Daniel Unlocked #10

Daniel Unlocked #10. Daniel for Today.

Although written more than 2,500 years ago, the book of Daniel remains profoundly relevant for God’s people in the 21st century. If you think the Bible has nothing to say about what is happening in the Middle East right now, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that it is very clear from Daniel 11 what is happening. The bad news is that it is not good. But some more good news is that it is a strong indicator that the end of all things is at hand. We shall note three areas in which Daniel can be relevant for us.

Even when things go wrong, God stands sovereign and works through the whims of human actions to provide the best for His children. The experience of Daniel in Babylon resembles that of Joseph in Egypt and Esther in Persia. These three young people were captives in foreign countries and under the overwhelming power of pagan nations. To the casual observer they may have seemed weak and God-forsaken. However, the Lord strengthened them and used them in powerful ways. When facing trials, sufferings, and opposition, we can look back to what God did for Daniel, Joseph, and Esther.

We can rest assured that the Lord remains our Lord, and He has not abandoned us even amid our trials and temptations.

At times we feel troubled by a confused and aimless world that is full of sin and violence. But the message of Daniel is that God stands in control. In every single chapter of Daniel, the message is hammered home that God steers the flow of history. In the archives of human history, the growth of nations and the rise and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by man’s power, ambition, or caprice. “But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will.” EGW Education p176.

Daniel and his friends serve as role models for life in a society that holds a worldview often at odds with that of the Bible. When pressed to compromise their faith and make concessions to the Babylonian system in areas that would deny their commitment to the Lord, they remain faithful to the Word of God. Their experience of faithfulness and absolute commitment to the Lord provides encouragement when we face opposition and even persecution for the sake of the gospel. At the same time, Daniel shows that it is possible to contribute to the state and society while remaining committed to the Lord.

The Bible was designed to be a guide to all who wish to become acquainted with the will of God. He has given to men the sure word of prophecy; angels and even Christ Himself came to make known to Daniel and John the things that must shortly come to pass. Those important matters that concern our salvation were not left in mystery. They were not revealed in such a way as to perplex and mislead the honest seeker after truth. The Lord said by the prophet Habakkuk: ‘Write the vision, and make it plain, … that he may run that reads it’. Habakkuk 2:2.

The word of God is plain to all who study it with a prayerful heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth. ‘Light is sown for the righteous’. Psalm 97:11. No church can advance in holiness unless its members are earnestly seeking truth.

We should meditate on the history of Daniel and his fellows. Though living where they were, surrounded on every side by the temptation to indulge self, they honored and glorified God in their daily lives. They were determined to avoid all evil. They refused to place themselves in the enemy’s path. God rewarded their steadfast loyalty with rich blessings. As He will you!