From the Introduction
The 2017 theme
"Identity in Crisis: Daniel's Vision for the Future," matches both
our striving for an
exploration of the text and an application to ministry, from the beginning of the
program to the very end. Daniel tells the story of how God's people
would be preserved despite the challenges that they faced both from
within and without. Readers of Daniel are challenged to consider the
power of the Most High God who is far greater than any earthly ruler. The message of
Daniel is as needed now as ever before. There is so much division and
hurt in the world and among God's people that it is at times easy to
forget that we are not the first to suffer. Since Genesis 3 the spiritual,
social, psychological, and ecological effects of sin have been evident among
creation. This reality was observable in the exile of Daniel's time and in
the spiritual exile which many now find themselves living in. It is my
prayer that the articles you find in this volume will stimulate meaningful
Bible study and will serve as a springboard for relevant ministry in
the ever-changing public square. If Christians cannot know their identity
in the midst of crisis, who can? Christians today should not forget Daniel's
vision for the future, even in the midst of a cultural identity crisis.
441 pgs.
