Fear of Man? What’s That?: The God of Daniel

On Authority and People-Pleasing

Original image credit to Green Chameleon

My Dear Lovelians & Lifers,

I confess, I am a people-pleaser at heart. I desire to be blameless in the eyes of everyone I come in contact with often to the point where I sacrifice a vital part of myself. Hence, authority often eludes me. Again, that question arises Who is your God?. And so, I find myself stuck in the book of Daniel.

I have read the book of Daniel before, many times in fact. But on this particular journey, from Moses to Jesus, it all feels brand new. I read this book on loop, unable to move forward, desiring to make a sponge out of my heart and soak up all the wisdom this book has to offer. Daniel has become as near and dear to my heart as Caleb, Joshua, Deborah, and David.

The quiet authority this man possesses overshadows every pagan ruler and peer he comes in contact with, yet it occurs so subtly the only people threatened by him are those who crave his position. Daniel holds zero fear of man. But which came first, the gift of authority or the gift of perspective? I say perspective because courage implies the overcoming of fear, but if the fear never existed in the first place, it must be a perspective, a way of viewing the world, God, and people that affects belief and behavior.

Daniel is the only person able to appease King Nebuchadnezzar, the loud, impulsive, and tantrum-throwing ruler of Babylon; he leads his trusted friends, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) in obedience, prayer, and fasting; he also happens to be one of the three men God mentions to the prophet Ezekiel —Daniel’s contemporary— when He proclaims Jerusalem would not be spared from destruction even if these men lived in it. High praise in a nutshell.

Daniel encounters angels three times in his lifetime, two of those visits are from the angel Gabriel. Twice he passes out from fright, and both times the angel who wakes him calls him by name, Daniel, and strengthens him by declaring him treasured by God. Each time I read this portion, I can just feel the affection the angel carries for Daniel emanating out of the pages of my Bible.

Warfare rages in the angelic realm, yet God sends the heavenly messengers from battle to provide answers to Daniel’s visions documented in the last half of the book. Like many beloved people encountered later in history cough cough the Disciples cough Daniel remains relatively clueless. Still, God shares this mystery with him despite his not fully grasping the explanation, and Daniel keeps this revelation in confidence.

Which came first ----authority or perspective----I cannot say, but I am inclined to believe both are gifts. And the first step toward receiving them is one decision:

Obedience. Daniel belongs to the conquered people forced to live his daily life in service to his enemy’s king. Yet, the Bible notes that Daniel determined to obey the laws of God; God in turn grants him and his friends favor to do so. What he does not do is stress about culture or worry about his current circumstances and how they will impede his efforts. He determines to find a way, and God opens doors.

I took note of some other elements to his character and choices that more than likely contributed to the gift of authority and lack of human intimidation:

Calm----the level-headed approach. At one point, King Nebuchadnezzar’s tantrum demands all his wisemen be executed because the ones in his throne room cannot provide the meaning behind his nightmare. So the guards hunt down Daniel and his friends. Rather than panic and hide, he responded with tact and discretion. Daniel asks the man sent to kill him why the king’s decree is so harsh; the soldier explains the situation and Daniel in turn requests an audience with the king. He humbly asks for time, confident that God will provide all the answers he needs. Miraculously, the king acquiesces to his request, and Daniel immediately gathers his friends to fast and pray with him. God does indeed provide the answers, introducing this pagan king to His power and authority and saving many lives in the process.

Godly influences. Daniel’s closest confidants were peers who also determined in their hearts together to obey God. Yes, they have their own stories apart from each other, surviving the fiery furnace comes to mind, but especially in the beginning, they experience life in exile together, supporting one another in their unstable and dangerous time.

Humility. At one point, King Nebuchadnezzar falls face down and worships Daniel for his gift of interpreting dreams. Daniel not only deflects this adoration, claiming to not be any wiser than anyone else, but he also gives those who helped him recognition as well, requesting their promotion.

Respect. As strange and wrong as it may feel, Daniel always addresses the king as Your Majesty or My King. If God’s command from the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel is to submit and go into exile, then Daniel will do so with dignity and honor.

Integrity. Of course, Daniel makes enemies. With the king enamored by him and willing to bestow great power and gifts on him, how could he not also acquire jealous coworkers? But they cannot take Daniel down. Oh, they go all out searching for a reason, but no negligence or corruption was found in him. So they manipulate the king into making an arrogant proclamation; Daniel is forced to choose----obey God or cower at the plot of evil men. He pays the price for his faithfulness to God and spends the night holed up with some lions, but God is with him still and protects him. The animals share no interest in harming Daniel, and he walks out unscathed. Furious with his advisors for manipulating him into nearly murdering his finest wiseman, the king throws the wicked men in the den instead. Their experience is not so favorable.

Daniel lives during a time of great unrest and extremist leaders, yet he does not fear them and seemingly gives little thought to losing his elevated position, which he does repeatedly because the kings keep dying from assassinations. Throughout his lifetime, he retains perspective. God reigns over men, even those who wickedly and arrogantly refuse to submit to His authority and do what is right. True authority comes from the determination to fear God alone. Only then can the true power of man, or lack thereof, be understood, leaving fear of them in the dust.

The God of Authority----The God of Daniel.  

You have my Sword,

Olivia

P.S. I am now a certified archery instructor. Heh.