Sharing what you’ve seen
Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today Mal Calladine gets into our third daily chunk of ‘daring Daniel’, an epic story of that helps us to be sensitive to God’s presence…
What did I like about today’s passage?
I liked Daniel’s integrity in his prophetic gift – things that seem quite normal: a book by his bed to write down his dreams (7:1); how they troubled and affected him (7:28 and 8:27); how he turned to God in reading, prayer and fasting to try and understand the revelation he was getting (9:2-3). And I loved the humility of his petitioning prayer (9:4-19), especially the heartfelt cry at the end (9:17-19). How hearing God led him to cry out in prayer for his people, and for the city from which he had been taken captive.
It reinforced to me the importance of the role of the prophet, and the need for us to encourage and support that dynamic in our community. Each day of Daniel I’m trying to connect what we are reading to what this day commemorates – today is a bit harder, but there are some nuggets!
Today we remember some radical prophetic actions that were fire-starters to change: Socrates death; a big victory for Joan of Arc; today in 1700 William Penn began monthly meetings for black people advocating emancipation; and in the US today (the 1st Thursday of May) is their National Day of Prayer designated by the United States Congress, asking people “to turn to God in prayer and meditation.” Every year since 1952, the President of the United States has signed a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. It's a day we are encouraged to be aware of God, and what He is saying...
And that’s what I loved - Daniel’s sensitivity to God’s presence and revelation, and how it points to prophecy having more than one arena of outworking. That’s the telescope analogy we looked at on Day 1 of Daniel: that there is stuff to understand of the first lens of the writer’s era; and also to look through the second further away lens that has application on a wider time horizon. Telescopes work with clarity when you look through both lenses!
The first 6 chapters of Daniel were drama in the Royal Court; these last 6, beginning with today’s chapters, switches literary style focussing on the visions and messages Daniel received from God through angelic messengers. It goes from practical narrative storytelling to cryptic, symbolic picture language, typical of apocalyptic literature.
The imagery in chapters 7 and 8 looks confusing – but I really appreciated the table in my NIV Study Bible. It explains how the imagery has application to the empires that ruled the known world in the centuries following Daniel.
This makes sense of the first lens. Many commentators say we then need to look through the telescope to include the second lens of what this means after Jesus.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
It reminded me of God not wanting us to engage in this stuff on our own. These scriptures point to a 4-stage process of:
Revelation (what is actually God saying?) e.g. 7:2-14; 8:2-14
Interpretation (what does it mean?) 7:16-27; 8:15-25
Timing (the one often missed out – when is the right time to share this?) e.g. 8:26 (seal it up – this one’s for later!)
Application (what am I going to do about this?); which Daniel’s response seems to be his petitioning prayer of chapter 9. Often the reason we get insight is to pray into the situation.
For Daniel, he gets the Interpretation from another spiritual messenger; but generally I think God’s wisdom is that we do this in community. I Corinthians 12: 7-11 lists the different outworkings of the Holy Spirit when we gather together “different manifestations… for the common good” of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous power, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, tongues and interpretation. I think this is the safety net of community, of working these things out with others. No one person is supposed to have a monopoly on understanding the truth – we need each other to get there. It’s our safety net from falling into wrong understanding.
I’m most wary of error when someone tells me what God is saying, the interpretation and the application. I trust they had the revelation; but if they are not looking to include others in the interpretation and application; there is normally a background heart issue there that is ’out’.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
I think we are all called to hear God’s voice; but some people have a particular gift, calling or emphasis in this area. I want to be more intentional and sensitive to the people I know I think carry this particular gift. They are often more ‘exotic’ plants who need a safe greenhouse where they can thrive. I don't think I’m one with this gift, but I see its benefit so much, and I want to be one who protects, encourages and champions those who do.
Who am I going to share this with?
Those more prophetic people I know… asking specifically how I can cheer then on more and encourage a greenhouse climate for them to grow within. And with you… I want to share on this day of prayer, that we can declare blessing over our nation as we listen to the Lord and what He is saying...