What can we learn from Daniel and his story? It's a topic I keep coming back to. Here are some things that have impressed me lately.
Why did Daniel refuse the royal food? Perhaps it violated Jewish food rules, perhaps it had been offered first as a sacrifice to a Babylonian god. Or perhaps it was simpler than that. Maybe Daniel recognized the King's board as a place of greedy appetite, something he didn't want to engage. Of course, he could have eaten there but with restraint. But his abstemiousness would have made him a center of attention. To avoid that, he asked for food that would not be a temptation to indulgence and that by its nature would be served privately. This took him and his companions out of the public eye.
God initiated every important event in Daniel's life. Daniel did not set out to be a "witness" or to evangelize the pagans. It was God's initiative that he was taken to Babylon, that he became a wise man, that visions and dreams came and that he interpreted them, that his life was spared when threatened. By his wisdom and conscientious attention to his duty, he became a trusted adviser to the most powerful rulers in the world.
Daniel and his friends learned thoroughly the Babylonian literature. Rather than being repulsed, God gave them each special ability to understand the pagan literature and learning (Dan 1: 17). And Daniel received a special ability to understand visions and dreams, a skill that was particularly valued among the Babylonians. When they had their matriculation exam with the king, they passed easily. They not only had linguistic skill in the Babylonian language, they also understood how the people around them thought and what was important to them. They could not be dismissed as cranks because they were so much better at it then those who were native born.
Daniel was responsible for the pagan temple worship. Daniel was made ruler over the entire province of Babylon and was in charge of the wise men (Dan 2). That means he was in charge of making sure everything ran according to the king's wishes, including the temple worship. He would have been in charge of making sure the priests had what they needed for their rituals and sacrifices. There's no indication he tried to abolish the pagan worship or even to influence it.
Daniel bore witness openly and quietly. Before interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Dan 2, he makes a point of rescuing the wise men of Babylon. He could have rejoiced that now God had vindicated him and his competition was now eliminated, but he did not. Rather, he went out of his way to save them. He prefaces the interpretation with an acknowledgement of God as the source but makes no attempt to "close the deal". And as we see in Dan 6, he worshiped privately but in plain view of everyone.
Daniel didn't play office politics. When Darius took power, he kept Daniel on as an administrator. When his peers tried to find a way to impeach him and could not, they prompted Darius to make Daniel's worship illegal (Dan 6). Daniel apparently took no particular notice of this. He didn't engage it, protest to the king, or try to cut down his opponents. Nor did he try to hide his worship routine. It was, of course, God who rescued him from the den of lions into which he was subsequently committed.
Daniel was in Babylonian government service through several administrations. He was such a gifted administrator and had such an ability to interpret visions and dreams that he served Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus.
This was the first time that a non-Jewish nation had been called to God. Daniel's involvement with Nebuchadnezzar involved a series of power encounters.
Why did Daniel refuse the royal food? Perhaps it violated Jewish food rules, perhaps it had been offered first as a sacrifice to a Babylonian god. Or perhaps it was simpler than that. Maybe Daniel recognized the King's board as a place of greedy appetite, something he didn't want to engage. Of course, he could have eaten there but with restraint. But his abstemiousness would have made him a center of attention. To avoid that, he asked for food that would not be a temptation to indulgence and that by its nature would be served privately. This took him and his companions out of the public eye.
God initiated every important event in Daniel's life. Daniel did not set out to be a "witness" or to evangelize the pagans. It was God's initiative that he was taken to Babylon, that he became a wise man, that visions and dreams came and that he interpreted them, that his life was spared when threatened. By his wisdom and conscientious attention to his duty, he became a trusted adviser to the most powerful rulers in the world.
Daniel and his friends learned thoroughly the Babylonian literature. Rather than being repulsed, God gave them each special ability to understand the pagan literature and learning (Dan 1: 17). And Daniel received a special ability to understand visions and dreams, a skill that was particularly valued among the Babylonians. When they had their matriculation exam with the king, they passed easily. They not only had linguistic skill in the Babylonian language, they also understood how the people around them thought and what was important to them. They could not be dismissed as cranks because they were so much better at it then those who were native born.
Daniel was responsible for the pagan temple worship. Daniel was made ruler over the entire province of Babylon and was in charge of the wise men (Dan 2). That means he was in charge of making sure everything ran according to the king's wishes, including the temple worship. He would have been in charge of making sure the priests had what they needed for their rituals and sacrifices. There's no indication he tried to abolish the pagan worship or even to influence it.
Daniel bore witness openly and quietly. Before interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Dan 2, he makes a point of rescuing the wise men of Babylon. He could have rejoiced that now God had vindicated him and his competition was now eliminated, but he did not. Rather, he went out of his way to save them. He prefaces the interpretation with an acknowledgement of God as the source but makes no attempt to "close the deal". And as we see in Dan 6, he worshiped privately but in plain view of everyone.
Daniel didn't play office politics. When Darius took power, he kept Daniel on as an administrator. When his peers tried to find a way to impeach him and could not, they prompted Darius to make Daniel's worship illegal (Dan 6). Daniel apparently took no particular notice of this. He didn't engage it, protest to the king, or try to cut down his opponents. Nor did he try to hide his worship routine. It was, of course, God who rescued him from the den of lions into which he was subsequently committed.
Daniel was in Babylonian government service through several administrations. He was such a gifted administrator and had such an ability to interpret visions and dreams that he served Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus.
This was the first time that a non-Jewish nation had been called to God. Daniel's involvement with Nebuchadnezzar involved a series of power encounters.
- Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of a statue (Dan 2). God gives Daniel the dream and the interpretation. Daniel reports both to the king, noting that it was from the true God about the future. Nebuchadnezzar responds with worship to Daniel and a strong statement about God.
- Nebuchadnezzar sets up a statue, orders worship, and consigns Daniel's friends to the furnace of fire (Dan 3). The friends give an honest and irenic response and in apparent complete repose are consigned to the flames. When the come out unharmed, Nebuchadnezzar gives praise to their god and decreed that only this god was to be worshiped.
- Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of a tree (Dan 4). Daniel tells him that he will live like a wild animal for seven years. This came to pass a year later, and after seven years he was restored. He sent a letter to his empire, praising God and giving testimony to his works.
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