The Faith of Daniel

What do you do when the bottom falls out of your career, your family's security, your health? What do you do when things just go horribly wrong? Though we don't like to think about it, we all know the unthinkable can happen. Believers are not insulated from life crises. We live in a fallen world and, like everyone else, may face crippling disappointment and disaster.

Daniel 1:8–20 NKJV

But 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. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.” So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.

It is in times like this that we see how critical it is that we put faith into work, and we see how important a practical exercising of faith is.

The prophet Daniel knew what it was like to exercise faith when it seemed as is the bottom was falling out of life. Daniel was born into a wealthy and infuencial family in Israel but was taken away captive by the Babylonians when he was still just a boy. Throughout his life he faced repeated threats to his life from the people around him.

2: Daniel’s confidence in the Lord

One such threat came while he was still just a young man and this is record in , but Daniel models for us a perfect response to crisis.

Daniel 2:1–19 NKJV

Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.” Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.” The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.” They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.” The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.” The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel. So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

Daniel

Expectation in praying - Daniel and his three friends were not merely praying because it was the done thing. Their lives depended on praying, however, they were calm in the crisis because they had an expectation that God would answer.

Question: When we compare Daniel and his friends with the ungodly advisors

Question: Looking at this chapter, what was the first thing that Daniel did when he recieved answer to his praying? And what does this teach us about how we should respond when God answers our prayers?

Answer: Before doing anthing else, Daniel takes time out to thank God and praise Him for having answered his prayers. In Daniel’s situation most of us would understandably be in a hurry to get our name cleared and remove the impending threat of execution. But to Daniel it was critical that he first glorify God.

Question: How is this expression of thanksgiving to God in itself an act of faith?

Answer: Notice that at this point Daniel has not even approached Nebuchadnezzar. For all he knows he could have completely misunderstood and got the dream wrong, or even that the king will remain angry despite receiving an answer. But Daniel gives thanks to God in advance, before he knows the full outcome. In this way he exhibits faith, by taking God at His word not needing to see the situation fully resolved.

3: Daniel’s faith in the face of fear

Daniel 6:

Daniel 6:16–23 NKJV

So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.

Notice how Daniel’s faith has inspired the faith of even a pagan king.

Charles Spurgeon preached: “Courage in one man breeds courage in another, ...if a man stands like a rock, unmoved, he will soon have a body of others behind him who will have borrowed courage from his example.”

As we exhibit faith, so others around us will borrow from our faith.

“Courage in one man breeds courage in another, ...if a man stands like a rock, unmoved, he will soon have a body of others behind him who will have borrowed courage from his example.”