Emily: welcome to immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
day 300 and 59
Immersed in Daniel
in the few centuries before the birth of Jesus the Messiah, the Nation of
Israel faced increasing pressure as they lived under the rule of hostile empires.
This man dealing with not only the possibility of religious contamination,
but also the threat of extinction.
The Book of Esther records The Courage of Faithful Jews when
threatened Under Persian rule.
The book of Daniel shows their steadfastness under the rule
of several powerful empires.
First, under the Babylonians and Persians, and then in
association with the Greek Lucid.
The book of Daniel is divided into two main parts, a collection of stories,
and a collection of apocalyptic visions.
The six stories in the first part are of two different types.
Interpretation stories and deliverance stories and the interpretation stories.
A mystery arises that the king's own wise men can't interpret or
resolve, but the most high God of Israel reveals the meaning to
Daniel in the deliverance stories.
The king demands that the Jews compromise their worship of God by worshiping
an idol or by abandoning regular times of prayer to God and attempts
to execute them when they refuse.
But God powerfully intervenes to rescue his people from danger.
Both story types emphasize that Israel's God is the one true,
creator and king over all things.
These stories Center on four, young Judeans, Daniel Shadak, Micha, and
Abednego, who were taken into exile by the Babylonians, their stories are among the
most memorable and inspiring in the Bible.
These humble captives are lifted up after they refuse to compromise their faith.
While a proud king is brought low until he acknowledges that the most high
rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.
After these stories, the book presents four visions filled with
vivid and intricate symbolism.
These visions closely follow the conventions of a particular type
of writing known as apocalypse.
Which often features heavenly visitors, symbols representing historical
periods, and a command to seal up the book among other elements.
Apocalyptic literature developed as a genre laid in the first testament period
in the face of suffering and uncertainty.
The Jewish people needed stories that would reveal the cosmic realities behind
their experience and give them hope in the battle against the rulers of this world.
As the visions themselves depict, the Babylonian empire fell to the Persians
who were conquered and turned by the Greeks under Alexander the Great.
The Greek empire was divided up after Alexander's death, and the Seleucids
who ruled one part eventually carved out an empire of their own that
was nearly as large as Alexander's.
That included Judea.
After anti kiss, IIV epiphanies became emperor.
He desecrated the tempo in Jerusalem and tried to force all
the Jews to worship Greek gods.
But under the leadership of the Maccabees, the Jews fought back
after great suffering and sacrifice.
And with God's help, they temporarily won their freedom.
The stories and visions in the Book of Daniel worked together to strengthen
God's people as they struggle to maintain their distinctive identity
as a people loyal to God alone.
They reveal that God is truly working even when it looks like evil is triumphing.
The pride of even the greatest human rulers is shown to be empty and weak when
the most high God acts to save his people.
The Book of Daniel became one of Israel's most popular books in the
first century ad The time of Jesus.
God's people were still suffering greatly under the oppression of foreign Roman
rulers, and they were longing for the arrival of God's promised redeemer.
Daniel gave them hope that God would bring a change in the future.
Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be
given to the holy people of the most high.
His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.