Bible character overview - Daniel
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Time to read 6 min
Introduction:
Welcome to an insightful character overview of Daniel. Here you'll learn about who Daniel was, what he did, and his strengths and weaknesses. Also, we have provided questions related to the story of Daniel to provoke thought. They can also be used for personal/small-group studies.
Who was Daniel from the Bible?
Key facts
- When: roughly around 620 B.C
- Where: Babylon
- Name meaning: 'God is my Judge'
Glimpse: Daniel is a truly inspiring person who lived a life truly honoring God. Daniel was the wisest man in the land, but all his wisdom came from God almighty. Daniel credited God with all the glory and constantly humbled himself before Him. Even when placed in a life-or-death situation, Daniel stayed faithful to God and trusted in him with his life.
Daniel was so highly favored in heaven that when he prayed, angels came. We see in Daniel 10 that Daniel receives a message that he mourns over for 3 straight weeks. In these three weeks he doesn't eat any nice food and prays constantly (This is where we get the Daniel fast from). Daniel is then confronted by an angel who says 'Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come and then shortly leaving after to continue with the war in the heavens.
Wiser than the rest
Daniel was a noble and wise man born around 620 B.C. He had a distinguished upbringing with a high education, studying extensively and speaking multiple languages. During the Babylonian exile of the Jews, Daniel and three other boys from Judah—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—were selected to serve in the palace. They were offered rich food and wine from the king's table, but Daniel felt convicted not to consume the meat, as it might have been defiled by being sacrificed to idols.
Daniel requested that he and his companions be given only vegetables and water. After ten days of this diet, Daniel and the three boys appeared healthier than the others and were found to be ten times better in knowledge and wisdom than all the magicians and enchanters in the entire kingdom.
Questions
→ How do you think you would have dealt with this situation?
→ Why do you think Daniel and the three others came out stronger even after not eating meat?
"And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm."
Nebuchadnezzars dream
The king at the time was Nebuchadnezzar. One night, he had a troubling dream that he could not understand. Despite consulting all his wise men and advisers, none could decipher its meaning. In response, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel. However, Daniel requested an audience with the king, confident that he could interpret the dream, attributing the interpretation not to himself but to God.
Daniel interpreted the dream, and Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed that he elevated Daniel to a high position of authority, granting him many gifts. Daniel was put in charge of all the wise men and made ruler over the entire province of Babylon.
Later, Nebuchadnezzar had another dream, which Daniel also interpreted. Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar, eventually succeeded him as king. During a grand feast, Belshazzar and his guests behaved disrespectfully, at which point a mysterious hand appeared and wrote on the wall. Terrified, the king summoned Daniel to interpret the writing.
In Daniel 5, the inscription is revealed: "Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Peres." Daniel explains its meaning:
- Mene: "God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end."
- Tekel: "You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting."
- Peres: "Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
Questions
→ Why does God give us gifts?
→ What gifts do you have? Why are gifts so important?
"The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.''
Lions den
Darius the Mede eventually took the throne and formed a strong friendship with Daniel, recognizing his integrity and competence. Because of this, Darius considered appointing Daniel over the entire kingdom. However, this decision caused the other ministers and satraps to conspire against Daniel. They devised a plan to get rid of him by convincing King Darius to pass a law that condemned anyone who did not worship him, to death.
Despite the new law, Daniel continued to pray to God, doing so with his window open as usual. The conspirators used this to accuse Daniel, and as a result, he was thrown into a den of lions. Darius, deeply distressed by the situation, rushed to the den the next morning to see if Daniel had somehow survived.
To his astonishment, Daniel was unharmed. An angel of God had come and shut the mouths of the lions, keeping him safe. In response to this miraculous deliverance, Darius issued a decree across his kingdom:
"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and revere the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, and his dominion will never end. He rescues and saves, he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."
Questions
→ Why do you think Daniel did not obey the law of the land?
→ Is there a higher law from which we must obey?
“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”
Strengths:
- Faultless: Considering Daniel has a whole book about his life it's highly impressive that there isn't a fault recorded by Daniel
- Faithful: Even when the decree went out to ban prayer, Daniel continued and did so openly
- Gifted: He was incredibly wise and gifted with the ability to interpret dreams which exalted him to some of the highest positions in the land
Weaknesses:
- N/A
Conclusion
Daniels's life is a testament to what it looks like when a man fully commits his time, effort, and life into the hands of God. Daniel never backed down and was highly favored in heaven because of his concrete dedication to God in prayer. He advised kings and was favoured but he never took the glory for himself and always honored God.
''For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life''
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