Daniel

December 17–Daniel and the Three Young Men

From the LCMS website:

Daniel the prophet and the Three Young Men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were among the leaders of the people of Judah who were taken into captivity in Babylon. Even in that foreign land they remained faithful to the one true God in their piety, prayer, and life. On account of such steadfast faithfulness in the face of pagan idolatry, the Three Young Men were thrown into a fiery furnace, from which they were saved by the Lord and emerged unharmed (Daniel 3). Similarly, Daniel was thrown into a pit of lions, from which he also was saved (Daniel 6). Blessed in all their endeavors by the Lord—and in spite of the hostility of some—Daniel and the Three Young Men were promoted to positions of leadership among the Babylonians (Dan 2:48–49; 3:30; 6:28). To Daniel in particular the Lord revealed the interpretation of dreams and signs that were given to King Nebuchadnezzar and King Belshazzar (Daniel 2, 4, 5). To Daniel himself the Lord gave visions of the end times.

The Jesse Tree–Day Eighteen

Today’s reading was about Daniel (Daniel 6:10-23), who remained faithful to God, even knowing what price could be asked for his faithfulness. I have always liked the story of “Daniel in the Lion’s Den,” mainly because I really like King Darius’s reaction to realizing that Daniel must be fed to the lions:

“May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” Daniel 6:16b

It’s quite a statement of faith from a pagan king, that he recognizes God’s power. And in the end, he is not disappointed, because Daniel’s God does, of course, save him, which results in an even greater statement of faith from the king at the end of chapter six, in which he calls God, “the living God,” and testifies to His power.