A favorite book of children’s bibles and most recently, Vacation Bible School, the Old Testament book of Daniel, is so named after the main character, Daniel. Within this book we meet a young man, Daniel, an exiled Jew living in Babylon and even rising to serve within the royal court. Beyond the excitement and tension, the story conveys, it is also an interesting book as it highlights the challenges of maintaining one’s faith in the midst of greater powers. Daniel is set as an example, as the New Testament Oxford Annotated Bible notes, “Daniel and the other Jewish men must resist the king in order to maintain fidelity to the God of Israel, the tales are mostly optimistic about the king’s ability to recognize Daniel’s God as the ‘God of gods and Lord of kings.’” Yet it does not stay in this positive mood as the closing chapters take a darker tone, from describing four separate apocalypses to affirming worldly powers are no match to God’s ultimate power.
Daniel 6:25-28
“25Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the whole world: “May you have abundant prosperity! 26I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: For he is the living God, enduring forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end. 27He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth; for he has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” 28So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
Prayer
Gracious and Living Lord, may I continue to sing your praises and have the faith, courage, and strength of Daniel when sitting within the pit of my own ‘lions’ of life. Be my rock and worker of great signs to know I am never alone. Amen.
