September 16 - Daniel 4-6: Not a Fairy Tale

The small town I grew up in didn't have a local library and our family book collection primarily consisted of Dr. Seuss books, a collection of fairy tales, and a large children's story Bible with classic illustrations.  My childhood exposure to literature was fairly limited and in my immature mind, many of the larger-than-life Bible stories got mixed in with the Cinderellas and Little Red Riding Hoods.  So, it's not surprising that reading the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den conjures up pictures of a young, good-looking, robust man in a pit with sleeping lions.  And the same emotions are recalled for that story as for the story of Hansel and Gretel.  All fairy tales, all unrelatable to my life, and all interesting, but not real.  I mean, why would you eat little children if you have a house made of candy?

As I try to recalibrate my mind to the realities of Daniel and the kings and the exile, I'm struck by some facts that are commonly overlooked in children's Sunday School classes.  Daniel was near 90 years of age in chapter 6.  He'd lived in exile nearly all of his life with great pressure to give up the Jewish customs and convictions, to give into the secular world of Babylonia, to speak whatever the king wanted to hear and enjoy the power and rewards given to him.  He was given great authority and access to kings, yet he remained humble and dependent on God.  But this did not give him favor with all men, in fact it incited great envy against him.

This profile of Daniel does not square with my mental picture from childhood.

What I see now is a man with great perseverance no matter the personal cost.  His utter dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit to speak truth when no one wants to hear it.  His belief in God to continue praying when no relief or release is in sight.  His faithfulness to serve men who are crazy with power, unwise, and selfish.  Daniel gave his whole life to God - physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, spiritually - even though the political and national circumstances did not appear to be under God's control.  At least the way I might define God's control.

John Piper gives some insight into Daniel that, again, I did not recognize in my Sunday School understanding of the story:

"The name Daniel has three syllables and each one in Hebrew has a meaning. “Dan” means “judge”. The little “ee” sound (i) means “my”. And “el” means “God”. So Daniel’s name means “God, my judge”—“God is my judge”.

"It is a wonderful thing to have a name to live up to. Daniel lived up to his in a most remarkable way. He lived a life that shouted the truth: “God is my judge, not man!” “God is my judge, and no king of Babylon or Persia!” “To God I will have to give an account for how I live my life, not to Nebuchadnezzar, not to Belshazzar, not to Darius.” “God is my judge!”

"In other words, his life was centered on God. It was built on God. And his way of looking at the world was drenched with God. This comes out in the way he ate, the way he interpreted dreams, the way he wrote his book, and the way he prayed." (from sermon on Daniel 6)

What an entirely different perspective.  Not a fairy tale about a courageous young man who walked boldly into the lions' den and walked proudly out as the hero of the story.  No.  The Story of a Sovereign God, the Righteous Judge, the True Savior:

He is the living God, world without end.  His kingdom never falls.  His rule continues eternally.  He is a savior and rescuer.  He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth.  He saved Daniel from the power of the lions.  (6:27)