An Address To Young Men.
(Read Dan. 1-6)
THE prophet Daniel’s personal history as a man, as a saint, and as a servant of God, is intensely interesting. When the prophet’s history begins in Babylon he was a captive. The first thing that strikes us, as we read the story, is that, as he looked round, he must have felt that everything was gone, and there was little for him to dot “Here am I, a captive in a strange city, what can I be or do?” we can easily understand his saying. If he had not been made of the stuff that he was he would have gone with the tide. The tide of the world was running tremendously strong in Babylon. But here is a man, who has enough grit to take his stand for God. The meaning of his name is interesting, “God is judge.” He walked before God.
Chapter 1 shows us Daniel as a student at Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, the king, for his own purpose, tells the master of his eunuchs that he should take charge of certain of the children of Israel of the king’s seed, and of the princes, and then indicates what kind of an education they should go through. We are there told of Daniel’s preliminary examination, his curriculum, that which he was to feed upon, while his character developed, and in the close of the chapter you have his final examination and place in class. He and his three comrades came out at the top of the class.
I have heard it said that if a man be a Christian, he must necessarily be a milksop. That is absolute nonsense. Don’t you believe it. A man that is a downright Christian is the happiest of men, and it is wonderful what God can do with him.
You will find, as you read this man’s history, bow, step by step, he is promoted, until he is made “chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.” That is where he comes in for his deepest trials, at the close of his history.
Daniel’s “preliminary examination” was a matter of what he was personally. Nebuchadnezzar was a keen judge of character. He demanded certain qualities in his students, and Daniel passed ‘this examination (see ch. 1:4). Because you are a Christian, you need not be a fool. Because you are on the Lord’s side there is no necessity for lacking anything that a man should be, as a man, passing through this world. God has given to us all gifts, more or less, and each one according to his several ability (see Matt. 25:14-1514For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. (Matthew 25:14‑15)). I do not doubt that God took into account the mental and physical ability of this fine young man. The next thing is that he is appointed “a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of ‘the wine which he drank” (vs. 5), so that at the end of three years―the length of his curriculum―he might stand before the king.
But the moment Daniel sees what is before Trim, he begins to feel, “Well... I belong to God, and I know Jehovah has got certain principles and Hines for His servant.” He had not forgotten what he had learned SS a youth in Judea, that is to say, he knew the Scriptures.
I think one great lack today is, that young men have not been taught the Sculptures as children. Hence they do not know the Scriptures. Further, there is not on their own part the study of the Scriptures these might be and which there should be. Timothy was told. “that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures” (2 Tim. 3:1515And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)). The fact is, the character of things in this respect today is immensely and sadly altered. When I was an unconverted lad, I remember my dear mother somehow instilled, into my mind, as a child, that there was something very wonderful in the Bible, and, although I did not know Christ―for I, was not converted as a child―they tell me I use to, after breakfast in the morning, to get hold of the big family Bible my, father had been reading ins and I would squat, cress-legged like a Turk, under the, dining-room table, with the old book on my knees, and there I pored over the Old Testament stories. I attribute a good deal of the little I do know to the early training my dear mother, now in glory, gave me. If any of you here tonight are fathers, see that you instruct your young ones in the Scripters. Inculcate the value of them, and beget, if you, eon, in their hearts a desire to learn and know the Scriptures, and possibly your son may turn out a hundredfold better than his father.
When we come to vs. 8, we find Daniel beginning to show what kind of a youth he was. The truth he had learned, as a Jew, greatly influenced him, and we read, “But Daniel PURPOSED in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.” He had a good chance of eating and drinking, and most men are generally governed by their appetites, so there was real temptation in Daniel’s path. Do not pretend to be men that are not influenced by this. We are so constituted that we are so influenced, but here comes in the opportunity for self-denial. That is where purpose shows itself.
Barnabas exhorted the Antiochan converts “that with PURPOSE OF HEART they would cleave unto the Lord” (Acts 11:2323Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. (Acts 11:23)). I exhort you tonight with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord.
Purpose is a grand thing. We are far too much like those jelly-fish that you may see when you go to the seaside in the summer time. You say, “Oh! yes, they are very pretty.” True, but mark, every wave moves them. Young men today―lots of them-are just like jelly-fish. They are moved by whatever comes along.
Now, I ask you honestly, as you weigh up your own history and cast a retrospective look at your life, do you think, my beloved young fellow-Christian, that you have been, like Daniel, a man of purpose? Remember, the man that, when tempted, can say “No” is the man for a day of difficulty.
If you will take the trouble to read what God told His earthly people in Leviticus 7, 11., and 22., you will find the kind of food that God said His people were to eat and what they were not to eat. Then again you will find in Numbers 6, the story of the Nazarite, the man who denied himself wine from the day of his birth.
Now Daniel knew all this, doubtless, and he says, as it were, “I am not going to act on the world’s lines.” In plain language, he was a separate man. He had this conviction that Scripture must be obeyed, and that heathen ways―even as to food―did not suit a man who belonged to God, so he declined therefore to take the king’s meat and drink, or to act exactly like the world about him. A separate man will very soon be an enlightened man, and the enlightened man will be the useful man, and the useful man will be the preserved man.
Time went on, and Daniel fed on pulse and drank water―exceedingly plain fare. Let us apply this simple truth. You will find, as Christians, that what you feed on will form you. I mean what you read. The reading of today immensely forms men’s minds. It forms your feelings too. If you are feeding on the thoughts and writings of men all around you today, do you think you are going to grow spiritually? Certainly not. You will have to be careful what you are feeding your soul on. You will not be the worse, but much the better for carrying with you a small pocket Bible. That is where the spirit of God will turn you to, to enlighten you, to feed you, and refresh you.
Well, David’s curriculum came, to a close. Of all the places in the world, where would you home expected to find a man of God who could unfold the mind of God? Most certainly not in Babylon. Babylon, the world’s then metropolis, was the last place where you would have expected to find a man like Daniel. But there was God’s man and at the end of the three years Daniel and his fellows, come in before the king, Nebuchadnezzar, who evidently examined, his students himself. Among them all was found none like Daniel and his companions, “therefore stood they before the king” (vers. 19). “In all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm” (ver. 20).
I like to see the men that come out at the top. If you are in for some examination, it is no evidence of Christianity for you to be at the bottom of the class. When I was a student, over fifty years ago, at King’s College, London, the Lord helped me to hoist my flag a little for Christ, and it leaked out that I preached the Gospels The godless students, of course, laughed, jeered, and then dubbed me “Spurgeon.” When they had had their little go at me it was my turn, and I turned the Gospel guns on them, till by and by they gave me, a pretty wide berth. They all took for granted that “Spurgeon” was a numskull, and would surely be at the bottom of the classes. Well, they were surprised. They did not get all the prizes, for the Lord greatly helped me, blessed be His name.
It is certain that the Lord helped Daniel, and that explains why he comes out here at the top of the class. I do not know whether you have noticed a striking verse― “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation” (Ps. 119:99). That was the culminating point Daniel and his three companions readied here. Top of all in their class, better than all in his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar felt these four young men could be trusted, “therefore stood they before the king.” They had wisdom from God.
God helps His children if they are set to be here for. His glory and for His service. Daniel, separate and enlightened, is God’s vessel in godless Babylon. He was God’s man. Are you, where you live?
But we pass on. The next chapter is not so much Daniel’s personal history, but you learn how he was used of God. What you have recorded in the second Chapter takes place in the early part of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. This monarch had a dream. He could not remember it, and most unreasonably he demands that his wise men and astrologers shall reveal the dream to him, and likewise interpret it. In despair they admit they cannot deal with this difficulty.
Nebuchadnezzar was evidently a very hat-tempered man. Here in his hot temper he sends forth a decree, that all the wise men should be killed, Daniel included.
Now observe what Daniel does. He desired of the king that he would give him time, and he would show the interpretation. He went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions. He was a great believer in fellowship and prayer. He gets his brethren together.
First he was a separate man, next I find God helped him greatly, and he was an enlightened man. Now we find that he is a prayerful man.
What is the result of this little prayer meeting? It is a very interesting story. He goes to God with his brethren, and “then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven” (ch. 2:19). There is something very lovely about this. When he got an understanding of the vision, he did not bolt off to Arioch, and say, “I have got it.” No, he first blesses God for the revelation. Then observe how he draws his brethren in. “Thou... hast made known unto me what WE desired of thee; for thou hast made known to us the king’s matter” (vs. 23). If you can get another brother to join with you in prayer, do so. Show me three or four hearty young men who love to come together and pray, and I will show you men whom God will use. Again, show me men that are powerless, and I will-show you men who will drift along through life, one day happy and the next day miserable, and really of no practical use.
W. T. P. W.
(To be concluded in our next.)