Travailing in Birth
Galations {4:19} My little
children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be
formed in you,
Interesing choice of words here. Paul speaking to the Galations saying... my little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.
Jesus told us we had to be born again. Born of water and Spirit.
We are told in Peter that we are born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible.
John {3:3}
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God. {3:4} Nicodemus saith unto him, How can
a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time
into his mother’s womb, and be born? {3:5} Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. {3:6} That which is born of the flesh is
flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. {3:7}
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
1 Pet. {1:23}
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
for ever. {1:24} For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory
of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the
flower thereof falleth away: {1:25} But the word of the
Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you.
When Paul says he travails with them in birth, he's talking about how a Christian lives as Christ is being formed within them.
Colossians {1:27} To whom God would make known what [is]
the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles;
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Christ being formed in us.
As a baby is formed in a mother's womb the mother of a normal, healthy pregnancy feels little pain. It's the birth that brings the travail. When Christ says we must be born again it is a travailing time.
Dictionary Def.
travail
travail (tre-vâl´, tràv´âl´) noun
1. Work, especially when arduous or involving painful effort; toil. See synonyms at work.
2. Tribulation or agony; anguish.
3. The labor of childbirth.
verb, intransitive
travailed, travailing, travails
1. To work strenuously; toil.
2. To be in the labor of childbirth.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Being a Christian, accepting Christ into our lives is asking to be born again- asking to travail and be birthed until Christ is formed in us. It's not instantaneous. Christ is being formed in our lives, we are being born of Spirit, born of the Word of God and this is a process that isn't easy, but very painful in many ways. Painful to our natural self. The self we have to let die to have Christ in us. The pain is real and we live it every day. We travail as the old creatures in us are done away with and the new creatures are being formed. Day to day we travail and recognizing that our lives are but one more process of growth that we must go through to be Christs is something important. As babes in a womb we are not fully formed. As young children we are not fully formed. We like to think as adults we are fully formed and yet we are not and the only way to keep growing is to accept Christ's love into our lives, accept His grace and His wondrous forgiveness, His mercy. As we keep growing once we accept Christ the growth process isn't something that is accomplished instantly, but each of us has our own growth process as Christians just as we do as people. I may have been a delayed walker while you may have first walked at 9 months. We grow constantly at different rates in body and in Spirit. We have to accept our lives as the Spiritual growing process, the travail as we seek to be born of the Spirit. When Christ comes again then we will complete our birthing in Him, becoming the new creatures He's always meant us to be.
So, while we suffer now and rightly so- in many and varied ways- it will result in the birth of wonder in God transforming us.
May God bless and keep us in Him as we seek to have Christ formed in us. May the suffering we experience now be realized when Jesus comes again and we are finally, fully, completely birthed into the new creatures of the Spirit, His creatures. By His glory! All praise unto Him now and ever!
Amen.
7/20/10
Isa 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
God is beyond anything we can fully comprehend. God truly does watch over us all the time and yes, that is everyone, and yes, that is all the time. People like to jump in just about now and go on about how horrible a God He must be to watch all the pain and suffering and do nothing. They like to imagine that if THEY were God they wouldn't have any pain or suffering going on at all, they'd be the best god ever. Of course to do that they'd have to become a dictator god doing away with free will, because to get everyone in order, especially after people chose to sin, would mean taking away that free will and getting a bunch of automatons in return. People that choose to do no harm, people that are all loving all the time because they were forced to be, they would be the result of any of us trying to play god.
There will be a day when life is without pain and fear. Only that beautiful day will be that way because of free will, because of choices made willingly for people to live that way- in the love of God. Through God's love, by His love, choosing love over all else, understanding that LOVE IS GOD and to take it outside of God destroys it completely warping it into something we imagine to be love, but is not really love at all.
We can't search God's understanding, it's beyond our comprehension. Until Christ returns and sin is destroyed once and forever we will live with limited understanding. Faith has to come in, faith in the belief that there is something much better, faith that there is more, that this is NOT the world we are supposed to be in, that there is a better world for us all.
Hast thou not known?
Hast thou not heard?
The everlasting God.
The Lord.
The Creator of the ends of the earth…
Fainteth not.
Neither is weary.
There is NO searching of his understanding.
God was, God is, God will always be.
We get to choose whether or not we will believe in God, if we will have faith in God. We are all free to choose and may God have mercy upon us as we fall before Him seeking the grace of our Savior living in His righteousness now and forever.
In the love of our God.
Amen.
7/20/11
Daniel Chapter 10
-
Dan 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of
Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and
the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the
thing, and had understanding of the vision.
Dan 10:2 In those days I Daniel was mourning
three full weeks.
A thing was
revealed.
The thing was
true.
He understood the
thing.
The time
appointed was long.
He understood the vision.
Remember in
chapter 8 and 9 the angel Gabriel was explaining things to Daniel but it was
hard for Daniel to comprehend it all- understandably so. Daniel understood that
this vision would not be completed for a long, long time - do you think perhaps
this caused some of the mourning? We have lived approximate 2500 years after
Daniel lived. If Daniel had some comprehension of just how long it would be
until the prophecy would be fulfill how daunting that would have to be. Even now
if I had to imagine 2300 years into the future, if I had to imagine 1260 years
into the future it's just…wow. Maybe it's 'wow' to me because I'm living in the
hope and expectation of my Savior's soon return, not life ongoing another 2000
years. Daniel was living with the expectation of things to take place as well.
Think about it… he'd been thrust
from his home at Jerusalem and taken captive to Babylon. While there He
interprets a dream given the king of Babylon and that first dream, that first
vision was an overall grand picture. Then Daniel lived during the time of the
Medes and Persians take over of Babylon - as predicted. And He was told about
Grecia coming up to take over from Medes and Persians. To His comprehension, for
at least a short while there, it could easily be considered the entire vision
would be completed in relatively short order and our Savior would usher in a
whole new world. The end of all evil.
How fantastic to imagine it all. Daniel was human and he had ideas and he
struggled with comprehension even after he was told things.
That Daniel was mourning isn't surprising at all really.
Dan 10:3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came
flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole
weeks were fulfilled.
For 3 weeks
Daniel didn't allow himself any luxuries at all whatsoever. He was so upset by
it all, very understandable.
Dan 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of
the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
Dan 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked,
and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine
gold of Uphaz:
Dan 10:6 His body also was like the beryl, and
his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his
arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words
like the voice of a multitude.
Just imagine this
Daniel is standing by the great river and when he looks up he sees a man, and
what a man! This wasn't any ordinary person by a long shot.
Dan 10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for
the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon
them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
Such an
extraordinary sight this man was that those people who were with Daniel
couldn't see him but a fear overcame them such a great fear they ran away to
hide.
Dan 10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw
this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was
turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
Left alone,
Daniel faced this vision and he had no strength left, it's no wonder is it?
Something that could be unseen by others yet cause extreme fear, at the least
had a strength sapping affect on Daniel.
Dan 10:9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and
when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and
my face toward the ground.
Fainted at the
sound of the man's voice?
Dan 10:10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which
set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
The man touched
Daniel, the man pulled him up onto his hands and knees- waking him obviously to
the point that he could understand what was said next.
Dan 10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man
greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright:
for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood
trembling.
Stand upright he
was told and Daniel stood but not without shaking in fear.
Dan 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel:
for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to
chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy
words.
The man in the
vision does not want Daniel to be scared, he tells him not to fear.
He tells Daniel from the FIRST day when Daniel's heart was determined to
understand and he abased himself before God- his word were heard!
His words…were…heard.
The man CAME because of what Daniel petitioned God for- understanding.
Dan 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia
withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
The man in the
vision would have come sooner BUT he was warring with a prince of the kingdom
of Persia for 21 days.
Who was this man?
Who was the
prince the man was fighting with, who prevented the man from going to Daniel- IN
A VISION?
We can't for a
moment allow ourselves to believe that this vision man unseen by any but
Daniel, was contending with a flesh and blood prince of Persia and that flesh
and blood prince was able to prevent this vision man from going to Daniel. This had to be a spiritual battle and
we KNOW that beyond a doubt the spiritual world is REAL and mostly unseen. We
fight in this spiritual battle all the time remember this verse--
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
This spiritual
Prince of Persia hindered the spiritual vision man before Daniel -
read this…
1Th 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you,
even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
Satan hindered
'us'. This was Satan hindering flesh and blood. If Satan hindered flesh and blood it's
only understandable that Satan could contend with this man of God - a spiritual
force with spiritual force. What
force controls the kingdoms of this world? We've studied this before. The kingdoms of this world belong to
Satan. Satan offered them to Jesus when he was tempting Him in the
wilderness. The Prince of the
ruling kingdom of Persia would be Satan, and what freed the spiritual man of God
from this battle with Satan?
Dan 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia
withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Michael a chief
prince came to help him. Another
spiritual force. This spiritual
battle is more real than Satan would have any of us really, truly believe.
Dan 10:14 Now I am come to make thee understand
what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many
days.
Dan 10:15 And when he had spoken such words unto
me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
Dan 10:16 And, behold, one like the similitude of
the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said
unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned
upon me, and I have retained no strength.
Dan 10:17 For how can the servant of this my lord
talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in
me, neither is there breath left in me.
Dan 10:18 Then there came again and touched me
one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
Dan 10:19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear
not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto
me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened
me.
Dan 10:20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I
come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and
when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
Dan 10:21 But I will shew thee that which is
noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these
things, but Michael your prince.
This wasn't easy!
As a prophet Daniel suffered. He knew that the visions were growing more and
more complex and the things he was seeing, the understanding he was being given
wasn't pleasant. The visions foretold of a future where Satan would rule the
earth and God's people would be in the minority. There would always be a people
that would belong to God, but they would not rule, they would suffer and great
so. The future which was to take
place over a LONG time, didn't predict wondrous things but rather great horrors
that Daniel was allowed to foresee. Is it any wonder that Daniel was frightened,
so incredibly frightened it's guaranteed that He would have died of his fear if
he hadn't been strengthened by these amazing spiritual beings sent by God.
Daniel would be
shown a vision even more complex than any he'd seen prior to this and now that
he was strengthened he'd be able to understand, he'd be able to endure what was
being required of Him. Remember- Daniel prayed for this! Daniel was the one who
initiated this vision that had taken all his strength from him.
This wasn't an unwanted vision. This wasn't a forced vision. This was
what Daniel was praying for and had continued to pray for- depriving himself of
all luxurious things, of all comfort thing- for three weeks!
He wanted this and yet, feared it and doesn't that sound like so much we
deal with in our own lives? I'm
not putting us on par with Daniel by any means, but in a small way we can
understand a bit about wanting and fearing at the same time, right?
More tomorrow
when we begin chapter 11 and by the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
may we have understanding just as Daniel prayed for understanding- we too need
to pray earnestly for understanding.
All by the grace of our God, all by the righteousness of our Lord, guide
us! Let the Holy Spirit reveal all truth to us as far as we need to understand
to know God's will now and forever.
Amen!
children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be
formed in you,
Interesing choice of words here. Paul speaking to the Galations saying... my little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.
Jesus told us we had to be born again. Born of water and Spirit.
We are told in Peter that we are born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible.
John {3:3}
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God. {3:4} Nicodemus saith unto him, How can
a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time
into his mother’s womb, and be born? {3:5} Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. {3:6} That which is born of the flesh is
flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. {3:7}
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
1 Pet. {1:23}
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
for ever. {1:24} For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory
of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the
flower thereof falleth away: {1:25} But the word of the
Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you.
When Paul says he travails with them in birth, he's talking about how a Christian lives as Christ is being formed within them.
Colossians {1:27} To whom God would make known what [is]
the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles;
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Christ being formed in us.
As a baby is formed in a mother's womb the mother of a normal, healthy pregnancy feels little pain. It's the birth that brings the travail. When Christ says we must be born again it is a travailing time.
Dictionary Def.
travail
travail (tre-vâl´, tràv´âl´) noun
1. Work, especially when arduous or involving painful effort; toil. See synonyms at work.
2. Tribulation or agony; anguish.
3. The labor of childbirth.
verb, intransitive
travailed, travailing, travails
1. To work strenuously; toil.
2. To be in the labor of childbirth.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Being a Christian, accepting Christ into our lives is asking to be born again- asking to travail and be birthed until Christ is formed in us. It's not instantaneous. Christ is being formed in our lives, we are being born of Spirit, born of the Word of God and this is a process that isn't easy, but very painful in many ways. Painful to our natural self. The self we have to let die to have Christ in us. The pain is real and we live it every day. We travail as the old creatures in us are done away with and the new creatures are being formed. Day to day we travail and recognizing that our lives are but one more process of growth that we must go through to be Christs is something important. As babes in a womb we are not fully formed. As young children we are not fully formed. We like to think as adults we are fully formed and yet we are not and the only way to keep growing is to accept Christ's love into our lives, accept His grace and His wondrous forgiveness, His mercy. As we keep growing once we accept Christ the growth process isn't something that is accomplished instantly, but each of us has our own growth process as Christians just as we do as people. I may have been a delayed walker while you may have first walked at 9 months. We grow constantly at different rates in body and in Spirit. We have to accept our lives as the Spiritual growing process, the travail as we seek to be born of the Spirit. When Christ comes again then we will complete our birthing in Him, becoming the new creatures He's always meant us to be.
So, while we suffer now and rightly so- in many and varied ways- it will result in the birth of wonder in God transforming us.
May God bless and keep us in Him as we seek to have Christ formed in us. May the suffering we experience now be realized when Jesus comes again and we are finally, fully, completely birthed into the new creatures of the Spirit, His creatures. By His glory! All praise unto Him now and ever!
Amen.
7/20/10
Isa 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
God is beyond anything we can fully comprehend. God truly does watch over us all the time and yes, that is everyone, and yes, that is all the time. People like to jump in just about now and go on about how horrible a God He must be to watch all the pain and suffering and do nothing. They like to imagine that if THEY were God they wouldn't have any pain or suffering going on at all, they'd be the best god ever. Of course to do that they'd have to become a dictator god doing away with free will, because to get everyone in order, especially after people chose to sin, would mean taking away that free will and getting a bunch of automatons in return. People that choose to do no harm, people that are all loving all the time because they were forced to be, they would be the result of any of us trying to play god.
There will be a day when life is without pain and fear. Only that beautiful day will be that way because of free will, because of choices made willingly for people to live that way- in the love of God. Through God's love, by His love, choosing love over all else, understanding that LOVE IS GOD and to take it outside of God destroys it completely warping it into something we imagine to be love, but is not really love at all.
We can't search God's understanding, it's beyond our comprehension. Until Christ returns and sin is destroyed once and forever we will live with limited understanding. Faith has to come in, faith in the belief that there is something much better, faith that there is more, that this is NOT the world we are supposed to be in, that there is a better world for us all.
Hast thou not known?
Hast thou not heard?
The everlasting God.
The Lord.
The Creator of the ends of the earth…
Fainteth not.
Neither is weary.
There is NO searching of his understanding.
God was, God is, God will always be.
We get to choose whether or not we will believe in God, if we will have faith in God. We are all free to choose and may God have mercy upon us as we fall before Him seeking the grace of our Savior living in His righteousness now and forever.
In the love of our God.
Amen.
7/20/11
Daniel Chapter 10
-
Dan 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of
Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and
the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the
thing, and had understanding of the vision.
Dan 10:2 In those days I Daniel was mourning
three full weeks.
A thing was
revealed.
The thing was
true.
He understood the
thing.
The time
appointed was long.
He understood the vision.
Remember in
chapter 8 and 9 the angel Gabriel was explaining things to Daniel but it was
hard for Daniel to comprehend it all- understandably so. Daniel understood that
this vision would not be completed for a long, long time - do you think perhaps
this caused some of the mourning? We have lived approximate 2500 years after
Daniel lived. If Daniel had some comprehension of just how long it would be
until the prophecy would be fulfill how daunting that would have to be. Even now
if I had to imagine 2300 years into the future, if I had to imagine 1260 years
into the future it's just…wow. Maybe it's 'wow' to me because I'm living in the
hope and expectation of my Savior's soon return, not life ongoing another 2000
years. Daniel was living with the expectation of things to take place as well.
Think about it… he'd been thrust
from his home at Jerusalem and taken captive to Babylon. While there He
interprets a dream given the king of Babylon and that first dream, that first
vision was an overall grand picture. Then Daniel lived during the time of the
Medes and Persians take over of Babylon - as predicted. And He was told about
Grecia coming up to take over from Medes and Persians. To His comprehension, for
at least a short while there, it could easily be considered the entire vision
would be completed in relatively short order and our Savior would usher in a
whole new world. The end of all evil.
How fantastic to imagine it all. Daniel was human and he had ideas and he
struggled with comprehension even after he was told things.
That Daniel was mourning isn't surprising at all really.
Dan 10:3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came
flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole
weeks were fulfilled.
For 3 weeks
Daniel didn't allow himself any luxuries at all whatsoever. He was so upset by
it all, very understandable.
Dan 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of
the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
Dan 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked,
and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine
gold of Uphaz:
Dan 10:6 His body also was like the beryl, and
his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his
arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words
like the voice of a multitude.
Just imagine this
Daniel is standing by the great river and when he looks up he sees a man, and
what a man! This wasn't any ordinary person by a long shot.
Dan 10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for
the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon
them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
Such an
extraordinary sight this man was that those people who were with Daniel
couldn't see him but a fear overcame them such a great fear they ran away to
hide.
Dan 10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw
this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was
turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
Left alone,
Daniel faced this vision and he had no strength left, it's no wonder is it?
Something that could be unseen by others yet cause extreme fear, at the least
had a strength sapping affect on Daniel.
Dan 10:9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and
when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and
my face toward the ground.
Fainted at the
sound of the man's voice?
Dan 10:10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which
set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
The man touched
Daniel, the man pulled him up onto his hands and knees- waking him obviously to
the point that he could understand what was said next.
Dan 10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man
greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright:
for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood
trembling.
Stand upright he
was told and Daniel stood but not without shaking in fear.
Dan 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel:
for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to
chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy
words.
The man in the
vision does not want Daniel to be scared, he tells him not to fear.
He tells Daniel from the FIRST day when Daniel's heart was determined to
understand and he abased himself before God- his word were heard!
His words…were…heard.
The man CAME because of what Daniel petitioned God for- understanding.
Dan 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia
withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
The man in the
vision would have come sooner BUT he was warring with a prince of the kingdom
of Persia for 21 days.
Who was this man?
Who was the
prince the man was fighting with, who prevented the man from going to Daniel- IN
A VISION?
We can't for a
moment allow ourselves to believe that this vision man unseen by any but
Daniel, was contending with a flesh and blood prince of Persia and that flesh
and blood prince was able to prevent this vision man from going to Daniel. This had to be a spiritual battle and
we KNOW that beyond a doubt the spiritual world is REAL and mostly unseen. We
fight in this spiritual battle all the time remember this verse--
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
This spiritual
Prince of Persia hindered the spiritual vision man before Daniel -
read this…
1Th 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you,
even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
Satan hindered
'us'. This was Satan hindering flesh and blood. If Satan hindered flesh and blood it's
only understandable that Satan could contend with this man of God - a spiritual
force with spiritual force. What
force controls the kingdoms of this world? We've studied this before. The kingdoms of this world belong to
Satan. Satan offered them to Jesus when he was tempting Him in the
wilderness. The Prince of the
ruling kingdom of Persia would be Satan, and what freed the spiritual man of God
from this battle with Satan?
Dan 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia
withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Michael a chief
prince came to help him. Another
spiritual force. This spiritual
battle is more real than Satan would have any of us really, truly believe.
Dan 10:14 Now I am come to make thee understand
what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many
days.
Dan 10:15 And when he had spoken such words unto
me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
Dan 10:16 And, behold, one like the similitude of
the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said
unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned
upon me, and I have retained no strength.
Dan 10:17 For how can the servant of this my lord
talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in
me, neither is there breath left in me.
Dan 10:18 Then there came again and touched me
one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
Dan 10:19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear
not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto
me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened
me.
Dan 10:20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I
come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and
when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
Dan 10:21 But I will shew thee that which is
noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these
things, but Michael your prince.
This wasn't easy!
As a prophet Daniel suffered. He knew that the visions were growing more and
more complex and the things he was seeing, the understanding he was being given
wasn't pleasant. The visions foretold of a future where Satan would rule the
earth and God's people would be in the minority. There would always be a people
that would belong to God, but they would not rule, they would suffer and great
so. The future which was to take
place over a LONG time, didn't predict wondrous things but rather great horrors
that Daniel was allowed to foresee. Is it any wonder that Daniel was frightened,
so incredibly frightened it's guaranteed that He would have died of his fear if
he hadn't been strengthened by these amazing spiritual beings sent by God.
Daniel would be
shown a vision even more complex than any he'd seen prior to this and now that
he was strengthened he'd be able to understand, he'd be able to endure what was
being required of Him. Remember- Daniel prayed for this! Daniel was the one who
initiated this vision that had taken all his strength from him.
This wasn't an unwanted vision. This wasn't a forced vision. This was
what Daniel was praying for and had continued to pray for- depriving himself of
all luxurious things, of all comfort thing- for three weeks!
He wanted this and yet, feared it and doesn't that sound like so much we
deal with in our own lives? I'm
not putting us on par with Daniel by any means, but in a small way we can
understand a bit about wanting and fearing at the same time, right?
More tomorrow
when we begin chapter 11 and by the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
may we have understanding just as Daniel prayed for understanding- we too need
to pray earnestly for understanding.
All by the grace of our God, all by the righteousness of our Lord, guide
us! Let the Holy Spirit reveal all truth to us as far as we need to understand
to know God's will now and forever.
Amen!