The book of Daniel is a popular book, often because of its well-known heroic stories of Daniel and his friends, and because of the eschatological visions which are often the subject of speculative inquiry concerning future events.
While the stories are inspiring, motivational, and filled with moral instruction, and while the eschatology fulfills and enhances our curiosity and hope, we must not forget to understand these sets of observations within the overall purpose of the book.
The purpose of the Book of Daniel is not to relate messages of how to live wisely nor to unfold a detailed chart of the end times; but, it is to relate the Divine view of history, that God makes the kingdoms of men rise and fall in accordance with His holy and wise will.
Where to Focus when Preaching History
Biblical history was not written simply and primarily to provide us with moral instruction by example. Unfortunately, this is all too common an approach to the historical books of the Old Testament--to extract principles for living.
The Bible should not be denigrated to the status of a manual on moral instruction and principles for Christian living. If the same lessons can be learned apart from Scripture then why would we need God’s special revelation of Scripture?
It is severely disappointing to hear sermons spent expounding on the moral character of Daniel and exhorting us to boldness and ever more powerful levels of prayer and holiness. Worse yet is watching people being force-fed one particular Christian view of the end of the world with a zeal that should be reserved for the Gospel itself.
Both of these are examples of weak preaching thinking it is strong. They are approaches that will not carry the Mission forward, they do a disservice to the people of God, and they are not faithful to the Biblical text.
Don’t misunderstand me, I am simply pleading that we stay on track. Surely, there are moral examples given to us in these historical passages which should be mentioned, but the focus of the Scripture is not typically on the example, but on the larger story of the History of Redemption. It is within this grand story where the main point, and so main application, of each historical narrative will be found.
Biblical history has been given to us by God for a greater understanding of His purposes in the world and the unfolding of His Story of Redemption. And so, when preaching it, the preacher and people need to keep in mind where they are in the story of God’s revelation and redemption.
Each Chapter Tells the Same Story
Through the Book of Daniel the world learns that the One True God rules over all. Every single chapter and episode throughout the book makes this point: The Kingdom of God triumphs over the kingdoms of men.
Daniel’s role in the Exile was to declare God’s sovereignty over the nations and revitalize hope in the people of God to persevere, because God would again glorify Himself as their God and as the God of all the earth.
Daniel finished his book in about 530 BC and complied it for the purpose of encouraging the people of God to live in anticipation of the Kingdom of God; and this remains the message for today. It is to inspire hope in the people of God that God Himself will establish His Kingdom over all the kingdoms of men.
Our Sovereign God is moving world history toward its appointed conclusion, toward His final goal of the universal reign of His Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is when the Kingdom of God will extend throughout the whole earth under the powerful rule of His Son and His Church.
Daniel 7:27 ESV “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’”Our Kingdom Task: Missions
Daniel’s stage in Redemptive History speaks to our stage in Redemptive History. God is sovereign over the kingdoms of this world. Eventually, He will crush them all with His Kingdom and His Messiah; and so, in the meantime, we as His people are to trust, serve, and hope in Him to accomplish all that He has promised.
God has given His people different tasks at different points in Redemptive History. They all work together in the progress of the Kingdom of God. The focal task of Daniel and the post-exilic remnant was the rebuilding of the Temple.
Our task is the greatest task of all--to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom! It is the greatest task of all because Jesus Christ the Son of God Himself came to earth preaching it. He inaugurated the final form of the Kingdom, and we are to preach this inaugurated Kingdom until He returns in the final glories of the Kingdom.
The Book of Daniel is ultimately about the Mission of God, and this why I love to preach and teach it!
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