Daniel: Not Just the Man in the Lions’ Den
Let’s play a game of Bible word association, okay? David—Goliath. Eve—apple. Jacob—ladder. Thomas—doubt. Zacchaeus—tree. Moses—Red Sea. (Or burning bush?) Daniel—lions.
Did I guess that last one correctly? If you’re anything like me, when you hear the name Daniel, the first thing that comes to mind is his nerve-wracking but victorious time spent in the lions’ den. Why wouldn’t we think about that right away!?! It was an incredible miracle, and it’s also just such a memorable miracle.
But Daniel provides a powerfully helpful example for Jesus followers way before the lions’ den even comes into the picture. In Daniel 1-2, we are introduced to this young man who was recruited by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon after the Israelites were sent into exile in Babylon because of their longstanding rebellion against God. In these two opening chapters to the book of Daniel, two different situations teach us a lot about who he is and how we can live as faithful believers in a fallen world. Let’s look at both of them.
In the first circumstance, Daniel and his friends have just been recruited by the palace to be trained up for the king’s service. And when I say “recruited,” it was somewhat of a forced recruitment, as they surely didn’t have much say in the matter. They were taken from their families and were to be trained for three years, learning the language, literature and ways of the Babylonians, before entering the king’s service. As part of the young men’s program, they were served a specific diet, which defiled them, according to Daniel 1:8. Daniel did not throw a fit, he didn’t just sit around whining, and he didn’t get super emotional. Here’s what he did do:
- He resolved not to defile himself.
- He asked his guard if he and his three Israelite friends could test the system for 10 days and only consume vegetables and water. After 10 days, Daniel said the guard could compare their appearance to the other young men in the program.
What happened? After 10 days, Daniel and his friends looked “healthier and better nourished” than any of the other young men who were eating the royal food. God looked on them with favor for staying true to their faith, and He filled them with all kinds of knowledge and understanding. Ultimately, they become so wise that King Nebuchadnezzar found them to be 10 times smarter than any magician and enchanter in the whole kingdom. Daniel stood for his faith in a respectful, wise, and humble but confident way, and God honored his loyalty and blessed him.
In the second circumstance, King Nebuchadnezzar had a crazy dream and was desperate for his magicians to not only interpret it, but to also tell him what the dream was (without him telling them). When the magicians could not complete this impossible task, King Nebuchadnezzar became angry and decided to execute all wise men of Babylon, including Daniel and his friends. Again, Daniel did not panic. Instead he did this:
- He investigated the situation with wisdom and tact.
- He asked his friends to join him in prayer.
During the night, the dream and its meaning was revealed to Daniel, and he promptly praised God and shared the dream and its interpretation with King Nebuchadnezzar. When the king wanted to praise Daniel, Daniel was quick and clear about crediting God alone. “Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men” (Daniel 2:48).
Daniel was living in exile! He had been stripped of his home, family, name, traditions and culture. But even while living in a hostile situation, he courageously chose to stay faithful to God. There’s so much to Daniel’s unique and intriguing story. If you read the book of Daniel, you’ll find much more than the small bits I’ve mentioned here. But even just a quick peek at the first two chapters of Daniel gets my mind spinning as I think about what I can learn about God and myself from this story in Daniel 1-2.
What can we learn about God from Daniel’s story?
- God’s favor is a game changer.
- God is sovereign over earthly kings and circumstances.
- He protects His children, even when they are in difficult situations.
- God answers our prayers.
- He is able to make a way when it looks like there is no way.
- God honors obedience.
- God can orchestrate your thriving in any circumstance, no matter how bleak it seems.
What can we learn about people/ourselves from Daniel’s story?
- You can choose to stay faithful to God when the people and systems around you are steeped in sin.
- You are blessed when you act in faithful obedience.
- Small acts of obedience matter.
- When we are steadfast in small things, God can trust us with bigger things.
- We are called to live holy lives that display God’s character and truth no matter what situation we have been placed in.
- One act of faithfulness can start a ripple effect of obedience and blessing.
- You can choose to thrive, not just survive, even while living in the middle of a circumstance that feels impossible.
What else do you learn about God from this story? What do you learn about yourself? How can you apply that to your life today? Pick out the one lesson you’re learning from Daniel in Daniel 1-2—you know, that one that’s resonating in your heart right now—and talk to God about it in prayer. Write it down somewhere where you’ll see it, and let that lesson move you forward in faith.