David Bahn – Reflections

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Today’s readings: Daniel 10-12, Psalm 98.

Daniel 10:1-14

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.

² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. ³ I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. ⁴ On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) ⁵ I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶ His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. ⁷ And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. ⁹ Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.

¹⁰ And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹ And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. ¹² Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. ¹³ The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, ¹⁴ and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

A father of three prays for a job. He’s out of work and can’t feed his family. The answer doesn’t come. He prays. And waits. A wife watches her husband struggle against cancer. She prays for healing. He goes through chemotherapy. He joins her in that prayer. And they wait. A child wants her mom and dad to get back together. She prays with simple childlike faith – the faith Jesus praises – and she waits. The answer doesn’t come.

Not all prayers are like these. We don’t always have to wait long for God’s answer and the relief we seek. But sometimes we do. And so we wait.

When I first came across this chapter in a more studied way – more than two decades ago – a light went on in my mind. Wait! If Daniel’s prayer had been heard on the first day he offered it, how come it took 21 days for the answer to come?

The answer, at least in part, is that life here on earth is broken by sin. There are so very few straight lines between trouble and answers. Sometimes there are no lines we can see connecting the needs we bring to God with the answers he gives. Some answers will be revealed only in the life of the world to come.

And even when there are direct lines between our needs and God’s answers, there are other things at work of which we may be completely unaware. Daniel 10 gives us a remarkable glimpse behind the curtain. There are powers and principalities, angels and demons, forces in the spiritual realm opposing God and his purposes. They cannot finally defeat him. One day all opposition will be brought to an end.

As Daniel 12:2–3 says, “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Who are those wise people who will shine like stars forever and ever? They are those whose hope is in the God who has promised to hear us when we pray. And he has sent his Son – greater than the mightiest angel – who himself waited in the darkness of the tomb.

But only until the third day.

Jesus has been vindicated. He lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit. That means our waiting is never empty, even when we cannot see what God is doing. Some answers come quickly. Some come after 21 days. Some may not come until the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

But the risen Jesus assures us that the waiting will not last forever. Until then, we can entrust to him every need we face and every prayer we pray as we await his answer.

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.