I was reading this morning in Daniel 10, and was struck by something said by the angel.
An angelic messenger has come to answer Daniel's prayer. And as is often the case in the Bible when people are confronted with angelic messengers, Daniel is frightened and falls to the ground. And, in keeping with the script, the angelic messenger speaks reassurances.
These reassurances often fit a standard form, a simple, "Do not fear, O highly favored/chosen one!"
But the reassurance given by the angel in Daniel 10.19 struck me as being particularly tender. Perhaps the most tender reassurance in all of the Bible.
Here it is from the NRSV: "Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe. Be strong and courageous!"
I just love that! "Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe".
That one greeting encapsulates the whole Gospel.
And it's my vote for the most tender greeting in the whole Bible.
I think what strikes me is the expression of love rather than favor. It's not "fear not favored one" but "fear not one who is greatly loved".
And then I realize: This greeting is found only in Daniel (9.23; 10.11; 10.19).
Daniel now moves up in my list of Old Testament books.