Un-seen Delays 2020-09-13
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· 5 viewstoday we begin looking at Daniels last vission. He struggled over it for 3 weeks asking God for answers, what did it mean
Notes
Transcript
What we missed
What we missed
Last week, we looked at Daniel 9 where Daniel prayed long and earnestly for God to do,
[pause]
exactly what he had promised,
to bring his people home to Jerusalem
at the end of 70 years.
What we didn’t look at last week in Daniel chapter 9 was God’s answer,
given by the angel Gabriel.
At the very beginning of Daniels prayer,
Gabriel was commanded to go and give Daniel understanding.
To give him answers.
In chapter 10, there is also an angel, probably Gabriel again.
And this angel was also sent as soon as prayers begin but he is delayed
3 weeks, and only makes it to Daniel because Michael,
the Archangel came to help him.
We shall read that true story soon but first let me tell you another story, that comes from my wifes reading.
How do you fight injustice?
How do you fight injustice?
Benjamin Lay, was a Quaker minister and an abolitionist.
That means he was against slavery.
He fought the injustice of his day in many ways.
-Once he stole a neighbors child.
Just to worry them for a while, so they could feel what it was like to have your child ripped away from you, like that slave parents families slaves felt when the owner sold a slave child and sent it away.
-Once he hollowed out a bible filled it with pigs blood and took it to church.
As he spoke at church, he said,
Every product made by slaves was an act of war!
Then he opened up his cloak to reveal a military uniform
shocking as a Quaker minister
and
He said
All slave-made products were products of war!.
That’s when he raised his sword and plunged it into the bible, filled with pigs blood.
It splattering the poor people in the closest pews.
I bet they remembered that sermon,
the rest of there lives.
Well as we read from God’s word this morning,
let me assure you, that my bible is not hollowed out,
and those closest to me,
don’t have to worry about getting splattered with pigs blood.
[pause]
But what injustices are still around us?
And how should we deal with them,
is something to ponder.
Now, lets begin with our Bible lesson found in Daniel chapter 10 .
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.
These last 3 chapters of Daniel, chapters 10, 11 and 12,
all deal with this final vision about a great conflict
2 In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks.
3 I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.
In morning, Daniel was on a sort of fast,
not from food, but from good tasting food.
From these verses we understand that when he is not fasting, he ate meat and drank wine.
This seems to go against his only eating vegetables and water, in chapter 1 of Daniel.
Perhaps outside of that training period, Daniel found meat he could eat,
meat not sacrificed to idols.
Perhaps the kings “Wine “ was strong drink and the wine Daniel has now was not,
perhaps it was a mild wine.
But that’s just speculation.
The word for wine is the same in both chapter 1 and here in chapter 10.
This is an interesting, a fast of Good food, good drink and no lotions.
That reminds me of the lent season where Pam chose not to eat chocolate,
which was a hard denial.
In the desert lands of the middle east today, lotions seem like a necessity and it may have been as harsh and dry then, but Daniel went 3 weeks without any lotion.
Ladies would that be a sacrifice to you,
3 weeks without any skin care products?
Would you do it for answers to your prayers?
[pause]
Let’s read on.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,
This isn’t a vision of Daniel being along the Tigris river.
This time, Daniel actually is beside the Tigris river,
so he is not in the city of Babylon.
Because the city of Babylon is on the Euphrates river.
5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
Eyes like flaming torches.
To us, this guy is scary!
How does Daniels messenger compare to John’s messenger in Rev 1
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
That same sort of scariness
This is a heavenly visitor.
7 Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves.
Does that remind you of Paul’s encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus?
here is how Luke described that scene in Acts
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
So Sauls friends were aware of something but didn’t really hear Christ message to Saul.
So they are similar stories
And, Paul was struck blind by his encounter on the Damascus Road but how did Daniel fare?
8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
Something about encountering the living God is exhausting.
Or they cut us to the quick.
As Isaiah cried out
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Back to Daniel
He fell into a deep sleep, or a trance as the Lexham English Bible puts it.
What fixed that?
A divine touch
10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
Well at least he’s awake now, not out cold
11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
Now Daniel is up and in an attitude more ready to receive a message from the Lord God.
12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.
This tells me that God responds to our prayers quickly.
So why did it take 3 weeks for Daniel to get a reply?
That’s because there is a war going on.
A war we hear about but never see.
13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
So for three weeks, Daniel has been in morning, fasting of a sort, waiting and pleading for Gods response.
But God responded right away and sent his messenger, probably the angel Gabriel again.
Did the angel get their right way?
No
For 21 days, that sounds longer then 3 weeks, for 21 days, the angel had been fighting the prince of Persia and couldn’t get past him until Michael, the Archangel or an Archangel came to help him.
That is a long fight,
I don’t picture this as a once a day sparing.
There are mighty angels and I think they fought 21 days straight, without stopping!
just to get a message of hope to God’s man.
I have no doubt that,
some of our answers to prayer
are delayed for the same reason.
not all delays,
but delays are due to demonic opposition
demonic attach.
Are they delayed, because God is weak?
No, God is not weak,
But He has chosen to use to use his angles to fight this war and
to use us.
Spiritual attacks seem to come and go like our armor is being tested.
And one time it that testing seems to come is when
a leader is about to leave on vacation or business?
14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. 16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”
So Daniel learned this vision he saw was about the future.
Daniel is speechless, but a divine messenger touched his lips and opened his mouth
Daniel was still extremely weak, how could he talk to this visitor?
18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”
When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”
So the encounter with God, and the vision made Daniel feel too weak to function
And a divine touch strengthened him
Then God, or this messenger of God,
said to Daniel
Do not be afraid!
He said
Peace, Be strong now, be strong
And Daniel was strengthened.
When you and I are fearful little lambs
who is it that can strengthen us,
and give us peace?
GOD CAN
I often have been a fearful little lamb
but since I see that God reached down and strengthen Daniel,
then I know that God can reach down and strengthen me,
and He has
God can reach down and strengthen you too!
I bet if we handed out mics now,
many of you could share about times God gave you strength
to do
or to endure
what you could not imagine doing or
enduring.
And Daniel, having been restored
having been strengthened
Daniel was ready to listen to the Lord
to be taught of Him,
be given knowledge of this great vision
20 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
We have heard about the books in heaven that include detail of our lives because they are opened at the time of judgement.
We have heard about the Lambs book of life, and
what a joy there is to have your name their, in the Lambs book of life &
what a sorry there is to have missed out, to have never
chosen Jesus in this life and get you name in His book
But here is another book
The book of truth,
This is the only reference to it in the bible.
It is speculated, it’s a history book
God’s history book
with His whole plan:
the past
the present and
future
history..
All of it.
Next week we will get into some very specific history as the angel says what he is going to say.
but right now, let’s prepare our hearts for Prayer.
God when the life we live has knocked the stuffing out of us,
please touch us with your healing hands
and strengthen us
God when we have given all we have, but it’s not enough
touch us, and give us strength
Father, many have been hit hard because of these fires
many have been displaced for a while
some have lost their homes, their businesses
some have lost friends and family
some have lost pets or livestock
Help them to call on You with the strength they have left
then strengthen them, as you strengthened Daniel
And Lord when we pray
put the demons,
and the princes of this world
on the run
so your messengers and messages will not be delayed in this land.
We ask these things for your name sake and
for your Glory!
Amen!
Can I hear an Amen from God’s people now?
Amen!