The Book of Daniel Part 1
4“Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” (Nebuchadnezzar) said…6Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. (Daniel 1:4, 6)
Today, I want to start looking at the Book of Daniel, and there is a lot to extract from these twelve short, powerful chapters. I really wanted to start this yesterday, but the Z family was busy spending the day together, so I was unable to sit down and write a post. This post is geared at giving a quick historical perspective of who Daniel was.
The Book of Daniel was written by Daniel, who is considered the fourth of the “major prophets”. He wrote his book in 536 BC, near the end of his time working for the Kings of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires. Daniel was just introduced to readers of the Bible in the Book of Ezekiel in chapter 14:14, when Ezekiel wrote that God spoke to him saying “‘Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves,’ says the Sovereign LORD”. This was an interesting reference and grouping and reveals the level of character God grouped Daniel with. Noah was considered the only righteous person on the earth when God instructed him to build an ark to save Noah, his wife, and his three sons and their wives (which also showed that Noah was also an amazing father who had raised his sons to be seen as righteous in God’s eyes-even though that was short lived after the flood). Job, despite being tormented by the devil, remained faithful to God despite losing everything he had and being blamed for it by those closest to him. And then we have Daniel, who, when he is mentioned in Ezekiel, is a figure we have no idea about. However, if you were a child brought up in a Christian household, you surely know who Daniel is. Two stories from Daniel are some of the most colorful, shared, and valued childhood stories of the Old Testament. The story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abendego being rescued from the fire. The story of Daniel being rescued from the lion’s den. You know the name of Daniel. But who was Daniel?
Not much is known about Daniel before he is carried away in the Babylonian captivity, but it can be assumed that he was from Jewish nobility as Daniel writes in 1:3 that the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, ordered his chief of staff to “bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families”. Historians believe Daniel would have only been 16-18 years old at this time, so when he wrote the Book of Daniel, at the end of his 70 years of service to the empires of his day, Daniel would have been in his late 80s. But in his youth, Daniel stood out among his peers, and he surely had earned the favor of God as we will see when we look at the rest of his story. Daniel stands unique in the Bible as being only the second to be able to interpret dreams, and like Joseph from the Book of Genesis, Daniel is able to explain world leader’s dreams by receiving their explanation from the words of God Almighty.
So how did Daniel find favor with God at such a young age? Do you think it was because he followed every law in the Jewish tradition? Do you think it was because he offered only the best livestock for his sacrifices? Maybe. But maybe it was because he had a heart that yearned to know God. Maybe it was because he was merciful and compassionate to foreigners. Maybe it was because he sought to give aid and care to the widow. Maybe it was because he found ways to help and assist the orphan. And most likely, he did not support those that actively chose to do the opposite of all of that.
We live in a time when you can choose to be a “Daniel” and earn the favor of God, or you can choose to be just one of the crowd. How will your time here on earth be remembered? How will people know your name?
I know another name, and the powerful team at Elevation Worship has released a new anthem that lifts that name up high. Aided with the great Brandon Lake, “I Know A Name”, might just be the anthem for 2025.
Common Sense Reborn 