The Jews have left the only stability they have known and have made the long and hard trip to Israel. But their work has only begun. Now they must rebuild. They begin in the right place restoring the ancient altar and begin work on the foundation of the temple. But opposition comes quickly. First, in the form of compromisers who want to join them for the purpose of defeating their purpose and zeal. Second, in the form of hired counselors who work to “frustrate their purpose.” For now, the adversaries win and the Jews cease work on the temple. The opposition has been too much for them. The temple lies abandoned.
The first return is a trip into the fog. They do not know exactly what will greet them. They do not fully know the condition of the land. The journey of hundreds of miles will take them weeks to complete. Yet they go because they have a higher purpose in mind. They go to rebuild God’s holy temple and to reestablish the true worship of God in God’s chosen city of Jerusalem. They go also to replant the land given to their father Abraham.
God wants us to be faithful as was Daniel. We need to learn to be faithful in the spiritual practices of love and obedience to the Lord and especially in our time of prayer with the Lord.
The book of Daniel contains a wonderful set of prophecies that have thrilled and challenged Bible students for hundreds of years. But the book also tells some great stories. In this series of outlines, we will look at the first six chapters of the book where we will find a couple of the easier prophecies and several interesting stories.
Jeremiah is in prison in Jerusalem. The city is besieged by the Babylonians. According to Jeremiah’s own prophecy, Jerusalem will soon be destroyed and the people of Israel will be taken into captivity. In the midst of this turmoil, the Lord commands Jeremiah to buy a field from his uncle in his hometown of Anathoth. Jeremiah is unlikely to get any benefit from the field, but he is to buy it anyway.
