October 13

DANIEL 2

³¹ “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. ³² The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, ³³ its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. ³⁴ As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. ³⁵ Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. ³⁶ “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. – Daniel 2:31-36

DANIEL 2 DANIEL NARRATES THE KING’S DREAM

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The dream showed a great image that was so bright but frightening

Its head was made of gold and its chest and arms were of silver

Its middle and thighs were made of bronze and its legs of iron

Its feet were partly iron and partly clay and broken in pieces

Then all of the materials it was made were all broken

It became like chaff on the threshing floors during the summer.

In this account, God displays his omniscience and power. No human being can read someone else’s mind, let alone one person’s dream. Notice the details of the dream that was explicitly declared by Daniel. In the later part of this chapter, we will also hear God’s interpretation through Daniel what each aspect of the dream meant.

I could imagine Nebuchadnezzar’s jaw dropping shock to hear the details of his dream as if it was a movie being played in front of his very eyes while Daniel narrated his dream. What an extraordinary experience it must have been to witness the magnitude and sovereignty of God through Daniel. Surely, one’s heart will be touched no matter how cold and hardened it is. But, let us see how Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction would be in the following part of this chapter.

REFLECTION

·       How is this narrative more about the divine rather than humans? 

October 12

DANIEL 2

²⁵ Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” ²⁶ The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” ²⁷ Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, ²⁸ but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: ²⁹ To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. ³⁰ But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. – Daniel 2:25-30

DANIEL 2 DANIEL PRAISES GOD BEFORE A PAGAN KING

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Brave Daniel stands before Nebuchadnezzar

He humbly faced the king without a tinge of pride

He told him that no human can accomplish what he wants

Only his Almighty God who is divine and omniscient can

Daniel praised the Lord boldly before he began to explain

He never took credit for the interpretation of his dream.

In this account, we witness the great courageous and humble Daniel. He had the boldness to approach the king to volunteer to interpret his dream even after the king commanded to kill the wise men of Babylon for not knowing and interpreting his dream. Once again, we are given a glimpse of the impossible demand of the king and his character. His unrealistic expectation from any human being is so apparent in these verses.

We witness an extraordinary scene here because a Jewish young exile of Babylon had the audacity to stand before the king to free those wise men whom the king had ordered to kill. It was God who gave him the revelation and interpretation of the king’s troublesome dream. Only God can do what the king requires from any human being. What is amazing in this scene is that Daniel praised the God whom Nebuchadnezzar had no knowledge of. He exhibited no fear to tell a pagan king about his God’s omniscience.

REFLECTION

·       When have you boldly praised God in front of unbelievers? How did it go?

October 11

DANIEL 2

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.” – Daniel 2:19-24

DANIEL 2 COURAGEOUS AND BOLD FOR THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the Holy Spirit stirs the believer’s heart

That man will possess courage and boldness

It is as if the Holy Spirit uses his mouth as a speaker

He can discern and say things that he naturally can’t utter

Courage and boldness stir the believer to praise God

His purpose to bring glory to him becomes vibrant.

In this narrative, we get a glimpse of the courage and boldness of Daniel. His brave move to volunteer to interpret the king’s dream wasn’t his own doing. The Holy Spirit granted him the mystery to be unlocked so that he can present to the king the dream and its meaning in order to save the lives of the wise men of Babylon and also their own lives. Daniel exudes the love of God in this act of sacrifice. Under normal circumstances, who would dare to step in to be risking their lives for anyone? This account is not about Daniel’s ability to be bold and interpret the dream. Many Christians focus more on the skill of Daniel rather than the power of God through him to manifest his all-knowing character. No human can be capable of anything impossible except if God steps in for them. God’s omniscience was clearly manifest through Daniel who was just the vessel.

REFLECTION

• Share when you were stirred by the Holy Spirit to speak boldly and fearlessly.

October 9

DANIEL 2

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.” – Daniel 2:1-11

DANIEL 2 THE IMPOSSIBLE DEMAND

In this account, we meet and get to know King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Let us make a character sketch of this leader. In verse 1, we get a glimpse of his worrisome character to a point of anxiety. He was very much bothered by his dream. He wasn’t privy to God’s plan for his life, but deep inside he sensed that something was not right.  In verse 5, we witness his very controlling and violent nature when he threatened to kill and put to ruin houses of those who won’t be able to interpret his dream. What a spoiled brat this king was, a heartless and impossible demanding control freak. His very harsh and hard requirement is unattainable by any mere human being.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think this king was bothered by his dream?

October 7

DANIEL 1

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.

                                                                   – Daniel 1:8-16

DANIEL 1 ON STAYING PURE AND UNDEFILED

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Despite being captives, Daniel stayed faithful to the Lord

Even though they were groomed to follow the king of Babylon

He proposed to stay on a vegetarian diet and not the king’s food and wine

Daniel proved to the chief of eunuchs that it resulted in better appearance.

This account may seem a preference for vegetarian diet, but I think that this is about the faithfulness of Daniel to his Lord and to his cultural identity as an Israelite. The Babylonian king wanted to convert them to the Babylonian culture including the king’s food and drink. According to the ESV bible study notes, “Daniel and his friends avoided the rich diet as a way of protecting themselves from being tempted by Babylonian culture. Their restricted diet continually reminded them that they were the people of God in a foreign land. They were dependent for their food, indeed for their very lives, upon God, not King Nebuchadnezzar.”

REFLECTION

• How can a Christian stay undefiled in the midst of this corrupt world?

October 5

GALATIANS 6

¹¹ See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. ¹² It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whichthe world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. – Galatians 6:11-18

GALATIANS 6 THE MARKS OF CHRIST IN YOUR BODY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Do you bear the marks of Christ in your body?

Have you been dejected because of your belief in Jesus?

The Lord said that if we follow him, we will be rejected

Take courage for as you serve God, expect to be persecuted.

In this letter, Paul prepares the Galatian church to face suffering and persecution with a mindset that it is the marks of Christ in their bodies. He tells the believers that the only thing they can boast about are their adversities and miseries because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He points out that those who claim to be circumcised do not actually live the law of love. The fruit of the Spirit would be the new creation in Christ.

In a commentary by Barclay, he says: The marks of the Lord Jesus were not wounds similar to Jesus’ wounds; they are marks that identify – or even “brand” – Paul as a follower of Jesus. In the ancient world, slaves were branded with the name of their master. “Often a master branded his slaves with a mark that showed them to be his. Most likely what Paul means is that the scars of the things he had suffered for Christ are the brands which show him to be Christ’s slave.”

REFLECTION

• Share some of the marks of Christ in you? Did these marks make your faith grow?

October 4

GALATIANS 6

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For each will have to bear his own load.⁶ Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. – Galatians 6:1-10

GALATIANS 6 FULFILL THE LAW OF CHRIST

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As you serve your Lord Jesus Christ

Stay faithful to lead a pure and holy life

Be on guard with your brothers who are falling into sin

Those who are mature enough to guide them, be warned

Do not let them pull you down but fulfill the law

It is in sharing each other’s burdens that you show your love

Persevere and press on to do what is good especially to all believers

Do not grow tired of walking in the Spirit so you will reap eternity.

In this letter, Paul continues to expound on the concept of walking in the Spirit versus following one’s flesh. He teaches the Galatian church to fulfill the law of Christ and enumerates some ways this can be done. He says that a believer must be accountable to and for his brother or sister in Christ. In other words, they responsibly check each other out so they can ensure that faith matures and that they can preserve their hearts and guard it from corruption and sin. Paul also cautions them that when they bring back a falling brother into the fold, they must not fall into the same trap of the enemy.

REFLECTION

·       Is verse 2 and 5 contradicting each other? Why or why not? What does it mean?

October 3

GALATIANS 5

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

                                                                  – Galatians 5:16-26

GALATIANS 5 IF YOU WALK BY THE SPIRIT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If you haven’t starved your flesh you’ll struggle with sin

Because the desires of the flesh are against God’s spirit

You will be unable to please God since you will prioritize yourself

If you walk by the Spirit of the Lord, you will crucify your desires

Serve the Lord your God alone and you will bear fruit of the Spirit

You will overcome evil if you obey the Lord and follow his will.

In this letter, Paul differentiates what it would look like if you live under law or if you live under grace. He says that they are opposed to each other. One of them is to give God all the glory and the other one is to give oneself praise. To walk in the Spirit is to manifest his fruit which he mentions in verses 22-23. Paul says that against them, there is no law. In other words, Paul is saying that it is not fabricated by the work of a man to be good or follow the rules. It is the result of the work of the Spirit that we are able to give evidence to God’s work in our hearts. In verse 18, he says that if you walk in the Spirit, you are not bound by the law, but by God’s grace and mercy. It is not your work but God’s.

REFLECTION

·       Why is it impossible to walk in the Spirit if you haven’t repented of your sins?

October 2

GALATIANS 5

¹¹ But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! ¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.      

                                                                    – Galatians 5:11-15

GALATIANS 5 TRUTH BASED FREEDOM

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Christ died for you to set you free from the bondage of sin

Use such freedom to love another and not to cater to your flesh

When liberty is used to express what is true and right

You are honoring the Lord who gave himself up to die

Do not be tempted to use freedom to fight for your own rights

When you believe, your rights have been surrendered to Christ.

The apostle Paul cautions the Galatian believers on how to live in the freedom that Christ died for. He warns them not to misuse the liberty that was granted to all those who believed in Christ. Because we live in this corrupt world, the flesh could easily want to use freedom to satisfy their cravings. In verse 14, Paul reminds them of the law of loving your neighbor as yourself. The fulfillment of the law is through loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Freedom will follow if we love one another and not follow the way the world uses autonomy.

In the world system, freedom is taken so much out of context. Freedom for many worldly people means that they can do whatever they please. Our sinful nature caters to satisfy the “self.” When we are the center of our lives, we become very selfish and we can easily use freedom to justify our desires. It is very easy to forget others when we are so obsessed with self-gratification. A truth-based freedom is one that is motivated by love and not by ambition and power.

REFLECTION

• How has the world misuse freedom and why do you think they think this way?