Daniel answered, "May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty."
Daniel 6: 21-22 [NIV]
Until quite recently I never paid this story much attention. It was suggested to me when I was very young that Daniel had probably never existed and that the whole book was written some four centuries after it is set as a resistance document designed to encourage the Jews suffering under Greek oppression in the second century BC. With me so far? The net result was that I decided that I knew about the book of Daniel. There is of course, a huge difference between knowing God's word and knowing academic facts and arguments about it. Well, I now believe that the book of Daniel does date from the sixth century BC, but that isn't the point that I am trying to make. The point is that the book of Daniel will not help, encourage and instruct me when I come to face a lion's den if I have nothing but a head full of dead theories about the book. However, what if I have my armour on? If I have been swimming in the word of God? Well then, things will be different!
The account of Daniel in the lion's den was given a new relevance to me some years ago when a good friend introduced me to a rock song by a wonderful American Christian rock band called Guardian. Some words that the song puts into the mouth of Daniel have become very important to me… 'Who said I am not a feline-phobe? 'Who said I wasn't ready to wet my robe? Faith is tough boy, but God give grace so take a deep breath, head up, set your face like flint and stop being a wimp.
Go on. Here's the link. Make sure that you play it very loud. Thanks for reading.
John Martin-Jones
Read the Bible in a year: Psalm136:13-26, Daniel 7:1-8:14, 1 John 2:12-27
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