Reading for Today:
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Daniel 5:1
Chapter 5 1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
–6:28
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Psalms 136:10-26
10 To him that smote Egypt in their first-born; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; 11 And brought out Israel from among them; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; 12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever: 13 To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever: 16 To him that led his people through the wilderness; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever: 17 To him that smote great kings; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; 18 And slew famous kings; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever: 19 Sihon king of the Amorites; For his lovingkindness `endureth' forever; 20 And Og king of Bashan; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; 21 And gave their land for a heritage; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; 22 Even a heritage unto Israel his servant; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever: 23 Who remembered us in our low estate; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; 24 And hath delivered us from our adversaries; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever: 25 Who giveth food to all flesh; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever. 26 Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever.
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Proverbs 29:12-13
12 If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, All his servants are wicked. 13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together; Jehovah lighteneth the eyes of them both.
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2 Peter 2:1-22
Chapter 2 1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. 4 For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed `his' righteous soul from day to day with `their' lawless deeds): 9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; 10 but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities: 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed, 13 suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; `men' that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their deceivings while they feast with you; 14 having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing; 15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the `son' of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; 16 but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet. 17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved. 18 For, uttering great swelling `words' of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error; 19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. 21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.
Notes:
Daniel 5:25
25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
–29 MENE, MENE. This means “counted” or “appointed” and is doubled for stronger emphasis. Tekel means “weighed” or “assessed” by the God who weighs actions (1 Sam. 2:3; Ps. 62:9). Peres denotes “divided,” i.e., to the Medes and Persians. Pharsin in v. 25 is the plural of peres, possibly emphasizing the parts in the division. The “U” prefix on pharsin has the idea of the English “and.”
Daniel 6:3
3 Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
an excellent spirit. Daniel, over 80, had enjoyed God’s blessing throughout his life (1:20, 21; 2:49; 4:8; 5:12). over the whole realm. Daniel was the favorite of the king. He had experience, wisdom, a sense of history, leadership, a good reputation, ability, attitude, and revelation from the God of heaven. Apparently, God wanted him in the place of influence to encourage and assist in the Jews’ return to Judah, since the return was made in Cyrus’s first year (539–537 B.C.), right before the lions’ den incident. From the record of
Ezra 1
Chapter 1 1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and `put it' also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whosoever is left, in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. 5 Then rose up the heads of fathers' `houses' of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem. 6 And all they that were round about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered. 7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; 8 even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 9 And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, nine and twenty knives, 10 thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
and 6, all the basic elements of the return appear: 1) the temple was to be rebuilt with the cost paid from Cyrus’s treasury; 2) all Jews who visited could return, and those who stayed were urged to assist financially; and 3) the gold and silver vessels stolen from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar were to be taken back. To account for such favor toward the Jews, it is easy to think of Daniel not only influencing Cyrus to write such a decree, but even formulating it for him.
2 Peter 2:11
11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord.
angels, who are greater in power. A reference to the holy angels, who are greater in power than human beings. do not bring a reviling accusation. Unlike false teachers who are defiant toward higher powers, the holy angels so revere their Lord that they will not speak insults against any authority. Even the archangel Michael, recognizing the great presence and power of Satan, refused to speak evil of him (Jude 8, 9), but called on the Lord to do so. No believer should be so boldly foolish as to mock or command the power of supernatural demons, especially Satan.
2 Peter 2:19
19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.
promise them liberty. False teachers promise those “trying to escape” the struggles of life the very freedom they seek. slaves of corruption. The false teachers can’t deliver the freedom they promise, because they themselves are enslaved to the very corruption which people are trying to escape. overcome,…bondage. Whoever puts himself, in the name of freedom, into the hands of a false teacher, who is a prisoner himself, also becomes a prisoner. Bondage to corruption awaits all followers of false teachers.
DAY 1: Who were the false teachers that Peter describes in
2 Peter 2:1
Chapter 2 1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
?
Peter described false teachers in detail in this chapter so that Christians would always recognize their characteristics and methods. The greatest sin of Christ-rejecters and the most damning work of Satan is misrepresentation of the truth and its consequent deception. Nothing is more wicked than for someone to claim to speak for God to the salvation of souls when in reality he speaks for Satan to the damnation of souls.
Peter says they will be from “among the people.” “The people” is used in the New Testament of Israel (
Acts 26:17
17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
, 23). Peter’s point, though, is that Satan has always endeavored to infiltrate groups of believers with the deceptions of false teachers (
John 8:44
44 Ye are of `your' father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.
). Since Eve, he has been in the deceit business (2 Cor. 11:3, 4). The false teachers parade themselves as Christian pastors, teachers, and evangelists and “secretly bring in destructive heresies.” “Heresies” means self-designed religious lies which lead to division and faction (1 Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20).The Greek word for “destructive” basically means damnation. This word is used 6 times in this letter and always speaks of final damnation (vv. 1–3; 3:7, 16).This is why it is so tragic when a church makes a virtue out of the toleration of unscriptural teachings and ideas in the name of love and unity (2 Thess. 3:14; 1 Tim. 4:1–5;
Titus 3:9
9 but shun foolish questionings, and genealogies, and strifes, and fightings about law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
–11).
“Denying the Lord.” This phrase exposes the depth of the crime and guilt of the false teachers. This unusual Greek word for “Lord” appears 10 times in the New Testament and means one who has supreme authority, whether human authority or divine authority. Peter here warns that false prophets deny the sovereign lordship of Jesus Christ. Though their heresies may include the denial of the virgin birth, deity, bodily resurrection, and Second Coming of Christ, the false teachers’ basic error is that they will not submit their lives to the rule of Christ. All false religions have an erroneous Christology.
From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, www.thomasnelson.com.
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