Daniel, the Literary Genius
Some stories motivate one to the bravery and a true devotion towards a Higher Power, the tale of Daniel is one. He is a real individual who lived and practiced what he preached. The story of Daniel in the lion’s den was one of the first stories I learned as a child. Right up there with Jonah and the Whale and Noah and his ark, the story of Daniel’s brave refusal to stop praying to the God of Israel is cemented in my brain and heart. Having an unrelenting faith pays was something I grasped and will never abandon.
Daniel had a twist in his identity. His Hebrew name, Daniel, means “God is Judge.” Shortly after he arrived in Babylon, however, probably as part of the Babylonian’s attempt to brainwash the young exile, his name was changed to Belshazzar, which means, “Bel’s prince.” Bel was the ruling god of the Babylonian pantheon. As manipulation as the temper is he could not get his claws on this one. He was focused, with unshakable faith.
This brave young man is counted as one of the greatest men in the Bible because he was willing to die for his faith. He was not going to change his worship time and Who he worshiped just because of the threat of losing his life. It only made him more resolved to remain loyal to his faith and God. Imagine a human Daniel in the lion’s den as a supreme example of someone willing to die for something that he believed in. Even with the threat of being cast into the fiery furnace, he didn’t blink an eye but obeyed God rather than disobey God by giving worship to avoid that he knew did not exist. Daniel even reprimanded King Belshazzar for his impiety (Dan 5).
You will come to encounter many other fascinating tidbits about this inspiring Old-Testament hero. Daniel was strong and healthy, good-looking, and trained in all wisdom, having a good education and much knowledge, and able to take positions in the king’s house; and he is trained in the writing and language of the Chaldeans. God gave him knowledge and made him an expert in all book-learning and wisdom: and Daniel was wise in all visions and dreams.
Daniel was a vegetarian who refused, probably because the meat and wine had been offered to idols and/or conflicted with Israel’s dietary laws. This shows the impressive level of self-control that Daniel had. He was a skilled negotiator this quality helped him to stand on his quest of eating only water and vegetables. Daniel was an overachiever. Forget the dean’s list and Who’s Who Among Israeli Exiles; Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego far surpassed their fellow students in a test given by King Nebuchadnezzar. “He found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom” in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which he questioned them (Dan. 1:20). What! Yes, that’s Daniel for you, no wonder he made the impact he made as a man and a man of God.
We come to see Daniel play the role of an honest politician. After graduating with high honors, Daniel and his three friends were appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to government positions (Dan. 1:19). Daniel’s political career spanned more than 70 years during the reigns of several Babylonian and Persian kings. Daniel was an oneirologist. Oneirology, the study of dreams, which that word meant, became popular in the 17th century, but Daniel studied and interpreted dreams more than 500 years before Christ. Along with knowledge and skill in literature and wisdom, God had given Daniel the ability to unravel the mystery of dreams (Dan. 1:17).
Daniel was prone to fainting spells, breathlessness, and weakness. Receiving visions and revelations can be quite taxing. After receiving a vision describing future world governments, “Daniel, fainted and was sick for days,” (Dan. 8:17). A visit and a vision from the angel Gabriel had a similar effect on him: “I (Daniel) had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale, and I was helpless.” Daniel was twice visited by God’s archangel. Most commonly known as the angel who appeared to Mary in the New Testament to announce the coming Messiah, we first read about Gabriel in Daniel 8:16. His first recorded biblical assignment was to help Daniel interpret a puzzling vision.
Daniel was an octogenarian when he was thrown into the lion’s den. The chronology of Daniel’s life shows that he had been a faithful government servant for more than 70 years. During a regime change, his exemplary resume caught the eye of the incoming King Darius, who appointed him as one of three national governors. His jealous colleagues decided to off the elder statesman, but because he was above reproach, failed to find any “charge or fault” against him (Dan. 6:4). Determined to bring about his demise, they crafted a plan for religious persecution, convinced the unwitting king to sign it, and targeted Daniel for execution while he prayed in his room. Instead of throwing Daniel a well-deserved retirement dinner, King Darius wound up throwing Daniel in as the lions’ dinner. Lions notwithstanding, Daniel’s commitment to integrity, devotion to the Lord, and unwavering faith make him a biblical hero worth studying.
The Old Testament counterpart to the apostle John, God calls both men “beloved.” Five centuries apart, they wrote parallel and complementary end-times prophecies that give us fascinating and frightening glimpses into the future. Most important, however, a study of the book of Daniel gives us a powerful example of how to live righteously in a society that does not honor God. Only 12 chapters long, the book of Daniel is a must-read.
So what can a man take from Daniel’s life? Self-control, loyalty and integrity, uncompromising devotion to God, a dedicated life, hard-working and consistent in learning, he studied ferociously, was focused on his call, and was faithful to the end. If you must prove to be anything in life, you can venture into becoming your kind of Daniel for this generation. Nigeria needs leaders like Daniel who are educated in science, literature, Oneirology, politics and have an intimate relationship with God whose fruits cannot be hidden.
Will you be our Daniel?
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