An Excellent Spirit
Today our world
is crying out for excellence! Too many people are caught in the
maddening crowds of mediocrity – trying to squirm through work and
life by doing the barest minimum, and if possible, having no
commitment, responsibility and accountability. This slothful
attitude is also very widespread inside the church – in both the
ministers and the Christians.
Our God does all
things well. Everything He created was good and perfect. Every
detail from the greatest to the least, from the biggest to the
smallest, is taken into consideration and completed in excellence.
In Psalm 8:1, the psalmist David declared, "O LORD, our Lord, how
excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory
above the heavens!"
In the Old
Testament, the greatest example of a man having an excellent spirit
is none other than the prophet Daniel. The Book of Daniel is more
than a treasure of prophetic literature. It also paints a beautiful
picture of a man of God who lived out his commitment in very
troubled times. In three separate verses, the word "excellent" was
attributed to him:
Inasmuch as
an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding,
interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas
were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now
let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.
(Daniel 5:12)
I have heard
of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and
understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
(Daniel 5:14)
Then this
Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps,
because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave
thought to setting him over the whole realm. (Daniel
6:3)
Though Daniel
lived in the ancient times, his world was very pagan and hostile
towards him and his faith in God. He was taken in captivity to
Babylon while he was still a youth. But in the midst of exile and
foreign control, he shone brightly in the darkness.
How was Daniel
able to excel in the midst of adverse circumstances and hostilities?
Beyond all the
wonderful prophecies and insights, he was essentially:
- A man
greatly beloved by God
- A man who
didn’t defile himself
- A man who
had godly friends
- A man who
didn’t compromise
- A man who
allowed God to work through him
- A man who
knew the Word of God
- A man who
prayed
- A man who
lived up to his name
- A man of
integrity
- A man full
of gratitude
- A man of
great patience
- A man of
lasting quality
A Man Greatly Beloved By God
Nebuchadnezzar,
the king of Babylon, had besieged Jerusalem, and captured the Jews.
He ordered Ashpenaz, his highest palace official, to choose some
young men from the royal family of Judah and from other leading
Jewish families. The king said, "They must be healthy, handsome,
smart, wise, educated, and fit to serve in the royal palace. Teach
them how to speak and write our language. Give them the same food
and wine that I am served. Train them for three years, and then they
can become court officials." Amongst those selected was Daniel, the
son of an Israelite nobleman (Daniel 1:1-6).
Daniel was a
teenager, about 15 to 17 years old, when he was taken into captivity
by the Babylonians in 605 BC. He was in his 80s when he received the
vision of the prophecy of the 70 weeks (Daniel 9). In more than 60
years of his life in Babylon, Daniel faced many challenges and
crises. But throughout all those years in the pagan world of
Babylon, he grew stronger in his devotion and commitment to God.
Daniel was
probably from an upper-class family in Jerusalem. It was unlikely
that Nebuchadnezzar would select a trainee for his court from the
lower classes. It was not known whether Daniel married or had a
family. But as a servant in the king’s court, he might be castrated
and made into a eunuch. This was a common practice in those days.
Whether it was really so, the Bible did not reveal.
Daniel was a man
of extraordinary abilities. He was without any physical defect,
handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning,
well-informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the
king's palace. He was schooled both in the language and literature
of the Babylonians (Daniel 1:4).
Besides being a
true prophet of God, he also served as a chief advisor in the courts
of foreign kings. Daniel remained in governmental service through
the reigns of four successive kings - two kings of Babylon, King
Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:18-21) and his successor Belshazzar (Daniel
5:29), and into the reign of Darius the Mede, and into the reign of
Cyrus the Persian (Daniel 6:28), after the Medes and the Persians
had defeated the Babylonians.
Daniel was a man
of great faithfulness. His book was characterized not only by
prophecies of the distant future but also by an exemplary life of
daily living in the presence of God and man. From his youth, Daniel
was determined to live by the laws of God, even in a foreign and
distant land.
He was a man of
true devotion to God. In his moments of crisis, he turned first to
God in prayer before turning to the problems. His enemies even used
his dedication to God and his regular prayer times to trap him and
turn the king against him. But the grace of God protected Daniel. In
Daniel 9, he prayed a noble prayer of confession for his own sins
and the sins of his people.
Because Daniel
loved God dearly, God loved him dearly. In three passages in the
Scriptures, he was called a man "greatly beloved" by God:
At the
beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have
come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore
consider the matter, and understand the vision: (Daniel
9:23)
And he said
to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the
words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now
been sent to you." (Daniel 10:11)
And he said,
"O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be
strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was
strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have
strengthened me." (Daniel 10:19)
A Man Who Didn’t Defile Himself
In the midst of
high society living, Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the
royal food and wine. Daniel made up his mind to eat and drink only
what God had approved for His people to eat. Therefore he asked the
king's chief official for permission not to eat the food and wine
served in the royal palace.
How could Daniel
be defiled by just eating the king's food? There were basically two
main reasons:
- The
Babylonian food might not be prepared in accordance to the
Jewish dietary laws. They might not be kosher.
- There was a
high probability that the food taken by the king had first been
offered to idols.
Many of us would
think that God would understand if Daniel compromised and ate the
food. After all, he was in captivity, and he didn't really have a
choice. But Daniel did have a choice. He made the choice to take a
stand for God, no matter what the consequences would be, even if it
meant to die. This commitment to God was evident throughout all his
years in Babylon.
In Daniel 1:12,
he asked the guard in charge to test him and his friends for ten
days by giving them nothing but vegetables to eat and water to
drink. At the end of the ten days, they looked healthier and better
nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food (Daniel
1:15). God’s favor was greatly bestowed upon them.
A Man Who Had Godly Friends
Daniel had some
godly friends who shared the same commitment and dedication to God.
Three of them were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Like Daniel,
they too made the same decision not to defile themselves with the
royal food. God granted them favor with those were directly above
them. All the four of them served God while working in the palaces
of Babylon.
Daniel's three
friends were put to another test before God and the king. They
refused to worship the pagan Babylonian gods, and to bow down to the
90-feet gold statue built by King Nebuchadnezzar. When brought
before the king for questioning, they were unshaken, bold and
courageous. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego said to the king (Daniel
3:16-18):
"O
Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If
that is the case, our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us
from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your
hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king,
that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold
image which you have set up."
They did not
compromise. The furious king commanded the furnace to be heated
seven times more than it was usually heated (Daniel 3:19). All three
of them were then cast into the fiery furnace. But God was with them
in the fire. They emerged unharmed because of God's miraculous
protection. This test of blazing fire again proved to the pagan king
that the God of Israel was more superior and mightier than the gods
of Babylon.
In
Daniel 3:28-29, King Nebuchadnezzar himself declared:
"Blessed be
the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, Who sent His
Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they
have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that
they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!
Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language
which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their
houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God
Who can deliver like this."
After his public
declaration, the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego to
even higher positions so that they prospered greatly there in the
province of Babylon (Daniel 3:30).
Daniel’s life
was greatly influenced and impacted by his three friends. As they
gathered together for fellowship, communion, prayer and praise, they
encouraged and edified one another in the LORD. They lived out their
statements of faith in community living against worldly prejudices
and persecutions.
They maintained
their relationships with God, and with one another. They were not
afraid to take a stand for the LORD. They were not afraid of losing
their jobs or even their own lives. In doing so, they received favor
from God and from those whom they served. They sharpened one another
in the faith. Their cutting edge of excellence in spirit and in
service was evident to all men throughout the passage of time.
A Man Who Didn't Compromise
In Daniel 6,
Daniel was serving King Darius the Mede, who had conquered the
Babylonians. Darius divided his kingdom into 120 provinces, each
under a governor. The governors were accountable to three
presidents. Daniel was one of the three. He soon proved himself to
be more capable than the other two presidents. As a result, the king
began to think of placing Daniel over the entire empire, second only
to himself.
This made the
other presidents and governors very jealous and furious. They began
searching for some faults in the way Daniel was handling his affairs
so that they could complain to the king about him. But they couldn't
find any wrongdoing in Daniel to criticize or expose him before the
king! Daniel was faithful and honest. He made no mistakes. Thus,
they concluded, "Our only chance is his faith!" The only way to come
against the man of God was to make him break the law of man in order
to obey the law of God!
The presidents
and governors came before the king with a plan that would feed the
ego of the king. They said to King Darius (Daniel 6:6-8):
"King
Darius, live forever! We presidents, governors, counselors, and
deputies have unanimously decided that you should make a law,
irrevocable under any circumstance, that for the next thirty
days anyone who asks a favor of God or man-- except from you,
Your Majesty-- shall be thrown to the lions. Your Majesty, we
request your signature on this law; sign it so that it cannot be
canceled or changed; it will be a 'law of the Medes and
Persians' that cannot be revoked."
King Darius was
delighted at the suggestion, and he signed the law. When Daniel knew
about it, he went home. He knelt down as usual in his bedroom
upstairs, with its windows open towards Jerusalem, and prayed three
times a day. He offered prayers as usual, giving thanks to God.
The evil men
thronged Daniel's house. They found him praying there - asking
favors of his God. With solid evidence in their hands, they rushed
back to the king and informed him about Daniel breaking the new law.
The king was trapped by their evil scheme.
King Darius was
very angry with himself for signing the new law. He was determined
to save Daniel, and spent the rest of the day trying to find some
ways to get Daniel out of this predicament. In the evening, the
conspirators came again to the king and said, "Your Majesty, there
is nothing you can do. You signed the law, and it cannot be
changed." The king had no choice but to give in and order for the
arrest of Daniel.
Daniel was taken
to the den of lions. The king said to him, "May your God, Whom you
worship continually, deliver you." Upon those departing words,
Daniel was thrown into the den. A stone was brought and placed over
the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring
and with that of his government, so that no one could rescue Daniel
from the lions. Then the king returned to his palace, and went to
bed without dinner. He refused to be entertained, and he didn't
sleep all night.
Very early the
next morning, he hurried out to the lions' den and called out in
anguish, "O Daniel, servant of the Living God, was your God, Whom
you worship continually, able to deliver you from the lions?"
Then he heard
the voice of Daniel! "Your Majesty, live forever! My God has sent
His angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they can't touch me. I
am innocent before God!"
The king was
overjoyed! He ordered Daniel to be lifted up from the den. Not a
scratch was found on him. God had protected His greatly beloved! The
king then issued a command to bring the men who had accused Daniel.
They were then thrown into the den of lions along with their
children and wives. The lions leaped upon them, and tore them apart
before they even hit the bottom of the den.
Afterward King
Darius wrote this message addressed to everyone in his empire:
"Greetings! I decree that everyone shall tremble and fear before the
God of Daniel in every part of my kingdom. For his God is the
living, unchanging God Whose kingdom shall never be destroyed and
Whose power shall never end. He delivers His people, preserving them
from harm; He does great miracles in heaven and earth; it is He Who
delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."
Daniel was an
excellent employee! His relationship with his bosses is something we
must learn and follow. King Darius was worried when the life of
Daniel was endangered. He could not afford to lose such an excellent
employee like Daniel. He loved Daniel. He could not eat or sleep
when Daniel was in the den of lions. He ran to the den early in the
morning to check out for himself whether Daniel was still alive. He
could have sent his guards to find out the state of Daniel but his
heart did not allow him to do so. He had to personally make the
journey. He was greatly rejoicing to know that his beloved employee
was still alive! He also killed those who schemed against Daniel.
Daniel prospered
in the reign of Darius. He didn't compromise even at the cost of his
life. He knew the principle stated in Matthew 10:39:
"He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for
My sake will find it."
A Man Who Allowed God To Work Through Him
Daniel’s
qualification for prophetic ministry was his delight in the LORD. He
was willing to spend quality time with Him in times of prayers and
worship. He was available for His Master’s use. Even though he was a
high-ranking government official with loads of heavy
responsibilities and busy schedules, his heart was always tuned to
God. He was able to hear His voice in the midst of many other
noises!
He didn't allow
his position, work or pride to get in the way of becoming an
effective instrument of God. He recognized and acknowledged the
Lordship of his God. He ministered first to Him before ministering
to others! He had direct access to the King of kings, and the LORD
of lords. When God gave him a word, Daniel would declare it
faithfully.
When Daniel was
summoned before King Nebuchadnezzar to interpret a dream, he
answered in the presence of the king, and said (Daniel
2:27-30):
"The
secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the
astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare
to the king. But there is a God in heaven Who reveals secrets,
and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the
latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your
bed, were these: "As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind
while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and
He Who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. But
as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I
have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who
make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know
the thoughts of your heart.""
It was not
because Daniel was more intelligent than others that God chose him.
It was because he was humble before God and man. He knew that God
was using him to reveal the pride in the heart of the king that
would eventually cause his downfall!
When King
Nebuchadnezzar heard the interpretation, he was awed by its message
and its accuracy! He fell on his face, and prostrated before Daniel.
He commanded that they should present an offering and incense to
Daniel. The king answered Daniel, and said, "Truly your God is the
God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you
could reveal this secret."
The king
promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts. He made him ruler
over the whole province of Babylon, and the chief administrator over
all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel appealed to the king to set
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of
Babylon (Daniel 2:46-49).
Daniel allowed
God to work in him, and through him to be a blessing to those around
him, primarily his bosses and his friends.
A Man Who Knew The Word Of God
During their
exile in Babylon, many Jews were caught and entrapped in slavery.
Their eyes were upon their own pains and sorrows. By the rivers of
Babylon, there they sat down, and wept when they remembered Zion
(Psalm 137). They had hung their harps upon the willows, and could
not sing the songs of Zion in a foreign land.
But Daniel
was different. He had an excellent spirit. He wrote this in
Daniel
11:32: "the people who know their God shall be strong, and
carry out great exploits." While others were
sighing away, he was actively seeking the Word of God to find out
what God’s plans were.
In the first
year of the reign of Darius, Daniel was reading the Book of
Jeremiah. As he studied, he understood that Jerusalem must lie
desolate for seventy years. Immediately, he set his face towards God
to make request by prayers and supplications, with fasting,
sackcloth and ashes (Daniel 9:1-6).
Daniel was both
a hearer and doer of His Word! He had a desire to know God and His
will. When searching the Holy Scriptures, he found Jeremiah 25:11.
Therein Jeremiah had prophesied the captivity of Judah to Babylon,
and that it would last for 70 years. As he read, God breathed life
into those Scriptures. Daniel received the Rhema Word. Without any
hesitation, he came to God in repentance, confessing before Him
first his own sins, and then the sins of his people.
The knowledge of
God's Word enabled Daniel to be in a position where he could
accomplish His perfect will. Daniel was excellent in the Word of
God. He loved His laws and precepts. He delighted in the Law of the
LORD! And he lived according to the Word of the LORD! Nothing short
of His glory!
A Man Who Prayed
Daniel was
excellent in his prayers. Oftentimes, he would seek the face of God
alone. This is one of the trademarks of a true prophet. Prophets are
the mouthpieces of God. They were all intercessors and prayer
warriors! God often revealed secrets to His servants the prophets
during times of intimacy and intercession (Amos 3:7).
When Daniel knew
the Word of God, he did not publish the hard facts and punish his
people for their sins. He took upon himself to intercede for them.
His prayers were powerful as they touched the very heart of God!
Daniel prayed that the Word of God would be accomplished and be
fulfilled.
Praying
according to His Word is praying according to His Will! The Word of
God is living and powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and
marrow. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart
(Hebrews 4:12).
Praying is
business as usual for Daniel everyday and everywhere!
A Man Who Lived Up To His Name
The name of
Daniel means "God is my judge" or "judge of God."
Our God is both
loving and just. He is the Judge Who judges righteously (Psalm
98:9). He punishes the ungodly, and rewards the godly. As in any
court case, the victims are compensated, and the offenders are
prosecuted.
Daniel willingly
submitted himself to God's judgment as God judges all mankind, both
the good and the bad (Revelation 11:18). God promises to sternly
judge those who cruelly oppress His people (Revelation 6:9-11).
Daniel saw the
judgment of God upon his own people when they sinned against God. It
was God Who brought them into captivity by the Babylonians. He also
saw the judgment of God upon the Babylonians as they oppressed the
people of God!
In His judgment,
God always remembers His mercy. In Psalm 25:7, the
psalmist pleaded, "Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my
transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your
goodness' sake, O LORD."
Who is a God
like You,
pardoning iniquity and passing over
the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
because He delights in mercy. (Micah 7:18)
Daniel could
have become very judgmental but he did not. In fact, he had a very
sweet spirit. All his employers and friends loved and delighted to
have him. Because God is his Judge, he judged himself so that he
would not be judged (1 Corinthians 11:31).
He walked worthy
before God, living up to his name and bringing honor to the name of
his God!
A Man Of Integrity
Looking at the
various dreams and visions that Daniel interpreted for the different
kings, there was one common feature that stood out prominently. In
each of them, the messages and interpretations that Daniel received
from God were not something that the kings would love to hear. He
did not tickle their ears or boost their egos. Daniel simply told
them the truth! He was faithful in proclaiming the very words that
God had spoken to him.
Daniel was very
careful in not taking the name of the LORD in vain. Unless the LORD
spoke, he would not dare to be presumptuous to say something that
was not! He also did not use his prophetic insights and giftings to
lord over others and to control them. He knew Who his God was! He
was watching over him night and day. Nothing could hide from His
eyes!
It was this
level of honesty and integrity that set Daniel apart from the rest.
All the four kings were impressed by Daniel. They could always count
on Daniel to tell them the truth, and to do the right thing. They
knew that Daniel would not garner their favors by telling lies.
A Man Full Of Gratitude
Daniel always
gave God the glory! There were many instances in his employment
under various kings where Daniel interpreted the dreams and visions,
and even some handwritings on the wall. In each of them, Daniel
would testify publicly and give glory to God, acknowledging that it
was God Who gave the interpretations.
Daniel didn't
try to steal the limelight for himself. He used every opportunity of
his life to glorify God, and to make Him known to others!
Because Daniel
was faithful in little things, God entrusted him with greater
things. God opened up the future and revealed to Daniel many
prophetic visions pertaining to what were to come. God even sent one
of His archangels, Gabriel, to deliver the answer to a vision given
to Daniel (Daniel 8:1, 16). Daniel was faithful, and he recorded
every one of the prophecies so that we are able to read and know
them today! To God be the glory!
A Man Of Great Patience
Daniel was
patient with God and man. In Daniel 10, a message was revealed to
Daniel. The message was true, but the appointed time was long.
Daniel understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.
He went into mourning for three full weeks. He tasted neither wine
nor meat. He did not wash or shave or comb his hair.
Finally, at the
end of the 21 days, an angel came from heaven with an answer for
him. It was not because God was testing his patience by taking such
a long time to give him an answer. It was because the angel had to
battle his way down to earth. The angel said to Daniel:
"Do not
fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to
understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words
were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the
prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days;
and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me,
for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I
have come to make you understand what will happen to your people
in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to
come." (Daniel 10:12-14)
Daniel did not
give up while waiting on God. He persevered and fought a good fight
of faith even in very trying and testing times! His heart was
strengthened as he waited on the LORD.
I would have
lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness
of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of
good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I
say, on the LORD! (Psalm 27:13-14)
He knew Whom He
had believed and was persuaded that He was able to keep what he had
committed to Him until that Day of His return (2 Timothy 1:12). He
was steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
He knew that his labor was not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians
15:58).
A Man Of Lasting Quality
Daniel served in
high positions of the pagan government for more than 60 years of his
life. This was an incredible accomplishment for a Jew! In the
ancient times, a new king would kill all the advisors of the
previous king so that there would not be any possible upheavals or
revolts. In spite of that, Daniel was chosen to serve four
successive kings.
The Bible even
recorded that at least three of these four kings promoted Daniel to
one of the highest positions of authority and trust. Why? Simply
because Daniel had excellence and lasting quality. As Daniel grew
older, he did not become useless and ineffective. He maintained his
cutting edge by renewing his mind in the Spirit, and not conforming
himself to the worldly standards. His thoughts and ideas were not
obsolete and outdated. He remained faithful to God and man. There
was no error or fault found in him.
When his bosses
wanted something done, they could count on Daniel to deliver the
goods. Daniel did all things with excellence. Not a trace of
sloppiness could be found in any of his works. He had lasting
quality!
Source:
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Written
on:
1 October 2004