The Book of Daniel

I’ve always had a difficult time with the book of Daniel because of the languages it was written in and crazy prophesies.  It is hard for me to read it and think it was meant for anything other than a series of motivational stories about Daniel’s courage and faith in God.

But today I was reading it and had a very different thought. The book showcases God’s Sovereign work through foreign nations in a way no other book in the Bible does.  Nebechadnezzer: sternly humbled before God and ends his life regarding Yahweh as the true God.  Neb’s son, the last King of Bablyon, an arrogant, pompous King who dies from a fulfilled prophesy against him the night before.  Cyrus, King of Persia, conqueror of Babylon, for a reason only attributed to God directing his heart, releases the Jews from captivity in Babylon and sends them back to Jerusalem along with their temple treasure to rebuild the temple.  King Darius, successor of Cyrus, is yet another King who finds favor in Daniel, and seeing God close the mouth of the lions and spare Daniel’s life, also turns to God and believes Him as supreme.

Sure, the book gives a model for us to follow.  But I think there’s something else going on in it that God wants us to notice.