Daniel, A Life of Faithfulness Centered Around God

Daniel was a youth when he was deported to Babylon in 606 B.C. He was given a new name, Belteshazzar, and was taught the literature and the language of the Chaldeans.

Given Daniel’s circumstances and impressionable age, one would expect Daniel to easily conform to his new life in Babylon. However, Daniel remained uncompromising in his beliefs. As my instructor, Charles Yue, mentioned in class last week, a unique characteristic of the Jews is that they were never assimilated by the cultures around them but were unyielding in their beliefs.

This was Daniel – unyielding in his beliefs, he refused to compromise and be assimilated by the culture despite the pressure to conform.

Daniel 1:8 (NASB)
“But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.”

Daniel could have chose to compromise and just go along with what he was being told. After all, he was young, impressionable, and held captive in a foreign country. He has every excuse to not make any waves. However, Daniel chose above all to be faithful to God. It was more important to him to honor God than it was for him to please the Chaldeans by following their ways.

Romans 12:2 says, (NAB)
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

And 1 Peter 1:14-16 says, (NAB)
“Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,  for it is written, “Be holy because I (am) holy.”

As the Hayford Bible handbook notes, “Even apparent or superficial conformity to the present world system or any accommodation to its ways would be fatal to the Christian life.”

So what does it mean to be conformed? The Hebrew word is suschematizo; Strong’s #4964: According to the Hayford Bible handbook, it refers to “conforming oneself to the outer fashion or outward appearance, accommodating oneself to a model or pattern.”

The Nelson’s New Bible Commentary on Romans 12:2 says, “Conformed means “to form” or “mold.” World is the normal word for “age” or “era.” Instead of being molded by the values of this world, the believer should be transformed, that is, changed by the renewing of the mind. Spiritual transformation starts in the mind and heart. A mind dedicated to the world and its concerns will produce a life tossed back and forth by the currents of culture. But a mind dedicated to God’s truth will produce a life that can stand the test of time. We can resist the temptations of our culture by meditating on God’s truth and letting the Holy Spirit guide and shape our thoughts and behaviors.”1

Because Daniel chose faithfulness to God over pleasing his captors, God honored Daniel. Rather than being conformed to his environment, Daniel stood out as a witness to God. He became an agent of change and influenced the environment around him for the glory of God.

Daniel 2:46-48
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. The king answered Daniel and said, ‘Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.’ Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.”

1 Samuel 2:30b (KJV)
“For them that honour me I will honour…”

As Daniel matured and grew in his faith, he remained faithful to God in all circumstances, refusing to go along with the way of the world when it compromised his faith. As a result, he was a strong witness to God. In Daniel 6, Daniel refused to follow an injunction issued by the king that said that people could worship no gods besides the king or they would be thrown in the loins den. He was boldly uncompromising in his beliefs and practice of his faithfulness to God.

Daniel 6:10 (NASB)
“Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God as he had been doing previously.”

As a result of Daniel’s uncompromising faith, God could use Daniel’s faithfulness to demonstrate His glory. In Daniel 6:16, Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den for his refusal to stop praying to God. The king told Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” When the king came back the next morning, God had shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel was unharmed.

As a result, the king came to fear God and announced that everyone else should as well.

Daniel 6:26 (NASB)
“I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel:
For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Daniel's faithfulness and uncomprimising belief made him a witness throughout the kingdom to the king and all the subjects.

So what can I learn from Daniel?

• No matter how intimidating circumstances appear, God always makes room for us to choose to honor and be faithful to Him over choosing to not create waves and follow along with the crowd.

• If we chose to follow along with the way of the world rather than honoring God and standing out, we will not be an effective witness. We will be just like everyone else. Running around and telling people about Christ while living the way of the world appears hypocritical to people and is more of an annoyance than an effective witness.

• True faithfulness, as my pastor David Johnson mentioned in one of his sermons, is not just showing up and being on time – that is reliability. Faithfulness stems from faith in God. He defined faithfulness in his sermon as “an eternal perspective that produces a freedom and fearlessness to live, love, and attempt things we otherwise wouldn’t – because even if we lose, we win.”
  
  True faithfulness is demonstrated in trials where one is willing to stand up for what they believe, uncompromising and unwavering even in the midst of strong opposition.
  
  In choosing to be faithful and allowing yourself to stand out, you are making a statement about what you believe and how deeply you believe it. God uses this to be a witness to others.

• We cannot serve both God and the world effectively. We need to choose who we serve and put our whole heart in it. God calls us to have an undivided heart which is not a casual undertaking.
  
  James 1:6 (KJV)
  “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
  
  We need to decide who we serve and follow wholeheartedly. John Ortberg mentions in his book The Life You’ve Always Wanted, the secret to life is having a well-ordered heart that focuses your life around one thing – God.
  
  Kings 18:21 (NASB)
  “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”
  
  When our lives are truly organized and centered around God, it will be reflected in our actions and make us an effective witness for God. This is what true witnessing looks like – God using us to stand out for His glory.

• All difficult trials that we face are not an attack from Satan. God places them in our life to test our faith, produce endurance and demonstrate His glory. John Ortberg mentions in his book, “A test is a difficult experience through which a person’s true values, commitments, and beliefs are revealed.”
  
  It was the trials in Daniel’s life that made Him an effective witness for God. If he never had the experience of the lion’s den, he would have a.) never had the opportunity to see God come through and be faithful to him, b.) not had the opportunity to stretch his faith by putting it in action where it counts, and c.) not been as effective of a witness for God.
  
  The trial exposed his true values, beliefs and commitments to the world. When trials come, it is important to pray and seek God. We should not seek to avoid the difficulty. If God is calling us to stand firm in our faith and walk through a trial, we need to trust Him that He knows what is best.
  
  Also, we need to not only endure the trial, but use it as an opportunity to exercise our faith. As John Ortberg mentions, “Suffering alone does not produce perseverance, only suffering that is endured somehow in faith.”
  
  Romans 5:3 (NLT)
  “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure.”
  
  Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)
  “So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
  
  1 Peter 4:12-13 (NLT)
  “Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.”

• Daniel lived a disciplined life of prayer and fasting. However, these disciplines did not evolve from a self-righteous decision to live a disciplined life of prayer and fasting. The disciplines evolved out of his desire to honor, obey, and serve God.
  
  Daniel’s fast was not that he ate vegetables for every meal, even though he did. His fast came from his heart’s desire to live a life that was obedient and honored God, including not defiling himself with what he ate.
  
  Psalm 51:16-17 (MSG)
  “Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.”
  
  Romans 14:17 (NLT)
  “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
  
  Years ago, I believed that when circumstances are difficult, one should pray and fast from food (or eat only vegetables) for a period of time in order to change the situation. The irony is that Daniel’s fasting and prayer did not get him out of difficult circumstances – God gave him some of the most difficult circumstances one could face in the midst of his prayer and fasting.
  
  Daniel did not fast by eating vegetables as a means to get out of his difficult situations. Daniel ate vegetables out of his desire not to defile himself and to be faithful to God -irregardless of his circumstances. Daniel did not try to manipulate God with his prayers and fasting as a means to obtain a more easy life, escaping trials. Daniel faced and went through his trials with faith and obedience, desiring only to honor God.
  
  Psalm 65:1-2 (MSG)
  “Silence is praise to you, Zion-dwelling God, and also obedience. You hear the prayer in it all.”
  
  Isaiah 66:2b (MSG)
  “But there is something I’m looking for: a person simple and plain, reverently responsive to what I say.”