Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Today we begin our study. in Daniel. Daniel is one of the most intriguing, exciting, and inspiring books in all of the Old Testament. And in our study of Daniel, we will learn about the greatness of our sovereign God.
God is in sovereign control. of the past And of the present And of the future. Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. You're probably familiar with the famous Bible story of Daniel in the lion's den. But there's much more to Daniel than that wonderful story.
Today, we're beginning a brand new study in the book of Daniel and learning from his life as a faithful and courageous servant of God in a pagan land.
Now, to get us started, here's Pastor John Monroe with a message titled, God is in Charge. I'm excited to announce that today we're beginning a new series in the Old Testament book of Daniel. If you were taught Bible stories as a child, you probably learned about Daniel in the den of lions. But there's much more to Daniel than surviving after being thrown into a den of lions. Here, is one of the outstanding characters in the Old Testament.
And he provides an inspiring example of what it means to live for God in a pagan culture. What about you? How are we to stand strong for God in an unbelieving world? How can we be bold and courageous? We're going to learn from the life of Daniel.
Thanks for joining me as we begin this new series. Today we see that God is always in charge. It is six hundred and five B C And Nebuchadnezzar and the might of Babylon. Are knocking at the door of Jerusalem, the holy city of God. The Great Jerusalem is under siege by Babylon.
Babylon the superpower of the day. The pagan Babylonians had already defeated the other superpower, the Assyrians, based in Nineveh. The Babylonians had also defeated the Egyptians. and are now poised to attack Jerusalem. In the Mosaic law, in the Torah, the Lord had said.
That if his people honoured him, If they obeyed his commandments, he would bless them. He would make them the greatest nation on the face of the earth, but If they turn from him If they served false gods judgment. would come. The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away. from the end of the earth, swooping down like an eagle.
a nation whose language you do not understand. A hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young. That's Deuteronomy twenty eight, verses forty nine and fifty. And prophets. The Old Testament prophets like Habakkuk, like Jeremiah.
Had repeatedly warned the people that if they did not repent, judgment would inevitably Come. Jeremiah had said, for example, you have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear. Although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants, the prophets, saying, Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds. Jeremiah twenty five, verses four. And five.
Time and time again the warnings had come. But the people had ignored the warnings of God. the warnings of his prophets. They had continued in idolatry, they continued to break the Sabbath, they had continued in immorality, they had sown the wind and now were about to reap. The whirlwind.
The prophecies of judgment were now coming through. Jeremiah twenty five, verse eleven. This whole land Says Jeremiah, shall become a ruin and a waste. That's the land, the promised land. This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations.
Shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. The warnings were clear, and now Babylon. The Great. Under the leadership of mighty Nebuchadnezzar, sweeps into Judah. and demonstrating their superiority.
They capture some of Judah's best Some of the young men and take them as prisoners all the way back. to Babylon. God is using a pagan people the Babylonians to judge his people. The Babylonian captivity has begun a dark, tragic, memorable day. For the people.
of God. One of the captives taken in six hundred and five BC is a young Jewish teenager called Daniel. He and a number of others are from a royal family. They're from the nobility. But they are removed from Israel.
They are removed from their Jewish homes and parents. and surroundings and taken that long, long track to pagan idolatrous. Babylon. Today we begin our study. in Daniel.
Daniel is one of the most intriguing, exciting and inspiring books in all of the Old Testament. In our study of Daniel we will learn about the greatness of our sovereign God. will learn about the adventures of faith. We will also learn about prophecies about the kingdoms of the world. We'll also learn prophecies regarding the future of Israel.
and prophecies regarding the kingdom. Of God and the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Daniel is to the Old Testament. What is the last book of the Bible to the New Testament, the book of Revelation. And in this first message, As we introduce Daniel, I want to consider three Of the overarching themes which dominate this fascinating book.
So let's open our Bibles.
So Daniel? Hope you can find it. Daniel 1. And we're going to read The first seven verses and part of verse eight, Daniel one, verse one. In the third year of the reign of Jehiakim, King of Judah.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand. with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar. To the house of his God, Shinar being the land of Babylon, Babylonia.
He brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his God, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his God. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility. Youths without blemish, of good appearance. And skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding, learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace and to teach them. the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate. and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years. And at the end of that time, They were to stand before the king. Among these was Daniel.
Pananaya Mishael and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel. He called Beltishazar. Hananiah he called Shadrach. Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
Verse 8, but Daniel. resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food. or with the wine that he drank.
Now let us think of the first overarching theme of this wonderful book of Daniel, and it is this that God is in sovereign control of the past and of the present and of the future. Do you believe that? that God is in sovereign control of all things. Of the past. of the present and of the future.
and that God is in sovereign control of your past Your presence And Your future. Consider the history of Judah. In Daniel one, the verses that we've read describes The Babylonian the first Babylonian captivity of six hundred and five BC. A few years later, in 597 BC, there is a second Babylonian captivity when Ezekiel the prophet is taken to Babylon. And then in 586 BC, there is the final defeat of Jerusalem, as prophesied by Jeremiah.
The Babylonians then completely destroy the city of Jerusalem Now think of Jerusalem, the capital. The place of the Lord of hosts, Mount Zion, that amazing city. is desecrated. by the pagan Babylonians. and they burn Solomon's magnificent temple.
The very representation of the presence of God, the temple, goes up. in smoke. A third of the inhabitants are killed. Other than the very poor, the people who survive are taken to Babylon as prisoners. Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, tries to flee.
You can read about him in 2 Kings 25, but he's caught. And he's taken prisoner. to Babylon. And so ends in such an ignominious way.
So ends the reign of the last king. to sit on King David's throne. and rule over the nations. What has happened? The time of the Gentiles has now Come.
Now look at verse one. Verse one gives us the viewpoint of secular history. Nebuchadnezzar The king of Babylon comes to Jerusalem and besieges it. But notice verse two. How encouraging.
Here we see the divine perspective. Verse 2. Very important verse. setting the tone and the theme of the whole book of Daniel and the Lord Uh that's it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hands.
Do you get the points? In Jeremiah 25, verse 9, Nebuchadnezzar is described by the Lord as my. Servants. You say that seems strange, a pagan king? An idolatrous king Is the Lord's servant yes.
Because the Lord verse Two? Not Yahweh But Adonai emphasis on the master, the Lord. is always in Control. It is the Lord Who gives the king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king? of Babylon.
Gods As always, in charge. God is always in control. He is the Lord of history. It may sometimes seem from our perspective That the kings and the rulers of this world are in charge, but Daniel reminds us that God. not Nebuchadnezzar.
Far less you or me God, and God alone is sovereignly in control of all human history. God is in charge. ruling over the kings. and the rulers and kingdoms of this world. Think of the history of Babylon itself.
How does Babylon begin? Nimrod? was the founder of Babylon, according to Genesis ten. Nimrod means rebel. What do the early Babylonians do in Genesis eleven?
The Tower of Babel is built. in a vain attempt to reach God in man's own way and by man's own efforts, man's religious system that's Babylon. And in that sense, the spirit of Babylon is very much with us. In the Bible, Babylon is a symbol of man's pride. a symbol of man's defiance against God.
A symbol that man will do things his own way, a symbol of immorality and idolatry, but God acted in judgment, you will recall. against these early Babylonians. who tried to build this great tower. to God. Here is Nebuchadnezzar.
In Daniel one, verse one The King of Babylon rules at the height of Babylon's power. For forty three years. From six hundred and five to five hundred and sixty two BC. It is the superpower of the day. The US has never even been heard of.
Makes us rather humble, does it not? that there were great civilizations Away there in the Middle East. Long before here. in the West. At this time, Babylon present day Iraq is a very impressive civilisation.
The city of Babylon with the magnificent Ishtar Gate being the largest city in the world at this time. The hanging Gardens of Babylon, you will remember, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ancient Babylon Had an advanced legal system set out in the Code of Hammeradi going back. to about seventeen hundred years BC one of the earliest codifications of law. by Babylonian rul ruler Hammuradi.
Babylonian literature. Very impressive, very advanced. the Gilkamish epic. having been written two zero zero zero years before Christ. The Babylonians at the time of Nebuchadnezzar are renowned astrologers and astronomers.
By the seventh century BC, Babylonian astronomy with its arithmetical methods was concerned. With the appearance and disappearance of the sun and the moon and the planets in order to fix their calendar. Think how brilliant they were. These Babylonians did algebra and geometry, they had developed the three hundred and sixty degree circle. We take that for granted, don't we?
The circle of three hundred and sixty degrees, invented by the ancient Babylonians. They had multiplication and division, square and cube root tables. They were advanced in medicine and technology, particularly brilliant in architecture, as we know from the archaeologists. They had fifty-three different instruments in music. Think of that in the orchestra.
Fifty-three different instruments, including an ancient form of the bagpipes. That's how good they were.
Some wandering Scotsman must have found his way there. I don't know. The point is Don't think of the Babylonians as some kind of primitive people. Yes, it's true they were idolatrous. But they were a very sophisticated civilisation, yet a very pagan one.
Archaeologists have discovered that there were fifty different temples to fifty different gods in ancient Babylon. What's the point? The kingdoms of this world rise. and fall. But God And God alone.
is sovereignly in control. God is always in charge. In Daniel two, as we get into that, we will learn of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. He is a dream of a statue. It's a head of gold, which represents Babylon.
That must have made him very proud. But Daniel explains to Nebuchadnezzar, That Babylon, powerful although it is, brilliant civilization although it is, one day is going to come to an end. And the prophecy takes place, Daniel 5. In one night, On october twenty ninth, five hundred and thirty nine BC Babylon, the great Babylon Empire fell. in one note.
And as we study Daniel, we'll learn. that the great empires of this world, like Babylon, Like the Medes and the Persians, like the Greek Empire under the mighty Alexander the Great. The mighty, seemingly unconquerable Roman Empire with their brilliant emperors, with Julius Caesar and all of them, that they come to power. They accomplish great things. They seem to conquer the world.
But inevitably, They fall. Turn to Daniel two. Over the page of your Bible. And look at verse twenty one. Here is the divine commentary.
Daniel two, verse twenty one, he changes times and seasons, he removes kings and sets up. kings. Who removes kings? Who sets up kings? The sovereign God who is the Lord.
of history. Chapter four Turn to Daniel four. Verse seventeen The middle of the verse To the end that the living may know. That the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. and sets over it The lowliest.
of men. What is the point? Daniel is reminding us of this fundamental lesson which is so difficult for us That God and not man, God and God alone is sovereign. that the world is never out of control. From our perspective, it seems to be Nebuchadnezzar comes and besieges Jerusalem.
Ah, but the Lord has given Jehoiakim to him. And all of the nations. including the mighty United States of America, all the nations are subject. to our great God. Benjamin Franklin writes, The longer I live, the The more convincing proofs I see of this truth that God governs in the affairs of man.
If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? Have you learned that lesson? Have you learned the lesson that God is in sovereign control of the past Of your past? of the present and of the future, that God is the absolute ruler over everything, yes, over everything. Daniel is reminding us.
That God is in. charge. And not you. And to do that, he presents, as we'll learn in our series, the great panorama of prophecy from the time of Babylon to the time of the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. You say, How can we be so sure?
that his prophecies will be fulfilled.
Well, many of the prophecies of Daniel, as we'll learn, That the prophecies that Daniel made have already historically been fulfilled. With Babylon and the Medes and the Persians and the Greece Empire and the Roman Empire all come and gone. But we know that the prophecies will Be fulfilled. Why? Because God is in sovereign control of the past and of the present and of the future.
He rules over the fall of a sparrow. And he rules over the fall and rise of nations and Kingdoms.
Now, if that is true as it is Do you not think it's time? that your life was aligned to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If it's true that God and God alone is in charge, not you. Shouldn't you be trusting God? Shouldn't I be trusting God?
with all of the things in my life That God is in charge? This God who controls the history of the world This God who controls all of eternity? This kingdom which will endure forever. Don't you think it's time that you're part of the kingdom of God? Don't you think it's time that you were part of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, this kingdom which will never ever be destroyed?
If God is sovereign, if God and God alone is in charge, Doesn't it make sense? Of course it does. to trust is God. With all of your heart. If he watches over the fall of a Sparrow.
He knows everything that's going to take place in my life today and tomorrow and for however long or however short I live, all is known to him. He's in charge of my life. He's sovereign, I'm not, therefore I'm to trust him and love him and serve him with all of my heart. Why? Because God is in charge, not John Monroe.
Have you learned that lesson? Have you committed truly your life and your ways to King Jesus, who will reign forever? Daniel is telling us. That there's only one who rules. And as God and God alone, King Jesus rules.
Now that's the first. Overarching theme In the book of Daniel. and one that we need to learn. that God is in sovereign control of the past, the present and the future. This is the verdict featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe.
There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity.
Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website.
Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? How are you surviving in your situation? Like Daniel, you may find yourself in a difficult situation, even a hostile one. But are you standing strong for God? Isn't it encouraging to be reminded that no matter what happens, God is sovereignly in control?
He's always in charge. And he's promised that he'll never leave you.
So don't resist him. Love him and trust him with all of your heart. Don't forget to tune in next time as we continue to learn of Daniel in a pagan culture. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies.
Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
