GETTING THE LAY OF THE LAND: KNOWING TRUE NORTH
DAY 36
The last two chapters of Daniel are a challenging journey.
On a challenging journey I need to know where I am, and, where I am headed! I need to know the “lay of the land”.
A map and compass is helpful. However, when using a map and compass, you have to “orient them”. You need to align your map with north (magnetic north for you technical types).
It is no different in the Bible. As you read, you need to know “true north”.
How? Know the big picture of the book.
Second, as you and I dig into the details, just like hiking in a dense forest, keep checking that we are headed in the right direction.
Let’s start. Remember, Daniel in chapter 10 was grieved for his people and praying to know what would happen to them.
Perhaps you have grown accustomed to the visual images in Daniel. Chapter 11 is spoken. When we consider the historical record, God more often uses His Word.
At a minimum it seems as if the first 35 verses tell the history that we visually saw in Chapter 8.
Verse two speaks of three kings of Persia, and while there is some debate about who exactly they are, by verse three, everyone recognizes Alexander the Great.
Then, in verse four, we learn how this great emperor’s kingdom is divided into four parts. This is exactly what happened to Alexander the Great. He died at a young age and his kingdom was divided between four generals:
· Cassander: Macedonia & Greece
· Lysimachus: Thrace & Bithynia
· Seleucus: Syria, Babylonia, and other Eastern countries as far as Indus
· Ptolemy: Egypt
Here is a map of that divided kingdom: http://www.drshirley.org/geog/geog15.html
By verse five we abandon anything regards Cassander’s and Lysimachus’ kingdoms and focus on the North and South. Much of the text will discuss relations between the Ptolemiac kingdom (largely Egypt) of the south, and the Seleucid kingdom of the north. Our timeframe is ~300 B.C. (The Seleucid kingdom while expansive is centered in Syria and Palestine with its capital in Antioch—you will begin to see king’s names that derive from the capital city’s name.)
Then in verse six we read of an attempted alliance between the north and south via marriage. In history most scholars believe this refers to ~250 BC where Ptolemy II tries to give his daughter Bernice to Antiochus II.
Sources outside the Bible tell us Bernice did in fact arrive was married and murdered—murdered by her stepson. Her stepson’s name was Seleucus II. Apparently, Antiochus divorced in order to marry Bernice and she instigated the murder.
Onward through verse 20 we read of the struggles between these northern and southern kingdoms, spanning successive kings. Ronald Wallace on pp. 183 – 185 and Lennox pp. 329-330 unpack the details. Secular history chronicles this period rather extensively and you can click here for an online summary.
In verses 21 to 35 we meet Antiochus Epiphanes. He is opposed to God. We met him in chapter eight and sketched out some of his hideous behavior on Day 31.
Beyond verse 35 the ability to historically link these writing to events that have already happened begin to get fuzzy—and we will wrestle with that in the next installment.
For now, I need to lift up my head. We’ve sorted through a bit of the dense text. We’ve got some references if we want to go deeper. Now is the moment to ask, we are we going?
Daniel started all this in chapter ten grieved over his countrymen. He was looking for hope. He was told in 10:1 and in 11:1-2, by heavenly messengers, that the word he was receiving was truth.
Truth can be hard. But returning to my map and compass analogy, saying north is south may give you an easier walk for a time—but you will end up at the wrong destination.
Our goal is eternity with God.
The truth is that we need to know there will be trouble in this world. Daniel was given a detailed knowledge in both in images and words.
And by knowing there is trouble, we are not to be so much troubled that we lose hope.
Are you troubled to the point of losing hope by all the troubles you are surrounded with?