Student Question
What contribution did the book of Daniel make to the Bible?
Quick answer:
In the Bible, the book of Daniel provides profound encouragement and prophecies for followers of God, including both Jews and Christians. Daniel lived a life dedicated to God, and he was supernaturally protected and blessed for his faithfulness.
As you read through the book of Daniel in the Old Testament of the Bible, consider the ways in which Daniel is an encouraging example of faithfulness and perseverance for Jews and Christians. (All of the direct chapter and verse references I provide are from the book of Daniel in the Bible.)
Daniel was a Jew who was taken from his home at a young age to the city of Babylon. He endured the reign of many kings, both just and unjust, and never wavered in his faith in Jehovah God. You can read in chapter 3, beginning in verse 8, about one such example. As a young man, Daniel and three of his friends refused to eat meat that had been offered as idols to pagan gods. The king (Nebuchadnezzar) demanded that the young men obey. When they refused, the king threw them into a burning furnace. Instead of...
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burning and dying, the men remained untouched, as they were protected by God for their faithfulness to Him. You can read in verse 28 how even the king was amazed at the miracle.
Likewise, one of the most famous and encouraging stories of Daniel takes place when he is older. You can read in chapter 6 how there is another decree in the land that Daniel does not want to obey because it goes against his own faith in Jehovah God. The king of the time (Darius) had ordered that people could not pray to anyone but him. Daniel was an extremely diligent and respected worker, but he would only pray to his God. So, the king had to follow through with his word and cast Daniel into a den of lions. Again, miraculously, Daniel remained untouched. You can read in verses 1–28 how God protected Daniel, and the king was also amazed.
Throughout his life, Daniel chose to serve God above all, while remaining a man of excellence and diligence in his work. He is an encouraging example for many Jews (and Christians today) of how to live in the world but remain faithful to their beliefs and God. Likewise, the book of Daniel shows repeatedly the power of God and His sovereignty over the affairs of men, even evil kings.
The book of Daniel also contains many prophecies that are important to Jews and Christians, beginning in chapter 7. You can read how Daniel discusses the prophecies of Jeremiah, as well as his own visions and revelations. Accordingly, the prophecies in the book of Daniel are linked with prophecies in the books of Jeremiah and Revelation of the Bible. Daniel provides another type of encouragement to Jews of the time, and that is of a coming Messiah who will be the Savior of the world.
References
How does the Book of Daniel contribute to the Bible?
The book of Daniel contributes to an overarching Biblical narrative that shows the one true God active and alive in the lives of the Jewish people.
The book reflects the trauma of the forced Jewish removal from Israel. Daniel and the other Jews in Babylon represent the plight of those forced to live among foreign gods and powerful people hostile to the Jewish faith and its traditions. It shows the trials that the Jewish people encountered and the way they might be tempted to abandon who they were to worship false Gods.
This temptation to capitulate to worldly power is symbolized by fire and devouring animals. Holding on to one's faith in the God of Israel means literally facing fire, as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego do when they are cast into a fiery furnace for refusing to bow down and worship pagan gods. Likewise, Daniel is thrown into a lion's den when he refuses to give up his daily worship of Jehovah. The book shows God miraculously protecting his faithful people from all harm.
The book is important because it reinforces the message that no matter how bad things get or how defeated or overwhelmed the faithful might feel in the present moment, God has a larger plan that will bring a better and brighter future to his people.