This passage reminds me of a few important things that I think we can all be reminded of from time to time.
God speaks to Daniel through an angel. The angel knows Daniel's name, and then goes a step further to call him "Beloved." Think about that for a moment, the Lord of Lords, and king of kings, and creator of the entire universe, knows us well enough to know our names, and to think of us as his beloved. Wow! This passage was written well before Christ came, but still we see God's dedication to having an intimate relationship with us. You might be skeptical and say well if God loved Daniel so much, he would have come in person and not sent an angel in his stead.
First, it was extremely rare for God to be physically with humans, I recall the story of Adam and Eve when we simply read that they heard God walking in the Garden of Eden and hid from Him. After that interaction and the fall of man, God uses angels disguised as humans, burning bushes, and dreams to speak to his beloved. We have separated ourselves from God by choice. Getting back to the point, the angels are God's servants and representatives, and we believe that Michael is an arch angel (highest of the angels). So what an honor that God sends his "next in command" without disguise and in physical form to speak directly and plainly with Daniel. Another time an angel speaks directly to a human is when Mary is informed of her upcoming pregnancy. And that's a pretty important message too!
Next the angel says I have been sent to you. This affirms how important it is the Daniel gets the message. Only God himself can send angels. When I am sent somewhere, perhaps to run an errand, it's by someone else's request or demand (like my parents or fiance!). So we know that this message is directly from God.
And of course there are those wonderful words, "Do not be afraid", the angels say this to us as humans time and time again. I think this is partially said because Angels must have looked pretty radical to the say the least. From the few biblical accounts we have of an angel's description we know they aren't adorable little cherubim and seraphim as depicted by Michelangelo, but instead creatures not of the earth, but of heaven. So seeing something like that would probably be like being visited by an alien, so it's natural they would tell us not to be afraid.
The angel says that the words of Daniel have been heard. This reminds all of us that our prayers are not only always heard, but they are acted on. God has sent the angel in response to Daniel's prayer. Again, wow! Then comes the hammer...
At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
I don't know about you, but I don't like to think about "anguish, such as has never occurred since the nations first came into existence". Yikes! I see the hurt and anguish of the world around me and sometimes wonder how much worse can things get? But the angel promises the hope that we will be delivered, and that death (sleep) is not the end; as some who sleep in the dust (ground) shall awake, some to everlasting life (heaven) and some to shame and everlasting contempt (hell). We know that Christ has already provided this deliverance for us. Christ died on the cross for us so that we might believe and be delivered to eternal life.
And then the final promise, that if spread the good news of our Lord and savior, not only will be delivered from hell and death, but that we will shine like the stars in heaven above. While I am not looking forward to the despair that befalls humanity, I am hoping and praying that God will lift me up to shine like a star at night. That sounds awesome to me! To have not only eternal life, but to shine like a star! I want that! Don't you?
And so we pray:
Dear Father in heaven, you know us and you love us completely. We cling to your promises and to your Son, Jesus Christ, who delivers us from hell and gives us eternal life! Thank you for this precious gift, and give us the strength to be shining examples of that love while we are on earth, so that someday, we may be with you, shining like the stars! In your dear son's name we pray. Amen.
