Comments for October 25

21 v. 6 - This alliance (ch.18:1) with Ahab was his downfall. Note that, as is so often the case, the woman in his life brought it about. It seems that it is so easy for men to be swayed by evil women. Neh.13:25-26. Whilst this may be true at a practical level, there is an application that is much more relevant to everyday life for most of us - that of idol worship. Who is our 'wife'? To whom are we married? To the world, the evil, that will turn us away? or to the things of the Lord?

21:16 There are a number of occasions when the LORD stirred up individuals. 1 Samuel 26:19 1 Kings 11:14 2 Chronicles 21:16 36:22 Ezra 1:1 Haggai 1:14
Rather than wondering how He does that we should appreciate that, in the case of faithful men who respond to His word, He is willing to work to encourage those who first respond to him,
As we read elsewhere 'draw night to God and he will draw nigh to thee'. James 4:8

22:2-5 Ahaziah sought the incorrect advice. He was a Godless man and so saw nothing wrong in seeking counsel of the men in the north. Doubtless he was compromised because of his mother.

22:1-3 - Again the influence here is presented as being a woman - but this situation seems odd. First Ahaziah was 42. Why was he listening to her, and second she was his mother, not his wife, as usually seems to be the bad influence. What sort of a man was this, and what sort of woman was his mother, that he allowed this situation to exist? Every decision each person makes is their own decision. None of us are forced to take notice of the temptations put in our way by the various satans we will come across in life. Let us not be weak like this king, but stand up against the influences for evil which we experience.

21:4 The way in which Jehoram 'strengthened himself' contrasts starkly with his father. Rather than waiting for God to establish him in the kingdom he smote his brothers so that they would not be able to rise against him.

22:12 Notice that it is said that Athaliah 'reigned over the land' We find the same comment 2 Kings 11:3. The kings reigned over the people. She, on the other hand, was not concerned with the people

MOTHERS INFLUENCE

Mothers can be the most influential people in the world. What person in this world can claim not to have been influenced by their mother at all - in any decision in their life? Mothers have the power to influence for either good or bad. Azariah's mother was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. She was a particularly nasty, self centred sort of person, yet she had a big influence on Ahaziah's life and reign. "His (Ahaziah's) mothers name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri. He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong." (v 2 - 4)

Without Athaliah's influence, Ahaziah's life may have taken on a whole new direction, but her influence ended in his downfall and death only a year after he had begun to reign.

The lesson is that mothers need to use their influence to give the best to their children. There is nothing better than to gain a place in the kingdom of God, and there is nothing worse than to face God's condemnation and destruction. Let's influence our children so that they come to know God through us.

21:12 Whilst Elijah seemed to spend most of his time speaking in the North in Israel here we have a clear indication of his involvement in Judah. It is the only occasion when we learn of a written message from Elijah.

22:10 The actions of Athaliah in killing all the 'seed royal' of Judah is the complete opposite of the way that the woman should have behaved. She should have been looking for the seed of the woman to deliver them all from sin and death rather than seeking to elevate herself

21:2-4 Jehoram behaved abominably. His brothers are not presented as seeking to usurp his position as king.

22:9 Isn't it strange that Ahaziah - a king of Judah - was found hiding in Samaria in the northern kingdom?

21:11 The ways of Ahab, including the worship of Baal and Ashteroth, were quickly introduced into Jerusalem. High places dedicated to the heathen gods appeared throughout the land, and a degree of compulsion was used to persuade the people to follow the wicked ways of the king. The large majority of people even today, are easily led, but sadly it is not the way our Heavenly Father would desire us to follow.

21:17; 22:1,4 Jehoahaz was more commonly known as Ahaziah.  His dealings remind us to be careful from whom we take counsel.  Ironically, the man who killed Ahaziah, Jehu, had a son of the same name (Jehoahaz) who succeeded him as king of Israel (2Kin 10:35).

Jehoram, Jehoshaphat's son, only reigned for 8 years in Jerusalem, but did an awful amount of harm.  The comment is made in 2Chron 21:20 about his death that "he departed without being desired."

22:2 Although she is listed as the daughter of Omri (KJV), Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.  Omri was her grandfather (ESV). It was not uncommon to list a child by a forefather (e.g. Matt 1:1). 

21:6; 22:3,10 It is not surprising that Athaliah was an evil character, given her parents' influence.  She counselled both her husband and her son to walk in the ways of Ahab.  She had no compunction to slaughter to fulfil her ambitions. 

21:6 This is presented as a causal relationship between Jehoram’s behaviour and who his wife was. This is a powerful lesson for us to consider.

22:10-11  We read of the hiding of Josiah in two verses. However we should appreciate that it is most likely that Athaliah would have been seeking for Josiah diligently. She knew how many of the seed royal that there were and she would want to know that they had all been killed.

21:1-3 The way in which Jehoshaphat distributed wealth to his sons shows that he seemed to view the kingship as some sort of favour that he could disperse. Not wanting to grieve his other sons by giving the kingdom to his eldest he pacified them with wealth. Thus the kingdom was devalued to a monetary item.

EQUALLY YOKED

WHO WE LISTEN TO

22:6 The friendship between Jehoshaphat and Ahab – stimulated by the marriage of their children to each other – is seen later when Azariah went to see Jehoram. Once one has established a friendship which is not based on Godly principles it is not easy to extricate oneself from it.

21:12 Elijah is mentioned here. But, Elijah had already been taken up into the heavens in a whirlwind, and not heard from again (2Kin 2:11). This happened in the reign of Jehoshaphat. The message that Jehoram received could have been a prediction made by Elijah that was, subsequently, delivered to the king in a letter.

We know that Elisha played an important role in Jehoram’s reign. Perhaps it was he who delivered the letter. And, perhaps it was a copyist's error that Elijah's name appears instead of Elisha.

21:19 Burnings of aromatic wood was made for a king who died in favour. Such a king was Asa (2Chron 16:14). But, Jehoram died without being desired, meaning that nobody was sorry when he died (21:20). Thus, no burnings were made for him.

21:4 In slaying all his brethren we have to conclude that Jehoram saw them as a threat to his position as king. So we have to conclude that he did not think he brethren would take any heed to the decision of his father in making him king.

2Chron 21:7 First Principles>Sure mercies of David>King
The covenant with David concerns Jesus Christ who will sit on David's throne for ever. For more about the King, go to 2Sam 7:12-16.

21:11 Caused…to commit fornication (KJV); led…into whoredom (KJV) means caused to commit idolatry. As Israel was married to Yahweh, the worship of any other god was considered as adultery.

22:1 See 21:16,17.

22:2 According to the KJV, Ahaziah was forty and two years old when he began to reign. This is obviously a copyist’s error. If we read the parallel passage in 2 Kings, we see that he was two and twenty years old (2Kin 8:26). The ESV has realized the mistake and has recorded: Ahaziah was twenty-two years old…

22:3 ‘his mother was his counsellor’ Athaliah was such an evil woman and her attitude was fed into her son. How easy it is for mothers to guide children – for good or for bad. What a responsibility mum has and what a responsibility dad has to help mum in that task.

2Chron 21:4,6 - the behaviour of putting his brothers to the sword could have been influenced by his wife, Athaliah who later attempted to kill all her grandchildren so she might have sole power (2Chron 22:10).

2Chron 22:2 - the NIV corrects the KJV by having Athaliah the granddaughter (not daughter) of Omri; as Michael Parry noted in his 2009 comments, Ahaziah could not have been 42 when he became king (2Kin 8:26;2Chron 21:5). 

2Chron 22:10;2Chron 24:1,22;2Chron 25:1;Matt 1:8,9,17 - between Joram (Jehoram) and Ozias (Uzziah) were skipped/excluded the four of the house of Ahab (Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash, Amaziah).

22:1-4 It may appear that circumstances dictated that Ahaziah came to the throne. However he had not inherited any good from his father.  So all the good that his father had done was lost in just one generation.

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

Jehoram was the first really wicked king of Judah. Instead of following the ways of the kings of Judah, "He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD." (2Chron 21:6)

God must have been very tempted at this stage to wipe Jehoram off the face of the earth because of his wickedness, and the wicked way he was leading the people of God. But God had made a promise that David's descendants would rule over the people of Judah for ever. We read this comment: "Nevertheless, because of the covenant the LORD had made with David, the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants for ever." (v.7) For this comment to be inserted into the Scripture shows how tempting it must have been for God to erase Jehoram before the time was right. But God always keeps his promises.

God always keeps his promises to us too, when he says, he will never leave us or forsake us; when he promises that with every temptation there will be a way out; when he promised forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ; when he promised eternal life to those who believe; and a Sabbath of rest coming for those who remain faithful.

So let us be confident that God keeps his promises and live for him with all our hearts.

21:3  The emphasis on Jehoram being given the kingship because he was the eldest son maybe implies that Jehoshaphat realised what Jehoram was like but nevertheless give him the kingdom because of his birth position.

2Chron 21:12-15.

22:3     Ahaziah had been made king by the people – verse :1– so it is not surprising that he was evil. The people would have sought a man to be king who they expected would do their will. Not the other way round.

Why it's all about Jezebel

It is important to understand what is going on here because it's a key point in the history of Israel and Judah, and is picked up specifically in Revelation to convey a warning to the ecclesia.

First of all start with the context in 22:8 where we read that Jehu was judging Ahab's house, so this ties these events based in Judah, with those based in Israel. God had decided to remove all trace of this evil family (see 1Kin 19:13-18), which was ruled over by Jezebel (see 1Kin 16:31-33, 1Kin 21:25, 2Kin 9:22).

Jezebel had set out to systematically remove all trace of the true God from Israel (see 1Kin 18:4), and was achieving her goal. She had installed her own sons to rule over Israel, and had now found a way to do the same with neigboring Judah by the marriage of her daughter Athaliah with Jehoshaphat's son. Thus she had been able to turn a righteous, God serving dynasty into a wicked, Baal serving dynasty (see 2Chron 22:2-4). Having achieved what they wanted in Israel (turning the people away from God to serve Baal), Jezebel's family now set about to do the same in Judah, killing all the royal line that was related to David (22:10) and ruling by itself (22:12).

There is no doubt whatsoever that God was almost destroyed from Israel by this family. God's influence survived by a whisker - only one small boy who survived in the line of David, the line through which the Christ was promised.

This is the basis of the warning given to the ecclesias in Rev 2:20-23.

21:16-18    The two events recorded in these two verses are of God. He was the one who brought enemies of Israel against Jehoram and also brought the illness. However both could be quite simply explained away. Do we look for God’s hand in our lives or do we see the events that come upon us as change events? Do we think that God works in our lives?

21:8-10       Because he was Godless his neighbours in the form of the Edomites, who had been peaceable, now revolted against Jehoram. This is a reversal of the proverb – Prov 16:7.

2 Chron 21

Jehoram's fate is perhaps the worst we could imagine, dying of a dreadful disease while his kingdom fell apart through plague and war. How could such a dreadful end come to the son of such a faithful king, for in the previous chapters we read how Jehoshaphat brought Judah back to God and instituted law and order and religious teaching throughout his territory? It all goes back to one bad decision of his, where in 18:1-2 he decides to join with Ahab, King of Israel. Here he or his son must have come into contact with Ahab's daughter, who in this chapter we are told caused Jehoram to forget God and turn to idolatry (v6). We can imagine that Jehoshaphat initially thought this was a great idea -- to try to bring Israel back to God, yet the opposite happened. Her family dragged him away.

Do we sometimes throw ourselves into spiritually dangerous situations because we think we might do some good? Jude tells us to be separate from those who can destroy our relationship from God, counting the cost before we try to pull anyone out of the fire (Jude 1:1-25).

For the parents reading this, there is a further warning in the story. If we, being spiritually strong, go to places where counterfeit religion is practiced, we might ourselves come out unscathed, but have we considered our impressionable children?

21:6 Jehoram, in God’s estimation, was evil because of his association with Ahab’s daughter. The company we keep affects our judgment is clearly the lesson we learn here.

22:10-11        We should realise that Ahaziah and Jehoshabeath are brother and sister as the record says. But notice that she was married to the priest Jehoiada who doubtless instructed her. Whilst her brother was instructed by his wicked mother Athaliah (verse 3)

21:6  here is an example of how family ties through marriage can compromise the way a person behaves. The warning in 1Cor 15:33 is really appropriate here. The company we keep affects the way we think and behave.

22:3  His “mother” was “Athaliah” (:2. Mothers can have a great influence on their children. The son has to try and separate himself from such evil influences.

21:12 the fact that Elijah was dead when the writings from Elijah was presented to the king indicates that Elijah had written down more than we have recorded and that what he wrote was preserved, doubtless because he was viewed as a prophet.

21:7 The behaviour of Jehoram and the nation he ruled was deserving of Divine judgment. But notice why that judgment was withheld. God had made a promise.  This is an example for us. When we make commitments we should keep them. Psa 15:4 sets the principle which we should follow, difficult as it might be at times. Actually it might make us more careful about what we commit to so that we ensure we always keep our word.

21:6 Good king Jehoshaphat’s behaviour, maybe, can be understood this way. He accepted the divided kingdom – unlike the kings of Judah before him – and sought alliances with Ahab to stabilise the relationship between two parts of God’s children. So his son married Ahab’s daughter.  Here and  2Kin 8:18. If my assumption is correct Jehoshaphat was trying to make the best of a bad job. So good king Jehoshaphat got entangled in a disastrous alliance. But his motives were good.

21:1 Up to this point in time during the reign of Jehoshaphat Edom was a subject nation – see 2Ki 22:8 – but now Jehoram was on the throne they revolted and appointed their own king.

22:9 the house of Ahaziah had no power because in reality Athaliah was in control of what happened in Judah.

v.15 provides the reason that God used these men in the way that he did. Nebuchadnezzar - a man who clearly God wanted [and knew he would eventually repent of his evil and pride (ch.4:37)] or He would not have shown him so much or taught him so many lessons during his life - had challenged God here. He was about to see that indeed God could deliver men from anything. This was one of many steps on the road to his eventual repentance.

3:2,3,5,7,12,14, 'set up' Nebuchadnezzar 'set up' his image in opposition to Yahweh's assertion that he would DAN 2:44 'set up' a kingdom. The repetition of Nebuchadnezzar's pride is designed to mark this contrast. This is why Daniel would not bow down to the image that had been 'set up'. [see 3:18] Certainly Daniel would not bow down to an idol or image as the law of Moses prohibited that. However Nebuchadnezzar was trying to replace the word of Yahweh with his own plans and Daniel could not assent to that.
3:28 'yielded their bodies' is quoted in Romans 12:1 'yield your bodies' showing that the example of Daniel should be our response when confronted with attempts to cause us to compromise our faith. Such action as Daniel manifested is a 'living sacrifice' by contrast to the sacrifices under the law of Moses which were typically dead animals.

v.1 - This was no mean feat - A statue 90 feet high made of gold - quite a financial proposition as well as a fairly amazing technical feat, as gold is not a strong metal.

3:6 is quoted in Revelation 13:15 which demonstrates that the beast shares the same characteristics as Nebuchadnezzar - he wanted to usurp the authority of God.

TAKING YOUR STAND

Picture the scene. On a huge plain Nebuchadnezzar had set up a huge statue of Gold 27 meters high. It imposed above the landscape so that people from miles around could see it. Then the people were gathered into the plain and told that when they heard the music they were to fall down and worship the image. And so as the music began the mass of standing people on the plain would suddenly fall to below knee height leaving three men still standing in the midst of the crowd. They must have stood out like a pimple on a smooth face when the rest of the people were around their knees. It takes courage to stand apart in a situation like that.

It would have been a good compromise at that point to have fallen down with the rest of the people but knowing that they were not really worshipping the image. But God does not want compromises. He wants all of us. With God it is all or nothing. Paul says to avoid every appearance of evil, and that is exactly what these three men were doing. They gave their all to God and were prepared to give their lives for him.

So let us not compromise our stand with God, but rather take your stand for God and God alone.

3:16-18 The confidence of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is reflected in the way that Peter encourages the brethren to behave (1 Peter 1:13-14).

3:20The "fiery furnace" forms the basis for Peters "fiery trials" (1Pet 4:12)

V.16 Daniel's three friends provide us with a wonderful example here. Their minds were made up, hesitation, or parleying with sin, is fatal; unhesitating decision is the only safety, where the path of duty is clear. Matt 10:19

V.1 Nebuchadnezzar constructed a huge obelisk as an object of worship. The dimensions were 90 feet x 9 feet x 9 feet (27 m x 2.7 m x 2.7 m). We are told that it was made of gold. If it were made of solid gold, it would weigh approximately 9 million lbs. or 4500 short tons (4.08 million kg).

And so, it was not likely to be made of solid gold. Besides, gold is a very soft metal and not suited to such a large structure. The structure could have been made of a lighter material, such as wood, and overlaid with gold. The lighter structure would be much easier to hoist into place and serve the same purpose.                                                             

Another possibility is that the gold image of Bel, the national god, rested on an obelisk which acted as a high pedestal.

If God decides to save us, great! But if He decides not to, then please understand whatever happens, we will NOT worship your image (Dan 3:17,18).  I wish I had that confidence – and determination.

3:8 Maybe this decree from Nebuchadnezzar and the reaction of the Jews to it provided the idea which was developed in Dan 6 to trap Daniel.

Dan 2:38,39,44 notes the king of Babylon is the head of gold who will be replaced by a succession of other worldly powers and ultimately there will be established a kingdom of God (Matt 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth), never to be destroyed, which shall  replace all of man's earthly kingdoms. The hope of the true believer is to have eternal life and a place in this kingdom on earth when Christ soon returns (Acts 1:11).

It would seem that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, wasn't particularly eager to be replaced or ready at this point to humble himself. He constructed an image of gold 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide Dan 3:1. The number 6 is thought of by many as being symbolic of man and the flesh, ironically not something permanent (or godly). But God, not man, rules in the kingdoms of men (Dan 4:17) and gives them to anyone he wishes -- Babylon did indeed fall and was destroyed in 478 BC never to be inhabited again as prophesied in (Isa 13:19-20). Saddam Hussein planned to rebuild and inhabit Babylon but God did not allow this to happen.

3:15 Nebuchadnezzar seems to have had a short memory. It was only in Dan 2:47 that he recognised that Daniel’s God was ‘God of gods’. Of course in chapter 2 he recognised the truth but by now he has realised that acknowledging the truth of that awareness would place restrictions on his behaviour. This whole chapter has Nebuchadnezzar setting himself up against God.

3:25 Over the years we have highlighted a number of ideas from this chapter which are quoted or alluded to in 1 Peter. Here is another one. ‘no hurt’ is echoed in 1Pet 3:13

Note the links between Dan 3 and Luke 21:14-18.

3:1 So having seen an image of different metals and learning that the golden head represented him Nebuchadnezzar set about by his actions making the point that what God had said would not happen – namely that the kingdom of Babylon would not be superseded by another kingdom.

V.10 A sackbut (KJV) was a trombone found in the 15^th.and 16^th.Centuries in Europe. What is meant here is a stringed instrument similar to a harp, named sabkha in Aramaic.

A psaltery is an instrument similar to a lyre, having twelve strings.

A dulcimer was a kind of bag-pipe.

V.30 The word promoted (advanced) probably meant restored (to the positions held before this incident) (See Dan 2:49).

A Key to Revelation?

We can follow a thread through scripture here. The statue of Gold measured 60 x 6 and was set up by a Babylonian King (v1). Solomon the King of Israel yearly gathered Gold worth 666 talents (1Kin 10:14). In Revelation the image is again raised up prior to the fall of Babylon, and the number 666 is again mentioned (Rev 13:14-18). It's a strange code which obviously means something. But what?

Similarly, the language of Rev 13 borrows from this chapter, so this chapter can help interpret it. For example, Dan 3:7 says "all people, nations and peoples fell down and worshipped the image" whereas we learn in v2-5 that it was actually the representatives of all nations that were there, not all people themselves. So when we apply this to Rev 13:15-18 we could conclude that the mark of the beast applies in a national sense, not to individuals. This fits with the context of the chapter because Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had to bow down as representatives of the province of Babylon (2:49, 3:12) and Daniel didn't.

3:12 The encouraging words of the Prophet Isa 43:2 may well have helped these friends to retain their confidence in God when they were threatened with the fiery furnace.

3:13    The record is careful to tell us that Nebuchadnezzar was in a rage when he commanded the men to be cast into the furnace.  A more rational man – not in a rage – may well have thought a little about what he was watching and responded differently.  How often do we make rash decisions on the spur of the moment when more careful reflection would cause us to behave differently?

3:16-17          These three men have the attitude that Jesus speaks of – Rev 12:11 – where they did not account their lives of any value if they did not serve God faithfully.

3:5   Nebuchadnezzar’s challenge to the faithfulness of the three is matched in Dan 6:7 with the decree of Darius.

1. Dan 3:1 - (Septuagint) - "In his eighteenth year Nabuchodonosor the king made a golden image..." (this would be circa 586BC, about the same year Nebuchadnezzar had burned Jerusalem).

2. Dan 3:4-7 - Nebuchadnezzar should have been worshipping God, but in his pride and folly, had representatives of all nations under the control of Babylon forced to worship a statue of gold, presumably to suggest the supremacy and permanence of Babylon. Associated with worshipping this statue were six musical instruments (Dan 3:5), with the number 6 being thought by many to be symbolic of man and the flesh.

3. Dan 3:8,12 - the Chaldeans were jealous of the three honored Jews; furthermore, Nebuchadnezzar had honored their God (Dan 2:47-49), but these three had not reciprocated by acknowledging his image. We don't know where Daniel was at this time, but certainly he would not have bowed to the image either if he was present.

4. Dan 3:16 - (NIV) "Shadrach, Meshach and Abendnego replied to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.'"

5. Dan 3:17-18 - as Peter Forbes indicated in his 2010 comments, the three believed that God could again rescue them if He so chose (Isa 43:2).

6. Dan 3:20 - prior to being freed the three were in bondage (perhaps a metaphorical bondage to sin and death akin to being in the Egyptian captivity - John 8:34;Rom 7:23-24;Acts 8:23).

7. Dan 3:21 - though temporarily bound to sin and death but the  three were symbolically clothed in Christ and unspotted from the world  (Isa 61:10;Job 29:14;Gal 3:27;James 1:27).

8. Dan 3:19 - we have 3 men, 7 times, and fire; perhaps we have the concept of faith literally tried by fire so that it becomes as refined gold (1Pet 1:7); also, perhaps the numerology of 3 suggests the resurrection and divine perfection, 7 perhaps suggests spiritual perfection and/or the millennial day of rest when Christ returns to free faithful believers from bondage to sin and death and/or God's seal or covenant number.

9. Dan 3:22 - (NIV) "the flames of the fire killed the soldiers" - after the resurrection, the wheat and chaff will be divided at judgment with the righteous to live eternally while the wicked will be destroyed (Dan 12:1-3;Psa 145:20;Dan 2:34-35;Matt 13:30;3:12;Psa 1:1-6).

10. Dan 3:25 - "they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" - perhaps this echoes those who will not be harmed at the judgment but will be given immortality as they are with Christ (Matt 18:20) - of course in the days of Nebuchadnezzar Christ was not born and existed only a prophetic word and plan in the mind of God, the actual being with the three might have been the angel Michael who perhaps had some of his role taken over by Christ who now sits at the right hand of God with angels subject to him (Exo 23:20-22;Dan 10:13,21;Psa 8:5-6;1Pet 3:22).

11. Dan 3:26,29 - Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the supremacy of Yahweh.

12. as noted before by James Walker in his 2008 comments, the words of Daniel are recalled by Christ (Luke 21:18;Dan 3:27).

13. Heb 11:33-34;Dan 3:28 - "God ...sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him" - as touched on before, perhaps this angel was Michael, but it seems to echo the second coming when those in Christ will be delivered.

14. Dan 3:30;1Tim 4:8;Rev 5:9-10.

3:12    Isa 43:12 gives the assurance that the faithful would walk through fire – maybe the three friends here would have had that passage in mind when they were contemplating their fate. 

3:16-18        This is the second time – the first being Dan 1:12-15 – where servants of God in the time of Daniel put their lives on the line for their  faith. This presents a stark contrast to the reason why the nation of Israel had been taken into captivity.

3:16     These three men took a great risk, counting the ‘reproach of Christ’ - Heb 11:26 more valuable than the favour of the king as did Esther – Est 5:1.

3:27     The experience of these three faithful men forms a basis for Jesus’ teaching in Luke 21.

3:16       They were not troubled about answering           Luke 21:14

3:27       Hair not singed                                               Luke 21:18

3:28       Three delivered from persecution                     Luke 21:15

Jesus reminded his disciples that they could look at real life examples of how God had delivered His servants in the past.

3:7     When, with respect to Nebuchadnezzar’s image, we read of people, nations languages we see an attempt at world domination which will never happen. It contrasts with what will happen when in Dan 7:14God’s kingdom is established.

3:16-17        The three friends here behave in the same way that we saw in  1:12-14 where Daniel was not willing to compromise his faith.

3:20-21   The three friends, probably aware of the words of the prophet Isaiah would have been comforted with his words in Isa 33:14

3:3-5 Notice it is the “dedication” of the image that is being celebrated. Nebuchadnezzar was seeking for men and women to worship the works of man – him in particular. Rather like those who built the Tower of Babel he is seeking to overthrow God’s plan.

3:6 The system of worship that Nebuchadnezzar had set up in requiring all to bow down to the image he had set up is represented in the “beast” in Rev 13:11-18 where the command in Daniel is replicated – Rev 3:15. The “beast” in Revelation is a deceiver with apparent power over all men. This is how Nebuchadnezzar thought. Daniel’s friend realised that there was a God with greater power and He should be served whatever the cost. The question for us is; are we like those friends or are we deceived by the words and commands of the powers who think they are ruling the world now.

3:6  Daniel and his friends , already established in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, had a great responsibility on his shoulders. The other captives in Babylon would learn how Daniel responded to the king’s command. If he had bowed down to it their example would have been unhelpful to the other Jews in captivity.

How often do we reflect on the impact our actions might have on others?

3:6  Here and elsewhere we find Nebuchadnezzar was a despotic tyrant. Worship was not a matter of personal choice but rather it was at the king’s whim and commandment. The God of Israel, our heavenly father is not like this. He invites men and women to worship Him.

v. 5 - This baptism by the Spirit was not available until after the purpose of God was perfected in Jesus' resurrection. This applies to more than just the incident that is recorded in the next chapter, as it is clear that from this point the baptism of John - the baptism of water - has been superseded, and is no longer adequate. This is clarified by the events of ch.19:1-5. Being baptised in the name of Jesus is what is required now, and by that act we are able to be saved by the promises made by God's Spirit. 1Pet.3:18-22

1:3 As Jesus 'showed himself alive' for forty days we conclude that from the ascension of Jesus to the giving of the Holy Spirit Gifts was only ten days because the gifts were given at Pentecost which took place fifty days after Passover Leviticus 23:16
1:6 Even though Jesus had spoken to them about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem Matt 24, Luke 21 the restoration of the kingdom of God was still uppermost in their minds. How motivated are we by our expectation that the kingdom will be restored to Israel?

The Acts is concerned with the growth of the ecclesia through the preaching of the gospel. There is, through the early chapters, a delineation of the growth.

1:15 one hundred and twenty
2:41 three thousand
4:4 five thousand
5:14 multitudes - men and women
6:7 increased greatly - many priests
9:31 The churches … were multiplied
11:24 much people

1:10-11 In speaking to the apostles as 'men of Galilee' - a description seen again (2:7) we are introduced to the point that these men were out of their setting doing the work of preaching the gospel. They were 'unlearned ...' showing that God does not need the great and clever, but rather will use the weak and feeble so that His power can be seen working.

1:5 Jesus' words 'John ... not many days hence' were remembered later by Peter (Acts 11:16)

V.13 This is the fourth listing of the apostles, the others are found in Matt 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16 It is interesting to note that in all listings Peter is always first. Philip is always fifth, James the son of Alphaeus is ninth, and Judas Iscariot is the last one listed, We ask the question: Is there any significance in Peter always being first? It is also interesting to note that Matthew and Luke list the two names two and two while mark gives the names singly.

V.11  records that Jesus ascended into heaven and promises that He will return.  Moreover, it records that the manner of return will be the same as the ascension. 

The Lord ascended from a place near Bethany, on the side of the Mount of Olives away from Jerusalem (Luke 24:50; John 11:18): not from the top of the Mount of Olives as some suppose. 

His ascension was a private affair which could not be seen by those in Jerusalem. Likewise, His return will be surreptitious.  He will gather His people (spiritual Israel), and after judgement, He will manifest Himself on the Mount of Olives, with great fanfare, to save natural Israel (Zech 14:3,4).

V.17 The disciples must have been shocked to learn that one of them had betrayed his Lord after having been chosen by Jesus and been given his part as an apostle. They would be asking how could such a thing take place? The Scripture must be fulfilled. It was part of the suffering of Jesus that his friend should turn against him and that Judas must suffer the fate of a traitor. This was the Divine Plan.

V.18 It is recorded in Matthew that Judas hanged himself (Matt 27:5).  And yet there seems to be a different description of his demise. 

I suspect that Judas did try to hang himself but something went wrong.  Perhaps the rope broke and he fell crashing to the ground with the results as described in Acts. 

Judas not only messed up his life (and the opportunity for eternal life) but also bungled his own death.  How sad!

1:15 The word  ‘names’ is picked up again in Rev 3:4 to speak of faithful brethren.

V.1 Luke here is very careful of the order that he sets out in describing the work of Jesus. The Lord's work was to "DO" first, and then to teach afterwards. When we look at the events that took place on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24), we read that Jesus was a prophet, mighty in deed and word (V.19). We see that deeds come first, and after his words. We clearly see that Jesus was a man who taught first by example, and then by word. Jesus was not as the scribes and Pharisees who "say and do not". As we begin our reading through the Acts, we see that the Apostles and believers in the first century followed the example of the Master.  

THE GREAT COMMISSION

The theme Verse for the whole Book of the Acts is picked up in Acts 1:8: "Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

This was the Lord’s great commission. The power of the Spirit was going to make them Christ’s witnesses. That witness was to operate in an ever-extending series of concentric circles (like ripples in a clear pond), first in Jerusalem, then throughout Judea, then Samaria, the semi-Jewish state which would lead like a bridge into the heathen world, and finally this witness was to go out to the ends of the earth. And the witness doesn't end here. It is continuing unto this day. How effective are we as a witness to God's word?

We make a living by what we get - we make a life  by what we give!

1:8 Whilst the minds of the disciples was focused on the establishment of the kingdom of Israel Jesus changed their focus – they needed to tell others of the wonderful news. An early hint, maybe, of the call of the gentiles.

1:2 The fact that Jesus chose the apostles indicates that it was a very personal thing for him, he would have made the choice from a larger circle of disciples. Many of these would have followed him of their own accord, but all who he chose were chosen through the Power of the Holy Spirit that he had within himself. When we go back to the time of selecting the twelve we see the care with which they were chosen, he spent the night before in prayer to his Father before doing so (Luke 6:12-13). What an example to each one of us.

V.11 The scripture clearly states that Jesus will come back to earth.  The main question emanating from this fact is why?  The scriptures tells us that He is coming back to set up His everlasting kingdom (Isa 9:6,7; Dan 2:44; Luke 1:32,33). 

Jesus and His Kingdom are the two components that make up the gospel (Acts 8:12).  Belief in these two aspects generates faith and hope, and ultimately salvation.  Belief in pagan myths, on the other hand, such as souls floating off to heaven at death, will amount to nothing. 

Sadly, many sincere Christians have believed lies.  They are following another gospel than the one of salvation which is found in the Bible (Gal 1:6,7).

1:14‘one accord’ becomes a watchword throughout the early chapters of the Acts. Unity between believers is paramount, though how often do we think this when we are planning a preaching event?

1:4-5 Now Luke explains how it was that the apostles spoke with tongue and performed miracles.

Jesus' Coming - Signs (lesson 17 of 20 derived from  "Outline of Basic Bible Teachings" by Wes Booker)

I. Jesus is coming back to the earth - Acts 1:10-11;Matt 25:31, etc.

II. No one knows the day nor the hour of his return - Mark 13:32

III. BUT there are signs that it will happen soon:

     A. Israel reestablished - Matt 24:32-34 compare Luke 13:6-9;Eze 37:20-28 (note: "David" means "beloved" and is referring here to "Christ" in Ezekiel 37)   B. Coming into power of Arab nations - Luke 21:29-31 ("all the trees");Psa 83;Joel 3   C. Sin and wickedness running rampant (like times of Noah and Lot) - Luke 17:26-30 compare Gen 6:5-8;19:1-5   D. Distress  of nations with perplexity (i.e. fear of nuclear war, economic worries, dwindling natural resources, environmental concerns, etc.) - Luke 21:25-26   E. Jerusalem in the hands of the Jews - Zech 14:2   F. Signs in heavens - Luke 21:25;Matt 24:29 - also apply to political heavens, particularly Israel   G. Preparation for war on a massive scale - Joel 3:9   H. Increase in knowledge about fulfilment of Biblical events - Dan 12:1-4

Acts 1:11 First Principles>Second Coming of Jesus Christ
The second coming is necessary so that God's promise can be fulfilled.
1. The Old Testament scriptures predict in very great detail the first coming of Jesus - go to Isa 40:1-3
2. An angel appeared to Joseph and Mary Matt 1:20-21, Luke 1:35 fulfilled Matt 1:25, Luke 2:7, Gal 4:4
3. Jesus Christ will come again
    a. Old Testament predictions - go to Psa 2
    b. Teaching of Jesus himself - in parables Luke 19:12-15 and in plain speech Matt 25:31
    c. Teaching of the Apostles - go to Acts 3:19-21
    d. Teaching of the Angels Acts 1:11
4. The manner in which Jesus will come - go to Acts 1:11
5. How Christ's coming will change the world - go to Psa 2
6. The end - God will be all in all - go to 1Cor 15:24-28
7. The prayer of the faithful - Matt 6:10
First Principles> For more First principle topics, go to Acts 8:12

Vs.6,7 The disciples were desirous of knowing when Jesus would restore the Kingdom. His reply to the disciples is relevant to us today.

We do not know when Jesus will return to set up the Kingdom. We have prophecy which gives us broad brush strokes of understanding. Every new piece of revealed prophecy gives us encouragement that the Kingdom is that much closer.

But, to go beyond the observation of geo-politics and prophecy is not our domain. Unfortunately, there are some who try to fix firm dates for prophetical outcomes. This is a ridiculous waste of time which defies scripture. Nobody who has ever predicted precise dates for end-time prophecy has been right.

The true follower of Christ should keep his /her eyes open for unfolding prophecy in the political heavens, but, at the same time take care of his/her daily walk (Mark 13:35).

1:21 Peter’s criteria that the replacement of Judas should be from among those who ‘companied with us all the time ...’ is based upon the record of the selection of the twelve – Mark 3:14

1:4   Clearly the instruction that the disciples should not ‘depart from Jerusalem’ refers to the time after he had met them by the Sea of Galilee as recorded in John 21:1

1:8   Jesus makes a little more specific the charge he gave the disciples when he was with them in Galilee – Matt 28:19

1:9    The comment on Jesus’ ascension after communicating with the disciples dovetails with Luke 24:50 and explains what Jesus said when he ‘blessed them’. Remember, in a way Luke’s gospel and Acts fit together as they were written, primarily, to the same person.

1:21     Those who had stayed with Jesus throughout his ministry are described as having “companied with us”. This is the idea John – 1John 2:19 – uses to speak, by contrast, with those who had forsaken the gospel to preach Judaising ideas. Do we stick to our initial commitment by accompanying Jesus all the time?

Some possible bible echoes to the 120 disciples in v15

1Chron 15:5
"Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty:"
These were assembled to bring the Ark of the Covenant to David at Jerusalem, in the tent he had pitched for it.

2Chron 5:12
"Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets "

These were assembled by Solomon to praise God as the Ark of the Covenant came into the Temple.

2Chron 9:9
"And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon."
The only recorded ruler to have brought gold to Solomon, once the temple had been finished.

Dan 6:1-2
"It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first"
The number of princes Darius the King of the Medes and Persians set over the empire. Daniel was to be head over them.
 

I hope some of these get you thinking!

1:11     The words of the angels should not have surprised the apostles. Jesus went to heaven to sit on the right hand of God “until” – Psa 110:1, the Psalm indicated that Jesus would return at some later date.

1:12        The record is simple and to the point there – the disciples went back into Jerusalem. The simple narrative covers what must have been a variety of emotions. Along with the certainty of the resurrection there was the uncertainty about what would happen to them over the next period of time when they preached the resurrection.

1:16     Notice Peter draws on an experience in David’s life to say that David spoke. But Peter says David spoke “by the holy spirit”. A clear indication that David’s words, though about events in his own days were inspired by God, speaking of future events.

Acts 1:7

“… It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”

This verse should not be used to imply that we are to remain in darkness about future events, no more than the verse, “no man knows the day or hour” (Matt 24:36-39). We will not be given notice of Christ’s second coming too far in advance. While Noah prepared building the Ark for 120 years, he did not know till seven days prior that the flood was going to occur.

Times is the Greek word, chronos, # <5550>, which is about a duration or length of time.

Seasons is the Greek word, kairos, # <2540>, and is a fixed time. This same word seasons is translated in Luke 21:24 as times. Seasons of time involve specific events within a fixed time, and is similar to our English word, epoch.

The times or the seasons were not for the apostles to know, that is, the length of time before Christ’s Second Coming. While it is not in our power to set the date of Christ’s return, Scriptures do make some very plain statements about the timing of latter day events. In the time of the end when Messiah’s coming is imminent, those who are wise will understand (Dan 12:10). The season of Gentile political power is traced by the prophet Daniel to have begun with Nebuchadnezzar in 606 BC and will only end when Christ returns to earth and with this specific event, the fullness of Gentile power will have come (Luke 21:24; cf. Dan 2:44,45; Rom 11:25).

1:3    The record goes out of its way to make the point that the resurrection of Jesus could not be contradicted on the basis of lack of evidence. “Many infallible proofs” makes this point. The only reason one might not believe that Jesus rose form the dead would be because of a prejudiced view based, not on evidence, but on preference.

Acts 1:11

“… this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Luke emphasized that over the span of a 40-day period, not one day only (v. 3), Christ had presented himself alive after his crucifixion. Some were multiple appearances, some to individuals, and some to the whole group. This was essential because it is the solid foundation on which our faith is based (cf. 1Cor 15:17,19,32).

Brother John Thomas wrote the following in Eureka, volume 1, pp. 136,7:

“NOT only did Enoch, Moses, Isaiah, and indeed all the prophets, predict the coming of Messiah in power and great glory, according to the teaching also of Jesus himself before his ascension; but the apostles also, after that remarkable event, dwelt often and fondly upon it, as the great theme of hope and expectation. Thus, after they had been assured by angelic personages that ‘the same Jesus who had been taken up from them into the heaven should so come in like manner as they had seen him go into the heaven’ (Acts i. 11), they went forth and proclaimed it in all the habitable. On the day of Pentecost, Peter declared that he who had ascended, even Jesus whom they had crucified, had been raised from the dead, for the future purpose of sitting upon the throne of David his ancestor, which every Jew present knew could only be fulfilled by Jesus coming back to Jerusalem in power; for to no other locality did the throne, or seat, of David’s Kingdom belong (Acts 2:29,30). And not long after this, he told the Israelites in the temple, that the absence of Jesus from Palestine was only temporary. ‘The Lord,’ said he, ‘shall send the Anointed Jesus (who was before preached) unto you, whom the heaven indeed must retain until times of restoration of all things, of which the Deity hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, from the Aion’s beginning.’ In other words, when ‘the times and seasons apocalypse shall arrive, the era of Israel’s national regeneration will have come.’”

Jerusalem is referred to as the city of David (2Sam 5:5-9; 1Chron 11:5; 1Chron 15:1-3,29; 2Chron 5:2). It was known as Jebus, till David conquered it and Zion is synonymous with Jerusalem. Originally, though, Jerusalem was named Salem (Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1,2).

Interesting, Luke 2:4, Bethlehem is referred to the city of David, but its context refers to David’s lineage.  Joseph, “father” to Jesus, was a native of Bethlehem, and a member of David’s descendants. It does not contradict the some 40 passages in the Old Testament that speak of Jerusalem as the city of David, having conquered it from the Jebusites.  David’s own father was also born in Bethlehem, and so was David (cf. 1Sam 17:12,15). Jerusalem was located in the region of Judah (Josh 15:63), and the lineage of the kings descended through this line (Matt 1:1-16).

1:11      Peter was with the other disciples on this occasion when they were spoken of a Galileans. Some forty days earlier Peter had avoided the connection with Galilee – Luke 22:59and Peter’s response in the next verse.

1:15  “The number of the names” might seem a strange way of speaking of the total of those who were followers of Jesus. However this way of speaking harks back to Num 8:18 and 12 other places in the book of Numbers where we find the phrase. In the book of Numbers he phrase speaks of identifiable individuals who had been chosen by God. So the phrase is being used in the same way here.

1:1 The statement “of all that Jesus began both to do <4160> and teach <1321>” is an inspired summary of Luke’s gospel. It seems, however, very general and true of all four gospels. The only occasion in Luke where “do <4160>” and “teach <1321>” occur together when used of Christ is Luke 13:22: “teaching <1321>, and journeying <4160> <4197> toward Jerusalem”. But here there is another Greek word, <4197>, used with <4160> (“do” in Acts). This other word means a ‘journey’ and the sense of the two words is ‘making a journey’. The thing which the Lord Jesus particularly “began … to do” as recorded by Luke was the journey to Jerusalem which would culminate in his death and resurrection. And this was only the beginning for Paul himself made this journey: “And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:12,13). 

1:1 The critics and “experts” often say that the gospels were written late in the first century. Some would argue that they were written after the end of the first century. The little comment “former treatise” establishes that Luke’s gospel record was written before Acts.

1:15 “The number of the names” might seem a strange way of speaking of the total of those who were followers of Jesus. However this way of speaking harks back toNum 1:18 and 12 other places in the book of Numbers where we find the phrase. In the book of Numbers he phrase speaks of identifiable individuals who had been chosen by God. So the phrase is being used in the same way here.

1:3 the “twelve” believed because of the “many infallible proofs” that they had of the risen Jesus. We are also in a privileged position because we are blessed because we have not seen – John 20:29.

1:23 We might wonder what happened to the two that are mentioned here as being candidates for the replacement of Judas Iscariot. We do get a glimpse of the activities of Barsabas for we meet him again in  15:22 when he accompanied Paul and Silas to Antioch.