We will all rest in death. 

May we stand side by side in our allotted places at the end, covered in the grace of Jesus. 

Amen. 

-Jake Ballard

Questions:

  1. It’s your turn to study! What are the connections between 1290, 1335, and “time, times and half a time”? Reading Revelation may make some of it clear, but you should ask your pastor. Be really specific and make your pastor think! 
  2. Some of our Christian brothers and sisters think that judgement means an eternity of pain and suffering. Can you understand why they might believe that? Can you see why it is wrong? List out some reasons in the Bible or in theology or philosophy that it might be wrong and explain them: “Human mortality” or “God’s love and justice” are good starting places, but think about going deeper. 
  3. Beyond numbers and judgement, I encourage you, during this time of Advent, to trust in what God has done in and through Jesus, our savior. I encourage you to trust him with your life and with your resurrection. I encourage you to talk to your pastor, youth pastor, or caregivers about becoming baptized, and finding forgiveness so that your name may never be blotted out of the book of life. God bless you as you seek him. 
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Prophecy So Accurate…

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 11

POETRY: Psalm 139 (the rest of the week)

NEW TESTAMENT: John 12:1-11

In Daniel 11, we are given a detailed play-by-play of the ins and outs of kingdom in the ancient world. If you would allow me a moment, here is what is going on : The King of the North and the King of the South (Dan. 11:1-10) are the Seleucids and the Ptolemys, respectively. There is a prophecy about Antiochus “the Great” [223-187 BC] trying to invade the South but failing. (11:10-12) A group of Jews try to throw off Ptolemaic Rule by siding with Antiochus (11:14). The king of the North will capture a well fortified city (11:15) and that city is Sidon, a frontier city for the King of the South. Antiochus gave his daughter to be a peace offering to the Ptolemys, but she sided with her new husband. (11:17) Finally, a Roman general stopped Antiochus the Great. (11:18-19) Seleucus IV Philopator sent a tax man to Jerusalem (11:20), but much worse than Seleucus is Antiochus IV “Ephiphanes” [or God manifest] who lived from 176-164BC. Sometimes we was called “Epimanes” which means crazy or mad. This is the despicable person of 11:21. “The prince of the covenant” who is “swept away” (11:22) is Onias, the high priest and traditionalist who is killed by Milenaus, a Hellenist, who wanted to compromise with Greek Culture. The Roman Navy, “the ships of Kittim” stop Antiochus from his desire to rule the sea. (11:30) But he does desecrate the sanctuary and do away with sacrifices and set up an abomination with makes desolate (11:31) by stopping the Jews from performing the sacrifices, by sacrificing a pig on the altar, by planning to set up a statue of Jupiter with the Face of Antiochus. During this time men were beaten if they didn’t eat pork and women were thrown off the wall of Jerusalem into the streets below if they circumcised their children. All this happened in 168 BC. However, “the End time” as prophesied by Daniel is that resistance to Antiochus increases and becomes a movement. Matthias, a Jew, killed the official for Antiochus and the Jews began to sacrifice again. Finally, Judas Maccabee, “the Hammer” begins to reign in a free Jewish Kingdom, beginning the Hasmonean Kingdom. 

Take a deep breath, because I do have one more date to throw at you. Belshazzar/Darius the Mede/Cyrus the Great in power? Around 539 BC. Nearly 400 years before the events that are spelled out in great detail in Daniel 11. There are Biblical scholars who don’t believe in God (which may or may not surprise you), and many of them believe that Daniel must have been written after 168, because he is too accurate in his prophecy about the Kings of the North and the Kings of the South. 

Or maybe, we serve a God who tells us the future he will cause to come to pass.

Maybe we serve a God who is greater than our minds can fathom. 

Maybe God will call things that are not as though they were.

Don’t worry, there is no test on Daniel, no followup on the names of the Greek Kingdoms. But if you ever wonder how God could make your life, your stress, your situation work out for good, remember that he made every prophecy of Daniel 11 come true; when he says he will give you life and you will have it to the full, you can *know* he will make it come true. 

The God who directs the courses of history can direct you to his blessings. Amen. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. What have you learned from history, archaeology, or science that has backed up what God tells us in the Bible?
  2. Daniel probably didn’t know exactly why he was receiving this prophecy or know exactly what it would look like when it did come to pass, but he was faithful in writing it down to pass it along. You probably have not received such detailed prophecies from God, but what have you heard from God that could be helpful for someone else to hear? How will you pass it along?
  3. What can help grow your faith in believing that God will do what He says He will do?
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The Prince of Persia

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 10

POETRY: Psalm 139

NEW TESTAMENT: John 11:38-57

For most of the modern era, we lived in a world that was unabashedly, even arrogantly, anti-supernatural. There were a number of early American founders who believed the respectable form of belief was Deism; God existed and created the world, but has not interfered. With the rise of modern science, the theory of evolution, the splitting of the atom, more and more people claimed that God was in the gaps of our knowledge, and when those gaps shrunk, so did our God. Soon, there would be nowhere left for him to go. 

In the time since the 1950s and 1960s, especially in the West, we have seen a continual decline of religious adherence (those who “go to church/mosque/synagogue” or believe in the doctrines of a major religion) but we have seen a marked increase in those who believe in God or gods, the supernatural, crystals, “manifesting”, life after death, angels, ESP, and more. 

As Christians, our beliefs should not be tied to the beliefs of our day or of our world, but on the words of scripture. Of course, we are not called to deny God or say he only lives in the gaps of knowledge, nor do we believe in every form of supernatural experience. Daniel gives us something more than Deism and something less than delusion.

In Daniel 10, Daniel is told that he has been heard by God, and that he has been answered, but the reason the angel was delayed was because “the prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days.” Read again the description of this powerful angel. This is not a being who will be withstood by human forces. Nor is Michael merely a human prince, but a Chief of the Angels.This is an angelic messenger delivering news about the future. 

According to this passage, places like Revelation 12, and a small selection of other texts, there is a war in heavenly places, and we are called to be soldiers. Not against flesh and blood, not for any country or flag, but for our King against the common enemy of mankind. In a world that denies the supernatural, there are those who deny not only the angels, but deny the demons and the devil. If we deny the existence of the devil, how can we be prepared to stand against him and his schemes? Satan prowls about looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). We have to resist the devil, and only then will he flee from us (James 4:7). We are called to put on the whole armor of God, especially the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

Today’s chapter is short. This devotion is also short. Just remember, you are called to fight against the evil of the devil and his angels, but you are filled with the power of God, wearing the amor of God, backed by the people of God and the angels of God, all for the glory of God. Satan is not more powerful than our God: “greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) That is a battlecry to get behind. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. What effect did getting a glimpse of the spiritual warfare being fought have on Daniel?
  2. What does the Bible teach about spiritual warfare in the past, present and future? How often do you consider the spiritual battle being waged right now? How does it affect you when you do?
  3. Where do you see Satan at work? What has God given you to stand strong against Satan/the devil?
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The Solemn Joy of Christmas

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 9

POETRY: Psalm 138

NEW TESTAMENT: John 11:1-37

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. 

It’s my absolute favorite time. I love the snow falling from gray skies. The world turned crystalline with ice. Warm homes with twinkling lights and fireplaces burning, keeping the dark days bright. 

But notice, all the things I am speaking of are the current time of the year. I could be speaking of “the holidays,” a societal collection of days starting usually on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and going to about January 1st. I’m not speaking of those days. Thanksgiving is a great reminder to give thanks to God, New Year’s is nice to think about the way we want to live differently and better in the year ahead. But the only holiday in “the holidays” that matters is Christmas, its twelve days beginning on December 25 and going on until January 6th! Before this time of Christmastide, we can celebrate Advent (meaning “coming”) about the coming of Jesus. Advent starts four Sundays before Christmas, meaning the first advent Sunday was yesterday. 

Though the weeks of Advent are based around familiar themes (hope, peace, joy, love), Advent should also be a time of solemnity. Why? It’s more fun to focus on the love of God and the peace toward men of good will, hope and joy given to those who see the babe in the straw. 

Why is the babe in the straw? “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” In Advent, similar to Lent (the days before Easter), though not as intense, the Christian world is encouraged to remember our sins and to confess them to God. Daniel, in Daniel 9, embodies this for us well. 

Daniel prays to God, but he does so with all the parts of his body. He covers himself with ashes, a symbol of mourning, and itchy sackcloth, and to show his total dependence upon God, he fasts, refraining from food. He claims responsibility for his own sin and for the sin of his people. “We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled.” (9:5) He recognizes that God is righteous (9:7), merciful and forgiving (9:9), but for the people of God he knows that they are shameful in their disobedience. He recognizes that he and all God’s people transgressed and disobeyed the law, the voice of God. 

When was the last time you laid out your sin before the Lord and repented of it? Maybe you do this every day, and recognize those things in you that need to change and course correct at the end of each day. That’s awesome. But maybe it’s been longer than a day, and during this time of Advent, when we consider that Christ had to come to save us from our sins, you can say “God, I’m sorry for the mistakes I’ve made.” If you have never given your life to Christ, that is necessary for forgiveness and hope. We trust that God is merciful, as Daniel says in Daniel 9:18 “For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.”

And because he is, forgiveness is quick to be given, and hope is not scorned, because we are not calling on a vindictive God but on a loving Father. Gabriel tells Daniel “as soon as you began to pray, a word was sent out.” Daniel gets a visionary message in answer to his prayer… but notice his prayer will be answered! We know now that it was answered. When we come to God and confess, he is faithful and just to forgive us of all sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.  (1 John 1:9)

So today, take the time in this Advent season to confess your sins, to course correct because you want to please the God who saves you and wants to bless you. But do so because of what Advent will receive, and what the season is Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. 

Merry Christmas, and God bless us, every one. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. What makes the Advent season so special? How can you celebrate it in a way that brings honor to God and to the gift of His Son Jesus Christ?
  2. What role does confession play in your relationship with God? What do you notice in Daniel’s prayer? What does he acknowledge? What are his requests? When was your last prayer of confession?
  3. What will you pray today?
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When the End Isn’t the End

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 8

POETRY: Psalm 137

NEW TESTAMENT: John 10:22-42

I love a good hyperbole. The standards like “I could eat a whole elephant.” The things you ask kids like “how much money does the president have?” ”A million billion dollars!” They reply. Or getting to more beautiful like the hymn “The Love of God.” “Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill, and ev’ryone a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.” That last one is beautiful, and maybe not completely a hyperbole; God’s love for creation *is* beyond words. 

Today, we are going to see how Daniel uses hyperbole in chapter 8. After reading the chapter, we can put together vision and interpretation to understand what is going on. There are two kingdoms, the kings of Media and Persia (8:20) represented by a ram with two horns. (8:3-4) Then a male goat (8:5-7), explained to be the Kingdom of Greece (8:21), comes along and destroyed the Kingdoms of Media and Persia. The first great King of 8:21 is Alexander the Great, the conqueror of the ancient world. Notice that the horn is broken into four horns, just like the Kingdom of Alexander was broken into four kingdoms after his death (8:22), and just like the horn of the fourth, terrible beast grows, so the horn of 8:9 starts small and grows in power. 

After Alexander’s death (323 BC), much later (215-164 BC), there is a man, Antiochus IV, who grew in power, who stopped the sacrifices of the people of God, who with a “bold face” decided to put his face on the statue of Jupiter and set it up in the sanctuary. Who sacrificed a pig on the altar, we put down those who opposed him and killed those who followed the law or who circumcised their children. (8:23-24) Antiochus even is judged by God and killed, not with human hands, but with a sudden sickness (8:25)

By now, you might be asking, “Why do I need the history lesson?” Because when we read about this, Daniel is told not to worry because this will be “for the time of the end” (8:17, 19) and again that this will occur “many days from now.” The first thing you need to see is that prophecies aren’t ALWAYS about the future. We should *know* this, because December and Christmas is the fulfillment of multiple prophecies to the people of God about the Messiah. There is a time when every prophecy will be fulfilled, some of those in our world, and some of those at the end. But, what I also want you to see is that Daniel looked at this time of Antiochus, and the coming of the Maccabean Kingdom and the Hasmonean dynasty which ended Greek rule in Judea, and he was told that it was like the end. God gave his people a kingdom, he gave them power, he gave them a thrown. They cast out their enemies. But, and this is the final point, Jesus points to the future with some of the language here. Jesus talks about, from his perspective a future “abomination of desolation” or “transgression that makes desolate”. Clearly, from our point of view the temple was destroyed, but immediately after those days, the world did not come to an end. Maybe it was, again, a type. It would not be impossible for God to fulfill a prophecy multiple times and more perfectly each time. (A young woman gave birth in Isaiah; but Jesus was truly born to a virgin. (See Isaiah 7:14))

What I want you to see is that Daniel, Jesus, and John the Revelator were not necessarily speaking only for the far future. Of the end times. Daniel’s message was important to the people of the 160s BC, Jesus meant something in 70 AD, John clearly imparted wisdom for the 90s and 100s. But that is not the end of their story. The command to remain faithful in the midst of chaos and challenge, to look for the coming of the Son of Man and not fall prey to false Messiahs, and to be faithful unto death, each of those messages matter every day. Maybe the reason hyperbole works so well is that it shakes us to our core, wakes us up to the message. “The world is ending today!”… maybe; but my world could also be after I finish this devotion. Am I awake to the Lord? Did I live my mission and my purpose faithfully? Isn’t that a question we should all ask ourselves? Maybe, when we can say yes, a day will come when we can finally sing full and true the love of God, because we will live forever. 

Luckily, there is no hyperbole to “eternal life.”

-jake Ballard

Questions:

  1. Does Biblical hyperbole scare you or make you uncomfortable? Why or why not? If the Bible is really literature, and in literature we use hyperbole, shouldn’t we expect to see it in the Bible? As a thought it might be helpful to remember the genre when thinking of hyperbole. “A log in your eye” is a teaching, and not to be taken literally; Jesus feeds 5000 is narrative of the miracle working Christ and *should* be taken literally. 
  2. Understanding the history of the people of God between 400 and 0 BC is very helpful. While I couldn’t go in to depth here, what does this brief overview show you?
  3. What is keeping you from being awake to the Lord? To live your life and purpose faithfully, so that one day you may live forever? Are you talking to anyone about those things that are holding you back? May you be blessed by sharing those this advent season. 
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The Son of Man and the Ancient of Days

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 7

POETRY: Psalm 136

NEW TESTAMENT: John 10:1-21

If you have never read Daniel before, or you don’t remember it if you have, then we are now getting away from the stuff that we usually remember. Chapters 1-6 are mainly narrative, stories of Daniel and the boys and the people they encounter and the God who is with them every step of the way. Chapters 7-12 leave the comfort of narrative behind, and we move into the murky and deep waters of visions and interpretations. Let’s start with a caveat: we don’t know everything that will happen in the future. If and when Daniel speaks about the end of days and the beginning of a new world, then we should and must take his prophecies seriously. But there are a lot of different opinions on the interpretation of the book of Daniel. I am hoping to give you mine. First, we’ll do a rundown, and then we will see what it means to us now. 

First, Daniel’s four beasts who come up out of the sea are connected with the four kingdoms in the vision of Daniel from chapter 2. If you were curious then, here is what we begin to see. It is clear that the head of gold is Babylon, and the fact that the beast was a lion with wings and had the mind (found in the head) of a man connects these two. If we skip down to the fourth kingdom, notice the ten toes vs. the 10 horns; also, the legs are of iron and the feet of iron and clay, and the fourth terrible beast has ten horns where one uproots three. If it is clear that the first beast and the fourth beast are the same as the head and the legs of Daniel 2 respectively, then we can allow Daniel 2 to help shape our understanding of this passage. Still, we are not yet given the identity of the other kingdoms, so all we are working with, so far, is Babylon. We will fill in the blanks as we go forward. 

Second, we are treated to a picture of the throne rooms of God. God in the passage is called the “Ancient of Days,” basically saying God is the one who has existed from the beginning. He is not a tame, fatherly, or grandfatherly God, with a jolly face and an upturned nose handing out candy canes to good boys and girls. God isn’t Santa. He sits upon fire, and the wheels of the throne are fire, and he is served by legions of angels, and there is judgment held before this one who brings terror. And the fourth beast and the horn are destroyed, and their authority is taken away. 

Third, one “like a son of man” comes into the presence of the ancient of Days, and is given dominion and glory and a kingdom and all will serve him. To be clear, this is explained in Daniel by an angel in the vision. The beasts are kings, but “the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.” Again, later in verse 27 we read “the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.”

What does it mean for us now? 

  1. Simply, no matter how bad the world gets, God is going to win. If you are feeling like giving into gloom and despair as the world gets darker, literally in the Northern Hemisphere and metaphorically *everywhere*, remember, God is not worried about the end of the age, and we shouldn’t be either.
  2. The reason to not fear is that there is a kingdom coming. Back in chapter 2, this kingdom was described as a stone that crushed the feet mixed of iron and clay. Today it is the judgement of God upon the fourth kingdom of this world. We are going to have an interesting discussion about the fourth beast soon, and what kingdom it represents. But more importantly, the victory of God over the kingdoms of this world is not in doubt. The reason this is different from point one is that something better is coming. It’s not just that God is powerful over the fourth beast; its that something better is going to be put in its place, a kingdom for and of his priests, with life as the center (see Daniel 12). Look for and be ready for the kingdom. 
  3. We do that by being found in Jesus. Jesus calls himself “the son of Man” extremely often, seemingly in reference to Daniel. Daniel, however,  interprets the son of Man as the saints of God. What gives? Jesus is the personification and leader of the saints of God. Every promise for God’s people is given to and fulfilled in Jesus. As Christians, when we trust in Jesus, the Bible says we are “clothed in Jesus”. Jesus moves into our hearts and we dwell in his power. The reason we receive the Kingdom of God is only because Jesus shares it with us as the perfect saint of the Most High. The reason we have life is because he has life. If you want to be able to face the darkness of this world knowing it will be destroyed, and that you will be given’s God’s blessings rather than undergoing his wrath, you must trust in Jesus for this salvation, rely on him for his spiritual power, and live the way he commanded in response to the salvation he offers. 

And that is “the end of the matter “ (Dan. 7:28)

-Jake Ballard

Questions:

  1. Does it matter to you personally to know the identity of the Kingdoms in Daniel? Why or why not? Even if we might acknowledge that our knowledge is faulty, are you comfortable saying “I don’t know” to any question? Most questions? Every question? If we say “I don’t know” more often than giving an answer, are we truly loving God with all our mind?
  2. I don’t want to harp on yesterday’s theme, but notice the mispicturing of God: like a grandfather giving sweets, or Santa bringing presents to good kids. What is the picture of God in Daniel? How does this compare to the beginning of Ezekiel or Isaiah?
  3. Check in with your heart: are you worried about the world being too dark? Are you giving up hope in a brighter future of the kingdom of God? Don’t give in to despair. God desires for you to hope; it is a cardinal virtue. “These three remain, faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.”
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Children’s Church and the Lions’ Den

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 6

POETRY: Psalm 136

NEW TESTAMENT: John 9

I am not going to try and convince you that working in the nursery is comparable to being thrown into a den of vicious, destructive predators. Children’s church is much, much worse than that. 

Today, I want to talk about the “mis-picturing” that can happen if we have grown up in the church. Quick: what image do you see when you think about Noah’s flood? For me, it was, for most of my childhood, an impossibly small ark floating on top of bright blue waters with impossibly large creatures sticking their heads out of the top of the ark with a rainbow above. Now: what is actually said about the flood and Noah? All life, besides those who got brought aboard the ark, were judged in rain from the sky and flood from the ground. It is darkness, judgement, sin, and death. When we teach this story to our youngest kids in nursery, there is a reason that we leave out these obviously darker parts of the story. 

In our reading today, we have another story that gets mispictured: Daniel, a young lad, is thrown into a den of lions because he believes in God, but the lions are more like kitty cats, and then he gets pulled out the next day and everyone forgives everyone and we move on. 

But, the story in scripture is much more important: Daniel, an old man who has been faithful, knows about a command from the King to stop praying, and in direct violation of this imperial edict with life and death hanging in the balance, he prays just the same, trusting in the God who got him this far to protect him from the lions, but even he doesn’t… Yet the lions, the ravenous king of beasts, the symbol of power of rulership, are shut up by the God who is above all. And when Daniel is rescued those who set him up are themselves thrown into the den and torn to shreds before they reach the ground. 

Notice, faith is not a practice that finds fulfillment because of a “great event” that happens once in youth, but is the choice of decades, of the daily decision to follow God in the most boring business of daily life. It is only in following in the mundane, that we are prepared to follow in the momentous, it is by praying daily in our normal life that we are ready to pray daily when the King says “stop or you die.” Daniel, knowing the King will be bound to kill him, fearlessly bucks the system of power, knowing God is bigger. But even if there is no rescue, Daniel trusts in the God of his fathers. Instead of the lions devouring Daniel, judgement is given to those who thought they would harm God’s man.

But why say more important? Shouldn’t we teach kids at age appropriate levels? Of course we should; the problem happens when we think we know, or, when I think I know the Bible and I don’t take seriously the call of this passage or others on our life. The story of the flood of Noah is about the seriousness of sin and about the totality of the judgment of God; if we think it’s about cute animals, rainbows, and God’s love, we miss the depth of the story. The story of Daniel and the Den of Lions is about the developed faith of a man who had been faithful and successful because of his trust in God and who would allow nothing, not even the threat of death, to come between him and his worship. It’s about overcoming the Imperial powers of this world not by swords and warfare but by turning our face to God and trusting in him. 

Starting today, I would encourage you to focus on picturing correctly the stories you read in scripture. God inspired them in the way he did so that we would learn from his actual words, rather than the interpretation of his words from our pastor, our teacher, or even our parents. Some people have given us better or worse interpretations, but nothing compares to reading God’s words ourselves, and understanding how God is speaking through the Bible to us today. 

-Jake Ballard

Questions:

  1. Is mis-picturing a problem for you? If you grew up in church, how much did your Sunday School help or hinder you from seeing the Bible as it really is? If you are new to faith or don’t yet believe, do you have any preconceived pictures of the Bible stories, or are they all fresh to you?
  2. Are there other stories that you can think of when mis-picturing might lead us to miss the important points of the story? 
  3. “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” If you read the opening chapters of Matthew and Luke, try and see if there are any mis-picturing in our understanding of Jesus at his nativity. Is Mary a scared unwed mother? Is Joseph a clueless, hapless husband? Is Jesus surrounded by wisemen and shepherds and camels and sheep and laying in the straw without making a sound? Think about the reality of stories, rather than our built up theological and social pictures around Jesus. 
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Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 5

Poetry: Psalm 136

NEW TESTAMENT: John 8:48-59

Can I tell you a secret? I *loathe* the nickname “Turkey Day” for Thanksgiving. 

Sure, the big bird is special to the day and to the success of the first colonist. Sure, Ben Franklin thought the bird was “a Bird of Courage.” But there is much more to Thanksgiving than the protein. 

In a world of many gods, like Babylon, feasting and reveling for the glory of a deity was common. Sometimes, in the ancient world, the Kings would claim to be gods, or children of the gods, and would show their superiority over “other” gods and people by belittling the symbols of those gods. Belshazzar, the final king of Babylon, showed his contempt for Almighty God and God’s people by allowing his guests at his drunken feasts to eat and drink out of the Temple treasures that were in Babylon. In Daniel 5:4, we read “They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.” 

However, God does not take kindly when the glory due him is given to another. Therefore, because they are using God’s Temple’s treasures while worshipping other gods, God decides to give Belshazzar and his kingdom and his treasures to others, the Medes and the Persians. Daniel tells Belshazzar, “the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, and sets over it whom he will.” 

Thanksgiving was instituted by George Washington on October 3rd, 1789. Read this declaration to see why he instituted it : “Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being [i.e., Almighty God], who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us. 

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.”

President Washington desired for his Nation to thank the true God, not the gods of this world, but the “glorious Being,” the subject of “true religion and virtue”. Thanksgiving was instituted, not just to feel grateful but to give thanks to the only God, the God who is there, the God who is present in the affairs of this world and in the life of this nation and in the prosperity and peace of humankind. Today is and should be a day of feasting and merriment for all our many blessings. In the midst of all the joy of this holiday, be sure to give thanks, sincerely and humbly, to the Almighty, the Most High God. 

Happy *Thanksgiving*!

Growing deeper:

Are you thankful for your blessings? If we aren’t conscious, we could miss them. Today, don’t answer questions but make a list and try to think of every blessing in your life. Number them and see how high you can make your list. Don’t forget the blessings that might be too small to consider (aren’t eyelashes amazing?) and the blessings that might be too big to see (you are able to read this, so you have life, a computer or phone, and access to the internet, plus electricity…). The list grows quickly.

-Jake Ballard

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