2024_01_31 Insight Post- Rusty Coram
This week’s reading- Ezekiel 14:14, Ezekiel 14:20, Ezekiel 28:3, Daniel 1-6
Daniel is one of my heroes. As a teenager, he was forcibly taken from his home by Babylonian invaders to become indoctrinated into their culture. By doing this, King Nebuchadnezzar could cherry-pick the best and brightest young Jews and train them for his administration.
Daniel and his friends (we will study them in a couple of weeks) were sharp, quick learners and had a strong faith in God, however, it is their character that stands out the most.
In the first two chapters of Daniel, we see some conflicts arise that could have ended very badly. The first was when the “kidnapped” teens were in training and given food that didn’t fit their religious dietary guidelines. Instead of just eating the food (I’m sure it was good since it was from the royal kitchen), or protesting, Daniel approached the chief official and asked permission to limit the type of food they ate to stay faithful. Asking rather than arguing was the key.
The second time the stakes were higher. The king, in a fit of rage, called for all his advisors (of which Daniel was one now) to be executed. The king was furious because he had a terrifying dream and none of the advisors he had asked could tell him what it meant. In fact, the king demanded that his advisors tell him what he dreamed, and then what it meant, and none of them were able to. Daniel and his friends found out what was going on as they were being rounded up to be killed. In the midst of a life-and-death moment, we read this about Daniel, “When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. 15 He asked Arioch, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” So, Arioch told him all that had happened. 16 Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant.” (Daniel 2:14-16 NLT)
Instead of giving into fear or anger Daniel “handled the situation with wisdom and discretion”. He kept control of his emotions and words and carefully dealt with the situation trusting God every step of the way. The king was out of control, but Daniel didn’t use that as an excuse to do the same thing. Instead, he chose to respond knowing that God was fully aware of the danger, and as long as Daniel honored Him, God would take care of him, either by changing the circumstances or empowering Daniel to walk through them. In Daniel, we see an inspiring example of not playing the victim or rebel but humbly facing whatever comes with faith, hope, truth, and trust.
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor