Daniel: which city do you live for? Daniel 6:1-28 In Daniel 6 it is now the Medo-Persians under the rule of Darius (also known as King Cyrus) who have risen to power. It was the largest empire the world had yet seen and so it required a well oiled system of governance and administration hence why […]
Daniel: the writing is on the wall. Daniel 5:1-30 We now turn our attention from the first king of the Babylonian empire (Nebuchadnezzar) to the last king of the Babylonian Empire (Belshazzar). Two very different men, both with power, both with pride, but both respond to God differently. Chapter 5 relays the account in which […]
Daniel: a tree chopped down in order to truly thrive. Daniel 4:4-36 King Nebuchadnezzar has been on a journey. A journey in which the Almighty God has been steadily pursuing and provoking him to wake up to the reality of who really has the power and authority over the earth. First there was a dream […]
Daniel: a time to fast and pray. The spiritual life of a stand up person. As we have been exploring the book of Daniel together as a community this week we are taking a moment to pause and reflect upon what God has been teaching us through Daniel. We are also pausing this week on wednesday […]
Daniel: facing the fire. Daniel 3-4:3 Just as an immense statue featured in Daniel chapter 2 now also another immense statue features. This time instead of a dream it is a golden image that Nebuchadnezzar himself erects. It was an immense idol that would have loomed over 27 metres tall; a symbol of Babylon’s dominance serving to […]
Daniel: the stone not cut by human hands. Daniel 2:31-49 This week we begin to look more closely at the content and interpretation of the dream that strikes fear into King Nebuchadnezzar. As we venture into the world of prophecy it is interesting to note that many scholars date the book of Daniel as later […]
Daniel: not on earth but in heaven. Daniel 2:1-30 As we hit Daniel chapter 2, Daniel’s belief in God’s sovereignty and power is put to the test. In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar has a bad dream and the nature of the dream strikes fear into him. He wants to know what it […]
Daniel: how to make a stand for God when your freedoms are removed. Daniel 1:8-21 Life is made up of a series of smaller decisions. We may find ourselves situated in life and wonder how we got there but perhaps not realise all the smaller decisions that we have made along the way that have […]
Daniel: when God leads you into Exile. Daniel 1: 1-7 Daniel was taken captive to Babylon during the first invasion by Nebuchadnezzar (605-562BC) at about the age of 16. He was from among the elite young men of Israel; physically impressive, intellectually astute and socially poised. A key aspect of Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion strategy was to take […]
The wise confess + pray. James 5:13-20 If anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. James finishes his letter to those planted amongst the nations with a prayerful and practical end, particularly in relation to suffering. The first point he makes is if you are suffering you should pray. No […]