Willow Journey

Willow Creek Community Church
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Reading through scripture every day.

  1. 11/20/2020

    Bonus Feature 4 of Journey Through Daniel | NIVES' STORY

    NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT JOY FROM YOU. There’s a song that says, “If you receive and you believe, testify.” I don’t really like to talk about myself, but I think it’s important to do so when we go through certain things in life and experience certain things, and whenever God’s presence is in someone’s life, it’s encouraging to share with others. My name is Nives, and I grew up in Croatia. I was born in Yugoslavia, and I was a child from a mixed marriage between a Croatian and a Serb. This didn’t really matter when we had Yugoslavia, but when the civil war in Croatia started in 1991, that seemed to be all that mattered. On top of being from a mixed marriage, I had the last name of a Serbian president so I couldn’t hide. I belonged nowhere on either side. I’m from a town that had a lot of military presence and my town was a border town. Those were the unlucky ones in the war because for four years, there was always some kind of a fighting and shooting and bombing until the war ended in 1995. The first year was the worst. I never knew when it was going to happen. I could be playing tennis and suddenly there’s an alarm. I’m running home and there are bombs flying, falling down, and planes are above my head. And I’d think, “All right, I’m almost home, maybe I’ll make it, maybe not.” And that’s where faith comes in, when you have no influence, no power, no control. That’s when we can say, “Okay, God, come on, step in. I just can’t do this on my own. If I make it through, if I survive, just show me the way. What’s my purpose? Why am I doing this? Why am I the lucky one? What do I do with this experience? It can’t be for nothing.” In high school, I was an okay tennis player, and I was invited to play tennis in Germany. I told my parents, “I’m 17. I want to go. I don’t want to be here in the middle of the war. I’m done with this.” I was young and didn’t know how hard it was going to be. That was the first time in my life when I really felt like I couldn’t do this. It was just too hard. I was so attached to my mom. My life goal was to get a job in the same building with her, but it just felt like a wind behind my back. Like, you’ve got to go do this, you’ve got to go do this. Have faith that it’s going to be okay. It wasn’t even so much that I was adventurous or brave. Not at all. It was just how the whole thing happened. Even how they invited me out of nowhere, even though they never saw me play. So I went to Germany, and played one year for them. Then I came home to finish high school and while I was preparing to finish and graduate, I got an offer to come to Chicago and play tennis for DePaul University. I was 18. I had taken a little English in school, but you can’t compare that to the college level. I didn’t even know what the SAT exam was. I got a book, studied for a month, and took the exam. Now that I have kids living here in the US, I realize what a process it is and how important it is. I didn’t know then, which was a blessing at the time. I passed the exam by five points to get in. But that’s when the real work began for me. I had to play tennis every day, travel to tournaments every weekend, along with studying and going to school as well. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about what I’m capable of doing and also just the culture here. I didn’t know much about America. I did not have an American Dream. It just happened. When I came here, it was very different from what I was used to, and it took me many years to assimilate. I was very fortunate that I was always around people who were loving and supportive, who didn’t care that my English was broken, that I spoke funny and was missing a lot of words. I was surrounded by student athletes and over time, I got better, and the professors understood and supported me. But of course there are people who assume that if you don’t speak perfect English, that means that you are not smart because the way you speak is a reflection of your intelligence. When we went to tournaments, we were hosted by families in the towns we played in. One time, my teammate, who was also from Croatia, and I were at the dinner table with our host family. In front of us, they discussed how scholarships shouldn’t be given to international students because that takes away from the American taxpayers. I understood her point of view, but to have that discussion at the dinner table, in front of us, that was too much. But there are all kinds of people, and you just have to not let that influence and impact you. You just do your thing and do the best you can. In Europe, we’re surrounded by so many countries and inevitably you will travel to another country. Or if you live in a tourist country like Croatia with the coast, you will be exposed to other languages, cultures, the way they talk and even behave. And in America, even though it’s a melting pot of cultures, it’s still separated and shielded from the rest of the world. For people who are born and raised in small towns, they’re not exposed to that. New things tend to feel scary for a lot of people, but they’re not. If you look at it as exciting, you never know what you’re going to find out and learn. After college, I was planning on going back to Croatia, which was always my plan. But I ended up falling in love, getting married, and staying here. I told my family, “Sorry, guys, I’m going to be living here from now on.” So I got married. I worked for Jewel-Osco for nine years as a procurement manager in the main office. Then, I got pregnant with twins. I lost one baby at 10 weeks and the other one at 30 weeks. It was a very unusual circumstance. But the interesting thing that happened is when I was 30 weeks pregnant, I had a placenta rupture and ended up in the hospital and the baby died. I ended up getting a bad pulmonary embolism. As I laid in my hospital bed, I heard a whisper and had a whole conversation. I believe this so firmly even though my husband and the nurses said that I didn’t say a word. That whispered conversation was God’s blessing to me, proof that I’ve got to keep believing, being faithful, and trusting God. This might sound like a crazy story, but like I said, if it happens, you have to testify. I heard a whisper say to me that this baby was not meant to be, but the one next year would be. That made me very angry. The whisper kept saying, “You don’t need to know why. That’s just how it’s going to be.” But the next year, I had a baby girl. And the voice had told me it would be a girl. I don’t know how to explain it, but when you live through something like that, your faith is unshakeable. I think that prepared me for when, seven years later, my husband passed away. It was very sudden and unexpected. He left for work and never came back. He was 38, and it was just a shock. I was a widow with children ages 5 and 7, with no family to help. When I look back on my life and the tragedies that happened, I think they slowly prepared me. You can’t be fully prepared for this, but I always believe that things will be better. Without that belief and faith, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here. It’s been a long road, and there were a lot of tears and good people around me. A lot of people helped me, even helped me keep my faith. And I would always wonder, why would all these things be happening to me? I’ve realized that all my experiences are really just a way for me to be ready and prepared to help and serve people in my life who are going through similar things. I can reach out to others and say, “Hey, I’m here to hold your hand. I’m here to talk to you. I’m here for you.” When I was in need, others saved me. One time, I was shoveling my driveway. My neighbor was also clearing his driveway. He had a snow blower and I had an old fashioned shovel. He never said a word. The next time I had to shovel, I was so tired. I couldn’t do it anymore and laid the shovel on the ground. I was done. God, Jesus, come on I need something. And as I said that, I was looking at the snow falling and how beautiful it was in the middle of my nervous breakdown, and here comes my neighbor and he says, “Hey, how about I shovel for you today?” I’m like, “Oh my God, thank you so much.” That was a small miracle. I like to think I’m strong and tough, but sometimes I’m not. I always feel that when I surrender, when I’m done controlling and doing things on my own, that’s when God says, “Okay, now you can listen. Now you can hear me.” It’s difficult to be happy or satisfied with everything in your life. And most of the time, if we’re honest, we’re not. But if you can find joy in your life, no matter what’s going on around you, as powerless as you may feel, remember that you are God’s beloved child, no matter what. No one can take that joy from you. There’s always hope. There is God’s grace and God’s love. And sometimes our prayers are unanswered, but it’s not because God is busy or doesn’t care or doesn’t love us. Sometimes we just have to be patient. We might not get the answers to why things are unanswered, but some things are blessings really. We just don’t know it at the time. So always keep the faith and find people in your life who support you and love you and who can be there for you and never give up.

    29 min

  2. 11/20/2020

    Day 20 of Journey through Daniel | THE RESCUE AND RAISING OF FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS OF GOD

    COMMENTARY Daniel 12 concludes the final vision and brings the book of Daniel to a stunning close. In the first half of the vision, we read about a series of kings who would “arise” to their thrones and oppress the people of God (Daniel 11:2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 16, 20, 21, 31). We were told that each king would meet their just “end” similar to the way previous kings in the book were humbled because of their pride (Daniel 11:27, 35, 40, 45). But somewhat surprisingly, we also read that some people who remained loyal to God would meet a similar fate; they would “fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered” (Daniel 11:33). The death of God’s faithful in Daniel 11 stands out given that in so many previous stories and visions, God rescued and raised His people to victory. God rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the furnace and raised them to positions of power. God rescued Daniel from the lions and raised him to the second-highest throne in Persia. God rescued the Son of Man and those He represented, giving them a kingdom that would never be destroyed. But now it seems that the furnace has burned God’s followers. It seems that the lions have devoured them. It seems that the enemies of the people of God have caused their demise. So what does it mean for God to be sovereign and just if this is the end for many innocent people who courageously stayed faithful to Him? Chapter 12 presents the resolution. If God’s justice is to be ultimately realized in the world, the end for the faithful who have died won’t be death but will be one last great work of rescue and raising. Daniel 12:2-3 says, “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” Here we read the clearest Old Testament reference to bodily resurrection. The promise of the vision is that those who remain loyal to God will be rescued from death and raised to rule and reign with Him, filling the royal role that God gave humans from the very beginning (Genesis 1:26-28). This is what it means to say that the resurrected would “shine” like “stars.” In the Bible, shining stars are symbols of royalty as in Numbers 24:17, which says, “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” To be a star is to have a position of power in God’s kingdom. So as we’ve seen throughout the book of Daniel, tyrants may oppress others in their pursuit of power, but in the end, seats of authority in God’s kingdom are reserved for the humble and faithful. This is the promise for us today if we stay faithful to God. In a society that is not so different from Babylon, Persia, and Greece, many things may tempt us to ignore, abandon, or even live in direct contradiction to our faith. Our own cultural idols and comforts may draw us away from the justice that God desires for our communities. Like Daniel, we must have the eyes to see these forces for what they are and the courage to resist them no matter the cost. God has in a sense already rescued and raised those of us who have pledged allegiance to Jesus the King. So with the power He’s invested in us, our mission is to join Him in bringing the good news of the kingdom of God on earth. SCRIPTURE DANIEL 12 THE END TIMES 1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” 7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.” 8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?” 9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. 11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. 13 “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” QUESTIONS Now that you’ve read the book of Daniel, if someone was to ask you what it is all about, how would you summarize it? What is your biggest takeaway from Daniel? How have you been inspired to live differently as a result of reading this book?

    27 min

  3. 11/19/2020

    Day 19 of Journey through Daniel | KINGS WILL ARISE AND KINGS WILL FALL

    COMMENTARY Yesterday, we read the introduction to the final vision of Daniel. Today’s reading reveals the message of the vision, which was “written in the book of truth” (Daniel 10:21; 11:2). This message reads like a history book. It recounts the rise and fall of various kings and kingdoms in the ancient Near East. These kings are not referred to by their names but are easily identified by the activities attributed to them. For example, the “mighty king” of Greece whose kingdom is “broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven” is undoubtedly Alexander the Great, the Greek emperor whose kingdom was divided between four generals after his sudden and early death in 323 BC (Daniel 11:3-4). Likewise, the “king of the North” who abolishes daily sacrifices, installs “the abomination that causes desolation” in the temple, and murders those who remain faithful to God is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Greek-Syrian tyrant who terrorized Judeans before his death in 164 BC (Daniel 11:28, 31, 33). A good study Bible or commentary will help readers make these connections, but you don’t need to know exactly who each king is in this chapter in order to understand the point. Repetitious words and themes drive home the big idea. King after king will “arise” to power (Daniel 11:2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 16, 20, 21, 31). They will do whatever “pleases” them without concern for others (Daniel 11:3, 16, 36). But no matter how invincible they seem, each will meet their own “end” (Daniel 11:27, 35, 40, 45). These repetitions emphasize the fact that human history tends to follow certain patterns. Just as Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius were all humbled in their own ways after they arrogantly afflicted Daniel and his contemporaries, many other violent kings would arise and fall. For Judeans who faced the prospect of being “burned,” “captured,” or “plundered” by these kings, this survey of history must have served as a source of hope (Daniel 11:33). God saw their suffering, and He would bring down their oppressors at His “appointed time” (Daniel 11:27, 29, 35). This message continues to be “truth” for us today (Daniel 11:2). Those with power might do what pleases them for the time being, but the seemingly unstoppable empires of the world are really just transient to God. He will bring victory to His people, in this life or the next. SCRIPTURE DANIEL 11:2–45 THE KINGS OF THE SOUTH AND THE NORTH 2 “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4 After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others. 5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her. 7 “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. 8 He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. 9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. 10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress. 11 “Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped. 14 “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16 The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it. 17 He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more. 20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle. 21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. 23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. 24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time. 25 “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. 28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country. 29 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. 33 “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. THE KING WHO EXALTS HIMSELF 36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. 40 “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. QUESTIONS Th

    34 min

  4. 11/18/2020

    Day 18 of Journey Through Daniel: SUPERNATURAL WARFARE

    COMMENTARY Today’s reading includes an extended introduction to the final and longest vision in the book of Daniel. It begins with Daniel seeking a message from God through the practices of prayer, mourning, and fasting. As we’ve seen God do so many times in this book, He responds to Daniel by sending an angelic messenger. But this time, the messenger is delayed by three weeks and for a strange reason. In Daniel 10:12-13, the angel says, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.” Here, the messenger reveals an important but difficult to understand part of reality. He reveals that beyond the material dimension stands a supernatural realm where spiritual beings fight on behalf of the nations they represent. The idea that spiritual beings represent different nations was common in the ancient Near East and is reflected in other parts of Scripture. For example, Deuteronomy 32:8 (MSG) says, “When the High God gave the nations their stake, gave them their place on Earth, He put each of the peoples within boundaries under the care of divine guardians.” In this circumstance, a spirit fought to delay Daniel’s angel because the message the angel brought was about the impending fall of Persia to the Greeks (Daniel 10:20; 11:2-3). In our modern culture, we don’t talk much about the spiritual realm. It’s clear though that biblical authors and spiritual leaders like Daniel, Paul, and Jesus often talk about this reality. So how do we live knowing this truth? We do not live by assigning mysterious spiritual causes to every event; the Bible warns us about this. Instead, we live and pray, knowing that not everything is explainable by physical realities that we can see. This should not produce fear in us but confidence in the God we serve and the truth that Jesus has conquered the principalities and powers of the world. God’s ultimate victory and supremacy in all things is already assured. SCRIPTURE DANIEL 10–11:1 DANIEL’S VISION OF A MAN 1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. 2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. 7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. 10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” 15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. 16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.” 18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.” 20 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince. CHAPTER 11 1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.) QUESTIONS How much thought have you given to the reality of the supernatural realm? Does it intrigue you? Does it scare you? Are you unconcerned about this dimension? Why? Daniel prayed humbly, fervently, and persistently for three weeks while he waited for an answer from God. Have you abandoned any of your prayers to God? What’s keeping you from humbly, fervently, and persistently sharing what’s on your heart with Him?

    32 min

  5. 11/17/2020

    Day 17 of Journey Through Daniel: THE SEVENTY "SEVENS"

    COMMENTARY Today’s reading continues the occasion of Daniel 9. We’ve seen Daniel praying to God after reflecting on Jeremiah’s prophecy about the seventy years of captivity. Now, Daniel receives a vision from the angel Gabriel, which reveals more about the exile of the people of God. In Daniel 9:24, Gabriel says, “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.” In other words, exile was not entirely over for the people of God. They would return to the land of Judah, but even there, their suffering would continue for “seventy ‘sevens’.” The phrase “seventy ‘sevens’” has been the subject of endless debate. Most scholars agree that the phrase means seventy “seven-year intervals” or 490 years. They draw this conclusion by comparison with Leviticus 25:8, which talks about how an event known as the Year of Jubilee should occur after seven “seven-year intervals” or 49 years. Beyond that, scholars have offered endless interpretations about when this 490-year period might begin and end. Verses 25-27 complicate things even more. Those verses subdivide the 490 years into periods of 49 years, 434 years, and 7 years. No matter when this 490-year period is thought to begin or end, it is virtually impossible to line up all these time frames with dates of significance in Jewish and Christian history, if that is even the correct understanding in the first place. Instead of trying to force the numbers to add up, it is probably best to interpret Daniel’s seventy “sevens” as theological math, a common phenomenon in the Bible where the significance of a number is not in its numerical value, but in what it symbolically conveys. A good example of this is in Matthew 18:21-22, which uses the same numbers as Daniel 9. When Peter asks Jesus if he should forgive someone up to seven times, Jesus responds, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22 NLT). The point isn’t that Peter should forgive someone precisely 490 times and that would be enough. Given that the number seven often conveys ideas of completion or perfection in the Bible (and much more the number 490), the point is that Peter should forgive as many times as is necessary. In a similar way, Daniel 9 seems to be expressing that at the complete and perfect time, God would act on behalf of His powerless people. This is certainly how Jesus and the New Testament writers understood the mission of Jesus. As Paul writes in Romans 5:6, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (cf. Mark 1:15; Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:10). So rather than spending our time attempting to calculate exactly when certain events did or may yet take place, we should instead spend our energies creating communities that demonstrate the qualities that God has required of His people since the beginning: justice, righteousness, and self-giving love. SCRIPTURE DANIEL 9:20–27 THE SEVENTY “SEVENS” 20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill—21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision: 24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” QUESTIONS Daniel 9:21 indicates that Daniel received an answer to his prayer while he was still praying. Why do you suppose God was so quick to speak to Daniel? Many scholars see the details of Daniel 9:26-27 as describing the events of 171-164 BC when Antiochus IV Epiphanes killed an “anointed” priest, “put an end” to Jewish worship, and installed an “abomination that causes desolation” in the Temple. If this is the case, then in Mark 13, Jesus reapplied these symbols to his first century context because many similar things were happening in His own day. He as God’s anointed would be killed, and the Jerusalem Temple would be destroyed by the Romans. Why do you suppose history seems to repeat so often? What does the end of this vision (and really all the visions of Daniel) teach us about the end of each cycle of history?

    31 min

  6. 11/16/2020

    Day 16 of Journey Through Daniel | A CONFESSION OF CORPORATE SIN

    COMMENTARY Daniel 9 contains another vision, but unlike the previous visions, it begins with a reflection on Scripture and a prayer. The historical and biblical background for this occasion is significant. Verses 1-2 tell us that “in the first year of Darius,” Daniel meditated on a message “given to Jeremiah the prophet,” which concerned “seventy years” of desolation for Jerusalem. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet talked about how the people of Judah would be exiled in Babylon as a result of their sins but would return to their land after seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10). Now in 539 BC, nearly seventy years after Daniel’s deportation to Babylon, Daniel is meditating on these passages and wondering if the return to Jerusalem is imminent. After reflecting on this passage, Daniel turns to God in prayer regarding the things on his mind. The prayer he prays follows a model outlined in 1 Kings 8:46-51. He starts by pleading with God to show love to God’s people. Then, Daniel makes a confession of corporate sin: “We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws” (Daniel 9:5). What’s noteworthy about this prayer is that Daniel admits his own part in the sin of his people even though he has repeatedly been vindicated as innocent by God. In the book of Daniel, there are no accounts of any wrongdoing by Daniel. He has proven to be without corruption as an individual, but he recognizes that he was a participant in a community that was guilty of wrongdoing and sin. Daniel’s humble posture in prayer should challenge us as Christians in America today. In our individualistic society, we tend to think of sin as the crime of individuals, not communities. When we see evil pervading the walls of governments, workplaces, schools, or churches, we blame others, never ourselves. The truth is, sin can be committed by individuals and by communities, and we can be held at fault for both. It is the action or inaction of individuals that allows corporate sin to continue and systemic wrongs to go on. Thankfully, we have a merciful God who forgives those who confess their complicity and work to bring change. SCRIPTURE DANIEL 9:1–19 DANIEL’S PRAYER 1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. 7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. 15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. 17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” QUESTIONS Why do you think it is so hard for individuals to accept blame like Daniel did for societal issues? What corporate sins do you think we need to confess as a country? As a society? As a church?

    32 min

  7. 11/13/2020

    Bonus Feature 3 of Journey Through Daniel | IRIS'S STORY

    I LOST MY MOTHER WHEN I WAS EIGHT, AND I’VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WRITING OBITUARIES. I think about death a lot, and that might be totally weird. It probably has something to do with the fact that I lost my mother when I was eight, and I’ve had a lot of experience writing obituaries. I look at pictures totally differently now because I’ve had to sift through them to pick for obituaries. I had to bury two of my brothers and when I look at pictures now, they mean so much more to me because you never know how they’re going to be used. My name is Iris Flores, and I am kind of from everywhere. I was originally born in the Cabrini–Green housing projects.Flores is my married name. People assume that I’m Latina, which I am not. A large part of my story and who I am is because I lost my mother at the age of eight. I moved a lot. I went to twelve grammar schools and three high schools, so I’m everywhere. I went to the city schools, I went to the suburban schools, I went to school in Minnesota, whoever could take me. I went to Downers Grove South High School my freshman year, Palatine High School my sophomore year, and I graduated from Senn High School. I mostly lived in the suburbs after I graduated from high school because I prefer the suburbs, but I ended up moving back to the city because I was employed by the City of Chicago. My mother was kind of a quiet woman, and she was in excruciating pain all the time from a disease called scleroderma. I think she was heavily medicated. She didn’t talk to me a whole lot, and after she died, I moved every six months to a year. I ended up moving back and forth to Cabrini-Green a couple times. The last time I lived there, it was really bad. The hallways smelled like urine. The elevators didn’t usually work, so it was not abnormal to get out of school and have to walk up 13 flights of stairs. You couldn’t touch the railing because people would usually spit on them. It wasn’t a great place to live. On my first day of kindergarten I had a cute little matching rain jacket, boots, and hat but by the time I got home, they were all gone. I got beat up. They took my jacket, my boots, and my hat. It wasn’t a good place by the time I went to kindergarten. I had my first impression of religion when Father Sebastian would come to our house on Saturdays and do whatever they did. My mom was a devout Catholic, and we went to church at St. Joseph’s, but I never felt like I understood anything at church. I didn’t understand the standing, kneeling, sitting down. I didn’t understand the hymns. I never really felt like I got anything out of mass. When I was 16, I moved in with my dad. He lived in Palatine with his new wife. He had a one-bedroom apartment and my father was very honest and very direct. I had been living with him for two weeks. My father went and bought alcohol every day and he took me with him. My father was very personable. Everyone loved him. He could’ve been the mayor of Palatine. He would go into the liquor store and there was this woman there named Lisa. I don’t know if this makes sense to you or not, but when you’re an African-American person in a predominantly white community, when you see another black person you kind of have this, “I see you” connection. Lisa was an African-American woman. Turns out she was 14 years older than me, and we shared the same birthday. She worked at the liquor store and I started going in there just to hang out with her when I didn’t have anything to do, and we became friends within the first two weeks I lived with my dad. I had a 10 pm curfew and one night when I got in the house, my dad and Catherine were not on the couch, and I knew something was wrong because that was not normal. My dad called me in the next room and I said, “Hey, what’s going on?” He says, “You cannot live here any longer and I’d like to know where you want to go.” I said, “Excuse me? I don’t understand.” He goes, “What are you illiterate? I said you can’t live here anymore. I don’t want the responsibility, so think of somewhere that you want to go.” I said, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it. Can I leave my things here until tomorrow?” He said, “You can stay here until tomorrow.” I said, “I’m fine. No thank you.”I left and walked over to Lisa’s house. She lived in the same complex, and we were just hanging out. After a few minutes she says, “Wait a minute, you had a 10 pm curfew. What are you doing here?” I said, “My dad told me I couldn’t live there anymore.” She said, “Are you serious?” And I said, “Yes.” Lisa’s husband got up off the couch and put their two kids in the same bed to free a bed up, put their clothes in the combined drawers and he said, “You have a home here from now on.” I moved in with them that night, and I lived with them for about a year. Through all that, never really having a home, and not having any real connections, I just knew that God kept me safe. I had been in so many negative places. There was a time when I moved back to the city in my junior year of high school and I got hooked up with a really bad crowd. I promise you that God had His arms around me because there was death, there was addiction, there was all sorts of things that a 16-year-old should not have been exposed to. There was no parent to supervise me. I can’t tell you how many nights I walked the streets of Chicago by myself at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 a.m. But then I ended up meeting some girls who took me to a typical black church. I think it was a Baptist church, and I totally freaked out because I had never had that experience before. People were having the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues, so I was totally petrified, but I remember feeling some emotion. That was the first time that I ever felt like God could’ve actually been a thing that people could feel and connect with. I fell in love with gospel music and sang in the choir. I felt like I made my first true connection with God through music. Eventually I really felt like I developed a personal relationship with God. There was a time when I was very involved in church. I was in the choir, the women’s group, and the prayer group. I always remembered the importance of leaving a little sprinkle of Jesus if I came into contact with someone who I knew was struggling. I have some friends that are agnostic, Buddhist, and nonbelievers. I always manage to just throw it out there because I know that it’s my responsibility as a Christian. I have to plant a little seed. Sometimes I think I might turn her off, and she might not call me again, but I know that it’s okay because it’s my duty as a Christian. I feel like God’s had my back because I’ve been somewhat faithful to what He wants me to do. Later on, because my husband and I always worked opposite shifts, it was hard for us to go to church at the same time. I had been praying and praying and praying that God would find the right service for him to go to, and there were several different times when we tried to go at the same time, and it just never worked out. When he finally got the opportunity to go to church with me, it was the Sunday that a former gangster or mafia-type guy was the speaker, and his story was so similar to my husband’s that I knew God delayed my husband coming for that particular service. I knew it 100% without a doubt. I think that was the first real experience he had where he felt a connectedness. Ironically, I eventually switched to work midnight shifts and a lot of Sunday mornings, I would get in from work at 6:30 in the morning. So, my husband started taking our girls to church by himself because he switched shifts and now was working in the afternoons. So now he was the primary church guy in the family and over the years, I’ve seen God work in his life. Now he volunteers at the church, and he’s just completely come to understand God on a whole different level. He recently got baptized, accepted the Lord as his savior. Watching God work in his life has been another confirmation to me of how things happen in God’s time, not always when we want. If nothing else, I’ve definitely learned that every challenge, every struggle, and every dark period was necessary for me to become who I am today. I always tell my kids that I’m just so thankful for all the struggle because it’s completely molded me. It’s made me who I am. I have so much to offer people because I can speak from a frame of reference. I feel like I give my kids such a strong foundation because I can pull from so many different areas and experiences, and they know that I come from a place of true knowledge. And now as a police officer in the City of Chicago, I still encounter really, really difficult things all the time. My truth might not be anyone else’s truth. I can only give you what I think. I’m a woman of color, African-American, black, whatever. My husband is Hispanic. Growing up, I spent a large majority of my life in white neighborhoods. So as a Chicago police officer, I see all the sides. I am a firm believer that no one owes you anything. If you want to make your situation better, if you want to make your circumstances better, you have to put in the work. I also know everyone can use some help. Unfortunately, I think the problem is so complicated that it’s not one particular thing. But the biggest problem I see in my community is broken homes. Although my father left when I was young, I still had one. My brothers were good guys, and I think it’s because they had a father and a mother who taught them values. But for some people, their mother might not know their father, they both might be on drugs, and they’re poor, no one’s making sure they’re eating balanced meals, no one’s making sure they’re going to school. In those situations, I think you’re destined for failure. I think that it’s a lot of things that are the pr

    38 min

  8. 11/13/2020

    Day 15 of Journey Through Daniel | AT GOD'S APPOINTED TIME

    COMMENTARY Daniel 8 contains another vision of beasts and horns, which represent kings and kingdoms. Unlike previous visions, this vision gives some specific interpretations for these images. The first image Daniel sees is a two-horned ram, a representation of the “kings of Media and Persia” (Daniel 8:20). Then, Daniel sees a shaggy goat with a prominent horn, a representation of “the first king” of “Greece,” Alexander the Great (Daniel 8:21). The final image Daniel sees is a small horn emerging from the goat. This horn is not explicitly identified, but most scholars agree that it represents Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a later Greek-Syrian tyrant. Scholars draw this conclusion because the proud exploits attributed to this horn are known to be true of Antiochus. For example, verse 11 says that the small horn “took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord.” This is a reference to Antiochus’ decision in 167 BC to ban the worship of Yahweh and murder anyone who defied his order. Also in verse 11, it says that the horn claimed divine status when it “set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord.” Antiochus famously claimed to be God when he accepted the title “Epiphanes,” a title meaning “God manifest.” The visions of Daniel 9 and 11 will also point to the corrupt deeds of Antiochus, an indication of just how barbaric he was. Even though this vision of Antiochus was so disturbing that Daniel was “appalled,” the message of the vision was still one of hope (Daniel 8:27). Hard times would continue to fall on the people of God, but like all the arrogant kings Daniel had encountered, this oppressor would meet his “end” at God’s “appointed time” (Daniel 8:19). This is the message we should take away from the vision. Sometimes it’s not clear what God is doing or if He even cares. In reality, He sees the plight of those who are hurt by callous authorities. God’s request is simply that we stay faithful in the waiting and trust that He will make things right at the appointed time. SCRIPTURE DANIEL 8 DANIEL’S VISION OF A RAM AND A GOAT 1 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great. 5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. 7 I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?” 14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.” THE INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION 15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.” 17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” 18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. 19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power. 23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. 26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” 27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding. QUESTIONS The vision of Daniel 8 contains a number of parallels to previous stories and visions. What parallels do you notice between the actions of kings in this vision and the actions of kings in previous stories? What do you suppose the book is trying to teach us through these patterns? Daniel 8:27 says that Daniel “got up and went about the king’s business” despite being “exhausted” and “appalled” by his vision. What do you suppose gave him the resolve to continue working for a king (i.e., Belshazzar [see verse 1]) who was not fundamentally different than the horn he saw in the vision? How does Daniel’s example speak to you?

    32 min
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  • Creator
    Willow Creek Community Church
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2020
  • Episodes
    66
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    Clean
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    © 2026 Willow Creek North Shore
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