10/05/2011 - THE PROPHECY WAS FULFILLED

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“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.” (Daniel 1:1)
In order for us not to commit any injustice when talking about Daniel’s life – considered the last of the Major Prophets – we need space and time. His book begins with the fulfilment of the prophecy given by Jeremiah according to which the people of God would spend seventy years in Babylonian captivity. Those years were very hard indeed, but served as a warning for those who indulge in sinful deeds and pay no heed to the biblical admonishments.
Being a descendent of a royal lineage and educated in the Word of God, Daniel behaved as a true servant of the Most High in the land of captivity. It would be good if all Christians today would also understand that the wonderful Name which was bestowed upon us makes us different from other people! We must keep that in mind all the time so we’ll be able to say “no” to any temptations – opportunities that easily come up for us to touch any forbidden thing – and, by doing so, we’ll be pleasing our Father.
The Babylonian empire was at its summit. That land lacked nothing except respect to God. Yet, though there was so much plenty available, Daniel and his friends decided not to get contaminated with Nebuchadnezzar’s delicacies. What a lesson for our people! The worldly banquet is everywhere and those who want to take part in it will be welcome among the lost. But we’re descendents of the royal lineage; after all, we were already bought with the blood of The King, Jesus. That’s the reason why we must say “no” to everything forbidden by God!
Young Daniel was firm in his faith. Having respect for the Word of the Lord was to him even more important than paying heed to the Persian legislators’ decisions. No matter what kind of law was created, nothing would keep him from praying to the Most High. So, though Daniel was being threatened to be thrown into the lions’ den he carried on practicing his faith as usual, which proves that his God is Sovereign over all trials. It
was precisely for that reason that the prophet was delivered from being devoured by hungry beasts.
Daniel’s loyalty towards the Most High turned him into a man wiser than even the wisest men of all empires who saw what happened in captivity. Each one of those kings could see that the divine presence dwelt inside that servant of the Almighty God. He was called to decipher dreams, visions and even a piece of writing on a royal palace wall (Daniel 5:17-31), and none of his interpretations were wrong because he received the revelation from Above.
Yet, his worst ordeal was when a decree was issued that nobody could pray to other gods for thirty days. Those legislators didn’t understand that Daniel didn’t pray to any deity, but he prayed to the only One and true Lord of the Heavens and Earth. That’s why the lions’ mouths were shut for him, but opened for all those who created that law, and also their families.
May we all have God as the only Lord of our lives – like Daniel did – and may we all become victorious this way!
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares