The Purpose of the Word

Recap: Daniel 1-4, John 1-4

Revelations are shown to kings (Nebuchadnezzar) as much as they are for exiles (Daniel).

Revelations are shown to the cynical (Nathanael) as much as they are shown to the considerate (the two servants of John the Baptist)

Revelations are as light shone in the darkness; Rather, they are the presence of Light and Life, driving away darkness and death. That’s one way of discerning whether something is a revelation versus new knowledge, insights, and/or learning – however, one sure way for us to know is if it points us to Christ and His finished work.

Another way is to observe how we respond to it – does it cause us to praise Him? Does it cause others to praise Him?

Also, do they serve as health to our bodies and minds?

They may not necessarily defile us, but do they supplement or hinder the gifts, blessings and capabilities the Lord has given to each and every one of us?

For instance: We’ve considered how Christ is as a Stone.

In John, we’ve read of how His sign to the Pharisees was to ‘tear down this temple’, and to raise it up in three days, referring to Himself.

In Isaiah, we read of how Christ is the Stone which the builders rejected which has been made the chief Cornerstone.

In Daniel, we consider how He is the stone not built by human hands which rolled from the mountains to ultimately smash the statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and a mix of iron and clay.

This Stone ‘became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.‘ Daniel interpreted this as the beginnings of a Kingdom “that shall never be destroyed“, one that “shall stand forever“.

I’ve been brought to meditating and sharing, for our consideration: That we know and sing of how Christ is the Rock on whom we stand, and our Firm Foundation – but He is also the Stone that smashes the kingdoms of the world to dust, and the Stone that serves as the Beginning of the Kingdom that stands forever.

With all that mentioned, yes, it gives us cause to praise Him – but it also gives us reason to trust in Him more.

So, indeed, we thank God for revelations: Revelations of His glory and grace, causing us to trust Him more…

We give Him glory, and thank Him for Christ, who is with us in the fire that rages around us; that is, He is with us and we are unsinged, even in the flame made seven times hotter that consumes all that is around us.

In fact, we aren’t afraid of the actual fire than we are of the pain it causes to us, and all that it would burn away.

We thank God, for He is fully aware of our scandalous existence (as He knew of the Samaritan woman’s husbands)… but He offers us water – yes, water that becomes in us “a spring welling up to eternal life.“

Christ is with us in the fires from the outside in, just as He gives us water that springs forth from the inside out.

Indeed, as we’ve read in Isaiah, we’ve trusted in the Lord, and we’ve seen revelations of His glory and grace, as well as fulfillment of His sweeping away “the refuge of lies“, and His waters “overwhelming the shelter.“

We give glory to God! For Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself and was made as a beast on all fours for seven years, but Christ humbled Himself by becoming obedient unto death (even death on a cross), and God highly exalted Him and bestowed upon Him the name above every other name!

With all this in mind, let’s keep glorifying the Lord, and let us be expectant of more of His great revelations for us.

Daniel 5

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

Daniel and Belshazzar

²⁴ “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. ²⁵ And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. ²⁶ This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; ²⁷ TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; ²⁸ PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”Daniel 5:24-28

Daniel 6

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

Daniel and Darius
Daniel and the Lions’ Den

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. ³¹ And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

¹ It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; ² and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. ³ Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.Daniel 5:30 – 6:3

¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” ¹⁷ And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

¹⁹ Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰ As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! ²² My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” ²³ Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.Daniel 6:16-23

Really quick, because I feel I’m going to be focusing on John 5-6.

When you trust in the Lord, things happen:

People notice. That one song we sing, where we say “I can see in you the glory of my King“? Well, through Christ’s finished work we’ve been made temples of the Holy Spirit, and we’ve not only been filled with the Holy Spirt, but as it was in the time of Solomon, we’ve also been filled with the glory of God!
1. Now don’t be surprised if it’s people of power are the ones who see an ‘excellent spirit’ in you (Daniel 6:3). With trust comes responsibility – be careful with your revelations.
2. Again, people notice… and people will get insecure and jealous, to the point that they would go out of their way to take you out with intention.
You may be brought to the unknown, and to the perilous. Either way, it leads you to trust in the Lord more – to interpret what even the king could not read, and to be at peace no matter where we’re thrown, no matter what threats surround us, and no matter how dark it could seem.
You pray more. You speak blessings, you have genuine compassion for others more – even for those who persecute you, much to the point that Romans 12:14 (Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them) feels like less of a chore and more of something that you want to do… Because it could be possible that while you were saved from the lions, those who wanted you there would be thrown in, with their families.

John 5

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

The Healing At The Pool On The Sabbath
The Jews seeking to kill Jesus for breaking the Sabbath, calling God His Father, and making Himself equal with God – and Jesus’ response.

¹³ Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. ¹⁴ Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. ¹⁶ And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. ¹⁷ But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

¹⁹ So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. ²¹ For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. ²² For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

²⁵ “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Witnesses to Jesus

³⁰ “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. ³¹ If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. ³² There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. ³³ You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. ³⁴ Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. ³⁵ He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. ³⁶ But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. ³⁷ And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, ³⁸ and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. ³⁹ You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, ⁴⁰ yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. ⁴¹ I do not receive glory from people. ⁴² But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. ⁴³ I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? ⁴⁵ Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”John 5:13-47

If Christ testified of Himself, ‘(His) testimony is not true’ (v31). But John from the recent past bore witness to Him… and He pointed out to them that even Moses ‘on whom (they) have set (their) hope’ wrote of Christ , generations ago.
- re: Moses, refer to the bronze serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21:9), and Deuteronomy 18:15: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—”
The Jews were offended by Jesus Christ breaking the Sabbath. The Jews were offended by Jesus Christ calling God His Father.
In response He made what I think are two points:
- The Son can only do what the Father does. The Son can only share what the Father has given.
  - The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
  - For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
  - Christ IS the Sabbath. Christ is the Bread of Life.

John 6

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

Jesus feeds the Five Thousand
- ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹² And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” ¹³ So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. ¹⁴ When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” ¹⁵ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.John 6:11-14

Jesus walks on water
- ¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. ²⁰ But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” ²¹ Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.John 6:19-21
- ²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” ²⁶ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷ Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” ²⁸ Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” ²⁹ Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:25-29

‘I am the Bread of Life’
- ³⁵ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. ³⁶ But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. ³⁷ All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
- ⁴¹ So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
- ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
- ⁵² The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹ Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.John 6:35-41, 49-51

The words of eternal Life
- ⁶⁰ When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶² Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵ And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”John 6:60-65

Peter’s response
- ⁶⁶ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:66-69

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.Hebrews 4:11-12

It brings out the worst in us…
1. We use it as a weapon. Refer to Daniel 6:4-5: Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. ⁵ Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
  1. First of all, we see how faithfulness and consistency are to our benefit.
  2. Second, when the high officials and satraps mentioned “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God”, I’m reminded of how the devil also used the Word against Christ in the Wilderness.
    1. Also, the Jews refused to believe in Christ, and they were further infuriated when, in their minds, He broke the Law. John 5:18:This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
    2. Whoever watched the movie ‘The Book of Eli’ also has an idea of how even the Bible can be used as a tool against humanity.
2. We use it for our gain. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.John 6:26

It reveals the best of Christ. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…John 5:39
1. All Scripture, all Revelation, all Prophecy, all Tongues, all Prayer, all we do points to Christ, and all Christ’s words and works point to God.
  1. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Daniel and Zechariah had their own prophecies of this Messiah who, at their time, was yet to come!
2. Consequently, God points to His Son, and Christ makes all Scripture, all Revelation, and all Prophecy make sense. ⁸ Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” ²⁹ Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:28-29)
3. Christ’s Words bring out the best in us!
  1. To Matthew: ‘Follow me’. Christ to Nathanael: ‘Before you saw Me, I saw you.’, Christ to Thomas: ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’ (John 20:27)
  2. Our responses:
    1. Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”John 1:49
    2. Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28
    3. Peter’s response: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69