The Daniel Model Posturing Ourselves in Exile

The Daniel Model: Posturing Ourselves in Exile

Biblical Model (OT) of Liberty Old Testament Model of Liberty under the Law of God (Exodus 20) Negative law (limited government) – Ge. 9: 1 -6 Religious and Civil Liberty (two tables) Liberty and literacy peak around 1100 BC Hebrew letters with sounds – an alphabet! Literacy of Israelites borrowed by other nations The United Tribes of Israel (one, few, many) Israel’s impact on nations (2 nd Chr. 17: 9 -10)

Biblical Model (NT) of Liberty New Testament Model of Liberty Work of the gospel in the individual (Ro. 8) Grace – the law of liberty – self-government Obedience to God has no conflict with law Restoration of liberty in family / church (Ro. 12) Family and Church “practice” liberty Model for transforming culture – serve and bless Liberty protected by civil government (Ro. 13) Civil officials are ministers of God’s justice Civil Government protects God-given rights

The Third Thousand Years – Liberty Israel’s Theocratic Republic Egyptian Empire Old Kingdom – Pyramids Hittites; Phoenicians; Phrygians; Amorites; Arameans Middle Kingdom – Hyksos (Semitic Race) Sodom & Gomorrah destroyed Abraham 1897 BC The Divine Right of Kings New Kingdom – Decline of Egypt Hammurabi’s Code Ice Age The Exodus Prime closes: and the Minister sea Law of Egypt levels rise Joseph Moses 1775 BC 1491 The Formation of Israel Theocratic Republic Israel’s Golden Age Israel asks for a 1012 -959 King BC (pride) Gideon 1300 Samuel 1060 (power) Saul 1050 David 1010 BC Israel’s form of government from 1450 -1050 became the historic model for Republics that protected liberty under the rule of law

Israel’s Captivity – 1050 to 950 (Genesis 3: 6; 1 st John 2: 15 -17) Steps of Decline – God’s people, then culture Pride – mixing godly and ungodly (invincible) Power – centralize and rule from the top down compromise moral standards (Solomon) of division northern ten tribes; southern two tribes of Pleasure – a soft culture that revels in amusement when pleasure rules, a nation is ready to fall Northern (722) then Southern (586) captured

A Description of Babylon New Babylon rules the earth for 88 years Nabopolassar co-rules with his son till 606 BC His son married Amytis; daughter of a Mede He erected hanging gardens for his wife The city was 14 miles square The walls were 56 miles, 300 ft high, 35 wide The Euphrates River flowed through the city A Ziggurat to Marduk and 180 Ishtar altars King removed captives from their homeland, erased their history and re-trained them

Babylon - home of one of the seven wonders of the world

The Fourth Thousand Years – Captivity The Historic Context of Daniel Assyrian Empire Babylonian Empire Persian Empire Greek Empire (power) (pride) (LAW of Medes & Persians) (pleasure) Assyrian captivity of Israel Divided 722 BC Nineveh repents Destruction of Nineveh Babylonian captivity of Judah Daniel stands 586 BC Revival & Reform Daniel disciples Cyrus Alexander the Great 336 -323 B C Restoration and Promise (pleasure) Solomon 950 BC Jonah Nahum Josiah Jeremiah 760 625 609 606 Daniel 609 -538 Malachi 538 -444 BC…………. .

Daniel Model (chapter 1) Daniel (age 13 -16) Daniel and his friends are captured, given pagan names and three years of training Captivity is the judgment of God for our good! Understand that God moves through remnants Determine not to be defiled (avoid bitterness) Accept testing at the highest possible standard Truly love and bless your captors, willing to lose your own life to save theirs The promise of serving a long time (71 years)

Daniel Model (chapters 2 -4) Daniel (age 17 -58) Practice intercessory prayer – for survival Seek wisdom and discernment, not power Let others promote you – don’t push Utilize the multitude of counselors Righteous separation is insulation (vs. selfrighteous isolation) and prepares you “to give an answer for your faith” The furnace of affliction only burns what binds you and brings you into the Presence of the King Build relationships so that you can say the hard things when necessary to be prophetic

The Daniel Model (chapters 5 -6) Daniel (ages 59 -84…) Daniel serves four Monarchs for 25 years! Embrace God’s timing for concerted action Let others call you forth – don’t push your way in Understand the leaven principle - incrementalism Introduce self-government and accountability Endure persecution for (ekklesia) Prayer Trust God though suffering under corrupt laws Let your legacy speak for itself (Persian rule) The Daniel Model prepares for the liberty model!

The Babylonian Empire Daniel’s humility in an “An Empire of Pride” The Babylonian Empire Nabopolassar / NEBUCHADNEZZAR Daniel taken captive at 13 Josiah’s 609 BC revival & reforms Jeremiah warns of 70 year captivity Evil-Meroduch Neriglisser Laborosoardel Nabonedius Belshazzar Daniel interprets the Handwriting on the wall Daniel interprets the king’s dream Daniel interprets dream of the King’s judgement for pride Daniel’s friends refuse to Judah taken captive bow Josiah Jeremiah Daniel 636 -609 606 Ezekiel’s visions 595 586 570 -563 Decree of Cyrus for Jews to return Daniel in Daniel the tutors lion’s Cyrus den from Isaiah 539 538 BC Before he dies, Daniel establishes the “School of the Magi” where subsequent generations study God’s promise of a coming Messiah

The Legacy of Daniel: School of the Magi “there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. ” 2: 1 – Matthew