July 21 ▪ Day 202

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 19:19
Daniel 5–6
Matthew 21
Psalms 18

Verse Focus (Proverbs 19:19)

A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
     rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

Meditation

Proverbs 19:19 says, in the NIV, “A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.” The truth of this proverb seems so self-evident! Part of me wonders why this is even a proverb, if what it teaches us is so obviously true.

An angry or wrathful person will get him- or herself into trouble. If that person is rescued, if there are no consequences to their behavior, then there is no impetus for change. There is no reason to curb that anger unless the person suffers from the results of their own behavior. (Perhaps this is why we live in this world — we will not grow or change or become better unless we are disciplined for our misbehavior. Thus life on earth is the training ground for character development.)

Although this particular proverb speaks of anger, we know that this principle is true for many other kinds of wrongdoing. Someone who is financially irresponsible — they will keep getting into trouble, time and again. Bailing them out may solve the immediate crisis, but it does not prevent one from occurring again. Only paying the penalty has the possibility of creating change within a person’s character.

What is needed is “tough love.” And I think that’s the real reason why this proverb is here. It’s not to tell us the obvious — that those who get into trouble because of a character flaw will only get into trouble again (even or especially when they are bailed out). No, this proverb is to remind us that parents, partners, siblings, and friends all need to be able to give that tough love when required. We need to be able to stand firm. We need to be able to refrain from “helping.” Yet it is so hard to see our loved ones suffering the consequences!

As I meditate on this proverb, though, it helps me understand why God often seems to have a “hands off” policy regarding us. He needs to let us sin and fall so that we desire to change. As painful as it is to go through these experiences, I imagine it’s much harder for God to watch us suffer the consequences of our sin. But He didn’t sit on the sidelines. He sent us Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Father God, thank you for giving us a true solution to our sin problem. We have many, many flaws. Give us the motivation to change those things inside of us that lead to destruction. And help us to respond the right way when our loved ones get into trouble as a result of their failings. Give us wisdom, compassion, and the ability to stand firm if we should not rescue our loved ones out of their difficulties. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

We have an English idiom that comes from today’s reading in Daniel. We say, “He saw the writing on the wall…” (or “the handwriting on the wall”) to mean that someone recognized signs that something bad was going to happen. So a person might resign from their job to avoid being fired. Or someone else might leave a company before it goes bankrupt. It’s odd that, in our idiom, the person who sees the handwriting on the wall actually takes the warning and does something to save him- or herself. In the actual story told in Daniel 5, the king saw the warning but by then it was already too late.

King Belshazzar is the one who sees the mysterious hand write on the plaster in his banquet hall. The story takes place at a feast in the late autumn of 539 BC. The king and his guests drink from the sacred vessels from Jerusalem’s temple, while at the same time praising “the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone (v. 4).” There is an immediate response — a mysterious hand writes on the wall. The king is very upset and frightened. None of his astrologers or wise men can read the writing on the wall, but the queen tells him about Daniel. And Daniel, while declining the proffered honors, interprets the message for the king. Belshazzar has been weighed and found wanting, and the kingdom will be taken from him and given to the Medes and Persians. And that very night the king is killed, and then Darius the Mede becomes king.

Chapter 5 is one that is particularly problematic because of a few of its historical details. As we understand history, Belshazzar was the crown prince and son of Nabonidus, who was the last king of the Babylonian empire. Belshazzar had a co-regency at one point, although he was never actually crowned king and he was not allowed to use that title. So the fact that Daniel calls him a “king” is disturbing to some historians. For myself, I do not have a problem with Daniel calling him a king since Daniel was writing in a completely different language. Perhaps Aramaic (which I believe was the original language of this chapter) didn’t have separate words for “regent” versus “king” and Daniel used a word that simply meant the ruler (even if the ruler typically would have been a king).

Another sticking point is that the text refers to Nebuchadnezzar as Belshazzar’s “father (v. 11).” Many do not believe there was any blood connection between Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar, although others contend that Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter’s son. Referring to Nebuchadnezzar as his father, rather than as his grandfather, is simply a matter of custom. “Father” is used for any significant ancestor, just as Abraham is the “father” of the Jews. Even if Belshazzar was not Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson and there was no blood connection between them, it’s very conceivable that, in a change of kingship within a particular empire, it may have been a polite fiction to speak of the new ruler as the “son” of the former ruler.

Historians also dispute Daniel’s assertion of “Darius the Mede” as a “king.” It was Cyrus the Great who was ruler over the empire of the Medes and Persians when Babylon fell in 539 BC. However, the text seems to indicate that Darius was an appointed regent — a subordinate ruler. Unfortunately, historians have not been able to reliably identify the person Daniel calls Darius the Mede. It is possible he is Gubaru, the governor under Cyrus who appointed sub-governors in Babylonia immediately after its conquest.

As one of his last acts before he is slain, Belshazzar makes Daniel his third ruler in the kingdom (v. 29). This sets him up to be in a position of prominence when Darius the Mede begins ruling the kingdom. You might wonder why Daniel didn’t already have a position of influence — hadn’t he been promoted to a significant position back when Nebuchadnezzar was king? But by the time this particular feast happened, Daniel was already in his 80s, possibly even in his late 80s. It is likely he had retired from public life some time earlier, only being called back into service because of the supernatural event of the writing on the wall.

So as Daniel 6 begins, Daniel is in a high position within the government and he retains a high position under King Darius. In fact, he does so well that Darius makes plans to set Daniel up over the whole kingdom (v. 3). The other officials band together against Daniel and plot to get rid of him. (It had likely been a very rude awakening to have Daniel come, seemingly out of nowhere, and take over one of the highest positions in government.) And that’s why they set up both Daniel and King Darius.

I’m not sure why King Darius agreed to the law about not allowing any petitions to anyone other than himself for the next month. Was he just not paying attention to what it was? He was signing too many agreements that day? Or perhaps they were naming the month after him, and suggesting it as an honor — no one is allowed to make petitions to anyone other than you in honor of your month. It seemed reasonable enough as it was proposed, but he clearly didn’t think through the ramifications of the law.

As Daniel 6 portrays the king, he is distressed when he learns that Daniel will be thrown into the lion’s den. He tries to find a way out for Daniel, but the laws — once put into effect — cannot be changed (just like what happens in the book of Esther). So he spends a sleepless night, fasting and worrying while Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den. And, of course, God rescues Daniel. The officials who had plotted against Daniel are then thrown into the lion’s den themselves — along with their wives and children. And King Darius sends a proclamation out to the entire empire, giving honor to God because of how He rescued Daniel. (I note that Darius, unlike Nebuchadnezzar, did not decree some elaborate punishment should the people fail to honor God.)

Two things strike me about the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. The first is how Daniel kneels to pray and give thanks. He is not doing this because he feels in jeopardy, but because this is his usual custom. He always kneels and prays three times a day, giving thanks to God (v. 10). Daniel had faith and wisdom, but it was the result of a lifetime of seeking God. And having that lifetime of intimacy with God is what gives Daniel the strength for this particular trial.

The second thing I note is the deaths of the wives and children, killed by the lion(s) in the den. Part of me grieves at such a harsh punishment. It seems unfair for the families to have to suffer for the men’s political scheming. But I think this is entirely the point. Your sin does not only affect yourself. There are ripples, and consequences, that will affect your entire family — and many others as well.

Matthew 21 tells of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He fulfills prophecy on this first Palm Sunday. He cleanses the temple; he heals people. He curses a fig tree (poor tree! 🙁 ). His authority is questioned, and he tells two parables.

As I was reading the passage today, I noticed a detail that has skipped by me for years. To my surprise, I saw that verse 2 speaks of two animals being brought to Jesus — the donkey colt and his mother. What? Two animals? Is this a contradiction? I did look at the parallel passages in all the other gospels and everyone else only speaks of the colt. And that is what my memory remembered, too — one colt. So I found the mention of two animals very interesting. But even more interesting is how I could read this chapter for years and years and years, and yet never notice this difference between Matthew and the other gospel writers. I don’t feel like I’m not paying attention when I read the Bible. Yet year after year, I discover new things. I suppose that’s a good thing. It shows that the Holy Spirit continues to reveal things to me. It would be much more worrisome if I never saw anything new in a Bible passage. 🙂

Of course, I don’t think the fact that two animals went to Jesus is a contradiction. It merely expands my understanding of what happened that day. But this is exactly the kind of detail that people like to believe discredits the historicity of the Bible. For those who would like to read more about this seeming “contradiction,” there’s a nice article on the Internet here: Apologetics Press: A Donkey and Her Colt.

Similar to the gospel differences about the animals, there’s also a difference in how Matthew talks about the children crying Hosanna. In the other gospel narratives, the people cry Hosanna as they meet Jesus on the way into Jerusalem, singing their praises as he rides on the colt. In Matthew, the children are praising him in the temple as he heals the sick and the lame. When Jesus is criticized for what the children are saying, he gives a different response than what he said in Luke 19:40. In Luke, he talks about the stones themselves crying out if the people remain silent. Here in Matthew, Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2, “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise.” The fact that this is a different response makes it more credible to me. I’m sure Jesus heard criticism constantly against those who were praising Jesus — as he rode into Jerusalem, in the temple as he healed, and all throughout his ministry.

Two verses strike me today. In verse 32, Jesus says to the Pharisees, “And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.” They saw the tax collectors and prostitutes repenting, believing the words of John the Baptist. The Pharisees saw the evidence of changed lives — but even in witnessing this revival of the people, they did not believe John the Baptist themselves. They refused to change. It’s a haunting accusation, and one that could be lobbied against so many people today. How many people close their eyes to the evidence of change? How many refuse to see God at work? And how many see, but then refuse to take it to heart?

Verse 43 was a warning to the Pharisees, and it’s a warning to us as well. Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” The idea that the kingdom of God could be taken away from anyone is a bit frightening. But Jesus has been clear all along that one who truly repents will bring forth fruit. Indeed, those who have an active faith will be fruitful. As I have grown as a Christian, this idea of producing fruit becomes more and more important. I pray that God will use me for His kingdom, and I pray that I will be fruitful for Him.

Psalm 18 uses vivid imagery to show us how mighty God is. The earth reels and rocks; mountains tremble and quake. He thunders in the heavens and speaks through the weather. He uses hailstones as tools, and lightning bolts as arrows. At the merest rebuke, the foundations are laid bare.

This mighty God — the Creator — saves us. He draws us out of “many waters (v. 16).” Our enemies may be “too mighty (v. 17)” for us, but they are nothing before God the Father. God gives us light and hope. He is our support. He rescues us because He delights in us. He puts us in a spacious place. He shields us. God lives! He is our rock. He always shows us steadfast love through His anointed, Jesus Christ.

Father God, I’m grateful that you are mighty and powerful. You are greater than my foes and your love is unceasing. Keep me close to you. Renew my heart and mind each day. By your grace, may I continue to repent and continue to be fruitful and effective for your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.