Daniel: Remembering Who's King in the Chaosნიმუში

Introduction

“No, Grant. Those movies are too scary for someone your age.” That was the response I received from my mom every time I requested to watch any of the Jurassic Park movies with my older brother. Eventually, I rebelled and watched all three movies and discovered that my mom was right. I had nightmares for weeks. But as I continued to grow, I started to love the movies more and more. So, when newer installments to the series, Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, were released, I watched them in the theater immediately. Don’t tell my mom. I’m not sure if she knows that I even watched the originals! In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the main characters return to what was once a boisterous tourist attraction called Jurassic World, famous for its dinosaurs that were well taken care of, safely encaged, and admired by thousands. However, upon returning to Jurassic World, the main characters are confronted with the reality that this “kingdom” they had built has now fallen. The dinosaurs run wild and new leaders are in charge. The island and the amusement park are now completely chaotic.

In the book of Daniel, we see the Jewish people confronted with a similar reality: Their kingdom has fallen. The Babylonians have conquered Judah and led the Jews into captivity. New leaders are in charge and the world seems to be crumbling around God’s people. But as the Book of Daniel recounts events that take place in the Babylonian captivity, the original Jewish readers are reminded that it was never really “their” kingdom in the first place, but rather, the kingdom belongs to God, the one true king. Likewise, we’re reminded today that no matter how chaotic, confusing, or crummy our situation is, God is still in control.

The Original Daniel Fast

In Daniel 1, we’re introduced to the major conflict of the entire book: God’s people have been taken captive by the Babylonians. New land, new leaders, new gods… The Jews are bound to be put in numerous morally compromising situations, and it doesn’t take long to see this become a theme in the book of Daniel. We quickly learn that a young man named Daniel, and some other young, capable, Jewish men are forced to become servants of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. As they are being assimilated into the “kingly” culture, Daniel and Co. are faced with a bit of a religious dilemma as they’re being asked to eat food that would be dishonorable to God. Yet, through the course of the story, we see the faithfulness of Daniel and his friends, and the power of God. Certainly, Daniel and the others didn’t adore their situation. They were exiles, they were torn from their families and forced to serve the wicked man who destroyed their homes. Nevertheless, they chose to remain faithful. By the end of this portion of the story, readers gain the sneaking suspicion that God may have purposefully placed his faithful servants in this bleak situation so that he could be glorified. This story is relevant to us today as we find ourselves in bleak situations.

This story reminds us that God may allow us to be put in situations that we don’t like so that he can be glorified in places that he normally isn’t.