06 Feb Since God is Faithful to You, You Can Be Faithful to God
Daniel 1:21 – And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Some years ago, we had a big reunion of extended family. I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed as a park filled up with people that I was apparently related to but had no idea who many of these people were, where they were from, or what their life story was.
Reading the Bible can often feel a lot like that family reunion. Throughout the pages of Scripture are people who are spiritually related as family. Some we know well, some we barely know at all, and others we are ignorant of.
As we study the book of Daniel and get to know this spiritual giant and distant spiritual relative, the little line that concludes chapter 1 can seem like an insignificant detail to ignore. But, as God does not waste any words in His Word, it actually reveals to use some incredible truths.
First, king Nebuchadnezzar from ancient Babylon which is modern day Iraq, conquered Israel and enslaved Daniel among others. Then, King Cyrus from ancient Persia which is modern day Iran, conquered Babylon. Yes, the nightly news reports of conflicts between Iran and Iraq go back some 2,600 years which indicates they won’t be resolved anytime soon.
Second, the book of Daniel opens with him as a teenager and closes with him as an elderly man in his eighties. The book of Daniel covers sixty-nine years of his life during captivity in slavery. What this means is astonishing. The most powerful nation on the earth in that day, Babylon, was outlasted by the Spirit-filled slave Daniel. Daniel prophesied and ministered during the reign of some 13 kings and 14 kingdoms.
What is true of Daniel is true for you. If you belong to God, one day you too will find that you have outlived every kingdom and nation on the earth as you rule and reign in eternity serving King Jesus, who is nothing like earthly kings, and the Kingdom of Heaven, which is nothing like earthly kingdoms. The life of Daniel reveals that we can be faithful to God throughout life and into eternity because God is faithful to us.
Are you confident that the same God who got Daniel through his complicated life in Babylon will get you through your life in your Babylon?
In addition to this introduction to and overview of Daniel, you can find the corresponding sermons, daily devotions, men’s ministry resources, and hundreds of additional sermons and Bible teaching resources for free at markdriscoll.org or on the Mark Driscoll Ministries app.
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