BibleProject | One Story That Leads to Jesusનમૂનો

The book of Esther showed us a picture of God working (silently) behind the scenes during the exile. Daniel also shows God working to rescue his people, but the characters in this exile narrative talk about God all the time.

Daniel is the main character, an Israelite who spends most of his life in Babylonian exile. Babylon captured Daniel and his three friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (also called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) during its first siege against Jerusalem. But Daniel and his friends are quickly recruited to serve the king and Babylon’s royal court. Can you imagine? It’s like the government leaders are saying, “Yes, we just viciously harmed everyone you know, but let’s not dwell on the negatives. The good news is that now you’ll be forced to take care of us. Yay!”

Being appointed to the royal court is undoubtedly better than imprisonment or death. However, Daniel and his crew are in a bind. The authors cast them as faithful Israelites, but now they have no Levites (priests) or temple to practice their obedience. They’re in a land that does not follow God’s Sabbath instructions and has no concern for kosher food laws. They’re still breathing, but everyone around them is pressuring them to relax the whole faithfulness thing and compromise. Go ahead! You’re in Babylon now, so enjoy the rich food and exciting customs. Enjoy it, or die.

Daniel and his friends choose faithfulness to Yahweh and his torah (instruction), even when it puts their lives at risk. Whether it’s not eating forbidden meat, refusing to bow to an enormous idol statue, or telling the emperor the truth that his kingdom isn’t so high and mighty after all, the four friends refuse to give their allegiance to Babylon or anyone other than Yahweh.

Slated for execution, Daniel and his friends still hold fast to their commitment, and Yahweh shows up to deliver them. It’s another reminder to avoid the assumption that exile amounted to God abandoning them. Yet again, even as Israel suffers harsh consequences from its own mistakes, God stays with them through it to rescue and bless. For mourning exiles who wonder if God even likes them anymore, Daniel’s story offers bright hope, the promise of God’s unbreakable love.

Watch today’s video to learn more about the hopeful message of the book of Daniel.

Reflection Questions

• Can you think of another story in the Bible where an exiled Hebrew man is the only person who can interpret a foreign king’s dream? (Reread Genesis 41 for a hint.) What other parallels can you find between that story and today’s reading? What might the biblical authors be communicating about Daniel’s story with these hyperlinks?
• Look closely at the three friends’ response to the mortal danger of the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:17-18). How does this compare to Esther’s response to the mortal danger of approaching the king uninvited (Est. 4:15-16)? What do these two examples reveal about faithfulness amidst the dangers of exile?