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Book of Daniel........This book is 12
chapters, 357 verses, and 11,606 words. Daniel was 90 years old when he
died.(621 B.C. - 534 B.C. approx.) Of all the Bible, Daniel is the only notable
person that not a negative word is recorded . He , like David, was a man after
God's own heart. He was 'greatly beloved' (Daniel 9:23 10:11,19)
The book of Ezekiel calls him one of God's three greatest men. (Ezekiel
14:14,20) A man of great courage and prayer. Even though a decree by the king
against prayer, (Darius was for Daniel) .... Daniel opened the window toward
Jerusalem and prayed three time a day. (Daniel 6:10). David also prayed three
times a day (Palm 55:17). Daniel was thrown into the den of lions for praying,
but God clamped the lions mouths. Daniel came out unharmed.
The power of God is one purpose of the book of Daniel and his prophecy til the
end of the age is another. No matter what happens, Daniel purposed to be
faithful. (Daniel 1:8 ".... purposed in his heart that he would not defile
himself..." . What biblical prophecy Daniel wrote. His Prophecy: ..483
years from the time Jerusalem would be rebuilt, the Messiah would come and be
cut off (crucified). This very thing happened right on schedule. Another
prophecy....Daniel 12:4 ..."knowledge shall increase....". television,
radio, automobiles, nuclear power,photos of planets..moon, etc.
Teach your children while they are young. Obey God.. (long life and
peace). Witness for him, regardless wherever you are. Go to church. (only a very
few hours would be done). Trust in God. He will answer your prayers. Don't be
selfish in your prayers, because God knows our needs. He knows all (Psalm
147:4,5 )
JONAH
Book of Jonah....4 chapters....48 verses....1321 words...key verse 3:2 Jonah's
disobedience to God's calling should remind us of our own doing. But he feared
God (1:3). He (one of God's prophets) even complained after the mission was over
for the success of it. He was being very childish. These people needed God's
grace. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was a great city but full of every
wickedness that could be had, and was a strong enemy of Israel. Jonah, in his
heart, had a hatred for them because of this. Jonah probably was reluctant for
fear he would be helping the enemy. (Hosea 11:5) Jonah tried to hide from God so
he could escape the mission. he started on a downward course....down to
Joppa....down to the ship....then down into the sides of the ship. There he lay
and was fast asleep, no conscience, and undisturbed. God sent a violent storm
that nearly broke the ship. The sailors cried to their gods. They said for Jonah
to call on his God (the true God). They wanted to know who the evil one was (they
knew it was Jonah (1:10). Jonah then became a sacrifice for the sailors (1:15)
when they threw him overboard. God did not take Jonah's life. He prepared a
great fish (Jesus called it a whale ...Matthew 12:39) to swallow Jonah. Three
days and and three nights in the belly of the fish. This was a very low point in
his life (2:6). He had to pray. He should have prayed before when God called
him. When he said "...salvation is of the Lord." (2:9) God spake and
the fish vomited Jonah upon the dry land. How many times have we disobeyed God?
But God's mercy gives us another opportunity. He gave Jonah a second chance
(3:1) at the same mission. God's patience. This time Jonah did as God asked him.
Jonah set out for Nineveh, a three days journey, ( Jonah must have ran fast ),
entering the city a day's journey. God had to be with Jonah in this wicked and
idolotry city. He told the people they had forty days, and the people believed
God (what a revival), from the greatest of them to the least of them. God could
have destroyed them before the forty days, but Jonah preached what was in his
heart. They believed Jonah. God saw their works and repented (changed his mind)
of the evil and their city was saved. God is unchangeable but He will change his
methods in dealing with people. Some times he uses sinful nations to take others.
When we seek God in faith and repentance, we will find him. In jealousy, Jonah
became angry when God spared the city. Also he was selfish asking God to take
his life. (4:3). God had more things for him to do and he should asked for God's
will to be done. God gave Jonah shelter from the elements , but then had a worm
to wipe out the vine. Let us always remember that God can take away or add to
our possessions. God tested Jonah's faith many times. He sent violent wind and a
hot sun and Jonah became angry again. Nineveh was spared by God. one hundred
twenty thousand babies were spared because God loved them and cared for them.
(4:11) Jonah was a very unusual man, unusual attitude, and his ways were
unusual. Chapter 1....Jonah ran from God Chapter 2....Jonah ran with God Chapter
3.....Jonah ran with God Chapter 4....Jonah ran ahead of God ....God had the
first word (1:1,2) and the last (4:11)
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