Daniel - Servant of the Living God (Daniel 6:20)

The following blog entry is the first in a seven part preaching series on Daniel 1-7.

I want to start this series by having you use your imagination. I want you to imagine that you are busy with your life as you know it now. You go to work, come home and then spend time with your family in the evening. Perhaps you travel on your job and often find yourself away for extended periods. You may be a student and spend much of your time attending class and cramming for exams. Then again, you may home school your children and fill the role of a home maker. Above all you are a Christian. Your faith is rooted in God. There have been times in your life where your faith has been tested. You've failed and triumphed on different occasions. Your failures have not destroyed your faith and your triumphs have not elevated you too much. You're an average Christian, attending an average church who is living day to day. You have dreams and aspirations for both your family and yourself. I may have some of the variables wrong, so just plug in your own situation into the examples given. Now, still using your imagination, think what it would be like if your world is suddenly changed. Drastically changed. Imagine the horror, dread and worry that would be yours if your house was suddenly broken into in the middle of the night. Along with taking all your possessions the intruders drag you away to a foreign land across the globe. There is no hope of rescue and your choices are limited. In fact, there are only two choices: submit to the orders and culture of your captors and you will live. The second choice? Disobey and die. Which will you choose? To be fair, it's hard to imagine what your choice would be apart from being in the situation. But what if your submission to this foreign power required adopting their pagan gods as your own? In fact, you would be required to worship, publicly, these pagan deities. To refuse would be certain and immediate death. Would you be able to resist? Most of us in this building this morning would like to say, "yes." If placed to the test I pray that all of us would be able to resist, even if it cost us our lives.

Twenty-six years ago I volunteered for airborne duty while in the Air Force. Part of the training was to attend a P.O.W. camp in Washington state. My group was sitting in an auditorium being briefed on survival tactics when commandos stormed into the room armed with semi-automatic weapons. Their faces were cloaked and they pointed their guns directly at us. They placed burlap bags over our heads and loaded us on a truck. They drove us to a remote section of the base and imprisoned us in an obsolete weapons bunker. In the bunker were individual cells. You couldn't lay down. All you could do was stand. There were no personal hygiene breaks. All you were given was a coffee can. The only meal we received was plain oatmeal. The purpose of this "training" was to see how we would respond to being captured, interrogated and tortured. Escape wasn't possible. Even though our captors were members of our own branch of the military we received no differential treatment. Part of the training was to interrogate you so that you would divulge information. They would offer you incentives if you talked; food, be removed from your cell and possibly even be released. Most of us dealt with the ordeal well. We knew it was only for a few days. We simply willed ourselves to get through it. Over the next few weeks we are going to be studying the book of Daniel. While there are many different characters in Daniel; Daniel himself is the main character. Daniel was captured by the Babylonians when Judah fell. He was taken into captivity in the land of Babylon and remained there for the rest of his life. His was not a forty-eight hour training experience. For Him, it was real life for the rest of his life.

It's fair to ask, "Why, Daniel?" What is the relevance of a book that was written about 2600 years ago? Is God speaking to His church today through the truths contained in Daniel? Daniel is a favorite of children's Sunday school teachers. Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego and the fiery furnace. Daniel in the lions den. The flannel graphs love these stories. But those narrative stories are important when looked at in the larger context of the book. Daniel is a manifesto of God's sovereignty in impossible situations. Daniel is a book about a man who was not afraid to trust in his God, no matter what it cost him. It would have been so easy for Daniel to compromise. If he played his cards right he would have had power and wealth while serving the kings of Babylon and Persia. Wait. Daniel was given all those things without compromising his faith. Like Solomon, God gave to Daniel what he did not seek. Solomon asked for wisdom in order to rule the people of Israel wisely. Because of his selfless request, God granted to Him wisdom and great riches. The wisdom he asked for; the riches he didn't. Likewise Daniel was rewarded by the kings he served with power and wealth even though he never sought these things. But unlike Solomon, Daniel finished the race well. He never compromised his faith. Daniel speaks to us today, partly to instruct us to count the cost of our faith so that we too, may serve God without wavering. This is the theme of the first six chapters. Chapter 7-12 deal with the end times, or eschatology.

Before we begin our look at the book of Daniel, it's necessary to explore the history of the book itself. We need answers to the "who, what, why, when, where and hows." This is an important part of our study for it will provide you with a solid footing in understanding the events that happen within the book of Daniel itself.

Ketuvim

In the Tanakh (the Jewish scriptures), Daniel is classified as part of the Ketuvim. The Ketuvim is considered, "the writings." The Jewish bible is broken down into three categories: Torah (the Law; Genesis - Deuteronomy), Nevi'im (the Prophets; Joshua, Judges, I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi), and theKetuvim (writings; Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Eccelsiates , Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles). We know Daniel as a prophet; and his contribution to eschatology is mammoth. But Daniel was unlike the other prophets. Instead of announcing God's impending judgment on Israel and Judah, Daniel was a prophet who had realized God's judgment. He was in captivity in Babylon; and as we will learn, he was in service to the king of Babylon. Daniel had no message of warning and repentance to offer the people. He was a prophet of a different class as we will soon see.

When was Daniel written?

Of all the criticisms levied against the book of Daniel, the time of its writing is the most prolific. Daniel makes certain prophecies in chapters 7-12 that are so detailed and specific that critics have argued Daniel could not have been written before these events took place. These critics believe Daniel was written after the events of his prophecies took place. Specifically, critics say Daniel was written during the time of the Maccabean revolt (167-160 B.C.) as a pseudo-romantic tale in order to encourage the Jews during that time. They claim Daniel was written by an unknown Jew. The problem with this view is that it calls the credibility of the entire book into question. Edward J. Young writes, "If this book were issued at the time of the Maccabees for the purpose of strengthening the faith of the people of that time, and the impression was thereby created that Daniel, a Jew of the 6th century were the author, then, whether we like it or no - the book is a fraud." Why would Young make this statement? Because the first six chapters of Daniel claim to be narrative accounts of events that took place in the life of Daniel within 70 years of Judah being taken into captivity. How can a book of the bible be an encouragement to the saints if it's main premise is fabricated?

Another criticism about the date Daniel was written was the combination of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek vernacular within the Hebrew writings. Critics state that Aramaic was not in common use in the 6th century B.C. and that Daniel would never have used Greek phraseology at that time in history. These Greek words are commonly called "loanwords." This is common in our English vernacular today. Has anyone ever said to you, "Que pasa?" That is the Spanish vernacular for, "What's happening?" It is a foreign language term used within the English language. Critics of Daniel being written in the 6th century state that those Greek loanwords weren't around in the time of Daniel. To this, R.C. Sproul writes, "There is abundant evidence of contacts between the Greeks and the Near East prior to the time of Alexander the Great. Such contacts are sufficient to explain the appearance of the Greek loanwords. The Aramaic and Hebrew of Daniel can be dated anywhere between the late sixth and early second centuries B.C. In other words, the language does not lend much weight to either the early or the late date proposal."

Both the Jews and the Christian church have accepted the book of Daniel as being written during the time of the exile, in the 6th century B.C. For the purpose of our study, this is the time frame we will be dealing with.

Who wrote Daniel?

The evidence is overwhelming that Daniel is the author of the book that bears his name. This is based on the following observations:

• The first six chapters are narrative accounts that involved Daniel himself, except for the fiery furnace narrative in Daniel 3; but even in that narrative we know that Daniel,Hanniah, Mishael and Azariah were all friends (Daniel 2:49).
• Daniel refers to himself as the one who received the revelation from God in chapters 7-12 (vs. 2, 4, 6, 28; 8:1, 15; 9:2; 10:2; 12:5-8).
• The book is clearly written by one writer, and if Daniel is the one who claims to be the one who received the visions, he is logically the author.
• The Lord Jesus Christ promoted the credibility of Daniel's authorship in Matthew 24:15, "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),"

Why was Daniel written?

The critics of Daniel believe it was written to be an encouragement to the Jews living under Roman oppression during the time of Maccabees. They are partly right. The book was written as an encouragement; but not for theMaccabean era. It was written to chronicle the faithfulness of God towards those who kept His covenant. This would prove to be a great blessing to the Jews who returned to the land of Israel after the seventy year captivity, under the care of Nehemiah and Ezra. Israel's ultimate redemption is unveiled in chapters 7-12 of Daniel. More specifically, spiritual Israel's redemption. While the immediate impact of Daniel was for post-exilic Israel, the book is a great source of comfort and teaching for the New Testament church. We see God's sovereignty at work in the midst of impossible situations. Daniel's faith was in the LORD, the covenant keeping God. Daniel knew the promise of the LORD, that Israel would be restored to the land after seventy years. Maybe it was because of God's promise that Daniel never wavered in his faith. Daniel wasn't a lone ranger. He did not go it alone while in captivity. Hanniah, Mishael and Azariah were his faithful companions. They also placed their faith completely in the LORD. In consensus they spoke thus, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." " (Daniel 3:16-18). When post-exilic Israel returned to their covenant land, they would not know the same freedom they enjoyed prior. Daniel would be a source of comfort and strength as they realized their real faith was not in the covenant land promises, but God.

How about the New Testament church? How should we accept Daniel? First, God is faithful to those who are His. While there is no promise to deliver us from all of our trials, God does promise to be with us in the midst of them. This is whatHanniah, Mishael and Azariah knew to be true when they said, "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." It is what we know to be true when we read, "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." (Acts 2:39), and, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). The promise of Christ's redemption is seen clearly in the second half of the book of Daniel. During our study over the next few weeks we will spend time in chapters 1-6. Pastor Doug will then pick up the preaching duties once again and I will complete chapters 7-12 of Daniel in November and December. But for the next few weeks we will try to gain some insight and understanding into the narrative accounts that Daniel writes about in chapters 1-6. We will see theLORD's sovereignty at work in spite of the vicious attacks of His and Daniel's enemies. We will discuss how God's hand of deliverance on Daniel,Hanniah, Mishael and Azariah is on us as well, through Christ. In fact, that is what I want you to keep in mind during this study. Daniel is not interpreted through Daniel. The entire book points forward to Christ. The key to interpreting Daniel is not to determine how it fits within the literature of the Old Testament, although that is necessary. The key is to understand how Daniel is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

The time just prior to the Exile

Prior to exploring the text in full it would be beneficial for us to understand the time in which Daniel arrived on the biblical scene. We know that Daniel lived in Judah, in the last days of the southern kingdom. The northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah) separated during the reign ofRehoboam , son of Solomon in 930 B.C. The northern kingdom was conquered by Assyria in 722 B.C. The southern kingdom continued until it's final defeat in 586 B.C. The southern kingdom's trouble stemmed from the fact that most of its kings acted wickedly and did not worship the LORD in truth. There were notable exceptions: Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah. Judah's apostasies were ultimately judged by God in the form of political turmoil and foreign threats to its sovereignty. The fist of these threats was during the reign ofJehoahaz in 609 B.C. when Pharaoh Neco deposed and replaced Jehoahaz with Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim had to pay a huge ransom in order to buy off the threat from Neco. During the third year of Jehoiakim's reign, he encountered another foreign intrusion, this time from Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jersusalem and plundered the city. For a full picture of this event let's look at 2 Kings 24.

2 Kings 24:1-20 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. 3 Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive. 5 Now the rest of the acts ofJehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. 7 The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates. 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. 10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. 12Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. So the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. 13 He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, just as the LORD had said. 14 Then he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. 15 So he ledJehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also the king's mother and the king's wives and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 All the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war, and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon. 17 Then the king of Babylon made his uncleMattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name wasHamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For through the anger of the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Jehoiakim was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar in the third year of his reign. It was at this time that Daniel was among the exiles that were taken to Babylon. Judah became a vassal state. It ran it's own affairs but had to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. This is the way things were done. Nebuchadnezzar did not want to tie up a large army in occupying Judah. Instead he allowedJehoiakim to remain as king so long as Jehoiakim agreed to serve him and pay tribute. Some time after being allowed to remain as king of Judah, Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. This rebellion lasted for eight years, until Jehoiakim's death. During this time Nebuchadnezzer used other nations under his control to attack Judah continually. Jehoiachin became king after the death of his father. Nebuchadnezzar came out against Jerusalem again and Jehoiachin capitulated. He was taken captive by Nebchudnezzer and Zedekiah was appointed king in his place. Zedekiah would eventually rebel and this time Nebuchadnezzar would deal a fatal blow to Judah. From the third year ofJehoiakim to the fall of Judah under Zedekiah, these events took place took place while Daniel was in exile in Babylon.

Why did the Lord allow Israel, and then Judah to be taken captive? Were they not God's chosen people, called by His name? Consider the condition that God placed on His covenant with Israel:

Deuteronomy 29:9-13 9 "So keep the words of this covenant to do them, that you may prosper in all that you do. 10 "You stand today, all of you, before the LORD your God: your chiefs, your tribes, your elders and your officers, even all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones, your wives, and the alien who is within your camps, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, 12 that you may enter into the covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath which the LORD your God is making with you today, 13 in order that He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your God, just as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Israel was warned to keep God's covenant and not to go after foreign gods but to worship the LORD alone. Did Israel keep God's covenant?

Deuteronomy 29:19-28 19 "It shall be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will boast, saying, 'I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land with the dry.' 20 "The LORD shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. 21 "Then the LORD will single him out for adversity from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant which are written in this book of the law. 22 "Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it, will say, 23 'All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste,unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim , which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.' 24 "All the nations will say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?' 25 "Then men will say, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. 26 'They went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not allotted to them. 27 'Therefore, the anger of the LORD burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; 28 and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.'

Because Israel had forsaken the covenant of the LORD, the covenant keeping God, they were defeated by foreign powers and carried into captivity. Even when Israel returned to the land, seventy years after the fall of Judah, they never experienced the same blessings they had previously. They were never an independent nation. They were always under the authority of foreign powers. They would revolt but be defeated. Israel's final revolt came in A.D. 69-70 and lead to their ultimate destruction under the Roman Titus. But while the nation was severely judged, God still had a remnant of faithful believers at all times. This is what leads us into the study of the book of Daniel. Even though he was taken away from his home, Daniel and his three friends had faith in God. They were under his hand of protection and blessing. The LORD was still a covenant keeping God. Over the next few weeks we will uncover the blessings of God's covenant towards those who love Him.