Daniel Series

DANIEL

DANIEL SAVED HIS OWN LIFE BY INTERPRETING THE KING'S DREAM. HE TOOK NO CREDIT FOR IT, ATTRIBUTING ALL WISDOM TO GOD. EVERYONE KNOWS DANIEL WAS THROWN INTO A LION'S DEN. NEVERTHELESS, THERE IS MUCH MORE TO THIS CHARACTER THAN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS LET ON!

FEW BIBLE CHARACTERS HAVE THE KIND OF STATUS THAT DANIEL DOES. HE IS A RIGHTEOUS AND WISE HERO OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WHOSE DECISIONS SAVE THE LIVES OF MANY. YOU REALLY OUGHT TO DIG INTO DANIEL WITH A BIBLE STUDY AND COMMENTARY TO LEARN ABOUT THIS CHARACTER FOR YOURSELF, BUT FOR STARTERS, HERE ARE 12 BIBLICAL FACTS ABOUT DANIEL THAT DO NOT GET A LOT OF SCREEN TIME IN CHURCH. (AND I MAY HAVE USED MY FAVORITE BIBLE SOFTWARE TO MAKE THIS LIST.)

1. DANIEL IS FROM DAVID'S ROYAL FAMILY.

FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, A DESCENDANT OF DAVID HAD BEEN ON THE THRONE IN JERUSALEM—WELL, BESIDES ONE IMPOSTER QUEEN (2 KI 11:1–3). IN 605 B.C., THE DYNASTY WAS IN ITS TWILIGHT YEARS. NEBUCHADNEZZAR SUCCESSFULLY BESIEGES JERUSALEM AND CARRIES OFF SOME OF THE TREASURE FROM THE TEMPLE OF GOD TO BABYLON.

THAT IS NOT ALL HE TAKES. NEBUCHADNEZZAR ALSO CAPTURES SOME YOUNG MEN OF THE ROYAL FAMILY TO SERVE HIM IN HIS COURT (DA 1:3). DANIEL IS ONE OF THEM (1:6). THIS PROBABLY TAKES PLACE BEFORE DANIEL HAS FINISHED ADOLESCENCE.

WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? MAYBE NEBUCHADNEZZAR ASSUMES JERUSALEM'S LEADERS WOULD NOT GIVE HIM ANY TROUBLE IF THEIR SONS ARE OFF IN BABYLON—KIND OF LIKE HIGH-PROFILE HOSTAGES. MAYBE HE WANTS TO SHOW ISRAELITE ROYALTY TO PEOPLE WHO VISIT HIS PALACE.

WHATEVER THE CASE, HE MAKES AN EXCELLENT CHOICE TO PICK DANIEL.

2. DANIEL IS A GOOD-LOOKING YOUNG MAN.

NOT JUST ANY ROYAL KID GETS TO GO TO BABYLON: ONLY THE HANDSOME ONES. NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S CRITERIA FOR SERVING IN HIS COURT INCLUDE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE (DA 1:4).

DANIEL MAKES THE GRADE.

3. DANIEL IS RENOWNED FOR HIS WISDOM AND INTELLIGENCE.

YOU HAVE TO BE A LOOKER AND A THINKER TO MAKE IT IN THE PALACE. ALL THE CAPTIVES NEED TO PASS A THREE-YEAR COURSE IN BABYLONIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. HOWEVER, DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS ARE TEN TIMES WISER THAN ALL THE EXPERIENCED MAGICIANS AND ENCHANTERS IN THE KINGDOM (DA 1:20).

DANIEL'S WISDOM MAKES HIM A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME. WHEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S SON SEES A TERRIFYING VISION, HIS MOTHER REFERS HIM TO DANIEL. THIS IS HOW SHE DESCRIBES HIM:

[DANIEL] WAS FOUND TO HAVE INSIGHT, INTELLIGENCE, AND WISDOM LIKE THE GODS. (DA 5:11)

SHEESH!

MOREOVER, DANIEL'S FAME IS NOT A ROYAL FAMILY SECRET. ANOTHER PROPHET, EZEKIEL, REFERENCES DANIEL WHEN PREACHING AGAINST ANOTHER NATION'S CLEVER BUT ARROGANT RULER. THIS RULER THINKS HE IS A GOD AND MIGHT EVEN BE WISER THAN DANIEL.

BEHOLD, YOU ARE WISER THAN DANIEL. THERE IS NO SECRET THAT IT IS A MATCH FOR YOU. (EZE 28:3)

(OR MAYBE EZEKIEL IS JUST MOCKING THAT GUY.)

IT IS REMARKABLE IN AND OF ITSELF THAT DANIEL IS BEING QUOTED BY A CONTEMPORARY.* BUT IT IS ALSO INTERESTING THAT A HEBREW WRITER CHOOSES DANIEL AS A REFERENCE POINT, RATHER THAN, SAY, SOLOMON.

*OK, FULL DISCLOSURE, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THERE WAS AN ANCIENT LEGENDARY FIGURE NAMED DANIEL WHO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR PROPHET.

4. DANIEL'S SPECIALTY IS DREAM INTERPRETATION

THERE ARE SEVERAL DREAMS IN THE BIBLE, AND MANY OF THEM SEEM TO BE STRAIGHTFORWARD INSTRUCTIONS FROM GOD. NEVERTHELESS, OTHER DREAMS USE BIZARRE SYMBOLISM TO COMMUNICATE SOMETHING TO THE DREAMER.

WHEN SOMEONE GETS A WEIRD DREAM LIKE THIS, THERE ARE A FEW WAYS THEY CAN INTERPRET IT:

FIGURE IT OUT THEMSELVES

GET SOMEONE IN THE DREAM TO EXPLAIN IT

ASK SOMEONE ELSE TO EXPLAIN IT

DANIEL HAS OPTION #3 COVERED.

HE GAINS NOTORIETY FOR UNDERSTANDING DREAMS IN HIS YOUTH (DA 1:17). MOREOVER, HE IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN INTERPRET SOME OF THE MOST TROUBLING DREAMS AND VISIONS FOR NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND HIS SON, BELSHAZZAR (DA 2:27, 30; 4:4–9; 5:15–17).

NEVERTHELESS, THAT DOES NOT MEAN DANIEL CAN INTERPRET EVERY DREAM. DANIEL HAS TROUBLE INTERPRETING SOME OF HIS DREAMS. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, DANIEL GOES FOR OPTION #2 OF THOSE LISTED ABOVE: HE ASKS ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN HIS DREAM TO INTERPRET WHAT IS HAPPENING FOR HIM (DA 7:15–16).

5. DANIEL'S RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS LEGENDARY STATUS

DO NOT MISTAKE DANIEL FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS. HE IS NOT JUST A WISE DREAM INTERPRETER. HIS UNWAVERING FAITHFULNESS CHARACTERIZES HIM TO THE LAW OF MOSES.

DANIEL CHOOSES NOT TO DEFILE HIMSELF WITH THE KING'S FOOD UPON HIS ARRIVAL IN BABYLON—THE FOOD WOULD HAVE RENDERED HIM CEREMONIALLY UNCLEAN, ACCORDING TO THE TORAH (DA 1:8). FURTHERMORE, TOWARD THE END OF HIS LIFE, HE CONTINUES TO PRAY TO GOD AND NOT THE KING, EVEN THOUGH IT PUTS HIM IN DANGER (DA 6:13).

HIS FAITHFULNESS TO GOD EARNS HIM ANOTHER HONORABLE MENTION FROM THE PROPHET EZEKIEL.