God’s Word for You
Daniel 10:18-19 Blessings and peace
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Friday, January 2, 2026
18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 He said, “Do not be afraid, dear Daniel. Peace to you. Be strong and courageous!” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Touched now for the third time, Daniel was at last strong enough to receive the vision. Besides being physically touched, Daniel is given four or five verbal assurances: Do not be afraid, peace, be strong, and be courageous. In addition, he is called “Dear.”
“Do not be be afraid.” Sinful man has every reason to fear any encounter with the Lord or his servants. Man cannot stand before God without the guilt and shame of his sins hanging on his conscience, like stains on a sick man’s shirt. Since the holy Messenger tells the prophet “Do not be afraid,” he is not talking about the fear that is respect, awe, and faith in God (filial fear), but rather servile fear, “fearing the displeasure of your master,” terror over sin and guilt and fear of death and punishment.
Next, the prophet is called “dear Daniel.” This is along the same lines that we heard when he was called “highly favored” earlier (Daniel 10:11). Luther has a marvelous paragraph about translating this in his prefaces to the books of the Bible (Luther’s Works Vol. 35 p. 192). It is an expression of affection and appreciation, such that is rarely spoken by our Lord. We parents need to build up our children’s self-esteem, and we should often praise them rather than beat them down or scowl at them. For we live in a dark time when the world does the devil’s work of stripping away the joy and confidence of our children, and thoughts of harm, of self-mutilation and even of suicide enter into young minds, younger and younger each year. It is our duty as parents to tell our children “I love you!” as often as we can, to give them hugs and pats on the back. There was a time when parenting was rougher, sterner, and would have been looked on as abusive today. Even loving parents punished children unjustly from time to time because it was “good for them,” or “didn’t do them any harm.” The Law demands that children give parents love and respect; at the same time, the Law surely demands that parents love back, and show it, as well as acting in such a way that makes respecting them a joy and not a cross to bear.
“Peace to you.” This is the Hebrew word shalom, which means peace and love and many other things, much like the Hawaiian word “aloha.” Peace is a blessing that comes to man from God, and we can trace it to each person of the holy Trinity. The Father graciously gives us peace by giving our bodies whatever it is that we need; even a hand to hold. Being a widow, I am not a recipient of very much affection, but I was given a hug from a friend the other day that set my mind at ease and which gave me peace. God the Son also gives us peace through his wonderful work of salvation and forgiveness. He wipes the worry away from our trembling hearts over our sin, tossing away our guilt and shame like food scraps into the garbage, and leaving us with nothing but well-being and calm hearts. And the Holy Spirit is the bringer of peace through the Word of God, for he is the one who comforts us with the message of what the Father and the Son have done, but he also dwells within us, strengthens us, and comforts us. He is the giver of the great victory so that we can even face death with a calm knowledge that we shall soon be with our Savior Jesus forever.
“Be strong and courageous.” This was the blessing that Moses gave to the people of Israel just before he died (Deuteronomy 31:6,7), and that Joshua took up right away to continue that same blessing (Joshua 1:6-9, 1:18). And at one of Judah’s most perilous moments, King Hezekiah used the same words to encourage the people of Jerusalem when the Assyrians were at their gates (2 Chronicles 32:7).
After these words, Daniel shows that he was now ready to hear and to see the vision. He addresses the Speaker by saying: “Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” He addresses him with the same “my Lord” he will use again (12:8). If the reader disagrees with me for interpreting this speaker as Christ, he is free to do so. But I have already given my reasons for seeing our Lord the Son of God here. And as I have said at other times, I would much rather be asked to give my reasons for seeing Christ in the Old Testament than for giving reasons why I did not. May God bless your continued study of his holy Word.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.