I. Ezek 22:26-30 Note vs 30 "I sought for a man / woman among them"
A. Vs 26 The Priests: (type of five fold Ministry of Eph 4:11) violated the law / word...no difference between holy & unholy...unclean & clean
B. Vs 27 Her Princes: people of position & prominence in the temple / church ...dishonest gain
C. Vs 28 Her Prophets: "daubed them with untempered moter": would not speak a try word from God ... Tickled their ears 2 Tim 4:3
D. Vs 29 The People: consumed with greed...love of money...robbery / extortion / oppressing the poor
E. Vs 30 "I (God) sought for a man / woman among them...stand in gap...make up hedge"
1. Results of God’s search: "but I found none": their life style disqualified them from being used of God
II. Daniel an example of the "Spirit of Excellence": Daniel 5:1-25
A. Belshazzar was having a party & violated the sanctified vessels set apart for God: vs 1-4
1. These vessels are a type of the Born Again Believer set apart for glory of God: 1 Thess 4:4 & 2 Tim 2:21
B. The Hand of God comes and writes judgement on the wall & fear grips the heart of Belshazzar vs 5 - 7
1. Noone anointed of the devil & living in sin had the interpretation: astrologers, soothsayers 7 wise men
2. In vs 11 the queen speaks up and proclaims: "There is a man"
a. God goes from having noone in the Book of Ezekiel to having Daniel. Note Daniel’s spiritual condition:
(1) Dan 5:12 EXCELLENT SPIRIT vs 14 EXCELLENT WISDOM Dan 6:3 EXCELLENT SPIRIT
(A) Can the Belshazzar’s of this world call us into their presence & say: "I have heard of you, that the Spirit Of God is in you"
III. Attributes in Daniel that enabled him to develop an EXCELLENT SPIRIT:
A. Daniel walked in HOLINESS: Dan 5:13 "Then was Daniel brought in before the king"
1. Note Daniel had to be "brought in". Daniel did not his abide in a sinful environment
B. Daniel had a TESTIMONY: Dan 6:4 "they could find none occasion nor fault...faithful...error or fault"
1. "DISSOLVED DOUBTS": Dan 5:16 Daniel spoke faith...Daniel spoke true prophetic words & counsel of God
C. Daniel walked in INTEGRITY: Dan 5:16-17 "Let thy gifts be to thyself"
1. Daniel would not be a spiritual prostitute & put a price on his gifting & ministry like many ministries today
D. Daniel STUDIED THE WORD OF GOD: Dan 9:2 &Jer 29:10 he received revelation of Israel’s deliverance
1. Jn 8:32 "truth set you free" Jn 17:17 "Thy word is truth" Eph 5:26 sanctified & cleansed by the Word of God
E. Daniel was a man of PRAYER: Dan 9:3 & 6:10
IV. We are to develop our time of personal devotion with God as Daniel did: 1 Kings 6:7
A. No sound of hammer, axe, tool of iron heard in the Temple when preparing the rocks used to build the Temple
1. Every rock was hewed into perfect shape to fit at the quarry & then fitted into the walls of the Temple
2. 1 Peter 2:5 "Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house" (The Church)
3. In our churches today we hear the sounds of spiritual hammers, axes & tools of iron
a. It is the sound of Pastors doing in the Church...what God intended to be done in the lives of His people / living stones at the "spiritual quarry" alone with God
b. Due to believers not going to the "spiritual quarry", & not allowing the Holy Spirit to hewn each living stone into shape: into the image of Jesus Christ. Refusing to allow the Holy Spirit to cut out the sin & rough edges. No quarry time....no life of personal devotion ...alone seeking face of God in prayer & the word.
c. This causes the Pastor to have to deal with flesh & sin in the church; instead of being able to take the church Into their divine destiny & fulfill the Vision of The House / Church & doing The work of The Lord & having an impact on their community & world.
V. OUR FIRST AND FOREMOST CALLING & KEY FOR DEVELOPING AN EXCELLENT SPIRIT:
A. Mark 3:14-15
1. First: ‘that they should be with Him"
a. Our first & foremost calling / priority #1 is to spend time alone with Jesus: quarry time
b. Only after they responded to the call to spend time with Jesus were they:
(1) sent forth to preach...heal sickness & cast out devils
VI. In the Book of Ezekiel God was looking for a man / woman...but I (God) found none Ezek 22:30
A. In the Book of Daniel: "There is a man in whom is the Spirit of The Holy God" Dan 5:11 & 14
B. Is your testimony like that of Daniel’s...a living epistle (2 Cor 3:2) with an EXCELLENT SPIRIT
