O. Addison Gethers
e-mail address [email protected] [email protected] twitter URL http//:twitter.com/OAddisonGethers Messenger contact window live/msn messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS rs ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, September 13, 2009 9:58 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Monday September 14 > Day 257 > > Daniel 1-3 (The Message) > > Daniel 1 > Daniel Was Gifted by God > 1-2 It was the third year of King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah when King > Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon > declared war on Jerusalem and besieged the city. The Master handed King > Jehoiakim of Judah over to > him, along with some of the furnishings from the Temple of God. > Nebuchadnezzar took king and > furnishings to the country of Babylon, the ancient Shinar. He put the > furnishings in the sacred > treasury. > 3-5 The king told Ashpenaz, head of the palace staff, to get some > Israelites from the royal family > and nobility-young men who were healthy and handsome, intelligent and > well-educated, good prospects > for leadership positions in the government, perfect specimens!-and > indoctrinate them in the > Babylonian language and the lore of magic and fortunetelling. The king > then ordered that they be > served from the same menu as the royal table-the best food, the finest > wine. After three years of > training they would be given positions in the king's court. > > 6-7 Four young men from Judah-Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah-were > among those selected. The > head of the palace staff gave them Babylonian names: Daniel was named > Belteshazzar, Hananiah was > named Shadrach, Mishael was named Meshach, Azariah was named Abednego. > > 8-10 But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the > king's food or drinking > his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the > royal diet. The head of > the palace staff, by God's grace, liked Daniel, but he warned him, "I'm > afraid of what my master the > king will do. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you > are not as healthy as the > rest, he'll have my head!" > > 11-13 But Daniel appealed to a steward who had been assigned by the head > of the palace staff to be > in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: "Try us out for ten > days on a simple diet of > vegetables and water. Then compare us with the young men who eat from the > royal menu. Make your > decision on the basis of what you see." > > 14-16 The steward agreed to do it and fed them vegetables and water for > ten days. At the end of the > ten days they looked better and more robust than all the others who had > been eating from the royal > menu. So the steward continued to exempt them from the royal menu of food > and drink and served them > only vegetables. > > 17-19 God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and > life. In addition, Daniel > was gifted in understanding all sorts of visions and dreams. At the end of > the time set by the king > for their training, the head of the royal staff brought them in to > Nebuchadnezzar. When the king > interviewed them, he found them far superior to all the other young men. > None were a match for > Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. > > 19-20 And so they took their place in the king's service. Whenever the > king consulted them on > anything, on books or on life, he found them ten times better than all the > magicians and enchanters > in his kingdom put together. > > 21 Daniel continued in the king's service until the first year in the > reign of King Cyrus. > > Daniel 2 > King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream > 1-3 In the second year of his reign, King Nebuchadnezzar started having > dreams that disturbed him > deeply. He couldn't sleep. He called in all the Babylonian magicians, > enchanters, sorcerers, and > fortunetellers to interpret his dreams for him. When they came and lined > up before the king, he said > to them, "I had a dream that I can't get out of my mind. I can't sleep > until I know what it means." > 4 The fortunetellers, speaking in the Aramaic language, said, "Long live > the king! Tell us the > dream and we will interpret it." > > 5-6 The king answered the fortunetellers, "This is my decree: If you can't > tell me both the dream > itself and its interpretation, I'll have you ripped to pieces, limb from > limb, and your homes torn > down. But if you tell me both the dream and its interpretation, I'll > lavish you with gifts and > honors. So go to it: Tell me the dream and its interpretation." > > 7 They answered, "If it please your majesty, tell us the dream. We'll give > the interpretation." > > 8-9 But the king said, "I know what you're up to-you're just playing for > time. You know you're up a > tree. You know that if you can't tell me my dream, you're doomed. I see > right through you-you're > going to cook up some fancy stories and confuse the issue until I change > my mind. Nothing doing! > First tell me the dream, then I'll know that you're on the up and up with > the interpretation and not > just blowing smoke in my eyes." > > 10-11 The fortunetellers said, "Nobody anywhere can do what you ask. And > no king, great or small, > has ever demanded anything like this from any magician, enchanter, or > fortuneteller. What you're > asking is impossible unless some god or goddess should reveal it-and they > don't hang around with > people like us." > > 12-13 That set the king off. He lost his temper and ordered the whole > company of Babylonian wise > men killed. When the death warrant was issued, Daniel and his companions > were included. They also > were marked for execution. > > 14-15 When Arioch, chief of the royal guards, was making arrangements for > the execution, Daniel > wisely took him aside and quietly asked what was going on: "Why this all > of a sudden?" > > 15-16 After Arioch filled in the background, Daniel went to the king and > asked for a little time so > that he could interpret the dream. > > 17-18 Daniel then went home and told his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and > Azariah what was going > on. He asked them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy in solving this > mystery so that the four of > them wouldn't be killed along with the whole company of Babylonian wise > men. > > Dream Interpretation: A Story of Five Kingdoms > 19-23 That night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a > vision. Daniel blessed the God > of heaven, saying, > "Blessed be the name of God, > forever and ever. > He knows all, does all: > He changes the seasons and guides history, > He raises up kings and also brings them down, > he provides both intelligence and discernment, > He opens up the depths, tells secrets, > sees in the dark-light spills out of him! > God of all my ancestors, all thanks! all praise! > You made me wise and strong. > And now you've shown us what we asked for. > You've solved the king's mystery." > > 24 So Daniel went back to Arioch, who had been put in charge of the > execution. He said, "Call off > the execution! Take me to the king and I'll interpret his dream." > > 25 Arioch didn't lose a minute. He ran to the king, bringing Daniel with > him, and said, "I've found > a man from the exiles of Judah who can interpret the king's dream!" > > 26 The king asked Daniel (renamed in Babylonian, Belteshazzar), "Are you > sure you can do this-tell > me the dream I had and interpret it for me?" > > 27-28 Daniel answered the king, "No mere human can solve the king's > mystery, I don't care who it > is-no wise man, enchanter, magician, diviner. But there is a God in heaven > who solves mysteries, and > he has solved this one. He is letting King Nebuchadnezzar in on what is > going to happen in the days > ahead. This is the dream you had when you were lying on your bed, the > vision that filled your mind: > > 29-30 "While you were stretched out on your bed, O king, thoughts came to > you regarding what is > coming in the days ahead. The Revealer of Mysteries showed you what will > happen. But the > interpretation is given through me, not because I'm any smarter than > anyone else in the country, but > so that you will know what it means, so that you will understand what you > dreamed. > > 31-36 "What you saw, O king, was a huge statue standing before you, > striking in appearance. And > terrifying. The head of the statue was pure gold, the chest and arms were > silver, the belly and hips > were bronze, the legs were iron, and the feet were an iron-ceramic > mixture. While you were looking > at this statue, a stone cut out of a mountain by an invisible hand hit the > statue, smashing its > iron-ceramic feet. Then the whole thing fell to pieces-iron, tile, bronze, > silver, and gold, smashed > to bits. It was like scraps of old newspapers in a vacant lot in a hot dry > summer, blown every which > way by the wind, scattered to oblivion. But the stone that hit the statue > became a huge mountain, > dominating the horizon. This was your dream. > > 36-40 "And now we'll interpret it for the king. You, O king, are the most > powerful king on earth. > The God of heaven has given you the works: rule, power, strength, and > glory. He has put you in > charge of men and women, wild animals and birds, all over the world-you're > the head ruler, you are > the head of gold. But your rule will be taken over by another kingdom, > inferior to yours, and that > one by a third, a bronze kingdom, but still ruling the whole land, and > after that by a fourth > kingdom, ironlike in strength. Just as iron smashes things to bits, > breaking and pulverizing, it > will bust up the previous kingdoms. > > 41-43 "But then the feet and toes that ended up as a mixture of ceramic > and iron will deteriorate > into a mongrel kingdom with some remains of iron in it. Just as the toes > of the feet were part > ceramic and part iron, it will end up a mixed bag of the breakable and > unbreakable. That kingdom > won't bond, won't hold together any more than iron and clay hold together. > > 44-45 "But throughout the history of these kingdoms, the God of heaven > will be building a kingdom > that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom ever fall under the > domination of another. In > the end it will crush the other kingdoms and finish them off and come > through it all standing strong > and eternal. It will be like the stone cut from the mountain by the > invisible hand that crushed the > iron, the bronze, the ceramic, the silver, and the gold. > > "The great God has let the king know what will happen in the years to > come. This is an accurate > telling of the dream, and the interpretation is also accurate." > > 46-47 When Daniel finished, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face in awe > before Daniel. He ordered > the offering of sacrifices and burning of incense in Daniel's honor. He > said to Daniel, "Your God is > beyond question the God of all gods, the Master of all kings. And he > solves all mysteries, I know, > because you've solved this mystery." > > 48-49 Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position in the kingdom, > lavished him with gifts, and > made him governor over the entire province of Babylon and the chief in > charge of all the Babylonian > wise men. At Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and > Abednego to administrative > posts throughout Babylon, while Daniel governed from the royal > headquarters. > > Daniel 3 > Four Men in the Furnace > 1-3 King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold statue, ninety feet high and nine > feet thick. He set it up on > the Dura plain in the province of Babylon. He then ordered all the > important leaders in the > province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the > statue. They all came for the > dedication, all the important people, and took their places before the > statue that Nebuchadnezzar > had erected. > 4-6 A herald then proclaimed in a loud voice: "Attention, everyone! Every > race, color, and creed, > listen! When you hear the band strike up-all the trumpets and trombones, > the tubas and baritones, > the drums and cymbals-fall to your knees and worship the gold statue that > King Nebuchadnezzar has > set up. Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately > into a roaring furnace." > > 7 The band started to play, a huge band equipped with all the musical > instruments of Babylon, and > everyone-every race, color, and creed-fell to their knees and worshiped > the gold statue that King > Nebuchadnezzar had set up. > > 8-12 Just then, some Babylonian fortunetellers stepped up and accused the > Jews. They said to King > Nebuchadnezzar, "Long live the king! You gave strict orders, O king, that > when the big band started > playing, everyone had to fall to their knees and worship the gold statue, > and whoever did not go to > their knees and worship it had to be pitched into a roaring furnace. Well, > there are some Jews > here-Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego-whom you have placed in high > positions in the province of > Babylon. These men are ignoring you, O king. They don't respect your gods > and they won't worship the > gold statue you set up." > > 13-15 Furious, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego > to be brought in. When > the men were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar asked, "Is it true, Shadrach, > Meshach, and Abednego, that > you don't respect my gods and refuse to worship the gold statue that I > have set up? I'm giving you a > second chance-but from now on, when the big band strikes up you must go to > your knees and worship > the statue I have made. If you don't worship it, you will be pitched into > a roaring furnace, no > questions asked. Who is the god who can rescue you from my power?" > > 16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your > threat means nothing to > us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your > roaring furnace and > anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it > wouldn't make a bit of > difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold > statue you set up." > > 19-23 Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger, cut off Shadrach, > Meshach, and Abednego. He > ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. He ordered > some strong men from the army > to tie them up, hands and feet, and throw them into the roaring furnace. > Shadrach, Meshach, and > Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were > pitched into the roaring fire. > Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames > from the furnace killed the > men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it, while the fire > raged around Shadrach, > Meshach, and Abednego. > > 24 Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, "Didn't we > throw three men, bound hand > and foot, into the fire?" > > "That's right, O king," they said. > > 25 "But look!" he said. "I see four men, walking around freely in the > fire, completely unharmed! > And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!" > > 26 Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, > "Shadrach, Meshach, and > Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!" > > Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire. > > 27 All the important people, the government leaders and king's counselors, > gathered around to > examine them and discovered that the fire hadn't so much as touched the > three men-not a hair singed, > not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them! > > 28 Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and > Abednego! He sent his angel > and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king's > orders and laid their bodies on > the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own. > > 29 "Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or > creed, who says anything > against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to > pieces, limb from limb, and > their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a > rescue like this." > > 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province > of Babylon. > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > Also, follow my tweets on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/Donnie1261 > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/dbilg?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
