As a kid growing up in church, the events that unfold throughout the book of Daniel are some of the most familiar lessons that I was taught. Along with Jonah, this short book of prophecy contains some of the coolest displays of God’s power in the Old Testament.
The book of Daniel takes place in Babylon, while the Israelites were held in captivity. Daniel and the other prominent people in this book were taken from their homeland and brought to serve in the king’s court in a land foreign to them.
The author of this book is most likely Daniel himself, writing sometime around 530 BC. That he is the actual author is alluded to by Christ himself in Matthew 24:15.
With so much going on in Daniel’s life, the lives of his friends, his countrymen, and his nation, this is the perfect setting to see God’s faithfulness at work. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite passages from the book of Daniel:
Resolving Not To Eat The King’s Food – Daniel 1:3-17
Upon arriving in Babylon, Daniel and his three friends are selected for service in the king’s palace. The king commands that they be fed the best of foods, and given the best of wine. But these four men refuse the king’s food, eating instead fresh vegetables and drinking only water. After ten days, these four were visibly better off than the rest of the men selected for service. As a result, God elevated them to positions of prominence in the kingdom.
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. – Daniel 1:8, NASB
The Fiery Furnace – Daniel 3:16-27
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refuse to worship the image of the king. As a result, they are threatened with severe punishment. With that, they respond with my favorite passage of all from the book of Daniel. In essence, they reply that God is able to save them, but even if he does not, they will still worship him alone. The king throws them into the furnace, and yet they do not perish. In fact, they are saved miraculously, and a fourth figure is seem in the furnace with them, revealing God’s hand in this. As a result, God was glorified, both by the Jews and the Babylonians.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 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. 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, NASB
Belshazzar’s Feast – Daniel 5:1-31
In the fifth chapter, the king is having a feast, using the articles stolen from the temple in Jerusalem, when a hand appears, writing upon the wall of the palace. The hand writes, “Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.” None of Belshazzar’s wise men could decipher this, but Daniel was called upon. God revealed the meaning of this to Daniel, that Belshazzar’s days were numbered. That very night, Belshazzar’s life was taken from him.
The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners. This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.” – Daniel 5:10-12, NASB
The Lion’s Den – Daniel 6:1-28
Once again, the king, a new one, thinks too highly of himself and commands that the entire kingdom pray only to him. Daniel refuses, and must pay the penalty by being tossed into a den of lions. But God protects him, and the king suspects that this would be the case. The next morning, he rushes to the den to find Daniel unharmed, and the lions have not touched him. The king praises Daniel’s God, and punishes Daniel’s adversaries by having them thrown into the den of lions. They are immediately torn to pieces. But Daniel was protected, and God was glorified.
Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” – Daniel 6:21-22, NASB
The Son Of Man – Daniel 7:13-14
Even in the midst of exile, and in a foreign nation, God was still at work in the lives of his chosen people, and promised a coming Savior. In Daniel 7, the Messiah is revealed as the Son of Man. The thophany in the fiery furnace may have been a pre-incarnate form of the Messiah himself, although that is not certain. Here, however, God chooses to reveal his future plan to Daniel, and establishes a name by which Jesus will refer to himself when he arrives (Matthew 16:27, 19:28, 26:64)
I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. – Daniel 7:13-14, NASB
Question: What are your favorite stories from the book of Daniel? You can leave a comment by clicking here.