Daniel 8 (2)

Introduction
Strong, powerful, and extensive as it was, the Persian Empire would not endure. It would be defeated by a small army of Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great. In eleven short years, Alexander swiftly subdued every nation and people from Egypt to India, before his death in 333 BC. Alexander was one of the greatest pagans who ever lived. He was used by God despite his wanting to be regarded as the son of god. Like the Pharaoh of old, God raised Alexander to power so that He could show His glory through him.

Read Exodus 7.1-5, 9.13-16.

Read Daniel 8.5-7, 21.

Think it Through
1.  How did Daniel see the swiftness with which Alexander made his conquests? Alexander is depicted as a “notable horn” in this vision. The word notable or conspicuous plays on the word vision or even prophecy, since in other contexts it can mean this. Can you see how this intends to exalt the greatness of Alexander, and the impression he made on the peoples he conquered? Explain. With an army of less than 50,000 men, Alexander destroyed the Persian army, which he estimated to be near one million, at Guagemela. Darius fled with a few of his men, but they murdered and abandoned Darius before Alexander caught up with him (contrary to the report of Aphrahat, see on). How does Daniel summarize these striking events? How great was Alexander to the people who experienced him?

2.  Alexander was dead before his 35^th birthday, and his kingdom was divided among four of his generals. Alexander’s first victories were won in his native Greece. He was actually a Macedonian, from the north, and undertook first to unite the warring Greek tribes, before crossing the Bosporus to begin his conquests. But he had to overcome a language problem at home, since the Greeks spoke three different dialects and could not easily understand one another. Alexander created a simplified form of Greek which came to be called koiné or common Greek. Wherever he went, from Egypt to Afghanistan, Alexander installed koiné Greek as the lengua franca. He introduced Greek culture and built Greek cities, many of which he named after himself (recall Gen. 4.16, 17). Colonies of Greek-speakers went from Greece eastward to Italy and Spain. The New Testament was written in koiné Greek. How can you see the sovereign hand of God, working for His own glory through the conquests of Alexander? Is God doing this through nations and rulers and other “notable” men and women today?

Meditate
“But the ram was the king of Media and Persia, that is, Darius; and the he-goat was Alexander, the son of Philip, the Macedonian.… And the he-goat of the goats came up from the region of the Greeks and exalted himself against the ram, and he struck him and broke both his horns, the greater and the lesser. And why did he say that he broke both his horns? Clearly because he humbled both the kingdoms that he ruled; the lesser, that of the Medes, and the greater, that of the Persians. But when Alexander the Greek came, he killed Darius, king of Media and Persia.” Aphrahat (270-350 AD)

For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Romans 9.17

Lord, I cannot see all that You are doing in the world, but I know You are doing all things well. Work in me today, Father, so that…

Pray Psalm 2.4-9.
How does God look on the nations of the world? How should we be praying for them?

Psalm 2.4-10 (Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High! )
The Lord in heaven laughs in wrath
At all who embark on this cursèd path.
His angry Word to them is plain:
“Yet shall My King in Zion reign!”

Proclaim the message far and wide,
That God has exalted the Crucified!
From heav’n He sent us His only Son,
Who has for us salvation won!

To Christ the Lord be given all
Who humbly embrace Him and on Him call.
Be wise, be warned: His judgment comes
To break the prideful, sinful ones.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006.