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Daniel - Commitment and Dedication
 

Pastor Bill Farrow
 

Daniel 1:8

8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

(Verse 8) – Daniel’s name is synonymous in the Bible with commitment and dedication.  There is no better example in all of the Word of God than Daniel of a man given to the pursuit of God and the service of His purposes than Daniel (with the obvious example of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!).  This would be an appropriate time in our study to do a basic character study of Daniel the man and see what made him tick:

Daniel was born to what was likely Judean nobility (Daniel 1:3-6). He was taken as a hostage by Nebuchadnezzar into Babylon in 605 BC after the shattering defeat of the Egyptians at the battle of Carchemish. There were to be two further groups to go into exile; the final one being in 586 BC, the ultimate starting point of the Babylonian captivity.

In Babylon Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, effectively changing his name from "God's judge" to "Bel’s Prince". For three years Daniel and his fellow hostages were taught the Chaldean language, the science and the wisdom of the Babylonian civilization (Daniel 1:4) and outshone all others as students (Daniel 1:20). He developed a reputation first as an interpreter of other men's visions (Daniel chapters 2 - 5) and then of his own when he predicted the future of empires (Daniel chapters 7 - 12). Renowned for his wisdom, he occupied leading governmental posts under Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar and Darius the Mede.

Daniel is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 in regard to the future erection of the "abomination of desolation", the statue of the world leader in the Temple (Daniel 12:11). Tradition has it that Daniel died at Susa, but there is no clear evidence of this. He did, however, live for at least 73 years in exile, thus he died at a full age.

Daniel's dedication is seen in many ways in the book of Daniel.

  1. He would not eat meat from the king's table as it had been offered to idols; nor would he drink wine (Daniel 1:8).
  2. He worked hard at his studies, being assisted by God (Daniel 1:20).
  3. He prayed for wisdom (Daniel 2:14-18).
  4. He gives God the credit for interpretation (Daniel 2:28-30).
  5. He is fearless in his interpretation (Daniel 2:37-45; 4:18-27; 5:17-28).
  6. When promoted he remembered his friends (Daniel 2:49).
  7. His friends were also consistent under pressure (Daniel 3).
  8. He obtained an excellent reputation in Babylon (Daniel 5:12).
  9. Daniel puts God before the laws of man (Daniel 6:10-15).
  10. Daniel receives protection (Daniel 6:22).
  11. Daniel receives an outline of human history culminating in the return of Jesus Christ to reign (Daniel chapter 7 - 12), including a detailed vision on the Greek kingdoms (Daniel chapter 11). These visions troubled him (Daniel 7:28; 8:27).
  12. Daniel studied the Scriptures (Daniel 9:2) and knew that the Jews would return.
  13. As an old man Daniel is still interceding for his country (Daniel 9:3-19).
  14. He is taught by an angel (Daniel 10:12,13), who had been delayed by demons in the country of Persia.

What Difference Does This Make To  Me?

There are a number of principles we can garner from Daniel’s life that are very valuable to us as believers today.  We will not develop them, but suggest them here for further thought on your part:

  1. God must be honored in our successes (1 Chronicles 29:12; Acts 12:23).
  2. Without God there is no promotion (Psalm 127:1; Psalm 113:7,8).
  3. The principles set down in the scripture are not only a guide but a source of hope in a hopeless situation (Psalm 119:105).
  4. In times of oppression God is still with you and able to keep (Psalm 42:11).
  5. Moral courage comes from Bible principles (Psalm 23:4).
  6. God's way has predominance over the laws of a state if those laws are antagonistic to God's Word (Acts 4:19-20).
  7. God knows our individual needs (Matthew 6:32).
  8. God controls history (Proverbs 8:15,16).
  9. Friends and colleagues benefit by association with believers (Genesis 39:3).
  10. God will give wisdom when requested (James 1:5).

I need to consider my own dedication and commitment to God and see what things I need to be doing to be the consecrated man of God He desires me to be.