Szeretnél fejlődni a hitedben és megtapasztalni, hogy Isten hogyan vezeti az életedet? Ez a sorozat segít abban, hogy jobban megértsd a Dániel könyvének üzenetét a mai világban.
“Jójákím júdai király uralkodásának harmadik évében felvonult Nebukadneccar, Babilónia királya Jeruzsálem ellen, és ostrom alá vette. Az Úr a kezébe adta Jójákímot, Júda királyát és az Isten háza fölszerelésének egy részét; ő pedig elvitte a fölszerelést Sineár földjére, a maga isteneinek a templomába, és isteneinek a kincstárában helyezte el.” Dániel 1:1-2
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF DANIEL
The book of Daniel covers several themes, but most theologians see God’s sovereignty as its main theme. Sovereignty means absolute, complete authority and power over all things—power that belongs solely to God. God’s sovereignty is unlimited. In other words, the controller is in His hands. Without denying this, but taking it a step further, the main theme of this series is an active God. We do not have a dead God, but a living God who acts, and this is the foundation of our testimony. Paul the Apostle says: the controller is in His hands. Without denying this, but taking it a step further, the main theme of this series is an active God. We do not have a dead God, but a living God who acts, and this is the foundation of our testimony. Paul the Apostle says:
“Krisztus Jézusban tehát van okom a dicsekvésre Isten előtt, mert semmi olyanról nem mernék beszélni, amit ne Krisztus tett volna általam a népek megtéréséért SZÓVAL ÉS TETTEL, jelek és csodák erejével, a Lélek erejével:” Róma 15:17-19
Thus, the gospel is proclaimed effectively through words and deeds—our deeds and God’s deeds.
OUR DEEDS:
“Ti vagytok a föld sója. Ha pedig a só megízetlenül, mivel lehetne ízét visszaadni? Semmire sem való már, csak arra, hogy kidobják, és eltapossák az emberek. Ti vagytok a világ világossága. Nem rejthető el a hegyen épült város. Lámpást sem azért gyújtanak, hogy a véka alá tegyék, hanem a lámpatartóra, hogy világítson mindenkinek a házban. Úgy ragyogjon a ti világosságotok az emberek előtt, hogy lássák jó cselekedeteiteket, és dicsőítsék a ti mennyei Atyátokat.” Máté 5:13-16
Our deeds are the good works by which we season and preserve our environment and shine in the darkness.
GOD’S DEEDS:
“Azok pedig elmentek, hirdették az igét mindenütt, az Úr pedig együtt munkálkodott velük, megerősítette az igehirdetést a nyomában járó jelekkel.” Márk 16:20
We will see that Daniel and his friends were salt and light in the Babylonian empire, and God performed mighty works. The book of Daniel is therefore very exciting and relevant for today’s people.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Dániel könyve a babiloni fogság ideje alatt íródott, és azzal az eseménnyel kezdődik, amikor Nebukadneccar babilóniai király először vette ostrom alá Jeruzsálemet, és a lakosok közül elhurcolt egy csomó embert Babilóniába, köztük Dánielt és 3 barátját. (Kr e. 605) Ezután Nebukadneccar még két alkalommal vonult fel Jeruzsálem ellen és 3. alkalommal lerombolta a templomot és végleg elfoglalta Jeruzsálemet. Izrael identitása: FÖLD ÉS TEMPLOM.
A babiloni király mindkettőt elvette Izraeltől, és ez nagyon rosszul érintette őket. Olyan, mintha ma egy tinitől elvennénk a telefonját egy hétig. Meg is halnának, ha ez így lenne. (pl. amikor Amerikában egy tini lány az okos hűtőn folytatta az Instagram posztjait, miután az anyukája elvette a telefonját).
Daniel lived through Nebuchadnezzar’s reign but never returned home, staying in captivity until the end of his life. He had a long, eventful life, witnessing many things (Nebuchadnezzar’s fall, the rise of the Persian empire, the return of the Jewish people after 70 years of captivity), and he was about 80–85 years old when he died, full of life. The name Daniel means “GOD IS MY JUDGE,” which is very fitting and prophetic, as the entire book shows God executing justice for those who trust in Him.
Some question the book’s authorship, claiming it was written much later in the 2nd century BC under a pseudonym. One main argument is that Daniel’s prophecies were so accurate regarding historical events that it could only have been written after the events. This view is incorrect. Daniel himself wrote the book, and the historical prophecies are precise because the Bible is divinely inspired. God knows everything in advance and revealed the future to Daniel. What God predicts will come to pass.
Jesus also quotes Daniel multiple times, accepting it as completely authentic:
“Amikor tehát meglátjátok, hogy „a pusztító utálatosság” ott áll a szent helyen – erről beszélt Dániel próféta, aki olvassa, értse meg! –, akkor azok, akik Júdeában lesznek, meneküljenek a hegyekbe.” Máté 25:15-16
DEVELOPING THE THEME
We now approach the book of Daniel with the perspective that Babylon = the world. Just as Daniel was a foreigner in Babylon, we are foreigners in this world. We are heavenly citizens; this world is not our home. Main theme: How do we live in a foreign world? We should not conform to the world, but the world should come to us. As we read, we will see how Daniel and his friends were tested in this regard.
Jesus’ desire is for us to commit ourselves radically to Him, just as Daniel and his friends did. One goal of this series is for your faith to grow and your commitment to God to deepen.
Daniel was about 15 years old when he was deported. How hard it must have been to be separated from his family. We don’t even know if his family survived the siege. Daniel may have wondered, “Where is God now? Does He even know what’s happening?” From the first verses, it’s clear that God not only knew but that the destruction of Jerusalem was His will.
“Az Úr a kezébe adta Jójákímot, Júda királyát és az Isten háza fölszerelésének egy részét; ő pedig elvitte a fölszerelést Sineár földjére, a maga isteneinek a templomába, és isteneinek a kincstárában helyezte el.” Dániel 1:2
God is sovereign. Nothing happens outside His control; He knows everything, sees everything, and directs everything. God even uses evil to accomplish His plans and will in the world. The controller is in His hands—for example, Joseph’s story, Jesus’ crucifixion.
Babilon, a világ szimbóluma – hogyan éljünk idegen környezetben?
But why did all this happen? Why the Babylonian captivity? If God is good, why did He allow this tragedy? Because of Israel’s sins. God warned them repeatedly to repent, but they didn’t. Therefore, God’s punishment came upon them. Jeremiah says:
“Az ÚR elküldte hozzátok szolgáit, a prófétákat, idejében küldte, de ti nem hallgattatok és nem figyeltetek rájuk, meg sem hallgattátok őket. A próféták ezt mondták: Térjen meg mindenki a maga gonosz útjáról és gaztetteiből! . . . Mivel nem hallgattatok az én igéimre, elhozatom észak valamennyi nemzetségét – így szól az ÚR – meg szolgámat, Nebukadneccart, Babilónia királyát. Rázúdítom erre az országra, lakóira és valamennyi szomszédos népre. . . Ez az ország szörnyű romhalmazzá lesz, és ezek a népek Babilónia királyának fognak szolgálni hetven esztendeig.” Jeremiás 25:1-11
God is good but also just. His patience is long but not infinite. He warns repeatedly, but if someone does not repent, He disciplines. He disciplines His children like a good father because He does not want them to go astray. Today, one of the biggest problems in many families is that THE CHILD COMES FIRST, and everything happens so they feel good. They get everything they want and are rarely disciplined.
Yet loving parenting includes discipline. The Bible also teaches this:
“Mert akit szeret az Úr, azt megfenyíti, és megostoroz mindenkit, akit fiává fogad. . . . Ha pedig fenyítés nélkül maradtok, amelyben mindenki részesül, fattyak vagytok, nem pedig fiak . . . Az első pillanatban ugyan semmiféle fenyítés nem látszik örvendetesnek, hanem keservesnek, később azonban az igazság békességes gyümölcsét hozza azoknak, akik megedződtek általa. ” Zsidó 12:8
If God does not discipline someone going in the wrong direction, that is called God’s PASSIVE JUDGMENT, because He allows those who continually reject Him to follow their own path toward destruction. But with His children, He never does this. Therefore, we should rejoice in discipline—it shows God loves us and does not want us to go the wrong way.
Interestingly, here God punished an entire nation, not just an individual. The Bible thinks in terms of families and nations. If a family has sin, it affects the whole family, not just the guilty members. The same applies to a nation. Even though Daniel was faithful to God, the sins of Israel affected him too. If a nation turns from God, blessings will not rest on it, but if they return to the Lord, they will experience God’s blessing. Let us pray for the Hungarian people, that more hearts turn to the Lord and that God blesses the nation abundantly.
This is also true for our congregation. If someone lives in sin and does not repent, it affects the whole church, and God’s blessing will not rest upon us. Therefore, known sins require church discipline, and secret sins, seen only by God, can also harm the community.
“Hát nem tudjátok, hogy egy kicsiny kovász az egész tésztát megkeleszti?” 1Korinthus 5:6
The book of Daniel is part of a bigger story. In a sense, we can choose our actions, but we cannot stop God’s grand plan. For example, passengers on a ship from Cyprus to Israel—they are not the captain, just passengers. We are not the authors of history, just participants. God is the Lord of history. This is what the book of Daniel is about.
It is about God’s great story, in which we also have a role. The main character of this story is Jesus Christ. It is all about Him, and we exalt Him highly. We are only supporting characters. The story: Creation, Fall, Abraham, the selection of the Jewish people, the failure of the Law due to humanity’s fallen heart, redemption, Jesus’ return, final judgment, new creation. Framing story: Creation, new creation. Daniel was part of this story and had his role. Your life is also part of this story if you allow God to lead it.
Application
Do you want to control your life, or will you let God guide it? If your life were a book, would you write it yourself or let God write it? Are you ready to fully surrender your life to Christ and allow Him to lead it? If so, you will play a beautiful role in God’s grand work. It may not be easy, but a wonderful story will unfold, one you will look back on with joy at the end of your life—just like Daniel, his three friends, Paul the Apostle, and all the saints who faithfully served God throughout their lives.
Is there a sin in your life that God has warned you about repeatedly, but you haven’t repented? If so, bring that sin to the foot of the cross now and ask God for forgiveness and deliverance. Your sin may also affect those around you—your loved ones, your workplace, your church… Be careful! If you persist in sin despite repeated warnings, God’s discipline may come upon you, which is not pleasant. There is a very severe verse:
“Aki a fenyítés ellenére is nyakas marad, hirtelen gyógyíthatatlanul összetörik.” Példabeszédek 29:1
I do not know exactly what this means, and I do not want to, because it is very frightening. Therefore, I urge you, by God’s mercy, if He convicts you of sin, repent.