The resolute heart
But Daniel purposed in his heart (Daniel 1:8).
The opening verses of the book of Daniel do not make good reading. They describe disaster, defeat, destruction and sophisticated slavery. The northern kingdom of Israel had already been enslaved by the Assyrians. Now Judah was overwhelmed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The brightest young people were transported to Babylon to be absorbed into its culture and introduced to its gods in what was the darkest day in the descent of God’s people. God had taken the Children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt to “bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). Now, they returned to slavery – in Babylon. This was different slavery. It was not the bitterness of being controlled by cruel and unreasonable taskmasters in Egypt. No, Babylon was more dangerous. It warmly embraced the people of God with its riches, wickedness, power and opportunity. It is the very opposite of the embrace of the father in Luke 15.
Then we have one of God’s great interventions, “But Daniel”. It is extraordinary how, often against a background of danger and disaster, God intervenes in the heart of just one person. He worked in the hearts of men and women like Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Ruth, Hannah, Samuel. And he also worked in the hearts of Daniel, Ezra, Esther and Nehemiah. These saints of God had resolute hearts and clear-thinking, spiritual minds. They believed God in the face of incredible odds. In situations where the power of Satan, either as a roaring lion or an angel of light, was so evident, they were victorious by faith. They were as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. These men and women prove to us the power of faith and the reality of God’s presence. Alongside them were many, many nameless people of faith who, like the 7000 in Israel (1 Kings 19:18), were known only to God.
Daniel started by addressing his diet. He was determined to live in personal devotion to God, no matter what choices others made. He was wise in how he approached the case, but there was no doubt it was a line he would not cross. Our personal devotion to Christ is central to our pathway of faith. And we have to be careful about what we choose to introduce into our hearts and minds. We live in a world that is continually trying to influence, persuade, and shape our lives without reference to the God we believe in. It will warmly embrace us in unbelief, but not in faith. Daniel is a beautiful Old Testament example of the New Testament teaching, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
God has a pathway for each one of His children. We need a resolute heart of faith in the Lord Jesus for Him to take us along that pathway and to prove in our lives His presence and perfect will.
And like Daniel, we have our Shadrachs, Meshachs and Abed-Negos encouraging us along the way.
