Today’s Reading, Daniel 7-9
Focal Scripture: Daniel 7:9 ““As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of his head like whitest wool. His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire.”
How do you view God? This question will determine how we approach him, how we talk about him and even how we think about him personally. Most people that I speak with about God view him as someone who has influence and sent his son to die for peoples sins. They even talk about how he suffered and lived as a child. While these statements are true they miss who God really is and how he is portrayed in scripture.
In today’s reading we see that he is called the ancient of days. He sits on a throne that has been around for a long time. His clothing and his hair are white as wool. The throne he sits on is like a blazing fire. God is described as being a powerful king who exudes purity and rules with absolute power. God is a sight to behold.
We know from scripture that God is presented in a variety of ways. He is presented as the newborn baby. Then as the inquisitive child. He then takes on the role of prophet, teacher and friend. Then he is the suffering servant who takes away the sin of the world. Finally, he is the risen savior who defeated death. However, we miss his most important attribute. His holiness and his otherness.
What I mean is that God is not just a simple king who sits on a throne. He is described in great detail as the one who will rule forever. He is explained as all powerful and all consuming. The scriptures declare his glory and his power. He is different and needs to be treated as such.
You see when we view God as holy it changes our approach. We will speak about him in ways that honor him but also have a healthy respect for who he is in our world. Far too often we get to comfortable and miss the fact that he is God. He is our friend and he is our savior but he is also holy.
He is the ancient of days. He has always been and will always be, he will never not exist. He is the Holy One who sits on his throne in majesty, power, and awe striking wonder. Let his attributes define how you approach him and tell others about him daily.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Daniel 10-12
