Love God Greatly - Living Faithful in a Faithless Land: A Study of Daniel預覽

Week 1: God is at Work Even in the Painful Days

The Potter’s Hand

Read: Jeremiah 18:1-12; Jeremiah 18:18; Jeremiah 25:1-3; Jeremiah 25:11

SOAP***: Jeremiah 18:6

“I, the Lord, say: ‘O nation of Israel, can I not deal with you as this potter deals with the clay? In my hands, you, O nation of Israel, are just like the clay in this potter’s hand.’

Into the Text

Before we start our study of the book of Daniel, let’s look at what another prophet of that era had to say about why God allowed His people to be taken to Babylon.

Jeremiah was sent to the people of Judah because they had repeatedly broken their covenant with God. There was a lot of social injustice. They worshiped other ‘gods’ and even performed child sacrifices. They were stumbling along in the wrong direction away from God.

For nearly 25 years, Jeremiah had warned the people of Judah to change their ways so that they could thrive in the land God gave them. The Promised Land was supposed to be a place where God’s people worshiped Him and drew other nations to Him. However, the people wouldn’t listen to Jeremiah. Instead, he was mistreated, and most people claimed Jeremiah was wrong. They reasoned God would not allow His people to be taken from the land, but God never made that promise.

Even before they entered the Promised Land, Moses warned them to obey God (See Deuteronomy 28). If they didn’t obey God, He would not allow them to remain in the land. Other prophets had said the same. Jeremiah even predicted that God would use Babylon to defeat Judah and rule over them for 70 years.

We all like to hear the positive things people say about us. We enjoy being reminded God loves us, just as we are. But, we can be less keen to hear truths such as God detests our sin; He wants more for us; or He wants us to grow to be more like Jesus.

Look again at the SOAP verse. Read it aloud but replace “nation of Israel” with your name.

How teachable are you? We are often more focused on the temporary things of this world. God wants to develop your relationship with Him and your character because He is interested in molding us into His likeness. Are you willing to be molded?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I confess I often want to ignore my own sin. I do what is easy rather than what I know is right. God, would you mold me and make me more like Jesus? Help me hear your Word and put it into action. Amen.

***SOAP Method

S – SCRIPTURE
Physically write out the Bible verse
You’ll be amazed at what God will reveal to you when you slow down to write or meditate on what you are reading!

O – OBSERVATION
What do you see in the verses you’re reading?
Who is the audience? Is there a repetition of words? What words stand out to you? What is the main lesson or theme?

A – APPLICATION
When God’s Word becomes personal
What is God saying to me today? How can I apply what I just read to my life? Are there any changes I need to make?

P – PRAYER
Pray God’s Word back to Him
If He has revealed something to you during this time in His Word, pray about it. Confess if He has revealed some sin that is in your life. Take time to thank Him for His goodness in your life.