Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
John 15:16 - You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
1 Peter 1:3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
2 Peter 1:5 - Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence…
Applying (pareispherō) means “to bring in,” or “to supply besides” and implies making a strong effort to provide something necessary. In view of and parallel to God’s endeavor in providing salvation, believers are compelled to call on all their regenerate faculties to live godly lives (3:14; cf. Rom. 6:22; Gal. 6:9; Eph. 5:7–9; Heb. 6:10–12). Believers must carry out that effort with all diligence (spoudē, “zeal and eagerness”), accompanied by a sense of urgency (cf. 2 Cor. 8:7) (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2005). 2 Peter and Jude (p. 39). Chicago: Moody Publishers)
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Philippians 2:12-13 - So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
The first virtue, moral excellence (aretē), uses the distinctive word in classical Greek for virtue. It was such a lofty term that it was used for moral heroism, viewed as the divinely endowed ability to excel in heroic, courageous deeds. It came to encompass the most outstanding quality in someone’s life, or the proper and excellent fulfillment of a task or duty (cf. Phil. 4:8). Aretē never meant cloistered virtue, but that which is demonstrated in the normal course of living. The apostle Paul modeled the pursuit of such spiritual heroism: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14; cf. 2 Cor. 5:9; 1 Thess. 4:1, 10) (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2005). 2 Peter and Jude (p. 40). Chicago: Moody Publishers)
4 obstacles to integrity that God helped Daniel, and God can help us, overcome
I. The Obstacle of Making Excuses Because of Your Age
A. Daniel and his companions were likely 14-15 years old
B. Hopeful lessons for people like us
1. The importance and value of training children and young people to love God and live for Him
2. God can help young people do important things for Him now
3. God can use people who are young in the faith
II. The Obstacle of Becoming Bitter Because of Your Place
A. He had been taken from the promised land
B. He did not let hard circumstances determine his choices
Daniel 2:5 - The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap.”
III. The Obstacle of Giving in to Small Compromises
A. What were the potential problems with the food?
1. Eating it would have been a violation of the OT dietary laws
2. It is likely that the food probably had been offered up to foreign gods
B. Babylonian makers won’t ask you to become one all at once - they’ll just ask you to take one small step at a time.
Proverbs 6:10-11 - A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- Your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an armed man.
IV. The Obstacle of Being Distanced from Your God
A. Their names spoke of their love for and connection to God
- Daniel - God is my judge
- Hananiah - Jehovah is gracious
- Mishael - Who is like God
- Azariah - Jehovah is my helper
B. The Babylonians wanted to distance them from that
- Daniel - renamed Belteshazzar - Bel [one of their idols] protect the king
- Hananiah - renamed Shadrach - Command of Aku [another of their gods]
- Mishael - renamed Meshach - Who is what Aku is
- Azariah - renamed Abednego - Servant of Nego - the god of vegetation
Daniel 1:21 - And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.
Daniel 7:13-14 - I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
- one of the characteristics of summertime that many of us enjoy is the access to a wider variety of fresh fruit…
- it would be interesting to go around the room this morning and ask – what’s your favorite fruit, and in what form do you like that fruit delivered?...
- I’m sure some people would say watermelon and I know our family has enjoyed a couple of them already…my dad even had a method of thumping them at the grocery store which he told us kids was the best way to determine if it was ripe…I put the reliability of that one right up there with Santa Claus and the Easter bunny…but he was pretty good at picking good ones…
- As I’ve gotten older, I’ve even gotten to really like cantaloupe…I’m not sure why but it just reminds me of summertime…
- I’m sure we’d have plenty of people say strawberries…especially if the delivery system is a freshly made strawberry pie…fruit and whipped cream is a delightful combination…
- our long time members will remember a man named Marvin Davis…who was in our Celeb’s Kin and he used to make a 7 berry pie that was phenomenal…
- what was funny about Marvin was that he was the produce manager at a local grocery store for decades…but he whispered to me once that if his store didn’t have the best berries the day he was making one of those pies…he would clandestinely visit one of their competitor’s produce sections to get the very best varities…
- there was a guy who appreciated fruit…
- interestingly, the Bible uses that very metaphor to describe what can be true, and what should be true of genuine followers of Jesus Christ
- that could be illustrated in all sorts of ways including Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit to the legalistic Galatians – Galatians 5:22–23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
- that sounds a whole lot like one of Marvin Davis’ pies right there – except in a person’s character, or lifestyle…
- after a person comes to Christ, the Holy Spirit makes this kind of fruitfulness possible…
- or when Jesus said…John 15:16 - You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
- here’s why that matters this morning…our church’s theme this year is Hope for Everyday Life…
- and we’ve spent the bulk of our time working our way verse by verse through the book of 1 Peter…which was written around 65 AD to people who were scattered around the Roman Empire because of their faith as a result of the increasing persecution of the wicked emperor Nero…
- and part of what we found both amazing and encouraging is that Peter affirms that people like you and me in the midst of trials and hardships and difficulties can still be people of hope…in places like…1 Peter 1:3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
- this summer we’re dipping our toes in the waters of 2 Peter…[I’ll explain that a bit more in a minute]…
- but this book was written about 3 years later…and Peter is especially concerned about false teaching that is infiltrating the church…
- there’s a lack of fruit – and that’s true both doctrinally and practically…
- and here’s the logical connection – Genuine hope always produces lasting fruit, in what you and I believe, and how you and I behave…
- now here’s why I said we’re just dipping our toes in 2 Peter…
- starting a new series in the summertime can be challenging because of everyone’s schedules…
- and there’s nothing wrong with that – we hope you enjoy some vacation time with family and friends…
- so here’s the plan…this summer we’re doing a series entitled “Hope for Fruitful Service”…
- we’re going to isolate our attention on the 7 character qualities given in 2 Peter 1:5-7 and we plan to use an example from the OT to illustrate each of those characteristics…
- then in the second half of the summer, we’re going to study what Scripture says about spiritual gifts…because Peter raised that topic in his first epistle…
- then Lord willing, in the fall, we plan to come back and go verse by verse through the book of 2 Peter just like we did with his first letter earlier this year…
- so with all of that in mind, let me invite you to turn to 2 passages of Scripture this am…2 Peter 1:5 – page 183 of the back section (NT) of the Bible under the chair in front of you…and Daniel chapter 1 – page 628 of the front section (OT)…
- we’re talking this morning about Growing the Fruit of Moral Excellence…because that’s the very first characteristic Peter mentions in his list beginning in verse 5…and we hope to illustrate that through the life of an amazing young man named Daniel…
- read 2 Peter 1:1-7, Daniel 1:1-21
- we’re going to skip over what Peter taught in the first 4 verses, which is pretty hard but we’ll cover that Lord willing this fall – where he explains the beauty and sufficiency of the salvation we’ve been given fully and completely in Christ
- but for our purposes this am, please focus first on what Peter says we should do as a result of that salvation…2 Peter 1:5 - Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence…
- one commentator explained it like this - Applying (pareispherō) means “to bring in,” or “to supply besides” and implies making a strong effort to provide something necessary. In view of and parallel to God’s endeavor in providing salvation, believers are compelled to call on all their regenerate faculties to live godly lives (3:14; cf. Rom. 6:22; Gal. 6:9; Eph. 5:7–9; Heb. 6:10–12). Believers must carry out that effort with all diligence (spoudē, “zeal and eagerness”), accompanied by a sense of urgency (cf. 2 Cor. 8:7) (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2005). 2 Peter and Jude (p. 39). Chicago: Moody Publishers)
- now there’s a sense in which we’re in a theological minefield here…
- because we know on the one hand that we are not saved by our works (briefly explain the gospel and encourage people to repent and believe if they have not already done so)
- but on the other hand…people who have genuinely come to Christ will be relying on the power of God to develop spiritual fruit…
- it’s the balance between Ephesians 2:8-9, and Ephesians 2:10…
- Ephesians 2:8–9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
- Ephesians 2:10 - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
- we see this theological balance throughout Scripture…like Philippians 2:12–13 - So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
- that’s what Peter is saying -- add to your faith, or build on your faith…with all diligence…
- and that becomes the governing verb for all 7 of these character qualities we’re going to study in the next several weeks…
- beginning with “moral excellence…”
- if you’re in the habit of writing in your Bible, you might want to go back to the end of verse 3 and notice that the exact same word is used…which just illustrates yet again the balance between divine sovereignty and human responsibility…
- our God perfectly possesses moral excellence and one of the fruit of people like you and me knowing Him is that we will be growing in that characteristic as well…
- The first virtue, moral excellence (aretē), uses the distinctive word in classical Greek for virtue. It was such a lofty term that it was used for moral heroism, viewed as the divinely endowed ability to excel in heroic, courageous deeds. It came to encompass the most outstanding quality in someone’s life, or the proper and excellent fulfillment of a task or duty (cf. Phil. 4:8). Aretē never meant cloistered virtue, but that which is demonstrated in the normal course of living. The apostle Paul modeled the pursuit of such spiritual heroism: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14; cf. 2 Cor. 5:9; 1 Thess. 4:1, 10) (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2005). 2 Peter and Jude (p. 40). Chicago: Moody Publishers)
- so that’s the question before the house this morning – Is your “hope in everyone life” regardless of the trials you might be facing – producing the fruit of moral excellence?...
- would the people around you say that you are a person of integrity?...
- now with that background in mind, let’s go back to our man Daniel and think about 4 obstacles to integrity that God helped Daniel, and God can help us, overcome.
I. The Obstacle of Making Excuses because of Your Age
- Daniel’s story has the word “moral excellence” written all over it…and part of what’s amazing is that…
A. Daniel and his companions were likely 14-15 years old
- I realize that some of you are new to studying the Bible so let’s step back for a minute and think about where and how this book fits into the sweep of Scripture…
- the first 11 chapters of the book of Genesis catalog the amazing truth that human beings are made in God’s very image…with the calling and ability to live in a way that reflects His character…it’s almost too delicious to be true…
- coupled with our incredible ability to walk away from that calling for lesser gods or desires or temptations…
- so in Genesis 12 – God comes to a man named Abram…and tells him that though he and his wife have no children…that God plans to make of him a great nation…
- but what’s unique about that chapter is that God initiates the relationship with a series of promises, or covenants…emphasizing land, seed, and blessing…
- Abram’s responsibility is to respond with faith, belief…that God can and will keep his promises…
- those promises are repeated to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph…and God’s chosen nation of Israel is born…
- That all started in about 2100 BC, and I’m skipping much for sake of time…but eventually God’s people were allowed to enter the promised land and they enjoyed prosperity under great kings like David around 1000 BC…
- But God warned His people even before they entered the promised land that if they forsook Him and His word, they would be judged by being taken captive by foreign nations…
- that’s what’s happening to Daniel around 605 BC…when the nation of Babylon is in the process of conquering them and taking their choice citizens back to Babylon…
- and the idea is – they’re trying to make Babylonians out of them…
- eat our food, wear our clothes, adopt our names…and most important, worship our gods…
- in other words, compromise your moral excellence…
- stop being like the unique and holy God of Israel…and blend into our pagan culture…
- now, from a parental perspective, can you imagine what it would be like if a couple of your teenagers were taken out of your home and carted off to a foreign land?
- of course you’d be concerned for their safety and their well-being....
- there would be the pain of not having them in your home any longer....
- but you’d also be wondering how they would be able to stand up under the pressure they’d face as young people....
- now think about it from this perspective....what if that had happened to you back when you were 14-15 years old [for most of us, that would be looking back!]
- how would you have done if you were facing these sorts of issues at that age?
- here’s one of the bottom lines of this passage -- Daniel didn’t let his age stop him from doing what was right.
- you don’t read anything in this book that even approximates an excuse.....none of this I’m just young, you can’t expect me to do right.
- no, Daniel overcame the obstacle of making excuses because of his age.
- now, please connect this to what we were saying earlier about God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility…
- because this book ultimately is not about Daniel…it’s about Daniel’s God…
- who even when His people have to be judged because of their unfaithfulness…is still working in and through the lives of individual men and women, some who are quite young…and helping them develop moral excellence in the face of incredible pressure…
- this ought to fill our hearts with hope because it’s possible to live a fruitful life in a very godless culture…
- what are some of the lessons here for people like you and me?
B. Hopeful lessons for people like us
1. The importance and value of training children and young people to love God and live for Him
- one of the many subjects that’s left out of this book is Daniel’s parents.
- we don't know anything about what they did prior to his leaving their home [wouldn’t you love to know that?]
- we don't know anything about whether they ever knew how their son was doing...and when they would have learned that....
- did his parents stay back in Israel.....did they know about the stand his son was taking?
- were they able to rejoice in his obedience and faithfulness to God?
- we don't know.
- but we know this.....somebody did something right.
- somebody cared about teaching truth...and living for truth....and modeling truth....
- and it wasn’t because they knew this was going to happen to Daniel at age 14 so they hurried up and got him ready.
- no, they faithfully did what the Word of God commanded them to do, and when the unexpected happened in their son’s life he was ready.
- there is a great value in seeking to raise young people to love and obey the Lord…
- I’d like to pause and thank the many parents in our church family who take the job of raising children seriously.
- none are perfect---we’d be quick to say that....but there’s a lot of people in this auditorium who put significant effort this week into raising godly children....
- and you put significant effort into it the week before that and you plan to do it again next week.....
- if that’s the kind of parent you’re trying to be....take encouragement from the book of Daniel....there’s great value in that.
- I’d like to also say a word to all the folks in this church who serve in the various youth ministries of our church.
- a lot of people serve in many different ministries to try to assist parents in this all important task.
- it’s not always easy ministry....but also take encouragement from the book of Daniel....there’s great value in that.
- I’d also like to thank our church family for having the vision to offer all kinds of ministries to young people.
- why do we have a Sunday school program? --- to have a part in raising up Daniels....
- why do we have a WN Kids of Faith ---- to have a part in raising up Daniels....
- why do we have a youth group? ----
- why do we have a Christian school? -----
- why do we have vacation Bible school? ----
- why do we support camps and Christian schools? ----
- and even if we start losing hope because our culture seems to be careening out of control…let the book of Daniel fill your heart with hope…
- it’s possible for young people to grow in moral excellence...
2. God can help young people do important things for Him now.
- that’s one of the things I love about Christianity....
- you don't have to be a certain age, chronologically or spiritually, before God can start using you.
- Daniel would have barely had peach fuzz on his face---and he was making a significant contribution to the plan and program of God....a lot more significant than most of the Jewish adults of the day.
- one of the things I love about our children’s ministries, like SS and VBS…is when children age out of the program and they immediately start serving…
- can that have an enteral impact on someone else?...it sure did in Daniel’s life…
- the point of all of this is that Daniel overcame the obstacle of making excuses because of his age…God can use young people to do important things for Him.
- as I look back over my life and look at what God did to bring me to Himself, and then get me started on growing....
- you know in several key places He used other young people.
- cf. Frank Hall.....
- cf. the faithfulness of Jim Bargfelt, Bob Kellemen, Steve Moisoff
- [yes, He used pastors, teachers, and other adults....but at some pretty pivotal times for me....he used other young people]
- for the young people here with us - do you understand that God can use young people, and are you positioning yourself spiritually to be used by Him?
3. God can use people who are young in the faith.
- in the case of Daniel, we’re talking about someone who was young chronologically....but I realize that there are many here who would say....
- PV, I’m young in the sense that I’ve just recently come to Christ, or I’m just getting started on this growing business.
- you too can be greatly encouraged by what we’re studying.
- you don't have to have been saved and growing for 100 years before God can start using you.
- I realize that a place like this can be intimidating....
- because we do emphasize taking the Christian life seriously....
- and we do emphasize growing.....
- and there are a lot of solid, mature, committed believers running around here....we’ve been very blessed as a church.....
- but if you’re here and you’d say, but I’m just on the front end of that.....
- great, there’s a place for you regardless of where you are on growth spectrum....
- but please be encouraged by the life of Daniel....God can use even those who are young.
- the Lord also allowed Daniel to overcome…
II. The Obstacle of Becoming Bitter Because of Your Place
- I don’t know that people like you and me can fully grasp what it would have meant for a Jewish young man to have to leave his land.
- for us, moving is the American way.
- a piece of land doesn’t mean much.
- but to people from God’s chosen nation, their land was a sacred gift, and sacred trust…
- that’s why there is so much tension in that part of the world to this very day…
A. He had been taken from the promised land
- and Daniel and his friends very easily could responded with…I can’t live with moral excellence as long as God has me in this place…
- He wouldn’t expect me to…and I couldn’t do it even if He did…
- a good question for all of to us is – am I letting the disappointment of whatever place I’m in be my excuse for sinning in some way?...
- let’s take a college student who has an unreasonable professor…that sometimes happens, you know…
- the different ways students can cheat today are staggering…
- I don’t know how schools are going to stay ahead of students just using AI to do their homework…and I’ve been told professors have some tools to detect it…
- but AI is being developed faster than ethicists and authorities can keep up…
- Frank Oliver and I were Mexico City last month of on the fifth of May – Cinco DE Mayo…
- so I asked the fellow driving our car from one place to another…here’s what’s the origin of Cinco DE Mayo?...
- and he tried to answer…and after a couple of minutes said something like – I’m not a very good guide…because I’m not sure I know…
- Frank in the meantime has called up an AI program and has it craft an answer to that question and literally in under a minute he was reading a perfectly worded essay that told us everything we wanted to know…
- so what about a student who would say…as long as I’m in this hard place, I’m going to justify cheating…
- [if time allows – explain why/how AI could be viewed a threat to the average pastor’s job]
- and what’s the lesson here…
B. He did not let hard circumstances determine his choices
- and there’s no doubt that these were hard circumstances…
- he’s being groomed to serve King Nebuchadnezzar…
- well, what kind of boss would that be like?...
- you may remember in the very next chapter, Nebuchadnezzar has a bad dream…so he comes to his magicians and wise men and asked for an interpretation…
- so the wise men say – please tell us the dream then we’ll interpret it for you…
- and Nebuchadnezzar says – no, if you’re really wise, you would already know what I dreamed…so if you don’t tell me the dream and the interpretation…Daniel 2:5 - The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap.
- have you ever worked for a person like that?...
- Daniel had every reason in the world to let his circumstances determine his choices…
- I can’t live in a way that is characterized by moral excellence as long as the Lord has me in this place…
- please be careful of that one…
- I had to lie on my expense report because I’m not being paid what I think I’m worth
- I had to lash out in sinful anger because my wife…my husband…my kids…my in-laws---see, the problem isn’t me…the problem is the place…
- can you think of any way you’re compromising your integrity because of the uncomfortableness of your place?...
- friend, take hope…because that doesn’t have to happen…to Daniel, or to you…
- Thirdly, God allowed Daniel to overcome…
III. The Obstacle of Giving in to Small Compromises
- what was going on with this food?
- a daily ration from the king’s choice food and wine....
- in other words, they were allowed to eat from the king’s table.
- can you imagine that....we’re not talking about quarter pounders and fries, here.
- we’re talking about sumptuous meals.....the best of the best.
A. What were the potential problems with the food?
1. Eating it would have been a violation of the OT dietary laws.
2. It is likely that the food probably had been offered up to foreign gods.
- but in the grand scheme of things…why did this matter to them?...
- because it would just a small compromise.....just a little step.....and also a deadly one.
- which is exactly why they didn’t eat it.
- and there’s an important lesson here…
B. Babylonian makers won’t ask you to become one all at once -- they’ll just ask you to take one small step at a time.
- just a little compromise....just a little backing down.....just a little giving in.
- I’m not talking about opinions, or views.....I’m talking about clear teaching of the Word of God....
- we ought not to only be concerned about the big ones....we ought to be on guard for the little ones.
C. Proverbs 6:10–11 - A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— Your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an armed man.
- you know, Peter swore He would never deny his Lord.....
- but then, there he was....and someone said --- weren’t you one of his followers?.....
- just a little lie.....
- and before he knew it, he had denied the Lord who had died for Him three times.
- friend, did you face any situations this week where you were tempted to compromise your relationship with Christ?.....we all did....whether we recognized them or not, we all did.
- what’s the obvious question ---- how’d you do?...did you give in?......
- and for anyone who would say.....but it’s just a little thing.....
- it was just a little lie.....it was just a little “off-color”
- it was just a little glance....it was just a little.....
- if we want to be like Daniel --- if we want to add to our faith moral excellence…then we have to be committed to not giving in to the small compromises of life.
- lastly, the Lord allowed Daniel to overcome…
IV. The Obstacle of Being Distanced from Your God
- why did the Babylonians want to change Daniel and his friend’s names?
A. Their names spoke of their love for and connection to God.
- · Daniel - God is my judge
- · Hananiah - Jehovah is gracious
- · Mishael - Who is like God
- · Azariah - Jehovah is my helper.
B. The Babylonians wanted to distance them from that.
- · Daniel -- renamed Belteshazzar -- Bel [one of their idols] protect the king
- · Hananiah -- renamed Shadrach - Command of Aku [another of their gods]
- · Mishael – renamed Meshach - Who is what Aku is
- · Azariah – renamed Abednego - Servant of Nego - the god of vegetation.
- do you see the pressure?
- worship our idols....fit into our culture.....don’t stand out.....
- and more than anything else...don’t show allegiance to the one true God.
- aren’t you glad that over 2500 years ago, God helped these young men live lives characterized by moral excellence?...
- and to whom is all of this pointing?...the answer is – the Lord Jesus Christ…
- someone unfamiliar with this story might think – I bet Daniel didn’t live very long…
- no, the pagan kings didn’t live very long…
- that’s the point of the last verse of chapter 1…Daniel 1:21 - And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.
- Daniel’s ministry spanned 70 years…through the reign of a number of pagan kings…
- which is one of the main points of the book that the Jewish exiles would desperately need to hear…
- the most important king wasn’t Nebuchadnezzar…or Belshazzar…or whomever was on the human throne at the time…
- the most important king was the Lord Jesus Christ…whose reign and power are illustrated over and over in this book…
- like in Daniel’s own vision in chapter 7, culminating with…
- Daniel 7:13–14 - I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
- that’s the Savior who makes the fruit of moral excellence possible…
- and that’s just another reason people like you and me can have hope…