Reading: Daniel 1-6, 1 Samuel 16-31 and 2 Samuel 1
While reading in the book of Daniel, one thing that stood out to me was his loyalty toward all the rulers that were on the throne during his lifetime serving in Babylonia. The Israelites had been taken captive by the Babylonian empire and the story of Daniel starts with him being taken into the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. That’s where we begin to find a pattern of Daniel’s obedience to God within the kings demands, his exceptional work-ethic and God’s favour which flowed from it.
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” – Daniel 1:8
Orders had been given by the king to recruit young able men for his service. Daniel was one of those recruited and placed into a 3 year training program, in preparation for a life of service to the king. This entailed the men eating and drinking food and wine from the King’s table. However, Daniel, not wanting to defile himself, by eating food which contradicted Jewish law, was shown favour by his guard. He granted the request to test for 10 days, whether there would be any decrease in physical appearance / health, from Daniel and his friends being given a diet of just vegetables and water. God came through and after ten days Daniel and his friends appeared healthier and better nourished, than the young men who were given the king’s food. From here on, they received God’s favour and the king took them into his service.
Not only was it Daniel’s obedience towards God that opened the door to favour with the king, but throughout the book, his actions and loyalty toward the Babylonian kings and God changed the hearts of those he served in a profound way.
Likewise, the behaviour of Daniel’s friends – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – who refused to worship an idol made of gold and were consequently thrown into the blazing furnace. The miracle that followed evoked a change in the king’s heart.
“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” – Daniel 3:28
This change of heart was later completed when God brought in a transformational experience to the king, bringing him to his knees in reverence of the God of Israel.
I love how we can see this pattern of obedience, God’s favour and providence, and the resulting change in hearts throughout not just in the book of Daniel, but also in the life of King David.
David, before he ascended the throne, was anointed by the prophet Samuel while Israel’s king Saul was still reigning. This didn’t go down too well with Saul. Not only that David was anointed and chosen to be the future king, he also grew to become a war hero in Israel (having slain Goliath and fought in Saul’s army). So, in his jealousy Saul began to persecute David and tried to kill him. What stands out here is not Saul’s actions and rage, but rather David’s persistent dedication and service to his king, his obedience towards God and the immense favour which ended up flowing from all of this.
David’s persistent reverence for God’s chosen authority came to a climax when David was hiding from Saul in the Desert. Saul, in his pursuit to kill David, unwittingly walked right into the cave where David and his men were hiding. While this seemed like a God-given chance to take matters into his own hands, David stayed obedient to God.
“This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed’.” – 1 Samuel 24:10
David’s loyalty towards God’s anointed is also displayed in his reaction upon Saul’s death, for we find no rejoicing at his deliverance from the one who tried to kill him, but rather deep sorrow and weeping for his fallen king. This is not where it ends, there are multiple occasions that follow where David makes an effort to honour the fallen king; for example, by extending favour towards Saul’s family. We see God’s immeasurable favour during David’s reign and miraculous victories as long as David remains in obedience and honour towards God.
What stuck with me from the example of these godly men found in His beautiful word:
- God desires us to honour those he puts in places of authority. We may not understand why God placed those people in charge, but He expects us to honour Him by honouring the ones put in place. “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For ALL authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So, anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished (…)” – Romans 13:1-5
- Our work-ethic should be of exceptional excellence. We see this in Daniel’s life when reading: “(…) they could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.” – Daniel 6:4. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” – Colossians 3:23-24
- Our ultimate authority is God, and obedience to Him can cost us a dear price when it opposes those in power. Our God is faithful when we are faithful in obedience to Him.
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” – Daniel 3:17-18 - I find this declaration of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego also illustrates that our obedience towards God’s word should not be dependent on our circumstances or His favour, or absence of such. For if God was going to rescue them or not, their determination was to stay faithful to Him.
- How we conduct ourselves at work, or in general, towards those in places of authority not only honours God and open possibilities for his favour and blessing, but it also makes way for God to work in and transform the hearts of those we serve, ultimately blessing those in places of authority.
May these thoughts inspire you to dig deeper into Scripture and read through these stories (and others) for yourself. God’s truth is alive and speaks to us in a unique way when we read it with the help of his Spirit. Be encouraged that God can move powerfully in the place of service you find yourself in, as you walk in obedience to Him.
For a further study on godly work-ethic and God’s faithfulness, study the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-47).
Bibs Blog 