Who Was Daniel?

My husband Roy was blessed with amazing grandpas who impacted his life in powerful ways. From the moment we discovered we would be grandparents, he was determined to make the same kind of impact on our grandsons, and now that the boys are ages six and four, I’ve seen a really cool bond already forming. (Of course, the girls love Grampy too, but they like Grammy’s hair, makeup, and art studio better than tools and football!) 

I suspect grandparents and grandkids in ancient Jerusalem were a little different, but the familial ties were equally strong. Scripture doesn’t tell us Daniel’s exact lineage, only that he was from either the royal family or nobility (Dan. 1:3). In my March 5th release, Of Fire and Lions, I’ve taken fictional liberty and made Daniel the grandson of King Josiah—the last godly king of Judah—and the son of Josiah’s oldest son, Johanan. Somehow, a youth of Daniel’s character and grace simply had to be royalty! 

Scripture’s Truth 

Let’s take a look FIRST at what I use as the foundation for every story—God’s Truth. What does the Bible tell us about Daniel? 

Daniel’s Physical Condition 

“Then [King Nebuchadnezzar] ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.” Daniel 1:3-4  

“It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel…Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators…that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.” Daniel 6:1-3 

Here’s the Truth from Scripture about Daniel’s physical condition: 

1. Royalty or nobility 
2. Without physical defect 
3. Handsome 
4. Learns quickly (intelligent) 
5. Well informed (wise) 
6. Quick to understand (thinks on his feet) 
7. Qualified to serve in the king’s palace (meets minimum requirements to work as an adult—or would reach the age of manhood (12-13) by the end of his training) 
8. In the later years of Daniel’s life (ch. 6), he was made one of the three highest-ranking officials in Babylon—and almost set over the whole kingdom. 

Daniel’s Spiritual Condition 

“The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel…At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food…To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.” Daniel 1:5-9,15,17 (emphasis added) 

Here’s the Truth from Scripture about Daniel’s spiritual condition: 

1. Four Hebrew boys were taken to Babylon—a decadent, pagan society—and stripped of everything Hebrew, including their names. The intention was to reprogram these children, brainwash them, create a new generation of “super-Babylonian” youth to govern the masses while Nebuchadnezzar was off conquering more nations for his empire. 
2. Upon arriving in Babylon, Daniel resolved not to defile himself. He made a conscious decision and then lived out that decision a hundred times each day. 
3. Daniel displayed a spirit of humility while living out his convictions by asking permission and submitting to the authority placed over him.  
4. Because Daniel acted in humility and waited patiently, he recognized that it was God’s intervention that gave him favor and permission. And it only makes sense that the palace official would have sensed the power of Daniel’s God at the end of that ten days as well—since four young men were stronger and healthier…even after eating NO protein! (Granted, they didn’t know about the four food groups, but they knew the value of meat in a diet!) 

Daniel’s Emotional Condition 

To gain a clear understanding of Daniel’s overall emotional being, one must follow the flow of the entire book. Someday, if you have about an hour, grab a cup of something warm, cozy up with a blanket, and read all twelve chapters in a single sitting while considering Daniel, the man. How would YOU feel in his circumstances over a lifetime—facing the various events, kings, and angelic beings amid these visions/dreams? Here are a few thoughts from my personal insights and study of other folks far smarter than me! 

1. When Daniel is young and first arrives in Babylon, we see some immediate victories and Yahweh’s manifest presence to encourage both him and his three young friends. His faith is strengthened, and he seems like a young lion ready to conquer the world (as seen in above Scriptures). 
2. Chronologically, Daniel’s first two visions in ch’s 7-8 came before the story in chapter 5 of the “handwriting on the wall.” In the first and third years of King Belshazzar’s reign, while Daniel was still employed in governmental duties, the spiritual rigors of his visions taxed him physically. “I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.” Daniel 8:27 
3. By the time Nebuchadnezzar’s great grandson, Belshazzar, became king, Daniel was over the whole court scene. Belshazzar didn’t even seem to know who he was, considering the queen had to explain who “Daniel, called Belteshazzar” was. And when Belshazzar promised Daniel purple robes, gold chains, and that he’d be made 3rd highest ruler in all of Babylon, here was Daniel’s UNemotional response:  “Then Daniel answered the king, ‘You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.’” Daniel 5:17 
4. After the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon, Daniel was restored to a high level of government leadership and with that restoration of purpose and service came more persecution—but a seemingly more joyful Daniel.  “At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’ Daniel answered, ‘May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.’” Daniel 6:19-22 
5. Daniel’s last vision came during the 3rd year of Cyrus king of Persia—three years after the lions’ den episode. If Daniel had been taken to Babylon as a twelve-year-old boy, he would have experienced this dream in his mid to upper 80’s. Imagine all the violence and heartache he’d witnessed in his lifetime and then add the intensity of what is prophesied in this dream. Is it any wonder we see this emotional response from the man Daniel? “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar)…At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.” Daniel 10:1-3 

My Fiction License 

If you have the opportunity to read Of Fire and Lions, I pray you’ll find the fiction is well-grounded in these foundational truths of God’s Word. Was Daniel the grandson of the faithful King Josiah? I don’t know, but I believe something stronger than casual desire made him cling to the God of his youth though he was surrounded by pagan treachery for the greater part of his lifetime. 

Tweet-A-Licious! 

• Today we study—Who Was Daniel?—as our 1st in the Who’s Who series on main characters in OF FIRE AND LIONS! 
• Find out how Scripture describes Daniel’s physical, spiritual, and emotional conditions. 
• Something stronger than casual desire made Daniel cling to the God of his youth. What might it have been? 

Today’s Question: 

• What most intrigues you about Daniel’s Truth in Scripture?