Many generations grew up in England knowing animal stories from the Bible. In those distant days any child would have been able to tell you about Noah’s ark, Jonah and the Whale, Jesus’ donkey ride into Jerusalem and – wait for it – Daniel in the lions’ den. Thanks to Kipling, later generations got to be more closely acquainted with animals. They learned how the camel got his hump and how the leopard got his spots. It was left to C.S. Lewis to install the lion as a Christian hero, a big stretch from the view taken by the writer of ‘Daniel’.
It came about that in the 19th century Daniel’s escapade was celebrated in the children’s song ‘Dare to be a Daniel’. Created by USA citizen Philip Bliss, it found widespread favour and made its way into ‘Sankey’s Sacred Songs and Solos’. Christian children were given the example of one who dared to stand alone, dared to have a purpose firm and dared to make it known. Like the Roman Regulus, who kept his word knowing that it would mean his death, Daniel was an example of one who kept his word and paid the price. He was followed in specifically Christian folklore by Polycarp, the second-century martyr who before his execution declared: ‘Eighty-six years have I served him and he has done me no harm. How can I blaspheme my king who saved me?’
The story goes that Daniel was thrown into the lions’ pit because he prayed to his God when King Darius had issued an edict that any person who directed prayer to anybody other than the king would be for the lions. The king rapidly became ashamed of his action and was overjoyed when he heard Daniel say that his God had sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths.
Daniel is hardly to be included in the register of conventional prophets. He is described as a favoured stranger in a foreign land. As Joseph did before him, he enjoyed the confidence of a powerful king. His story is one of dreams, visions and the interpretation thereof. He predicts the ups and downs of kingdoms and empires. He competes in a dangerous game with the home-grown counsellors and advisers of King Darius.
The book of Daniel obliges us, whatever we conclude about the dating of that book, to review our idea of the meaning of the word ‘prophet’. In Old Testament terms prophecy is not so much prediction as warning and declaiming. In ‘Daniel’ we see a distinct mode of revelation with its own rules of interpretation. It foreshadows the distinctive style of the last book of the Bible and has to be approached with the same deference.
‘REAL LIVES’ WEEKEND
Last weekend St John’s church, Parkstone, Poole held a ‘Real Lives’ weekend with Glen Scrivener. Major-general Tim Cross was one of the speakers. David Price, leading the ministry team, worked in overseas aid before being ordained in 1997. Tell it not in Gath but he is a model railways buff – continuing the reputation of the C of E clergy as notable participants in that field.
If you have a comment on this post please send an email to Revd John King at johnc.king@talktalk.net Edited extracts may be published. To forward this to a friend click on the chain icon below.
Comments