2024-01-28 - Whom you'll Serve - Part 2
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Whom You’ll Serve - Part 2
Whom You’ll Serve - Part 2
Intro: When I was in 6th grade, one of my fellow students did something against the rule and the teacher told the whole class that because of their action, we all had to do extra homework. Of course I’m sure you have seen or heard of this technique. It can teach us that our actions sometimes causes others to suffer.
Link: Likewise our sin has consequences that may affect others as well. As we continue to look at Daniel here, today we will look at the Biblical Covenants a bit and see how and why someone like Daniel who was faithful to God, got caught up in the cause and effect of His fellow Jews.
REVIEW:
But before we look at Daniel getting caught up in the effects of others sin, just a quick review of what we looked at last week
Daniel was handsome
The book of Daniel and how it is split into 2 sections, Chapters 1-6 (Historical Narrative) & 7-12 (Prophetic Narrative)
Daniel was faithful even as seen and listed in Ezekiel (This will lead us into the next part of the message)
INTRO TO DANIEL (Continued):
Although Daniel was a man of faith and righteousness, he got caught up in the punishment of his fellow men. We know he was faithful, lets look at:
20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
Ezekiel is talking of the wickedness of the people here. He states that these men, even if they were here to pray for you, that God wouldn’t have mercy on you. They themselves would only be delivered b/c they themselves were righteous men.
3 (Behold, you are wiser than Daniel! There is no secret that can be hidden from you!
This sarcasm here is written to one who claimed to be god, but he was called out saying your not even as wise as Daniel and he himself wasn’t god, so how can you be a god?
Daniel was taken captive as a youth probably around age 15-16 in the year 605 BC
Daniel was of the first of three deportations involved in Babylon’s victory over Judah, these all took a place over a span of about 7 years.
Daniel wrote the book of Daniel, it was customary in Bible days to name the book after the man who wrote it.
Jesus in the N.T. identified Daniel as a prophet of God, thus validating the book of Daniel, again as part of the Bible.
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
One thing to note as we study Daniel is:
In the book of Deuteronomy, God through Moses promised great blessings if the nation lived in obedience to the Sinai covenant(Sinai covenant is the Mosaic covenant, Its called Mosaic b/c it is named after Moses, as it was given to him as the Jewish leader. It then is sometimes called the Sinai covenant b/c it was given to the people on Mt. Sinai). God also warned that if the nation disobeyed His commands, it would experience the punishments listed in the covenant—including exile from the land (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). - Rhodes, Ron. 40 Days Through Daniel: Revealing God's Plan for the Future (p. 8). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.
This helps us to get a better understanding of why the Jews were exiled from their land, b/c they broke the covenant that was made between them and God.
This is why some pastors say, we made a covenant with God when our country started and we too must be careful. Aside from Israel, we are the only other country that has made a covenant with God to follow Him.
In the Bible we see a total of 4 covenants that God made with Israel
God made 4 covenants with Israel:
#1 Abrahamic Covenant = Unconditional Genesis 12:1-3
1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
When God made the covenant with Abraham which promised descendants, a land, a future worldwide blessing. (It was confirmed with Abraham’s son Isaac & grandson Jacob.)
#2 Mosaic Covenant = Conditional Exodus 19-24 & Deuteronomy 28
The Mosaic Covenant is a conditional covenant made between God and the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-24). It is sometimes called the Sinai Covenant but is more often referred to as the Mosaic Covenant since Moses was God’s chosen leader of Israel at that time.
At the Red Sea, God separated His people from their old life; at Sinai, He brought them into a new life, a covenant relationship with Himself. It was like a wedding ceremony, with God as the Husband and Israel as the wife. Whenever the nation turned from God to idols, God accused them of committing adultery (Isa. 1:21; Je 3:1-5). Believers today must also beware this sin (Jas 4:4). The church is a nation of kings and priests (1 Pe 2:5, 9) called to glorify God. - Wiersbe, Warren W.. With the Word: The Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Handbook (p. 186). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
The Blessings and Curses for obeying/disobeying the Mosaic Covenant is whats listed and spelled out in Deuteronomy 28
#3 Davidic Covenant = Unconditional 2 Samuel 7
God’s promise to David that his future descendant would rule the world.
#4 New Covenant = Unconditional Luke 22:20
20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
Here we see Jesus was pointing back to the covenant that was given in the O.T., See Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:24-28; 37:14; Joel 2:28-29
In the book of Daniel, we see the Covenant made with Israel/Judah here was broken. It was the only one of the 4 that is Conditional. And the Jews broke their covenant with God.
Its good to note that just b/c we can break a relationship or in this case they broke their covenant, God won’t break His end of the deal/covenant.
That’s why we see in 2 Chronicles 7:14
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
So
God desires us to
Not be like Judah or Israel. They broke their conditional covenant with God. Our covenant though is not conditional, but he still desires us to follow and obey what He has asked us to do.
Be like Daniel. Daniel determined right from the get go that He was going to follow and serve God. Next week when we get into looking at Daniel 1, will see this in Daniel 1:8
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Daniel purposed he would not defile Himself. God wants us to do the same
Daniel did all he did through the power and strength of God, God wants us to do the same
Application: As an individual & church. We live in a wicked society, Vermont is the least churched state in the USA per ca-pita. Some of the most liberal ideologies coming out of Montpelier, drugs, drugs and more drugs. Our town needs JESUS, our state needs Jesus. Will we be like Daniel in Babylon? Will we be determined and purpose in our hearts to follow God?
There are so many good lessons in Daniel. Such as:
Trusting God as we serve him in a difficult society.
Testing and being taught what the
World wants us to think, but at the same time God is trying to teach us what to think.
The question is who will we listen to. If we listen to and follow God he will do great and mighty things through us Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
If we follow God, as a result, The community will:
See a difference in us
Respect us, not because of who we are but because of what God is doing through us.
Challenge: As we approach February 4th, just 1 week from now, will enjoy our potluck and then we will sit down and brainstorm ideas of where we think we see God may be inviting us to do something great with Him, to see our community changed, to see them come to Christ, to see us grow and our church grow both in the ways of the Lord and then numerically.
Invitation: This will never take place if first, you have not given your life to Christ. Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.