No sooner had those of Israel who returned to Jerusalem under the decree of Cyrus, reached that place, and begun to build the house of the Lord, than the mixed people of Samaria came up, and said: "Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as you do; and we do sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither." (Ezra 4:2)
But those of Israel said: "You have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us. Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia." (Ezra 4:3-5)
At the court of Cyrus, Daniel was prime minister. In the first year of Darius the Mede, he had "understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." (Daniel 9:2)
Then in the first year of Cyrus, in fulfillment of the word of the Lord at the end of the seventy years, King Cyrus had called all the people of Israel in all the realm, to leave their captivity, and return to Jerusalem, and build the temple of God. And now for Daniel to find this purpose and work frustrated in his very presence, in the councils of state, and being obliged to meet it in some way at every turn, at the very court of Cyrus itself, caused him great concern.
However, prime minister though he was, holding the highest position in the empire next to the king, he did not undertake any counter-intrigue, nor employ any political means, to frustrate the purpose of those who were hired to frustrate in council, and by political tricks, the purpose of the Lord with Israel to restore the temple and worship of God.
Daniel knew that the time had certainly come for the word of the Lord to be fulfilled, and for the work of God to be re-established in the earth. He knew that the cause and the work were the Lord's. He therefore appealed directly to the Lord, for an understanding of the matter, and for the defeat of the hired counselors at the court. Therefore he says: "In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia. ... I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled." (Daniel 10:1-3)
Then an angel came to him, and said: "Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand, and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I am come for your words." (Daniel 10:12)
Daniel had been praying and chastening himself for three full weeks; and from the first day of this, his words were heard, and the angel was sent; yet the angel did not reach Daniel until three whole weeks were fulfilled. Why was this? The angel tells: "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." (Daniel 10:13)
At the court of Cyrus the opposition to the work of God was so strong that only an angel of God could withstand it, and to be fully successful, even he must be helped by "Michael, the first of the princes." And when this was so, what could a man, even such a man as Daniel, have done? Yea, when two such mighty ones were required, what could have been done, even by such a man as Daniel, even in the position which Daniel occupied as prime minister of the empire?
One great beauty of the whole story is that Daniel understood this great truth,--that only the Most High rules, or can rule, in the kingdom of men; and he would entrust that great task to the Most High. Though holding the highest earthly position next to the king of the world, and being possessed of vast influence, Daniel would not trust to any of this, he would not attempt to employ any of it, in any endeavor of himself to beat down the opposition to the cause and work of God, with which he was even so vitally concerned. Even if he had attempted such a thing, how utterly impotent and vain would have been all that he could have possibly done, when that which was needed could be accomplished only by two of the mightiest of heaven's host.
No; there was yet a higher position than that of prime minister, or even king; that position was to be on his knees, in fasting and supplication before God. There was a mightier influence that could be wielded than any that could attach to the office of prime minister of the world's empire; that was influence with God, through faith, consecration, and supplication. This position Daniel took, this influence he employed, and won.
What, then, is position,--what is influence, even the greatest in the world, in itself? In itself, it is all simply nothing. The only position that is worth anything whatever is position with God. The only influence that is of any value is influence with God. He who holds a position only with God, who has influence with God, and who aims to exert an influence only through God, rules the world. For, "The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will." (Daniel 4:17 also vs. 25,32)--Advent Review, May 24, 1898.