6-2-14. Daniel 10:1-11:1. A VISION OF SPIRITUAL CONFLICT-my devotional

Key Verse: 10:12                                                                                               Kevin E. Jesmer

“Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” (ESV)

A prayer for the new high school grads…Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the hope that you instill into our hearts through this year’s high school graduates. You have molded them into fine young men and women. By your grace they will grow into the future leaders of our communities and nation. Thank you for the High school Baccalaureate that was held, honoring our new grads and planting faith in Christ and the word of God in their hearts as they embark on their life’s voyage. May each of them seek first your kingdom and your righteousness. (Matt 6:33) We thank you for the spiritual leaders in our community, who came to speak and to pray for the graduates. They truly care about the new grads and they care about the spiritual heritage that is passed down. May these grads take hold of the baton of faith and grow in every way through the words that have been spoken. May they pass it on to the next generation. Through holding onto Christ, may they impact the world for the better. Please now, help me learn some spiritual treasures through this daily bread. I pray in the name of the one who always hopes in us…Jesus Christ.

Part 1: An Overwhelming Vision (1-12).

Verses 10-12, “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. 10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,”

There is a difference between being loved by God and receiving insight from God. In Daniel 10 we see that Daniel had spent a lifetime growing and maturing in his relationship with the Lord. By the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was old and the first group of exiles had returned to Jerusalem. We can catch a glimpse of Daniel’s spiritual discipline. He sought understanding and humbled himself before God for three weeks through a restricted diet and prayer (2,3,12).

Let’s get one thing straight. God’s love for us is not based on our performance. God loved Daniel. Look at verse 11a, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.”  Daniel was greatly loved by God. But he was not loved simply because of the spiritual disciplined life he led. He was loved by God because God was his Father in heaven. He was loved because God is love and God unconditionally loves his child. I am sure that God was impressed by Daniel’s spiritual fervor. What parent is not impressed when they see their child setting out to do what is right and seeking to improve their relationship with their parents? But even if Daniel was spiritually lazy and did not seek the Lord with such intensity, he would still be loved by God. God’s love for us is not based on our performance. It is based on who God is. God is love.

But there is a benefit for embracing a life of spiritual discipline. God revealed himself and his word of Daniel. Look at verse 10a, “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel,…”  and verse 5,  “I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.”  and verse 12, “Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”  Daniel was blessed with visions and words of God. He is contrasted with others who were with him in verse 7-8a, “And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me….” The men who were with him were also loved by God. But they did not see the same vision that Daniel did. The men did not know how to interpret what was going on and they fled from the presence of God’s angel. But Daniel could understand and interpret what was going on and he had enough strength to stand there and receive the message the angel wanted to deliver. Daniel was able communicate with God and was able to mature in his understanding. That is the difference that embracing a life of spiritual discipline or not. “Those who clean out their ears will hear better and also sing better.”

Let’s think about this angel. He was glorious. Look at verses 5-6, “I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.” Wow. What a glorious image of this heavenly being! What a blessing it is to behold such a wonder! It is the same wonder that the shepherds beheld when an angel announced the birth of Jesus. (Luke)

We can see the affects of standing before this angelic being in all of his glory. Look at verses 7-10, “7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. 10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.” Verse 15, “15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute.”   And verse 16b-17, “I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17 How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.” No wonder we can not see the spiritual world is all of its fullness. We would not be able to handle it. We would be incapacitated every day. We would need caregivers and meals on wheels. God reveals himself to us in ways that we can handle. Some can handle more than others I can see.

This image of an angel resembles the description of Jesus in Revelation 1:12-18, “12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (ESV) John experienced a similar vision of Jesus. He also had a similar reaction, falling down as if dead. (This is probably why the Jehovah Witnesses claim that Jesus, before being born in a manger, existed as the archangel Michael.) But this is not true. Jesus has been and always will be the third person of the Trinity..(Father-Son-Holy Spirit). It does show that Jesus, in all of his glory, resembles other heavenly beings, such as angels. It does not mean that Jesus is an angel however. John received this vision when he was practicing some spiritual disciplines. Look at verse 10, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet” Again, God blessed the disciplined spiritual life of John with a great and glorious vision. May God help us to grow in our spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, worship, fasting (for important decisions) and meditating on the word of God. But keep in mind, God loves you unconditionally.

Part 2: “You Have Given Me Strength” (10:13-11:1).

Verses 10:13-11:1, “14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” 15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. 16 And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17 How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.” 18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. 11 “And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.” (ESV)

God is fighting his battles quiet well without us. The messenger explained that he was detained by the “prince of Persia” for 21 days. While Daniel was humbly seeking understanding, God’s angels were fighting evil forces. We tend to think that it is all about us. We think that the church stands or falls by our actions. But God is doing his work. He is fighting the spiritual battle on the front lines. He chooses to allow us a piece of the battle and we engage in it through faith and prayer and obedience to the words of God. But, we need to know that the battle is the Lord’s and he has already won the ultimate victory. Listen to David’s words in 1 Samuel 17:47, “and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” (ESV) Knowing the battle is the Lord’s should bring us comfort and peace. It does not depend on us. Thank God! It depends on Jesus and he is in control.

Daniel was in anguish, felt weak, lost his strength and could hardly breathe. The messenger touched Daniel so he could speak. He touched Daniel again and said, “Peace! Be strong now; be strong,” and Daniel was strengthened. Our strength comes from the Lord. On our own we would live in despair, sorrow and depression, with no strength to overcome. But God comes to us and gives us strength, especially the strength to fulfill the will of God in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, help us to humbly seek understanding and visions of your glory. Strengthen us to seek you and know you. Work though us as you expand your kingdom in this world. .

One Word: Humbly seek God through spiritual disciplines.