For your consideration this Sabbath, I’d like to hearken back to the time of the prophet Daniel. We were asked to write down, as part of the Scripture Writing, 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.” In writing down the verse for the day, I looked at the verses before and after.
Daniel 2:21 is recorded in the context of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The king had the dream and he sought for it to be interpreted. The Chaldeans, astrologers, and magicians were asked to supply the details of the dream and the interpretation. The king was not going to tell them the dream out of fear they would make up an answer of some kind. The penalty for not revealing the details of the dream and the interpretation was death.
The response of those tasked with interpreting dreams was to express the impossibility of such a task, “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. 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 2:10-11).
There was panic among the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans. They were all in fear of the death penalty being imposed for their failure to fulfill the king’s request. They knew that they had no way to discern the dream nor interpret it.
The king’s guard, Arioch was sent out to execute the wise men of Babylon. In the process of carrying out the king’s command, he came to Daniel. He was told of the king’s demand and he went before Nebuchadnezzar to request time to interpret the dream.
Where did Daniel go for a solution? He went to God, who, “… reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.” Daniel knew that he had no special skill to answer King Nebuchadnezzar, but God knew the dream and its interpretation. In other words, Daniel knew God could shine His light on what was in the darkness for physical human beings.
My thought, as I looked at this scenario playing out, was to consider the possibility that Daniel was aware of a similar situation almost 1000 years in the past? Daniel was well aware of the scriptures, since they had been in the possession of the children of Israel since the time of Moses. Was Daniel encouraged in his dire situation by the example of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams recorded in the book of Genesis?
The Bible doesn’t tell us that Daniel drew encouragement from God revealing the Pharaoh’s dream and meaning to Joseph. But we can surmise, if Daniel remembered the biblical record, then Joseph’s experience could translate to his own time and situation.
The related experiences of Daniel and Joseph provide us just one example of why familiarity with the Bible record is so important to our everyday lives.
Have a pleasant Sabbath day,
Gary Smith
Showing posts with label Babylon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Babylon. Show all posts
Friday, February 2, 2018
Friday, December 18, 2015
Black Friday and the Merchants of the Earth
The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday. It is one of the most intense shopping days of the year. It is quite a contrast to the purpose of Thanksgiving which is to express thanks and gratitude to God for all of His blessings. Most shoppers have little thought for God’s blessings as they rush into the Black Friday fray. After all Thanksgiving was yesterday.
Working part-time at Home Depot, Black Friday is a serious time for the store. For weeks prior to that date, freight of all kinds is coming into the store. Once the freight is unpacked the aisles are filled with sale items and covered with black visqueen to hide the items until Black Friday arrives.
Additionally, very few employees are given time off on this Friday. Management wants all hands on deck for the sale.
As one stops to analyze Black Friday one can only stand amazed at the amount of commerce that takes place on that day. Not only is Home Depot swarming with customers but the company has more than 2,200 convenient locations throughout the United States (including the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), Canada, China and Mexico. In considering the amount of business conducted in one day one has to additionally note that J.C. Penney, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and myriads of other stores are running sales also. Not only are the brick and mortar stores busy, but so is e-commerce that accounts for additional sales.
All of this effort by stores, employees and customers is all geared toward maximizing sales for the Christmas season. We might ask, “What does this have to do with the birth of Christ?” The simple answer is that Black Friday has nothing to do with the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Black Friday is about commerce pure and simple. Should we be surprised? Consider what we are told about commerce in the book of Revelation. "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'” (Revelation 18:9-18)
Black Friday is part of a greater commercial system that is central to this present age. The system provides all of the goods that we love as human beings. This system is corrupt and God inspired the Apostle John to let us know that this system will one day cease to exist. There will no Black Friday sales events.
There will no longer be a system based upon get, greed and covetousness. Instead, the world will come to treasure the real treasures that can only be acquired from God. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Put another way, God offers us things that are lasting and cannot be acquired in a store or on a website.
Have a most pleasant Sabbath.
Gary Smith
Working part-time at Home Depot, Black Friday is a serious time for the store. For weeks prior to that date, freight of all kinds is coming into the store. Once the freight is unpacked the aisles are filled with sale items and covered with black visqueen to hide the items until Black Friday arrives.
Additionally, very few employees are given time off on this Friday. Management wants all hands on deck for the sale.
As one stops to analyze Black Friday one can only stand amazed at the amount of commerce that takes place on that day. Not only is Home Depot swarming with customers but the company has more than 2,200 convenient locations throughout the United States (including the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), Canada, China and Mexico. In considering the amount of business conducted in one day one has to additionally note that J.C. Penney, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and myriads of other stores are running sales also. Not only are the brick and mortar stores busy, but so is e-commerce that accounts for additional sales.
All of this effort by stores, employees and customers is all geared toward maximizing sales for the Christmas season. We might ask, “What does this have to do with the birth of Christ?” The simple answer is that Black Friday has nothing to do with the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Black Friday is about commerce pure and simple. Should we be surprised? Consider what we are told about commerce in the book of Revelation. "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'” (Revelation 18:9-18)
Black Friday is part of a greater commercial system that is central to this present age. The system provides all of the goods that we love as human beings. This system is corrupt and God inspired the Apostle John to let us know that this system will one day cease to exist. There will no Black Friday sales events.
There will no longer be a system based upon get, greed and covetousness. Instead, the world will come to treasure the real treasures that can only be acquired from God. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Put another way, God offers us things that are lasting and cannot be acquired in a store or on a website.
Have a most pleasant Sabbath.
Gary Smith
Friday, June 12, 2015
Why Doesn't God Intervene?
At present, I am reading through the Minor Prophets and just finished the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk is a three chapter book that we can quickly read through without considering some important spiritual principles contained in the book. In this Sabbath Thought, I would like to bring out some of what we can glean from this prophetic book.
Because of conditions at the time the prophet lived, he questioned God. There were two main reasons why the prophet had questions for God. The reason for the first question is found in chapter one of the book, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds” (Habakkuk 1:2-4). The observation: Judah is filled with sin and injustice. The question: Why don’t you intervene to stop it?
The second question arises because the Babylonian Empire is on the rise. The prophet noting this, can see that it is inevitable that Babylon will march against the nations of the Mediterranean coast. The prospect of Judah falling to Babylon is hard for the prophet to understand. His question: How can God allow Judah to fall prey to a cruel, idolatrous, and oppressive people?
Habakkuk was not unlike many people today who are troubled by the world around them. Seeing the evils and the accompanying suffering we wonder, “Why doesn’t God do something about all the problems of humanity?”
“Why doesn’t God intervene?” was a pertinent question in Habakkuk’s time and it is a relevant question for us living in the 21st century.
What is the answer to the prophet’s question? The answer is found in Habakkuk 2:4, “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by faith.” We see that the proud do not live by faith in God. They live apart from God following their own ways and desires. However, the follower of God lives by faith. He lives a life trusting in God that He will be with us no matter what, and in the end, He will answer our questions.
As the world unfolds before us in the years ahead, our consideration of what it means “to walk by faith” might very well make the difference in our holding fast to the end.
Gary Smith
Because of conditions at the time the prophet lived, he questioned God. There were two main reasons why the prophet had questions for God. The reason for the first question is found in chapter one of the book, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds” (Habakkuk 1:2-4). The observation: Judah is filled with sin and injustice. The question: Why don’t you intervene to stop it?
The second question arises because the Babylonian Empire is on the rise. The prophet noting this, can see that it is inevitable that Babylon will march against the nations of the Mediterranean coast. The prospect of Judah falling to Babylon is hard for the prophet to understand. His question: How can God allow Judah to fall prey to a cruel, idolatrous, and oppressive people?
Habakkuk was not unlike many people today who are troubled by the world around them. Seeing the evils and the accompanying suffering we wonder, “Why doesn’t God do something about all the problems of humanity?”
“Why doesn’t God intervene?” was a pertinent question in Habakkuk’s time and it is a relevant question for us living in the 21st century.
What is the answer to the prophet’s question? The answer is found in Habakkuk 2:4, “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by faith.” We see that the proud do not live by faith in God. They live apart from God following their own ways and desires. However, the follower of God lives by faith. He lives a life trusting in God that He will be with us no matter what, and in the end, He will answer our questions.
As the world unfolds before us in the years ahead, our consideration of what it means “to walk by faith” might very well make the difference in our holding fast to the end.
Gary Smith
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