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Bible Teaching, Bible Study, Teaching, Verses, Sermons, online, mp3, classesA Bible Teaching Ministry of Galyn Wiemers


Daily Devotions, Evening and Morning Devotional

 

Sunrise on Temple Mount in Jerusalem; Back to Previous Devotion

August 30 - Morning

"It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel.
The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss.
Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set
him over the whole kingdom."

- Daniel 6:1-3

Sunset on the Sea of Galilee; Click to go to next devotion  
Persian Politics    

The events of Daniel 6:1-3 occurred in the years 539-537 BC as the new government of Persia was being set up in Babylon. Daniel is about 85 years old. Ezra 1:2 (and all of chapter 1 and 2) is occurring and the Jews have begun their return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel. Cyrus is the emperor of the Persian Empire and Darius is under Cyrus as the king of Babylon.

Darius may be Gubaru (or, Gobryas) who is the governor of Babylon mentioned in the Nabonidus Chronicles. According to cuneiform writings Gubaru took his position as governor the same year Cyrus took the throne. Gubaru installed sub-governors in Babylon. Darius, or Gubaru, clearly "received" the kingdom or "was made ruler" under Cyrus in Daniel 5:31 and 9:1. Xenophon records that Gubaru was well advanced in age when he began to rule, just like Darius was older when he began to reign according to Daniel 5:31 which says: “Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.”

Herodotus says the Persian Empire was divided into 20 satrapies. An inscription says there were 23 satrapies and a tomb inscription says 29 satrapies. Satrap means "protector of the kingdom". Satraps were territories in this Persian Empire, which was the largest empire the world had seen.

Daniel 6:2 says there were 120 satraps with 3 administrators or commissioners overseeing them.
Daniel was one of the three. The phrase "might not suffer loss" indicates the administrators oversaw the integrity of the satraps The phrase used to describe the old man Daniel’s performance is "distinguished himself" which comes from a Hebrew verb form that indicates that Daniel "was continually" distinguishing himself."

Jealousy of Daniel’s supreme performance led the other satraps to intensify their investigation of Daniels honesty. The administrators and satraps began to double check Daniel's integrity to prevent him from being promoted any further.
Daniel was:

  • faithful - meaning trustworthy
  • not corrupt - meaning not politically corrupt or dishonest
  • not negligent - meaning he did his job and fulfilled his obligations in his public office.

POINT ONE: The very thing a political party will condemn one day when held by their opponents, will be supported by themselves (or, claimed as their own idea) when it is their advantage. The use of religious persecution to achieve political aspirations caused by jealousy was set into motion. Since Daniel was known as a religious man and as one that would not compromise his opponents planned to use these two character traits against Daniel.

POINT TWO: Pure and simple this is politics at its worst. Take a man's noble character traits and his personal strength and integrity and make it illegal. Daniel’s opponents promote their idea and present it as a law to the king. They pretend to be concerned about devotion and commitment to Darius as a reason to set their idea into law. Actually their true motivation is to create an environment that is contrary to the strongest of Daniel’s noble character traits.

POINT THREE: Beware of people who advance political agenda's "for the children", or "for the homeless", or "for the disadvantaged", or "for the honor of the country", or "for patriotism" when the program is unnecessary, lacking common sense, or puts the country at a disadvantage. The confusion it causes, the empty laws it enforces and the unnecessary work it creates may be distractions designed to remove the focus towards something other than the actual goal and purpose.

"Went as a group" is another sign that evil is brewing. It is the first signs of democracy developing in world history. Democracy in its most developed state of corruption is the last age of the church known as Laodicea and the last days of the Daniel’s statue identified as the divided feet of clay.

"went as a group" is an Aramaic verb regas that mainly signifies "to be in tumult" . The verb form used means "to show tumultuousness". This verb denotes a mob scene rather than a diplomatic meeting before the king. This group is acting in conspiracy.

  Christian Quote from Church History

“Lewis seeks in ‘Mere Christianity’ to help us see religion with fresh eyes, as a radical faith whose adherents might be likened to an underground group gathering in a war zone, a place where evil seems to have the upper hand, to hear messages of hope from the other side.”
– Kathleen Norris describing C. S. Lewis in
“Mere Christianity” 
(read it here)

Something to Ponder??
Thomas a Kempis (1379-1471 was born in Kampen, Netherlands. He entered the monastery of St. Agnes in 1406. Over the next 65 years Thomas only left the monastery two times (once, when his community went into exile; two, when he went to care for his dying brother at another monastery). Kempis believed a person had to withdraw themselves from the world to some extent to access the spiritual life. He asks, "What can we find outside the monastery that is not within its doors?" Concerning the other details he says that they "can be a great bother to a devout person who wishes to concentrate on the spiritual life. (Details here.)
 
Hebrew and Greek Word Study   Facts and Information

Panim (Hb) - face (Eng) - The Hebrew word panim refers to a person’s face on their
head in Genesis 17:3. Panim can also refer to the expression on a person’s face as in Genesis 4:5 and Deuteronomy 7:10. Like the English use of the word “face” the Hebrew word panim can
also refer to the front surface or the visible side of an object as in Genesis 1:2 and Exodus 26:9.

 
    In Second Kings 3:27 the king of Moab offers his first-born son as a sacrifice on the city wall. An image of a child being hung over the city wall of Ashkelon while Pharaoh Merneptah lays siege to the city has been preserved. The image shows citizens praying and burning incense during the siege while the child sacrifice on the wall is being prepared.
    (Details HERE.)
     
Confession to Action   Facts and Information
I will act with integrity and promote what is true.
I will avoid scheming for my own advantage and shun political gain for selfish and immoral reasons.
  "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute."
- Proverbs 31:8
     
Read the Bible in a Year; Bible Reading Program
Read one chapter each day to read through the narrative portion (or, the story line) of the whole Bible Genesis-Acts in one year. Read the General Text of the Bible Read the Complete Text of the Bible in a Year
2 Kings 15-16 Nehemiah 5 (445 BC) Ezekiel 13-14
 
Prayer for Today
Personal Prayer Church Prayer Item National Prayer Concerns World Prayer Concerns

Best friend

Peace among
members

Military Generals

Mexico
 
Photo of Jerusalem; Pictures of Israel Bible Map and Diagram

Pillars on the Ophel with the Mount of Olives in the background.

Pillars on the Ophel with the Mount of Olives in the background.

Details of Tuesday of Jesus' Last Week on a 
(click on images for larger size) Details of Tuesday of Jesus' Last Week on a 
map of Jerusalem of 30 AD. (More teaching here.)
   
Details and Explanation of Sets & Reps Devotional System Here Make a donation to support Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministry
   
 
 
Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening.
 

 
 
 
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Generation Word - Bible Teaching Ministry   Generation Word - Bible Teaching Ministry