Dan. 11:32 “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”
In Daniel 11, the man of God is prophesying to King Darius the Mede concerning future events concerning the future kings. In verse 29, he speaks of those who know God will be strong and do great things. All through the history of the Bible, the men who knew God did some great things. We look at the prophets, the judges, and some of the kings, and we find men who accomplished wonderful things in the name of God. Notice that Daniel wrote that first these individuals must know God. Knowledge has several different meanings. One is simply a superficial knowledge. It is a knowing about someone without actually having met them. Many folks who say they know God have only a surface understanding of God and really have no deep relationship with Him. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame,” 1 Cor. 15:34. Second, the word has the idea of intimacy, a close bond with the individual. Consider Hosea’s admonition to Israel, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Hos. 6:6. This knowledge comes from learning about God through preaching or studying God’s Word, 1 Cor. 1:21 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” In Dan. 11:32, those who know God, did great things. Paul wrote that some “profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work,” Titus 1:16. If we have the true knowledge of God then our works will follow. Having the knowledge of God we desire to mimic Him in His nature. Notice what John wrote, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” 1 Jn. 4:8. If we do not strive to be like Him, then we cannot please Him. We are His children and a child always desires to be like his father, and walk into his steps, and wear his shoes. We should have that kind of relationship with or heavenly Father. Our father is Holy in His actions; therefore we should be holy, 1 Peter 1:16. As Daniel wrote that those who know God are strong. The closer we are to God the stronger we will be. The stronger we get spiritually the more great things we can accomplish for God. Consider the apostles that went about preaching and teaching the gospel. They had been with Jesus and had been very close to Him. They definitely knew God and were intimate with Him because of their exploits. Thousands were baptized into Christ in Jerusalem. Even when the persecution arose (Acts 9) they were scattered and went everywhere preaching. The church is being established in places other than Jerusalem. Peter would soon travel to Caesarea to preach to the household of Cornelius reaching out to the Gentiles. Paul would be commissioned to go to the Gentiles and establish churches. As the church grew, so did the persecutions. The Romans tried unsuccessfully to destroy the efforts of these people but they failed. People who truly know God are strong and will carry out great things!