When my children were growing up they were well acquainted with the story of Daniel and his companions. We would say to them, “Dare to be a Daniel,” and a worthy plea it was and is. That may be the best way to summarize the book of Daniel:
DARE TO BE A DANIEL!
The primary reason we look to Daniel as a role model is that he was truly a “man.” He faced adversity, ridicule, stressful and life-threatening ethical decisions, yet that did not deter him from being a man. When we note how his possible adversaries reacted to his demeanor, we discover why Daniel was successful, though uncompromising, in his faith.
Daniel, was taken to Babylon along with many of the“children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans” Daniel 1:3-4.
They had been taken from their home and their homeland, their tribes and their families, and were now sitting at the king’s table. But there were daunting questions that would be asked, and pressures brought to bear upon Daniel and his brethren that would require a full measure of courage and strength. The four major characters (Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) were worthy representatives of God’s people. While Israel had gone astray, these young men remained true even in the face of death. They did so because of their integrity.
In the “den of lions” section, chapter 6, Darius the ruler finds himself in a dilemma. Daniel is respected because of his skill and integrity, but Darius had signed a decree which could not be reversed, not knowing that Daniel’s life was at risk. Daniel’s life and message were in harmony; he did not cave in to pressure even from a king. That unwavering faith and powerful conviction had an impact upon the king and that entire nation. It was not merely because Daniel was left unharmed by the lions that had threatened death, but that Daniel’s life and Daniel’s convictions were completely harmonious.
Therefore, we perceive that, just as in Daniel’s day, before a Christian’s message will be heard and seriously considered today, his/her life must be unmarred and consistent. This one lesson from the book of Daniel is worth all the effort and time necessary to understand it. Daniel: the man and his message. He was impeccable. He was unscathed. His life and message were intact.
DANIEL THE MAN: Who and what was he?
There are many similarities to Daniel’s circumstances and ours today. Even in the first century Paul made it clear that a person must command respect by the nature of his life, not just his station in life. The Corinthians were in desperate need of this integrity, and Paul’s mandate to them was:
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong,” 1 Cor 16:13. The term “quit you like men” is from a single Greek word, andrizesthe, defined as “to show oneself a man; to conduct oneself in a manly, courageous way.” You could hardly find a term more suited to those Hebrew children who faced the pressures of a Babylonian society, all the while knowing that their every act would be under the most careful scrutiny. Those four qualities are the makeup of Daniel, the man.
WATCH YE:
Daniel showed himself a man by being ever watchful in his everyday behavior. This originated within the heart of Daniel, and is illustrated by the well-known passage in Daniel 1:8:
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” He determined long before the challenges were placed before him that he “would not defile himself.” He did not wait until pressure was applied, but “purposed,” or made up his mind that he would be faithful to God and His law. I cannot but ask: How did Daniel arrive at this point in his life, having courage and bravery while under attack? Did his parents teach him?
It is easy to assume that all Israel had abandoned God in those days in which “every man did that which was right in his own eyes,” Judges 17:6; 21:25. But even during the days in which Ahab ruled Israel, God still had “seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him,” 1 Kings 19:18. He had been taught, he had learned, he had “purposed in his heart” that his life would be true to God. He watched, and he prepared himself for the battles ahead.
When modern man allows himself the luxury of making his decisions on the “spur of the moment,” he gives Satan an advantage over him. Daniel was a “man” because he knew God’s law and the life He demanded of him, and early in life he made up his mind that he would live in harmony with that decision. We would be wise if we did the same in our attempts to face Satan’s temptations today. MAKE UP YOUR MIND to serve God faithfully and you have a head start on anything Satan can bring before you.
STAND FAST IN THE FAITH:
In many ways, the hard part was over once the decision had been made to be faithful to God. What was left was to live out his convictions. But that was still no easy task, for a man who claims to be God’s man will be a target for Satan’s darts all his life. It is so easy to waver, to compromise one’s faith. Satan makes it appear easy to gloss over our weakness, giving us excuses and ways by which we may pass the blame on others. Daniel was having none of that, and his influence must have weighed heavily on the lives of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Even in the midst of an overwhelming enemy majority, they refused to cave in to the temptation to back away from their determination to serve God faithfully and fully.
How would we fare if we faced a fiery furnace? Could you maintain your faith in the light of life-threatening possibilities? That’s what is meant by standing fast in the faith. That is what it takes to be a “man” of God. Daniel was such a man.
The apostles in Acts 5 faced similar challenges to themself and to the very work for which they were commissioned. Their mandate was to “preach the gospel to every creature,” Mark 16:15, but the powers ruling Jerusalem stated: “Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us,” Acts 5:28. They too had made up their minds to be faithful and dependable in their work, so they did not hesitate to say to their adversaries, “We must obey God rather than men,” Acts 5:29. That is integral to the meaning of “stand fast in the faith.”
QUIT YOU LIKE MEN:
The New King James Version simply says, “be brave.” Aristotle is said to have described this term as “indicating the display of courage which he describes as the mean between fear and confidence.” It is the quality that makes the common man powerful in any culture. Our political climate today is one in which words are cheap and easily configured. I write these words in the midst of the presidential election contest between Democrat Gore and Republican Bush. The words coming out of both these men and their associates are too many to put in one issue of a newspaper. But the deeds seldom follow the words, their good intention not withstanding. Nothing is so easy as the promises of an election campaign.
But the same is true for Christians. Preachers are often lauded for the words they use in setting forth the life a Christian should live. An “amen” may be heard, a “that’s right” may echo from the back of the auditorium. But the true test of one’s convictions is at the work place, in the school room, with the family. Are we willing to do what is right and righteous when we must practice that to which we have said “amen”? Do we really “conduct our self in a manly or courageous way”? Or do we fade into the background, refusing to declare our self as being God’s man or God’s woman? Had Daniel not been courageous in this instance, he would have had no influence over Nebuchednezzar. He would have had no respect and set no example before Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He would have had his place with Demas, Judas, Balaam and Simon Peter who, at various times in their life gave in to temptation, denying the faith for which they should have been willing to die.
With whom will you stand? With Daniel? or with Balaam and Demas? It’s in your hands.
BE STRONG:
Joseph faced many similar challenges in his life in Egypt after his betrayal by his brothers. Whatever else Jacob and Rachel had done, they must have taught Joseph in the ways of being God’s man. Even when sold into slavery by his own kin, he did not give way to despair and opposition. Evidently, just as Daniel, Joseph gave himself to the task of doing what is right, regardless of the circumstances in which he was found. He was STRONG!
Can you imagine a culture in which weakness and cowardice are considered positive qualities? But over and over in scripture we read this same admonition. Be Strong! This was no temporary need, but one that would be demanded of God’s men and women until we are called to judgment. Just as Daniel was willing to openly, yet not boastfully worship Jehovah in the face of a kingly decree, we must worship Jehovah and preach His Word in the face of Supreme Court decisions and the constitutional interpretations of other men. We must live by God’s decree, not being influenced by the amoral and immoral ethics of modern thinkers. And that will always require that each of us Be Strong. Note the following contexts in which strength is mandated:
“Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong [all emphases mine, CBG], and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;” Deuteronomy 11:8.
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it,” Deuteronomy 31:6-7.
“David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord,” 1 Chronicles 28:20.
“Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:” 2 Chronicles 32:7.
“Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:” Haggai 2:4.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might,” Ephesians 6:10.
“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” 2 Timothy 2:1.
These verses merely re-emphasize the mandated necessity for God’s men and women to BE STRONG! In our consideration of the writings in the book of Daniel, we discover that the same demand is made there as well:
“Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me,” Daniel 10:18-19. And that term strong is descriptive of this man Daniel. In fact, you could hardly tell the story of this great man of God without eventually using that term to depict Daniel’s character.
Daniel; the man is the epitome of these very qualities, and especially that of being strong in the face of opposition, danger, threat of life, and loss of stature. He was a man in every way that term can be used, and his life tells us that we can also have those same qualities, those same traits. We can be strong when man threatens us, whether physically, socially, financially or emotionally. We can be strong!
DANIEL: THE MESSAGE:
It is virtually impossible to separate the man from the message, but there are so many messages and lessons in this up-to-date book and the writings of all of God’s prophets, that they deserve to be explored.
The purpose of these lectures and this book is not merely to view the life of a person, but to learn from that life. That is one reason that Paul could say in Romans 15:4:
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope,” Romans 15:4.
Yes, the story is interesting and engaging. Yes, little children very easily learn this story and those of the others faithful characters in the Bible. Yes, there is suspense and danger. But ultimately these words are written so we may learn about the same God that Daniel served , and that this same God is still unlimited in power and love. Many of the same principles that were true then are true today. God may not intervene in the lives of men and women in the same way today, but the deeds of today are still known to Jehovah, and he is mindful of our struggles. The lessons we learn in this book are brought into greater focus when we connect them to New Testament principles. We realize that, just as with Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, when tough times come, and bad things happen to good people, those things can “work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose,” Romans 8:28.
Please consider the following lessons available to us in the book and the life of Daniel, as well as the message that emanates from the mouth, the pen and the lives of all of God’s spokesmen in the past.
As God’s spokesmen, His prophets had the task of speaking from God to man. They were literally “God’s mouthpiece,” and as such they also had a responsibility to live and behave as one with such magnificent responsibility. Not all the Bible’s “prophets” did so, as is obvious in Hananiah in Jeremiah 28 and Balaam in Numbers 22-31. But those who were faithful to their task were know by Jehovah Himself as “my servants, the prophets,” from 2 Kings to Zechariah. In the Hebrew writer’s terms, “the world was not worthy” of them and their dedication to Jehovah (Heb 11:38). Daniel was great as God’s spokesman, and so were those others who are mentioned by name in the Book, as well as those alluded to in numerous ways indirectly as “God’s prophets.” Consider what it took then to be one of God’s faithful prophets:
1. They held deep convictions.
In Jeremiah 4:19, the agony and the depth of the prophet’s convictions are clear: “My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.” Jeremiah had been given a “tough sermon” to preach, and there were many reasons why he might not want to preach it. But his deep convictions would not allow him to hold back God’s message.
Later, when he was frustrated with those who had little respect for God’s message, he wrote: “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him” (Jer 20:9-10). Those who seek to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ today will need the same deep convictions held by Jeremiah, God’s “weeping prophet.”
2. They were not vacillating because of fear.
Perilous times were the constant companion of these great men of God, but their own fear did not keep them from doing their work with diligence and urgency. Some believe Daniel might have become a king had he not been so unwavering in his faith. Jezebel might have even “liked” Elijah if he had not been so rigid in his message. Amos might have been received kindly by Israel if he had just “lightened up.” But they did not.
Samuel, though only a prophet, was not prevented from speaking plainly to king Saul. Nathan, though only a prophet, risked his life in speaking those blunt and painful words, “Thou art the man” to David. (2 Sam 12:7) God’s preachers today have a mandate to speak the truth, and to speak it “in love” (Eph 4:15), and that will take men who will not vacillate, will not beat around the bush, not hold back the truth from those who need it most.
3. They were not fearful to stand before kings.
In 1 Kings 13, a prophet was commissioned by Jehovah to rebuke Jeroboam for his idolatrous ways. That prophet was later deceived by an older prophet, but that cannot detract from his courage to confront this king, who had the power of life and death in his hands. Preachers and elders have a similar responsibility to speak and act regardless of a possible negative response by those in sin, those who “sow discord among brethren,” or those who are rebellious against God’s authority.
Daniel’s boldness is not an aberration for him, and though he risked death at the hand of the king, he had already made up his mind that he would be faithful to Jehovah. This message is loud and clear in the life of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and it still depends upon our “purpose” as God’s children.
4. They had a tender heart for God’s people.
Parents often make the tough decisions and perform the difficult tasks of parenthood because they love their children and want the best for each of them. God’s prophets of old were not made of stone, for they grieved at the sin of their peers. Isaiah is not especially noted for his loving spirit, but in 63:7-9 he wrote: “I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.”
The highest expression of love that is possible is that of speaking plainly, yet kindly, the words that are needed by that person. It was not “unloving” for the prophet to speak bluntly and straightforwardly to a sinful people. The love of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Hosea is so obvious in their work that it can be ignored only by those whose hearts are hardened to the point of not being touched by the love and affection found in each word and on every page. God’s prophets then and God’s preachers today must have the deepest and richest measure of love for those to whom they speak. Only then can they truly be faithful to their commission.
5. They were not “crowd-followers.”
Micaiah was faced with a daunting responsibility. Ahab had called him to speak favorably to Jehoshaphat concerning military actions in the future. He was told that all four hundred of Ahab’s prophets had said “yea” in regard to the battle. The words of Ahab’s spokesman were, “Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.” Do you see the pressure placed upon Micaiah? He would be outnumbered by 400 to 1 if he spoke negatively. He would displease the king if he spoke negatively. He would be in danger of his life if he spoke negatively. But Micaiah was not going to follow the crowd that day, and his reply is one to which all should take notice:
“And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak”
(1 Kings 22:13-14).
Just as Moses had declared, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment” (Exodus 23:2), Micaiah was not going to follow any crowd. He would speak the word of the Lord. Aaron had followed the wishes of the majority in building the golden calf (Exod 32), but we must not be “children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Eph 4:14-15).
There must have been many in Daniel’s day that were just going with the flow of popular opinion, watching out for their own skin. Many in Babylon were thinking that all of Israel were weak and spineless. But Daniel had made up his mind, and he did not become a crowd-follower just to save his own life.
6. They were willing to die.
When they agreed to be God’s prophet, they no doubt realized there were dangers that might threaten. A Christian makes a similar commitment today, and realizes that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim 3:12). Those prophets of old did not wish to die. They did not possess a “death wish” in which they might be given some special reward if they died for their convictions and their words. They just “made up their mind” they would speak for God, and if death came, so be it.
In that familiar verse in Revelation 2:10, we are not as familiar with the first part as we are the last part. Death was a very real threat in that time, and each person had to acknowledge that they would have to make up their mind to be faithful. “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Any endeavor worth anything has its accompanying costs. Someone has said,
We will never know the extent of our dedication to a cause until we have been called upon to face the price of that dedication.
This being true, we should read the words written to early Christians who were wavering in their faith: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions....Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise....but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Heb 10:31-39). This is not a minor matter, but one with eternal consequences. Daniel knew that it is “a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,” and that was weighed in comparison to the threats of the king’s men. But he had already made up his mind that he was going to be faithful to Jehovah. Daniel’s message to us is, If you are going to be God’s children, you must be willing both to count the cost of that decision, and then be willing to pay that price when threatened by word or deed. Are we willing to pay that price, or not?
7. They spoke out on moral and ethical matters.
In Amos 5:11-15 the prophet spoke of the wicked ways of Israel just prior to their captivity by Assyria. Their immoral, unethical behavior toward the poor and the helpless was not to be tolerated, and he spoke for God to those matters:
“Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.....Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate.”
These were not merely high-sounding words, but came forth from a prior commitment, just as Daniel’s commitment, to be faithful to Jehovah. It will never be popular to speak out against injustice, immorality and wicked behavior by rebellious people. It was not then, and it is not now. But that must not deter those who are seeking to be children of God.
8. They spoke on the judgment that was coming.
Knowing they were not mere lackeys in the hands of a powerful secular ruler, their speaking out on the world’s most unpopular subject does not surprise any of us. If they understood anything, it included the fact that we are merely pilgrims on this earth, sojourners in a place that is not our “long home” (Eccl 12:5). In that same context, Solomon spoke in this fashion: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil”” (Eccl 12:13-14). John the baptist had that very point in mind when he spoke those words that cost him his life: “It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife” (Mark 6:18). Jesus made it clear that there was a time coming when our choices would be put under the scrutiny of Jehovah: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26).
When Paul spoke to the court of the Areopagites, he completed that well known sermon on the unknown God by saying: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).
Those things that appear to be so significant in our modern culture are not merely transitory. They are not worth an eternity with Satan and his ministers. In fact, John had to remind his contemporaries, “For in one hour so great riches is come to nought” (Rev 18:17). Daniel knew that the adulation and popularity of this age is not to be compared to an eternal life with God.
9. They rebuked false prophets.
The words of Jeremiah 28:15-17 are typical of the opposition of false prophets, and a proper response to those false prophets: “Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.” Note the seriousness of this matter; Israel was being given false hopes that, even if captivity did come, it would be only be of brief duration. But this was a “lie,” and their hope in a lie would lead to their destruction.
We are facing an entire culture that says it is inappropriate for anyone to seek to correct or rebuke anyone else for what they say or what they do. Our own brethren have regarded “rebuke” as unloving, mean-spirited and behaving in such a way that is not “Christ-like.” But Jesus did not hesitate to rebuke false teachers, and to warn us that we also must do so (Matt 7:15).
Even tender-hearted Hosea spoke words of rebuke to those who spoke falsely:
“Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away” (Hosea 4:1-3). Was Hosea mean-spirited to speak the words of Jehovah regarding this controversy? Was God unloving in requiring Hosea to do so? Certainly it is possible to speak the right words with the wrong spirit and in the wrong way, but that does not remove from Christians today the necessity to do what Paul told Timothy to do:
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim 4:1-4). This was not just a “good idea,” but a charge given to one who is a disciple of Jesus Christ. Why is this necessary? Because the false teachers are not honest; they come “in sheep’s clothing,” and they feign great spirituality, and “inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt 7:15).
CONCLUSION
God’s preachers today cannot expect to be received positively in every setting. Jeremiah was placed in stocks and in a dungeon. A king took his words and cut them up, then threw them into the fire. Amos was told “Go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel” (Amos 7:12-13). Some “were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (Heb 11:37-38). Daniel was cast into a den of lions. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were cast into a fiery furnace. But they did not waver; they knew “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Dan 3:17-18).
If you and I are going to claim to be a child of God, we must remember that Daniel “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Dan 1:8). In those words and in his subsequent choices, we see Daniel: the man, and the message.
