Yesterday we started a new series at the Nitra Bible study - Daniel. If all you know of Daniel is his night in the lions den, then I suggest you take a second look. This book is amazingly deep in spirituality and rich in history. It's a BIG story. If it was "Daniel the Movie" it would one of those you would just have to watch on the big screen. It's Epic.If the story of Daniel wasn't enough, the back-story is just as interesting. I never quite realized how many threads of thought and story throughout the Old Testament are weaving their way into this one single book. From the beginning of Genesis at the tower of Babel to Israel's kings to the voice of it's prophets, history rushes in like a flood and crashes upon the life of a young exiled Jewish boy in a strange land. And if that were not enough Daniel has a bunch of strange dreams which propel his story into our future (see Revelations 17-18). This is a BIG story!
The interesting thing about Daniel's life is that in so many ways it's just like ours. The parallels are uncanny. He lives in the center of a vast Empire that is all about "integration", "tolerance", and 'unity.' Babylon was like a prototype for the U.N., WTO, EU, the USA, and a score of other humanistic systems/governments / economies that hold up the 'human spirit' factor to God like status.
Yet, in this 'Empire of Man' we see a true Man of God. Someone who knows who he is and Whom he serves. And in the end we find out that there is more to life then just surviving a night with the lions. But you will have to read the story for yourself to find that out....
