Daniel Part One Deep Dive

DEEP DIVING INTO DANIEL | CANDACE TOSSAS

The book of Daniel hosts a handful of the greatest stories in the Bible: the fiery furnace, the lion’s den, the writing on the wall, and passages containing awe-inspiring apocalyptic and prophetic imagery. Rather than focusing on one of these passages, I want to examine the author himself. This book presents us with the story of a man who was ripped from everything he knew, forced to live as an exile in a pagan nation, and yet was repeatedly promoted to positions of great authority and entrusted with incredible prophetic insight. To what can we attribute Daniel’s success? Perhaps his genius, his royal lineage, or simply a gratuitous level of favour from God? 

The answer is woven amidst the highs and lows of Daniel’s life; his unshakeable devotion to the God of Israel. In studying his life, I found myself asking: Why did God favour Daniel’s prayers so much? What is it about his approach that made him ‘highly esteemed’ in the eyes of God (Daniel 9:23)? The topic of prayer is often shrouded in legalism, so it’s more convenient to assume that Daniel was perhaps more disciplined, or more eloquent. But to make that assumption and dismiss the question would be a mistake. As students of the Bible, we must identify our questions as opportunities to press on in our pursuit of the knowledge of God and to glean from the heroes of faith who have gone before us. 

There are three key observations from Daniel’s spiritual biography that can inform and encourage us today. The first being Daniel’s persistence. Daniel was an adolescent when he was taken captive to Babylon in 605 B.C. and he spent the rest of his life in a polytheistic society working amongst a group of pagan magicians. Despite his setting, scripture shows us that Daniel never stopped worshipping the God of Israel. In Daniel 2:17-18 we see him as a young man encouraging his friends to “plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” In Daniel 9:21 we find him offering the evening sacrifice when the angel Gabriel appears to him. We must take a moment to admire his dedication to worshipping God and following the Law of Moses nearly seventy years after his captivity. He remained steadfast despite his circumstances. Even when threatened with death, he did not waver, and instead he  “went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (Daniel 6:10). 

Not only was Daniel persistent in his obedience and worship, but he also lived in humility. Over the course of his lifetime, Daniel was promoted to high-ranking positions under the reign of four kings. At the peak of his promotion, he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom of Babylon, next to King Belshazzar and his father, King Nabonidus (Dan 5:29). Yet despite his prestigious positions, Daniel never lost sight of who was really on the throne. His understanding of God’s sovereignty is evident in his praise and his prayers. Shortly after God reveals the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel proclaims God’s supremacy (Dan 2:20-23): 

“Praise be to the name of God forever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.

21 He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.

22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
 he knows what lies in darkness,
 and light dwells with him.

23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
 You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Later in his years, we find him submitted before God in prayer and fasting to plead for the deliverance of the people of Israel: “I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed” (Daniel 9:4). Neither age, position or circumstance kept him from remaining humble, repentant, and willing to glorify God in all things. 

As you observe the substance of Daniel’s prayers you will notice that they are heavily informed by Scripture. In Daniel 9 he learns from reading the word of the Lord, specifically what was revealed to Jeremiah, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years (Dan 9:2). Historically, there is a major shift of kingdoms at hand, where Darius the Mede would soon be succeeded by Cyrus the Persian. Although it’s not certain that Daniel is aware of this, he realizes that it has been nearly seventy years since the exile, something must be happening soon, and he resolves to plead with God for the restoration of Jerusalem. In his praise, he acknowledges God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His covenant, and in his confession, he acknowledges the instructions and the Law of Moses that the people of Israel have abandoned. In his appeal, he points to God’s promise of restoration outlined in the Scriptures. The entirety of his prayer is founded on Scripture, and he cries out for God’s fulfilment of this promise, not for his own sake, but for the glory of God. 

The theologian John Owen once said, “what an individual is in secret on his knees before God, that he is. No more, no less.” The book of Daniel provides us with an intimate glimpse into the prayer life of someone God considered one of the most righteous men to have existed (Ezekiel 14:14). It can be confronting to read about Daniel’s life and easy to assume that God’s favour is reserved for devout heroes of the faith like him. However, my hope is that your study of Daniel will encourage you to press further into prayer and your pursuit of holiness. Daniel was just as human as you are, facing the temptation, the emotions, and the highs and lows of life that we will all face. And yet, because of his commitment to God, to humility, and to praying for the fulfilment of God’s promises in Scripture for the glory of His name, God partnered with him to deliver prophetic insight that would impact the world for centuries, culminating in the revelation of the coming Messiah, the future resurrection and the restoration of the world.

Candace Tossas is a graduate of C3 College and an incredible and gifted academic and communicator. Candace is continuing her studies at Oxford University and her love for apologetics and the Bible will take her great places.

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An Introduction to the Old Testament

Daniel part One

Galatians part Two