As the Lord’s coming nears, we find the world marked by ever-increasing changes that affect us all as believers. The question is, How shall we face them? The Lord uses such occasions to teach us lessons, and we will carry the results for all eternity. We see this illustrated particularly in the life of Daniel.
He began his life in a privileged position. He was “of the king’s seed, and of the princes . . . in whom was no blemish, but well favored and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them” (Dan. 1:34). We see that he was not only of royal blood but possessed the physical and mental capacities necessary to carry out his duties.
A Captive
But this was all about to change. Zedekiah, Judah’s last king, was dethroned by the invasion of the Chaldeans, and Daniel, although spared from an untimely death, found himself a captive in Babylon. How did Daniel react to these circumstances? Did he give up and enjoy life as best he could? No — the Bible tells us he “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” (Dan. 1:8). He determined to remain separate from the idolatry which surrounded him. As a result, he made moral and spiritual progress which gave him outstanding power in prayer that was soon to be proved.
Exalted
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and insisted the wise men of Babylon not only interpret it but also recall the dream to his memory. Daniel and his three friends earnestly prayed about the matter. They obtained a remarkable answer which not only satisfied the infuriated king but caused him to pay Daniel homage, confessing the supreme glory of Daniel’s God and making him “ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon” (Dan. 2:48).
Daniel was once again in an exalted position but this turn of events did not spoil him, as we see in the fourth chapter. With great courage, obtained by a close walk with God, he rebukes Nebuchadnezzar and tells him what would befall him, regardless of the fact that “whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down” (Dan. 5:19). Daniel did not fear the possibility of being removed by the king but counseled him to break off his sins by “righteousness . . . and showing mercy to the poor” (Dan. 4:27). Only a man who practiced these virtues himself could give such advice to the king.
In Obscurity
After Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration to his throne, it seems that Daniel dropped into obscurity for several years. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar had died and Daniel was forgotten, but for whatever reason, we do not hear of him again until chapter 5. Belshazzar with a thousand of his lords are feasting and mocking the God of heaven when they see the handwriting on the wall. The queen mother remembers Daniel and speaks of him in much the same language as he is described in chapter 1, saying that “light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him” (Dan. 5:11). How wonderful was his godly testimony to the world! Daniel played no part in Belshazzar’s riotous living and remained completely separate from the royal court’s evil behavior. Also, it was in these latter years that Daniel received those amazing visions recorded in the seventh and eighth chapters of his book which show that during this time of relative obscurity, Daniel continued to enjoy close communion with God. In spite of Daniel’s solemn pronouncement to Belshazzar concerning the doom of his kingdom and his refusal to accept the king’s rewards, Daniel found himself promoted to third ruler in the kingdom. Once again he was in a position of prominence, although he knew well that it would be for a moment at best! That very night Belshazzar was slain, Darius the Mede took the city, and Daniel lapsed once more into obscurity.
Identified With His People
This was the third time Daniel had been brought low in his career, but it was a period of great profit. He had an intense love for Jerusalem, where God’s honor dwelt, and he also had a deep affection for God’s people. This led him to study the prophecies of Jeremiah and to discover that the desolations of Jerusalem would be limited to seventy years. The effect of this discovery brought him to his knees, identifying himself with the state of his people, confessing their sins and interceding for their forgiveness and restoration. His prayer is full of hope and repentance and anyone who reads these words cannot help but be touched by Daniel’s spirit. Like Elijah, another righteous man in a former day, his effectual fervent prayer was quickly answered. God’s ear is always open to the prayers of His people and He delighted in His servant’s supplication. As a result, Daniel received the prophecy of the “seventy weeks” which clearly foretold the exact time of the death of Israel’s Messiah and our Lord and Saviour.
Courage and Strength in Old Age
We do not know the circumstances, but Darius, the new ruler of Babylon, heard of Daniel’s excellent qualities and promoted him to become the chief of the three presidents over the princes and next to the king in authority. At this time Daniel must have been a very old man, well over eighty years of age. In this new position, Daniel continued to walk by faith and in obedience to the Word of God with grace and meekness. He showed his courage and spiritual strength in a time of great crisis by continuing in exactly the same path “as he did aforetime” (Dan. 6:10). There was no attempt to compromise or alter his course. We all know where this purpose of heart led him; he was thrown down into the den of lions. How quickly he was flung from his exalted position to a place of degradation and danger! But God was with him and by the next morning Darius once again raised him to even greater heights than before, to the great glory of his God! He was to continue in this exalted place into the reign of Cyrus and probably to the end of his life.
During this last period of life, God permitted Daniel to see the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy and the decree issued that allowed the rebuilding of God’s house in Jerusalem. In chapter 10, he was also given a final vision by the great river Hiddekel (probably the Tigris) where he was twice proclaimed to be “a man greatly beloved.”
His Death and Final Prophecies
In Daniel 12 the vision comes to an end and Daniel is informed of one more low point in his life that was greater than any other he had to face. He was told that death would overtake him before the fulfillment of future glory. But even the solemn announcement of his death had a bright prospect. After a long period of rest in the grave, he would not be missing when the dawn of glory burst forth, for it was stated that he should “stand in [his] lot at the end of the days” (Dan. 12:13). Here Daniel saw the sure hope of resurrection before his eyes closed on earth. In that coming day, Daniel will look back over his life and realize that all its vicissitudes were for eternal blessing since he came to know God in a far richer and fuller way than if he had never had those experiences.
As we face further change until the Lord calls us home, may we display more of Daniel’s spirit. It is possible, with the Lord’s help, to have true purpose of heart today, even in our rapidly changing world.
E. S. Allan