Daniel 1:8-21; 6:1-10
Having laid out the character and principles of Daniel from our text we will continue this lesson in a second part noting some lessons we can learn and apply to our Christian walk.
People admire persons of principle. Outwardly they may ridicule them, but inwardly they wish they had the same intestinal fortitude. And when they need someone that can be trusted, and depended upon to carry through with an assigned task, who do you think they will turn to? God also admires individuals who will stand by their principles, and by their words – Psa 15:1-5 “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”
Our society is in great need of people with principle. Those who “Dare To Be A Daniel”, and demonstrate by example the value of being led by “principle” rather than by “price”, are not only highly valued by God but also by their fellow man.
But having purpose and principle is not all...another element for true success is needed. What that element is can be seen when we observe that Daniel was a man of purity. His opponents could not find any fault. He was faultless when it came to management of his business affairs - Dan 6:1-4 “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.” This would help to explain his rise to positions of great responsibility and power. Of course, his purity in business affairs was related to his overall purpose to please God first and the fact that as a man of principle he could be trusted.
The Christian is also to maintain purity of conduct. Whether young or old - 1 Ti 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”; Ti 2:6-8 “Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” Whether slave or free - Ti 2:9-10 “Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” People who maintain purity in their dealings with others are often given positions of great responsibility and privilege, because they can be trusted to use them wisely.
Yes, Daniel was a man of purpose, principle, and purity (and how the world needs more like him!). But the element that likely tied all these together in such a way to receive blessings from God and favor from man is the fact that Daniel was a man of prayer. What follows is just a glimpse of his “prayer life”. - Dan 6:10 “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” He knelt in prayer, a demonstration of his humility. He prayed three times daily, a demonstration of his continual dependence upon God. He gave thanks in the midst of persecution, a demonstration of his gratitude and the fact that he had not lost sight of God’s blessings. His prayers were a “custom since early days”, demonstrating his persistence and faithfulness in his service to God -- Is it not likely that his “custom” to pray so diligently helped him to remain a man of purpose, principle and purity, despite his rise to power and preeminence over the empire?
Christians would do well to follow Daniel’s example. “Let us learn the lesson that the finest of God’s servants must maintain regular and fixed prayer habits in order to continue steadfast in devotion to the Lord.” (Strauss). As Christians, we too are to pray often - 1 Th 5:17-18 “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”; Co 4:2 “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” If our efforts to live purposeful, principled, and pure lives are not what they should be, could an undisciplined “prayer life” be the reason? Are we willing to “Dare To Be A Daniel” in regards to prayer?
There is a false assumption that to “get ahead” in this world one must conform to the sinful practices of the world. But even today there are many Christians who demonstrate that when one “dares to be a Daniel” they can succeed in the affairs of men without selling their souls to the world. How about you? Will you “Dare To Be A Daniel” by becoming a person of Purpose, Principle, Purity, and Prayer?
