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." – Daniel 9:19

Today's Scripture Reading (November 7, 2026): Daniel 9

In a scene from "Jesus Christ, Superstar," Jesus's followers begin to realize that things have taken an unexpected turn. In the movie, Jesus is shown beaten and walking alone in a valley while his supporters gather on the high ground around him. The image is wrong in so many ways. The disciples didn't deserve the figurative high ground; Jesus did. Yet the image isn't a mistake. The scene reveals the very tangible emotions of the disciples in this moment. The approaching cross didn't belong to Jesus. The impending cross belonged to the disciples.

In this moment, the cast begins to sing "Could We Start Again, Please." The song is a prayer that everything that has happened can somehow be reversed. The song expresses the hope that it is not too late to stop the madness. In this moment of the movie, Peter sings these words:

                        I think you've made your point now

                        You've even gone a bit too far to get the message home

                        Before it gets too frightening, we ought to call a halt

                        So could we start again, please.

                                                                        (Tim Rice, Could We Start Again, Please)

Of course, the reality was that things would get much worse before they could improve. Only Jesus seemed to understand what was happening; the disciples remained clueless about the approaching storm until much later.

Every Easter, I have a bit of a ritual: as I find myself in the grip of Holy Week and prepare for the annual Good Friday Service, I fill my world with images and stories from the last week of Jesus's life. The things Jesus did and said, the stories he chose to tell, and the illustrations and pictures he drew with his words during that final week. Some people don't realize that most of what we have in the Gospels, the Christian Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, happens in the last week of Jesus's life. These stories have molded a movement and a people. These are important stories.

Daniel wrote these words in another "Could we start again" moment. He understood that the exile would last seventy years and, by his reckoning, those seventy years were almost up. Daniel, now approaching ninety years of age, shows a hint of surprise. The time is almost complete, and miraculously he has survived the entire period, and now he waits, hoping the time has come to hit the reset button.

We all experience this moment at some point in our lives, and we all seem desperate to ask the same question. Is it possible? Could we start again? But the truth we need to know is that God will hit the reset button in his time. His promise to us has never been that we will get exactly what we want (Peter watched his friend and teacher be crucified, and history records that Daniel, despite his great relationship with God, was not destined to lead Israel back home. That task would be left to younger men like Nehemiah, Ezra, and Zerubbabel.) The only promise God has given us is that he will be with us in those moments when we wish we could hit the reset button. He will be with us on the high ground and through the valley. And in the end, that is all that matters.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 10

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. – Daniel 8:27

Today's Scripture Reading (November 6, 2026): Daniel 8

A friend of mine once joked that he thought he needed to be paid overtime because he often went to bed and dreamed about his job. The comment was a bit of a joke, but the truth is we have all had nights when our dreams have physically worn us out. That is exactly what seems to have happened to Daniel. The depth and terror of the visions God gave him at night left him exhausted. For a few days, he rested as he tried to process what he had seen.

However, Daniel could not let exhaustion keep him from his duties for long. While God had shown his servant a vision of the physical future, Daniel had always regarded the physical tasks he had completed in the king's service as a spiritual duty. Although Daniel likely no longer held the prestigious position he had held during the reign of the Babylonian Empire, he would not dishonor God by shirking his duty. Daniel would have been severely wounded if anyone suggested his visions and dreams had kept him from fulfilling his duty to the king.

Another part of the problem was that Daniel could not understand everything he had seen. He did not understand how God could ever abandon his people as he had seen. Yet he could not doubt what he had seen. All of this left Daniel extremely confused.

Some have proposed that the visions the prophets saw can be interpreted in up to three ways. The first is the near view: the prophet sees what he understands to be in the immediate future. The second is an intermediate vision. This intermediate vision may have concerned events that could take place on the prophet's horizon, at the edge of what the prophet could see. For many Hebrew prophets, this often seems to be a prophecy that can be applied to the coming of the Messiah. But sometimes prophecies extended beyond Messianic expectation, to something beyond that intermediate vision. Sometimes this includes the prophet declaring that these events will take place "In the day of the Lord," but not always.

What seemed to frustrate and exhaust Daniel was that this prophecy didn't seem to apply at all to either the near or the intermediate future; it applied to a time well beyond Daniel's horizon. Daniel didn't understand, but he also decided he didn't need to comprehend everything he had seen. Maybe that's a lesson we all need to learn. Some things we don't understand, we don't need to understand, and that is okay. Even Daniel struggled with some of what he was shown, but that didn't make him any less a man of God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 9

He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.' – Daniel 7:23

Today's Scripture Reading (November 5, 2026): Daniel 7

On August 6, 1945, a uranium gun-type fission bomb was detonated over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb, a plutonium implosion-type fission bomb, was detonated over the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Most people don't realize the two bombs had subtle but real differences in how they were built. We simply think of them under the general title of "Nuclear Weapons." The reason is that, although the weapons differed, both were unlike any weapon ever used and shared more similarities with each other than with any other historical weapon. They were a new kind of bomb and a new way to destroy the enemy.

August 6 and 9, 1945, are the only times in the history of the world that weapons such as these have ever been used. At the time, the use of these weapons was seen as the only viable way to defeat Japan and end the war in the Pacific without a long, drawn-out fight that would kill millions of people on both sides. The island nation was well protected by nature, and the casualties from a traditional military assault on the nation would have been too high to consider. Yet, with Germany and Italy defeated in Europe, only Japan remained to fight the United States and its allies. The destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought Japan to the negotiating table in an effort to sue for peace, something they were reluctant to do before Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While the official date of the surrender of Japan to the Allied forces is September 2, 1945, the Japanese actually surrendered unconditionally on August 14, 2014, only five days after the bombing of Nagasaki.

The moral question about the use of nuclear weapons in Japan has been asked ever since the bombs were dropped, and we seem no closer to an answer. Hiroshima is regarded as a city of peace today, and its mayor serves on a council of mayors dedicated to eliminating the world's nuclear arsenal.

Many theories have abounded as to the identity of the nation Daniel describes in this chapter. This strange description of a nation with ten horns has led to many interpretations. But the key is that this nation would head an empire unlike any seen before. This kingdom would be different and far more powerful than any that came before it. This Empire would be as different from the nations that went before as the bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were different from the bombs used in Japan in the weeks leading up to the August attack. This Empire would be different and much more destructive.

Some empires that have been suggested as fulfilling this prophecy include the Roman Empire, the Turkish Empire, and even the European Union. Of these possibilities, I favor the theory that the fourth beast was the Roman Empire, especially after the fourth century, because after that time Rome came under the control of the Christian Church and its hatreds and fears. Rome then began to crush its enemies, not just physically but also spiritually and morally. Let me make this clear: this was not our finest hour. We (the Christian Church) did things we should never have done, and we were involved in things in which we should never have been involved. We forgot we needed to follow Christ, and in doing so, we became like an anti-Christ.

Daniel's prophecy contains a warning. The warning is this: whenever we crush others, no matter who they are, we are not fulfilling God's will. We resemble the fourth beast in Daniel's prophecy and become not like Christ but an anti-Christ.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 8

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. – Daniel 6:19

Today's Scripture Reading (November 4, 2026): Daniel 6

George III (1738-1820) ascended the English throne on October 25, 1760. In his accession speech to the English Parliament, which was actually written by lawyer and politician Phillip Yorke, the first Lord of Hardwicke, George inserted a phrase he had written himself, and it is unclear whether it was ever approved by those who advised the king. The phrase was "born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Britain." It was meant to announce that, unlike the other Hanoverian kings before George, who were often accused of being more German than British, George was a product of Britain. In fact, George III was the first Hanoverian king to live his entire life in Britain; he had never even been to Hanover, an area on the European mainland that is now part of Germany. George was also the first Hanoverian king who spoke English as his native language. This new kind of sovereign is the image George hoped the people would see: a new kind of king and a real British Monarch.

However, we remember George not for what he said but for what he did. In North America, we remember George III as the king whose tyranny sparked the American War of Independence. He wanted to interfere with the colonies to raise more money for himself. Maybe, if we are honest, we know it is terribly unfair to sum up a person's life based on a one-sided perception of an event.

George III also defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. What impressed people during Britain's war with Napoleon and France was that he was personally ready to defend his nation. George went down to review the troops defending the Island. Newspapers reported that if the French army stepped onto British soil, George was ready to fight for his country at the head of the British forces. His supplies were packed, and according to the newspapers, George was never more than half an hour from the fight. He was a king who wouldn't send someone else to do what he didn't want to do. He would be there. In his prime, George is seen as a real British king, not because of what he said, but because of what he did.

One subplot in the tale of "Daniel and the Lion's Den" concerns the role of King Darius. Throughout Daniel's career in Babylon, he was an honored leader. When Babylon fell, it would have been normal for the leaders of the defeated Empire to be, at the very least, removed from office, if not killed, by the conquering Empire, in this case, the Medes and Persians. Daniel's story took a different turn. Now Daniel had risen again, this time under the leadership of the Median Empire. His role in the Empire was so great that Darius was personally invested in Daniel's life. Darius had been tricked into issuing a decree that put Daniel's life at risk; the king spent a sleepless night worrying about Daniel, and now he rushes to be with him. We know that the king was an older man. As king, it would have been quite proper for him to send someone else in his stead. But the king refuses to do that. He leaves the comforts of his palace and, in what was probably both an undignified and a humorous scene, hurries to the lion's den to see what happened during the night. This act would define both the king's reign and Daniel's life.

Words are nice, but our actions often carry the real message. If we want to know who we are, whether we are King Darius of the Median-Persian Empire, King George of Britain, or the person down the street, the question that needs to be asked is never what we said; it is always what we did?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 7

Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. – Daniel 5:29

Today's Scripture Reading (November 3, 2026): Daniel 5

Abraham Lincoln is thought to have said, regarding the public opinion that surrounded his political career, that

If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how — the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what's said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference. (Abraham Lincoln)

The journalist Henry J. Raymond attributed the quote to Lincoln shortly after the President was assassinated in 1865. The quote highlights what might be one of the Civil War President's most important character traits (after his honesty): his commitment to doing his best. At every step of the way, Lincoln did what he believed was best. But the best was not always easy. There is no indication that Lincoln wanted to be the President who would lead the nation through a Civil War. However, Lincoln could not conceive of a nation that could exist as both slave and free. Lincoln was convinced that slavery was wrong and that, if he were going to do his best, he would have to stand against it. No matter what public opinion thought of his actions, he could only do his best.

Lincoln's desire to give everything he had to the presidency is one reason he is consistently ranked among the top three Presidents of the United States, despite having extremely low approval ratings during his presidency (disapproval of his policies in the South contributed to those low ratings). Still, even when he was wrong, he tried his best.

That is what makes Belshazzar's story so tragic. Belshazzar's claim to fame is presiding over the Babylonian Empire's demise. History tells the story of a king who partied as his enemies entered the city. The enemy met little to no resistance when they entered Babylon because Belshazzar wasn't doing his duty. From a historical perspective, what is even worse is that he knew the Medes were coming; his scouts had already informed him of their presence in the empire and their approach to the city. Yet Belshazzar did nothing.

Biblically, we have what is almost an absurd image. While the royal party raged, the king was frightened by a vision, a literal instance of seeing the writing on the wall. Daniel comes and interprets the writing. The news isn't good; the enemy is coming (which Belshazzar already knew), but still Belshazzar makes no move. The Babylonian king does nothing; there seems to be no "best" in Belshazzar. Instead, he honors Daniel, raising him to the rank of the kingdom's third-highest ruler, and then he continues the party, waiting for his death.

For a time, the reason Daniel was made the third-highest ruler in the kingdom was a mystery. But the mystery has been solved. Daniel was elevated to third-highest ruler because Belshazzar appears to have been the second-highest ruler. The ultimate ruler, Belshazzar's father, King Nabonidus, was still alive, so Belshazzar was the crowned prince of Babylon and the empire's second-highest authority. In fact, Nabonidus was doing his best in battle and sent his son a message that the Persians were coming so his son could act, either fight or flee. But instead of doing his best, Belshazzar decided to party – and die. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 6

For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. – Isaiah 54:7

Today's Scripture Reading (November 2, 2026): Isaiah 54

I remember standing outside the door of one of my children's rooms, listening to the sobs on the other side. They were being punished for bad behavior, but in those moments, it felt like I was being punished too. Sometimes, as parents, we have to do the things we don't want to do. To be honest, that is probably the part of being an adult we like least. We recognize that saying no and listening to the crying are part of parenting, even if we don't like playing the bad guy.

Isaiah again seems to return to the circumstances surrounding the Babylonian exile of Judah as he writes these words. It is doubtful that the verse means exactly what we read in our English Bibles. This passage probably should be interpreted the way we should interpret Jesus' words from the Cross: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" (Matthew 27:46)? I believe we are committing an error if we allow ourselves to see Jesus as truly forsaken by God on the Cross. Jesus was fully human and fully God, and in that moment his human side could not feel God's love. Sometimes, in our own lives, we can know God's love intellectually but, because of the pain we are in, we cannot feel that same love emotionally. And whether we want to admit it or not, we are emotional beings. In that moment on the Cross, Jesus could not feel God's love; therefore, the sentiment he expressed was true only to the extent of how he felt.

Similarly, Isaiah is speaking to the outcasts of Judah. He says that "for a brief moment I allowed you to feel like I had abandoned you, for a brief moment I allowed you to believe the unbelievable, that I had left you to fend off the world with your strategies, but the truth is that I was standing outside the door the whole time." And when the moment has passed, I will open the door with great compassion and invite you back into my purpose.

For Israel, this period of feigned abandonment by God would produce a change in character, exactly what any good parent hopes for during punishment. We hope this time alone would help the child grow into a better person. For seventy years, God would leave Israel in Babylon, but after those seventy years, God's compassion would compel him to open the door and bring Judah home.

We all go through times of pain when it feels as if God is far away. Yet that is only our emotional understanding. The truth is that he has never been far away. He is listening just outside the door, and at any moment his compassion will compel him to rush in and bring us home.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 5

By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. – Isaiah 53:8

Today's Scripture Reading (November 1, 2026): Isaiah 53

I recently read a bit about the church's history with slavery. What amazed me was that the universal church really did not take a stand on the issue of slavery until very late in the process. Part of the history included a story about two pastors from the same denomination, men who would have had to stand on the same platform at any of the denomination's major functions. On the surface, the two men were friends, but a deep divide separated them. One of the pastors was a slave owner, while the other was an abolitionist. In the book, these two men are held up as an ideal of how people of good character can form a friendship despite significant differences.

However, as I read the story, I began to see something different. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that slavery is wrong. There is also no doubt in my mind that the church did not take a stand against slavery as early as it should have. Our story has been the story of the abolitionist pastor standing on the platform with the slave owner, neither one able to push the issue and say that the other was wrong. The only way I can imagine this relationship working is if both pastors put away their personal beliefs about slavery. In some areas of life and belief, that is indeed laudable. However, we deserve to be chastised for not standing up against the evils of this world, even when they come disguised as religious belief. According to the Bible, we are called to act whenever someone is oppressed. We stand for those who can't.

For the most part, the Bible is God's instructions to the world's oppressed. This message about the oppressed may be why the affluent sometimes struggle to understand the Bible. If there is one constant, it seems to be that God stands with the oppressed and with those who are judged. I realize that often the oppression and judgment of policies in the past seem to be clearer to us than any current oppression. Still, we need to work to recognize oppression in our current beliefs. We need to stand up for those who suffer under judgment in our world, wherever we find them.

Isaiah describes the Suffering Servant, whom the Christian Church recognizes as Jesus, as being carried away by both oppression and judgment. Yet no one in his generation stood up to defend him. For Isaiah, this seems to be the greatest sin: refusing to care for those who need someone to stand in their stead, even if that means entering uncomfortable territory. For Isaiah's Suffering Servant, this oppression and his generation's inaction meant he would be separated from life. What made this even worse was that the Suffering Servant was being judged for sins that were not his own. The sins he suffered for belonged to the people who were willing to stand by and let him die.

Oppression is a constant in our world. But the church's reality is that we need to stand against oppression, wherever it is found, and against the oppressor, regardless of whether they are like us or not. We also need to repent for the people we oppress, so we might be considered part of the Kingdom of God movement.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 54