How does the book of Daniel show how God looks after His people when they face a major crisis?
The main point of the book of Daniel is the climax of earth’s history when time blends into eternity and
the transient kingdoms of this world become the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Has
time draws closure for Jesus coming, the Angle of Prophecy cautions Daniel that faithful followers of God
will pass through a period of gross apostasy and bitter persecution. Through the nations of the earth,
Satan will oppose God’s purpose and oppress His faithful people. “As we near the close of this world’s
history, the prophecies recorded by Daniel demand our special attention, as they relate to the very time
which we are living” (White, Prophets and Kings , 1997). This phase by Ellen G White means that as time
draws near and near toward the destructions we should focus our attention toward the book of Daniel
and learn from it. The Book of Daniel will teach us how God will save His people from the major crisis sure
has the history of Daniel and Israelis at Babylon.
Why did God allow the people of Israelis to go through the major crisis? I may never know the
right answer to this question. (Bible, Romans 11:33)“Oh, the depth of the riches both of wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Though I might
not know “God's next steps” I do know that He is infinitely wise, aboundingly good, and sovereign. God
never recorded what reason to Why He allows the Babylonians to capture and forces the people of Israelis
into slavery. Such as the ones like - with a virus controlling the news, the government taking
unprecedented measures, and with the economy on the brink of great loss – there is assurance, hope,
and certainty. Why did God allow us to face a sure crisis like these? “When we as people understand what
this book means to us, there will be seen among us a great revival” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel
Workers, 1923). The book of Daniel reminded us that during the great crisis, God reigns. And He is to be
turned to faith, trusted without fear, and worshiped in praise.
At Mount Sinai, God invited Israel as a nation to enter into a special covenant relationship with
God. They accepted Him as their sovereign ruler and promised to be His people and to cooperate with His
purposes for them. “From a race of slaves, the Israelites had exalted above all peoples, to be the peculiar
treasure of the King of kings” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 1890). They entered into a solemn covenant with
God, pledging themselves to accept Him as their ruler, by which they became, in a special sense, the
subject of His authority. God's purpose is to make Israel an example of the infinite superiority of life that
He, as human’s Creator, had ordained – a living demonstration that in cooperation with Him humans can
attain to the loftiest heights of which he is capable, and find supreme happiness. To this end, God
purposed to bless His people with perfect health, vigorous intellect, and superior vocational skills. As
result, they would enjoy the highest standard of living of any nation and become, in every way, the
greatest nation and become, in every way, the greatest nation on the face of the earth. He would instruct
them as to how they might attain these objectives, and they on their part were to cooperate with His wise
instruction. To their best effects, God promised to add Heavens richest blessing, and in life and character,
they were to reflect His principle to the world. “We need to study the working out of God’s purpose in
the history of nations and in the revelation of things to come that we may estimate at their true value
things seen and things unseen; that we may learn what is the true aim of life; that viewing the things of
time in the light of eternity, we may put them to their truest and noblest use. Thus, learning here the
principles of His kingdom and becoming its subjects and citizens, we may be prepared at His coming to
enter with Him into its possession” (Education, 1903).
The book of Daniel shows us that God does not allow his people to God into exile so that He can
teach them who He is. God allows the people of Israelis to go into exile so that He will teach us how he
cares for his people. Because the book of Daniel was written long ago when Jews were still God’s chosen
people, its words, expressions, and concepts may often seem unfamiliar. “Thou art holy people unto the
Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be special people unto Himself, above all people that
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are upon the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 7:6). Furthermore, much of it reflects a historical situation
that is more or less strange to us, and many of its predictions concerning each other.
Does God’s Sovereignty overrule all evil plans? Daniel was a man who was about to be promoted
as prime minister over all the land. “God ruled in the kingdom of men, and give it to whomsoever He will.”
(Daniel 4:17). Darius the Mede, so Daniel relates, “set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps,
“or local government, to administer its affairs, and over these satraps, “three presidents, of whom Daniel
was one”. As might be expected, Daniel was soon “distinguished above all the other presidents and
satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him”. His obvious sincerity, integrity, and faithfulness to duty,
and trust of the Medes and Persians as it that of the Chaldeans. Yet Jealousy raged among the other
commissioners and satraps; they wanted to destroy Daniel. But knowing that no accusation could be
brought against Daniel regarding his work ethic, these evil men decided to use Daniel’s faithfulness to God
against him. And so, the evil plan was born (Dan. 6: 6-7). They convinced Darius to ban prayer to anyone
but himself (not like the coronation virus. The government did not ban worship, prayer, or preaching. The
government is not calling us to forsake our faith, which is why we are submitting to the leadership God
has placed over us). Anyone found in violation of this decree would be thrown into a den of lions to meet
his dreadful death. Was this evil plan out of God’s control? Was God’s hand now tied by the law of Medes
and Persians? Did the commissioners and satraps catch God off guard? Could this evil plan thwart God’s
purposes? (Psalm 33: 10) states, “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of
peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plan of His heart from generation to generation”
(Psalm 33: 10- 11).
God is the ultimate, final, and complete authority over everything and everyone, including evil.
Evil never thwarts the purpose of God. Instead, the very opposite is true. Throughout Scripture, the
glorious testimony resounds: God overrules evil to bring about His ultimate purpose (Genesis 50:20).
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King Darius and the administrators and the satraps certainly meant this for evil, but God meant it
for good. Sin cannot, and does not, frustrate the plans of God. The world that we are living in is not God’s
plan B.
God’s Sovereignty is magnified through your obedience. Daniel knew that the document which
forbade prayer had been signed (Dan 6:10). He understood the consequences of disobedience. However,
Daniel did not falter in his devotion to God; he didn’t cave to pressure, compromise, or fear. There was
no worry or doubt. Instead, “He entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward
Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day; praying and giving thanks before
his God, as he had been doing previously” (Daniel 6:10). “Time is money, and a waste of time is a waste
of money to the cause of God. … If all would use their time to the best account, very much means would
be saved to the cause of truth.” (Christian Leadership, 1985). Daniel could have rationalized the situation
and prayed privately or prayed at night or, at the very least, he could have closed his windows. But Daniel
did none of those things. Daniel continued to pray as he always had (Daniel 6:10).
What concerned Daniel most was that God would be exalted as all-glorious, and Daniel knew that
His obedience would lead to that end. Daniel ‘s obedience was an aloud statement not only to the Gentile
world but also to his fellow Israelites, that God is worthy to be worshiped in even the bleakest of times.
The same is true today: God reigns, and we worship – even amid crisis. The unbelieving world is watching
the reaction of the faithful follower of God in this time of uncertainty and unpredictability.
Does God’s Sovereignty trump all human effort? As Daniel was praying the commissioners and
satraps barged in on him (Dan. 6: 11). As they had expected, Daniel had not stopped his daily devotions
with his God. Like Moses at Mount Sinai, Daniel intercedes on behalf of his people. Confessing their sins,
he plead that God would cause His face to shine upon Jerusalem, which is desolate. He mentions the
writing of Moses and the prophets and their predictions of the exile, Israel’s perverse refusal to cooperate
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with God. The exile was disciplinary and would come to an end when those who were exile had learned
the lesson from it was designed to teach. God is merciful and forgiving as well as just, and as He once
delivered His people from Egyptian slavery, so surely He will deliver them from exile in Babylon. When the
King heard of it, he was deeply distressed (Dan. 6:11). He exerted all of his political clouts, exhausted all
of his resources (this is the king of the world), and he searched for every loophole in the decree to free
Daniel. But to no avail – his hands were tied (Dan. 6:15). The king was forced to give the orders, and
Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions ‘den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom
you constantly serve will Himself deliver you” (Dan. 6:16). A more accurate translation of this would be
“your God whom you constantly serve, He must [ not He will ] deliver you”. In order words, Darius throws
up his hands and says: I’ve done everything I can; I’ve made my best effort and failed; the only one who
can save you now is your God. No human hand could interfere, not even the king of the world. Daniel is
tossed to the lions, and his fate seems certain. But, what man cannot do, God can. God would not permit
the lions even to so much as touch Daniel.
And this is truer for all of the created orders. When Jesus calms the storm, His disciples said, “Who
then is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41). This is also true for disease. When asked
about a man’s blindness, Jesus said, “It was so that the of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). The
psalmist put it this way: For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever
the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and earth, in the seas and all deeps” (Psalm 135:5 - 6). God’s
sovereignty extends from the lions to the lions, to the wind, to the seas, to the bacteria, even to viruses.
If God could shut a lion’s mouth, He certainly could stop a virus. Then why doesn’t He do it right
now? Why did God sovereignly allow Daniel to enter the den? Why does our God not eradicate this virus
even as I write? The book of Daniel tells us that God cares for His people when they are faithful to Him
even in a great crisis like that of Daniel.
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Bibliography
(n.d.). In Bible, Daniel 4:17.
(n.d.). In Bible, Psalm 33: 10- 11.
(n.d.). In Bible, Genesis 50:20.
(n.d.). In Bible, Daniel 6:10.
(n.d.). In Bible, Mark 4:41.
(n.d.). In Bible, John 9:3.
(n.d.). In Bible, Psalm 135:5 - 6.
(n.d.). In Bible, Deuteronomy 7:6.
(n.d.). In Bible, Psalm 33: 10.
Bible. (n.d.). In A. Paul, Romans 11:33.
Christian Leadership. (1985). In E. G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 4 (p. 451). Washington, D.C.: Ellen G.
White Estate.
Education. (1903). In E. G. White, Education (p. 184). Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing
Association.
Patriarchs and Prophets. (1890). In E. G. White, Patriarches and Prophets (p. 314). Washington, D.C.:
Review and Herald Publishing Association.
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers. (1923). In E. G. White, Testimonies to ministers (p. 113).
The Great Controversy. (1911). In E. G. White, The Great Controversy. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press
Publishing Association.
White, E. G. (1997). Prophets and Kings . In E. White, Prophets and Kinds (p. 547).
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