Daniel 10 Dare to be Enabled - Revision history

Wakefien: /* Introduction: */

2024-04-09T13:58:55Z

‎Introduction:

Wakefien: /* We need reminding that we are not in this alone. */

2024-04-09T13:56:53Z

‎We need reminding that we are not in this alone.

Wakefien: /* In the midst of weakness, God gave strength. */

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‎In the midst of weakness, God gave strength.

Wakefien: /* In the midst of despair, God enabled Daniel to speak. */

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‎In the midst of despair, God enabled Daniel to speak.

Wakefien: /* In the midst of reality, Daniel found himself speechless. */

2024-04-09T13:49:31Z

‎In the midst of reality, Daniel found himself speechless.

Wakefien: /* The Second Enabling Touch: Speak (15-17). */

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‎The Second Enabling Touch: Speak (15-17).

Wakefien: /* In the midst of life, God allowed evil to interfere. */

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‎In the midst of life, God allowed evil to interfere.

Wakefien: /* The impact of the vision (7-9). */

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‎The impact of the vision (7-9).

Wakefien: /* The timing and significance of the Vision (1-4). */

2024-04-09T13:38:50Z

‎The timing and significance of the Vision (1-4).

Wakefien: /* Setting the Stage: Start by reading verses 1-9 */

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‎Setting the Stage: Start by reading verses 1-9

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 '''Homiletical Proposition/Application: Daniel is touched by God’s servant three times giving him the ability to rise, speak, and be strengthened. The truth of Daniel 10 is the truth that God is the one who enables us.'''
-=Introduction:=
+=Introduction: Memory Verse Acts 1:8=
 ==Image: Being enabled to do something you never could have done yourself.==

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 God had a message for Daniel, a message written down in His Book of Truth. Whatever the Book of Truth we don't have a lot of detail certainly the Bible is part of it as a true word from God but more we just don't know. What we do know is that there was a cosmic battle raging and this battle had real consequences for Daniel. In fact, as we see in 11:1 is seems this battle had raged even back when Darius first took the throne in Daniel chapter 9 when Daniel had prayed for the return of Israel to the land. You see, Daniel 12:1 tells us that Michael plays a special role in caring for Israel. So let me give you a brief interpretation of the passage.
-Michael was defending Israel and playing a role in the return of Israel to the promised land. Evil forces were opposing the work of Michael. Daniel was praying and God was at work providing support both in the spiritual realm and in the earthly realm. The message communicated here in the text. You are not in this alone Daniel, Michael is fighting on behalf of your people and I am also fighting. Be strong, dig deep, you re not in this alone.
+Michael was defending Israel and playing a role in the return of Israel to the promised land. Evil forces were opposing the work of Michael. Daniel was praying and God was at work providing support both in the spiritual realm and in the earthly realm. The message communicated here in the text. You are not in this alone Daniel, Michael is fighting on behalf of your people and I am also fighting. Be strong, dig deep, you're not in this alone.
 ===MTR: Ask God for strength and when it comes don't forget to use it.===

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 ===In the midst of weakness, God gave strength.===
-Verse 18 is a summary statement and verse 19 gives some detail. Daniel, you do not need to be afraid. Here is something that I notice Daniel tells the being that he is responding to the vision and the response Daniel is given is a command "do not be afraid." The proper response to the God of the universe is fear. After all, God is magnificent. However, Daniel is highly esteemed. God has looked on Daniel with favor and so there is no need for fear. In fact, fear is met with Shalom.
+Verse 18 is a summary statement and verse 19 gives some detail. Daniel, you do not need to be afraid.
 The idea behind "shalom" is not merely the absence of war or conflict but the presence of holistic well-being and flourishing. It conveys a vision of a world where justice, righteousness, and harmony prevail, and where people live in right relationship with one another and with the divine. Things are rough Daniel but the God of Shalom is the God who is speaking with you.

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 ===In the midst of despair, God enabled Daniel to speak.===
-So, what happens? The being here gives Daniel the ability to speak. Again, the being touches Daniel and Daniel begins to speak. When I used to teach a graduate level course about learning theories at the university the students would eventually want to know to which theory I ascribed. My answer was always complicated grabbing at several nuances but something common was that fundamentally I believe that learning at all but the most basic level involves primarily the use of language through speech, either internal self-speech or aural communication. I am not convinced we learn anything go substance without language. So, when God enables Daniel to speak God is enabling Daniel to take an important step in Daniel's growth. Daniel, you are about to learn from this and to do so you need to speak. Silence is an appropriate response to reality but eventually silence needs to give way to speech.
+So, what happens? The being here gives Daniel the ability to speak. Again, the being touches Daniel and Daniel begins to speak. When I used to teach a graduate level course about learning theories at the university the students would eventually want to know to which theory I ascribed. My answer was always complicated grabbing at several nuances but something common was that fundamentally I believe that learning at all but the most basic level involves primarily the use of language through speech, either internal self-speech or aural communication. I am not convinced we learn anything of substance without language. So, when God enables Daniel to speak God is enabling Daniel to take an important step in Daniel's growth. Daniel, you are about to learn from this and to do so you need to speak. Silence is an appropriate response to reality but eventually silence needs to give way to speech.
 ===In the midst of anguish, Daniel told the truth.===

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 ===In the midst of reality, Daniel found himself speechless.===
-In the midst of life, there are times when our response is shock and despair. I don't know about you, but personally as I have been studying for these sermons I have grown in my admiration of Daniel. I have found Daniel to be a real person to whom I can relate. I want you to know that there are times when the right response to a situation is to simply hand your head in despair and wait for God. One of the hardest lessons I have learned is that in the midst of despair sometimes just sitting in silence and waiting for God is the right response.
+In the midst of life, there are times when our response is shock and despair. I don't know about you, but personally as I have been studying for these sermons I have grown in my admiration of Daniel. I have found Daniel to be a real person to whom I can relate. I want you to know that there are times when the right response to a situation is to simply hang your head in despair and wait for God. One of the hardest lessons I have learned is that in the midst of despair sometimes just sitting in silence and waiting for God is the right response.
 Again, think about this. Daniel has been learning that life is going to be hard for Israel, even after being restored to the promised land. Now, after a grueling 21 day period of prayer Daniel learns that God has indeed heard the message 21 days ago, but God allowed evil forces to interfere with His response to Daniel.
 ===Image: Disappointment in someone else's plans/response.===

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 ==The Second Enabling Touch: Speak (15-17).==
-Daniel is now standing but the news Daniel is receiving about the future is not the sort of news that gives makes one excited about tomorrow. Yes, in the end God will wrap things up nicely, but in the near future life is going to be hard. In verse 15 we see that Daniel's head sinks and he is unable to speak. What's worse, Daniel has learned something even more disturbing. God allowed evil forces to have what seemed like a small victory. Daniel has just been told that while God heard his prayer 21 days ago, the forces of evil were allowed to delay the response until this point. I want us to understand something here, Daniel is very disturbed by the news he has heard.
+Daniel is now standing but the news Daniel is receiving about the future is not the sort of news that makes one excited about tomorrow. Yes, in the end God will wrap things up nicely, but in the near future life is going to be hard. In verse 15 we see that Daniel's head sinks and he is unable to speak. What's worse, Daniel has learned something even more disturbing. God allowed evil forces to have what seemed like a small victory. Daniel has just been told that while God heard his prayer 21 days ago, the forces of evil were allowed to delay the response until this point. I want us to understand something here, Daniel is very disturbed by the news he has heard.
 ===In the midst of reality, Daniel found himself speechless.===

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 ===In the midst of life, God allowed evil to interfere.===
-Verse 13 is a fascinating verse. For some reason, some way, God allowed the Prince of Persia. The verse really asks far more questions than it answers. Presumably the Prince of Persia is spiritual being who has been granted dominion over the region of Persia. Moreover, this being is allowed to, at the surface level, interfere with the plan of God! Again, more questions than answers, but let's not get too caught up in things we cannot answer. Let's look at what we do know. Daniel has been in prayer for 21 days and verse 12 tells us that as soon as Daniel started praying God heard.
+Verse 13 is a fascinating verse. For some reason, some way, God allowed the Prince of Persia to interfere. The verse really asks far more questions than it answers. Presumably the Prince of Persia is spiritual being who has been granted dominion over the region of Persia. Moreover, this being is allowed to, at the surface level, interfere with the plan of God! Again, more questions than answers, but let's not get too caught up in things we cannot answer. Let's look at what we do know. Daniel has been in prayer for 21 days and verse 12 tells us that as soon as Daniel started praying God heard.
 But more than just hearing. God responded. Moreover, when adversity arose, God invested. God sent Michael to engage in what really must be spiritual warfare. Again, more questions than answers here but while the questions are intriguing, the answers given are encouraging.

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 ====The impact of the vision (7-9).====
-Whatever is happening has a profound impact on Daniel. So much so that others who were with Daniel while not actually seeing the vision are impacted nonetheless. The content of the vision itself is not discussed until Daniel 11. But here in the set-up there is so much we can learn.
+Whatever is happening has a profound impact on Daniel. So much so that others who were with Daniel while not actually seeing the vision are impacted nonetheless. The content of the vision itself is not discussed until Daniel 11. But here, in the set-up, there is so much we can learn.
 =Body=

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 Details do matter as we interpret text and these first 9 verses are full of details. We see that Daniel has been mourning for three weeks and that it is now the 24th day of the first month. Let me do some math. 24th day, three weeks, that puts us at Daniel starting to mourn on the third day of the first month. That is the 3rd of Nisan. Interestingly Passover was celebrated starting on the 14th of Nisan. My speculation (and that of others<ref>Widder, Wendy L. Daniel. Zondervan Academic, 2016.</ref>) is that Daniel may have been mourning the less than ideal second exodus of the people. The people are partaking in a sort of second Exodus back to the land but this exodus is far from the triumphal exodus of Moses.
-ic
 ====The identity of the man (5-6).====
 We really cannot set the stage for what follows without first addressing the identity of the man who stands before Daniel. The description of the man is intended to convey something special. Several interpreters have suggested this might be Gabriel again, but Daniel has already met and named Gabriel so this seems unlikely. Others have argued this is a theophany, the pre-incarnate Christ. The problem with this view is that in verse 13 we see the Prince of Persia was able to withstand this being. Certainly, it is argued, no created being could impede the God of the universe and especially not for 21 days. However, this may be assigning too much weight to theological knowledge. We know that Jacob was able to wrestle with God in Genesis 32. God, for some reason, limited his power. Who is to say something like that has not occurred here.

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 ==Setting the Stage: Start by reading verses 1-9==
 ====The timing and significance of the Vision (1-4).====
-Cyrus came to power in 559 BC but did not conquer Babylon until 539 BC. Hence, Daniel 10 takes place in 536 BC. When Cyrus came to power in Babylon he issued an edict allowing the Jews to return to their homelands and rebuild the temple. Thousands of Jewish exiles returned to Israel and began the process of rebuilding, not under the authority of a David King but under the rule of Gentiles. Daniel, it appears did not return to the land. Perhaps his age or position prevented him from making the trip. In any case Daniel remained in Babylon and was given a vision. A vision that we are told was true and a vision that was burdensome, or concerned a great deal of conflict. The conflict or burden we are going to see involves the reality facing the people of God that life would be hard. But that is not the focus of today's sermon.
+Cyrus came to power in 559 BC but did not conquer Babylon until 539 BC. Hence, Daniel 10 takes place in 536 BC. When Cyrus came to power in Babylon he issued an edict allowing the Jews to return to their homelands and rebuild the temple. Thousands of Jewish exiles returned to Israel and began the process of rebuilding, not under the authority of a Davidic King but under the rule of Gentiles. Daniel, it appears did not return to the land. Perhaps his age or position prevented him from making the trip. In any case Daniel remained in Babylon and was given a vision. A vision that we are told was true and a vision that was burdensome, or concerned a great deal of conflict. The conflict or burden we are going to see involves the reality facing the people of God that life would be hard. But that is not the focus of today's sermon.
 Details do matter as we interpret text and these first 9 verses are full of details. We see that Daniel has been mourning for three weeks and that it is now the 24th day of the first month. Let me do some math. 24th day, three weeks, that puts us at Daniel starting to mourn on the third day of the first month. That is the 3rd of Nisan. Interestingly Passover was celebrated starting on the 14th of Nisan. My speculation (and that of others<ref>Widder, Wendy L. Daniel. Zondervan Academic, 2016.</ref>) is that Daniel may have been mourning the less than ideal second exodus of the people. The people are partaking in a sort of second Exodus back to the land but this exodus is far from the triumphal exodus of Moses.
+ic
 ====The identity of the man (5-6).====
 We really cannot set the stage for what follows without first addressing the identity of the man who stands before Daniel. The description of the man is intended to convey something special. Several interpreters have suggested this might be Gabriel again, but Daniel has already met and named Gabriel so this seems unlikely. Others have argued this is a theophany, the pre-incarnate Christ. The problem with this view is that in verse 13 we see the Prince of Persia was able to withstand this being. Certainly, it is argued, no created being could impede the God of the universe and especially not for 21 days. However, this may be assigning too much weight to theological knowledge. We know that Jacob was able to wrestle with God in Genesis 32. God, for some reason, limited his power. Who is to say something like that has not occurred here.