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Thoughts on Daniel
Thoughts on Daniel
Daniel and his three friends were exiled to Babylon in the first group of captives (605 B.C., the third year of Jehoiakim). Jeremiah had said they would be there for 70 years. As a young person there went all hope of return before you turn 80+. Family, country, dreams are all gone. How do you respond to God? Particularly when God had said that HE had brought this about.
Daniel and his friends remained faithful to God by being faithful to His word. They didn't try to make cultural allowances (When in Babylon, eat like Babylonians). We see later that he prayed continually even when forbidden by Babylonian law. We watch as his three friends refuse to worship the King's idol. Faithfulness to God is not based upon circumstances or location but upon mindset. One chooses to be faithful to God by making the small, everyday choices of faithful obedience.
One can be faithful to God in an ungodly country. One can be faithful to God when he is surrounded by ungodly associates. One can be faithful to God even when it is politically incorrect and sociably unacceptable. One can be faithful to God in the face of the threat of death. One can be faithful if he chooses to be. Daniel chose to be faithful.
As for the 70 years, 1:21says that Daniel 'remained at the king's court' until the first year of Cyrus. That corresponds to 539 B.C. Doing the math shows he had lived in this foreign land for 66 years at that point. However as we turn to chapter 10 we see that he was still there 3 years later and in 6:28 it says that he 'prospered in the reign of Darius' (522-486 B.C.). That adds up to 83+ years in Babylon. Throughout that time He remained devoted unto God. I always enjoy seeing the enthusiasm of young believers, but I stand in awe of those who are still serving God with joy in their old age. Such doesn't happen by accident. Many circumstances will come and go but these people have retained their faith, joy, hope, and love. You have to constantly feed your faith throughout your years if you want to accomplish this. As the outer man is perishing you need to renew the inner self day by day (2Cor. 4:16-18).
