Today’s post is a bit different than other posts that I have made.  It deals with an observation I have made in the study of the book of Daniel.  It regards Daniels faith as an example to me.

I have been noodling on this for a few weeks now, but it came to a head last Wednesday night.  I am participating in a small group study of the book of Daniel at my Church.  It is being led by our associate pastor.  It is a great study, and I have enjoyed it very much.

I have always been fascinated by Daniel’s faith, but this time, in the class I realized some things that I know I knew but had not put together as significant.  These things I saw had less to do with the specific content and more to do with the faith that is required to believe these words.

Part 1 – The Stuff That is Easiest to Grasp

The first half of the book is the part we learn in Sunday School.  Daniel interprets dreams for the king of Babylon and his friends are thrown into the fiery furnace and survive.  Daniel ends up in the Lions Den and Babylon is taken over because of the hand, writing on the wall.

These things are all things that we can take on faith, even as a child.  We know what a furnace is and we have seen others like Joseph interpret dreams.  These things are not confusing they are awesome and amazing, but it is clearly understandable.

God works great miracles through Daniel and shows us, by Daniels example, what faith looks like in practice.  He even shows us the power of earnest prayer.  Daniel prays with such faith that God sends an Angel to personally answer his prayers.

Part 2 – Daniel’s Faithfulness

In all these things Daniel remained faithful to God and His law.  Nothing done to him swayed him away from God or the Law.  He came to Babylon as a young man and lived to old age there, and he never faltered.  Some of the things he foretold in the dreams of others he saw come true, but many he did not, yet he held fast to his hope and faith, even when it meant certain death he did not waver, and God delivered him.   As he aged, his thoughts changed from others dreams to his prophecies.  I would argue that the imagery in his prophecies were even more confusing than the dreams of others that God revealed through him.

Part 3 – Daniel’s Prophecies

In the latter half of the Book Daniel shares, prophecies revealed to him of the end days.  Many feel that these chapters, like the Book of Revelations, is too difficult to study.  There is too much imagery, and we need not focus on it, but I disagree.

I would argue if that were the case God would not have given us these books.  Paul was pretty clear in his letter to Timothy when he spoke of the value of God’s Word.  Nowhere in this passage did he use the word “except.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

All pretty much means all.  So, I tend to stick with that word when I look at Daniel and Revelation as well as the other books of God’s Word.  I will admit that parts of Daniel are difficult to grasp, and it is not a simple book to study, but they things that came out of this study was not a revelation of any of the prophecies.  It was more a realization of true faith and obedience.

Part 4 – My Ah-Ha Moment

One of the things that struck me in the class was that not all the book is in chronological order.  It is divided into two sections; the miracles in the first half of the book and the prophecies in the second half.  There is so much powerful detail in both halves of the book that we could spend more than twelve weeks discussing it, but as I thought about it more and more, I saw a root principle that held everything together.

It jelled for me in last week’s class.  I am not sure what was said by whom, but suddenly I saw this clear fundamental teaching in the book of Daniel, and it has run around my brain all week.

Part 5 – Root Principal

The root principle that came to mind was faith and obedience.  Okay, maybe it is two if you want to be picky, but I look at these as always working together.  They are kind of like crutches to a man with a broken leg.  You need both to take a step, and that is what I see in this book.

I look at the faith and obedience that Daniel demonstrates throughout the book and cannot help but realize the power of his example.  I saw a man of God building on his faith like an athlete prepares his body and mind for competition.  From the first chapter where he refused to corrupt his body with the pagan diet to the last with all, he saw yet kept it to himself.

Reflections

As I pondered all this and meditated on the order, the book was laid out in I saw that it grew in imagery and complexity for lack of a better way to explain it, but Daniel never wavered.  He pressed on in faithfulness to the end.  Some of these images were so powerful that he fell to the ground, yet he continued, and he trusted in God.  God revealed so much to Daniel; some we know and some we do not, but the one thing we know for certain is that Daniel remained faithful.

The other thing that strikes me is that this book covers most if not all of Daniels life and we only know about a small portion of it.  I have to believe that a good portion of that life was spent waiting, praying and studying God’s Word.  We see the spectacular; the high mountain peaks and the deep valleys, but there is a lot of his flat land in between that we do not see.

It is clear that Daniel was blessed.  He had a life of a royal leader, yet he never wavered.  You know we always cry out to God in the valleys and praise him on the mountains, but how we live in the flatlands of life says a lot about our faith.  Are we as close to God in the boring times of our lives as we are in the peaks and valleys?  I think in the glimpses we got of Daniel’s boring times, like just before the lion’s den when he is caught praying; he was just as close then as the peaks and valleys.  I know that sometimes I can lose focus when the road is smooth and straight.  Daniel was just about a king, and he prospered and yet he kept his focus on the kingdom of God regardless of his circumstances.  That is a place that I need to be more like Daniel.

Closing Thoughts

In this book, God showed me how faith builds and grows.  The first half of the book it is so practical and easy for me to not only understand but believe.  The second half of the book is more complex and more difficult for me to understand, but no less true than the first half.

I was reminded that God does not always give me a clear and certain answer to things.  He revealed things to Daniel that he did not want to be shared until the last days.  But even if I do not see the whole picture and if I do not understand the whole plan I know that God has a plan.  I cannot help but turn to the Word of God when I think of these things.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Romans 8:28 (ESV)

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Regardless, whether I am on the flatland, mountaintop or deep dark valley my God is with me always.  I am never alone and:

Proverbs 3:5-8 (ESV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

⁸ It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.

Prayer

Father thank you for your constant provision and guidance.  Lord thank you for never letting go of me.  I praise you in all circumstances.  Father forgive me for those times when I allow my good fortune to draw my focus from you.  Help me that I might follow the example of Daniel.  In Jesus name, I pray, amen!