[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during August 2025]
The people that do know their God shall be strong.
Daniel 11 v32 [KJV]
When we think of the book of Daniel it is likely that we think of lions who lost their appetite, three fire-resistant fellows or a statue with fractured feet. Indeed, even people with little or no knowledge of the Bible will probably recognise those events, but what of the rest of the book? How many of us who claim to be familiar with the Old Testament know much about the content of chapters 7 to 12?
Many people have expended substantial amounts of effort and spent a great deal of time trying to understand the visions that make up much of the second half of the book of Daniel; to whom do they refer, when will they come to fruition? Secular writers have questioned whether they are even real records of Daniel’s experience or simply tales compiled by some ancient scribes.[1]
Are such debates a valid use of the time and talents that we have? Indeed the apostle Paul warns us against speculation which distracts us from the work that God has given us to do.
Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.
2 Timothy 2 v23 [ESVUK]
Conversely, commentators as diverse as Matthew Henry[2] and David Pawson[3] have described the historical accuracy of the prophecy in chapter 11 by cross-referencing to events that occurred after Daniel had written about them. If Daniel’s short-term prophecy came true so accurately then surely we should pay more attention to the rest of what he wrote.
However, that is not our immediate purpose here. Instead, let us look again at the words quoted above as a simple statement. It is in two parts – a condition and a promise that together offer us an encouragement.
The condition is that people should know their God. It is not sufficient to know about God – we need to take our relationship with him seriously. Throughout the Old Testament we see that when the tribes of Israel abandoned the worship of God then they suffered defeat. But this is not just an historical observation, we see it in more recent times. When godlessness overtakes a nation its fortunes decline.
The promise is that those who maintain their relationship with God will receive strength from him. In the context of Daniel 11 this refers to a time of persecution but the principle applies just as much in our daily circumstances.
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40 v31 [NKJV]
The time is coming when we may need that strength.
References:
[1] wikipedia: Book of Daniel, accessed 10/Aug/2025
[2] ‘Commentary on the Whole Bible’, Matthew Henry, 1710.
[3] ‘A Commentary on Daniel’, David Pawson, 2016.
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys