Daniel 7:15-28
1. Concern, v. 15-18
2. Clarity, v. 19-22
3. Severity, v. 23-25
“What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
-Romans 3:9-20
“Individual sinners are harmful, sometimes deeply. But sinners bound together behind a group cause can cause great devastation. Nationalism, racism, sexism, denominationalism, factionalism- great evil can arise when sinners come together with a common purpose against someone outside of the group, the “other.” We can depersonalize the other, they aren’t quite human, and so to harm the other is not quite the same as hurting one of our own.”
-Tremper Longman
4. Certainty, v. 26-28
“And do not seek what you are to eat and what you re to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom and these things will be added to you. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
-Luke 12:29-32
Takeaways…
People of faith still feel deep concern.
Regardless of how things sometimes look, God is always in control.
We need to know how this all ends.