Participants:
Series Code: SISS
Program Code: SISS000078A
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00:01 Music...
00:31 James: So we have... this is Program Number 6 00:33 and we're still in Daniel 1 00:35 but we're going to finish Daniel 1. 00:37 We've laid a good foundation, we've gone... 00:39 we've looked at the history which sets us up 00:42 for understanding the rest of the book, 00:43 especially Daniel 11, right? 00:45 Jason: Technically, this is Program Number 78. 00:49 James: Ooooh. 00:51 Jason: Program number 78... I'm just saying. 00:54 James: Because this is continuing from Revelation... 00:56 isn't that something! 00:59 Jason: That way, they don't get confused 01:00 when they're looking for it. 01:02 James: Right, okay. Wooo... 01:03 we've looked at parallels... 01:04 the prophetic parallels with Daniel and Revelation, 01:08 the end-time parallels... 01:10 the book of Daniel illustrates for us 01:13 as it's taken into the book of Revelation... 01:15 so, this is real life 01:16 and then we've got the symbolic down there, 01:18 and then we've looked at the Covenant... 01:20 and the personal... and the purpose... 01:22 and how God has a purpose for each one of us 01:25 and He wants us to find that purpose 01:27 and we find that purpose 01:29 sometimes... I know from my life, 01:31 I was at a low point and... when I gave my heart to Jesus 01:35 and it was the trials... that low point 01:37 that caused me to give my heart to Jesus 01:39 to find my... and I found my purpose... 01:40 that's why I'm here today. 01:42 Jason: Hmmm... hmmm... 01:43 James: And so, sometimes it's through those trials 01:45 that Daniel is going through a major trial here 01:46 but that's where he finds his purpose 01:47 and because he found his purpose, here we are. 01:49 Ivor: I tell you, it's amazing as you're talking about this 01:53 and I'm just thinking, I found my purpose 01:56 reading Daniel chapter 2 and Daniel chapter 7. 02:00 James: Wow! Yvonne: Really? 02:01 Ivor: That was the study that was given 02:03 to me and my group of friends... 02:05 you know... one night 2 o'clock in the morning, 02:07 in the Den... Marijuana-filled place... 02:11 and someone's giving us this Bible Study 02:13 on Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 and it was just like... 02:17 like purpose hit me in the face. 02:20 James: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 02:21 Ivor: Whoooosh! it was just like, 02:23 "What is this?" 02:25 and it just revolutionized everything. 02:28 So, when you're talking about purpose, I mean, it's... 02:32 and it's amazing because I think the book of Daniel 02:35 really contains the purpose of all humanity. 02:38 James: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm. 02:39 Ivor: You're like, this is not God's ideal for you 02:42 or just me or just... you know... 02:45 the entire history of the human race 02:48 is... is in the book of Daniel and God trying to intervene 02:53 to save as many as possible and to let those people know, 02:58 "Hey, you have a mission to go tell other people 03:00 about what you have seen and what you have heard... " 03:02 and it brings real purpose. 03:05 I remember being in New York City, 03:07 one of these nights I'd just heard this 03:10 and I'm standing up outside and I'm looking around... 03:12 in my mind, I'm like, 03:14 "I am the only one in New York City that knows this... " 03:17 this was before I knew there was an Adventist church... 03:21 I was like, "The Lord has called me... " 03:24 I felt like the one person on the planet... 03:27 and it was like, "All this burden falls on my shoulders!" 03:31 Then I found out there was a Movement... 03:33 I was like, then I understood, okay... 03:35 Yvonne: Like Elijah. 03:37 Ivor: Yeah, like Elijah... then, I was like... 03:38 what should I do... what... 03:39 James: We need to pray, 03:41 we need to pray and get into Daniel chapter 1, 03:44 Yvonne, would you like to pray for us? 03:45 Yvonne: Sure, "Father, thank You so very much 03:47 for bringing us together again to study Your Word, 03:50 we just praise You Lord, for the insights 03:52 that You continue to give 03:54 and we just pray for continued blessings, 03:57 guidance and direction, 03:58 thank You so much again Father God for what You've done 04:02 in the plan of salvation for us and Your love for us, 04:05 in Jesus' name, amen. " 04:06 All: Amen. 04:07 James: So, Daniel chapter 1, let's pick it up here 04:09 with verse 5, 04:13 Jason, you got this on verse 5. 04:15 Jason: Yes Sir, "And the king appointed for them 04:18 a daily provision of the king's delicacies 04:20 and of the wine which he drank, 04:22 and three years of training for them, 04:24 so that at the end of that time 04:26 they might serve before the king. " 04:28 James: Okay, so verse 5 is basically talking about 04:30 the practical relationship that these guys were going to have. 04:34 They weren't going to be taken in there 04:35 and put on some farm somewhere 04:38 or made a slave in someone's house... 04:40 these guys were coming into the palace... 04:41 these guys were eating the food of the king's table... 04:44 these guys were going to be specially educated... 04:47 these guys were going to serve a specific purpose. 04:50 They went in to train... 04:51 they had free college education in Babylon for three years 04:57 but that education meant a re-train 04:59 or reframing of the mind and Daniel had to be thinking 05:02 "I can't completely acquiesce to this... 05:05 I've got to cooperate... 05:06 but I can't completely acquiesce to this. " 05:08 And so, what does he do? 05:10 What's the first thing he does? 05:11 Let's read verse... why don't we read a few verses, 05:14 let's read verses 6... all the way down through verse 16... 05:22 6 to 16... 05:25 Yvonne: "Now from among those of the sons of Judah 05:28 were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 05:31 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: 05:34 he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; 05:36 to Hananiah, Shadrach; 05:38 to Mishael, Meshach; 05:40 and to Azariah, Abednego. 05:42 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself 05:46 with the portion of the king's delicacies, 05:49 nor with the wine which he drank; 05:51 therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs 05:54 that he might not defile himself. 05:56 Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill 05:59 of the chief of the eunuchs. 06:01 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, 06:03 'I fear my lord the king, 06:05 who has appointed your food and drink. 06:07 For why should he see your faces looking worse 06:10 than the young men who are your age? 06:11 Then you would endanger my head before the king. ' 06:14 So Daniel said to the steward 06:16 whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, 06:19 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 06:21 'Please test your servants for ten days, 06:24 and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 06:27 Then let our appearance be examined before you, 06:30 and the appearance of the young men 06:32 who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; 06:36 and as you see fit, so deal with your servants. ' 06:39 So he consented with them in this matter, 06:41 and tested them ten days. 06:43 And at the end of ten days 06:44 their features appeared better and fatter in flesh 06:48 than all the young men 06:49 who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. 06:51 Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies 06:55 and the wine that they were to drink, 06:57 and gave them vegetables. " 06:59 James: Hmmm... vegetables... ooooh... 07:02 Yvonne: Yummy... I love vegetables... so... 07:04 James: So... so we're starting here 07:06 and in verse 6, we're told that there's a bunch of... 07:11 of young kids... of... of... of... of standout princes... 07:15 and, you know, the kings seed et cetera, 07:18 and among them is Daniel and his three companions. 07:22 So, they're among a bunch of others. 07:24 Yvonne: Right. 07:25 James: So, here's where we get this idea of remnant... 07:28 we get this idea of a small group 07:30 that are remaining faithful to God 07:32 because as it goes down here 07:34 and it says that their names are changed 07:35 and Daniel is feeling the pressure of the world... 07:37 it's coming against them... his name is being changed... 07:39 he's a eunuch... 07:40 he's coming into the king's palace... 07:41 he's being educated by the king... 07:43 and Daniel is saying, 07:44 "There's got to be something I can do here... 07:46 something where I can stand. 07:47 I know what I'm going to do, I'm not going to eat that food, 07:48 I'm going to take a stand somewhere. " 07:50 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 07:51 James: And so, when we take a stand somewhere, 07:52 that can completely change our entire life. 07:54 Just one little stand can change our entire life. 07:56 Just take a stand for Jesus. 07:58 Ivor: Yeah, and it just... you know... as you're speaking, 08:00 my mind is thinking in terms of Christ. 08:03 James: Hmmm... 08:04 Ivor: And He came to this world 08:06 and took on our human nature, right? 08:10 and, you know, a nature that was... 08:13 you know, that could get hungry... 08:16 that... you know, just... 08:17 He had to deal with sins just like us, 08:20 right? He never sinned 08:21 but He had to deal with the same things that we all deal with, 08:24 be tempted with the same things we're all tempted with 08:27 and I think about His experience in the wilderness 08:30 right, we're talking about that first temptation 08:32 and this is Satan trying to train Him... 08:35 trying to re-train Him, right? 08:37 "Hey, you're in my kingdom right now, 08:38 so, why don't you go ahead and turn that stone into bread?" 08:42 All: Hmmm... 08:43 Ivor: Right? "Why don't you go ahead and learn the... 08:45 the... the skill of self-dependence 08:48 of doing your own thing... providing for your own needs?" 08:51 And this is what, you know, what Daniel did 08:54 was a foreshadow of what Jesus would do 08:58 which, then in turn, is for us to say, 09:01 "Okay, all right... so if I want to learn how 09:04 to stay strong... how to stand strong because in a sense... 09:07 in a literal sense, we are in Babylon. 09:10 Right, I mean, we're in a world 09:13 that is not friendly to the principles of God... 09:15 to the principles of righteousness 09:16 how do we live in a world but be not of that world? 09:20 Right, and this is what Daniel did. 09:22 He lived in Babylon but he was not of Babylon 09:25 right? and that's what we need to understand. 09:28 That's what I want to be like, you know, 09:30 dare to be a Daniel... that's what that means. 09:32 All: Hmmm... hmmm... 09:33 James: I love the idea that he purposed in his heart 09:36 because religion in... in many cases 09:42 and especially in the last days 09:43 is going to become a form... 09:45 it's going to become an outward form... 09:47 it's going to become outward conformity... 09:50 it's actually popular in some places to be a Christian... 09:54 to be religious, but how deep is it? 09:57 And Daniel started with heart, 09:59 and when you start with heart, 10:01 then it comes to the surface in your actions. 10:04 Some people see the actions and that's what they mimic... 10:07 that's what they follow but it's not a heart experience 10:09 and when you look at the book of Revelation 10:13 and you see the parallels again with this prophecy, 10:16 you realize that the Mark of the Beast 10:18 which is conformity to the world in the ultimate sense 10:21 is still religious conformity... it's still worship 10:24 and there's still this outward manifestation 10:29 of belief in God but it's not deep... 10:32 it's in one place can be received in the hand 10:35 whereas, you know, the... the Seal of God is something 10:38 that can only be received in the forehead... 10:40 in the mind... in the heart... 10:42 and so there's... 10:43 there's depth that Daniel is experiencing right here 10:47 when he purposes in his heart that he's not going to do this, 10:50 it's a heart experience with him 10:51 and I think he's had this experience before, 10:54 what I'd like to suggest here is that Daniel 10:56 has already purposed in his heart to follow God 10:59 as a young man. 11:00 He's already purposed in his heart 11:02 to receive the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel 11:06 and to believe what his parents have taught him 11:09 and/or what he's learned in... in the church... 11:11 in the synagogue 11:13 and this is just another... so now he's just saying, 11:16 "Okay, now, I've got... I can't do this... 11:18 I know what I got to do, 11:19 I got to do the same thing now that I've been doing, 11:21 I've got to purpose in my heart not to do this. 11:22 I can't just have this outward thing... 11:24 I got to purpose in my heart. " 11:25 So, he makes a decision, he surrenders it to God 11:28 and that is how we are being developed. 11:31 We have something that we surrender to God. 11:34 When I first came to the Lord, I surrendered alcohol... 11:37 that's what I surrendered to God... 11:38 just surrendered alcohol to Him 11:39 and since that time, there's a lot of things 11:41 that I've had to surrender... 11:43 God leads us step by step and there's one thing 11:45 and there's another thing... and there's another thing 11:47 and some of the stuff isn't on the level of alcohol... 11:49 you know what I'm saying? 11:50 It's food... let's say... 11:51 or drink of different kinds that aren't healthy for me 11:55 or whatever... you got to understand, 11:56 I'm married to a Registered Dietician. 11:58 All: Laughter. 11:59 James: Stuff that my wife says 12:02 I shouldn't be eating very much of, 12:03 like, you know, I won't start naming names... 12:07 so... but Daniel's approach here is not... 12:10 "I'm going to purpose in my heart this one time... 12:12 I've never done that before, I'll see what happens. " 12:13 No, I think it's a habit with him. 12:15 Ivor: And, I mean, think about... 12:18 think about how the book of Daniel starts, right? 12:21 Daniel 1 is like, "Hey, go ahead and eat this. " 12:23 Doesn't seem like a big deal. 12:25 Ivor: You know, it's not like, "Eat this or die. " 12:28 No, it's just, "Eat this. " 12:29 Yvonne: Right. 12:31 Ivor: And it's an easy concession to make. 12:33 You know, yeah, it's appetite... 12:37 it's unclean food but you know what? 12:38 "Ahhh... set whatever is placed before you, right? 12:42 I mean, Eat whatever is set before you... " 12:44 "Okay... yeah... " 12:45 Daniel was faithful in the little things, 12:49 so, when you get to Daniel 2, 12:51 and now, you know, 12:54 "Oh, there's a death decree to kill all the wise men... " 12:57 it's not directed toward Daniel but he's prepared to say, 13:00 "Hey, hold on, wait a minute" and step up. 13:02 When we get to Daniel 3, and you've got the fiery furnace 13:05 and, of course, Daniel is not involved in that 13:07 but Daniel chapter 6 and the Lions' Den... 13:09 these... the smaller temptations that he overcame 13:13 and he was faithful in, I believe helped prepare him 13:17 for the big trials 13:19 and that is another object lesson that we see 13:23 as the book progresses. 13:24 Right? That's what we need. 13:27 We need to experience victory 13:29 in those seemingly "little things" 13:32 that will prepare the way for us to be victorious 13:35 in the bigger things. 13:37 James: And I think, even though Daniel's not... 13:38 you were going to say something, Yvonne? 13:39 Yvonne: I was... I was going to say... 13:41 it took courage to say, "You know what? 13:43 I'm not going to eat this... " 13:46 first of all, this is the king's food. 13:48 Right? so, you go... you go to the President's house 13:52 let's say, go to the White House, 13:54 and they put food before you 13:56 and you're a guest there for an extended period, 14:00 and you... you say, "You know what? 14:02 I... I can't eat this. " 14:03 Well, now you're insulting the king 14:07 and so that... that takes real courage 14:12 so, again, God was preparing Daniel to... 14:16 to be in that Lions' Den just from... 14:20 this is... this is a first time that we are introduced 14:24 to what he does, 14:25 and we see that he says, "Okay, I can't eat that. " 14:29 Jason: Hmmm... hmmm... 14:31 Yvonne: He stood up for what he knew to be right 14:33 in this situation 14:34 so that, in the next one he could do it... 14:37 and in the next one he could do it. 14:39 But that's really deep. 14:41 Jason: It's kind of like working out... 14:43 I guess we're going to ask Pastor Myers... 14:46 when you lift the weights, man, the resistance... 14:49 each time, when you start adding more and more weight... 14:53 you start getting bigger and bigger. 14:54 James: You can talk to me about that. 14:55 Jason: Well, we're going to... we're going to exclude you... 14:58 James: Feeling sad that they don't consider him 15:02 a weight lifter. 15:06 All: Laughter. 15:10 James: Nah, you're right, you nailed it... 15:12 you nailed it Jason, and it's so true... 15:13 and I think his friends also... 15:15 I think that Daniel and his friends purposed... 15:18 so you see that in those little trials, 15:20 here's another thing I'd like to suggest, 15:22 it's influence... there are four of us right here, 15:26 there's four of them 15:27 and there are things that we do that influence each other 15:30 you know, and that's what I think we have here with Daniel 15:33 because it's interesting as he goes through here 15:35 and he... and he goes... and interprets the king's dream, 15:38 before he does it, he prays with his friends. 15:40 There are prayer groups that support him 15:42 and then, when he gets promoted, he wants them promoted too 15:45 because he knows that they're... they're together. 15:47 Yvonne: Right. 15:48 James: And I love that because what it's telling me is, 15:50 we need community... you know what I mean? 15:53 We need community, 15:54 we need each other, 15:56 we think we can make this alone but the book of Daniel tells us, 15:59 "It would be good to have some people with you on this, 16:01 even if it's just three or four of you. " 16:03 Yvonne: Very true. 16:05 James: It would be good to have some folks there. 16:06 Ivor: So, when the king of the north... 16:09 with the king of the south... 16:11 attacks the king of the north... 16:13 we talked about Egypt, king of the south, 16:15 how they attacked Babylon first... king of the north... 16:20 and then, Babylon retaliates or goes back after Egypt 16:24 and defeats them, 16:26 and then turns their attention on Jerusalem, 16:29 right? the holy city, the Holy Land... 16:31 it is... 16:34 and tries to enforce the wine of Babylon, 16:36 so, those who stick together, right? 16:41 The remnant... 16:43 and you talked about the concept of the remnant, 16:46 those who have been influencing each other for good, 16:50 that are able to stand together under the pressures 16:54 of this king of the north saying, 16:56 "You need to eat... or drink the wine of Babylon 17:00 and eat the meat of Babylon. 17:02 Right? eat the food of Babylon. 17:03 Because we've talked about this before 17:06 that ultimately, that wine 17:08 is just symbolic of false doctrines... 17:11 false beliefs... and in fact, wine in the Bible 17:18 is a symbol of what? 17:19 James: Doctrine... teaching. 17:21 Ivor: Doctrine... but also, think about it, 17:24 when we partake of the Lord's Supper... 17:27 James: It's the gospel, yeah, it's the gospel. 17:29 Ivor: It's the blood... right? James: Hmmm... hmmm.. 17:30 Ivor: And Jesus said, "This is the covenant in my blood... " 17:33 so, Babylon is basically offering a counterfeit gospel. 17:38 James: Yeah. Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... 17:40 Ivor: And they're saying, "Look, you need... 17:42 you need to drink this. " 17:44 James: Hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 17:45 Ivor: Now, counterfeit gospel is going to affect the way 17:47 that we think because that gospel 17:49 is fermented, right? 17:52 it's alcoholic in content, 17:53 and, this is what the enemy is seeking to do. 17:57 Right? so, those... 17:59 the "remnant" are those who refuse the wine of Babylon... 18:02 who have the commandments of God... 18:04 the testimony of Jesus... 18:06 and it all comes back to that communion with one another, 18:10 "Come Union" 18:12 Right? Come Union... 18:16 that's what God is after, right? 18:18 The true blood is about "Come... let's unify" 18:21 and that's what the four Hebrews did. 18:23 Yvonne: Hmmm... Jason: Yeah. 18:24 Yvonne: It's good. 18:26 James: I don't think we can spend too much time on this 18:27 so, I wanted to share something 18:28 that I think is really important here, 18:30 Jason, could you look up Malachi 18:34 which is the last book of the New Testament 18:36 right next to Matthew. 18:37 Yvonne: The Old Testament. James: I mean, the Old Testament 18:38 Matthew is the first book of the New Testament... 18:40 Malachi chapter 3 verse 16... 16 and 17... 18:45 and I'm just going to read this verse... 18:47 or maybe Yvonne, could you read this verse, 18:49 it's Daniel 12 verse 1. 18:51 Yvonne: Sure. 18:52 James: And I want you to think about "Community" right now 18:54 and what we've been talking... Ivor's just been talking about. 18:57 Jason: Okay... Malachi chapter... 18:59 James: Let's have Yvonne read first. 19:01 Yvonne: Okay, "At that time Michael shall stand up, 19:04 The great prince who stands watch 19:06 over the sons of your people; 19:07 and there shall be a time of trouble, 19:10 such as never was since there was a nation, 19:12 even to that time. 19:13 And at that time, your people shall be delivered, 19:16 everyone who is found written in the book. 19:19 and many of those... " 19:20 Yvonne: Oh, that's enough? Okay. 19:22 James: That's it, now what's interesting is, 19:23 this is obviously talking about... 19:25 because the next verse is talking about the resurrection, 19:27 it's obvious he's talking about Daniel's people... us... 19:30 in the end of time... Daniel's people... 19:32 and it says, "When Michael stands up, 19:33 we're going to be delivered if we're written in the book. " 19:35 So, the question I want to ask is, 19:36 "How can we get our names written in the book?" 19:38 And the answer to that question is going to be in Malachi. 19:41 Jason: Okay, Malachi chapter 3 verses 16 and 17, 19:44 "Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, 19:47 and the Lord listened and heard them; 19:49 so a book of remembrance was written before Him 19:52 for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. 19:56 'They shall be Mine,' says the Lord of hosts, 19:58 'On the day that I make them My jewels. 20:01 And I will spare them 20:02 as a man spares his own son who serves him. '" 20:05 James: Okay, so, what are they doing? 20:08 These are the... 20:09 these are the people who are going to be written in the book 20:11 they're going to be delivered according to Daniel 12:1... 20:13 what are they doing to get their names written in the book? 20:15 Ivor: They spake often one to another. 20:18 James: Yes... speaking... 20:20 they're in communion with each other, 20:21 and they're thinking upon the name and the character of God. 20:24 So, it's not just that they're talking... 20:27 we can have community and be doing all kinds of stuff... 20:30 talking about all kinds of stuff... all the politics... 20:32 all the... "Can you believe all the... " 20:34 but they're talking about Jesus... 20:35 they're talking about the Lord... 20:37 and they're thinking about it. 20:39 So, sometimes, you know, 20:41 Ivor and I will talk about something 20:42 or all four of us will talk about something... 20:44 we got to go back and think about it 20:45 because we're not sure about... you know what I'm saying? 20:47 We're thinking about it... meditating on it, 20:49 "Wow yeah... that was a really... " 20:50 "Aww yeah, that was... " 20:52 "That was challenging, I wonder what that means?" 20:53 You know, this is what these guys are doing. 20:57 We get to fulfill that Malachi 3:16-17 prophecy. 21:00 Yvonne: Hmmm... 21:02 James: We get to fulfil that in community... 21:03 and that's what Daniel had... he had this community, 21:06 you know, we really need that 21:07 in the context of end-time events 21:10 because that's exactly what God says we're going to be doing 21:12 in the end-time events. 21:13 Jason: Yeah. Ivor: Yeah. 21:15 Yvonne: I think the other thing too is that 21:18 these guys were not going to eat the bad food, 21:21 they ate the good food 21:22 and in so doing, it showed... it was... 21:27 it showed in them. 21:29 Ivor: I was thinking about that. 21:30 Yvonne: So, it's not just... the point is not to just eat... 21:35 just because... it has a purpose. 21:39 James: Hmmm... hmmm... 21:40 Yvonne: It's going to make us wiser... 21:43 it's going to uncloud the brain you know, 21:45 and you're not going to look, you know, if... 21:49 there are some people who are supposedly healthy 21:52 and they don't look it, but these... these guys 21:56 ate vegetables and probably the original diet... 22:01 fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains 22:03 and they didn't look emaciated... 22:06 the steward was probably expecting them 22:09 to look really bad. 22:11 That's why he gave them ten days... 22:12 he wasn't crazy, he was like, 22:15 "I'm going to give you ten days... that's it. " 22:17 He did that and they looked better than anybody else. 22:20 Ivor: So, that's a powerful thought 22:22 that what they ate actually reflected how they appeared 22:28 because, I think there's a... 22:30 there's a literal application to that... 22:32 you eat the right food, you're going to look better 22:35 but I think there's also a spiritual application here 22:37 that is so powerful because their countenance 22:40 reflected what they were eating. 22:42 Yvonne: Oh, come on... come on. 22:44 Ivor: You see what I'm saying? All: Hmmm... hmmm... 22:46 Ivor: And you look at Daniel chapter 12 verse 3, 22:48 I'll read it, it says, "And they that be wise... " 22:50 these guys are wiser and fairer... 22:54 they that be wise 22:56 shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. 22:58 Yvonne: Hmmm... 23:00 Ivor: Their appearance... their countenance is different 23:02 because of what they're eating. 23:04 All: Hmmm... 23:05 Ivor: Right? and what are they eating? 23:06 They're eating the unadulterated Word of God. 23:08 Right, they're eating... 23:10 they're drinking the true blood of Christ... the true gospel 23:13 and what they eat and what they put into their body... 23:16 "Man shall not live by bread alone 23:17 but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, 23:19 that reflects in their countenance. 23:22 Yvonne: Hmmm... 23:24 Ivor: And so, when the end-time people go forth 23:26 with the message, their faces are lighted up. 23:27 Yvonne: Hmmm... 23:29 Ivor: Right? they've got the countenance 23:30 of... of their reflecting the image and the character 23:33 of Jesus Christ, so I think it really ties in 23:36 really nicely with that thought you know, 23:40 what we put into our bodies in a physical sense, 23:42 but also in a spiritual sense 23:45 is going to affect the way that the world sees us. 23:49 Yvonne: Hmmm... that's good. 23:50 James: I love that, it's so practical, 23:53 the way that you read these verses is so relational 23:59 and there's a lot of need for relational integrity 24:04 in Christianity. 24:05 Yvonne: Hmmm... 24:06 James: And I think that's what we see here, 24:08 like, for example, let's just move on just a little bit more 24:10 as we review here, verse 9, 24:12 "Now, God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love 24:20 with the prince of the eunuchs. " 24:22 Now, Jason, the way yours read it... 24:24 can you read yours again in that first 24:25 because there were a couple of other words 24:26 that were used in there. 24:28 Jason: I mean, which chapter? James: Daniel 1 verse 9. 24:29 Jason: Oh, Daniel 1 verse 9? Okay. 24:32 "Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill 24:36 of the chief of the eunuchs. " 24:37 James: "Favor and goodwill... " God did that. 24:40 It's interesting, Daniel purposed in his heart 24:43 that he will not defile... 24:45 God did something, He brought him into favor 24:48 and there's a verse in Jeremiah 15:11 24:51 that talks about that, it says, 24:53 something along... it's a prophecy... 24:55 it says something along the lines of how this would happen. 24:58 Do you remember reading that? 24:59 I think we read... we might have... 25:01 I don't know if we read it just as we were talking 25:03 or we read it on the program, let's read it again. 25:05 Jeremiah 15:11. 25:08 Jason: "The Lord said: 25:09 'Surely it will be well with your remnant; 25:11 surely I will cause the enemy to intercede with you 25:14 in the time of adversity 25:16 and in the time of affliction. '" 25:17 James: Okay, so, the King James reads, 25:20 "The Lord said, 'Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; 25:24 verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well... '" 25:28 or "to treat thee well in the time of evil and in the time 25:31 of affliction... " the time of evil and affliction 25:33 is when they're taken into captivity. 25:34 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... James: And it says... "I... " 25:36 God says, "I'm going to entreat the enemy to treat you well. " 25:39 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 25:40 that's a fulfillment right here... 25:41 Daniel chapter 1 and verse 9 25:44 is the fulfillment of Jeremiah 15:11. 25:46 Yvonne: Wow... 25:48 James: You see that? Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 25:49 James: And so, God is bringing them into favor 25:51 but that happens as we... 25:53 it's going to be hard for me to say this 25:55 without it coming across... 25:58 I don't know how it's going to come across, 25:59 but... when you don't feel good, it's hard to be a nice person. 26:06 Jason: Hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 26:07 you know what I mean? Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 26:09 James: When you don't feel... 26:10 there are times when I tell my wife, 26:11 "I think I just want to stay home right now... " 26:13 All: Laughter. 26:17 James: At times I just want to go crawl through the hole 26:21 and get better... and feel better... 26:23 so I can be better, you know what I mean? 26:26 Yvonne: Right... right... yes. 26:27 James: And... and this is the thing about, 26:29 I think, diet and health 26:31 actually makes you feel better. 26:33 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 26:34 James: You actually feel better about yourself... 26:36 you feel healthier... 26:37 and as you do that... you have this impact... 26:41 you have this ability to have impact with people 26:43 on different ways, 26:44 so when it says, "God did this... " 26:46 I don't think it's just that Daniel isn't doing anything, 26:49 you know what I'm saying? 26:50 Yvonne: Right. 26:52 James: Daniel is following God's purposes... 26:53 he's following God's principles 26:54 and God is working with him to fulfill His promises 26:57 in working with the enemies and bringing him into favor. 27:01 Yvonne: It's good. 27:02 James: It's beautiful when you look at this 27:03 because that's what is going to happen, I think, 27:05 for us in the end of time. 27:06 So, the Prince of the Eunuchs though was afraid... 27:10 he was afraid of... 27:12 well, we're running out of time so far... 27:14 we shouldn't go into that right now, 27:16 yeah, but so, we'll summarize just to close it up... 27:20 so, basically, the Prince of the Eunuchs is afraid 27:23 but because of God's working in his heart... 27:25 and because of the way he interacts with Daniel, 27:27 he's willing to take a chance. 27:29 Jason: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Right. 27:30 James: People are willing to take a chance... 27:31 people that we're not connected with 27:33 are willing to take a chance on us. 27:34 You know what I mean? 27:36 We need to be willing to take a chance on each other 27:37 and they're going to be others 27:39 that are going to take a chance on us 27:40 and together, God's going to work through all of that 27:42 to glorify His name. Yvonne: Amen. 27:44 James: That's going to be a beautiful picture 27:45 for us to fill out to. 27:46 I think we need to fill this out. 27:48 All of this is going to be filled out for us. 27:49 Yvonne: That's right. 27:51 James: But we did it, we basically got through... 27:52 I was just going to mention that the last few verses here, 27:54 we're going to connect those to Daniel 2 27:55 so that will fit perfectly. 27:56 So, we're done with Daniel 1. |
Revised 2020-04-01