Image: "Steps In Time", 2020, Severna Park, Md.
Daniel 1:17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
Daniel 2:10–11 The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
Daniel 2:21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
Daniel 2:28–29 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. ...: 29 As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be.
Daniel 2:43–44 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
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Martin Buber (The Eclipse of God) tells of the time when a man said to him: "I have had the experience that I do not need this hypothesis 'God' in order to be quite at home in the world." The man was probably quoting LaPlace who said it to Napoleon, but it is not unusual to encounter it today among atheists and so-called agnostics. The idea of "God" to such people is a "crutch" for weaklings. A person of sufficient character and intelligence can dispense with the idea of God and, along with it, the notion that history has some purpose or meaning. Such people live in a world dominated by chance and "luck." However, I believe that, more or less often, they have disturbing dreams. And I believe, perhaps, as was the case with the man who spoke to Buber, that at some point such people might say: "I was wrong."
To some extent, Nebuchadnezzar was such a man. He was "comfortably secure" in his position at the apex of Babylonian greatness. He truly was "the head of gold" (2:38) because God had given him "a kingdom, power, strength, and glory.." (2:37) But yet, as he lay on his bed at night his thoughts were directed toward "what would come to pass after this?" (2:29) The king was struck by the ultimate despair that settles in a man's soul when he contemplates the shortness of his own life and the high probability that everything he has ever striven to achieve in life would crumble and decay. As the Preacher saw so clearly in Ecclesiastes, though powerful above all other humans on the earth, yet his life and his accomplishments were mere vanities.
Such is the inevitable conclusion that follows every world view that denies meaning and purpose in life and therefore the necessity of believing in God who brings about such meaning and purpose. Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream, Daniel told him later, to make known to him "what will be in the latter days." (2:28) But the king was thrown into wild confusion by the dream. He did not understand it. He knew, vaguely, that the dream had to do with his fears and despair of his life and the future. But who on earth could make sense of it? Looking at it another way, the king saw indistinctly that no fallen human being, using only the tools of fallen humanity such as reason and science or philosophy, could in fact give him the answer. Meaning and purpose for history have to come from outside of mankind. This is what sets the king afire.
He rages against the "wise" men of his day. If man's wisdom cannot answer THE most basic question of life, "why am I here?", then it is useless. The frustration that this recognition can bring was registered in the king's murderous intent. This same frustration is present today when several recent generations of young people have been confronted with the teaching of so-called "wise men and women" who have taught them that "God" is not relevant to their lives or history in general. Thus, these young people have no framework for understanding the world... the evils in it or the good. The only thing that is left to them is passion. They become driven by a barely perceived rage against "the system" and cities burn. They have much in common with this ancient king.
But, Daniel tells the king, there is no foundation for rage. The king and his kingdom are part of a grand narrative God is bringing about in space and time. The king has meaning and purpose... in God's plan. So will the kings and kingdoms which will follow him. And ultimate all kings and all mortal men and women will find that their lives' purposes will be brought to fulfillment in a coming Kingdom that will never be destroyed and which will be constructed out of the works that God has done in and through people in history.
Every life has meaning and purpose. Every life is directional and is headed somewhere. Life is not about "chance" and "luck", that idea leads to nihilism and violence. Life is about God and His eternal purposes. This is what that old man came to see when he talked with Buber. It is what we Christians need to be helping the world to see now.
Acts 24-25-26: His Finest Hour!
Image: "Celebrating the Occasion", 2021, Severna Park, Md
Acts 24:14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
Acts 24:24–25 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”
Acts 25:8 ...while he (Paul) answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended in anything at all.”
Acts 26:22–23 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Acts 26:29 And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
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In one of his finest speeches, Winston Churchill inspired his nation with these words: Let us, therefore, brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."
It can reasonably be said that his words were prophetically true. The UK has continued to be an important player on the world stage but its brilliance has dimmed considerably in contrast to those dark days when it stood, virtually alone, in pugnacious resistance to the demonic Nazi Reich.
It can also reasonably be said that chapters 24-26 record Paul's finest hour. In these deliciously detailed chapters, Luke records for us enough of Paul's speeches and demeanor to allow us to know him as a man and a saint. He truly is superb. You can almost sense the "crackle" of the Holy Spirit's energy flowing through him. His example and his words inspire us still.
As we glance through this reading notice how things have ratcheted up in the trials. You know things are serious when they bring in the lawyers. The NKJV says that the high priest brought down an "orator" named Tertullius. The word "orator" is "rheotor" in the Greek language and it describes a man trained and experienced in rhetoric and law. He was a lawyer, plain and simple. He was also a good one. His speech is a model of ancient rhetoric which I won't take time to describe but it has all the elements. The Jews had learned a lesson: Paul is a dangerous foe... argue against him at your own risk. They brought in an expert.
What is beautifully apparent in the rest of the story is just how eloquent and learned Paul is. He takes them on and surpasses them in their own game. His orations are just as "professional" as was the lawyer's speech. Notice how Luke describes Paul's critical speech before Festus and Agrippa: Acts 26:1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself. This is classic Greek/Roman speech making... the raised hand (calling attention), the flattering exordium designed to win a favorable hearing... etc. And then, to top it off, Paul's content in all these speeches is simply superb. They are clear, compelling and of such power that Agrippa trembles before obvious implications. Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” This is Christian apologetics/proclamation at its human pinnacle.
Just a few things we ought to take away. Notice that in spite of all his rhetorical excellence, Paul's power to convince was rooted in the clear truth He proclaimed and His zealous, self-sacrificing commitment to that truth. There's a place for eloquence. Sometimes "flowery" words accentuate a point. But never, ever, must the rhetoric obscure the message. When a congregation is more caught up in the preacher's or speaker's speech than they are in what he is saying, then we are no longer communicating the gospel we are entertaining an audience.
But, on the other hand, we also ought to see how diligent training in rhetoric and argumentation (dialectic) can be used by God to bring about abundant fruit. There is a strain of Americanism that simply distrusts intellectuals. There are many good reasons why this is true because we have had our share of sophistical "academics" who had no idea of the realities of Christian life or the circumstances of the ordinary Christians to whom they spoke. That being said and accepted, we ought to also realize that the Church of Jesus Christ in America has a long heritage of intellectual excellence and the appreciation of deep teaching by gifted preachers by the congregations they served. I could give a long list of names. It's not necessary. Just reflect on the fact that many, if not all, of our most renowned universities, had their foundation as centers for training Christian preachers.
Paul, like Great Britain, stood alone before his inquisitors on those days. It really was his finest hour. We should all be prepared, like Paul, to stand at some point as did he. We should not neglect to develop our skills and our knowledge of Scripture in that preparation. And when we speak, let us cast away all fear, as did Paul, and in full reliance upon the Holy Spirit, let us clearly and with great skill, apply God's Gospel to the lives of all who hear us. No matter how "big and important" they may be.
Posted by Gadfly on January 04, 2021 at 11:41 AM in Christian Apologetics, Church, Commentary, Culture, Movies, etc., Current Affairs, Devotional Meditation, Discipleship, Education, Ethics, Evangelism | Permalink | Comments (0)
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