Daniel ~ Devout, Devoted Servant of God

“Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: ‘May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end. He rescues and He saves; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.’ So Daniel prospered during the reign of Dairus and the reign of Cyrus, the Persian.” (Daniel 6:25-28).

We have a whole book in the Old Testament on Daniel, devout, devoted servant of God. The writings in Daniel have been divided into twelve chapters and it would take at least twelve good lessons or more to begin to understand some of the biblical truths contained in this prophecy. Briefly, Daniel’s life story, his autobiography (for most scholars agree that Daniel was the author of the book), is contained in chapters 1 through 6. Daniel’s prophecy is in Chapters 7 – 12. Daniel is apocalyptic literature which uses visions and imagery to present God’s revelation. The book of Daniel in the Old Testament and Revelation in the New Testament are apocalyptic, written during a period of terrible persecution and threats to God’s people. Both speak symbolically of judgment, deliverance and things to come.

As children, we were taught the wonderful story of Daninel being unharmed as he was thrown into the den of fierce lions. Daniel was transported from Judah to Babylon in his early youth, about 605 B. C. He was a comely lad of high intelligence and taught in the ways of Babylonian wisdom. He had the ability to interpret dreams and was soon put in a high position in the court. But he never forsook the one true God he had known from his youth up. He was able to interpret dreams and was active as one of the wise men of Babylon during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar (604-562 B. C.), Nabonidus (555-539 B. C.) and Belshazzar. Babylon was conquered by Cyrus the Persion (who reigned from 539-529 B. C.), Cambyses (529-522 B. C.) and Darius I (522-486 B. C.). It took great courage not to fall into the easy ways of the Babylonians and the Medes and Persians, but Daniel remained faithful to Jehovah God. Who could sing a song in a strange land? Unlike the ones told about in Psalm 137 who sat and wept beside the rivers of Babylon and hung their harps on poplar trees, Daniel could sing. And he did. He sang the praises of God through his interpretations of dreams, his prophecies, his witness and his walk. So devout and faithful was Daniel that King Darius himself sent out a decree that all should “fear and reverence the God of Daniel” (6:26). What a role model was Daniel!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, August 24, 2010