Sermon Tone Analysis
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Comcast
This last week I had the great privilege of calling Comcast Xfinity.
You know, “in these unprecedented times, they are experienced extra wait times...” How long are they going to milk that?
After navigating the automatic menu, yelling at a robot that “I want to speak to a Hooomannn” I got to speak to a representative.
Now, we all know when calling in to Comcast:
It isn’t about changing my circumstances, it’s about changing me.
Calling Comcast changes me.
Comcast already knows what my problem is, and they have chosen in their wisdom, not to do anything about it… so calling Comcast is really about changing my heart.
Okay.
I do think that’s true, at some level.
If they can be difficult enough, I’ll give up and they’ll keep collecting money monthly.
It worked, I ran out of time and I have to call back next week.
But this is often the attitude we bring to prayer.
We have a theology of God: He is omniscient, omnipresent, He knows the beginning and the end, and He is unchanging.
True statements, yes?
Because of that, what difference could I possibly make?
When I pray, would I give God ideas He doesn’t already have?
Whether God moves or doesn’t is predestined, so it doesn’t matter what I pray or if I never pray.
God’s going to do what God’s going to do.
So, if I’m commanded to pray, it must be about changing me… because it can’t really do anything outside of me.
Soren Kierkegard, brilliant theologian says it this way: Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays
So… why even pray
This is a theological trap… and one many of us fall into.
I certainly did for many years as a young adult.
It makes sense, it’s a logical philosophical conclusion from some of those starting principles.
It’s good systematic theology… just not for the God of the Bible.
Not the God of Daniel… not the way Daniel prays, not the YHWH and the heavens respond to Daniel’s prayer.
Keyword: respond.
Daniel: Prayer Warrior
We talked before about Daniel’s faithfulness in prayer.
Three times a day, predictably, on his knees in prayer.
When King Darius makes it illegal for a month.
Still on his knees in prayer.
Faithful prayer warrior.
What is all that prayer doing?
Well, here’s what’s true and beautiful in what we said earlier:
Prayer changes us!
Daniel is absolutely shaped in prayer.
It forms him, he learns his wisdom at the feet of the Father.
His confidence in God’s provision, in God’s character, his faithfulness…
It isn’t in the crucible of the moment in the Lions’ Den… it’s in the thrice daily faithfulness in prayer.
That is gospel, good news, truth.
We are shaped and reshaped into the image of Christ in prayer.
But is that all prayer does?
Look at Daniel.
So, he’s reading Jeremiah.
In particular, something like
Now Babylon has fallen.
And Daniel is wondering: when will God fulfill his promise?
Or the more familiar next verse:
But now the time of 70 years is up.
So all Daniel has to do is wait, right?
Patiently passively wait for God to fulfill his promise?
Daniel prays into the prophecy.
He claims the promise!
Daniel fasts and prays into the prophecy and promises of God: earnestly asking that God would accomplish what He said He would.
Why if God is already going to do what He is going to do???
Clearly this is not Daniel’s understanding of God.
He entreats God, as we would a king, calling on his faithfulness, on His promises, begging for God to deliver on the promise.
God sends an angel and answers.
And the heavens move:
I wish every prayer ever had exactly this response.
So good.
It’s so tactile, messenger sent, message received.
This angel then lays out some prophecy.
The famous seventy weeks prophecy.
There’s some theories here, this has spilled a lot of ink… so we’ll skip it (but just for now).
More about that later.
But the answer from God is: Yes, I am going to deliver.
Not just now, out of Babylon, but beyond that a Messiah is coming, an anointed one… maybe even a prophecy of his crucifixion.
Daniel prays.
God sends.
God answers.
Daniel is given answers and wisdom and guidance, prophecy of salvation.
Prayer Warrior - Round 2
Cyrus is king at the same time Darius of Medes is.
So, third year of Cyrus is also third year of Darius.
So… a couple years later… and the same year as the Den of Lions.
And… drumroll.... a short while after the first return of the Jewish exiles to Palestine.
Why is he mourning?
Maybe because he couldn’t go home to Jerusalem?
Maybe, like Nehemiah which uses the same word, he “mourns” over the condition of the Jews returning to Jerusalem.
Waiting, maybe a bit stinky.
Definitely hungry!
(Also, probably note here that Daniel did not follow the Daniel diet all his life since meat and wine is worth being called out here).
But note.
For three weeks, 21 days.
It’s also the season for fasting after Passover.
And then his prayer is answered:
Beryl comes in different colors, but the Hebrew word is “gold-colored stone.”
White linen, gold body, matches sweet gold belt and face of LIGHTNING!
How can he see flaming torch eyes past lightning face.
This guy is SUPER glowy!
Crazy AWESOME looking dude.
Move over, Elvis, Daniel is swooning.
He came right away?
Messenger from God? What could stop or delay him?
He came right away, but it took weeks for him to get there.
So he has a message… but I’m super stuck on this verse.
The “prince of the kingdom of Persia.”
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