And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Daniel 10:11-12
The Man Greatly Beloved
Daniel is called “a man greatly beloved”. While God’s love is extended to all people through Jesus Christ, His personal love and grace is for those who love Him in return. Those who seek to understand His will and do it are not disappointed by sitting in the dark, not knowing what God has been pleased to reveal. Here, we find that Daniel had a vision that greatly disturbed him. He began to fast and to seek the meaning of the vision from the Lord. The result was that God sent an angel to give him understanding of what he had seen in the vision.
In the Old Testament, this was one of the ways God revealed certain prophecies to the Prophets. These revelations then became the inspired Holy Scriptures as they were from God. In this way, God revealed to Daniel what he sought to understand.
Whether under the Old Covenant, or now in the Church Age, God has been revealing His truth to those who love Him, and seek to understand what He is doing.
In this present age, we must not rely on subjective dreams, or unfounded visions. We have the completed word of God, and the Holy Spirit to teach us.
As God loved Daniel, He also loves us, and freely gives us an understanding heart as we willingly abide in His truth. Anything else will lead to a false path.
(Matthew 7:15)
Aug. 17, 2009