Daniel 10:1-21 Terrifying Vision
Daniel has a vision so terrifying that all his strength is drained from him. It isn’t really a scary one but one of unfathomable awe!
We are not told exactly why Daniel was fervently praying and fasting for three weeks. Something was troubling him deeply. My bible helps says it concerned the exiles who had returned to Israel and were facing opposition. They were released in Cyrus’ first year and, by the third, had stopped rebuilding because of that opposition. Whatever the reason behind Daniel’s distress, God heard him; immediately!
Daniel is very descriptive of the one who comes to bring him this message. Even though those with Daniel didn’t see this glorious representation of God, they were terrified by what they did experience. I don’t know if the earth moved under their feet or if their spirits quaked in the presence of God. What they didn’t see, they FELT. Daniel SAW AND FELT God’s powerful angel’s presence.
The fact that Daniel devotes so much ‘ink’ to explaining his reaction to this visitor in itself is telling. This angel was powerful! But he was not strong enough alone to break through the forces of Satan. Good thing he wasn’t alone. God has a whole host of angels to defeat Satan’s plans. Enough that NOTHING can stand against His plans!
God heard Daniel the moment he began to pray. His message was delayed for three weeks though. NOT because God wasn’t strong enough to get the answer there immediately. God COULD have sent enough forces in the beginning to burst right through Satan’s armies, but He didn’t. I believe that this was a faith building time for Daniel and those with him. Maybe something in Daniel, those with him, or even Cyrus needed addressing before the answer came. Cyrus no doubt watched Daniel. He knew of Daniel’s God and had released the people because of that knowledge.
I’m wondering if at least some of those with Daniel that day were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo. IF so, I wonder why God didn’t let them see the angel too. They were just as committed to God as Daniel was and they had the presence of God with them in the fire. But this was Daniel’s experience alone.
God sent His angel to Daniel, not only so he could understand, but out of GREAT LOVE! Daniel is told TWICE in this encounter that he is “greatly loved”. This might make some men proud. Not Daniel. Daniel’s ONLY strength came from his visitor. He had NONE of his own. In fact, he fainted at the sight and stayed on his face until told to rise up. He went first to hands and knees, then to standing with his face to the ground and lips sealed shut, to breathlessly speaking, to finally standing strong as he conversed with his Lord. God imparted the strength for each of these changes and Daniel KNEW that. I’m going to take an ‘educated guess’ that Daniel’s humility was part of why God loved him so much and used him so mightily.
Father God, I want to ‘dare to be a Daniel’. I want to be firm in the purpose You have given me, no matter what I come up against. I want to have his humble spirit and let it reign in my life. I want to be “greatly loved” by You. I want to be used by You in whatever way You desire.
Help me also to accept those whom You would have stand with me. Daniel didn’t do it all alone. He had those who stood with him, who prayed with him, and who sought You in all they did. Daniel didn’t spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on his knees, but he put YOU first in ALL he did. Let me be that kind of Daniel.
