First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Devotional: Daniel 2:17-24

Today’s passage: Daniel 2:17-24

Helpful thoughts:

  • In this moment of great need and desperation, Daniel and his faithful friends prayed.  Only God could have provided what they needed, and they went to Him.
  • God heard their prayer, understood their prayer, and answered their prayer.  Our omniscient God is relational.
    • He is almighty and transcendent.
    • He is caring and near.
  • We know things about God because He has revealed Himself (And knowledge and wisdom) to us.
  • David rightly gave the credit and the praise to God, not to himself.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why was praying the right thing to do in this situation?  Why is it also a good thing to remember that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah had been praying and living for the Lord prior to this moment of crisis?
  2. What do you think all the other “wise men” were doing during this time?  Who were they seeking for help?  What ideas were they trying to come up with?
  3. In what ways are the characteristics (or attributes) and actions of God on display in this passage consistent with the message of the Gospel?

Devotional: Daniel 2:1-16

Today’s passage: Daniel 2:1-16

Helpful thoughts:

  • There appears to be a problem in the text…If Daniel completed a three year training program, how are the events of Daniel 2 happening during Nebuchadnezzar’s second year as king?
    • In ancient cultures, doing something for a part of the year would often be counted as a year.  So, it’s possible the “Three year” training program could have been completed in as little as fourteen months depending on when during the year it began.
    • The year a king would take the throne was called the “Accession year.” Then the next year would be called the “first year.”
      • Put these two practices of time keeping together and it’s possible for the training to be completed and for these events to occur during the “second year” of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign.
  • In a way, King Nebuchadnezzar was not wrong for being dissatisfied with his wise men.  They were responsible for being in touch with the gods and if they were really going to serve as they had advertised…  This request was not as ridiculous as it sounds.
    • The wise men were not wrong to admit their inability without some sort of divine revelation.  It wasn’t the wise men who were to blame as much as it was the belief system of the Babylonian people!
  • Daniel again makes a wise appeal and schedules a time with the king.

Questions to consider:

  1. In what way did the king’s request make sense?  In what way was his request absurd?  What would he be sure of after someone was able to accurately relay the details of his dream?
  2. Why was Daniel’s appeal appropriate and make good sense?  What was going to happen to all of the wise men if no one even made an attempt to answer the king’s request?  Would it have been wise for Daniel to offer these kinds of services to the king prior to this dire situation?
  3. If you found yourself in this position what would you do next? (We will find out what Daniel did tomorrow!)

Devotional: Daniel 1:8-21

Today’s passage: Daniel 1:8-21

Helpful thoughts:

  • The king’s food consisted of items that were forbidden in the law and most likely would have been used as part of the worship of the Babylonian gods.  Eating it, at different times, would have been against the Jewish Law but also a part of the worship of false Gods.
    • It seems Daniel was the only one who was concerned with this issue among all the royals and nobles from Judah.  Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah seemed to be the only ones who were willing to follow his lead.
    • In staying true to his conviction, Daniel was going against the king’s desire for the young people to become Babylonian.
  • Daniel had to make a second appeal.  Ashpenaz (The chief eunuch) did not grant his request at the fear of his own head.  The steward who was directly responsible for these four young men was only willing to grant Daniel’s request on the trial basis suggested.
    • Daniel adjusted his appeal to make it less risky for the steward.
    • Daniel entrusted the steward with the judgment of the results.
  • The Hebrew word translated as vegetables could have included fruits, grains, etc.  It was a vegetarian diet.
  • The four young men not only exceeded the abilities of the rest of their exiled peers, but they were found to be ten times better than every aid in the king’s service in all of Babylon.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why did Ashpenaz and the steward hear Daniel out before rashly rejecting his request?  Who gave Daniel favor?
  2. What made Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah so smart and wise?  Where did their intelligence and skill come from?
  3. Why were these four young men given roles in the king’s service?  Why had God put them there?
  4. Where has God placed you for His service?  How does He give you wisdom and knowledge for service?

Devotional: Daniel 1:1-7

Today’s passage: Daniel 1:1-7

Helpful thoughts:

  • If you would like to read the narratives of the Babylonian conquest of Judah, read 2 Kings 23:36-25:30 and 2 Chronicles 36:1-21.
  • King Nebuchadnezzar wanted for himself the best of the best, according to his own wisdom, and make them “better” by teaching them how to become Babylonian in every way.
  • The four young men’s name changes mattered a great deal:
    • Daniel (God is my judge) became Belteshazzar (May the lord protect his life).
      • The “lord” being a Babylonian god and “his life” being the life of King Nebuchadnezzar…
    • Hananiah (Yahweh has been gracious) became Shadrach (Command of Aku)
      • Aku was the moon god of the Babylonians.
    • Mishael (Who is what God is?) became Meshach (Who is what Aku is?)
    • Azariah (Yahweh is my help) became Abednego (Servant of Nebo)
      • Nebo (Or Nabu) was the second highest god in Babylon after his father, Marduk.

Questions to consider:

  1. Having just defeated Judah, what would Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding have been concerning the strength of his gods versus the strength of the God of Judah?
  2. Do you think Nebuchadnezzar was intimidated or did he think he was doing these noble/royal young men a huge favor by attempting to turn them into Babylonians?
  3. Why was he wrong?  Who decreed that Babylon would conquer Judah? Which God would prove victorious?
  4. If God is your God, what can’t anyone ever take away from you?

Devotional: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Today’s passage: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Helpful thoughts:

  • A Christian who is diligently growing in grace and in knowledge can persevere through false teaching without spot, blemish (participating in the sin) and at peace.
  • That diligence allows you to be taught by and grounded in Scripture.
  • Proud people who refuse diligence bring their ignorance and resulting instability to the text and therefore misinterpret it.
    • False teachers and their followers remain ignorant and unstable…it isn’t just the hearers who are unsteady (Vs. 14).
    • False teachers and their followers are increasingly unstable as they continue in their twisting of the Scriptures. (Vs. 17)  It doesn’t remain “sort of off”…it continually gets worse over time.  Even a little false doctrine will produce greater consequences the longer it is believed and practiced.
    • Sadly, both the false teacher and all those who believe and participate in their twisted teaching will go to destruction.
  • If you are reading this today and studying God’s Word, you are being diligent!  Keep up the good work!

Questions to consider:

  1. Why is it so important that the Bible is the final authoritative document in our church and not the pastor?
  2. Should Christians simply trust that the pastor always “knows better” and neglect to study the Word on their own?
  3. What is the antidote to false teaching?  What do people who are in a setting where false teaching is happening need?  Where will they find hope and stability?  (How sad is it that the very thing they need is being manipulated, causing confusion and distrust!)
  4. Peter opened and closed this epistle encouraging us to pursue grace and knowledge in Jesus Christ.  How will you continue to pursue God’s grace given to you through knowledge?  How will you encourage others to do the same?

Devotional: 2 Peter 3:11-13

Today’s passage: 2 Peter 3:11-13

Helpful thoughts:

  • In a book about false prophets/teachers, Peter leaves the readers (Believers) asking how they ought to live.  After enduring false teaching, there is a need to move forward.
  • This text is much like 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.
  • For more on the New Heaven and New Earth, check out Revelation 21:1-4.

Questions to consider:

  1. If all that remains is that which is done for Christ in righteousness, how should we live?  What should we pursue? What should our goals in life be centered around?
  2. What does it mean to “wait for” the Day of the Lord?  Does this command call us to inaction (Sitting around looking up into the sky) or to action (Living for Christ until He comes)?
  3. What does it mean to “hasten” the coming of the Day of the Lord?  Is that hastening from God’s perspective or ours?  What seems to make your day go faster, being busy or being idle?
  4. To what part(s) of all that follows the Day of the Lord are you most looking forward?

Devotional: 2 Peter 3:8-10

Today’s passage: 2 Peter 3:8-10

Helpful thoughts:

  • Verse 8 is intended to teach that God is eternal.  He sees the whole picture while we are limited in our perspective.  He sees the end of our suffering while we persevere within it.
    • This verse does not support Deism; the idea that God is aloof to time or what is happening at any given moment in the details of our lives.  This idea would be the exact opposite of the appropriate meaning given the context.
  • God is patient toward “you”.
    • “You” is the beloved.  The beloved is the Church, believers.
    • None of the beloved will perish.  All will reach repentance, be saved, and avoid perishing.
  • God’s judgment will be so comprehensive that nothing in the universe will be left untouched.  No works, no suffering will be overlooked.

Questions to consider:

  1. For the Christian, how does God’s omniscience (He knows everything) and eternality (He created time and exists outside of its constraints) bring comfort?
  2. How does looking at the big picture (Eternity, being one of God’s elect, seeing God’s grace in my life and for my sin, etc.) help us to be patient concerning God’s response to the messed up ways of the world?
  3. What could we also learn today about using Bible verses to support our beliefs?  How does context help us?  How do we struggle to understand Scripture when we bring our beliefs to the text instead of letting the text inform our beliefs?

Devotional: 2 Peter 3:1-7

Today’s passage: 2 Peter 3:1-7

Helpful thoughts:

  • Peter writes about suffering/persecution and false prophets/teachers in the two epistles (1 & 2 Peter)…the answer and hope he gives in both? Exalt Jesus Christ and poor into His Word!
    • We are not encouraged to fight back
    • We are not encouraged to win arguments
    • We are encouraged to look to Jesus and find Him in the written Word.
  • Looking to Jesus and finding Him in the written Word will not fix the problems of persecution and false teachers.  But, it will guard our hearts.
  • Again, Peter reassures the reader, judgment is coming.  We can not fix the problem…God can and will.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why is it so hard to not attack when we see wrong being done?  Why is it right to withhold any offensive attacks?
  2. What would our contentment in knowing Jesus Christ and enjoying him in the midst of hardship show us about ourselves that would set us apart from those who are harming others?
  3. Should we look forward to the demise of enemies?  What are we to look forward to most?

Devotional: 2 Peter 2:17-22

Today’s passage: 2 Peter 2:17-22

Helpful thoughts:

  • The nature of false teaching:
    • Waterless springs, which will always leave the hearers thirsty
    • Mists driven by a storm, which seem to signal rain coming but fails to produce
  • Speaking loud boasts = Being a “great public speaker” to whom people love to listen.
    • Eloquence can be a great thing…but it does not make a preacher biblical.
  • False teachers promise good to those who are fed up or confused with the struggles of this world, and then in their “success” are continually enslaved by their own greed, looking for more easy targets.  A vicious cycle.
  • Remember, false teachers come from “within”:
    • They have stepped out of the world from a moralistic standpoint (They look like Christians from the outside).
    • They have heard the Gospel and quite probably made some public profession.
    • They subsequently give evidence of rejecting it with their teaching and actions.
    • Their judgement, having heard the good news of the Gospel and still leading people astray, will be worse than if they had never heard.  (e.g. The judgment for the leader of a cult would be less severe than the judgment for the leader of a Christian church who is a false teacher.) 
      • These false teachers are not and were never saved.  Look back at verses 1, 3, 9, 12, 17.

Questions to consider:

  1. How could this passage be misinterpreted to argue that a person can lose their salvation?  Why is that interpretation not a strong argument?
  2. What characteristics do we look for in leaders and teachers where, when we place too much emphasis on those characteristics (and too little emphasis on others) we open ourselves up to trouble?  Is it enough for a new youth pastor to be “Fun and really able to connect with young people”?  Should a church call a pastor because they believe “He will know how to bring in young families” or because “He really keeps their attention”?  Is it OK for a pastor to mock these statements/desires to excuse himself for being unfriendly, arrogant, dispassionate and reclusive?