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Daniel 2:12-28

A 12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. 14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: 15  He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

B (16) Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.

C (17-18) Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

D (19) Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision.

E (19b-20) Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

F (21-22) And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings:  he giveth wisdom unto the wise,
and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

E’ (23) I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might,

D’ (23b) and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.

C’ (24) Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon:

B’ (24b-25) bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

A’ (26-28a) The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.

Note: The central section may itself have a chiastic structure

F (21-22)

a. And he changeth the times and the seasons:

b. he removeth kings, and setteth up kings:

c. he giveth wisdom unto the wise,
and knowledge to them that know understanding:

b’. He revealeth the deep and secret things:

a’. he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

Note: One reason for thinking this is that aa’ are linked is Genesis 1 where we are told that the lights are for seasons.

Nehemiah 1:1-2:5

A  (1:1-2)  The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

B  (3)  And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

C  (4)  And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

D  (5)  And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

E  (6a)  Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant,

F  (6b)  which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants,

G  (6c-7a)  and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments,

H  (7b)  which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

I  (8)  Remember, I beseech thee, the word

H’  (8b)  that thou commandedst thy servant Moses,

G’  (8c-9)  saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

F’  (10)  Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

E’  (11a)  O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name:

D’  (11b)  and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

C’  (2:1-3a)  And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad,

B’  (3b)  when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

A’  (4-5)  Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it ..

Note: this structure includes both prayers of Nehemiah. The importance of this is to lock the second rapid instant prayer into the prayerful life of Nehemiah. So that prayer wasn’t a one off desperate act of a fearful man but the reaction of a man who prayed without ceasing.

Exodus 15:1-21

(1) Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying,

A. I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously:
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

B (2) The LORD is my strength and song,
and he is become my salvation:
he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation;
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

C (3-5) The LORD is a man of war:
the LORD is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea:
his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
The depths have covered them:
they sank into the bottom as a stone.

D (6) Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power:
thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

E (7a) And in the greatness of thine excellency
thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee:

F (7b-8) thou sentest forth thy wrath,
which consumed them as stubble.
And with the blast of thy nostrils
the waters were gathered together,
the floods stood upright as an heap,
and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

G (9) The enemy said,
I will pursue,
I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil;
my lust shall be satisfied upon them;
I will draw my sword,
my hand shall destroy them.

F’ (10) Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them:
they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

E’ (11) Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?
who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

D’ (12-13) Thou stretchedst out thy right hand,
the earth swallowed them.
Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed:
thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.

C’ (14-16) The people shall hear, and be afraid:
sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed;
the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them;
all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
Fear and dread shall fall upon them;
by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone;
till thy people pass over, O LORD,
till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

B’ (17-18) Thou shalt bring them in,
and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance,
in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in,
in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.

A’ (19-21) For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots
and with his horsemen into the sea,
and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them;   but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

A. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; . and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

B.  And Miriam answered them,
Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Hebrews 4:1-11

A (1-2) Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

B  3  a. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest:

b. although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

b’. 4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

a’.  5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

C (6) Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

D (7-8) Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said,

E. To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 

 D’. For if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

C’  (9) There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

B’ (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

A’ (11) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5

A (16) Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself,

B (16b) and God, even our Father,

C (16c) which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

D (17a) Comfort your hearts,

E (17b) and stablish you in every good word and work.

F (3:1-2) Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

F’ (3a) But the Lord is faithful,

E’ (3b-4) who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

D’ (5a) And the Lord direct your hearts

C’ (5b) into the love

B’ (5c) of God,

A’ (5d) and into the patient waiting for Christ.