Stewards Of God’s Mysteries

STEWARDS OF GOD’S MYSTERIES

Read Daniel 2:1-49

Read Daniel 2:1-49

But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. Daniel 2:28

In 601 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream, just about the time that Daniel and his three young colleagues finished their training at the diplomatic school in Babylon. The King was troubled by the dream, and so he assembled his seers and magicians (“the Chaldeans”) and demanded that they do two things; first, tell him what dream he had; and second, interpret that dream for him. He was tired of their empty flattery, their formulaic interpretations and their lies (2:9). He wanted the 100% blunt truth.

Daniel prays to God for wisdom and insight, and God reveals the dream to him. His Psalm of praise to God is the highlight of this chapter. Please read Daniel 2:20-23.

The interpretation Daniel receives from God was this: The large statue of a man was an image of successive world kingdoms. The golden kingdom was Babylon with King Nebuchadnezzar as its sterling head. The silver kingdom was the Medo-Persian kingdom of Cyrus and his successors. The bronze kingdom was that of Alexander the Great and his Greek Empire. And the iron kingdom was the Roman Empire of the Caesars––one that was so vast and variegated that it would eventually become part iron mixed with clay, due to mixed marriages (2:43). Thus it was strong but brittle and would eventually collapse. A cor-nerstone––Jesus Christ––cut out of a mountain would fall on the Roman Empire, shatter it like dust, and then would grow into a great mountain swallowing up all the kingdoms of the world. This is the Kingdom of God, ruled by Jesus Christ, and foretold in the Scriptures:

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heav

en, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord

and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)

As we read Daniel’s interpretation, we are forced to ask ourselves, “Where in this vision are the nations in which we live?”—The British Empire, the American Nation, the Soviet Block, the European Common Union? The answer is obvious: We are part of the last Empire. We are extensions of Rome. Commentators increasingly agree that the empires and states from the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages to modern states all derive their laws, structure, basic culture and military prowess from Rome.

Please note: Each Empire becomes less precious in the type of metal, from gold to iron, but stronger in composition. Meaning? As nations and kingdoms progress through time, there is both a degradation in morality and righteousness in government and a strengthening in power and endurance. Hence, there is a great contrast between the kingdoms of the earth and the Kingdom of heaven. The empires of men experience not a rise upward to glory but a decline downward to dishonor and disunity. Technology makes the world empires stronger; sin makes them more decadent. Conversely, the Kingdom of God starts out small––just Jesus alone––but it grows until the Mountain of God fills the earth and subdues all the peoples with the Gospel.

With what can we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. (Mark 4:30-32)

Let us teach our young people three things, the very things we must first know in order to pass on to them. First, that the mysteries of God (revelation) are of more value and more true than the information of CNN, the Internet or the Drudge Report. Second, America is part of Rome and a great-grandchild of Babylon. America will never be the Kingdom of God. We must love America and serve it, as Daniel did both Babylon and Persia. But America can never be our first love or our last hope. Third, we must develop eyes to see the Kingdom of God, as Jesus told us to do in His Kingdom parables (Matthew 13:10-17, 34-35, 51-52).

Paul likens all true Christians to Daniel. He reminds us that we too are given these great mysteries of the Kingdom of God to know, understand, interpret and share with others. And on our stewardship of these mysteries we will be judged.

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the

mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trust

worthy. (1 Cor. 4:1-2)

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

CEP: Pray and support the annual Women in the Church Love Gift offering. CEP is the 2008 recipient. The love gift will go to disciple the next generation with the strength and clarity of the biblically Reformed faith. May we be found faithful––Psalm 71:17-18.

CC: We are grateful for the Board of Trustees as they generously give of their time and energy to support the college. Pray for their leadership in this role. Please also pray that the Lord will lead potential Board candidates to the college so that we may continue following the path He has laid out for us.

MNA: Pray for all of our churches to grow in their calling to evangelism, community outreach and deeds of mercy.

PCAF: Ask that the PCA Foundation’s Administrator, Valerie Tidwell, will be encouraged and given Godly guidance as she oversees the day-to-day operations of the PCA Foundation office.

RH: Pray for the safety of all guests! Though we make every effort to provide for the safest experience possible, we need the Lord’s protection from human error, equipment failure and weather-related problems, as well as His provision for traveling mercies. Pray for the Lord’s grace for wise decisions.