Daniel 10
“11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved”
This text shows that God in heaven loved Daniel dearly.
Daniel desperately sought the meaning of what God revealed to him for 21 days. He couldn’t eat during this time for he was occupied by the things of God. No wonder he was loved of God for he esteemed the things of God highly. He feared God.
The angel said to Daniel that on the first day of his prayer he was already sent to bring Daniel the message but was resisted by the prince of Persia, until the arch angel Michael came to his assistance.
Let us look at the One Who loves us, God.
In the Hebrew His Name means the One Who is above anyone and everyone. Even the letters of His Name cannot be pronounced, but some add vowels to pronounce His Name as Jehovah.
In the old testament His Name may only be pronounced once a year by the high priest when he entered the Holy of Holies.
God also changed Jacob’s name to Israel, for he wrestled with man and God and overcame. Jacob means deceiver while Israel means prince with God.
We also read of God’s characteristics and His wisdom in Romans.
Romans 11
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
We speak so readily about God but do we truly know Him?
He is also three times Holy and has no association with sin.
He is also Three-in-one, also known as the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
He also is omniscient, having all knowledge.
He is also faithful. He wil never promise something He is not faithful to keep.
John also writes about His great love, that He loved each one of us so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
He is also omnipotent, having all power.
He also had no beginning or end. He is self existent. When Moses asked Him His Name, He replied, “I am Who I am”.
When Jacob asked Him His Name He didn’t answer him but blessed him and asked Jacob a question, “why do you ask My Name? ”
God is also eternal and omnipresent, everywhere at the same time.
That is the God of the Bible.
It’s He Who sent the angel to His greatly beloved Daniel.
We cannot even in words describe God, yet He is the One Who loved Daniel greatly.
It’s understandable why God loved Daniel so much. Daniel went into exile as a young boy and now he was old yet he remained completely faithful to God all these years. We don’t read of a single instance where he was unfaithful to God.
But a great wonder is that the New Testament tells us that we too are greatly beloved of this God, even while we were in our sin. Even if you don’t know Him you are greatly beloved of Him.
This is the wonder of wonders! That He Who is so great still loves you and me greatly.
He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us and save us from our sin that we should not die in our sin but have everlasting life with Him.
In Babylon all manner of sin was rife around Daniel yet he regarded God’s love and despised the pleasures of sin around him.
John Newton tells of his conversion while he was the captain of a ship. He saw the Lord giving him an engagement ring, and he wept as he received it. But then the devil came and tempted him and told him that he was a weakling for weeping like he did because of the ring. He listened to the devil and became ashamed of the ring and threw it into the sea, but he soon felt great remorse for what he did. As he did that, the sea became extremely boisterous, like a boiling pot of filth. The One that gave him the ring then appeared and dived into sea of filth, retrieved the ring and came to the surface again. But He said to John, “this time I will keep the ring safe with me, lest you are tempted of the devil again”. That gave John great joy and comfort.
This reminds one of the words of Paul to Timothy.
2 Timothy 1
12 for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
In our text take out Daniel’s name and put your name there, for you too are greatly beloved of God.
Isaiah 49
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Those nails on the Cross inscribed you on the psalms of His hands.
Even if you have deserted Him yet He has not forgotten you.
What do you do with this great love of God for you?
What will happen to us if we despise such great grace?