Deeper Reflection
Perspective – how we look at things – is important. How we look at life determines how we live life – consciously or unconsciously. But the looking should consciously precede the living. Perspective gives things their meaning and significance. But more importantly, our perspective must be theological perspectives: Seeing God in life.Daniel and the narrator of Kings are looking at a similar event – Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Judah under Jehoiakim’s reign in 605 B.C. (2 Kin 24:1; Dan 1:1), but with different perspectives and for different purposes. Their perspectives are theological perspectives. Kings was written for the people of God who were in exile in Babylon, whereas the audience of Daniel were post-exilic Jews. Both writers give their theological interpretation of the same historical event. For Kings, the Babylonian invasion was the judgment of God on His people: “He sent them against Judah to destroy it” and “to remove” Judah “from His sight” (2 Kin 24:2-3). And its purpose is to convict God’s people of their unfaithfulness to God and that they are to return to Him. Daniel points his readers to the sovereignty of God over the Babylonian invasion: “The Lord gave” (Dan 1:2). And its purpose is to comfort God’s people living under hostile Gentile superpowers and that they are to rest in God’s sovereignty.To get theological perspectives, we ask these questions: Where is God in this? What is God doing? What is God saying? But we must answer these questions through the Scriptures, where God has revealed Himself. Hence, knowing the Scriptures is vital. And theological perspectives come from, as well as lead to, knowing God.