Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:
1It was fair before Darius to appoint upon the kingdom the governors one hundred and twenty that they might be in the all of the kingdom, 2and above them three administrators which Daniel [was] one from them as that the governors might be ones giving to them the account and the king not to him one suffering damage. 3Then this Daniel was distinguishing himself upon the administrators and the governors because the spirit of the excellence [was] in him and the king [was] one intending to appoint him upon the all of the kingdom. 4Then the administrators and the governors were ones seeking a pretext to find to Daniel concerning the kingdom and not ones being able to find all of a pretext and corruption because he [was] trustworthy and all of a negligence and corruption [was] not found upon him. 5Then these men [were] ones saying, “Not we will find all of a pretext to this Daniel unless we find [it] upon him in the law of his God.”
I want to stay a while longer pondering on Daniel’s character. The Lord recorded for us twice that “an excellent spirit was in him.” Obviously, everyone of us would long to have that said of us. I hope it can be said of me, and so I stay parked here considering over and over this man Daniel, what made him who he was, and trying to let that image press deeply into my own heart. I particularly like what Macnaughton said in The Biblical Illustrator, and so I will quote it at length here:
“One of the most dangerous beliefs of the present day is that an earnest religious life is not compatible with success in business, or with promotion in public life. The success and promotion of Daniel…proves that an upright life, lived in fellowship with God, is not a hindrance, but a help to success in life. A life of piety and obedience to God cultivates in us the best possible business habits--diligence, integrity, patience, control of temper, control of appetite, an interest in the welfare of others, and a trustful confidence in ourselves, as the result of firm reliance on God. See some of the principles illustrated in the life of Daniel.
1. It is always safe to do right. There are many who think otherwise. They will try to soothe conscience by saying that they approve the right, and that, under more favourable circumstances, they would certainly do it. But swerving from duty makes it easier to do wrong again; and there lies the danger. When we are resolutely doing God’s will, He will open up a way for us. A man of weak faith and weak will, yields to circumstances, and excuses himself by saying that he could not help it. We should rule circumstances, and not allow circumstances to rule us. Fortune follows in the footsteps of faith.
2. Daniel’s love of private prayer. That man is always strong for duty, and strong against temptation, who has learned to prevail with God! Daniel not only maintained communion with God in spirit, but he had also stated times for prayer. His public life was upright and beautiful, because his inner life was devout and prayerful. He made it the habit of his life to take everything to God in prayer. Special times for private prayer may soon enable the Christian to live constantly in the atmosphere of heaven.
3. Daniel’s decision of character. A man may be pious and prayerful, and yet, if he lacks decision of character, he is liable to be led into any form of evil. What the world and the Church want to-day are men who have some backbone in them; men who will do right, and do it at all hazards.
4. Daniel’s Faithful Friendship. When he was promoted by the king he did not forget his three companions.
5. Daniel’s Contentment and Resignation to his lot. We find no murmur or complaint that God dealt hardly with him in allowing him to be carried away captive. He was able to see the providence of God in his captivity. No man has ever risen in life by repining at his lot, and by spending his strength in lamenting over lack of opportunity. Daniel’s success depended largely upon that contentment that always accompanies a loving confidence in God, and cheerful submission to His will.
6. Daniel was most courteous and amiable in his manner. This gave him great power over men. He was a true gentleman--that is, he was both gentle and manly. He was too manly to be weak and irresolute; and he was too courteous to be coarse and offensive. Courtesy and gentleness give a man great power over his fellow men.
7. Daniel’s Business Fidelity. Some narrowly pious people would have said that he had far too secular duties on his hands. Those duties would necessarily interfere with his spirituality of mind and his intercourse with God. Daniel did not think so. Because he gave himself to prayer, he could busy himself with secular things and not suffer; and because he was so busy with secular affairs, he needed his frequent seasons of prayer. It was because Daniel lived in the presence of God that he was able to leave such a noble record of the administration of the affairs of the kingdom We may make Daniel’s life our own, if we have Daniel’s faith, and trust as Daniel trusted.
McNaughton’s concluding words, “We may make Daniel’s life our own, if we have Daniel’s faith, and trust as Daniel trusted,” are precisely the thought driving my desire to spend so much time parked here. As a young Christian, someone made the statement that “Daniel had nothing on you. What Daniel was, you can be too.” That actually gave me great hope. I suppose I naturally would have thought of him as somehow so far above me, I could never attain to his accomplishments, that he had some special endowment from God that lifted him above people like me, that he was somehow “super-spiritual.”
Now it is true that I certainly could never have his talents. He obviously was very gifted in administration and so could rise to be a prime minister. The Lord simply did not give me such gifts and I basically have to be content to do my job and let others, in a sense, “steer the ship.” Of course, he also could interpret dreams, which has never been nor will be an ability I possess. But when that person said, “Daniel had nothing on you,” I realized they were right, that what made Daniel who he was was not his talents or gifts but rather his character, and his character he derived from his relationship with God. The same God is just as available to me today as He was to Daniel in 539 BC.
May Daniel’s example impress deeply on my heart. May it do the same for you. And may, in the end, it be said of us, “They had an excellent spirit in them.” Even more so, may the Lord use that spirit to touch others, like Daniel has been doing for 2,600 years!
No comments:
Post a Comment