WEEKLY
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An
international Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday January 28, 2018
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149,000 readers worldwide
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A
STRONG FAITH
(Be
strong in the LORD of the future)
(Daniel
10)
In
536 B.C., during the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, the
prophet Daniel received his final vision from GOD, which concerned “great war
and hardships” that would take place in Israel’s future. The Israelites had
already begun their exodus out of Babylon back into Jerusalem, and had began to
rebuild their homeland, starting with the Temple, under the leadership Ezra,
Nehemiah, Zerubbabel and others, two years earlier.
GOD had earlier stirred the heart of King
Cyrus and instructed him to release the Israelites so that they could go and
begin the work on the temple in Judah. In addition, GOD had also stirred the
hearts of HIS priests and Levites, as well as the leaders of the tribes of Judah
and Benjamin, to return to Judah for spiritual inspiration, financial support,
and encouragement. Everyone who could, assisted the returnees by giving them silver,
gold, livestock, and other supplies needed for the journey. However Daniel,
probably because of his age, did not return at this time with his fellow
priests.
When Daniel received his vision of war and
hardship in Israel’s future, he understood clearly what it meant. In fact, he
says that he had already been in mourning over it for three weeks, and had been
praying and fasting the whole time (Vs.2-3). And so one day as he and some
other men were standing by the banks of the Tigris River (which was known then
as “Hiddekel”), he looked up and saw a man dressed in fine linen clothing with
a band of pure gold around his waist. His body glowed like a dazzling gem, and
from his face came flashes like lightning. He had eyes like flaming torches,
and his arms and feet shone like polished bronze. Daniel also says that the man
had a voice that sounded like the roaring of a great crowd of people (Vs.4-6).
In the Hebrew, the word used for
“messenger” is “malak”, and it describes “one who brings news or tidings by
divine order from GOD”. Actually, the figure in the vision that Daniel calls “a
man in linen clothing” was more likely an angel, whom GOD had sent to ease his
prophet’s mind concerning his earlier vision of war and hardship.
Daniel says in verse 7 that he was the only
one who saw the vision of the messenger who appeared along the banks of the
Tigris River that day, as those who were with him became frightened and ran
away and hid. Daniel himself, was also overcome with fear and awe, and he fell
flat down on his face when he saw this angel of GOD.
Angels are “heavenly beings” who are direct
creations of GOD. They are all males (there are no female angels) of different “orders”
(ranks) and “types”, who also, like man, “has wills that are free” (Genesis
3:24, Psalm 18:10, Ezekiel 1:5-14). Among the duties assigned to angels in Old
and New Testament scriptures, is “to protect GOD’s people who will ultimately be
“saved” (Exodus 23:20, 2 Kings 6:17, Daniel 3:28, Hebrews 1:14).
Angels also serve as agents of GOD sent to
execute divine judgment on man (Genesis 19:1, 2 Samuel 24:17, Isaiah 37:36). This
chapter of Daniel is perhaps the most important in all of Scriptures for those
who engage in the study of “angelology”. It suggests in these pages that there
is a constant “unseen spiritual battle” between those angels who chose to
follow Lucifer out of Heaven, and those who chose to remain with GOD.
Depending upon the rank of the dark angel
(they apparently retained their power following their mutiny against GOD), they
may be able to, at least, delay the mission of an angel sent by the LORD to aid
HIS people on earth. The identification of the dark angel in this passage as
the “prince of Persia” indicates that the focus of the unseen spiritual battle
is to control “human societies” and “governments” here on earth.
We as human beings, because most of us
don’t even recognize, or believe, that there is an unseen spiritual battle
between good and evil taking place here on earth, have ceded all governments,
including here in the United States, over
to satan without even putting up a fight. That is why we are able to submit to
any Luciferic agenda, anywhere in the world, without even changing “one word”
in our already existing constitutions and laws. And only true followers of the
GOD in Heaven (those who stay on the lighted path that has been blazed through
this dark world by CHRIST JESUS), are ultimately not affected, and will
overcome this world as JESUS did.
Only strong faith and prayer on our part,
and a commitment to getting to know CHRIST through HIS Word, and ultimately
doing what that Word requires, will save us from ultimate defeat and
self-destruction. GOD’s Word can show us how to help ourselves, and others, to
fight the spiritual battle, that most people here on earth, will never even know
is taking place.
To follow the world’s agenda is to follow
satan. To follow GOD’s agenda is to follow CHRIST JESUS, our GREAT PIONEER, WHO
is also the only human being ever to successfully overcome this world, through
HIS perfect obedience to GOD. Our FATHER in Heaven absolutely holds our future
in HIS hands, one way or the other, for better or for worse. We all have the “liberty”
to choose to follow GOD’s agenda through CHRIST, or, to follow our own agenda,
which is the same as is following satan.
When we come to rest in the thought that
this life is not the final act of the human drama, and, that GOD is fully in
control of all things, good and bad, it will give us the confidence we need to
embark upon each day that the LORD GOD, in HIS grace, will allow us to see. We
can receive divine strength from GOD, just as Daniel did here in this passage,
if we, first, admit that we need GOD, then repent and humble ourselves, and
finally, faithfully put our trust into HIS divine and glorious tailor-made plan
for our lives, a plan which will lead us straight to “victory” and “true freedom”,
that can only be found in CHRIST JESUS.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY
D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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