Week 31: Daniel 1-12; Haggai 1-2; Zechariah 1-14; Daniel: Historian and Prophet, Haggai: Ordering Priorities

Daniel 1 Trust and Obey: Daniel and his three friends are taken into the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. They do not want to disobey God’s dietary laws by eating the king’s food so they ask to be allowed to eat only vegetables. They are trusting God to make them and strong and healthy. God is faithful and they are healthier and out perform any of the other servants. Trust and obey – this is the essence of how we practice our faith.

Daniel 2-7 God Rules in the Affairs of Men: This section gives us three pairs of stories. Chapter 2 describes coming empires using a giant stature, Chapter 7 shows those same empires described as four beasts. Lesson: God knows the future.

Chapter 3 describes God’s deliverance of Daniel’s three friends when they are thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to engage in idolatry. In Chapter 6 Daniel is delivered from the lion’s den. He is sentenced to death for praying to God and not depending on the king. Lesson: God honors our obedience.

Finally Chapter 4 relates how pride destroys a king but his humility restores him. Chapter 5 describes a king who arrogantly dishonors God and loses both his kingdom and his life. Lesson: God opposes the proud but uplifts the humble. The center two stories are the focus of the entire group. The lesson we are to learn is that “the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Daniel 4:25).

Daniel 8-12 Seeing the Future: These chapters contain a detailed account of the future of Israel and the entire world. It discusses the great empires of the world and man’s future through the return of Jesus. It is so accurate that critics have claimed that it was written by another author at a later time. Fortunately the Septuagint – the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, was completed before many of the events took place. This affirms the timing and accuracy of the prophecy. We can trust and obey because God rules over the realm of mankind.

Haggai Priorities Matter: The exiles who returned did not revert to worshipping false gods, but they also did not make Yehovah the primary focus of their lives. Evidence of this is seen in the fact that they put their efforts into rebuilding their own homes, before rebuilding the temple. Their misplaced priorities causes them to not prosper in the land. They are obedient and complete the rebuilding but they do it out of obligation and not devotion.

Haggai calls them to put God first not only in their actions but more importantly in their hearts. Only when they do this will they receive the blessings of God and fulfill their role to be a nation of priests to all the nations.

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