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The Bible Breakdown
Daniel 10: Heaven Fights For You
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The More We Dig. The More We Find.
Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon. Today, daniel, chapter 10, and today's title is Heaven Fights For you. Heaven Fights For you. We're going to get into all that in just a moment. Plus, we're going to give a correction. Not the first time, but hopefully the last time. I made an error yesterday. Dun dun dun. Everybody's listening.
Speaker 1:Now Make sure you get your Bibles out, because we're going to get into it in just a moment. But while you're doing that, make sure you take just a moment like share and subscribe to the youtube channel and the podcast. Make sure you're making a are leaving us a five-star review on the podcast. It really does help. It doesn't cost you anything. And make sure you're going to the bible breakdown discussion on facebook. They're doing a wonderful job there and, as always, the more we dig the, the more we find.
Speaker 1:Well, don't forget once of all. Well, once of all, I don't know. Don't forget that the overall idea of Daniel is God is in control, and Daniel is showing us that in multiple ways. He showed us in the first six chapters about the miracles that God was doing, and in the last seven chapters, he talks to us about it through the different visions of the future that God gives him and God's still in control To which that leans into yesterday and Daniel 9. And this was my mistake. I was reading you know, kind of reading ahead and getting ready for the different chapters, and I love the book of Daniel, but there was something that I said yesterday that actually happens today, and that was that yesterday there was a part where Daniel is repenting for the things and the sins of Israel which is why they were in exile, and then Gabriel comes and he shares this mission or vision with him and answers the vision. And I told you that it took him 21 days, and that's where we get the 21 day fast in the book of Daniel. I got those mixed up, so I want to tell you I'm sorry for that. It actually happens today where you see the 21 days, and I love this chapter so much because it just gives us a little bit of a peek into a world that we have no idea what's going on, and so we're going to jump into this and talk about this, but before we do that, I love this idea that God is doing so much more than we can see, and I feel like that right now.
Speaker 1:If God were to open up our spiritual eyes, what's going on all around us would blow our minds. Right now, all around us, there's angels and there's demons. There's spiritual things happening all around us right now. It is happening in a different dimension so our eyes can't see it, but at the same time it's happening and we get to be part of this, even though we don't see it with our eyes. That's why, in Ephesians 6, it talks about putting on the whole armor of God. And if you look at the different pieces of armor, it's not physical armor, but it's taking on the likeness of Christ, helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth. All of that so that we can win in the war we're already part of. But there's so many things happening that we don't even know that God protects us. It reminds me of I remember one time I had told my girls I was going to pick them up from school.
Speaker 1:They were both in elementary school and I told them when I picked them up from school we were going to have an afternoon together. My wife was out of town and we were going to go have an afternoon, and that would have meant going to a park and then going to have dinner and then going to have dessert, just have an afternoon. Well, after I let them out of the car to go to school, I had some things I needed to do. That day. It was already kind of my day off and so I was going to do a couple things and get ready, but it just seemed like everything that could go wrong went wrong. I had forgotten stuff, stuff needed to get taken care of, and I can't tell you how many times over the course of that day I had just about decided it wasn't going to be able to happen. I wasn't going to have the time with them, it just wasn't going to happen. It was like fighting tooth and nail just to just to get to that moment. And when we got to that moment where I picked them up from school, as far as they knew, everything was fine, like hey dad, we're so excited, let's, let's go do whatever. What they didn't know is I had been battling all day long to make that happen, but they didn't know. They just went on, had a good day. They didn't understand why dad was exhausted. Hey dad, you know cause in their mind. I just went home and waited on them, right, and I wonder how many times our prayer time is like that, how many times we pray and we ask God to do something, and then he does something in our life and we just say thank you Jesus and move on to the next thing. But I have no idea the spiritual battles that God has won in order to make those things happen. So we're going to talk about that today and we're going to see where the 21 days of Daniel fasting comes from in this chapter. Okay, you ready, daniel?
Speaker 1:Chapter 10, verse 1 says this In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia. So once again, another time jump has happened. Daniel, also known as Belshazzar, had another vision. This is most likely toward the end of his life. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future, times of war and great hardship. When this vision came to me, I, daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. That's where 21 days come from. All that time I had eaten no rich food, no meat or wine, crossed my lips, I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.
Speaker 1:Now pause. So that's where some people say this. They say no rich foods. That usually means no sweets, nothing fancy. So no sweets, no meat, no wine. Now other translations that no rich food means no sweet breads. That's where people will get bread. So no rich food, no meat, no wine, crossed my lip. That's why a lot of people just simplify it and there's many different nuances. Most people say no meat, no sweets, no bread, drink water. Just make it simple. Then not everybody does. The next one, and that is when it says no fragrant lotion. So in other words, um, he didn't bathe. So we, we kind of pass that one up around here. But listen, we gonna eat certain foods, but you better take a bath in jesus name, all right? So here we go. Uh, verse four.
Speaker 1:And then, on april 23rd, I was standing on the bank of the tigris river and I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His, his body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people. Only I, daniel, saw the vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me and my face grew deathly pale. I felt very weak.
Speaker 1:Then I heard the man speak and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. Just then, a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, with my hands and knees. To my hands and knees, the man said to me Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you. When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. Then he said Don't be afraid, daniel.
Speaker 1:Since the first day, you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God. Your request was heard in heaven and I have come to answer your prayer, but for 21 days, the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come. While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word. Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my Lord, and I am very weak. How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my Lord? My strength is gone. He replied. Do you know why? I have come Soon? I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile, I will tell you what is written in the book of truth no one helps me against these spirit princes, except Daniel, your spirit prince. I have been standing beside Daniel to support and strengthen him since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede Wow. So let me tell you what just happened. What happened was is Daniel's been receiving these visions and he's worried. He's like listen, I don't know what this is, but I don't see any good news here, except for it being hard Now, god, I know you're in control, and all. Any good news here, except for it being hard now, god, I know you're in control, and all but. And so he's wondering what's happening, and so he just decides you know what? The only way I'm going to be able to get the answers is I'm gonna have to dig a little deeper.
Speaker 1:So he goes through a season of prayer and fasting, and and then, after 21 days of no meat, no sweets, no, no bread, drink water, after 21 days, this, this angel shows up and he says hey, the first day you started praying, your answer was on its way, but there was a war in the spirit realm and the prince of Persia, the spirit prince of Persia, was trying to stop me, and so God sent reinforcements, sent the head of the armies of God, michael, and they've been a-fighting. And I was able to get through the lines of the armies of God, michael, and they've been a fighting. And I was able to get through the lines of the enemy to come and to tell you what was about to happen, and we're going to get into it in the next final two chapters of Daniel, what he was going to say to him. But what can we take away from this? Now, there's a lot in here that we could go way into the weeds on.
Speaker 1:So make sure you go to the Bible breakdown discussion, as we'll get a little bit deeper into this and those devotions and then I would encourage you to do some study on this, about what it looks like. The spirit world is real and there's angels and there's unclean spirits, demons. There's fighting, but the battle is already won. God has already won the victory. It's not a fair fight. We've already won the victory. Already won the victory. It's not a fair fight. We've already won the victory. And so make sure you realize that. Never let that situation cause any kind of fear or morbid fascination, but to see the kingdom of God as victorious over the kingdom of darkness.
Speaker 1:The amazing thing is is the Bible said the first time you prayed, daniel, god heard you, god loves you and God was sending the answer. Can I tell you that's the same thing with us. The first time you prayed, god heard you, I think. Sometimes we think that God is almost like he's kind of holding the answer to a prayer in front of us and it's like he's just if you pray 20 times, I'll give you what you want. It's not like that that we pray and we fast and we seek God and he sends the answer, and it always comes right on time. And so there's two main takeaways I want to share with you. And then we're going to pray together and I'm curious how God will speak to you through this.
Speaker 1:First of all is this Daniel gave us a pattern in that when you need to hear from God, sometimes you can take it to the next level by not just praying, but praying and fasting. Now, once again, here's the thing when you fast, it's not as though you were somehow manipulating God into answering your prayer. Fasting doesn't change God. It changes us. It puts us into a place where we humble ourselves before God, and that fasting is a continual worship before God. I like to think of it like this I fast something that I really enjoy, so that every time I want to do that thing whether it's eat something, drink coffee, whatever it reminds me of God, and so like, if I have a cup of coffee every morning but I fast my coffee for a week, then every morning when I go with that coffee, I'll go. You know what, god? I love you more than that and I'm saying no to that so I can say yes to more of you, and it puts us in that position where we can hear God more clearly.
Speaker 1:The second thing is this, as we've been talking about over the past several days. God gave Daniel these visions, but he gave them to Daniel over the course of his life and if we're not careful, we can read the stories in the Bible and we can miss the thing that these people walked with God over the course of their life, so they weren't receiving visions and dreams every single day and every moment of the day, and they're just living in the clouds and they just come home to go to bed at night. It's not like that. They're living their life and as they're living their life with God along the journey and along the way, god is walking with them and he uses them and he fellowships with them over the course of their life. And so can I tell you, if you, if we read this and there's that sense of well, I mean, god did all that in his life. He didn't do that in my life. It's because this happened over the course of his life.
Speaker 1:And if you look at your life, over the course of the years of your life, god has done amazing things in you and he's going to do amazing things again. So don't get impatient or don't ever feel in any way less than because of what God did in their life. This was over time, and over time. God's going to do this in you, and so when you are troubled and you are worried, let's be like Daniel. Let's take it up a notch.
Speaker 1:Instead of praying, let's pray and let's fast position ourself so we can hear from God. And then, when it takes time, we don't give up. We keep praying, because we know that the first time we prayed, god heard us. There's a war going on somewhere. God's going to win and he's going to bring us what we need when we need it, and it's going to be amazing.
Speaker 1:Where do you need to keep praying today? What in your life do you need to not give up on? What in your life do you need to add a little fasting to position yourself so you can hear the voice of God more clearly, whatever it is, have courage, take the next step and know that God has already started answering your prayer. Let's pray together right now, god, thank you so much for today.
Speaker 1:Thank you, god, that the very first time we pray, you hear us. I'm thankful, god, that we can trust you. We can trust you in all things. I pray today, god, that we can trust you. We can trust you in all things. I pray today, god, no matter what anybody is going through, no matter what's happening in their life, I pray, god, that we will learn to trust you more. We'll have the courage to take the next step and add fasting to our life. And God, then, whatever it is you speak to us to do, give us the courage to take the next step. We celebrate you right now In Jesus' name. We pray, amen, amen. Well, god's word said in Daniel, chapter 3,. These three Hebrew teenagers looked at the most powerful man in the world and they said Our God is able to save us, but even if he doesn't, we will never serve your gods. May we have that kind of courage to stand in this world and say Our God is in control. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. For Daniel.
