Through their wisdom and through their service to the king, Daniel and his friends bear witness to the power and glory of God through their faithful witness. Many of us know the account found in today’s reading, wherein Daniel’s friends (here called by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) are forced to decide between paying homage to Nebuchadnezzar’s idol or burning alive in a giant furnace. They choose the difficult path of faithfulness, confessing that God can save them if he so desires. In chapter 4, the king recounts a dream and Daniel’s interpretation of it, followed by the fulfillment of the dream wherein the king is humbled by God Almighty.

Daniel 3 - 1:04 .

Daniel 4 - 8:58 .

Proverbs 27:1-13 - 17:59 .

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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God’s people are now in exile in the land of Babylon, which brings us to the book of Daniel, an extraordinary account of a young Judean exile who receives interpretation and prophecy from the Lord while serving foreign kings. Of particular significance in today’s passage is the statue that Nebuchadnezzar sees in a dream. The statue’s head of gold represented Babylon; its silver chest and arms: the Medo-Persian empire; the bronze stomach and thighs: the Greek empire; the legs of iron: the kingdom of Rome; and the mixed clay and iron feet: a continuation of Rome in later times. Finally, the rock represents the kingdom of God in Christ, as it easily destroys the manmade statue, enduring forever and spreading throughout the earth.

Daniel 1 - 1:05 . 1:11

Daniel 2 - 4:30 . 4:36

Proverbs 26:13-28 - 16:05 .

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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Joel is one of the shortest books of the Old Testament and is divided in two parts. The first half describes a plague of locusts that invade the land and destroy the land’s produce, threatening the survival of animals, people, and even grain offerings before the Lord. That section ends with a plea for God’s people to confess their sins, transitioning to the second half of the book, which contains promises of the Lord to restore and rebuild his people and the land. Interpreters debate about the relationship between the locusts & the army; is the army a swarm of locusts, or is Joel comparing the people of the army to that of a swarm of locusts? Maybe both! Regardless, the promises of God to restore repentant people resound w/ hope & joy.

Joel 1 - 1:05 .

Joel 2 - 5:00 .

Joel 3 - 13:00 .

Proverbs 26:1-12 - 17:12 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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For modern audiences like us, these concluding chapters may feel more drudgery than delight, but for the original audience, these final depictions would have been the most exciting. Ezekiel once brought a message of condemnation and despair, but now that those prophecies have come true and Israel has spent 25 years in exile, Ezekiel brings a message of hope and restoration. Some of today’s revelation is other-worldly, as Ezekiel sees a river coming from under the temple, recalling the garden of Eden, the tree depicted in Psalm 1, all while pointing us toward the river seen in the book of Revelation.

Ezekiel 46 - 1:06 .

Ezekiel 47 - 6:16 .

Ezekiel 48 - 12:00 .

Proverbs 25:14-28 - 19:07 .

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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To put today’s passage in context, it’s important to spend a moment considering when this vision occurred and what had happened up to this point. Remember that God had declared through Ezekiel that his glory had left the temple. Over time, the Lord’s temple had become defiled and desecrated by idols, so the Lord sent the Chaldeans to demolish it. Jerusalem was made a desolation, and the people were exiled from the land. Twenty-five years later, Ezekiel sees a vision that would have brought renewed hope and joy: a new temple with revived worship practices, and most important of all, the promise of God’s glory and favor would return.

Ezekiel 43 - 1:02 .

Ezekiel 44 - 8:05 .

Ezekiel 45 - 16:13 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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There are different takes on the exact meaning of the temple Ezekiel sees in today’s passage, some say it is symbolic, others heavenly, while others take note of it’s cross-shaped floor plan. Here’s what we know. First, it was never built. Second, this passage is the longest recording of a revelation in Scripture and it gives very specific dimensions for a temple design with measurements that differ from the original temple. Third, in the original Hebrew, the measurements are in cubits and multiples of 5 and 25 abound; and this vision takes place after 25 years in exile. Fourth, but certainly not finally, other than Moses, Ezekiel is the only person in the Old Testament to receive and transmit specific legislation directly from God.

Ezekiel 40 - 1:02 .

Ezekiel 41 - 8:59 .

Ezekiel 42 - 17:35 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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You may have noticed this turn already, but ever since the mention of Jerusalem’s fall in chapter 33, God’s message to His people has become one of promise and hope for a restoration that will take place in the future. In our last episode, God promised to send a shepherd to his people, one that would be a prince among them from the line of David. Today, the Lord commands Ezekiel to prophesy to a valley of dry bones. Through the word of the Lord, these bones gather into fully restored bodies and stand on their feet. Ezekiel also prophesies against Gog of Magog, which may be the king we know as Gyges of Lydia. Even so, this prophesy goes beyond immediate circumstances to condemn a leader opposed to Israel in the far future.

Ezekiel 37 - 1:02 .

Ezekiel 38 - 8:06 .

Ezekiel 39 - 14:20 .

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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Up next in the list of nations being rebuked by the Lord is the nation of Edom. Edom was on the short list of nations receiving prophetic rebuke along with Ammon, Moab, and Philistia when this section began back in chapter 25. Recall that the nation of Edom stems from Jacob’s (aka Israel’s) brother Esau, and they have been at odds more or less ever since the womb. Most recently, Edom participated in the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem during the Babylonian invasion. History reveals that in time the Edomites will be defeated by the Maccabees in 126 BC and incorporated into the Jewish state and would cease to exist by the year 6 AD. Later in our reading, Ezekiel promises restoration for Israel, bringing them back into their own land.

Ezekiel 35 - 1:02 .

Ezekiel 36 - 4:01 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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