Daniel, Where Are You?
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been a huge fan of crime and mystery stories. I can remember the first time I ever picked up a Hardy Boys novel, and after reading just a few pages, I was convinced I could point out who the culprit was without reading the rest of the story.
Sometimes I was right. But most of the time, I was way off.
I must admit that despite all of my futile attempts of becoming the next Sherlock Holmes, there remains one mystery that I have yet to solve. No matter how many times I try, I have yet to put all the pieces together. I hope together we can do so on today.
I’m sure you will agree that story and life of Daniel is a remarkable one. Many scholars believe it was at the young age of 14 or 15 that Daniel, along with his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were summoned by King Nebuchadnezzar (the ruler of Babylon) to serve in his palace.
(You may recognize Daniel’s friends by some other names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego)
According to the first chapter of Daniel, these four boys were wise and gifted beyond their years, and Daniel was the rarest of them all, because of his ability to interpret visions and dreams.
After impressing King Nebuchadnezzar with their knowledge and faith in the Lord, all four were promoted by the king to govern over the affairs of Bablyon. But Daniel, was given an even higher position as a ruler who sat at the very gate of the king (see Daniel 2:46-49).
And this is where it gets interesting.
In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a word to ALL of those who ruled under him to gather to dedicate a special golden image he had created. A decree when out to every governor, judge, and high ranking official serving within his kingdom, that at the sound of music, everyone would have to bow and worship the image he had created. EVERYONE.
The penalty for anyone who did not bow was death courtesy of a fiery furnace, not exactly the most pleasant of executions. So when the music was cued, every governor, judge, and high ranking official that was called to gather bowed before the image. Except for three.
Not four. But three.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to bow, but to rather stand on FAITH against the king. The penalty of their actions caused them to be thrown into the fiery furnace.
Yet to the surprise of the king and all who gathered around to see them executed, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were not being consumed by the fire. In fact, they were joined by another person: the Son of God!
Now this is the part of the story where most people jump to their feet and cheer. But it is here where the mystery truly begins. Have you ever stopped to wonder…
…where was Daniel?
Why were there only three that defied the king’s orders, and not four? There are many who would like to say that Daniel just wasn’t there at the time, but the decree called for EVERYONE to be present. There are others who just believe the king gave him a pass for the day, but for those familiar with the tyranny of King Nebuchadnezzar, that probably isn’t true either.
While the whereabouts of Daniel remain a mystery to many of us, it is very possible that our beloved young Daniel, surrounded by the pressures of life and his newly appointed position, took a bow for the first time in his life. As unpopular and uncomfortable as that may be to consider, there is a far greater lesson to pull out from this story. A far greater question must be asked.
To every Daniel reading this devotional today…where are you?
Where is the FAITH you once had in that job God told you to apply for earlier this year? Where is the FAITH you once had in your marriage, (you know) the one you now are looking for a way out of? Or what about the FAITH in God you once could not stop sharing with others, that now has been minimized to just an invitation for people to visit your church?
Daniel…where are you?
(I pray that question stays in front of you and I on today!)
Now is not a time to BOW out of what God has promised you. Daniel, no matter what the obstacles may look like, know that God will deliver you. If you don’t believe me…
…maybe I should show you what He can do with some lions! (Daniel 6:10)
Related posts:
- Ten Before Eleven.
- West, King, Justice, and Love.
- The Top Ten Of 2009.
- Unity Through Disunity.
- Without Faith.
Category: Life & Faith
I have read this passage of scripture for years but have never pondered the Daniel question. Thank you so much especially today 7-7-09. I am umemployed, facing foreclosure, and now getting food stamps. My home is to be auctioned today but after reading your message, I am believing God right now. Thank you so much for what you have written on this day. I believing God’s promise. I have applied over 100 jobs since May and because of your Devotional today, I will not be discouraged, I may get weary but I will not faint. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Minister Ford, I will not say Be Blessed, I will say You Are Blessed and I Pray You Enough. Linda B. Dallas
Hi Linda B Dallas
I know that by this late date you may have answers to your prayers but I just wanted to encourage you to wait upon God He is the God of all Gods He shall supply all our needs May He bless you abundandtly and he will supply all your needs Your courage has inspired me This is what it is all about we need to be there for each other
God will bless you and I will keep you in prayer
Your sister in Christ
Kathleen
Newfoundland Canada
Thank you for pushing that question before me today. Here’s what today’s word says to me…even if you give in to the pressure and bow (Daniel 3), our God forgives and restores. So the next time you’re pressured to bow, God gives you the grace to stand (Daniel 6). So where you are now (even if it’s a bowed position from peer pressure) is not a permanent posture. The next time we see Daniel bowing it was in defiance of an earthly king but in submission to the Heavenly King. Let where I am now propel me to where God wants me to be. Once again, thanks for pushing that question for me to ponder.
Mr. Ford, as I have said in other comments to you, I absolutely love your spirit, your zeal, your love of family and especially your ability to put into words what a lot us us are feeling. Thank you so much for sharing your love for Father Jehovah’s word with us.
Your Insight never ceases to amaze me
Though I have read this book of the Bible many of times, not once had I pondered the question of where was Daniel while this was going on. The thought that even Daniel took a bow at one time and gave in to the pressures in life was one that I had nevered considered.
As I reread your post I reflected over how I was living or not living for God. Thank you for such a provocative post. It is indeed food for thought.
Linda Jones
Let’s not exegete this one so much. This part of the story was not about Daniel, but rather about what can happen when you remain faithful to that which you believe in. As followers of Jesus Christ, we should always keep our eyes on the cross and what happened there, and remember that maybe, just maybe that to be thrown in a fiery furnace, crucified, evicted, or even convicted, could be the start of a new life, unburdened by the things that are troubling now.
07-10-09
Daniel where are you, WOW. I have read and reread this article. Man of God how apostolic this message is? This has blessed me so much, (Daniel where are you), what a question to ask in the midst, while others are going through the fire and you come up missing in action. My God, this has given me a sermon of my own. God Bless you for hearing from the Lord at a time like this.
Dear Milan,
I am not writing this in way of striking up an argument with you. We cannot come to conclusions of something that is not written in the Bible. Just because Daniel was not there or his name was not mentioned does not give us the authority to assume that he bowed down to the kings image. We as Christians cannot add nor take away anything from the Bible as commanded by God and by you saying that Daniel bowed down to the image is adding to the Book because it is not written.
Once again you have done it!! Reminded me that life is all about perspective. How we look at what has been staring us in the face for years…Awesome. Thank you so much…..your writings always remind me of that childlike love and faith we should all have in our God. Thank God for you.
I read your writing regarding “Daniel where are You” and quite frankly, the scripture does not specifically speak to Daniel’s whereabouts at the time that the three other Hebrew boys went into the furnace so I do not think it is good or right for any of us to speculate on his absence in this part of scripture. I do believe if God wanted us to know and grow from Daniel’s action or inaction at that time, He would have included it in the written word. Look at all the details we know about other old testament saints such as David and Joseph and Jacob. We know all about their lives their triumphs and their falls. Daniel is shown throughout the scriptures to be a man of unwavering faith and I would be inclined to believe that he held fast to his convictions and did not bow down to any idol as he was later thrown into the lions den for his unwillingness to stop praying to the true and living God. I trust however that what is written in scripture regarding Daniel is God intended for us to use in our daily walk with him. Daniel’s example of strength and courage allowed God to reveal prophecy about things that are unfolding today. God bless you.
I concur with your thoughts and AMEN! I also believe that the point of the message is “Where are you? Faith wise, I hope.
you know, I serve an on-time God. i am just today, 8/19/09 reading this but it blessed me and served its purpose TODAY, just as strongly (judging from the blogs above) as it did last month. see 3 years ago, God answered my prayers and combined my home church with a church i LOVED to fellowship with, but never joined. i thought a had the BEST of both worlds. tragically, 3 months ago, our pastor/friend died suddenly. this has been a tremendous blow to me. see i loved this man of God and so did many, many others. he brought forth God’s word with vigor and power. he was a worshipper, a believer, a confidant, friend, son, father, brother, and sadly a man. many problems have surfaced since his passing, but the nmost troublesome for me is letting go and worshipping under a new leader. i find every reason not to “enjoy” the service and have directed mostly all of my anger over my lost at the man trying to feel his shoes. and just recently, i began to just ask my self to admit and address the real problem, my grief/anger, not that man. i’m not there yet, but this passage today just confirms for me that i am on the right track. i know i need to let go and let God continue the good work He started, but i was sooo stuck on grief. pray for me as i continue — no, as a start to ask God to take away anything that stops me from living a life pleasing to Him. and for those that still have their pastor/leader that God truly placed in your life, cherish him for the messages he delivers from the Lord. take care of him and love him, but don’t make him/her irreplaceble in your life. i’ve wasted 3 months angry and i’m just grateful that tragedy didn’t come to me during that time and had to pay the price for not living a life pleasing to God during that time. where was my Faith? sorry this is so long, but i needed this and maybe somebody else did too
I will have to agree with some of our readers with respect to your ‘possible’ theory of “Where are you Daniel?” If it’s not in the Bible then theories are just that. Nonetheless, if in fact(hypothetical, of course), Daniel did bow then why didn’t God use his compromise to teach us. Since Daniel was neither mentioned in the fiery furnace could it be that the message was more of a generalization of standing by your faith/convictions, which is what I will take from your message. For example, throughout the book it talks about Daniel’s uncompromise to the point of death by lions, but where were his friends. It doesn’t say either and I believe because as scripture says, Daniel 2:49: ” At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.” It could be that the bowing happened in the province and not in the king’s court? Nonetheless, I believe that this part of the story was to show that Daniel’s friend were also of the same mindset and integrity as Daniel. However, I neither want to get hung up on assumptions here since I am not about to make a donkey of myself, and will walk away with the knowledge of what the Lord wants us to learn and that here is no compromise when serving Him even unto death. Also, Isaiah 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” saith the LORD. v9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.. Nonetheless, the point of your message is …Where are you? and not where was Daniel, I hope.
MY God! My GOD! MY GOD! The word does not lie. Daniel was not there!! Thank you for ALLOWING God to use you. God bless you and your family Man of God!!
I always get something out of this historical story. I have seen myself and others reenact the same situation. I and two other women were in a situation where we were in a holding cell. and one of the other lady’s were crying saying “I never been in jail.” The other lady is someone who went to the same church as I .but the story of three men came to me and I said to them “remember the three men who were in the furnace.” Imagine us being three women in out furnace it might not be the same kind of furnace they were in but us being in a holding cell is just as if we were in a hot fiery furnace anyway, I told them how they stood up for what they believed in spite of what the king wanted them to do. As we held hands and I started to pray I scence the presence of Jesus in that holding cell and after that my name was called to be released to go home PRAISE THE LORD…HALLELUJAH . Jesus is the word and the word is alive…..