Colin Badger - Class 1: Let Him That Lacks Wisdom Ask of God

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   This is Silver Star Bible School, 1987, August the 9th, Session 3. Our speaker is Brother Colin Badger. His general theme is, The Effectual Fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man Availeth Much. And the title of this class is, Let Him That Lacks Wisdom Ask of God. Good evening, everyone. Before we begin, brothers and sisters, I have been asked by several members of the Rocky Mountain Bible School in Colorado to extend their fraternal greetings to you this week, as their week has just terminated.

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   And at that school, a committee member from the Eastern Bible School, Jim Harper, asked that I communicate the same fraternal greetings from your brothers and sisters out east. First, when we consider the subject of prayer as it relates to the example of Daniel, brothers and sisters, we are considering the subject of prayer in the experiences of one who exercised that privilege and that necessity in times of trial and pressure.

3. 1:16

   Whatever we say this week, whatever we consider by way of exhortation, from the various perspectives that we consider Daniel as an example of prayer, we must never lose sight of that one basic perspective. That what we're learning from Daniel about prayer, we are learning from one who was in the crucible of trial and difficulty.

4. 1:41

   He was one who had been disinherited in a certain sense from his own land with his people, not by his God, but by having left his land and his place of worship. They had temporarily lost their inheritance, at least in terms of the temporal land. They knew, of course, through the prophecies of Jeremiah that they would return.

5. 2:06

   But for that protracted period of time in Babylon, there were doubts that must have arisen. There were fears that must have beset them. They were in the midst of Babylon, in the midst of their enemies. And in that kind of crucible of pressure and difficulty, they yearned to return. They did not have the symbols of their worship of Yahweh.

6. 2:32

   They did not have the temple. Their city and their country lay in ruins. They found themselves in a Gentile land as strangers and sojourners, having lost, temporarily at least, their inheritance. And it's in that context and in that environment that we learn about prayer from Daniel and his friends. When we consider the example of Daniel as an example of prayer in the midst of trial, we, in fact, are considering something that is part of a New Testament theme.

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   For there is one location, especially in the New Testament, in a book that puts a lot of stress on the book of Daniel, and in a context that is warning brothers and sisters at a different time and in a different place, that they will face trial, that they will be disinherited in a certain sense from their land at least, and that they must know the power of prayer.

8. 3:37

   I'd like you to turn to Matthew. It's part of the Olivet Prophecy. It's an hour of crisis. These are some of the Master's last words to a people who are once again going to be uprooted from their inheritance and expelled through all the lands of the Gentiles as a result of the Roman invasion in AD 70.

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   They are really within the shadow of that crisis. And as part of the Lord's warning in the Olivet Prophecy, Matthew 24, brings Daniel's prophecy to our attention. As we've said, Matthew's gospel alludes to and quotes directly from Daniel on a number of occasions. So it's not surprising here, in this critical warning from the Master, that we have a very direct reference to Daniel.

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    Verse 13 of Matthew 24, But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place.

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    Whoso readeth, let him understand. Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains. The context is potential exile. It is forecasting a time of crisis and pressure. Hearts will be tried. Faith will be tested. And the people will be uprooted, as they were in Daniel's day. And running parallel with Daniel, they too will face an abomination of desolation.

12. 5:39

    Carrying on the wing of the abominations of desolation, spoken of in Daniel 9. But there's a connection with Daniel here that's even more practical than just that parallel. For it isn't surprising that we read, having mentioned Daniel, having drawn from his prophecy and seen its application to AD 70, and to this new time of trial that would be far more protracted than Daniel's trial, we read in verse 18, Neither.

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    Let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days. But, but pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. First, a mention of Daniel. Secondly, the picture is expanded to this picture of trial and difficulty into them being expelled from their homeland, from their city and temple first.

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    And then the reminder that in that kind of trial, they must pray. You see the mention of Daniel and the mention of prayer in the midst of a crisis, in a gospel that alludes to and takes part of its theme from the book of Daniel is all very appropriate in terms of its connections with the Old Testament.

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    And it shouldn't surprise us as we go down further here in this very context of Matthew 24, describing this future crisis, that down to verse 42, there is an exhortation here at this time of crisis, which was drawing in principle at least, and certainly was a parallel to the time of Daniel. For in being expelled from their land as Daniel's people were on the eve of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion, verse 42, watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

16. 7:49

    And in Mark's parallel account, the warning is extended as being watch and pray, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. When we consider Daniel as an example of prayer, as a person in exile, in Babylon, suffering the Lord's punishment upon his people, we find therefore a very appropriate parallel here in the Olivet Prophecy.

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    these principles, therefore, are eternal principles. Whenever brothers and sisters find themselves individually or collectively as a body or as an ecclesia in a position of being pilgrims and sojourners, in finding themselves under pressure in the hour of crisis when all seems to be lost, there is then, as never at any other time a need to pray and to believe that that prayer is taken account of, to believe that that prayer is effective for those who appeal to the Father with a righteous point of view.

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    Daniel and his people and their condition in Babylon, their forlorn and desolate condition, in fact, was prophesied in part when we consider Hosea's prophecy. I'd like just to turn there momentarily. There's something said in Hosea.

19. 9:29

    It's highly appropriate as it extended to the experience not only of the northern nation, which Hosea was especially dealing with, but also to the nation of Judah.

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    Hosea chapter 3. Speaking of this nation in its forlorn and desolate condition. Verse 3 of Hosea 3. The prophet is told, and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days. Thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man, so will I also be for thee.

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    For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king and without a prince, without a sacrifice, without an image, without an ephod, and without a teraphim. This prophecy in its fullest context, of course, spoke of their ultimate desolation and then finally of their ultimate restoration as we read in verse 5.

22. 10:40

    For there, David their king is none other than Messiah. And the latter days, of course, are those days that bring his return. But in part, Daniel's experience with his people in Babylon experienced the calamity of verse 4 for a temporary experience. They were without a king in a certain sense. Although he had been dragged into Babylon with them, he was not sitting on a throne.

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    There was no true monarch before their eyes. There was no assurance of God ruling through the one who ruled Babylon as there was when they were back home. They were truly without a prince. The sacrificial system of the law of Moses was terminated during their time in Babylon. All the external symbols and assurances that would have possibly in the past fortified their faith allowed them by ritual and symbol to exercise their worship and remind themselves of their great heritage were now stripped from them.

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    They were in Babylon not Jerusalem. It taxed their spirituality. It put demands on their faith. Without a place to worship, without a temple to go to, without a priesthood that was truly functioning as it was supposed to in that land, with all of those now gone, was God in Babylon with his people?

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    Was he in the land of the Gentiles? They knew that he had been with them in the land of Judah, in the land of Israel as a whole. But was God with them in Babylon? It was a new experience. It was a new demand and pressure on their faith. Perhaps we forget those demands when we think of Daniel being a man of prayer, when we think of a people who were so used to being within the confines and the boundaries of their own land, the promised land, with their own temple, with the Levitical priesthood and the regular offerings of sacrifice, the assurances that they needed, that all people perhaps need in a certain sense.

26. 12:44

    But not now. Now they were in Babylon. Now they were being ruled by Gentiles. You see therefore the appropriateness of Daniel's example as a man of prayer to our day. For in Daniel's day, the days of the Gentiles began. That was the beginning of the times of the Gentiles. And we find ourselves at the end of the times of the Gentiles.

27. 13:15

    We too find ourselves as brothers and sisters across this land and throughout this world having those over us that are Gentiles. We are strangers and sojourners too. Those who rule are ignorant of God's laws. Those around us are scoffers. they take no serious cognizance of our way of worship and of the truth.

28. 13:38

    By and large we find ourselves therefore in a context, very appropriately in a context that is parallel to Daniel's experience. Temporary as it was for only 70 years, highly appropriate as a pointer to what the saints would find themselves in in the period of the new covenant, in the period of the new testament.

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    That by way of introduction, brothers and sisters, helping us perhaps to put ourselves into the context of the book of Daniel, to the times of Daniel, and to see how unique and how remarkably parallel those 70 years were in captivity to our experience as we find ourselves also in the times of the Gentiles, in the lands of the Gentiles, find ourselves ruled by the Gentiles, at least in the temporal sense.

30. 14:36

    There is a point here that is an important one from a spiritual perspective. We've already just hinted on it. They must have asked, as we've said before, is God in Babylon? Is he with us here? We are his people. Here we are expelled from our land in this strange land, but is he here in this land with us as we have been transferred into this hostile environment?

31. 15:06

    Perhaps we've never thought of that before, but they must have wondered. They must have thought upon that. With no temple and no sacrificial system, is he here in Babylon? I'd like you to take a look at Stephen's speech. One of the important themes of Acts chapter 7 is exactly on this point.

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    For Stephen is addressing a people whose notion it was that God only lived and only dwelled in temples that were made with hands. Their notion was that God only really dwelt on the holy land of Israel. It was their misconception that it was their temple and their land where their God dwelt. But that was wrong.

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    And as part of his speech, Stephen addresses that misconception. Keeping in mind that one of the purposes of driving this point home to us listeners is to see how it expanded out to the theme of the gospel being sent to the Gentiles in Gentile lands. Acts chapter 7, just notice how this does touch on the principle that relates to our question concerning Daniel and the people who found themselves in a strange land.

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    Acts chapter 7, notice this point of emphasis, going back to Israel's history, verse 30, and when forty years were expired, there appeared to him, Moses, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. Jews listening to Stephen were to understand and to be reminded of this reality that God, that Yahweh manifested himself first to Moses in a strange land.

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    He manifested himself in the burning bush outside of the land of Israel, in fact, in a wilderness setting. God was there. Why? Because his people were there. Just notice this emphasis again in Acts 7, down to verse 45. As he begins to terminate his comments, he reiterates and brings to a fine focus his key point in Acts 7, verse 45, which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus, it should be Joshua, into the possession of the Gentiles.

36. 17:45

    Now think about this carefully, brothers and sisters. The people of Israel did not come into a land that had some special sanctity on the basis of its soil and its hills and its location. It was a holy place because God made it holy. It was a holy place because God separated it and put his name there.

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    There was nothing particularly sanctimonious or holy just because it was Israel. So he reminds them in verse 45 that Joshua bought them into the possession of the Gentiles. Those are the ones who inhabited it first, reminding them of the Gentile origins of the land whom God drove out before the face of our fathers under the days of David.

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    Now, speaking of David, verse 46, who found favor before God and desired to find a tabernacle or a tent for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. How be it, verse 48, the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet. Heaven is my throne, earth is my footstool, what house will ye build me, saith the Lord?

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    Or what is the place of my rest? We know the answer to that. That's a very important point in the epistles. God wishes to dwell with us, to live and to work in and through us. The external construction of a house or a temple or a tent is not what makes it a special place.

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    God wishes to dwell with us, to live and work amongst the candlesticks, amongst the ecclesias. And the house and the geographic location is not the point. It's not to decry, of course, how special the land of Israel is to the father and that he wishes to put his name there in the future in a very special sense.

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    But it's a concept, it's a principle, which the people of Israel and Daniel in particular were to grasp as they were expelled from this homeland and taken to Babylon in the land of the Gentiles. he was there, brothers and sisters, and willing to respond to their prayers just as immediately, just as willingly as he is to respond to our prayers.

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    As we find ourselves outside of that land, we find ourselves as strangers and sojourners in the lands of the Gentiles. Christians, let's look in Daniel chapter 2 this evening, let's look at the lessons that come out from a very, very small section in our first example of Daniel as a matter of prayer, as a man of prayer.

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    Our context is fairly small, Daniel chapter 2, but it's packed with exhortation from Daniel's example. Daniel chapter 2, let's just go back over some of the context of what Brother Fred read. There is a problem in the court. The king has had a dream and he understands it not. He solicits help from the magicians and the sorcerers.

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    And notice what his demand is and how it's received by those who are the sorcerers and magicians. Verse 10, they respond to the king. The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, there is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter. Point number one, their assertion that there is not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter.

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    Therefore, there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asketh such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh.

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    Interesting. To capture their retort to the king, to see what they understood as being the limitations that they had in themselves. The crux of their argument is they couldn't answer because they could not solicit such a direct answer, such a marvelous request from their gods. Why not magicians? Why not sorcerers? Because by their own admission, the gods do not dwell with flesh.

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    Now, isn't that interesting to consider? The essential question then, as they wrestled with the king's demand is, when Daniel is brought in and his god is solicited, as opposed to the gods of Babylon, plural, the contest then was like that at Baal. Was that, excuse me, like that on Carmel? Who is God?

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    Is it, or are they, the gods of Babylon? Babylon? Or is it Yahweh, God of Israel? Who is God in this context, in this world, in this environment of Babylon? Who is God? And the limitation of their gods was that they couldn't expect their gods to answer them. This was too great a demand.

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    And furthermore, their gods did not dwell with flesh. You see, there is a fundamental challenge here to Yahweh, God of Israel. Is he God or is he not? Is he the God or is he not? Will Yahweh communicate with Daniel and his friends, communicate to his people, to the whole world if need be, through the vehicle of flesh?

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    Will he dwell with flesh? Will he commune with flesh upon the earth? Will he do what they, by their own admission, by their own admission, could not have done through the vehicle of their gods? Thus, brothers and sisters, there are practical principles to start with that have a very important bearing on prayer.

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    For the basic premise of prayer, as it is taught in both Old and New Testament, is on the basis of our conviction that Yahweh does dwell with flesh, that Yahweh will commune with flesh, with those who are his people, of course, in particular. That was the principle in the law of Moses, with the ark, that he dwelt in the midst of Israel, in the midst of flesh.

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    That is the point in John chapter one. the word was made flesh. And God worked and talked and revealed his character through the Lord Jesus Christ, who was flesh. But their recognition of the limitations of their gods was in direct contrast. The communion which we enjoy through our Lord Jesus Christ is on the very premise that we believe God will commune with flesh, hear our prayers, and will effect answers according to his will.

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    Hebrews chapter four. Think of this. I know it's a well-known passage as it relates to the priesthood of our master. But consider how different this reality is in Hebrews chapter four to the understanding of the Babylonian theologians. how they perceived the limitations of their gods. For we are told by contrast. In Hebrews chapter four verse 13.

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    Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight. But all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God. Let us hold fast our profession.

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    For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Jesus is the word made flesh. He is a reflection of our father. He could say that he who has seen me has seen the father.

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    You see how fundamental this is to our understanding of the atonement, how fundamental it is to our understanding of God manifestation. The privilege we have now through the son as our high priest is based on a truth which the Babylonians knew was not true for themselves and for their own theology. We could not come to the father through such an high priest unless the word had been made flesh.

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    And because it was made flesh and that he was son of God and son of man, he furthermore can act as a compassionate and sympathetic high priest. He is one who has been touched, with the feelings of our infirmities. And here, brothers and sisters, this word touched is important. The Greek word sympathiao from which we get the word sympathy.

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    See how much more Daniel knew and understood. See the privileges which he exercised to the father and his conviction of faith and prayer. See how much more we do in contrast to the vain idols of Babylon. For we have one who has been touched or is able to sympathize with the feelings of our infirmities.

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    And verse 16, the conclusion is, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That was Daniel's time. He was in a time of need, wasn't he? Let's just see how he exercised, in fact, this privilege of prayer.

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    Back to Daniel chapter 2. There is therefore, in Daniel chapter 2, a challenge to Daniel and to the God of Israel. In his haste and in his anger, verse 12, the king, in his anger and his fury, says that he commends to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain, and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

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    By the overruling hand of providence in the court of Babylon, the people of Babylon and their magicians and theologians were put in a position of extremity. There was no way out. This, in turn, providentially prepared, the way for God to work through Daniel in a most dramatic and arresting way. It is set deliberately in contrast to the impotency of the theologians of Babylon, therefore stressing the greatness of the God of Israel and the impotency of these fellows.

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    Verse 14, Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Ariok, the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. He answered and said to Ariok, the king's captain, why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Ariok made the thing known to Daniel. Then Daniel went in and desired of the king that he would give him time and that he would show the king the interpretation.

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    Now the first thing we notice here is Daniel's conviction. Before he even directly consults the father, he knows that the father will answer. Now certainly he was a special man with a special commission, but we can at least learn this much in a simple way from Daniel. He was convinced that God was on his side.

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    He was convinced that God would help him and answer him. But there's something else to notice here. The temperament of Nebuchadnezzar in verse 15 is he is a hasty man. The temperament of Nebuchadnezzar, typical of flesh, is that described in verse 12. His temperament is anger and he's furious. Now in direct contrast, to the hostile temperament of Nebuchadnezzar, to the hastiness with which his fleshly carnal mind dictated his response to the crisis.

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    Look at the difference with Daniel. Daniel begs time. Daniel desires, verse 16, that Nebuchadnezzar would give him time. Daniel's reflex spiritually here is worth noting, isn't it? He needed time. He withdrew himself from the court in verse 17 and goes home. Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to his fellow brethren, to the ecclesia as it were around him, to Hananiah, Misael, and Azariah, his companions.

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    Time is asked for and time is granted. What does it allow Daniel in contrast to Nebuchadnezzar, brothers and sisters? It allows Daniel to contemplate, to think about the crisis. It gives him time to pray in quiet. It also allows him to solicit the response of his fellow brethren, the crisis is shared by all.

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    Verse 18. In sharing this with his companions, his intention was that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven. Notice they. Who's they? His fellow brethren. Daniel solicits this little kind of flock or ecclesia around him. His closest of companions, his fellow brethren, and collectively they are going to petition in this crisis, although Daniel is providing the lead.

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    So he goes back home, he begs for time, he informs his brethren, and he solicits their collective response to the crisis. Verse 18 again, that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning the secret, that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

69. 34:17

    You notice there's concern here, in fact, for the lives of those who are now under the king's wicked sword. It is their hope and prayer that they will be spared and that their fate will not involve themselves nor the rest who are under this terrible edict. And so, brothers and sisters, we see fundamentally Daniel is a matter of prayer.

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    He is a man who realizes that to pray properly, ideally, he needs time, and he needs the right environment, and he needs preparation, and he sees the value of soliciting the prayers and the collective support, the oneness of mind from those who are part of this little body. Very important perspective Daniel has in direct contrast to the hastiness and the fleshly response of Nebuchadnezzar.

71. 35:19

    Let's go a little further. Verse 20. Daniel answered and said, now we see part of his prayer, blessed be the name of God, forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his, and he changeth the times and the seasons, he removeth kings and setteth up kings, he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding, he revealeth the deep and secret things, he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

72. 36:00

    I thank thee and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee. Notice what we desired of thee. For thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. Now when Daniel responds, look at verse 24.

73. 36:25

    Therefore Daniel went in unto Ariok, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon, he went and said thus unto him, destroy not who? Daniel and my friends, myself and my friends? No, it's broader than that. Destroy not the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king and I will show unto the king the interpretation.

74. 36:50

    Notice how Daniel wishes for the well-being and for the salvation temporal of not only himself and his closest of companions, but even for these crude Gentiles. You see the perspective of the man of prayer, the man who cares not only for himself, who goes home not only to pray for himself in his own position, but the man who goes home and involves his brethren in his concern, involves his brethren in his prayers, so that collectively petitions are made to the father.

75. 37:26

    As one man and as one body, the trial is shared. It's important, isn't it? As one man and one body, the trial is shared. You see how it is important for us, brothers and sisters, to capture the spirit of Daniel and his companions, to see how it pervades the New Testament just as much.

76. 37:47

    For when Peter was imprisoned in the Acts, prayer was made of the ecclesia, they all together, privately and perhaps collectively as they would be gathered together in their crisis, smaller than Daniel's as it was, but in their crisis, prayed to the God of heaven and saw the value of the body as a whole being in harmony with the crisis.

77. 38:09

    The body as a whole praying and petitioning the father's response. The concept or the divine principle there is that they are working as a body. they share the crisis. They go through the trial together as a unified body. Communication is made. They understand the trial together and together as a body. They petition the father.

78. 38:36

    What a beautiful and powerful picture we have in these very few verses of this man of prayer and his fellow brethren. there is something we are to notice I believe here brothers and sisters. In praying for the Babylonians as well as his own kin, his own fellow brethren, do you know Daniel was touching on something that came from a book that he was very familiar with?

79. 39:03

    We know in Daniel chapter 9 that he read from Jeremiah and we know that he had Jeremiah available for he was working on Jeremiah 25 we're told he was working on Jeremiah 25 to determine by books how long the years of the 70 year captivity would yet have to be fulfilled. Now in Jeremiah chapter 29 not far from the statement concerning the 25 year period I want you to notice something.

80. 39:35

    Jeremiah chapter 29 the context in fact refers to the 70 year captivity indirectly. verse 1 of Jeremiah 29. Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives and to the priests and to the prophets and to all the people who Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.

81. 40:10

    Now think about that. Jeremiah is back in Jerusalem. The captives are in Babylon and to these who are the captives in Babylon Jeremiah sends a letter. Now part of the contents of this letter is pertinent to what we were just reading in Daniel where they were the recipients of this admonition from a fellow prophet.

82. 40:35

    Now what did Jeremiah advise them in Babylon? what did he advise the rulers and the people? Verse 7 Jeremiah 29 and he says by this inspired advice and seek the peace of the city whether I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray unto Yahweh for it for in the peace thereof shall you have peace.

83. 41:10

    Jeremiah's divine counsel send a letter to Babylon to the captives there and tell them what verse 7 has just said. Tell them to be peaceable in the midst of their captivity as much as obviously was possible in them to use the New Testament phrase. Tell them in Babylon to pray unto Yahweh for it for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace.

84. 41:39

    Do you see the point with Daniel chapter 2? Do you see why it is when Daniel presents his himself to the father in prayer? Let's just go back there. In Daniel chapter 2 he knew what Jeremiah's admonition was and in fact as we'll see it's a New Testament principle as well. it's part of the contents and the perspective of Daniel as a matter of prayer.

85. 42:05

    For in verse 24 he expresses his concern destroying not the wise men of Babylon. He sought their life and their peace. And that's obviously also the part of the part of the point of verse 18 of Daniel 2. That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret that Daniel and his fellows and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

86. 42:37

    He put that with his statement in verse 24 and you can see that Daniel and his fellow companions understood the admonition of Jeremiah. I want you to go over to Romans if you would brothers and sisters. How much this is an important perspective in our prayers and in our lives as disciples in the Babylon we find ourselves in midst.

87. 43:04

    Romans chapter 13 verse 1. If you've never considered this as a parallel to Jeremiah 29 as stating really and putting into practice the same principle and as you also can see it drawn out in Daniel's practical outlook towards what he prays for perhaps now it'll be more meaningful when we read let every soul be subject unto the higher powers and that's what Jeremiah admonished them to as disciples scattered in a Gentile land no longer in the land of Israel as we find ourselves in let every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God who so therefore resisted the power resisted the ordinance of God they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation they were to live peaceably these disciples admonished in Romans to live peaceably with all men they were to see those who ruled over them as being under God's control and set up by God it's Daniel chapter 4 in fact that God raises up the kingdoms and he brings them down that he sets in place even the basest of men God rules in the kingdoms of men where do we quote that from it's from the book of Daniel it's a principle that was especially and emphatically pointed out in the book of Daniel but why because it was in Daniel's times for the first time the nation during those 70 years found themselves ruled and controlled by Gentiles found God's people out of that precious land of their home and in to the clutches of the Gentile rulers and therefore it's in that book in

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    that context that we are appropriately in Daniel for reminded that God rules over the kingdoms of men it's the principle of Romans 13 and it's the principle of Jeremiah 29 and it's the attitude that Daniel had in his companions as they prayerfully approached the father for their own lives and petitioned for those who were else who were also with them in the court there is a passage in Timothy like you to turn there this perhaps touches even more directly on the contents of our prayers first of Timothy chapter 2 when we consider this exhortation from Paul consider it brothers and sisters in the light of Daniel's experience and how we put into practice Jeremiah 29 first of Timothy chapter 1 excuse me chapter 2 verse 1 I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet now think of Jeremiah 29 the word was peace twice repeated there in that passage we looked at Jeremiah 29 that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty do you pray for that brothers and sisters do you pray for that earnestly do you offer supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for all men for kings and them that are in authority do you pray that we as chrysidelfians and you as an individual and that your ecclesia and your family might live in the midst of Babylon as it were a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Daniel did and his friends did and it was based on

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    Jeremiah 29 and so is this statement right here in Timothy based in on the same basic principle let's go back to Daniel chapter 2 we have glossed over verses 17 to 21 rather quickly I'm going to go back now at the end of our study here in this small little context to be careful to get the series of events straight there's something that comes out from this by watching the chronology of these events first in Daniel chapter 2 just before verse 17 there is a crisis as we've seen Daniel's response and help is solicited step number 2 Daniel begs for time verse 16 thirdly he goes back to his house fourthly he consults and shares the crisis with his companions his fellow brethren fifthly as a group small as they were they petition the father they asked for their own lives to be spared and those of the other Babylonians as we analyze then the prayer we see in verse 19 the contents of that petition petition that honor first of all now is given to God in order verse 19 blessed be the God of heaven not the God of earth not the gods of Babylon whose gods were earthy this is the God of heaven this is the God who will dwell with flesh and will answer through flesh verse 20 blessed be the name of God he repeats it again but now as we see in verse 20 David is Daniel is responding as it were in a second prayer once again he begins by recognizing the greatness of God's sovereignty and he blesses him and he attributes to God what in verse 20

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    wisdom and he attributes to God might and he attributes to God in verse 21 the the conviction that God does give wisdom unto the wise now who are the wise flesh but not just any flesh those of the sons and daughters of Adam that are wise so in contrast to the impotency of the gods of Babylon Daniel in his prayer in fact provides that contrast in part as part of the contents of his petition Daniel does believe that his God is a wise God and he will respond to flesh of a certain type he will respond to the sons and daughters of Adam that are wise he giveth wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding look at also verse 22 God dwells he knoweth what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with him as we see in verse 23 he then ends his prayer by thanking God and praising him once again with the conviction at the end of verse 23 repeated that God will answer now you see the relevance of that passage in James which really our Bible school committee has set as a kind of title for this study let's just go to James and see how the conviction there is a conviction that Daniel had and demonstrated and in contrast to the impotency of the gods of Babylon James chapter 1 Daniel was a man who was wise in a certain sense we are all called to be wise to the wisdom that is given to us through scripture first look at the relevance of this as it applied in parallel to Daniel's experience here the 12 tribes in verse 1 of

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    James 1 find themselves scattered so did the tribes in Daniel's day they were scattered my brethren counted all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations or trials see the parallel with Daniel's day those brethren were to counted all joy also and they too Daniel and his friends in his nation fell into diverse temptations and they too were scattered abroad verse 3 knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience and Daniel had patience he begged for time didn't he he went back to his house he prepared his heart like the expression used in Ezra and Nehemiah he prepared his heart prayer was something to be taken seriously prayer required peace and quiet ideally prayer demanded careful preparation and if possible the soliciting of the rest of the body verse 4 but let patience have her perfect work that she may be perfect an entire wanting nothing now verse 5 if any of you lack wisdom as Daniel lacked it at that time and as he needed it so desperately if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God to giveth to all men liberally and abradeth not and it shall be given him but the importance of what we see in Daniel is verse 6 but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that waver is like a wave of the sea driven driven with the wind and tossed let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord see these New Testament principles are based really on Old Testament examples and principles Daniel and his companions fit that exhortation perfectly thus there's a great deal of appropriateness to exhort ourselves brothers and sisters in conclusion as we

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    have examined Daniel's first prayer that the earnest fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man one who begs for wisdom the effectual fervent prayer will be answered let us take to heart brothers and sisters the power of Daniel's example and his friends in Babylon and see how timely an exhortation it is to chrysidelfians who find themselves at the end of the times of the gentiles in a world that is like that of Babylon you you you you you you you you you