Orchard Community Church
For those who don’t seek to be counterculture and stand against God, persisting in pride, judgment will eventually come.
Counterculture (Part 2)
The Book of Daniel
We live in a culture that is often foreign and hostile to our faith. The book of Daniel is a collection of stories and prophecies written about Jewish believers living in the hostile foreign land of Babylon during the Exile. Therefore, the book of Daniel can teach us a lot about standing firm and living faithfully counter to the culture in which we find ourselves.
Most people don’t really like the idea of God’s judgment.
But the thing is, judgment is about justice. Do we want a God who’s just? Who holds people accountable for what they do? Or do we want a God who ignores the wrong people do?
One day we’ll all stand before God, and for those who live counter to our culture, who repent of sin and accept God’s grace, judgment holds no fear, but for those who persist in pride and arrogance, standing against God, judgment will eventually come and there will be a price to pay.
Background of the book of Daniel:
The traditional view is that it was written by the prophet Daniel in the 6th Cen. BC.[1]
Now, other scholars believe Daniel was written pseudonymously, meaning by another person using Daniel’s name, at a much later date, probably during the 2nd Cen. BC.[2] This view, because of its later date, holds that some of the prophecies of Daniel simply failed, which is an insurmountable problem since scripture says a true prophet’s words don’t fail.[3]
[1] Longman, NIVAC, 23; Miller, NAC, 22-24ff, Archer Jr., Expositor’s, 4, 13.
[2] Goldingay, Word, 122, for example.
[3] Deuteronomy 18:22
Daniel 5:1-12 NIV
v. 1 - We find that time has passed and there’s a new king in Babylon. Up to now, we’ve dealt with Nebuchadnezzar, but now we’re introduced to Belshazzar.
vv. 1-4 - We find that Belshazzar threw a huge party with lots of drinking.
Using the Temple goblets at a drunken feast and praising other gods while doing so was an act of disrespect and mockery of God, something known as blasphemy. It was also idolatry.
It was such an arrogant, prideful act that it makes it clear this was a life pattern for Belshazzar.
Just like us, he lived in a culture where pridefulness and arrogance are basically the norm and are even encouraged from celebrities to sports stars to politicians, and especially kings in that time.
Then something amazing happens. V. 5 says the fingers of a human hand appeared before them and began to write on the wall in a language they didn’t know.
With vv. 10-12 the story takes another turn. The Queen, who apparently wasn’t at this drunken feast, hears what’s going on, comes in, and reminds Belshazzar about Daniel!
Daniel 5:13-29 NIV
With vv. 13-16 the king tells Daniel he’s heard of him and his abilities.
Daniel responds in v. 17 and how he does so is fascinating!
Daniel doesn’t suck up to the king as people usually did, he doesn’t even make any small talk at all. And he brashly refuses the king’s gifts basically saying, given them to someone who needs them.
Daniel begins in vv. 18-21 by reminding Belshazzar of the story of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s greatest king, of how God humbled him and made him live like an animal. And how in the end Nebuchadnezzar, totally counter to his culture of arrogance and pride and the worship of other gods, repented and acknowledged the God of Israel as the one true God who is sovereign over all.
It’s like Daniel’s saying “Belshazzar, you’re nowhere near as great a king as Nebuchadnezzar was and God humbled Nebuchadnezzar. What were you thinking?
Daniel 5:25-27 NIV
There were only four words with one repeated twice, “mene, mene, tekel, parsin.” It literally means, “Numbered, numbered, weighed, divided.”
There would be no second chance for Belshazzar as there’d been for Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar had Nebuchadnezzar's example of what not to do, and yet he did even worse, so God would take his kingdom. This was God’s judgment!
Daniel 5:29-31 NIV
What we do know is vv. 30-31 say “That very night Belshazzar… was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.”
Chapter 5 is the opposite side of the coin from chapter 4. In chapter 4 Daniel used Nebuchadnezzar's conversion to show that those who repentant receive mercy and grace, no matter how bad their pasts were.
Here Daniel uses Belshazzar’s blasphemy and idolatry to show that the prideful and unrepentant will suffer consequences of judgment no matter how secure their present situation may seem.
A key question the Jewish people had in Daniel’s time, do the wicked prevail? The answer here is no, in the end, they don’t, there is justice, even for kings.
We don’t tend to like God’s judgment. But if sin has no consequence, if evil has no check, if justice never comes, then what good is God or his grace?
But if grace really is amazing, it should save us from something, and it does, it saves us from our sin and the judgment that it rightly brings on us.
So, counter to our culture, let’s humbly repent and receive the grace of God and embrace God’s just judgment for the good things it is. –Amen.
Today's Music
Orchard's Streaming and Song Select CCLI# 160190
Worship Options
We are excited to be able to worship under the Tent together. If you are not wanting to be under the Tent, feel free to sit in the front row of parking spots of the Orchard Parking Lot your car and tune your radio to 100.1 FM to listen to the service.
1. Masks must be worn while on the Orchard Campus (both inside and out)
2. Please maintain the Social Distance
3. Sunday Morning Children's program. Children are always welcome in the service and we do not mind the noises that come with children. Children are a healthy sign of a healthy congregation.
Orchard Kids Sunday School (For preschool through 5th grade)
We encourage families to bring your own blanket and beach chairs and distance on the lawn as much as you like. Children will worship with their families and be dismissed following the kids’ message, escorted by our Orchard Kids’ Leaders to our beautiful outdoor classroom space in the children’s play yard. We will have our Bible story, activities, crafts, and games in a specially designed format following current health and safety guidelines. Parents, please come to the children’s area immediately following the worship service and find all of your children in one place. Each family will receive a “My Church Bag” to be brought each week with basic supplies already included plus items from home: water bottle and mask for each child and a blanket for all siblings. Our team is so excited to see your family! See you Sunday!
Nursery care for children birth to 3 years old is available by RSVP only to Melinda Hoyt at melinda@orchardventura.org.
Interested in being a Volunteer? Middle school through adult, please contact Melinda Hoyt at melinda@orchardventura.org.
While we understand that some may not feel comfortable coming back in person or having to wear masks while on the Orchard campus, we encourage you to stay home and join us online with our Live Stream.
Office Hours
Monday – Thursdays from 10 am to noon.
Masks and social distancing are required.
If you are unable to make it in during our office hours, please send an email to info@orchardventura.org and or leave a message at (805) 647-3757.