Further Thought: From Reading to Understanding

 “The Bible was designed to be a guide to all who wish to become acquainted with the will of their Maker. God gave to men the sure word of prophecy; angels and even Christ Himself came to make known to Daniel and John the things that must shortly come to pass. Those important matters that concern our salvation were not left involved in mystery.

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They were not revealed in such a way as to perplex and mislead the honest seeker after truth. Said the Lord by the prophet Habakkuk: ‘Write the vision, and make it plain, … that he may run that readeth it’. Habakkuk 2:2. The word of God is plain to all who study it with a prayerful heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth. ‘Light is sown for the righteous’. Psalm 97:11. And no church can advance in holiness unless its members are earnestly seeking for truth as for hid treasure”. — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pages 521, 522. “Study the history of Daniel and his fellows. Though living where they were, met on every side by the temptation to indulge self, they honored and glorified God in the daily life. They determined to avoid all evil. They refused to place themselves in the enemy’s path. And with rich blessings God rewarded their steadfast loyalty”. — Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases [No. 224], vol. 4, pages 169, 170.

Discussion Questions:

<–Thursday

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Although written more than 2,500 years ago, the book of Daniel remains profoundly relevant for God’s people in the 21st century. We shall note three areas in which Daniel can be relevant for us.

• God stands sovereign over our lives. Even when things go wrong, God stands sovereign and works through the whims of human actions to provide the best for His children. The experience of Daniel in Babylon resembles that of Joseph in Egypt and Esther in Persia. These three — young people were captives in foreign countries and under the overwhelming power of pagan nations.
  

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  To the casual observer they may have seemed weak and God-forsaken. However, the Lord strengthened them and used them in powerful ways. When facing trials, sufferings, and opposition, we can look back to what God did for Daniel, Joseph, and Esther. We can rest assured that the Lord remains our Lord, and He has not abandoned us even amid our trials and temptations.

• God steers the course of history. At times we feel troubled by a confused and aimless world that is full of sin and violence. But the message of Daniel is that God stands in control. In every single chapter of Daniel, the message is hammered home that God steers the flow of history. As Ellen G. White says: “In the annals of human history the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will”. — Education, p. 173.
• God provides a role model for His end-time people. Daniel and his friends serve as role models for life in a society that holds a worldview often at odds with that of the Bible. When pressed to compromise their faith and make concessions to the Babylonian system in areas that would deny their commitment to the Lord, they remain faithful to the Word of God. Their experience of faithfulness and absolute commitment to the Lord provides encouragement when we face opposition and even persecution for the sake of the gospel. At the same time, Daniel shows that it is possible to make a contribution to the state and society and remain committed to the Lord.

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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Welcome to 2020.

The hymn that will be used as the theme for this quarter is from “The Church Hymnal, Official Hymnal of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church” which was surpassed by the “Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal” in 1985.In the ‘old’ hymnal, 
Number 497 – Standing by a Purpose True, that is, ”Dare to be a Daniel” will be the favourite. I do hope you are able to source this hymn and use it frequently during this quarters Sabbath School study time.

With Jesus Christ as the centre of Daniel, there are many hymns about our Lord from which to choose. The topics of Jesus spoken of in Sunday’s study shows this. Chapter 1 is Christ being confronted by the powers of darkness for us, and His wisdom – 
Hymn 274 “O Word of God Incarnate”, “O Wisdom from on high”. “Chapter 3 reveals Christ walking with His faithful servants” as in 
Hymn 315 “O for a Closer Walk!”, 
Hymn 574 “O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee” and 
Hymn 624 “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me”.

Chapter 5 shows
“Jesus Is Coming Again” Hymn 213,
Hymn 201 “Christ Is Coming”, and 
“Face to Face” Hymn 206, to name three of the many Second Advent hymns. In Daniel Chapter 8 we see Jesus as our Priest: 
Hymn 249 “Praise Him! Praise Him!”  Chapter 9 is about the Supreme Sacrifice: 
Hymn 157 “Go to Dark Gethsemane”, 
Hymn 159 “The Old Rugged Cross”, 
Hymn 163 “At the Cross” and 
Hymn 328 “Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone”.

Chapter 10 -12 is the victory of Jesus: 
Hymn 38 “Arise, My Soul, Arise!”, 
Hymn 176 “Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise” and 
Hymn 17 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice!” and that Jesus rescues the fallen human race: 
Hymn 335 “What a Wonderful Saviour”.

God’s blessings as you enjoy your Singing with Inspiration this quarter.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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1. Born in the prophecy of Daniel. We learned the story as children, no doubt, and we still marvel at Daniel’s rescue from the den of hungry lions. Do you agree with the lesson author that the Seventh-day Adventist church was born in the pages of the book of Daniel? How would you explain that to someone who doesn’t belong to the Adventist church? Or would you even attempt to make that plain?
2. Christ the center of Daniel. How can we see Jesus in the first verses of chapter 1 of Daniel? For example, does Daniel’s captivity in Babylon remind us of Jesus’ life on earth? Can you trace the message of the book of Daniel to see the life of Jesus on earth? Does the fact that most of the revelations of Jesus in Daniel are in the form of vivid comparisons, make it easier or harder to see Jesus in this prophetic book? Imagine what it must have been like for friends and followers of Daniel as an evangelist to absorb the depth of his messages as revealed in prophecy.
3. The structure of Daniel. Pretend that I am about twelve years old, and you are trying to explain to me the structure of the book of Daniel. What would you tell me is important about understanding the five kingdoms involved in this book? Would you try to explain to me that while we’re dealing with five separate kingdoms, they all merge in our study? Or do they? Why do you think God is going to such lengths to explain to Daniel, and through Daniel to us, the march of history to the time when “Michael stands up”? Why are the prophecies of Daniel called “apocalyptic”?
4. More vocabulary words. Parse (take apart and reassemble) each of the following words your lesson teacher wants you to know for a more complete understanding of the book of Daniel:

1. 1. Preterism
   2. Futurism
   3. Idealism
   4. Historicism

Which of these applies most completely to the book of Daniel? Do you believe that in Bible prophecy, a day equals a year? How does this belief aid you in understanding prophetic visions such as Daniel’s? Should a Bible-believing Christian apply the prophecies of 2,300 years and 490 years as given in Daniel’s messages to actual historical events hundreds of years into the future after Daniel was no longer a working prophet? What can help us keep Daniel’s prophecies alive for us today?

5.  Contemporary relevance of Daniel. Explain how each of the following relates to the message of Daniel as we can understand it today:

• • The sovereign rulership of God.
  • God in charge of history.
  • God as a role model for us

Does the majestic and all-powerful reign of God over history ever puzzle you? Do you ever wonder how God is working today in the history of the country where you live to bring events to a conclusion? What spiritual blessing do you most value that began for you with the study of the almighty God in the history of mankind? How do you express your gratitude to God for being so involved in your life that He longs for you to understand what is happening in this world as it reveals God’s plan for us?

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You can view an in-depth discussion of “From Reading to Understanding” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:

You may download an MP4 video file, and audio file or a PDF lesson outline from the HopeSS site.

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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