Daniel 1 Part 2

Summary

Daniel is a hostage. He is a teenager without resources. His parents were not there to confide in. His great teacher and mentor Jeremiah was not there to seek his counsel. Everyone around him was frighten and fearful. He is alone. Why shouldn't he be scared to death? He is only about 12 or 13 years old. But not Daniel!

DANIEL'S DECISION 1: 8-16

The Faith of Daniel 1:8

[8] But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

Living By Faith

One of the purposes of this book is to teach us how to be strong in faith in the face of unusual pressure. The lesson is found in the life of Daniel. In fact, it is not my testimony of his extraordinary achievement in walking by faith, but Scripture says that Daniel is one of the top three Old Testament believers who stand out in this area:

even though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves," declares the Lord God. [Ezekiel 14:14]

There is an example to follow, a pattern to emulate! This book is filled with practical applications useful for any Christian who desires to walk by faith, and along with the great prophecies, we will see faith in action. The is such an important concept that I will treat it in a separate series of articles called "Living by Faith."

The most uncomplicated conception of biblical faith is personal confidence in God, trust and reliance upon Him. Daniel has this kind of faith.

Biblical faith always takes an object

The verb "to believe" is transitive; that is, it must have an object to complete it. For instance, in saving faith, the object is the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is the firm conviction in what God says in the Gospel is true. Again, it is trusting in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross who died for our sins. Daniel was a believer. He had placed His faith in the God of the Bible for salvation and what we have in this book is a real-life hero of what it means to walk by faith.

Daniel's faith is strong because it rests in the Word of God

This is the first principle of living by faith. We are informed by the Word of God that after salvation, our faith must trust, rest, and rely upon the Word of God. This is what Jesus meant in one of His responses to the attack of Satan:

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" [Matthew 4:4]

The one remarkable thing about Daniel is not his youth but his grasp of the Word of God. Daniel was a student of the Scriptures. Like our Lord, who devoted much time to the reading and studying the Bible, and who at the age of twelve astounded the theologians of his day on the knowledge He possessed on the Scripture. (Luke 2:41-49) Our Lord Jesus Christ did not have a Bible that He could carry in His hand; it was in His heart. How did it get there? Hours and hours and hours of devoted reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on the Scripture. When you develop the habit of spending time in the Word, you get to know God. Daniel was like his Lord. This is what made him special. It is what makes all of us different.

The secret of Daniel's success was the strength he drew from the Word of God and the God of that Word

This verse provides an insight into the heart of Daniel, and we must not speed over it. Daniel would not eat the food given to him by his captors! What choice does he have? What will be the consequences of not going along with the king? He could be beaten. He could be punished, even put to death. All of this grief over some food!

What if the Law of God forbade the food? What if God said, "Don’t eat!” The idea that Daniel purposed in his heart means that he took some time to think about the decision he would make. He thought it over. He weighed the pros and cons. He came to a settled conclusion. He decides he would not sin against God to appease the king or his own flesh. God says it! I believe it! That settles it, forever! Daniel's faith was resting in God's Word.

On the other hand, human viewpoint could have led Daniel in a different direction. Who would blame a teenager under Daniel's circumstances to comply with the will of his captors? He could have said:

1. This was the king's law, and I am taught to be a law-abiding citizen. I should eat this food. Apparently, that is what most of the captives did. [See Acts 5:29]

2. If I disobey, I will be punished. I might forfeit my life. Dead is not a good thing. God wants only my good, so to eat is the only safe course.

3. Suppose I play along with things; maybe, later on, I can choose not to eat these foods when I am in a better position. Does the end justify the means?

4. The quality of the food would be very attractive. Best meals in town, in fact, in the empire.

5. I am so far away from Jerusalem. How would anyone know?

6. Since God put me here, it is his fault.

What kind of faith do you have? Is it a weak kind of faith that wavers when the wind blows, as the shifting sand on the beach, or is it solid as a rock that remains steadfast and unmovable as the tempest winds beat upon it? Daniel lived in captivity his entire life, but he was never a captive in his heart. All mature believers look at life from the divine viewpoint. Their faith is rooted and grounded in the Word of God.

In times of difficulty, we must bring God into the picture. Daniel did. “What would God think of me or say to me if I eat this food? How can I please Him?” Again, someone may murmur, “What’s wrong with eating that food?” Daniel is a captive. He is a teenager. He is helpless and hopeless. He has no choice in the matter! I say to you of little faith, “All of that is very true, but is God helpless? Absolutely not!"

So when our circumstances are difficult, or if we lose a dear loved one, or when there are delays in answer to our prayers, or when someone is unfair to us, and when our safety, security, and even survival is threatened, what should our minds cling to and what should our hearts be convinced of? Trust your God! It is Daniel's personal knowledge of who God is that sustains him through the crisis.

Daniel Knows He is In God's Plan

Daniel's captivity was not unforeseen, nor was it unfortunate, and he was not unlucky. It was in the plan of God. That is what Daniel chose to believe. I am in Babylon by divine appointment. Daniel is the author of this book, and when he wrote the opening verses, he revealed his mindset, “and the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hands ” [Daniel 1:2]. The Sovereign God of this Universe was at work in this circumstance.

This was Paul's attitude as well. When the Roman Government put the Apostle Paul in prison, he wrote to the Ephesians from that jail cell and said, "I am a prisoner of the Lord" Ephesians 3:1. Mature believers live their lives under the firm conviction that God controls history, their history.

Our Lord, on numerous occasions, exhibited the same divine viewpoint of life. He understood God's will, plan, and purpose for His life practically and thoroughly, and He was totally committed to it. When they came to arrest Him, Peter sought to defend Him by brandishing a weapon and attacking the armed guard that came for Jesus. He explained to Peter; the arrest was not Rome's will or the Jewish leaders' will; it was God's will. His Heavenly Father was the Person in charge. In fact, Peter put away that puny knife. Don't you know if I wanted to escape this arrest, I could call twelve legions of angels [Matthew 26:53]?

In another dramatic moment before Pilate, our Lord Jesus Christ was being questioned by him, a man who represented the power of Rome. He said to Jesus, "Don't you know I have the power of life and death over you?" What did our Lord say to that? He disagreed. He gave Pilate His divine viewpoint response, "You would have no authority over Me unless it had been given you from above." [John 19:11]. Who is the person in charge? Jesus' answer, "My Heavenly Father." Case closed.

Who is the person in charge of your life?

Daniel’s God is a big God. He is the Sovereign God of this universe: He remains at all times and in all circumstances THE PERSON IN CHARGE. My God is Omnipresent. He is in the problems that I face. He is always near; he never leaves me or forsakes me. My God is All-powerful. God can sustain, protect, and provide for me under every circumstance. My God is Omniscience. He knows everything that can be known, and therefore there is no problem I face where there is no solution [1 Corinthians 10:13].

Someone may complain, "Daniel was in captivity his entire life and that he never left Babylon." Absolutely not true. Daniel escapes captivity. He becomes a chief prince in the Chaldean Empire. He is honored and exalted by two cultures and loved and adored by millions of people, Gentiles and Jews. The real truth is that Daniel chose to stay in Babylon. It is where God wanted him. God turned the cursing into a blessing. He turned it into something good. Through Daniel's half-century of ministry, millions of Babylonians and Persians come to the Lord for salvation. Oh, poor Daniel! You know something, I have read this book many times, and not once have I ever felt sorry for Daniel. Daniel has little control over his circumstances, but God is in absolute control of all Daniel's circumstances. What is the lesson then?

Christians enjoy Daniel's study, for it has so many exciting prophecies, but this study will focus on becoming more like Daniel. Every doctrinal concept that we learn is applicable. Faith must rest in something to be strong. First, there are the promises of God. Daniel had the prophecies of Jeremiah. He predicted the fall of Jerusalem. He predicted the duration of the Babylonian Captivity [Daniel 9:2]. Daniel knew these prophecies. Here is the first doctrinal concept learned from Daniel. It is living by faith that rests upon the Word of God.

Living by faith is the spiritual discipline of looking at life from the divine viewpoint, from the Biblical perspective, based on what the Word of God teaches. It is uniting your faith with the promises of God as taught in Hebrews 4:1-3. It is God’s promises and doctrinal concepts that generate peace of mind and heart and the ability to think under pressure amid the adversities of life. It is exploited to the maximum in spiritual maturity. We must come to know our God and then live our lives in the light of that truth. "The just shall live by faith," that is, a faith resting on the solid foundation of the Word of God. (Hebrews 10:38)

The Favor of God 1:9

[9] Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,

Notice that Daniel "requested." This Hebrew word is essential for it indicates the absence of malice, anger, or bitterness. He didn't demand his rights. He didn't throw a temper tantrum. He was polite, thoughtful, courteous, and kind. His calmness under stress is a surprise since he is just a teenager.

We will see the overruling will of God in the Book of Daniel many times. God gives us free will and allows us to choose between good and evil. There are times when He steps into a circumstance and overrules. There are times when He permits evil to run its course, and then there is a time when He says to evil, "Stop, you cannot go any farther!”. This is one of those times. It was not in the nature and character of this man to grant Daniel any favors. [See Proverbs 16:19].

Young people often succumb to the peer pressure around them, for no one wants to be disliked or ostracized. The easiest thing to do many times is to follow the crowd. However, Daniel's pressure is not peer pressure; he is a captive and has no rights. He lives in a hostile environment, and everyone around Daniel is filled with fear.

The Fear of Ashpenaz 1:10

10) And the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my Lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king."

Ashpenaz was asked by a captive youth to do something that would put himself and his family in danger. He knew the king. He feared the king. Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute dictator, and anyone who crossed him would be put to death. No trial. No chance to explain. Ashpenaz knew that anything but absolute obedience to the king was the only safe approach to his job. You have to admire his moral courage.

Daniel's Test (11-16)

11) But Daniel said to the overseer, whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12) "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.

13) "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence, and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."

Daniel would not be deterred from his decision. He would not use Ashpenaz’s refusal as an excuse to change his mind about the decision He made. He now approached his immediate supervisor, the overseer, who was appointed over him. He proposed a test. The number has Jewish significance. It is the number of judgment. There are ten commandments, and there were ten plagues upon Egypt. Ten is the number of judgment, and a judgment will have to be made.

14) So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.

This is rather remarkable, but our God always surprises us and changing the natural course of human events. The explanation of this in the Scripture is that God was in control and overruled on Daniel’s behalf.

15) And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.

God blessed Daniel’s decision regarding his diet, and there was a noticeable difference in the countenance of the four from the rest of the captives.

16) So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

Our God is so faithful. Praise and glory to Him!

__________

Acknowledgment

At my side, as I prepared this commentary on Daniel, are my notes taken at Practical Bible Training School listening to my professors Dr. Marion Lowe, my teacher in the Old Testament, and Dr. Floyd H. Barackman, friend and teacher of Theology. These men wrote no book on Daniel, but they are ever-present in my understanding of Daniel. For historical background, The Cambridge Ancient History Vol. 3 - 5 was beneficial. Dr. Leon J Wood’s books on (1) The Survey of Israel’s History, and his Commentary on Daniel, significantly contributed to my understanding of the persons and events in the Book of Daniel. No commentary begins with a blank sheet of paper, and my debt to these works when not footnoted is always present.

Below is a list of sources used in preparing these messages:

Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (1977). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Cambridge Ancient History. Vols. 3-5, 2^nd ed. edited by John Boardman et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970–1991.

Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Vol. 4. Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1948.

D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed.), Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Leon J. Wood, A Commentary on Daniel, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973.

Leon J. Wood, A Survey of Israel’s History, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973.

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Babylon, Babylonia. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 247). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1987). The works of Josephus: complete and unabridged (p. 286). Peabody:

Kitchen, K. A., & Mitchell, T. C. (1996). Chronology of the Old Testament. In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed., p. 186). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things To Come. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969

Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1981.

Whitaker, R., Brown, F., Driver, S. R. (Samuel R., & Briggs, C. A. (Charles A. (1906). The Abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon of the Old Testament: from A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Francis Brown, S.R. Driver and Charles Briggs, based on the lexicon of Wilhelm Gesenius. Boston; New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company.