Dr. David Jeremiah Presents
Living inthe Ageof Signs
Online Destination
Living in the Age of Signs
Online Destination
Sign 2
Why Read the Bible?
Today’s Audio Devotion:
Why Read the Bible?
A mother tells her five-year-old not to eat a cookie off a plate with six cookies. When she returns, she sees that two of the cookies are gone. “Didn’t I ask you not to eat a cookie?” the mom asks. “Yes,” comes the confident reply. “Then why did you disobey?” the mom asks. “I didn’t disobey. You told me not to eat one of the cookies, and I didn’t eat one; I ate two.”
That’s an illustration of Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things.” It also illustrates what the comedic actor W. C. Fields said when asked why he was reading the Bible. He confessed, “I’m looking for a loophole.” It’s a human tendency to see how close we can get to “the line” without actually crossing it. Some people read the Bible that way—to find God’s “lines.” Instead of moving toward God’s lines, we should move toward God Himself. When we are consumed with Him, we will please Him in all things—not by avoiding the bad but by walking in the good.
Read God’s Word in order to love Him, not to avoid offending Him.
The business of our lives is not to please ourselves but to please God.
Matthew Henry
For Your Phone or Tablet
Official Mobile App and Lock Screens
Some 2,600 years ago, God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a dream. In this dream, the king saw a five–part statue made of five different metals (see Daniel 2). Each section represented an empire, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. Four of these empires have already risen and fallen in history—a clear fulfillment of Daniel's prophetic interpretation. The fifth and final empire indicates a future Europe—a ten nation coalition that will unite under the Antichrist's rule.
You can read about the King's dream and Daniel's interpretation in Daniel 2, but let's take a quick visual look at what you will find:
-
King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon
Daniel's words to the king are clear. "You are this head of gold" (Daniel 2:37–38).
-
Medo–Persian Empire
The Medo–Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BC and remained in power for approximately two hundred years (Daniel 5:28).
-
Grecian Empire
Greece's Empire succeeded the Medo–Persians (Daniel 8:21).
-
Roman Empire
When the Grecian empire was conquered by Rome, all the lands and peoples of the previous kingdoms were assimilated into the Roman Empire through the strengths of the "iron legions of Rome" (Daniel 2:40).
-
Future European Coalition
This empire has not yet risen. Daniel foretells a time when the Roman Empire—Europe—will consist of ten kingdoms or leaders. The future Roman Empire will be present on the earth when God sets up His earthly kingdom (Daniel 2:44).