Have you ever been in charge of anything?

August 24, 2017

Daniel the president of the whole kingdom (Dan 6:2-6:3)

“There were

Three presidents

Over these satraps.

Daniel was one of them.

The satraps

Gave account

To these presidents.

Thus,

The king

Might suffer no loss.

Soon

Daniel distinguished himself

Above all the other presidents,

Above all the other satraps.

Because an excellent spirit

Was in him.

The king planned

To appoint him

Over the whole kingdom.”

Daniel seemed to have a unique role. He already had an important role under King Belshazzar (550-539 BCE) of Babylon, as indicated at the end of the last chapter. Here, he took on a bigger role as president of the whole country. However, Daniel would be an old man at this time. First, he was 1 of the 3 presidents. Then the king decided to put in charge of everything because of his excellent spirit. Thus, this Judean exile Daniel was in charge in Persia and Babylon, just under the king.

February 14, 2017

The Babylonians enter Jerusalem (Jer 52:12-52:12)

“In the fifth month,

On the tenth day

Of the month,

The nineteenth year

Of King Nebuchadnezzar,

King of Babylon,

Nebuzaradan,

The captain of the bodyguard,

A servant of the king of Babylon,

Entered Jerusalem.”

This is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 25, but not found in the earlier Jeremiah, chapter 39. Once again we have an exact date, during the 19th year of the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar, or 587 BCE. Thus the Judah kingdom lasted 134 years after the fall of Samaria. The king of Babylon did not come himself, but he sent the captain of his bodyguard, his servant Nebuzaradan, to be in charge of Jerusalem.