Rating: 10

We are doing this as, I guess it is meant for, a 12-week Bible study with a women’s group at church. We have around 90 women involved, broken into three groups! This is my first study with these ladies.

I “happened” to be there on a Wednesday night when they showed the introduction video for the study, to show everyone what was coming up and encourage them to join. Something hit me at the core and I knew I had to attend, even if my circumstances right now aren’t making that really easy.

I am loving this. It’s just what I need. Here are some things, as we go along, that stick out at me…

Week One: Choices to Make

“We also have an enemy who wants to return us to places God called us to leave.”
I’m not unaware of the devil’s ways or goals but I don’t think I’d ever really thought about it this way before. As Abraham was called to leave Ur (Babylon), so have we been called to leave our sinful selves behind. As the descendants of Abraham (Daniel, etc.) were brought back to Babylon, by force, so does the devil seek to return us to a state of sin, to useless witnesses - or worse, bad witnesses.

“Nothing is more dangerous than friendly captivity.”
How so very true. How easy it is to get comfortable in this world. And when you are comfortable, you begin to enjoy, and when you enjoy, you get wrapped up in it and before long… you’re at that useless place.

We made a committment that day to learn. I also made a committment, my own private committment, to allow myself to be changed. I am in need of change. I must resolve to learn and be changed just as Daniel and his friends resolved not to let the kingdom of the evil one affect them, as they resolved to belong to God.

Week Two: A Dream and a Kingdom

This week we talked about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the statue. It’s amazing to think how he was so upset by this dream that he demanded that his wise men tell him not only what the dream meant but what the dream was. And when they basically laughed in his face and said there was no man that could do this, he decided to “off with their heads” - not just those that were present, but ALL the wise men in the land. Yet God gave Daniel the words to say and the revelation of the dream and all were spared, and he gave God the glory, he let it be known that he wasn’t the one who knew all of this, but that it was given to him by God.

The dream itself, it’s hard for me to see why Nebuchadnezzar would be so affected by it. So I can only assume that God put that terror into his heart. But it amazes me however, that the dream corresponded to kingdoms of the world, and all of this, written thousands of years ago, has come to pass, just as Daniel said it would. Just as God has ordained.

My favorite part, of course, is the rock. The rock that represents the Lord Jesus Christ that will come and break the kingdoms of the world and then fill the whole earth. Awesome.

Week Three: No Smell of Fire

Of course, it is amazing that Shadrach, Meeshach, and Abednego survived the blazing furnace. Of course, it was a miracle. Of course, it glorifies God. But what really, really, really blows me away? When they came out of the fire, they were not only unscathed, but they did not smell of the fire. I tell you what. All I have to do is walk into Subway and I come out smelling like their sandwiches. It blows my mind to think that they went into this huge fire and came out better than they had gone in, only the ropes that were binding them had burned. Amazing. And if that doesn’t show God’s glory, I don’t know what does!!

Week Four: Farewell Lessons from Nebuchadnezzar

This week we moved along to Daniel chapter 4 where Nebuchadnezzar starts to finally “get it.” In verse 3, Nebuchadnezzar says, “How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.” Sadly, though, it took Nebuchadnezzar a long time to finally get this through his head. He had another dream, this time he dreamed of a tree. Of course, the tree turned out to be him and he lived in the wilderness for seven years, as an animal. It was only then that he raised his eyes towards heaven and acknowledged God and he was restored.

God’s not impatient by any means. He just says enough is enough, I mean what I say, and now you must pay the consequences.

Week Five: The Handwriting on the Wall

It’s a term we’ve heard often, it simply means, this is it, the end! This time, the reigning king was Belshazzar and as Beth Moore puts it, he “made the grievous mistake of treating the holy as unholy.” The holy vessels from the temple were brought out during a “you can’t touch this” party and Belshazzar, his nobles, wives, concubines, and etc, drank to them - toasting their fake gods and goddesses.

God had had enough. I am most marveled at how he gave them the handwriting on the wall, almost a chance to repent, before striking them dead. Belshazzar say the handwriting, then had enough time to get it interpretted (by Daniel) and then was killed “that night,” and the kingdom taken over by the Medes.

Satan wants to use us, holy vessels, for things that are not holy. God will not stand for that, however.

…to be continued…