A Great Comfort

What Brings You Comfort?

Memory

Location

An Item:

Teddy Bear

Comfort Food

We Three Kings

Hardly - not kings

Find Comfort in YAHWAH

You don’t have to find comfort in Him blindly!

We have a lot of reasons to find comfort in our Great God.

Take a journey with me back to the time of Daniel.

605 BC

As a boy, Danial was taken into captivity.

He remained faithful.

The king had a troubling dream and needed it interpreted.

no one could do. SO the king was going to have all the wise men executed.

Then Daniel shows up.

Daniel explains to the king that it was GOD, OUR GREAT GOD, who allowed the King to see the future in his visions. Daniel explains all of this.

And GET THIS:

Daniel 2:46–49 CSB

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell face down, worshiped Daniel, and gave orders to present an offering and incense to him. The king said to Daniel, “Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts.

Daniel 2:46–49 CSB

He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.

So now we have a Judean, an Israelite, a slave really, again put over Babylon, and over ALL THE WISE MEN. Daniel is the BOSS.

Daniel is the CHIEF over all the wise men.

SO Daniel is over the wise men.

SO it is his job to train them. to educate them. to teach them.

And since he is able to do what no other wise man could do, then they would want to learn. ANd they would do just that.

Later on in the book of Daniel, chapter 5, Daniel was again exalted to the same position by another King.

Again in Daniel Chapter 6.

70 Years!

Let’s think about that!

70 Years in Captivity.

A Captivity where Babylon was destroying everything that would make Israelite, Israelite.

70 years that should have removed all record of a people.

FOR 70 years Daniel held FIRM to the faith!

In America we can’t remember anything for 2 years.

People expect you to forget in 2 days!

And the sad reality is that we DO! WE FORGET!

BUT Daniel didn't. And we shouldn't/

Where was Daniel in Captivity?

Babylon - Modern day Iraq.

Anyone familiar with Geography?

Where is Iraq on the map in relation to Israel?

Now check this out:

Matthew 1:11 CSB

and Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

The Genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew makes sure to REMIND US of the exile to Babylon. Now isn’t that fascinating. Almost like God is wanting us to SEE THAT THERE IS A CONNECTION!

I always say, If God repeats Himself, we should take note. Expecially when it is BACK TO BACK.

Matthew 1:12 CSB

After the exile to Babylon Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel, Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel,

Literally the VERY NEXT VERSE, God says: EXILE TO BABYLON AGAIN!

Then the next Chapter

Matthew 2:1 CSB

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

So we have 2 verses, back to back that remind us about the exile to Babylon.

Where is Babylon geographically from Israel?

EAST!

600 years later.

Wise men from the EAST - the same location as BABYLON - come looking.

for what?

Matthew 2:2 CSB

saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”

They were looking for the one who was born!

LIKE ISAIAH WROTE would happen LONG BEFORE Daniel!

Brothers and Sisters,

where does your comfort come from?

Does it come from things of this earth, or does it come from the one who KEEPS HIS WORD.

Does it come from the one who connects His word to His Word?

Does it come from the one who weaves through all of history, HIS STORY.

Jesus does just that.

Romans 8:28 CSB

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

2 Corinthians 1:20 CSB

For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.

Maybe you have never really taken Jesus serious. Taken faith serious. Take the Bible serious.

I pray that when you hear all these connections, 1 after another, that something inside of you wakes up and you finally BREATH FOR THE FIRST TIME!

That you take that breath of air and realize that God has been working, weaving, a beautiful thing together.

WHICH MEANS HE IS REAL!

I promise you: Jesus is REAL. So please start living like it.

start breathing like it.

You give your life to Jesus, and you start making changes, but something happens and you forget.

You forget and you go back to the comfort of the sin and the filth, and the garbage!

But Daniel held firm!

and you are to hang firm.

Why? Because God reminds us over and over again. God made sure that