The remaining lessons in our study will focus on chapters 10-12. When we overviewed Daniel, it became obvious that these 3 chapters are linked together. This week we'll be closely observing chapter 10...and looking for that connection to the other 2 chapters. These can be difficult chapters to understand...so we'll take it one step at a time.
In the midst of some challenging chapters, I hope we'll keep in mind something that is becoming very clear in our study of Daniel. One of the phrases used to describe Daniel is 'highly esteemed'. 'Highly esteemed' can be translated: precious, greatly loved. God cared enough to reach out over and over again and share knowledge with this man. Today we hold in our hands the very words God shared with Daniel....because He wanted it preserved. Do you know what I think that means? You are precious to Him as well....and He wants you to know these same truths.
Listen to what Peter says about prophecy: But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (1 Pet 1:20-21) When you sit down to study chapter 10 this week, remember that God moved Daniel to write these words...and as a result, you and I can read it today! We're not just 'doing Bible study'....God Himself is communicating with us!
What Daniel experienced in chapter 10 left him speechless and weak. But, God's messenger encouraged him, strengthened him, and then began to explain the message God wanted him to hear. We may feel a bit weak at the knees, too, as we dive into these chapters! But, let's keep in mind that God Almighty is talking to us....because He loves us! This is all about knowing Him!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Lesson 4 Discussion
As usual we ran out of time this morning...and didn't get to spend time talking about what we're learning on a personal level. I loved Emile's insights at the end of the class! Thanks, Emile!!
I thought maybe we could use the blog to share our personal thoughts about the various lessons.
For example:
-What kinds of insights about God did you see this week?
-Did you get any insights into Daniel from chapter 8?
-How does chapter 8 relate to us today? Why study it?
-What can this vision about the ram and goat teach us?
You may still have questions about some of the more technical parts of Chapter 8...but what about how it's touching you personally? Don't worry...you don't have to have some deep, uniquely profound thing to say! It'd be good to just share our thoughts with one another, don't you think?
So...let's talk!
I thought maybe we could use the blog to share our personal thoughts about the various lessons.
For example:
-What kinds of insights about God did you see this week?
-Did you get any insights into Daniel from chapter 8?
-How does chapter 8 relate to us today? Why study it?
-What can this vision about the ram and goat teach us?
You may still have questions about some of the more technical parts of Chapter 8...but what about how it's touching you personally? Don't worry...you don't have to have some deep, uniquely profound thing to say! It'd be good to just share our thoughts with one another, don't you think?
So...let's talk!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Images
These are glazed tiles of a mosaic originally in Susa. The original mosaic is now in the Louvre in Paris.
Image: Tomb of Daniel In Susa
Thought you'd find this interesting! It's supposedly Daniel's tomb in Susa.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Homework: Lesson 4
This week we’re working on Lesson 4. This will be our only week to study chapter 8, can you believe it? The 1st 2 days of our homework are to be spent observing the chapter. Like chapter 7, Daniel has a vision and then receives an interpretation of his vision. It can seem rather confusing at 1st glance! So, here are some suggestions that will hopefully simplify things a bit:
1. Don’t worry about interpreting every detail immediately! Remember: focus on what is obvious, not the obscure. What’s obvious? Well, this vision involves a ram, a goat, and a small horn. (That’s right….we’ve got another small horn!) So, pick 3 different colored pens and mark each reference to the ram, the goat, and the small horn.
2. After you’ve marked those 3, make a simple list of everything you learn about each one on a piece of paper. Use Daniel’s words when making your lists….don’t add your own words. This helps us keep our observations objective. We want to become very familiar with the facts of chapter 8.
When you finish making your lists, look back over them and think about what you’re learning. We don’t have to wonder who the ram and goat represent…we’re told very clearly! When you look at your list about the small horn, notice which kingdom he comes out of. Is he the same guy as the little big horn in chapter 7? Reason thru your answer, using chapter 8.
Note: you may not want to mark the ram, the goat, and the small horn at the same time. You might find it helpful to just focus on one of those at a time. For example, you could mark the ram, then make your list on the ram. Look back over your list and think about what you’re learning. Afterwards, get up and go do something else! If you’re like me, there’s always laundry waiting to be done!! Come back later and work on the goat. Breaking it down into smaller steps can help.
3. After you mark the ram, goat, and small horn, you may want to mark all references to God and any other people or angelic beings mentioned in the chapter.
4. Read over the chapter and mark any time phrases you find.
5. After you've spent time observing chapter 8, look back over your notes from the 1st lessons about the history of the Middle East. Review what we learned about the Medo/Persian and Greek Empires. Who was Greece’s 1st king? Hmmmm....does he show up in chapter 8? What happened to his empire when he died?
6. There will be some challenging things to interpret in chapter 8. If you see things you just don’t understand, put a little question mark next to them in pencil. And then move on! If you have a lot of little question marks, that’s ok! Remember: focus on what is obvious! Yes, there are some confusing things…but there are many clear things as well.
As you study, keep in mind that this is a process! Sometimes we want it all to come together quickly and in a neat, orderly fashion. Well, that’s just not gonna happen in Daniel!! So, relax and enjoy the ride! Think about how much we're learning this fall! Isn't it amazing? Yes, we have many questions about what we're learning, but we also have many answers!
Paul prayed this prayer for the believers in Philippi:
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Amen!
1. Don’t worry about interpreting every detail immediately! Remember: focus on what is obvious, not the obscure. What’s obvious? Well, this vision involves a ram, a goat, and a small horn. (That’s right….we’ve got another small horn!) So, pick 3 different colored pens and mark each reference to the ram, the goat, and the small horn.
2. After you’ve marked those 3, make a simple list of everything you learn about each one on a piece of paper. Use Daniel’s words when making your lists….don’t add your own words. This helps us keep our observations objective. We want to become very familiar with the facts of chapter 8.
When you finish making your lists, look back over them and think about what you’re learning. We don’t have to wonder who the ram and goat represent…we’re told very clearly! When you look at your list about the small horn, notice which kingdom he comes out of. Is he the same guy as the little big horn in chapter 7? Reason thru your answer, using chapter 8.
Note: you may not want to mark the ram, the goat, and the small horn at the same time. You might find it helpful to just focus on one of those at a time. For example, you could mark the ram, then make your list on the ram. Look back over your list and think about what you’re learning. Afterwards, get up and go do something else! If you’re like me, there’s always laundry waiting to be done!! Come back later and work on the goat. Breaking it down into smaller steps can help.
3. After you mark the ram, goat, and small horn, you may want to mark all references to God and any other people or angelic beings mentioned in the chapter.
4. Read over the chapter and mark any time phrases you find.
5. After you've spent time observing chapter 8, look back over your notes from the 1st lessons about the history of the Middle East. Review what we learned about the Medo/Persian and Greek Empires. Who was Greece’s 1st king? Hmmmm....does he show up in chapter 8? What happened to his empire when he died?
6. There will be some challenging things to interpret in chapter 8. If you see things you just don’t understand, put a little question mark next to them in pencil. And then move on! If you have a lot of little question marks, that’s ok! Remember: focus on what is obvious! Yes, there are some confusing things…but there are many clear things as well.
As you study, keep in mind that this is a process! Sometimes we want it all to come together quickly and in a neat, orderly fashion. Well, that’s just not gonna happen in Daniel!! So, relax and enjoy the ride! Think about how much we're learning this fall! Isn't it amazing? Yes, we have many questions about what we're learning, but we also have many answers!
Paul prayed this prayer for the believers in Philippi:
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Amen!
Announcements
Next Wed is potluck day! We decided to have soup, salad, bread, and dessert. So, pick one of those categories and bring a dish to share. If you have little ones in the nursery, remember to pack a lunch for them.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Ancient Babylon: Lion
Last week we talked about how Babylon was once depicted with the image of the lion. Below are some pictures of artifacts from Ancient Babylon that show us some examples:
The Lion of Babylon statue, showing the strength of the lion over man.
Lions on the Ishtar Gate, built during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Detail of a lion from the Ishtar Gate.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Prayer Requests: October
We have the joy of praying for one another. If you have a prayer need, please share it in the "Comments" section of this post. Please check the comments often to see how you can pray for the members of our Bible study group. Thanks!
Homework: Lesson 2
We have one primary goal this week: to observe Revelation 12 and 13 and look for information that relates to Daniel's vision in chapter 7. There are so many interesting details in these chapters that it's easy to get overwhelmed. Remember, though, we are not doing a study of Revelation; we are using these chapters as cross references to Daniel 7.
As you're studying, remember that our primary goal is to observe these chapters as objectively as we can. We will not interpret all the details, even though we may want to try! This week we're looking for information that sounds like things we read in Daniel 7.
You may be tempted to grab a commentary to see how someone explains the details in Revelation 12 and 13, but this is not the time. Keep them closed for now (that includes your wonderful study Bibles and all their notes!). Read these chapters over and over and try to stick with exactly what the text says. If you can't figure something out, that's okay. We need to observe, observe, and observe some more before we try to interpret! Put a little question mark next to the things you don't understand and move on. If you have a ton of question marks, don't worry about it. Maybe you'll find yourself erasing some of those question marks after awhile.
In the homework we're asked to interpret the woman mentioned in Revelation 12. You might find it helpful to grab a piece of paper and make a simple list of everything it says about her. After you make your list, look over it and think about what it says. You may not come up with a firm conclusion, but you could jot down your ideas. We'll talk about it on Wednesday. I've already had several conversations with some of you about this woman. So, if you're struggling to understand who she is, you've got company!! The process of figuring out who she might be is a good one. So hang in there and keep chewing on it!
If you will stick with this method of studying, you will learn what the Word of God says for yourself. It's definitely a process, so give yourself lots of grace and time. There are no shortcuts for becoming equipped in understanding the Bible and handling it accurately! It takes time and discipline.....but it's so worth it!
Remember to keep asking yourself what you're learning about your God as you study. In the midst of all your questions, is there anything that grabs you personally? Is God speaking to you through these chapters?
As you're studying, remember that our primary goal is to observe these chapters as objectively as we can. We will not interpret all the details, even though we may want to try! This week we're looking for information that sounds like things we read in Daniel 7.
You may be tempted to grab a commentary to see how someone explains the details in Revelation 12 and 13, but this is not the time. Keep them closed for now (that includes your wonderful study Bibles and all their notes!). Read these chapters over and over and try to stick with exactly what the text says. If you can't figure something out, that's okay. We need to observe, observe, and observe some more before we try to interpret! Put a little question mark next to the things you don't understand and move on. If you have a ton of question marks, don't worry about it. Maybe you'll find yourself erasing some of those question marks after awhile.
In the homework we're asked to interpret the woman mentioned in Revelation 12. You might find it helpful to grab a piece of paper and make a simple list of everything it says about her. After you make your list, look over it and think about what it says. You may not come up with a firm conclusion, but you could jot down your ideas. We'll talk about it on Wednesday. I've already had several conversations with some of you about this woman. So, if you're struggling to understand who she is, you've got company!! The process of figuring out who she might be is a good one. So hang in there and keep chewing on it!
If you will stick with this method of studying, you will learn what the Word of God says for yourself. It's definitely a process, so give yourself lots of grace and time. There are no shortcuts for becoming equipped in understanding the Bible and handling it accurately! It takes time and discipline.....but it's so worth it!
Remember to keep asking yourself what you're learning about your God as you study. In the midst of all your questions, is there anything that grabs you personally? Is God speaking to you through these chapters?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
