The faithfulness of Daniel’s God
In studying the book of Daniel this summer, I noticed that the book indirectly answers two crucial questions. They are questions that address our deepest fears about the future, the next generation, and the changes that come with every new season. They are not questions we would consciously ask, but underneath the anxiety we might experience, one of these two questions may lurk unanswered. And the Lord wants to settle these two questions in our hearts so we can live in the freedom and confidence of His love and faithfulness.
In Daniel chapter 1, we meet four Hebrew boys trafficked from Jerusalem to Babylon during the Exile. The Exile was God’s punishment for Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness, and Israel was warned and given many chances to repent (Leviticus 26:27–33). When King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem, ransacked the temple, and plundered the best of what Jerusalem had to offer, including “some of the people of Israel…youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom” (Daniel 1:2-4), it seemed that all hope was lost as these four youths were apparently abandoned to the mercy of Babylon. But the real question, I discovered, is this: Is God faithful to every generation?
When you put it that way, the answer seems obvious. Of course, God is faithful to Daniel and his three friends, giving them wisdom, sustaining them on a vegan diet, and giving them favor in the eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar. Even as this new generation of exiles are away from home, in a new culture hostile to their faith, seeking to indoctrinate and assimilate them, God is still faithful. God is faithful to every generation, and we see in chapter 1 that God helps Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by sustaining their faith and helping them stand their ground when they refuse to compromise their convictions.
Fast forward about 20 years, in Daniel chapter 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are now in their early or mid-thirties. They are in a new season with new challenges. The king built a golden statue and demanded all his subjects to worship it or die. Will they bow or suffer the cost of faithfulness, being thrown into the fiery furnace? God has been faithful in the past, bringing promotion, blessing, and protection, but this time, it is life-and-death. The real question this time is: Is God faithful in every season?
The three boys were convinced that this was the case. They were so confident in God’s faithfulness and loving care that they answered the king, saying “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). In other words, they said, “as God has been faithful to us in every past season, He will remain faithful now, and so we will remain faithful to Him.”
If you’re unfamiliar with how the story ends, it goes something like this. The King, upset by their defiance, throws them into the fiery furnace so hot that his servants who escorted them die immediately. As for the three boys, God appears in their midst in the fire, and they are not harmed. They walk out safely to be recognized and promoted by the King, who just witnessed a miracle. What Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego experienced that day is the reality that God is not only faithful to every generation but also in every season.
If you’ve ever doubted whether God will be good to your children or stayed up late in anxious worry about the next generation, remember that God is faithful to every generation. If you are currently in a tumultuous season, unsure of what lies ahead, and worrying about a current stage or a future time, remember now that God is faithful in every season.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Fady Ghobrial is a pastor at Arabic Baptist Church of Boston and a Ministry Fellow with Christian Union Gloria (Harvard College).
