The LORD's Day September 14, 2008

The LORD And History - His Story

Daniel 11.1-45

When I was in Bible College, and I cannot believe it was 32 years ago that I began classes out there in Colorado Springs, but when I took Church History, Dr. T. Crichton Mitchell, a little English man, who used to say, “History is really His Story.”

Isn’t it interesting how things we learn in our youth stay with us for the long haul and make more sense as we grow in Christ?

I remember disagreeing some with my parents telling me that those I chose as friends would influence me. I disagreed with them but I listened to them and I am so glad I did The people you associate with do influence you in greater ways than you realize

So this statement by my professor really was true and has proven so as I have grown in my faith.

1. From the Beginning God has been involved in the details of human history.

It really is not human history. It is as Dr. Mitchell said, “His Story.”

I read Genesis 1-2 this week in my quiet time. As I read it I was struck by the truth that God, Who had created the heavens and the earth, looked down and saw it was not good for man to be alone

Our vast galaxy that He created is spinning at the incredible speed of 490,000 miles an hour. But even at its breakneck speed it still needs 200 million years to make one rotation. There are over one billion galaxies just like ours. Some scientists estimate the number of stars to be equal to that of the number of grains of sand on the seashore. Yet with all this out there, the Father in Heaven looked down and saw Adam’s predicament and acted in his behalf. No wonder David said, “When I consider the heavens, the work of Your Hands, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?” Psalm 8.3-4

David was so amazed that God in all His Greatness and Majesty would be involved with our lives. He continues in Psalm 139.1-5 and ends with: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

The creation is wonderful. God’s power is wonderful. The fact that He involves us
with Him is beyond our ability to take in. The great expanse of the heavens space going on and on with no end. It is beyond our ability to take in. Then God Himself is over all of this and this all is the work of His Hands. How great He is! How Great Thou Art! Beyond comprehension is His greatness!


This 11th chapter of Daniel points us to the fact that God is very much involved in Human History because it is His Story. He is speaking of the rise and fall of kingdoms here. He is speaking of them because He knows what is going to happen just as He knows what David said about a thought before it is formed.

He knows the number of my days and all of them were ordained for me were written in His book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139.16 The LORD has a journal of my life. I write the journal here as I go but it is already written in His Book before it happens Perhaps this is why journaling brings great joy. As I walk with Jesus I am writing down things in my journal that He has already had written in His book. Seeing God’s Hand upon our lives is so encouraging.


2. To separate God from secular History is very foolish as well as impossible.

He is in control. Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him. Psalm 115.3

He is involved. He is very active in our lives and in world events. This past week we remembered 9-11, 7 years ago. We met the day after here in the church to pray and ask the LORD to help us and to give our leaders wisdom for the days ahead. We did this because we know the LORD. We know He loves us. We know He cares about us.

The Church rides upon things that are happening in the world.
We are not casual players. This chapter in Daniel attests to that. The events of our lives and world affairs are tied together. In fact the church is more involved in world affairs than we can imagine. We pray and that touches eternity

3. History is His Story and we are told in His Word how it will end

He is still involved with the details of His Story and the details of our lives so much that we are told by Jesus, “the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10.30

We are heading into Revelation next. It is an apocalyptic book just as Daniel is. It speaks of the end. God’s purposes will prevail. Man’s time as well as Satan’s time will come to an end in the ruling of the world. It is coming to an end.


4. After Human History Ends, His Story, Our Story will just have begun and it will never end

Those comforting words, and so we will be with the LORD forever, are more faith than sight right now. In fact we see through a glass darkly. It is obscure. It is a bit puzzling... It is an enigma ...we don’t know much about the details of heaven It is hidden from us and unknown- just that we will be like Jesus.


This we do know:

1. Almighty God will continue His Story long after history has been completed. It will be forever.

There will be things He will reveal to us in heaven. Ephesians 2.6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

We will be with Jesus

2. All the things that seem great on the earth to people who do not know Jesus will vanish.
II Peter 3.12 That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.


3. Heaven will be beyond anything we can possible think of as we eluded to before.

We are given little glimpses but when we all see Jesus what a day of rejoicing that will be


4. It won’t be long until we get there. Each day brings us closer.

We are on a march through time where we come to the end of time as we know it.


5. We will be with the LORD forever

God is deeply involved in human history. It is His Story. It is His Story from the beginnings in Eden to the end in Armageddon. It will be His Story into eternity. He will tell us all things. He show us the whole plan.

We need to keep our eyes fixed upon the Author of Life, the author and Perfecter of our salvation. The One Who is with us and Who knows about tomorrow, Who knows the way we take. The One Who is in heaven and Whom we will be with forever!