Daniel 1:1-2 and 2 Kings 23:31-25:30; The Background of Daniel

Sermon in a sentence: God is always in control even when it seems like He is in the background.

Introduction

Elie Wiesel recounts his horrific experience in Auschwitz in his book “Night”. He retells the day he witnessed the hanging of three fellow prisoners. During this event, the prisoners were marched past the corpses of those who were hanged. Behind me, I heard the same man asking: "For God's sake, where is God?" And from within me, I heard a voice answer: "Where He is? This is where--hanging here from this gallows..." That night, the soup tasted of corpses."

God’s Judgement By Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim (23:31-24:7)

God promised covenantal curses and blessings. (Leviticus 26:3-45)

Leviticus 26:3–5 ESV

3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely.

Leviticus 26:14–18 ESV

14 “But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, 15 if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you. 18 And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins,

God used the king, who was supposed to bless God’s people, to curse them. (2 Kings 23:35)

The kings of this world are only pawns in God’s hands. (2 Kings 24:3-4)

Jehoiakim rested in the hope of Egypt and Assyria (2 Kings 24:7) but not in the Lord!

God’s Judgement for Jehoiachin and Zedekiah (24:8-25:7)

Sin comes with punishment from God. (vs. 9)

The sin of the kings was also upon the people (vs. 14)

We must be able to recognize our own sin and repent.

But we must also be willing to recognize our corporate sin - as a society, as a nation, as the universal church, and as Colgate Baptist.

God’s Judgement Upon Jerusalem (25:8-30)

The city that was supposed to be a light to the nations has become covered by darkness.

The people have been carried off to the land of exile and death.

But in the darkness, there is a beam of hope for restoration.