326 Sunday, November 22, 2009

326 Daniel 1 – 2; 2 Peter 2

I am thankful for the book of Daniel. I am thankful for Daniel and his three friends. It is a study of how a small group Bible study can survive in stark conditions. God especially equipped Daniel for his stay in Babylon. Daniel could interpret dreams and this gift came very handy. All these Jewish teenagers were equipped with courage to say no to the food offered them. They negotiated a deal with the head of the palace staff to let them eat what they wanted and then to evaluate them. When the time came they looked better and were very wise. They went into the King’s service and he was very pleased with their gifts of service. The King had a dream and called upon Daniel to interpret the dream and he had until morning--no pressure! This was a pass/fail class. If he failed he died, but if he succeeded he lived, what a deal. He passed the test. It was a dream about the five kingdoms, one of the present and those to come. He nailed it and got himself a promotion. Another Jewish man making it in a secular, religiously pluralistic society. You can make it as well.

They give truth a bad name. That is a great line. We still have them with us today. We have false prophets who come to sell us the keys to the kingdom. The keys are for free, bought and paid for by the Savior. Peter is really laying it on those who twist the truth out of lust for power and whatever else they are after. We must redeem the truth and give it a good name. The truth will set you free, but the converse of that is equally true. The lie will enslave you. Live in the zone of truth. These are the words of God through His apostle Peter.