The beginning of Daniel shows that he was not only a captive of Nebuchadnezzar, but that God was in it. The Bible in no way tries to soften the blow of God’s sovereignty. It leaves us, always, with the great question of the ages, Why would God allow this to happen?
One of the most amazing passages in the Bible is in the beginning of the Gospel of Mark: In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him (Mark 1:9-13).
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I emphasize the words “The Spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness” because only Mark states it like this. Matthew and Luke say, “The Spirit led him” but Mark says, “The Spirit drove him.” Mark, as always, just puts it out there in the hardest possible theological language for you and me to deal with.
This is what is going on here. Jeremiah had been prophesying about this. Now it had come. God had caused a heathen nation to come against the people of God and to take them into a foreign land. Now, God is not the author of sin, and God is good. Yet, this was a bad day in Israel’s history. The baptism of Jesus was good. The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one; yet, the third person of the Trinity, we are told, drives the second person of the Trinity into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, to be subject to wild animals.
No resolution of the mystery is given in Daniel or in Mark. We are told this so that we can see that God is in control and not absent even as we are being led away.
A young pastor, recently called to an older congregation, was called to the bedside of a dying parishioner. The lady was a godly woman who had served the Lord all of her life. Suddenly, she was experiencing heart failure. The family was told that their loved one had only days to live. As the young pastor stood with the family and as he recognized that everyone seemed to be looking to him for words, he froze. All of his theology and Bible study and pastoral training suddenly stuck in his throat. He finally managed a word, but it would have been better left unsaid. “Ma’am. This is not of God. God is not in this.” The dying saint raised her head with all of the strength she had left. “Pastor, if God is not in this, then I am lost. My God is right here in all of it. God led me to this place. But don’t worry, Pastor. I love the Lord Jesus, and I trust Him with my life.” The pastor never made that mistake again.