| “And the king [Nebuchadnezzar] spake unto Ashpenaz … that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science … now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel … ” (Daniel 1:3-4, 6). |
| We have all heard of Daniel in the lions’ den, and how the Lord miraculously prevented the lions from harming him. However, there is much more in the book of Daniel than this story. Daniel and his friends were taken captive from the land of Israel during the first attack by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in 606 B.C. But Nebuchadnezzar was a smart king; he did not destroy everybody whom he conquered. He realized that there were some clever people in Israel, and he wanted them to come to Babylon and serve him. He saw young men like Daniel who were well educated, physically fit, and able to be a help in his kingdom. |
| When you read the book of Daniel, you will find Daniel first of all as a young man, and his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Together they had to adjust to a new life in Babylon, learn a new language, and serve a foreign king. But they all accepted what the Lord had allowed, and at the same time, they were faithful to the true God whom they had known in Israel. |
| However, there is more in the book of Daniel than simply how Daniel and his friends survived and did well in captivity. The book of Daniel covers more than 70 years, and when Daniel ends up being thrown into the lions’ den, he must have been between 80 and 90 years of age. Perhaps you have not realized that before. He survived the 70 years of the captivity that were prophesied by Jeremiah, and then served even during the reign of a new nation — the Medes and Persians. |
| But then we come to the hard parts of Daniel. In the later chapters, the Lord gave Daniel many prophecies about the future. Some of these have already been fulfilled, particularly what we read in chapter 11. But then there are other prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled, and will not be completed until after the Lord comes and takes us home to heaven. You may find this a bit complicated, but again, it is good to read it. If you do not understand, perhaps you can ask someone older to help you. |
| Daniel is a good example for us, as he was faithful to the Lord when everything seemed to be “falling apart.” Yet he honored the Lord, and the Lord honored him. He was called by the Lord, “O man greatly beloved” (Daniel 10:19). Could the Lord say that about you and me, because we were faithful to him in a time of real problems? |
