How’d it go yesterday? Well, here I was thinking I had everything shared in a concise manner, until I noticed I was 18 minutes over my target time, and wrapped up really quick. I brought the point home: The Word brings out the worst in us, and the best of Christ.
One thing I do want to clarify is that when I say the Word brings out the worst in us, I’m actually talking about two things:
First, that it amplifies the sin in man. It amplifies wrath; We’ve seen how the satraps and the ‘wise men’ in Daniel 6 sought to take him out “in connection with the law of his God.”
We’ve also recalled how satan actually also used Scripture in his attempts to tempt Christ in the wilderness. In Matthew 4:5-6, it reads: Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Quick note, did you see how satan quoted Psalm 91? Yes, the same Psalm we’ve had everyone ‘proclaim’ and ‘declare’ during Covid. Not implying anything (yet), just thought I’d point that out (for now).
I spoiled Denzel Washington’s Book Of Eli to the congregation – well, gave them the synopsis, anyway – by sharing how his character had what we were led to believe was the last copy of the Holy Bible in existence in a post apocalyptic world, and how the antagonist portrayed by Gary Oldman wanted the Bible for power and control. Finally, I also pointed out how maliciously motivated accusations can be made against literally anyone if they use the Bible (or, in the case of the Jews, the Law and their ‘guidelines’ of the Sabbath in particular).
Second – and I believe this is more for us in Christ – our eyes are opened to the worst; that is, the sheer hopelessness of our own condition, and/or the fact that we can lose everything at any single moment in this reality… and, really, how it all leads to our depending in Christ so much more.
The Word also brings out the best of Christ. We’ve quoted John 5:39, where Jesus says that while the Jews were looking into the Scriptures (and ‘placing their hope in Moses’ as stated in verse 45), they failed to see that the Scriptures pointed to Him. Wait, let me correct myself. They refused to realize what was already laid before them very clearly – that all that Isaiah, Zechariah, Micah, and Moses himself prophesied about Jesus Christ.
Christ points to the Word, and the Word points to Christ. Furthermore, in John 6:28-29, we read: Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” I failed to segue here for lack of time, but I really wanted to say, that if we’re so hellbent devoted to working to gain and/or maintain our salvation, or if we just want to work, the best work we can do is pointed out here – Believe in Jesus Christ.
Anyway, in that short exchange Jesus emphasized that if you want to have anything to do with God, you start with Him. Christ points to God, the Father who has sent Him.
This led to me presenting yet another cycle, as we’ve been apparently pointing out since the beginning. So far, we’ve established the following:
As we trust in the Lord, we receive revelations of His glory and grace, and as we behold His glory and grace, we’re led to trust Him more.
His glory and grace has been seen in Daniel 3-4 and John 3-4: Christ is with us, preserving us through the fires that burn everything else around us, and because we believe in Him, fountains of living water burst forth from within.
Here in these longer chapters we’ve read of how we read the Word and are led to Christ, who was sent by our Father, who points us back to Christ, who makes the Word clearer for us.
Good stuff, so far? I hope so. We’re three Sundays into this and I could say that we could use more time in discussion for sure, and we need to strategize: (1) How to get the most out of the Scriptures we have, applicable for this season, and (2) how to effectively disseminate said revelations to the rest of the congregation.
I do want to add that at the end of the service, and when everyone was heading home, a more learned and experienced missionary couple assured me of the potency of my message, after accepting my apology for taking too much time on the pulpit. They did want to point out another thing, concerning Daniel in the lions’ den… I know they only quoted verse 6, but I thought I’d pull up Isaiah 11, starting at verse 1 to 10:
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
I have pointed out that if it was anyone else thrown into the lions’ den, they would be torn apart and broken even before their bodies (or whatever was left of their bodies, anyway) hit the ground. However, when it was Daniel who was lowered, and all through the night until he was raised back up, the lions did not attack. Sister Helen pointed out that this was a foreshadowing of the Kingdom that was to come, established by Christ… as described in the verses we just shared.
Something else while we’re here and talking about this:
A stone was rolled over the cover the pit, as a stone was also rolled to cover the tomb where Christ’s body placed.
The stone was rolled away, and when Darius cried out, Daniel responded, ‘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.” (Daniel 6:22)
The stone was rolled away, and when Mary Magdalene went to investigate, an angel told them: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”Matthew 28:5-7
In Daniel was found no cause for death, and he was raised up and out of the den.
God raised Christ up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.
I’d try to mention other ‘observations’, but at this point it’d all sound forced and contrived.
It’s certainly humbling to hear other perspectives on Scripture, but it’s absolutely amazing when we see how it all points to Christ! This is why we really should keep on studying the Word on our own initiative – who knows what new perspectives would be revealed? How else can we find cause to glorify our Savior?
As I closed yesterday, so I share again:
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.Romans 11:36
Onward, to Daniel 7-8, and to John 7-8! Until that next post, may the Lord continue to bless us greatly. Amen.
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