Daniel

Historical Background

In order to enter fully into this lesson, we must understand the circumstances. The situation is this: Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had besieged Jerusalem, and had taken it. "The Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God." (Daniel 1:2) "Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of His sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood." (2 Kings 24:3-4)

After naming over various nations, including Judah, God said: "Now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given unto him also to serve him." (Jeremiah 27:6)

Nebuchadnezzar therefore had the same right to rule that any of the kings of Judah ever had. Because of their sins, the people of Israel had been given over to the king of Babylon. Their captivity was only the outward manifestation of the bondage of sin, into which they had voluntarily gone. "Moreover, all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which He had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because He had compassion on His people, and on His dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore, He brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: He gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years." (2 Chronicles 36:14-21)

A Royal School

Nebuchadnezzar was a broad-minded man, and one who was zealous for the welfare of his kingdom. He could recognize merit wherever he saw it, and had a disposition to make use of it. Accordingly, he gave orders that the most promising of the captives of Judah should be trained in the royal schools, to be fitted for responsible places in the kingdom. The chosen ones were "of the seed royal, and of the nobles; Youths 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 to stand in the king's palace." (Daniel 1:3-4,RV)

These were to be taught "the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily portion of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at the end thereof they might stand before the king." (Daniel 1:4-5)

Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These four seemed to be special friends and companions, with Daniel as the leader among them.

From the record it is plain that the captives were obliged to pass an examination before they could have the benefit of this training; for otherwise it could not be known whether or not they had an understanding in science. At the time when this lesson begins, they had passed their examination and were ready to enter upon their three years' course of training.

But Daniel was not yet ready to go on with the work. Everything was not as it should be, and although he was a captive in Babylon, he was God's free man. All was not to his liking, and therefore it was wrong, because his liking was God's will. He liked only that which God liked. What was the trouble?

He was not satisfied with the food. That is not so uncommon a thing. There are many young men who find fault with the food that is furnished them both at home and at school. But it is a rare thing to find a student making the complaint that Daniel made. He did not complain that he did not have enough to eat, or that he was used to much better fare at home, and could not live on such a diet; nothing of the kind. His complaint was that the food was, too fine. Verse 8 literally translated is: "But Daniel set (it) upon his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's delicacies." (Daniel 1:8)

He wanted plain food. Surely Daniel was a remarkable character. This incident at the beginning of his career stamps him as such.

There was nothing captious (Captious: marked by an often ill-natured inclination to stress faults and raise objections.) about Daniel. Although he had a fixed purpose in his heart as to what he would do, he did not make a scene. He did not parade his scruples, and protest that he would not violate them even for the king. People who have a fixed purpose, and one that is based upon a good foundation, do not need to bluster. People who do that, do it to make up for their lack of stability, and usually they give way when pressure is brought to bear upon them. Moreover, by their very course they make it sure that severe pressure will be brought to bear upon them.

Christian Courtesy

But Daniel's purpose was too deep for bluster. He did not intend to eat the food that the king had appointed for him, yet he courteously asked the steward who had charge of their food to give them something else. "When a man's way, please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16:7)

Daniel's ways and purposes pleased the Lord, and therefore He had "made Daniel to find favor and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs," (Daniel 1:9,RV) who was disposed to grant any request that Daniel might make, but who feared to do anything contrary to the king's commandment. He could not conceive how anyone could keep in health and strength if deprived of the rich variety provided by the king; and so radical a change as Daniel proposed would, he feared, make the young men so thin and weak that they could not carry out the work assigned them, and so the king's anger would be aroused.

But Daniel combined the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the dove, He did not argue the matter with the officer, but proposed a practical test. He said: "Prove your servants, I beseech you, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before you, and the countenance of the youths that eat of the king's meat: and as you see, deal with your servants." (Daniel 1:12-13)

No objection could be made to so reasonable a request as that. All the king desired was that the youths should have such attention as would keep them in the best condition for study and work. Ten days could not make a great deal of difference, and if at the end of that time the experiment proved a failure, then the young men could soon pick up again under the king's generous provision. Still, the fact that the experiment was made, shows the hold that Daniel had on the king's officers.

God Honors a Simple Diet

What was the result? "At the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat of the king's meat. So the steward took away their meat (delicate food), and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse." (Daniel 1:15-16)

Now the question arises, "Why was this written?"

The answer is that it was "written for our learning." (Romans 15:4)

And what can we learn from it? This, that a very simple diet is the best for man. That this is the chief reason why this incident is recorded, it very evident.

Some may say that the lesson we should learn is that God honors those who are moved by principle. That lesson is very prominent, but it only enforces the other, for the principle for which Daniel was standing was that of plainness in diet. Daniel was not making a sacrifice in abstaining from the king's delicate food; he did not desire it, because he knew that it was not good for him, and he had been trained to prefer that which was best for him. The result showed that the simplest fare is the best for practical purposes.

Some may think that God wrought a miracle in behalf of the four Hebrews who chose the simple food. It may be that He did, but if so that only makes more emphatic the fact that a simple diet, with little variety, is the best for hard work, especially for mental labor. God would not work a miracle to enforce a wrong idea, therefore we have the testimony of the Lord in favor of simple food. The dealing of God with the children of Israel in the wilderness, when He fed them on manna, is a standing testimony. Daniel had read that history to profit.

The test of the value of food is what it will do for man. Food is for the purpose of renewing strength. "Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!" (Ecclesiastes 10:17)

People cannot always determine the goodness of any food by its taste, because almost everybody has a perverted taste. God, however, designs that food shall please the taste, and has given us the sense of taste, so that we may derive pleasure from eating. But the very best food will taste insipid to a perverted palate, and therefore we need to educate our taste.

Whatever will keep the body in the best health, and give muscular strength, and mental vigor, and will also enable one to endure privation, is the best food, and we should accustom ourselves to enjoy it. When the palate has been trained for a while in the right way, rich and fancy dishes and flesh meats will be distasteful, and simple but wholesome food will be eaten with a hearty relish.

The poor man, with simple fare, is not to be pitied. The rich, or any others, for that matter, who are slaves to an appetite that demands rich food, and who do not know the pleasure of perfect health and of abstinence, are the ones to be pitied. But there was a further result of Daniel's choice. "As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. And at the end of the days which the king had appointed for bringing them in, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm." (Daniel 1:17-20,RV)

Surely that was a result worth even making a sacrifice for; but as we have seen, Daniel had not made a sacrifice; he had been eating and enjoying that which was good. It is not a sacrifice to be in a state of constant enjoyment.

Was this a miracle? Most certainly, but only such a miracle as may be wrought at any time and for anybody. The attainment of wisdom is a miracle, "For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6)

Daniel and his companions had given themselves fully into the hands of the Lord, and He in turn gave them himself. God is willing and anxious to give every man wisdom and understanding. God's desire for men is expressed in the inspired words of the Apostle Paul, when he prayed, "that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment." (Philippians 1:9)

And also, "that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:9-10)

The trouble with the most of us is that we throw obstacles in the way of this result. We clog our systems with unwholesome food, and with too great a quantity, thus reversing the proper order of things; for whereas food ought to be only a support to the body, we impose on the body the task of trying to dispose of food that is utterly useless to it. Thus instead of eating to live, we actually live to eat.

It is very evident that while we are in that state, the Holy Spirit of God cannot control us, and enlighten us. How can we expect God to give us clear perception, and strength of intellect, when we deliberately do that which benumbs the sensibilities? It is like putting our hands into the fire, and expecting that God will keep our fingers from being burned.

The Source of Wisdom

Whence did Daniel and his follows get their wisdom? Read the record, and see. God gave it to them. The amount of wisdom that God can give a man of what is called "ordinary ability" is not dreamed of, because He is so seldom given the opportunity to demonstrate it.

Those Hebrew youths were at school in Babylon, with the wisest men of the kingdom for instructors; but they did not derive their knowledge from those wise men. How do we know? From this fact, that at the end of three years they knew ten times more than all the wise men in the king's realm, and that of course included the men who were over the school which Daniel attended. They placed themselves in harmony with God's law, and He filled them. Thus they experienced what the psalmist said: "I have more understanding than all my teachers; for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients; because I keep your precepts." (Psalm 119:99-100)

Here is something that ought to claim the earnest attention of everybody. In these days the idea that men can learn more from God and His Word than from man is almost unheard of. This is no disparagement upon anything that anybody knows. Whatever wisdom any man has, whatever he really knows, is good, because it comes from God, from whom every good and perfect gift comes. And men may help their fellow-men in the way of knowledge.

Nevertheless the fact remains that no one is a teacher like unto God. "Behold, God exalts by His power: who teaches like Him?" (Job 36:22)

In obedience to all the commandments of God, and perfect submission to the perfect life of God, there are unlimited possibilities of wisdom. "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28:28)

And this is not fanciful, visionary, intangible, wisdom. It is such wisdom as can be recognized as wisdom even by those who do not know the secret of it. "Behold I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do so in the land whither you go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and shall say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." (Deuteronomy 4:5-6)

See this verified in the case of Solomon. "In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give you. And Solomon said unto God, You have showed great mercy unto David my father, and have made me to reign in his stead. Now, O Lord God, let your promise unto David my father be established: for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this your people, that is so great? And God said to Solomon, Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of your enemies, neither yet have asked long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto you; and I will give you riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before you, neither shall there any after you have the like." (2 Chronicles 1:7-12) "And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom: Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me: for you exceed the fame that I heard." (2 Chronicles 9:1-6)

But this wisdom does not come from God without any effort on the part of the man. In Proverbs 2:1-9 we may read the experience of Solomon, and find the royal road to learning. "My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you; So that you incline your ear unto wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yea, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures; Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keeps the paths of judgment, and preserves the way of His saints. Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path." (Proverbs 2:1-9)

This chapter [Daniel 1] was not written for no purpose. We have no right to read it as an idle tale, as merely a curious item of history. It stands there to teach us the way of knowledge, yet how few of us think of it! It is a constant witness against our foolishness.

If we do not have knowledge, how can we excuse ourselves with that record before us? The God who is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) will give us understanding, as well as He did to those youths, if we but place ourselves unreservedly in His hands, to do His will. "If any man wills to do His will, he shall know." (John 7:17)

This story ought to be committed to memory, and meditated upon daily. Shall we not give ourselves to the acquirement of true wisdom?

A Witness for God

Two or three other lessons ought to be noted while we have the chapter before us. Daniel was a captive in Babylon, with the rest of the Jews, yet he was a pious youth. The Jews were sent into captivity because of their sins, yet Daniel is one of the few men without a shadow of wrong-doing charged against them in the Bible. Thus we see that good people may be brought into trouble in this life through the evil-doing of others.

But the fact that good men are brought into difficulties through the sins of others is no ground for complaint. A righteous man cannot be made a captive, even though he be bound with chains. Daniel in Babylon was a free man. When God allows His servants to suffer hardships through the evil-doing of others, it is always for a good purpose.

God had work for Daniel in Babylon, as He always has for His servants, wherever they are. Compare the case of Joseph in Egypt. Daniel was free from the Babylonian spirit, which was pride and the exaltation of self above God, and therefore he was free in Babylon. Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ... If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:31-32,36)

There is never any need for one to compromise his principles. Surely Daniel was in as close a place as anyone ever can be. Many think that if they are guests of some great man, courtesy demands that they should drink his wine, and partake of his dainty meats. So they will lay aside their principles for fear of giving offense. Perhaps they will go so far as to state that they do not believe in eating and drinking such things, but that they will do so "just on this occasion," thereby making the case worse than if they said nothing.

But Daniel was not merely a guest, free to go away if he chose; he was a captive, subject to the orders of an absolute monarch, whose word was law, and who could with an inclination of the head send one who displeased him to execution. If ever a youth had cause for compromising his principles, Daniel had; but he did not. He knew what was right, and what would please God: and that was what he purposed to do, no matter what the consequences might be.

Because of this loyalty to truth and right, God made the way clear for him. When God sends or allows one of His servants to get into a difficult place, where the truth is not regarded, it is in order that He may have a witness for the truth in that place.

Firmness of character, and loyalty to principle are esteemed even by the world. Daniel's course was such that he could not fail to be noted, and his prominence was only the advancement of truth. The fact that he made the request that he did, would call attention to him, and when it was seen that there was sound wisdom in his choice, the truth was exalted.

The man who is recreant to the trust that God has placed in him in a critical time, is of no use. He is passed by as one of the common herd. And the man who feebly makes known what he calls his principles, but puts them aside "on this occasion," brings contempt on himself, and causes his associates to think that there is no power in truth.

May the God of Daniel make us all as faithful as he was! This He will do if we are willing that He should, and have enough confidence in Him.--Present Truth, June 29, 1899--Notes on the International Sunday-School Lessons--Subtitle: Faithfulness to God, and Its Results--Daniel 1:8-21

E.J. Waggoner