Expository Thoughts on James (Expository Thoughts on the Scriptures Book 2)
This fits in well with the New Testament idea that angelic ranks - including demonic forces - are organized and have a hierarchy Ephesians 1: Apparently, this was a demon of high rank that opposed the answer to prayer. On three occasions, Jesus referred to Satan as the prince of this world John Withstood me twenty-one days: Since the angel was dispatched immediately and Daniel's period of prayer and self-denial was 21 days the three full weeks of Daniel The correlation between Daniel's time of self-denial and prayer and the duration of the battle between the angels and the prince of the kingdom of Persia establishes a link between Daniel's prayer and the angelic victory.
Since the angelic victory came on the 21 st day, we can surmise that if Daniel would have stopped praying on the 20 th day the answer may not have come. Nevertheless, he is to keep on praying. It may be that he will not receive an answer because he has given up on the twentieth day when he should have persisted to the twenty-first day. Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: In other passages Michael is associated with the battle between good angels and evil angels Revelation 12 , Jude 9.
Came to help me: This phrase may be the most compelling reason to think that this " me " is not Jesus, despite the remarkable similarity between the certain man of Daniel 10 and the vision of Jesus in Revelation 1. Though Jesus received angelic assistance as an incarnate man Mark 1: Now I have come: Why did God allow such a conflict? He certainly could have blasted away in a moment any demonic opposition. God's plan probably was to use the time of delay to develop Daniel as a man of persistent prayer. Persistence in prayer is not necessary because God's reluctance needs to be overcome.
It is necessary to train us. Daniel success makes us reflect on our failures. How much angelic assistance or insight has never been realized, or greatly delayed, because of a lack of persistence in prayer?
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What will happen to your people in the latter days: The vision of Daniel 11 and 12 is focused on the latter days , though it also relates to the closer time of Antiochus Epiphanes. When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, "My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength.
For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.
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And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong! I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless: Daniel started on the ground Daniel Because the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me: The ancient Hebrew word translated sorrows has the thought of twisting or writhing pain. It is used several places for labor pains in childbirth. Daniel is so severely affected by this vision that he can barely breathe, much less deal with prophetic complexities.
One having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me: This was not God, but an angel. God touched Daniel through an intermediary. It is the touch of God that brings strength. Daniel was touched by God, and received strength. But "Many churches today are marked by a well-organized, heavily staffed, and adequately financed impotency. Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come.
But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince. Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him. I must return to fight with the prince of Persia: Daniel was about to receive the answer to his prayer, but the battle was not over for his heavenly messenger. First he must battle the prince of Persia , then the prince of Greece. God is watching out for Israel, working behind the scenes in the spiritual realm.
No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince: Michael seems to be an angelic guardian of Israel, battling against the demonic representative of Persia or any other who opposes God's people. On earth, Israel seemed lowly and weak but in the heavens Israel had the mightiest representative of all. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry. Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding.
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Spurgeon's Morning and Evening O. Recently Popular Media x. Ezekiel Bob Davis Matthew Study Guide for Daniel Circumstances of the Final Vision A. Daniel's vision of the mysterious man. True faith avoids worldliness to pursue godliness James 4: True faith avoids the mis-prioritizing and the misuse of earthly resources James 5: Faith that is combined with heavenly wisdom looks at every resource of time, talent, money or power as something that God provided and intended that we should learn to use them in ways that will best reflect his love and character.
Faith that is driven by heavenly wisdom understands that God provided these resources for us to use correctly and that we will give an account to God for how we used what He has provided. We should therefore be very wary of any selfishness or pride. Our primary focus should be to use our time, talent, knowledge, money or power in such a way that best reflects God's character and loving work in our lives, not to glorify ourselves, but to please and glorify God, to whom all glory and honor are due.
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Genuine faith motivates one to wait on the Lord , to be humble enough to ask for help in time of need, and look out for the other guy not just himself James 5: Portrait of Christ in James: In James we meet Jesus as our example of living by faith; the one who uses our trials and difficulties to perfect us in our faith. When you're facing difficult times, your attitude is truly the most important half of the battle James 1: This is something that is a young person in the faith, I had a very hard time learning.
After all, as a Christian shouldn't my life be easier? The answer to that is, if you think it's hard now, imagine trying to go through trials without God's help! The truth is, it is easier with God, but never really easy. In reality, we can make any situation we have to go through easier on ourselves if our attitude is correct.
So, what is the correct attitude when we are going through trial? How can we count it all joy when it seems so hard; when you're struggling with the inward self and outward circumstances of your life? This is not always easy, and I don't have it all down yet either, but this is what I believe God wants us to do. We need to look at our trial from an internal character point of view, rather than a comfort perspective.
In our self-interested human perspective it's easy to look at our problems from the point of view of how we feel and how difficult it is. While God is not blind to our pain, He is much more interested in re-creating us, and transforming us, so that we become people who reflect and carry his love and character in our very beings. We can count it all joy when we enter trials, not because we enjoy them, but because God is using them to transform us into the image and character of His Son. If our priorities are right, isn't that what we really want anyway? We can count it all joy when we remember that God is trying to set us up to win, not to fail Jeremiah God is trying to prepare us, and make us fit for rewards that will last forever.
Think about it God is trying to make it so that we never lack anything good. He will use our difficulties in order to get us to that point. It really is an act of love. It's not fun, but we can count it all joy because it shows that we're loved by God. When you're going through tough times, make a quality decision to submit to, and cooperate with God James 1: At first you might think, what does this have to do with that specific passage?
Well, think about it. When we are going through tough times it's easy to second-guess, to over think yourself into knots of indecision. There is no better cure for double mindedness, than to willfully make up your mind. Here is what I do when I know I'm facing a crisis either internally or externally. I'm not saying that this is the only way to cope, but I think it's a very good way and it works:. Admit the struggle and your feelings.
It's not like God doesn't know it. Just admit you're struggling with doubt and ask Jesus to write author some faith into your heart Hebrews Make a quality decision to cooperate with God. I make a quality decision of my will to submit to you and cooperate with you in the midst of my difficulties. I order my mind, will, and emotions to settle down and submit to God in this trial. Now you're ready to seek God's direction.
A sk God to direct you, and do something physical that's consistent or in keeping with your decision. At first, it doesn't necessarily have to be related to solving your problem. Just do something that you know God wants you to do. It might mean choosing to praise God, and praising God whether you feel like it or not. Or, God may remind you of someone that you're angry at and need to forgive.
Or you and God together might decide that for the rest of the day you are not going to complain or whine. It could be anything as long as it's physical, deliberate, and something that you have no doubt it would please God. The key to winning about half of your spiritual battles is learning to do the opposite of what your self-interested sinful nature wants to do.
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Keep your earthly and therefore temporary circumstances in proper perspective. This is one of those passages in James that can drive "orderly theologians" a little nutty because it's one of those theme interrupters that doesn't seem to flow with the letter. In verses , he discusses our attitude in temptation. He picks up the theme again in verses Right in the center there are verses I sought God for a while in prayer and even put the Bible study aside for a season.
I believe that God has opened up my understanding a little more. At first glance this passage seems to have little to do with temptation, but it really does. One of the trickiest temptations for Christians is to look at our outward circumstances as a sign of God's approval. Making unhealthy comparisons between brethren is a snare to both rich and poor alike.
Those who are wealthier tend to fall into the trap of believing that they are approved by God and that their prosperity is the proof. It can lead to elitism and pride. For the poor, focusing on their circumstances and comparing themselves to their wealthier brethren can lead them to feel contempt for their brothers, or worse, rejected by God. This can be a dangerous trap because those circumstances are temporary. They will fade away. One of the keys to true spiritual health and happiness is not to judge your outward and temporary circumstances as an indicator of your relationship with God, cf Matthew 5: Notice that James told both the rich and poor to 'glory in their situation.
The grass always looks greener on the other side, but in every life there are times of prosperity and rejoicing. The key to true happiness is to learn how to cooperate with God in what ever circumstance we find ourselves. What ever you do, don't blame God when you're tempted to sin James 1: It's quite literally a ploy as old as the first Adam, who blamed God, claiming that if God had not given in such a wife as Eve, he would not have disobeyed Genesis 3: It's laughable of course to blame God for our temptations to sin, but human beings have been doing it ever since even to this day.
So, why is it so tempting to blame God when we are tempted? Here are some things to keep in mind. In some Christian circles the idea has been touted that everything good comes from God, and everything bad, unpleasant, or difficult comes from the evil one. Some of the less accurate prosperity teachers of our day have taken and taught this extremely unhealthy position. The temptation for us is to think that, if God didn't want us to fail he would not allow us to be tested.
That is simply not the truth. That's like a child saying to his parents after he receives an 'F' on his report card that if they did not want him to fail, they should never have sent him to school. You don't send your children to school because you're trying to set them up to fail. In fact the opposite is true, you send your children to school because you want them to learn, grow and develop skills sets that will cause them to thrive and succeed. The same principle is true with God.
He does allow challenging sometimes painful things to happen to us.
That's a fact that we don't want to bypass. We must accept it.
In our painful and difficult trials we tend to remember God's power, but forget his character. It's easy to blame God when we face difficulty. After all, He is all loving and all-powerful, so why doesn't he just fix-it, for goodness sakes? For the same reason that healthy mature parents don't write their children's book report or go to class for them. You don't do it because they won't learn if you do. Granted if you did that they might not suffer the pain of failure, but neither can they experience the joy of learning or succeeding. We can fall into blaming God because of our own hurt and pride.
One of the reasons that it's tempting to blame God is because of our pride. Human beings often resent being challenged and tested. We tend to resist and resent God putting tests and challenges in our lives because they force us to see where we are tempted. We are confronted sometimes shockingly would what's really in our hearts under pressure. For example, under certain pressure I might be tempted to be unforgiving or lie. God did not tempt me to be unforgiving or lie, but he allowed me to undergo a trial or test that revealed an inclination that was already in me, but I was either unaware or unwilling to contend with and resolve.
We don't really see our strengths and weaknesses until we're under pressure. God tests us to reveal our own hearts to us, in order that we will be made aware of our darker sides so that He can heal us. If you want to know what flavor the tea is, put it in really hot water. We know what we are made of in the way that we respond under pressure. Our weaknesses are exposed when we are tested.
God allows us to be tested and tried so that our weaknesses can be exposed, so we can see them, so we can confess them, and so He can heal them. That way our sinful inclinations will not have to destroy us. As a result of the test and our responses we can clearly see our weaknesses and our need for healing and come to Jesus for restoration in different areas of our lives. Clearly God allows us to be tested, but his intent is our restoration never our downfall.
When we are facing a pressure situation, it's awfully tempting to react quickly. Most times we react on emotions. Our fears, anger and pain rush to the surface and we react. One of the most difficult and yet beneficial things we can do is not to react quickly, but take our time. Imagine if you will, how many regrets or broken relationships could be prevented if we were not rash with our words.
If you want to build your faith, practice by doing the word. Very few things worth having just fall in your lap. If you want to do well in school you must pay attention in class, take good notes, do your best with your homework assignments and study for tests. Unless you have an unforeseen problem if you do these things you will succeed in school. The same is true with music lessons dance lessons and any sport.
Proficiency comes with practice. The same is true when you're building a strong faith. It only comes by repeatedly practicing and doing what God's word says. It's amazing how close God seems when you're obedient! The word of God will be more, alive and real in your life. Here's how I recommend that you get started:. Make up your mind that you want to be a strong Christian and you're willing to do what it takes.
Get in the habit of being in God's word every day. Make sure to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. As you read, mark any commands and promises you see in God's word. Ask God to make you aware of opportunities to practice obeying that word as you go through your day. Don't be discouraged by failures, they are only temporary until you succeed. Keep trying and practicing and don't quit Galatians 6: That's important to remember, especially when one considers that we are attempting something so big. We're trying to defy and overcome our old sinful nature.
It takes practice in walking with God. Show love and faith without partiality James 2: Is God saying that we have to love every single person in exactly the same way? In a sense yes, in a sense no. On a number of occasions, clients have asked me, "how can I love everybody in the exact same way all the time? First, human beings are finite and limited in capacity. We simply do not have the same level of capacity that God does to love. Second, we don't know everybody. We certainly don't understand all of their needs. Third, God has not put us in contact with the entire world.
So how then can we live out the Scripture. The answer is to grow in love and faith in general. For example, if I'm growing in love 1 Corinthians I can learn to be gentle and forgive the person who cuts me off at an intersection. I can learn to think and talk gently. If I learn to practice those things at home and take them out into my world, then I am fulfilling this passage. The major point he's making here is not to play favorites among believers. If they believe Christ they are my brother. Rich or poor, more or less successful is not a criterion that we should look at when deciding how to treat someone.
Love is the criteria always. Faith and work go hand-in-hand James 2: This passage and James, and Paul's letters seem to disagree when they really don't. That is like asking, "do you need your left leg , or do you need your right leg? The answer is yes! Was Paul right when he said that we are saved by grace, not by works? Or was James correct when he said "faith without works is dead.
What James was saying was that if we really believe, our works will be consistent. The problem was not with Paul's or James' point of view. The problem is that human beings fall into a bad habit of creating standards of behavior, practices and traditions to measure righteousness instead of Love and Faith. The healthy maturing Christian might do the same things, but his attitude and words would be something more like this: Since I want to grow and be with God's people I go to church.
He doesn't do righteous works to become righteous. That is the key difference. For the healthy and maturing Christian doing the righteous works that God wants us to do will become more and more something that he loves to do, not something he has to do. Picture a growing little child. They love to have their parent's approval.
Expository Thoughts on Exodus - Volume 2 (Electronic book text)
It might be just setting the table or helping put groceries away, but they are beaming. It thrills parent and child both. That is how God feels when we practice doing the principles we find written in his word. If for some odd reason he does not set the table tomorrow he will not be any less your child.
In practicing doing those chores however he learns many things that add to and benefit his character. He learns to be helpful and that he can contribute something worthwhile. Through practice and observation he may learn that there is work involved in putting food on the table. He can learn self-confidence and feel like he's a part of the family team. Those are absolutely fantastic skill sets that he won't want to be without as he grows.
Practicing God's word works exactly the same way. It has purposes and benefits far beyond what we can see right now. Not the least of which is that practicing God's word actually reinforces our faith. Your mouth is nitroglycerin! We've all heard the old saying, sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me. In my opinion, whoever coined such a phrase should be gently yet firmly slapped, for propagating such a lie and spreading it to children.
I don't think I'm taking many liberties with Scripture when I say that if James had known about nitroglycerin he might have used it to describe the mouth. It's a very volatile and harmful member of the human body. There are few things in the world that have such destructive and at the same time, life-saving uses as nitroglycerin. Nitroglycerin is so volatile and so powerful that if you shake it or store it in correctly you can blow yourself up.
At the same time in proper doses it can prevent heart attacks and save lives. They have the power of life and death Proverbs James said, "the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. Our mouth also has great powers to persuade encourage and build hope in others.
What comes out of our mouth is probably the greatest indicator of what's really in our heart. If you want to know what you're really made of, check your mouth. How do you talk?
Study Guide for Daniel 10 by David Guzik
We can build or harm someone's faith with our mouth Romans Are you positive or negative; optimistic or pessimistic in your speech? What kind of jokes to you tell or repeat? Here are some very down-to-earth practical tips for controlling our mouth. This is very basic but it works. Admit your problems especially concerning your mouth to God, yourself and others. We really can't tame it alone, James 3: Even David, a man after God's own heart asked for help in watching his mouth, Psalms Don't respond verbally too quickly to any situation , James 1: Share and verbalize your heart, and your problems with God before you do so with other people.
Try to develop a habit of praise and thanksgiving. You can do this by having Christian music on, and just singing once in awhile as you drive or clean house. Verbalize praise, thanking God, that while you may not like doing laundry, you do have good clothes. While you may not like cleaning house, it does keep you warm and keep the rain off your stuff and your family, 1 Thes 5: Avoid double-speak or ambiguous speech. Say what you mean, and mean what you say, Matthew 5: Anything else leads only to confusion, mistrust or misunderstanding.
This allows the devil and unnecessary foothold in your relationships. Finally, if it doesn't build up, then hush up. Very simply, is what I'm about to say we going to elevate God or encourage my listener?