Welcome

(Daniel 1)

In the previous part of our study, we said that each candidate amongst the exiles who was selected to stand before Nebuchadnezzar, was required to fulfil nine criteria, and we looked at the first four. We remarked that these may be considered to have more to do with physical attributes and status at birth. The remaining five have more to do with mental acuity and capacity for instruction.

Readings: 2 Chronicles 10-11; Ezekiel 45; John 12

For our exhortation I want us to spend some time looking at the beautiful picture of the kingdom we have described for us in Isaiah. But before we look at Isaiah, I want us to spend a few minutes thinking about the attitude of the Lord Jesus to the kingdom age. We read in Hebrews 12:1-2;

(Daniel 1)

Nebuchadnezzar became king of Babylon, following the death of his father Nabopolassar, in BC604. He was a highly active and skilful general and is regarded as being one of the most successful monarchs of his age. Nebuchadnezzar is noted particularly for his ambitious building projects in the city of Babylon. He established a dynasty that lasted for seventy years. He reigned in Babylon for 43 years.

Readings: 1 Chronicles 29; Ezekiel 38; John 4

In our readings in 1 Chronicles 29 we see David at the close of his life and reign over Israel preparing his son Solomon to reign over the nation in his place. Huge amounts of costly materials have been brought to prepare for the building of the new temple, and David is grateful for the generosity of the people who have given so willingly.

In Ephesians, Paul references the concepts of "heaven and earth" or "the heavenly places" eight times, along with the related idea of being "near" or "far" from God. Understanding how Paul uses these terms is key to answering some important questions: how does the concept of heaven and earth advance Paul’s argument? How does it relate to his references to the world's rulers and authorities?

Paul structures his argument in Ephesians across two distinct sections:

1. Chapters 1-3: The mystery of the Gospel revealed: Paul emphasizes that God’s plan from the beginning was to unite all things in heaven and on earth in Christ. This unity brings together Jews and Gentiles.

Ambition can be both a positive and a negative attribute, depending on what we are being ambitious about. The ambition to be promoted at our place of work or the ambition to own material things we regard as valuable, can lead us in pursuit of something that will never truly satisfy us – there is always something else that we can set our sights on. Although being successful with our ambitions might be pleasing in the short-term, we may suffer stress and anxiety in the pursuit of the next best thing and this risks having a detrimental effect on our lives in the longer term.

Previously, we considered that God’s grace runs right through the Old and New Testaments and that it is not just a gift that emerges in the New Testament. Grace doesn’t change throughout the Bible, but the availability of it does change. The death and resurrection of Jesus opened the doors to grace for everyone, but the love, mercy, and compassion of God has always been available.

Grace is a word that is not often used in the modern world. In the Bible it is a word that is associated with giving freely. Paul discusses grace in many of his letters, and he uses the Greek word “charis” which is translated grace 82 times.

Readings: 1 Chronicles 11; Ezekiel 24; Luke 21

The Old Testament describes the relationship of God with people, and in particular the relationship with His people. It describes the attributes of God, that He is holy, perfect and just. In God’s revelation of His glory to Moses, we have a full picture of how God wants us to see Him. Exodus 34:4-7 (ESV):