God’s Grace in Daniel’s Separation from the World (2): In the Trial Daniel went Through

Last month we considered Daniel’s separation from the world in the first recorded temptation he resisted by God’s grace: “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8). We witnessed Daniel’s God-given courage in saying “no” to worldly temptation. And we considered his motives for doing so: reverential fear for God; regard for Jehovah’s worthiness; love for the Lord; jealousy over his own heart; holy hatred of sin.

With such laudable, God-glorifying motives we would be quick to think, “The Lord will now hurry to make everything well for Daniel. Now everything will go easy for him.”

But no. The trial was yet to come.

Daniel received grace to persevere with his rejection of worldly Babylon and its food offered to idols. He did all in his power to resist the temptation himself. He did not say, “Now that I have purposed in my heart not to eat with the Babylonians, I shall sit back and wait for the Lord to find a way to have me excused from their presence at mealtimes.” Rather, he used means, praying that the Lord might bless them: “Therefore Daniel requested the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (v. 8b).

Daniel went to his superior, Ashpenaz, to request what he had purposed in his heart. He was not ashamed to confess his belief — not even to his employer. Can that also be said of us?

Dear young people, when you may say “no” to worldliness — even outwardly — you will experience at times in your life something of the Lord’s favor upon your steadfastness. In Daniel’s case, this can be seen already in the following verse: “Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs” (v. 9).

Did you read this verse carefully? God brought Daniel into favor—thus the Lord had already gone before him. He was already making things well. It seemed He was already paving the way for Daniel to live out his convictions.

No doubt Daniel himself had hoped his request would be quite easily granted. After all, “if God be for us who can be against us?” But Ashpenaz’s answer was a grave disappointment: “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” (v. 10).

What a trial! What a mystery! Had not Daniel’s request been a matter of prayer? Had it not been motivated by a sincere and earnest desire to avoid sin? Had not God Himself helped Daniel quite pointedly by bringing him into favor with Ashpenaz? And now the answer was “no”!

Daniel’s “no” to the spirit of the world received a “no” from the Lord who had seemed to say “yes” before. What now? Must he give up? Must he give in? Our fleshly nature would be prone to say: “Now I can fully indulge; otherwise God would have changed the mind of the prince. I must have been too strict, too religious, too narrow-minded, too intolerant.”

Do you not think that Satan was also active in planting seeds of doubt within Daniel? “Daniel, it was all only pride — religious pride, stubbornness, and legalism. The Lord was not in it. It was only you. You are in Babylon now. Here the God of Israel won’t hear you. Here you must compromise with the gods and customs of Babylon.”

Are you acquainted with such inner wrestlings of soul? Oh, you can believe that Daniel, the young man of prayer, was brought back to his knees through such wrestlings, battles, and struggles! Do you know times when God’s mysterious providences and afflictions sweep over you, such that your soul cries out with him, “Lord, why? Oh God, did I not beg of Thee not to let me go my own way? Now what must I do? Lord, show me Thy will before I succumb to the snares of unbelief.”

Do you know something of being driven back to your knees — time and again? You cannot be there too much. Usually, we are far too little in prayer. And when we do pray, how seldom we are brought to truly pray in our prayers!

I believe that there on his knees, looking and praying toward Jerusalem, Daniel received insight from the Lord to know what to do. The Lord directed him to try again — only this time he had to go to the prince’s subordinate, Melzar.

“Then said Daniel to Melzar,... 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” (vv. 11-13).

The first time it was Daniel’s plan. This time it was the Lord’s. Therefore he received courage to ask for a miraculous ten-day plan in which his life could be at stake if a difference were not to be seen on these four young men after eating common vegetable food for ten days. “As thou seest” after ten days, “deal with thy servants.”

“So he consented to them in this matter” (v. 14a). The Lord showed His favor and power in prospering this plan. Melzar consented! No doubt Daniel was so glad at that moment with what the Lord had done that he forgot about the ten day trial he was entering. “And he proved them ten days” (v. 14b).

Now the trial began in earnest. A trial of waiting. What would happen? Would the Lord fulfill His promise? Would He be true to His own Word? Would they all be killed if they did not appear more healthy than the others after ten days?

A ten day, waiting trial. God’s people often experience “waiting trials.” Waiting times can become double trials for them when an unfulfilled promise of God is involved. Oh, to be waiting with a divine promise without seeing any signs of fulfillment — what a trial this can be! When God’s promises are first received by faith, they are unspeakably precious, but a time can arrive — a time between promise and fulfillment — when these promises, reverently speaking, can be more of a burden than a joy.

Ten days. Ten is often used in Scripture as the number of God’s perfect purpose. It is no accident that Daniel had to endure this trial for ten days — not nine or eleven. His “ten day” trial here serves as a type of the “ten day trials” that God’s people often encounter in the course of their spiritual pilgrimage. Oh, when God reaches His perfect purposes with His people in trial, then the trial is released! Sometimes that necessitates trials of short duration — of minutes or hours; at other times, it necessitates trials of years or even for the rest of their life.

The Lord knows best. He makes no mistakes. His trials are always of perfect quality and quantity to serve His eternal and blessed purposes.

In these trials, Daniel and all of God’s people must be brought for the first time or by renewal to that blessed place where they must die to themselves and their own righteousness. Dear young friends, it is a great blessing if we are brought to that place in our trials where we must sign our own death sentence that God is righteous to cast us away. Together with Daniel, we must come to that place where the Lord would be righteous and just if there would be no difference after ten days. At that place we confess, “Oh Lord, I am unworthy that Thou shouldest make a difference where there is no difference between myself and the worst of all the Babylonians in Satan’s service!”

No doubt Daniel came to truly learn the meaning of his name during those ten days. Daniel means God is my judge. He had to learn that man (think of Ashpenaz) and self could not be trusted. Hoping against hope, he cast himself and his case upon the Lord. The Lord was free to judge both his case and himself. The Lord could do with Daniel what he desired.

Dear young people, this place of dying to self and of surrender to God, His Word, and His call, is both inexpressibly trying and sweet. There God’s Daniels are cut off from everything — from their own righteousness, their received promises, and their best prayers. There all comes to a standstill, and nothing remains but to sigh, “Lord, take reasons out of Thyself to take up and over myself and my case — sin and all; and if I perish, I perish.”

How many times Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, were on their knees alone and together during those ten days I can’t tell you. No doubt they often encouraged and admonished each other to persevere in the way of obedience no matter what Ashpenaz, Melzar, or any courtier would say. But that too must be cut off — the Lord alone can help; He is free and sovereign. In the end, the case was between the Lord and Daniel — yes, even Daniel had to fall out of it. It was between the Lord and His Son. It was the Lord’s case.

“He proved them.” Dear friends, I cannot express in human vocabulary everything contained in this simple yet profound word, proved. Suffice it to say with reverence, that in the final analysis, the Lord Himself was the one being tried, for Daniel was His child and belonged to His family.

The Lord shall never disappoint His Son nor His people. The Lord made the difference. “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” (v. 15).

The Lord is faithful! Miraculously He caused a clear distinction in the physical beauty and strength of Daniel and his three friends by means of His special providence.

Spiritually, matters are no different. God’s people have food to eat of which the worldling knows nothing. Ten days of spiritual food will do much for the spiritual beauty and strength of God’s people. Too often they are lean and unhealthy, and then have nothing to say. It is all their own fault.

But the Lord comes back. He is the faithful God who plants faith, gives strength to walk in faith, tries faith, and fulfills His own Word (1 John 5:4).

Young people, Daniel’s life was not easy, but it was blessed. Pray for that kind of life — to remain separate from worldly influences not only in temptation, but also through trial. In trial it takes special grace not to return to the world, but to choose, like Moses, rather “to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” May the Lord grant this good choice to you out of free grace.

Never forget: The Lord does not promise His people an easy life, but He does promise them a blessed life. He shall fulfil Romans 8:28 for them throughout all their trials, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Oh, dear young friend, ask the Lord to come against your natural, fleshly inclinations, in order to teach you the great blessedness of His service! All that is worldly is vanity and temporary; all that is of the Lord is invaluable and shall endure forever.

Dr. J.R. Beeke is pastor of the First Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen