Grosey's Messages

Daniel 2  What to do when the heads roll

1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, "I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream." 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation." 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation." 7 They answered a second time and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation." 8 The king answered and said, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation." 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

 12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, "Why is the decree of the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.

17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.
 21  He changes times and seasons;  he removes kings and sets up kings;  he gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those who have understanding;
 22  he reveals deep and hidden things;  he knows what is in the darkness,  and the light dwells with him.
 23 To you, O God of my fathers,  I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might,

and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter."

 24 Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation."

1.     How do we develop sufficient confidence in our faith to face the greatest horrors of life with a dependence on prayer?

2.     How do we see God setting up and deposing kings (and politicians) in our day, and how do we respond to what we see?

3.     Name some ways and places we pray with other people besides the familiar public prayer sessions at church.

Video sermon  https://youtu.be/lA3YT9Ov7d4

Zoom Online Bible Study Meeting Tuesday evening at 7:30   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2402286476

Dreams can be quite weird.

Sometimes they are related to areas of stress. When under stress I get optical migraines and weird dreams. I also get weird psychedelic dreams with codeine.

In Psychology there is a whole realm of dream interpretation schemes. 
Dream analysis is a therapeutic technique best known for its use in psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud viewed dreams as "the royal road" to the unconscious and developed dream analysis, or dream interpretation, as a way of tapping into this unconscious material.

Carl Jung shared some commonalities with Freud, he felt that dreams were more than an expression of repressed wishes. Jung suggested that dreams revealed both the personal and collective unconscious and believed that dreams serve to compensate for parts of the psyche that are underdeveloped in waking life.

Unlike Freud, who often suggested that specific symbols represent specific unconscious thoughts, Jung believed that dreams can be highly personal and that interpreting these dreams involved knowing a great deal about the individual dreamer.

Calvin S. Hall proposed that dreams are part of a cognitive process in which dreams serve as "conceptions" of elements of our personal lives.⁴ Hall looked for themes and patterns by analyzing thousands of dream diaries from participants, eventually creating a quantitative coding system that divided what's in our dreams into a number of categories.

According to Hall's theory, interpreting dreams requires knowing:

The actions of the dreamer within the dream

The objects and figures in the dream

The interactions between the dreamer and the characters in the dream

The dream's setting, transitions, and outcome

The ultimate goal of this dream interpretation is not to understand the dream, however, but to understand the dreamer. 

• Record your dreams. ...
• Identify how you were feeling in the dream. ...
• Identify recurring thoughts in your dreams and daily life. ...
• Consider all the elements of a dream. ...
• Put down the dream dictionaries. ...
• Remember you're the expert. ...
• You can learn a lot from even the most mundane dreams.

The self-organization theory of dreaming offers a framework distinct from psychoanalytic theories to explain how dreams are generated and operate. This theory proposes that dreams are a byproduct of the dreamer's physical and mental state during sleep, distinguishes between manifest and latent dream, and points out that the dream-work proposed by Freud is actually a result of information processing and self-organization in the sleeping brain.

Daniel now takes us back to the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, so we know the time frame falls between April 603 and March 602 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar is hardly the first national leader to receive revelation from God through a dream or vision (Pharaoh in Gen. 41; Abimelech in Gen. 20; Pharaoh-Necho in 2 Chr. 35 and 2 Kgs. 23).

1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, "I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream."

Nebuchadnezzar had dreams! God gave him the dreams. The dream probably occurred during Daniel's three years of training, final exams!

The King is Disturbed by his dreams.. it appears that the dream was repeated throughout the night.

It was probably one of those repetitive dreams that seem to be repeated throughout the night. It troubled him. He kept going back to the dream. Maybe he had gone to bed anxious about his large empire and how he was going to keep himself in it.

We also learn that the king was troubled and he could not sleep. Insomnia is hardly an unknown annoyance for people with great responsibilities, but we soon learn in this chapter that stress was not the issue, rather this was a God-induced problem.

And so he consulted the academia of his wise men!

Being troubled by this dream the king calls together all of his wise men. Here was a convocation that was a new age who's who. They all came and stood before the king. He gathered together the magicians and astrologers and sorcerers and reminded them that they got paid for being wise and instructed them to tell him what he dreamed and what it meant.

The magicians take their name from a Hebrew word related to a pen or writing instrument which hints at scholarship in some written mode. We're quite familiar with the term scribes in the Bible, people who work with books, perhaps religious literature, which at that time would have been in the Sumerian language unknown to ordinary citizens of Babylon.

The enchanters (ashapim) bring the hint of spiritism connected with the history of this word. They came from their post in the wizardry department, most likely interrupted from important research related to foretelling the future by analyzing the stars. They probably dealt with matters of death and perhaps communication with the dead, clearly the experts in pathological curriculum.

The name sorcerers comes from a word used for the act of cutting, suggesting that they may have worked with pharmaceutical ingredients. This is bolstered by the use of the word pharikoi in the Septuagint, the foundation word for our term pharmacist.

The NIV translators chose astrologers as the fourth category, but these are the kasdim we have already met in chapter 1. Again it is important to distinguish between these Chaldeans and the use of that term to designate an entire race of people who lived in southern Babylonia. They become the spokespeople in verse 4, and we surely can assign them the prominent role among this interesting faculty. Here they assemble, ready to put their collective brilliance at the disposal of their king.

And the king insisted they tell him what he had dreamed and what it means.

2:4. Here we see our first language switch, from Hebrew to Aramaic, the most well-known and convenient language. All the written text of Daniel from this point to the end of chapter 7 appears in Aramaic for reasons we have already discussed (although the Chaldeans likely addressed the king in Akkadian).

Wiersbe asks "Here we are confronted with a question that sincere Bible students don't answer the same way: Did King Nebuchadnezzar forget his dream, or was he using this approach to test his counselors to see if they were authentic?"

The KJV and the Amplified Bible translate verses 5 and 8 "the thing is gone from me," which can be interpreted "the dream has left me." NASB translates that same phrase "the command from me is firm," and the NIV translates it "this is what I have firmly decided."

I have an answer: I don't know. I do know I forget dreams that I have. I wake up in the morning to tell Lorelle, I had a really interesting dream. But by the time I have said that, I've forgotten what the dream was about!

Why couldn't he remember the dream? Or why did he test these guys? It was part of God's plan to elevate Daniel and the three other young men! It was probably the thing that brought attention in chapter 1 to these three men.

The magicians and the all the wise men could not discover the dream.

It reminds me of a young doctor who starting out had a very awkward patient. He checked everything in his books. He even googled the patient's symptoms.  And he still had no answers. Finally he looked over at the patient and asked "Have you ever had this before?"  The patient answered "Yes". "Well you've got it again!"

WWW "By issuing this impossible challenge, the king was unconsciously following the plan of God and opening the way for Daniel to do what the counselors could not do."

Jerome says, "If they should be unable to tell the king what he in his mental confusion could not recall, they would also lose claim to trustworthiness in the interpretation they might give" (Jerome, 25).

So Nebuchadnezzar orders the whole lot of them to be put to death. Incidentally, Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, weren't present but were going to be killed too.

12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel's Prudence   He Proceeds With Care

Daniel keeps his head even though everyone else is losing theirs!

WWW "As new "graduates" among the royal counselors, they hadn't been invited to the special session about the dream. Daniel spoke to Arioch "with wisdom and tact" (NIV), just as he had spoken to Ashpenaz and Melzar (1:9–14; see Col. 4:5–6), and the chief executioner explained how serious the matter was. By doing this and delaying his obedience, Arioch was risking his own life, but the officers in the palace had learned that the four Jewish men were trustworthy. Their gracious actions and words during their three years of training were now helping to save their lives.

Arioch allowed Daniel time to speak to Nebuchadnezzar, and the king must have been surprised to see him. Apparently his rage had subsided and he was willing to make some concessions. After all, Daniel hadn't been at the original meeting, so he deserved an opportunity to obey the king's orders. No doubt Nebuchadnezzar recalled that the four Hebrews had been exceptional students and were superior to the men whose lives were now in danger. Why kill your four best counselors just because of the incompetence of the others?"

The key to understanding this chapter of Scripture is found in a few key phrases in Daniel 2:28-29, 45. He begins by informing us that there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. He goes on to say that this God has made known what will be in latter days…what will come to pass after this…what will be in the future.

Daniel proceeds carefully. There is no panic here!  He isn't going to respond to the pressures!

He isn't going to run and hide and die! His future is in God's hands now matter how long or short that may be!

Daniel Prays

And Daniel hears about the king's decree he gets his friends together not to plot but to pray.

He gets them in a prayer meeting and the result was that the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. (Dan. 2:19)

"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16 nkjv).

I have been reading through 2 Chronicles this week.  I have been challenged by several aspects of the history of the Jews prior to the exile to Babylon. Quite often they were faced with a crisis. Someone was coming to get them. They had a choice. Should they get help from the neighbouring Kings? Anytime they did, they got themselves under God's hand of punishment. When they trusted God against unwinnable odds, God gave them a great deliverance. When they put their trust in how they could organize things, God left them to discover how little they could actually do. When we trust God, He opens doors!

Daniel Praises.

Before Daniel goes and sorts it out with Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel Praises.

Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.   21  He changes times and seasons;  he removes kings and sets up kings;  he gives wisdom to the wise  and knowledge to those who have understanding;   22  he reveals deep and hidden things;  he knows what is in the darkness,  and the light dwells with him.   23 To you, O God of my fathers,  I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter."

When God's people today face a crisis, we need to follow the example of Daniel and his friends and take the matter to the Lord in prayer. Faith is living without scheming, and faith brings glory to God. Daniel and his friends couldn't take credit for what happened because it came from the hand of God. "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me" (Ps. 50:15 nkjv).

Daniel Proclaims

After Daniel prays and praises God, then  Daniel goes before Nebuchadnezzar and lays it all out before him. He stands before the king and says, There's a God in heaven who reveals secrets and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. (Dan. 2:28)

That is the key sentence in this chapter. There is a God in Heaven!

We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to what we believe and hold dear to our own hearts. But there is a God in heaven!

I don't understand Christians who reject Vaccines.  They want to riot in town?!?!

Do they think they can achieve something other than the culture calling them nuts?

Sometimes the powerlessness of our crises makes us feel desperate.

We may be powerless. But there is a God in heaven!

There is a God in heaven! This was an unusual designation of God that was used often after the Exile into Babylonian captivity.  God was on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, but in Ezekiel we have the vision of God leaving the holy place in the temple, leaving the temple, leaving mount Zion, leaving Jerusalem, leaving Judah into Heaven. God in heaven occurs 9 times in Daniel, 6 times in Ezra, 4 times in Nehemiah. Daniel is recognising that God had brought them to Babylon because of Judah's sin!

Yes, our children have pressures and temptations most of us knew nothing about in our own adolescence. But there is a God in heaven!  Yes, we are indeed confronted in the workplace daily by those who have far different moral values than do we. But, there is a God in heaven! Yes atheists attack us unfairly, But there is a God in heaven!

The rest of the second chapter of Daniel deals with the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. We discover that the God in heaven is the God of all history. Anywhere.  Everywhere! Here! Now! Including over the crisis of Corona virus.  Including over the stupidity of humanity.

Daniel is teaching us how to live in the midst of and how to engage a pagan culture around us. In the first chapter he has shown us the importance of not giving in nor giving up nor giving out. Now, in Chapter 2, he provides us with a panorama of world history to assure us that we're on the winning side even in days when victory seems somewhat remote.

The Lord Of Heaven is the Lord of History.

The Lord of History is the Lord of Here and Now!

What are we to take from the passage?

1. When you face a crisis, don't forget there is a God in Heaven.

Therefore pray about the crisis.

2. When you face a crisis, remember God is the Lord of History.

Therefore don't be surprised of God allows you to do something responsible for His glory in the crisis.

3. When you face a crisis remember God is the Lord of Here and Now.  Ask Him to change people's hearts and lives.
4. When you face a crisis, begin where God begins, with who He is not with where you are.
5. When you face a crisis, keep your head even though everyone else is losing theirs!

Daniel 1    Conforming or Transforming

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 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, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 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, 4 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. 5 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. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king." 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

 17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Think about your own worldview. What beliefs or assumptions characterize how you view the world? Now think about your culture as a whole. What characterizes the general culture's worldview?

How have you experienced the challenges of isolation, indoctrination, assimilation, and confusion? How did you fight to remain faithful to Christ?

How do these scriptures inform us today of how we should resist the overwhelming pressures of our society to conform?

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:12

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 3:15–16

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:5–6

What are some of the roadblocks you face in winning the respect and admiration of the non-Christians you rub shoulders with on a regular basis?

What are some of the areas Christians take a stand against in the secular environment that should be secondary issues, thus hindering their witness?

Why do we find it difficult to maintain a proper balance in trusting God to help us resolve problems in our relationships and in trying to work it out in our own strength? What steps have you taken personally to maintain this balance?

Bible Study Tuesday night at 7:30 PM on Zoom

Zoom Online Bible Study Meeting Tuesday evening at 7:30   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2402286476

How suddenly life can change. Over several years I have faced some challenges… Twice the fearful spectre of terminal cancer has arisen over these last five years; a specialist diagnosed a 50/50 chance of a jaw tumour being terminal or requiring a 3 month stay in ICU as my jaw was replaced with titanium, thankfully he was wrong and the situation was fixed after several day surgeries over a year. Another time my doctor, in tears, returned a verdict of "bulky prostrate", thankfully after another year of tests and surgeries, the diagnosis was found to be wrong. I got in the habit of reminding those who were concerned for me "Its OK the Lord is Sovereign. God is in control."

How life can change suddenly.  These things may surprise us, but they don't surprise God.

Kenneth Gangel notes that "the Book of Daniel is not about Daniel. Like Abraham, Moses, and Joshua, Daniel was God's vessel, a tool in his hands to accomplish his eternal purpose on earth. In the Pentateuch and historical books, God's sovereignty appears as the backdrop, an assumption about the God of the universe. In Daniel it becomes the central theme, a message to be shouted to God's people Israel and to the pagan nations surrounding them: There is a God, and he is in charge of his world. God knows what he's doing, and he's doing it."

Daniel was a young man who grew up in the traditional family values of the Jewish culture. Then he unexpectedly found himself in a culture that was foreign to everything he had known. His value system, his worldview, his moral compass was challenged repeatedly at every turn. His world evolved into a world of pluralism and paganism. (Hawkins).

Daniel begins by telling us when he first went to Babylon in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah. Scholars agree that this was 605 B.C., and we see parallel accounts in 2 Kings 24:1,2 and 2 Chronicles 36:5-7. It helps us to remember that there were three distinct deportations; this first one in 605 when Daniel and a few others were taken captive to Babylon; the second in 598 B.C. when Jehoiachin and the royal family were captured along with Ezekiel and all the treasures of the temple (2 Kgs. 24:10-17); and the third in 587 B.C. when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed and Judah ceased to be the Southern Kingdom (2 Kgs. 25:1-21).

The nations of Israel and Judah had repeatedly forsaken God over the centuries. There would be national apostasy and then national crises, and sometimes a return to the Lord. But this time was different.  Israel "did evil in the sight of the Lord," experienced defeat from their enemies, and were taken into slavery.

Dan 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along 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, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.

When Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem, Jehoiakim was king of Judah—the eighteenth king since Rehoboam. Out of all of the kings of Judah, eleven were wicked men—and Jehoiakim was one of the worst. Like his predecessor, Jehoahaz, "he did evil in the eyes of the LORD" (2 Kings 23:32).

Jehoiakim committed one of his most flagrant sins when he not only ignored the word of the Lord that was delivered through the prophet Jeremiah but actually destroyed the sacred Scriptures. He was sitting in his winter apartment one morning when several of his assistants brought the scroll on which Jeremiah had written God's words of judgment, which stated that the king of Babylon would attack Jerusalem and destroy it (Jer. 36:28–29). Jehoiakim sat nonchalantly and listened to his right-hand man, Jehudi, read from Jeremiah's scroll. He then deliberately and systematically cut each section from the scroll as it was read and tossed it into his wood heater. Piece by piece he destroyed the entire manuscript, openly and flagrantly rejecting God's warnings. We read that "the king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear" (36:24). They would have done well to listen to Solomon's proverb: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline" (Prov. 1:7). Jehoiakim and his associates demonstrated that they were definitely fools, and they eventually reaped what they had sown!

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked Jerusalem a second time. This time he captured 10,000 Jews and carried them back to Babylon. The author of 2 Kings records that Jehoiakim arrogantly reneged on his agreement. Consequently, all Judah paid a terrible price.

The relationship between Nebuchadnezzar and the puppet king of Judah continued to deteriorate. Eleven years later, the king of Babylon made his final attack on Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and literally destroyed the whole city—just as Jeremiah had prophesied it would happen.

Jehoiakim chose to "spit in God's face." He scoffed at God and literally destroyed the prophetic Scriptures. Although he had initially cooperated with Nebuchadnezzar and "became his vassal," three years later he rebelled, which led to his untimely death (2 Kings 24:1).

Gangel says "Daniel wastes no time getting to his theme; the sovereignty of God. How was the nation of Israel lost? The Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand. Daniel introduces the primary theme of his book right here. The captivity of 605 B.C. was not a victory for Nebuchadnezzar any more than the crucifixion was a victory for Satan. The God of creation decided that year that a new chapter would open in his personal "world book," so he sent Jehoiakim to defeat, and Daniel to Babylon." When Nebuchadnezzar brought the vessels back to Babylon, he put them in the temple of his god. Daniel tells us that twice in one verse, indicating its importance. He wants us to understand that this is not only a battle between nations but also a battle between deities; God against Marduk, great god of the Babylonians. We have here one historic pinpoint in the battle of the ages, the eternal struggle between heaven and earth, light and darkness, truth and error.

Veldkamp says it well: "Jerusalem versus Babel is the great opposition that has dominated world history throughout the ages. It is the colossal struggle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, the Church and the world, the Christ and the Antichrist. Whereas John tells us in Revelation of the final battle and ultimate triumph of Christ, Daniel describes one of the many phases in the struggle (Dan. 1:9,10)." (Veldkamp, p. 9).

THE PRESSURE TO SUBMIT

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,⁴ youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

Daniel and his three friends were chosen, it's clear they were not ordinary citizens in Jerusalem. The Jewish historian Josephus theorized they were from the household of Zedekiah, the third son of King Josiah and the last man to serve as king of Judah before Nebuchadnezzar's army destroyed Jerusalem and set fire to Solomon's temple (2 Kings 25:1–7).

Nebuchadnezzar employs an ingenious technique to control the future dynastic rule of his descendants and the ultimate supremacy of his Babylonian Empire. He employed brainwashing, a deliberate attempt to purge out any earlier religious, sociological, or cultural influences and make these boys, the children of the nobility of Israel, thoroughly Babylonian. He knew he had his hands on gifted young men of royal lineage, the social influencers of their age. Find gifted people, train them, and take advantage of their skills! That was his plan! These boys were the cream of the crop, the royals of their own nation. And he was going to capture their minds and hearts. According to Plato 'the education of Persian youth began in their fourteenth year,' and it is reasonable to assume that the Babylonians commenced the training of young people at about the same age of the Persians. Daniel then would likely have been about fourteen or fifteen years of age when he was taken into captivity and began his training." (Miller, p. 60).

 These young students were also to be far above average. Physically, they were to be outstanding—free from any defect whatsoever (Dan. 1:4). They were smart: showing "aptitude for every kind of learning." They were to be "well informed" and "quick to understand." Socially, they were to be "qualified to serve in the king's palace," which means they were well adjusted psychologically with outgoing and appealing personalities. Daniel and his three friends measured up in every respect. 

Nebuchadnezzar's purpose was to inculturate the students. He was going to Babylonise them. Much as our Australian Universities today seek to secularise the university students, or perhaps Marxise them.

He changed their language

The language of normal communication in multi-racial Babylon was Aramaic, written in an easily learned alphabetic script. (NIV Study Bible p.1300). Parts of the book of Daniel were originally in Aramaic, other parts in Hebrew.

He changed their literature

The king sought to fill these young minds with Babylonian philosophy, Babylonian science,

Babylonian astrology, and Babylonian religion. His goal was to re-educate them away from the roots of their previous belief system and all of its traditional values.

he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.⁵ The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service

He changed their lifestyle.

Nebuchadnezzar not only set out to change their language and literature but also their lifestyle (Dan. 1:5).  He appointed daily provisions of his own delicacies. In other words, these boys were provided with gourmet delights straight from the King's table. Now remember these boys were Jews and lived by a strict kosher diet. Nebuchadnezzar's intent here was far more than simply introducing them to new food, he was about the business of seeking to change their very lifestyle. Not only did they learn letters, they learnt manners. He insisted that these young men eat the best food and drink the best wine in the kingdom. Their daily allotment came directly from the kitchen; they ate and drank from the same menu as Nebuchadnezzar. It also included changing their names to Babylonian names.

Nebuchadnezzar also sought to change their loyalty (Dan. 1:7).

He did this by changing their names. All four of these young men's names spoke about who they were and from whence they'd come.

We don't often get the point of them having their names changed. In the ancient world, it went to the heart of their personal identity, the core of who a person was. It was intended to confuse these young men and reorient them away from Yahweh and toward the pagan gods of their new home. Nebuchadnezzar changed their names to speak praise to his gods.

● Daniel: "God is my judge" → Belteshazzar: "Baal protects the king"

● Hananiah: "God is gracious" → Shadrach: "Under the Command of Aku (the moon god)"

● Mishael: "There is none like God" → Meshach: "There is none like Aku (the moon god)"

● Azariah: "God has helped me" → Abed-Nego: "The Servant of Nebo (the Babylonian god of wisdom)"

Criswell says, "The attempt is made to wipe out every memory of the God of their fathers. In each new heathen name a favorite god in Nebuchadnezzar's pantheon of idols is exalted." (Criswell, p. 16).

He wanted to train these young people to handle Jewish affairs of the exiles and then rule over the people once they were back home in Jerusalem. They had tremendous leadership abilities. His goal was clear. He set out to change their very way of thinking and their very loyalties. (Hawkins) This was Neb's end game!  Change their loyalties!

Our brightest young minds here in Australia are being re-educated and retrained by humanistic philosophy.  Many Universities give preference to employing Marxist lecturers. Is it any wonder we see concerning social changes?

It is about Indoctrination (1:4) and Assimilation (1:5)  Converting these followers of Yahweh into patriots of Babylon required a total immersion into the world of Babylon. While changing their minds, the Babylonians also sought to change the Hebrews' lifestyles. Each was to eat like a Babylonian and drink like a Babylonian.

These world conforming processes are generally undetected. Did you know that most people approved of slavery prior to the 19thCentury? They felt that reformers like Lord Shaftsbury and John Newton were stirrers who were set to upset the economic and social structures of a Christian world.  The culture had approved of and endorsed the wickedness of slavery. And many approved it in the name of Christianity! How does this happen?

THE POWER TO STAND

Though Daniel and his friends went through the classes, they resisted the pressure to change their thinking. This can be seen through the historical accounts of these young men in the chapters to follow. The pressure on Christians to change their thinking today comes from the print media, movies, and television as well as from teachers. For example, we have all experienced the pressure of our society. There was an advertisement running last week on Channel 9's Nine Plus from the Sydney Morning Herald. It showed a man reading his bible. The threat of the ad was "We are watching you and we are going to get you!" In other words the Sydney Morning Herald was saying that they are targeting Christians for persecution.  They made no bones about it. I notice that ad only ran a few days.

What advice does Daniel have for us today?  He says four basic things to us.

First,  "Don't get led on, be vigilant."

Geoff Thomas wrote "Nebuchadnezzar wanted them Babylonians in heart and spirit, body and soul. He wanted them alienated from the Lord, and utterly marinated in Babylonian ideals, assimilating the culture's whole way of life and values, forgetting all their past. What they laughed about, and what they would lay down their lives for would henceforth be Babylonian. "The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table." It was at this issue of the food that Daniel drew a line. When he was being trained in "the language and literature of the Babylonians" (v.4), he didn't protest. And when they were given new names (v.7) he didn't protest. But when Daniel was put on a new diet (v.8) he would not conform.

Daniel didn't protest when they called him 'Belteshazzar' even though it was a name of a Babylonian idol.

Is this a hill to die on? That is the question that needs to be answered. I note that Daniel accepted the name change forced on he and the other three young guys in the normal course of work. But it appears that they probably used their own old Hebrew names when they weren't in the presence of the pagans.

Revelation 2:14 says, "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols." In Daniel's day, eating food sacrificed to idols was a sin against God.

He saw the food as simply an outward sign of an anti-Jehovahist system, and that his whole way of life was being radically transformed and replaced. The menu wasn't accidental. The meals were presided over by the priests of Babylon and whenever you had a meal thanks was given to the gods who provided this food. Young Daniel recognised the challenge, "What fellowship do we have with Belial? What agreement is there between the temple of Jehovah and idols ?"

There was danger in that dining hall.

There in Babylon is this crowd of teenagers and they all have fallen into line and tuck into Babylonian food: "You've got to give and take, haven't you ?" they say. "Why be awkward ? Don't rock the boat Daniel. We have to keep our heads down. Don't antagonize them. We are on their turf.

I am reminded of old Bishop J C Ryle. He stood out against the anglo Catholicism that was creeping into the Anglican church.

Many, said Ryle, would argue that it is not a Romanizing move­ment, but simply a desire to introduce more ornate ceremonial. 'I have no sympathy with that opinion at all.' Ritualism is a Rome-ward movement and leads to popery. It is proved by the writings of the leading Ritualists of the day. 'I believe that Ritualism has done and is doing universal damage to the Church of England, and that unless it is checked or removed, it will prove the destruction of the Establishment.'

At the conclusion of this paper he declares: There can be no real peace while our church tolerates and fosters popery. God forbid that we should ever sacrifice truth to a love of peace. What others think I do not know. My own mind is made up. I have come to one decided conclusion. I say, give me a really Protestant and evangelical established church or no established church at all. When the Reformed Church of England renounces her Protestant principles and goes back to popery her life and her glory will have clean departed, and she will not be worth preserving. She will be an offence to God and not a resting place for any true Christian.

Ryle', says Marcus Loane, 'marked out a path for evangelical churchmen in days when much of the Church of England was drifting on the tides of liberalism and Tractarianism'.

Every denomination has the tendency to downgrade, to compromise because of threats from the culture. Don't compromise.

"Don't give in…be resistant." Heart Decisions

Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.

Tolerance the key word of the post modern age. But the bible still says John 14:6, Acts 4:12. True tolerance accepts that religions are mutually exclusive.

Hawkins wrote: He knew what he believed.  One of the reasons so many of us fall into our own world culture is that we do not know what the Bible says and thus we compromise and assimilate ourselves into the culture with no real convictions. Seldom do we "purpose in our hearts" … we need to purpose in our hearts well before the testing times, so that when that time comes and we have to make a decision, we've already made the right decision in our heart and mind. "Decisions regarding our careers, our marriages, our friends, our habits, even decisions of trusting Christ are made when we are young. Daniel had made his decision long before he got to Babylon. He "purposed in his heart" to stand upon the Word of God."

An old Sunday school song had these words: "Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have a firm purpose, and dare to make it known!"

Daniel says to us "Don't give up…be consistent."

Our tendency is to become so overwhelmed by a culture around us that we simply want to give up even trying to hold on to biblical principles in the marketplace. If Daniel is saying anything to us today it is this: don't give up, be consistent.

His personal choice of holiness had a powerful influence on three areas

of his person (1:15-17, 20).

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

Hmmm Vegetables.. only.. couldn't they muster a little meat every now and again? I mean I survived on broccoli juice for 9 months. Yuk.   No meat.  But these guys had to remain consistent. As long as they were in Babylon, veggies only!

"Don't give out…be persistent."

Daniel 1:21, thus Daniel continued. Daniel was in it for the long haul. He finished strongly. He was persistent. It took time but he won in the end and his influence made an incredible difference. The Book of Daniel is speaking to our modern world today. Daniel's words are not simply theoretical. They've been beaten out on the anvil of personal experience.

Daniel's body "looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food" (v. 15). Second, his spirit was in tune with God, who gave him a special ability to understand visions and interpret dreams of all kinds (v. 17). Third, his mind was sharp. "In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom" (v. 20). They were only teenagers beginning their career, and already they were head and shoulders above grown men. God does bless his people in a unique way in body, mind, and spirit when they dare to be Daniels, walking in holiness and refusing to compromise. And this obedience to God continued for another 70 years! It was a "long obedience in the same direction." And very far from boring.

THE PRIVELEGE TO SERVE

God Honoured their Decisions.

1 Samuel 2:30 Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, 'I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever'; but now the LORD declares, 'Far be it from Me--for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.

John 12: 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

God Honoured them With Spiritual Revelation

Daniel 1:9 says, "God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel."

17 As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.

God Honoured them With Royal Elevation

¹⁸ Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.¹⁹ The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service.²⁰ As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.

God Honoured them With Personal Continuation

²¹ And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king. This has covered a span of 70 years!

Daniel remained in the palace until the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia. He and his friends had an influence on Nebuchadnezzar II (606-560 B.C.) in the first three chapters of Daniel. He had an influence on Nebuchadnezzar III (555-539 B.C.), also called Nabonidus, whose pride was broken and who surrendered to the Lord in Daniel 4. Then he influenced Belshazzar (553-539 B.C.), who saw the handwriting on the wall in Daniel 5. Daniel was there to interpret the writing and give the message to the king. Daniel had a powerful influence on these three Babylonian kings, even though the kings were in authority over him.

He left a legacy.

Jesus will be persecuted." His personal holiness had an influence on his three friends (1:7, 8).

The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

All four young men were given new names, but it was Daniel who first resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. And Daniel's three friends followed his lead. Not only that, but two chapters later in this book we will see these three young men standing all by themselves in front of a fiery furnace facing death. Daniel is nowhere to be seen. Remembering the resolve that Daniel had alone and how he brought them into the test, they then stood firm without compromise before a powerful king in a test bigger than the first.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (3:16-18)

Psalm 19  The Self-Revelation of God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
 4  Their voice  goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun,  5  which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

 7 The law of the LORD is perfect,   reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure,  making wise the simple;
 8  the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure,  enlightening the eyes;   9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;  sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.   11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?  Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13  Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

How God Reveals Himself To People Today

Apologetics is the giving of an answer for our reasons for having faith.

Psalm 19 is possibly one of the most philosophical Psalms. It gives us a continuing solid basis for apologetic argument, that guides us as we present the gospel to unbelievers.

Persuading unbelievers towards faith in Christ has changed over the centuries.

Justin Martyr, in the second century and Eusebius in the third century used a different apologetic method to us today. Primarily they used the Old Testament Scriptures and demonstrated how the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecies of Scripture to demonstate the truthfulness of the Christian position.

For us the situation has indeed changed.

Later on Thomas Aquinas used 5 arguments to prove the existence of God philosophically.

Aquinas's (1225 –1274)  rational arguments appealed in the era when the rationalism of Aristotle was the dominant position. Thomas believed that truth is known through reason, rationality (natural revelation) and faith (supernatural revelation). Natural revelation is the truth available to all people through their human nature and powers of reason. For example, he felt this applied to rational ways to know the existence of God.

Thomas's five proofs for the existence of God take some of Aristotle's assertions concerning principles of being.

the argument from "first mover";

In the world, we can see that at least some things are changing. Whatever is changing is being changed by something else. If that by which it is changing is itself changed, then it too is being changed by something else. But this chain cannot be infinitely long, so there must be something that causes change without itself changing. 

the argument from causation;

In the world, we can see that things are caused.  But this cannot be an infinitely long chain, so, there must be a cause which is not itself caused by anything further. 

the argument from contingency;

But if everything were contingent and thus capable of going out of existence, then, nothing would exist now. But things clearly do exist now. Therefore, there must be something that is imperishable: a necessary being. 

the argument from degree;

We see things in the world that vary in degrees of goodness, truth, nobility, etc.  Aquinas then adds the premise: what is most in a genus is the cause of all else in that genus. From this he deduces that there exists some most-good being which causes goodness in all else

the argument from final cause or ends ("teleological argument"). 

We see various intelligent objects in the world behaving in regular ways. This cannot be due to chance since then they would not behave with predictable results. So their behavior must be set. But it cannot be set by themselves since they are non-intelligent and have no notion of how to set behavior. Therefore, their behavior must be set by something else, and by implication something that must be intelligent. 

These arguments were more beneficial in the Universities of Europe where Greek Philosophy was prevalent.

Later other philosophical positions would influence the universities, such as Hegellian developmentalism and communitarism that truth is a progressive force in the world, that will give rise to Marxist communitarian practices. Later, in contrast, Kierkegaard promoted the idea of individual experience as being so important.

In our current world, the debate has shifted radically away from the universities and from the academic approaches to apologetics. "It is in the marketplace of ideas, not (only) in the seminar rooms of universities, that Christianity must fight for its life. The television studio, the national press, the university cafeteria, are the new arenas in which the truth claims of Christianity are tried and tested. Christianity must commend itself in terms of its relevance to life, not just its inherent rationality." McGrath.

"Classical apologetics has tended to treat Christianity simply as a set of ideas, meeting a series of intellectual barriers that can be neutralized, or perhaps even overcome, by judiciously deployed arguments… However, rational argument has become more difficult to follow in the age of the thirty-second sound bite advertisement.

Psalm 19 introduces us to a way of presenting apologetics, that prepares people to understand the gospel.

We See God's Revelation In the skies  (1-6)

We See God's Revelation In the scriptures (7-11)

We See God's Revelation In the soul (12,13)

We See God's Revelation In the Saviour (14)

God didn't have to reveal Himself at all to anyone. He could quite well have let humanity go on in complete ignorance of our purpose for being alive, or God's purpose and desire for us. He chose in His mercy to reveal Himself to humanity.  And Psalm 19 introduces us to how God speaks to the human heart.

We See God's Revelation In the Skies

We used to sing, In the stars His handiwork I see, He that ruleth land and sea.

We see His greatness              We see His goodness

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
4  Their voice  goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun,  5  which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.   6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

God's Revelation of Himself in creation is abundant (1,2)

God has revealed himself to all people through his creation, more specifically, through the universe. The heavens, referring to the sun, stars, and planets, declare the glory of God. This divine glory is the sum total of all God's holy character and attributes which are made known to man. The skies, referring to the lower atmosphere, clouds, weather, and so on, proclaim the work of his hands. The creation above testifies to the existence and excellencies of a Creator, God himself, who made it. The truth about God—that he is who and what he is—is made known through the skillful work of his hands.

19:2. God's Revelation of Himself in creation is unceasing:

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. This knowledge is the general revelation of God's character, especially his eternal power, goodness, genius, kindness, and faithfulness (Rom. 1:20). This disclosure is a "soundless sermon" continually communicated in the skies.

The implication is that God has revealed Himself and can be rationally known through what is seen and made. Our own rationality, something we have in that we are created in the image of God, resonates with the rationality that is found in the creation, which reveals to us rationally that God's glory is evident in His creation. That same human reason that can investigate nature and uncover its ordering should also prove capable of grasping something—however slight—of God himself. The resonance of reason is grounded in the creatorship of God. Thomas Aquinas's "five ways" arguments suggest that the Christian belief in God is completely consistent with the world as we know it. It is justified, then, to identify pointers toward the existence of God, drawn from outside Scripture.

God's Revelation of Himself in creation is universal (3,4)

This revelation of God in the creation appeals to us not just because we have a rationality, but also because God has made us to have the inward sense of His reality. Calvin called it the sensus divinitas. The inward sense of the Divine.

McGrath "Through the grace of God, the creation points to its Creator. Through the generosity of God, we have been left with a latent memory of him, capable of stirring us toward a fuller recollection of him. Although there is a fracture between the ideal and the empirical, between the realms of fallen and redeemed creation, the memory of that connection lives on, along with the intimation of its restoration through redemption."

Apologetics can make use of a God-given starting point in the very nature of the created order itself. The witness to God within his creation, the "signals of transcendence" (Peter Berger) in human life, can act as a trigger, stimulating people to ask questions about the meaning of life or the reality of God. Those points of contact are meant to be there—and they are meant to be used."

"Gentlemen," said the great Napoleon, as he stood on the deck of a man-of-war in the Mediterranean, looking at the glories of an Italian night and listening to a knot of wise men who were proving that that there was no God: "Gentlemen, there is no God, you say! Then who made all this?" There was silence.

The orderedness of the world speaks of a Creator behind it.

Both Albert Einstein and former atheist Oxford Professor of philosophy Antony Flew acknowledged that the orderedness of the macro universe (for Einstein) and the Purposefulness of the micro universe for Flew spoke of a divine orderer who made it all by design. 

C S Lewis wrote: "What is behind the universe is more like a mind than it is like anything else we know. That is to say, it is conscious, and has purposes, and prefers one thing to another…It made the universe, partly for purposes we do not know, but partly, at any rate, in order to produce creatures like itself…to the extent of having minds." C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1952), 31–32.

In his work Escape from Reason, Francis Schaeffer notes: "Christianity has the opportunity, therefore, to say clearly that its answer has the very thing modern man has despaired of—the unity of thought. It provides a unified answer for the whole life. True, man has to renounce his rationalism; but then…he has the possibility of recovering his rationality."

God's revelation of Himself in creation is suppressed (5,6)

His revelation of Himself in Creation is limited by the distortions that have entered the world through sin.  We ourselves are the primary distortion. We have the wrong glasses on most of the time and cannot see clearly the God who has revealed Himself. Romans 1 says:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

(NKJV 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

NASB 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.)

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,  in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.   24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.  26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. …  28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Our Knowledge is Imperfect.

McGrath "We must admit that this knowledge is imperfect, broken, confused, and darkened, like a cracked mirror or a misty window. Anything that reveals less than the complete picture potentially presents a distorted picture. A "natural knowledge of God" is thus a distorted knowledge of God. But as a starting point it has real potential and value."

Calvin turns to consider the effect of sin upon human rationality.

Calvin regards the fall of humanity to have a significant and detrimental effect on the imago Dei. This image is not destroyed by sin; on the basis of Calvin's analysis, this would result in humanity being reduced to the level of other creatures. Nevertheless, both the human intellect and will are corrupted. The human mind is now unable completely to recognize and respond to 'right reason'; the human will becomes enslaved to desires and passions focusing on the creation, rather than the creator.29

Now since reason, by which humanity distinguishes good and evil, understands and judges, is a natural gift, it could not be completely eliminated [through the fall], but was partly weakened and partly corrupted . . . ; [Humanity remains] a rational being, different from the animals because it has been endowed with understanding . . . Likewise the will, because it cannot be separated from human nature, has not perished, but is so ;" enslaved to wicked desires that it cannot pursue the right.

One of Calvin's more significant theological conclusions to depend upon this analysis is that the natural human tendency is towards idolatry — that is, a worship of the creature in place of the creator. This has important consequences for Calvin's views on natural theology, which he regards to have a genuine yet limited role in positive theological reflection. It also compromises the relational capacity of the imago Dei, in that what was intended to lead humanity towards God now has the potential to deflect it from precisely that relationship.

McGrath "True knowledge of God" (Calvin) can only derive from revelation; yet God, in his mercy, has provided anticipations and hints of such saving knowledge in the world. A natural knowledge of God serves its purpose well when it intimates both the necessity and possibility of a fuller knowledge of God than that hinted at by the natural order."

We See God's Revelation In the Scripture

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,   reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure,  making wise the simple;
 8  the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure,  enlightening the eyes;
 9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;  the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;  in keeping them there is great reward.

NKJV

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;    The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,   Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.

Lawson: "He gave six descriptions of the sufficiency of God's written Word (vv. 7–9) which goes far beyond what natural revelation does. While the sun and the skies above reveal the existence and infinite power of God, Scripture reveals the only way to know God personally.

Scripture is Perfect (7-10)

The law of the LORD is perfect (Heb. tamim), meaning whole, complete, sufficient, lacking nothing, or comprehensive, reviving the soul. It is so perfect that it can convert, transform, and refresh the entire inner person.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, meaning they are neither unstable nor fallible but unwavering and immovable. Not like shifting sands, God's commands cause a person to stand firm while making wise the simple."

It is interesting that the Psalmist picks up on the moral effects of God's Word

Lawson: "the precepts of the LORD are right; they lay out the proper path through the intricate complexities of life, steering a person to the right course in life. God's Word always directs God's people in the right way, the way that pleases God."

Where the laws of natural science describe the way things are physically, God's Word describes the way things should be morally.

Lewis argues that the only explanation of morality lies with God.

Unless there is a God, there cannot be objectively binding moral obligations.

Objectively binding moral obligations exist.

Therefore there is a God.

Thus the morality of the commandments resonates within the individual with the God-ordered conscience of the individual. This is the Natural Law theory that Paul speaks of in Romans 2:12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:12-16).

As we use the Word of God, the ten commandments, there is an echo and resonance within the human heart about the rightness of these words.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,   reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure,  making wise the simple;   8  the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure,  enlightening the eyes;   9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;  the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

The implications in apologetics are far reaching.  Some years ago as a chaplain in a prison I ran into an inmate who at a previous session had expressed that he had attempted to murder someone.  He said that night, "You got nothing to say to me Preacher!" "Ah" I responded, "I know something about you that you don't know I know. And that thing I know about you, I know it scares you to death!" Confused, he responded, "What do you know that I know?"   "I know you know there is a God, and I know you know you got to face Him as your Judge, and I know that scares the pants off you!" 

He jumped back in shock! "Who told you! Who told you! You are right! But who told you?"

In the words of Arthur Leff, it is all about the "Great Sez Who?"  "In the absence of God ... each ... ethical and legal system ... will be differentiated by the answer it chooses to give to one key question: who among us ...ought to be able to declare 'law' that ought to be obeyed? Stated that baldly, the question is so intellectually unsettling that one would expect to find a noticeable number of legal and ethical thinkers trying not to come to grips with it... Either God exists or He does not, but if He does not, nothing and no one else can take His place." Leff ends this essay in a most shocking way: "Neither reason, nor love, nor even terror, seems to have worked to make us "good," and worse than that, there is no reason why anything should. .. As things are now, everything is up for grabs. Nevertheless: napalming babies is bad. Starving the poor is wicked. Buying and selling each other is depraved.... There is such a thing as evil. All together now: Sez Who? God help us."   Sez Who? God says! Lawson "The precepts of the LORD are right; they lay out the proper path through the intricate complexities of life, steering a person to the right course in life. God's Word always directs God's people in the right way, the way that pleases God."

Scripture is Precious (10)

The Scriptures are more precious than gold, even pure gold. "This means God's Word is infinitely more desirable and valuable than anything this world has to offer. Likewise, the sacred writings are sweeter than honey, fully satisfying our spiritual hunger and a source of great pleasure and enrichment." Lawson.

Scripture is Powerful (11)

Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Rebuking sin (11)              Revealing sin (12)      Restraining sin (13–14)

The Holy Spirit applies those words to our minds and our lives, causing faith to be born from understanding. This, in the famous words of the Westminster Shorter Catechism,

Conversion "is the work of God's Spirit whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel."

We See God's Revelation In the Soul (12,13)

Awareness of a sense of emptiness resonates throughout secular culture. One thinks of Boris Becker, the noted tennis player, who came close to taking his own life through being overwhelmed by this sense of hopelessness and emptiness. Even though he was enormously successful, something was missing:

"I had won Wimbledon twice before, once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed: money, cars, women, everything…I know that this is a cliché. It's the old song of the movie and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything, and yet they are so unhappy…I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string."

Or one thinks of Jack Higgins, a highly successful thriller writer at the top of his profession, author of best-selling novels such as The Eagle Has Landed. He is reported to have been asked what he now knew that he would like to have known when he was a boy. His reply: "That when you get to the top, there's nothing there."

Becker and Higgins are excellent witnesses from the world of secular culture to the fact that most people are aware that something is missing from their lives, even if they are not able to put a name to it or may not be able to do anything about it. But the Christian gospel is able to interpret this sense of longing, this feeling of unfulfillment, as an awareness of the absence of God—and thus to prepare the way for its fulfillment.

The Marxist analysis of human experience recognizes this feeling of dissatisfaction and claims to cure it. When the revolution comes, this sense of emptiness (which is a direct result of capitalism) will disappear. But in those parts of the world where the revolution came, the sense of alienation and dissatisfaction remained.

This feeling of dissatisfaction is one of the most important points of contact for gospel proclamation. In the first place, that proclamation interprets this vague and unshaped feeling as a longing for God. And second, it offers to fulfill it. There is a sense of divine dissatisfaction with all that is not God. This divine dissatisfaction has its origin in God and ultimately leads to God. Sartre is right: the world cannot bring fulfillment. Here he echoes the Christian view. But the Christian view goes on to affirm that here, in the midst of the world, something that is ultimately beyond the world makes itself available to us.

Augustine's cry, "I am groaning with inexpressible groanings on my wanderer's path, and remembering Jerusalem with my heart lifted up towards it—Jerusalem my homeland, Jerusalem my mother."⁶ We are exiled from our homeland—but its memories haunt us.

Human desire, the deep and bittersweet longing for something that will satisfy us, points beyond finite objects and finite persons (who seem able to fulfill this desire, yet eventually prove incapable of doing so). It points through these objects and persons toward their real goal and fulfillment in God himself.

This is the paradox of hedonism. Even in our contentment we still feel in need of something that is indefinably missing. It is as if God leaves us with a certain weariness with nature that can be satisfied only by pressing on beyond nature to its source and goal in God himself. If meditation on the goodness of God does not drive us to him, perhaps weariness with the pleasures of the world will have the intended effect.

Pleasure, beauty, personal relationships: all seem to promise so much, and yet when we grasp them we find that what we were seeking still lies beyond them. There is a "divine dissatisfaction" in human experience that prompts us to ask whether there is anything that may satisfy the desires of the human heart.

12 Who can discern his errors?  Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13  Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

We See God's Revelation of Grace in the Saviour (14)

All kinds of dehumanizing forces in the world threaten to reduce us to the level of the impersonal.

In our times in lockdown, the angst that is felt can be due to a sense of meaninglessness. When all you have is the latest thing on TV, meaning becomes little more than the drivel on what used to be called "Days of Our Lives"

A deep-seated threat of meaninglessness can be discerned in our addiction to TV that replaces our lives with the acted lives of fictional characters.

Angs, an anxiety about losing our way in the vastness of an impersonal world and being reduced to cosmic insignificance. Angst reflects a deeply rooted fear of meaninglessness and pointlessness. Such anxieties are already there in your audiences. There is the desire for the Meaning of life.

But listen to the Psalmist: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Your words. The words of your mouth. The mediation of your heart. Let them be acceptable. God cares what you say and think!  And since He cares about what you say and think! Then what yu say and think is not meaningless! We do not feel secure in the world. This awareness is a powerful stimulus to look for some grounds of assurance. Where Luther asked, "Where may I find a gracious God?" many today ask, "Where can I find security and peace of mind?"

To paraphrase Augustine: our hearts are restless because they have yet to find a resting place, yet alone to discover that the only resting place that grants true rest is God himself!

But how do we move from the apologetic presentations in God's Revelation in the Skies, God's Revelation in the Scriptures, God's Revelation in the Soul, to God's Revelation in the Saviour?

The Lord Jesus spoke of Himself in each of these ways.

He said, I am the way the truth and the life. I am the Light of the world. Do you want to know truth. It is only found in a relationship with Him. What is Truth? He is the Personal and propositional truth!

He said, I am the Bread of Life. Do you want to find purpose, meaning and significance in life? It is found only in Him. Eat the Bread of Life: Partake of the Lord Jesus as Your only Saviour!

He said, I am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.  He has laid down His life for you as your words and your thoughts and your lifestyle didn't ever live up to the demands God's righteous laws put on you!

Christ, Calvin says, is not "received merely in the understanding and imagination. For the promises offer him, not so that we end up with the mere sight and knowledge of him, but that we enjoy a true communication of him." Both the person of Christ and the benefits he won for us by his obedience on the cross and through his resurrection from the dead are made available to us by faith. You need a Rock. Truth! You need a Redeemer! Jesus! You need a Rock of truth. You need a Redeemer.  And there is a Rock and a redeemer. It is the Lord Jesus.  Will you lay hold on Him today?

Apologetics assures us that there is a God to be found and that he is profoundly worth finding—then points us to where God may be met in Jesus Christ.

Blaise Pascal, who was profoundly aware of the limitations of philosophical ways of thinking about God. Pascal believed passionately that philosophy had squandered the insight that the God of the Bible is intensely personal. After his death, a crumpled piece of paper was found sewn inside his shirt. The words on this piece of paper have become legendary; they are intensely relevant to our theme. "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars, God of Jesus Christ, my God and your God. Your God shall be my God."

Is He your Rock?

Is He your Redeemer?