Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, December 17, 2012 Read – Daniel 1 & 2 As I mentioned earlier, the book of Daniel is a challenge for readers and interpreters of the Bible. We are going to focus on the first six chapters. The setting of these stories is the exile in Babylon. One of the questions we need to ask ourselves is whether or not these are meant to be understood as actual stories of real things that happened to a person called Daniel or if they are simply stories that have been embellished out of the folklore of that time. We may be troubled to think about these stories as not necessarily historical fact. Of course they could be historical fact – however they do not need to be in order to carry the message they intend to convey. Why would we question their historical nature? Several factors come into play. Mostly at question is whether or not actual kings in Babylon would have had the kind of relationship with people like Daniel and his friends that are described in these stories. Do they sound credible as actual events? Is there any other evidence that these things really did happen? Or are these good stories that convey a message worth hearing? Does it matter? The two stories we hear today really don’t give us much trouble. The first is a story of Daniel and his three friends being tempted to leave behind their Jewish food laws and purity in obedience to the Babylonian’s way of life. Daniel and his friends resist. God honors their resistance. And the message to anyone else who is put in a position of compromising their relationship with God in order to comply with the world around them is to be like Daniel and his friends – stand firm and God will honor your commitment. Whether this is the telling of an actual event or just a story to carry the point is immaterial to the message of the story. The second story is a bit more complicated. This time the story has to do with a dream that the king of Babylon is bother by. The king makes an unrealistic demand that the interpreters of the dream do their interpreting without actually hearing the dream. Who can possibly do that? At the very time when all of the wise men of Babylon are in danger – this would have included Daniel and his friends – Daniel comes to the rescue. Daniel is careful – just as Joseph before him in Egypt – to give God the credit for interpreting the dream. It is not because Daniel is so great but that God is great. The actual dream is about the coming empires that would unfold. The present king of Babylon is the head of gold. The Babylonian empire will be followed by one inferior to it symbolized by the body of silver. This kingdom is the Persians. A third kingdom made of bronze will follow. This kingdom is the Medes. Finally a fourth kingdom made of iron and clay will emerge. This kingdom is that of Greece. And then a large stone will come and destroy all these kingdoms. That stone will grow to encompass all of the world. The king is impressed – so impressed that he worships Daniel. Without realizing it the king of Babylon has endorsed his own demise. And Daniel and his friends and all readers following him can enjoy that fate. The point of the story is that the kingdoms of this world will not last. Only God’s kingdom, symbolized by the great stone will endure. Again, it really doesn’t much matter if this is a story about a real encounter between Daniel and the king or just a great story told to make a point.