Personality Profile: Daniel (Part 4)

DANIEL’S PERSONALITY

Our personality is also something the world notices. In writing to Timothy, Paul expressed the need for Christians to be examples in conduct. “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). These are all aspects of the Christian life and conduct. When we discuss the demeanor of Daniel, we will notice three things. We will notice Daniel’s Politeness, Thankfulness, and Humbleness.

Politeness

When discussing Daniel’s Purpose, Daniel 1:8 was presented. Here, it was noted that Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king’s meat and drink. Only part of the verse was presented. While reading the rest of the verse, one may note Daniel’s response to this purpose. “…therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8b). He made a request to the prince of eunuchs. Daniel expressed to the prince of eunuchs that Daniel did not want to partake of the king’s meat and drink. He brought this before the prince of eunuchs in a mild manner. “And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king” (Daniel 1:10). Let it be noted for the second time that someone would have faced death for disobeying the king. The prince of eunuchs notes that the king had a special diet intended for these young men. His fear was that if Daniel did not eat the food prepared by the king, Daniel would be frailer than the rest. Therefore, this would mean that Daniel was not eating the food set forth by the king and the prince would suffer harsh consequences for it.

“Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days” (Daniel 1:11-14). Look at Daniel’s response for a moment. Now, think of the response Daniel could have given. Daniel could have told Melzar, “How dare you think that I will defile myself with the meat and drink of the king. I may be stuck in this country but I do not have to eat this food.” Melzar would have been more than happy to allow Daniel to starve. Instead, he asked Melzar to allow Daniel and the others to eat pulse, which may have been a combination of beans, and water. If Melzar was not pleased with their physical progress after ten days he was to deal with them as he saw fit.

From this it should be noted that there is a certain way one presents a problem to others. One cannot present an idea or problem in a harsh manner. Imagine that two men have a problem and one decides to handle the problem as such. He quickly and forcefully enters the office of the other. He looks at his friend and screams, “There is a problem and we will fix this problem right now!” He speaks in an angered tone and acts rude toward his friend. Now, take a similar scene with different actions. The man knocks on the door, calmly enters, and proceeds to speak his case in a calmer tone. In which instance would this problem more than likely be resolved? Cooler heads usually prevail. Daniel had the latter attitude toward this situation. He calmly presented his case to Melzar who allowed Daniel and the others to partake of pulse and water. “And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat (Daniel 1:15).

Thankfulness

Nebuchadnezzar had a tremendous problem. He had a dream which greatly troubled him but that was not the full extent of the problem. He could not remember the dream (Daniel 2:1-5). Nebuchadnezzar gave an ultimatum to his wise men. Interpret the dream or Nebuchadnezzar would have them cut to ribbons and their homes would be turned to piles of refuse. These so called “wise men” told Nebuchadnezzar, “Tell us the dream and we will be more than happy to interpret it.” “The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof” (Daniel 2:8-9). The men told their king that no man could interpret the dream. There was no magician, astrologer, or Chaldean who could interpret the dream. Since insubordination equaled death, Nebuchadnezzar decreed that all of the wise men in Babylon would be destroyed. This would not bode well for Daniel and his three friends.

Daniel spoke with Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard to find out what had happened. Arioch explained everything that had transpired and Daniel asked for an opportunity to speak to king Nebuchadnezzar. The night before Daniel spoke to the king, he stayed with his three companions (Daniel 2:7). They prayed for the mercies of God, that Daniel might receive the interpretation of the dream. God answered their prayer and Daniel responded with a heart full of thanks.

“Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter” (Daniel 2:20-23).

We have constant reason to give thanks to God. There was the sacrifice His Son made for mankind. There are daily blessings we receive. Honestly, one could not list all of the blessings of life in one small paragraph. Yet, God has done so much for every one of us. Do we praise Him as we should? Paul would usually begin and end each epistle with thanksgiving and praise to God. Daniel was ever grateful for the interpretation of the dream. Man should be just as thankful for all God has done.

Humbleness

Humility has always been a characteristic of a godly individual. The Publican humbly presented himself before God to confess his sins and was justified (Luke 18:13ff). James wrote: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:8). Daniel was a humble individual. It is seen in the way he reacted to his ability to tell Nebuchadnezzar the dream and the interpretation.

“The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?” (Daniel 2:26). Nebuchadnezzar begins the discussion by asking Daniel if the power to interpret this dream was of Daniel’s power. Look at the answer given by Daniel. “Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these” (Daniel 2:27-28).

It would have been easy for Daniel to say, “Yes, I am the one with the true power of interpretation. I am the one who is able to see these things.” Instead, he gives God the proper glory in stating that the only one who had the power to know the dream and the interpretation was God. “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:45).