No. 1.
THE prophet Daniel gives us the history of the Gentile powers, to whom God entrusted dominion on His taking it away from Israel. In Luke 21:2424And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24) we have the name, given by the Lord to this period, during which Israel are Lo Ammi (not my people): He says, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” In Daniel we see their origin and end, but he goes no further; merely bringing as to the time when Israel is about to enter into blessing—to the political resurrection of the nation: “Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.” But of the blessing consequent on the judgment of these powers that were oppressing them, and the result of the stone of chapter filling the whole earth, he gives no details He shows us the beginning and end of government committed into the hand of man.
The book has two divisions, chapters 1, to 6, and 7 to 12; of these, however, chap. 1 and 12 are connected, as they both make known respectively the position of the remnant to whom the testimony of God was committed: chapter 1, at the beginning, and chapter 12 at the close of “the times of the Gentiles.” The first book is the character and conduct of the four Gentile monarchies in their aspect towards God, and the different positions they would assume before Him; of course the consequence of all this is that it brings trouble upon those who are standing for God on the earth. The second book is the character of the power of these monarchies in relation to the world; not to those merely who were standing for God there but their relations to one another, and especially God’s center in the earth―Palestine―which becomes towards the close the object of contention between all.
Chapter 1, gives us the character of the godly remnant; they are faithful to the will of God, and separate from evil; which puta them in a position to receive communications from Him. It is a most important thing for us to take notice of this, as the desire of the Lord is that we should be “filled with the knowledge of His will;” and how is it that we are so slow to learn, and know so little Is it not because we are not in a place where He can reach us―we must be separate from evil―taking a path outside of this world, and be faithful to the mind of God as revealed to us; “For to him that hath shall be given, and he shall have more abundance.” Such was the case with Daniel here. He was of great natural ability (see Ezek. 28:33Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: (Ezekiel 28:3)); brought with others of the king’s seed, on their being carried captive from Jerusalem; unto the palace of the king of Babylon, that he might there be taught the wisdom of those among whom he was captive. But while submitting himself to this power then owned of God, (always the path of the child of God, Rom. 13) he purposes in his heart not to defile himself. It is one thing to obey the powers that be, and another thing to defile the conscience before God by mixing with that which is not of Him. So Daniel refuses to eat of the king’s meat, which to him, as a Jew, was unclean, and would defile. He might by so doing suffer loss, as far as this world went; but faith takes the soul outside of and beyond the circumstances of this world; and Daniel could trust God for the result. But we never really lose by faithfulness to God, as was the case here: at the end of ten days Daniel, and those with him who had taken the same path, “their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.” And still further, what was the result of all this? “God gave them knowledge and skill in all earning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” None were found like them; they were ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers: “and Daniel continued unto the first year of king Cyrus” ―blessed results of faithfulness to God― “filled with the knowledge of His w chapter 1 wisdom and spiritual understanding;” and why? “because they would not defile themselves with the portion of the king’s meat, or with the vine which he drank.”
In chap. 1 we find Daniel standing up for God, and in chapter 2. God stands up for Daniel; and so is it ever the case. “Them that honor me I will honor; but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” (1 Sam. 2: 30.) Here the sword of power in the earth is being taken from Israel’s hands and given to the Gentile powers, but in such a manner that these powers should thereby learn their dependence upon God. Nebuchadnezzar has this supreme place in the earth shows to him by the figure of a man. He dreams a dream about it, but when he awakes, it has departed from him, and none of the Chaldeans, wise men, or astrologers can tell it to him: “There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter.” If God is to use us, He must first teach us that we are ourselves but empty vessels, entirely dependent upon Him. It would have been well for the Gentile powers had they learned this; but they too, like Israel, would fail. Apart from God the creature cannot stand. The decree goes out that all the vise men should be slain. Solemn picture of how man abuses whatever God entrusts to him. This, however, serves to bring out the faith of those who are walking with God, and His faithfulness in standing by them. When Daniel hears of the decree, he at once asks for time, and he will make known to the king the interpretation; and then He and the rest of the faithful remnant look to the God of heaven to make known the matter to them. The man of the earth rises no higher in his thoughts than the magicians and astrologers around him, but the one who is walking by faith goes straight to God, and finds in Him resources which more than meet all his need; as we ofttimes sing―
“When human cisterns all are dry,
Thy fullness is the same.”