THE SERVANT, HIS SUPPORT AND CONTINUANCE (1)
[p. 361] THE SERVANT, HIS SUPPORT AND CONTINUANCE (1)
JT The brethren will, no doubt, discern that the proposal in taking up the book of Daniel is not to make prophecy our subject, but rather that we might see the moral teaching that stands related to prophecy, which this book specially furnishes; for the servant is prominent throughout the book, and the service is definitely connected with his state — a very practical suggestion, for it shows that if the Lord is to continue His service the younger ones have to see that the service of God stands related to moral conditions; a condition indeed so pleasing that, as in Daniel, it rises to the divine approval in the words, a “man greatly beloved”. The service must be in such a vessel, if it is to be pleasing to heaven.
With regard to the setting of the book, we might also see another feature: that God acts governmentally: the people of God, however devoted, come under His government. Those used here are described as captives: “I have found a man of the sons of the captivity of Judah”, Arioch says; and then it is said at the outset that Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem and besieged it, “And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, and a part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god” (chapter 1:2). Jehovah allowed this. We may perhaps begin with that thought that the service viewed in this book is under these circumstances, having in view the vessels of the house of God.
WW Do you link up Daniel with Moses, as you referred to him last evening?
JT I was not specially thinking of that. I was thinking [p. 362] of the service that the Lord would continue, that those who are engaged in it are to observe the present governmental position, so that we might have a true apprehension of where we are, and that some of the vessels of the house of God are actually in captivity. “And he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god”: that is the terrible moral depths to which the vessels were carried.
WW Do you suggest that there are divine limitations at the present moment, but God will see that there are opportunities for His service even in these limitations?
JT Yes; and the service is in line with certain moral conditions. That is what the book teaches, and it is a very humbling and sorrowful consideration that part of the vessels of the house of God are carried away, carried to such moral degradation; “into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god” (verse 2); christians are valued in the captivity, but they are set up in the treasure-house of idolatry.
WHM All this happened in the reign of Jehoiakim, who despised the word of the Lord. He cut it up and burned it (Jeremiah 36).
JT He was son to Josiah, which makes the matter very solemn.
He had thus a godly father, and so was brought up in the light. He had the sorrowful experience of seeing his brother captivated. It is said that the king of Egypt put down Jehoahaz, and made Eliakim, his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He had that solemn spectacle before his eyes, and yet he pursued the same course; but he was captivated for his rebellion, that is, for not submitting to the government of God. The divine service is to be carried on in those who submit to the government of God.
FRB Do you regard Daniel and his companions as the true vessels of the house of God?
JT Certainly. We have the way of recovery in them,
[p. 363] in the refusal to partake of the king’s meat, and then God helping them in that. We shall find that as there is a moral constitution shown with us, God’s hand is with us for gradual deliverance.
WG Does this coincide with what Paul writes to Timothy about the great house, vessels of honour being brought to light?
JT Well, I think that passage fits in here, distinctly. We are all in the great house, but vessels to honour are such as are indicated here.
LM Those that are subject to the government of God are not carried away, are they?
JT Not exactly, but such may be carried away because of general conditions, and it is in the acceptance of these circumstances involving the government of God that we begin to get deliverance. These were actually captives. It says in chapter 1:3,4, “And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the chief of his eunuchs, that he should bring of the children of Israel, both of the royal seed and of the nobles, youths in whom was no blemish, and of goodly countenance, and skilful in all wisdom, and acquainted with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the language of the Chaldeans”. They are in the mind of the king, not as captives, but in a certain dignity, showing that God is behind this action of the king. God is moving those whom He may employ providentially; He puts it into their hearts to look at His people in their true light. The king may not have meant much by it, but there is much involved in his words.
JB It would have a humbling effect, too, on the vessels.
JT And the record shows that they came to the point of death, as if awaiting slaughter. The decree had gone forth, and they were included, not because they were sons of Israel, but because they were numbered with the [p. 364] astrologers of Babylon. But what the young ones among us ought to see is that if the service of God is to be carried on, these conditions have to be accepted, intelligently and spiritually; and as they are accepted and the moral element begins to show itself in them in refusing the king’s meat, God’s hand is with them.
JHT Is the service undertaken in this character?
JT I thought so; perhaps you might say more about it?
JHT I was thinking about John in Patmos accepting the Lord’s government relating to the assembly, and then suggesting the way out: “Come out of her, my people”, (Revelation 18:4). Would that be in line?
JT That is very helpful; in Revelation the vessel used accepts the governmental position and circumstances.
JFC Would you mind saying a word about the king’s meat?
JT It says, “And the king appointed unto them a daily provision of the king’s delicate food, and of the wine that he drank, to nourish them three years” (verse 5); that is, they were to have the very best, it is Babylon’s best, it is what the king himself ate.
WW Why is it that God took up such a man as Moses and put him into the house of Pharaoh, and why did He take up these men and put them into this special position when He was going to use them for Himself?
JT I think it was to get the light into high places. It is a feature with God that He would place the light in high places as well as low places, so that there is a testimony for Himself in a universal way. During last week we were engaged with the Lord’s remark “for a testimony to them”, (Matthew 8:4).
One great feature of this book is that God, in taking up the gentile authorities, rendered a testimony to them. They set out on their career with divine light, they are not simply taken up as so many monarchies, they are furnished with divine light, they had a really wonderful [p. 365] start, and Daniel was principally used in this. God Himself spoke to Nebuchadnezzar in the visions, but then Daniel was the vessel of interpretation. Before he was to minister to Nebuchadnezzar for a testimony, he went through this education, beginning with the refusal of the king’s meat. It is a very important matter, that God should set gentiles, as the governors of the world, on their course, going on for two thousand five hundred years or so, with His own mind about them. And the first of them becomes an evangelist, under His gracious teaching. How little the Caesars, and the great leaders of the Western world, would have thought of the fact that the head of this great image, of which they form part, was himself an evangelist, and that because of God’s gracious dealing with him! I think it ought to enlarge our own thoughts of God; how great He is! how He rises above man’s wickedness! for Nebuchadnezzar had a wicked heart, but God brought him to the point of preaching to the world.
GWW Is there not rather an interesting point in connection with Paul? Through him light reached the court of Caesar: as Daniel was to Nebuchadnezzar, so Paul was in the great Roman court.
JT The Lord has not left them without witness. The greatest rulers have had the testimony presented to them. Then there were “those of the household of Caesar” (Philippians 4:22); saints that Paul could refer to.
WW It all sprang from the refusal of the king’s meat.
JT That is where it began. They had a respectful recognition by the king, being designated as “children of Israel, both of the royal seed and of the nobles, youths in whom was no blemish, and of goodly countenance, and skilful in all wisdom, and acquainted with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace”. That was a very respectful way of designating them; that is what you might call potential; whatever the king may have thought.
[p. 366] God was behind it, they were taken up on these lines. Every one of us should remember, as taken up with a view to service, that from the very outset there is that which indicates our ability, our distinction. Service is to be carried on in such persons. They are brought to this subjectively afterwards, I mean in a spiritual way.
JT-l Would you say that while these four accept the governmental position from God they come out as sons of the kingdom, and are free? I was thinking of the closing verses of Matthew 17.
JT Quite so. We shall see in chapter 2 how they approach the matter, and are tested in their service. But chapter 1 shows their state of soul in regard to the world, and before there is any mention of Daniel’s service it is said that he “continued unto the first year of king Cyrus”. That is a thing we ought to bear in mind in our enquiry as to how long a servant is to continue. One would not think otherwise than of continuing to the reign of Cyrus, which is finality — Cyrus viewed as foreshadowing Christ. We want to continue until that; we have no other thought. It is a tribute to Daniel, that he continued until the first year of Cyrus.
WSS Would it also be an encouragement to us that the testimony will continue?
JT That is what I was thinking, and you want to be in it, you do not want to drop out. If we look back, alas! we see that many have dropped out, how many derelicts there are! Of course, the Lord may take us, but we have no other thought than continuance until the reign of Cyrus; I mean that is the bearing of all your service.
FS It says in Proverbs 22:29, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings”.
JT That is good. Chapter 1 is the moral state, the refusal of what would damage them, and chapter 2 brings out how they approach their service. Before we enter on any service there must be this moral element — how to [p. 367] deny what is very attractive naturally, the very best that Babylon can afford.
Ques Would divine sensibilities come out in them, in suggesting what they could feed upon? Not only did they refuse, with purpose of heart, but they knew what to ask for, what would build them up according to God.
JT Well, apparently they knew the value of this kind of food; it certainly was not to be compared, as men would reckon, with the best of Babylon, but they knew its value, what it would bring about. It was apparently very ordinary food. It says, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not pollute himself with the king’s delicate food” (verse 8). Such food, notice, was God’s creature, as was the wine, but it was the king’s, that was its association. “And he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not have to pollute himself. And God granted Daniel favour”. That is what we should seek. When we purpose what is right, God is with us.
Ques What would the king’s meat and the king’s wine suggest, or the refusal of it, for the saints today?
JT It is the world’s best; it appeals to man naturally. It is not simply the creatures by themselves, but in relation to the king as head of the system. It builds you up in distinction and refinement in that system and so is very attractive.
HB-t Would not the portion of the meat that the king ate and the wine that he drank stand in relation to his gods and idols?
JT They would be idolatrous in that way.
WSS Would the acceptance of the captivity be a necessary condition to this service?
JT I think so. It should humble us. The present outward circumstances of the saints are marked by judicial acts of God. God has allowed all this governmentally.
WSS We might be inclined to think that we had escaped from this captivity, but we are part of it.
JT [p. 368] We are outwardly. Daniel was still in that position, but he was morally clear. The point is to be morally clear. But we cannot avoid certain results of the captivity.
Ques Why did you emphasise Shinar rather than Babylon?
JT Because of its ancient connection with rebellion, (Genesis 11).
Rem In the prophet Zechariah they were going to build a house in the land of Shinar, and set it on its own base (Zechariah 5:11).
JT I was thinking of that passage “its own base”. Idolatry has its proper base there.
JC With regard to this service, is not prayer a very necessary feature?
JT Well, we shall come to that in chapter 2 that is to say, the priestly side, because it is the leading feature of this book. There is this moral element, the refusal in the soul of what is so attractive, what would set you up in relation to the greatest system on earth at the time. That is the idea, that we should be set up in distinction, such persons as would stand before the king, and have a constitution fit for that. It would take in all the training, social and religious, of the present time.
Ques With regard to what our brother said about the acceptance of the captivity, is that what was in your mind when you spoke of accepting the government of God?
JT Yes, I was thinking of that; we ought to accept it, and these are the conditions. It is the time of captivity, but this book shows how there is moral recovery, whilst outwardly the captivity remains; the vessels to honour are clear of the surrounding evil, and so meet for the Master’s use.
GWW Has not the thought of food in Scripture a moral import, that partaking of the food of that system they would have been built up according to that system, and that would have been destructive to the position they were in as [p. 369] captives?
JT Yes; 1 Corinthians shows that the creature of God is good in itself, but if it is offered to an idol it is defiling; it is the setting of things that we have to consider. What is good in itself is abominable if it is set in certain relations. So that in the different creatures described in Leviticus you have clean creatures, then there are others which are called abominable, because of certain relations, indicated typically.
GWW I was thinking that food, in that way, indicates the building up of certain moral constitutional principles in the soul.
JT I am sure that is important, so that the subject begins in Scripture with the herb, what the earth yields; then the beasts of the field are given, but up to the flood there is no mention of idolatry, it is when the creatures of God become related to idolatry that they are unclean. The king prescribes the food here, but it was his, and he stood for the world-system. We have already had the fact that he took the vessels and put them into the house of his god, so that all stands in relation to idolatry.
JB The appearance of their countenance would really be on account of the refusal on the one hand of the king’s dainty meat, and on the other of the partaking of what had come from God.
JT It goes on to say here, “God granted Daniel favour and mercy before the prince of the eunuchs. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king who hath appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces worse liking than the youths who are of your age? and ye would endanger my head with the king. And Daniel said to the steward, 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 youths that eat of the king’s delicate food: and as thou shalt see, deal [p. 370] with thy servants. And he hearkened unto them in this matter, and proved them ten days” (verses 9 - 14). Now, it is to be noticed that whilst it was only “ten days”, yet there was a certain danger involved in the action of the prince of the eunuchs. When God begins to act for us, men come into line. There is the idea of endangering himself in this, and when one endangers himself for the will of God he evidences something of the Spirit of Christ. When we resolve to refuse the world, God begins to move, and even those around us are affected. Daniel is already acquiring what is so needed in service, that is, moral power, the spirit of suasion. The Lord says, “make disciples”, (Matthew 28:19). It is that principle.
JT-l Is this then a public side of things, involving the confession of the name of the Lord publicly, as under reproach?
JT Yes, and those you are outwardly related with brought into accord. If you endanger yourself in the smallest degree for what is of God, it is the Spirit of Christ; it leads on to spiritual sympathies. Like Rebekah, who said, “Upon me be thy curse”, (Genesis 27:13). This man was endangering himself to some extent, and that was on account of the power that Daniel was acquiring; and I doubt very much if there are any of us of any value in service until we begin to acquire this moral power; not only that I can speak well, or entertain people, but I have influence for good with them. What do you say to that?
JHT It is very important.
JT What tells is not only what you say in ministry, but the power you have with people.
FI Would you link “pulse” with what you get in Genesis 1 the herb that produced the seed?
JT Yes, it is that kind of food, the herb of the field.
FWW Daniel seems to have influenced the eunuch by his manner of life.
JT Yes, it is very remarkable that he should have [p. 371] such power with him. It is a great thing to get a man to go your way even for ten days, especially if it involves sacrifice. It shows your moral suasion for good.
WSS I was thinking of verse 17 in connection with that; these moral conditions had to be there before it could be said, “As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom”.
JT That shows how God was working with them. I believe that the whole gospel of Matthew, as regards service, is bound up in this chapter. In Matthew 28:19 it is not a question of preaching only, but influence: “make disciples”. The Lord begins with Peter himself by making him a fisher of men.
Rem It only says of Daniel that he “purposed in his heart”. The other three came into the benefit of that.
JT Yes, and he brings them in beautifully in the tribute of worship at the end. The thing was made known to him, but he brings them into it, saying “thou hast made known unto us the king’s matter”. That is an important point in chapter 2; how a man of spiritual influence becomes a leader, and brings all who are with him into what God gives him, making it a mutual matter.
Chapter 1 is important to get clearly into our minds, the moral element that says “No” to what is naturally attractive. How God is with those who do that! They begin to acquire influence, and then there is the tribute to them in verse 17, “As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams”. Now, that is the general position as regards the servant, based on the moral element in these young men. The next chapter is their service, and how they approach it, that is to say, they approach God first (verses 17,18). That is what we get in chapter 2.
FWW Would you just say a word as to continuing until the first year of king [p. 372] Cyrus?
JT It was Cyrus who issued the command to restore and build the house, and restore the vessels. He is a figure of Christ. It was to him God opened “the two-leaved doors” (Isaiah 45:1) and Ezra records that he issued the command to build the house. If Daniel is taken then it is all well, because evidently all is in good hands.
HC It would be like Simeon in Luke 2.
JT Yes, he was ready to go as Christ had come.
JHT And the spirit of Daniel is continued. Ezra prays and says, “We are bondmen”, speaking in the present tense.
JT That is very good. His whole prayer and confession in chapter 9 are in the spirit of Daniel and his companions in our chapter. So that, when the king’s decree had gone forth, it says, “Daniel went in, and requested of the king that he would give him time, that he might shew the king the interpretation”. There is no doubt in his mind, it is all a question of time. If we bear that in mind, it helps; because this prophet makes a great deal of time and dates. And then it says in verse 17, “Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions; that they would desire mercies of the God of the heavens concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of the heavens. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; For wisdom and might are his”. Now, notice what he says in poetic form (verses 20 - 23): “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; For wisdom and might are his. And it is he that changeth times and seasons; He deposeth kings, and setteth up kings; He giveth wisdom to the wise, And knowledge to them that know understanding. It is he that revealeth the deep and secret things;
[p. 373] He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and I praise thee, O God of my fathers, Who hast given me wisdom and might, And hast made known unto me already what we desired of thee; For thou hast made known unto us the king’s matter”.
Now, what one would venture to point out is that in service (because we are approaching it in this chapter), God gets His portion first. Daniel has it all settled. It is settled by prayer, but before there is any action taken there is a tribute of praise and worship to God. That, to my mind is, very fine. God is a sanctuary to His people wherever they are. This is a sanctuary, it is a scene of praise and worship to God in the enemy’s land. Would you say that?
JHT I would, indeed. John approaches it in the same way, does he not? We get the doxology in Revelation 1:5 - 6, “To him who loves us, and has washed us from our sins in his blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father: to him be the glory and the might to the ages of ages. Amen”.
JT That is very good, and it fits in here.
FWW Would service spring out of true assembly conditions?
JT That is how it stands in Acts 13:2. They were ministering to the Lord and fasting, and the Spirit said, “Separate me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them”. Is that what you had in mind?
FWW Yes, keeping service relative to the assembly. Do you think that is important?
JT It is most important that God should have His portion before man. Before Nebuchadnezzar is ministered to, God is ministered to. That is very beautiful. We have it in poetic form. Poetic form invariably implies feeling; here, holy [p. 374] feeling Godward.
FWW So a servant should have before him, glory to God “in the assembly in Christ Jesus”, (Ephesians 3:21).
JT The one who is most effective in service is marked by that. Paul, both in Romans and in Ephesians, his greatest epistles, worships God.
FWW So you start your service from the top of the mountain, as we saw yesterday?
JT That is the idea. Moses did that. He worshipped on the mount, and came down from the scene of glory with his face shining.
Ques Did Samuel have a good start in that way in Hannah’s prayer?
JT Quite. He prayed himself, too, offering up a whole burnt offering at the outset of his ministry.
EG You suggested the thought of mutuality with Daniel and the other three. It is interesting to see that there was no independency with Daniel. It says he “went to his house, and made the thing known” to them.
JT Yes, it is to be noted that he had a house, and “companions”. I do not know how we should get on without our brethren, they are our companions; you are sure to come to grief if you ignore them.
Ques When Daniel mentioned the matter to these three friends, he asked them to desire mercies of the God of the heavens that they should not perish with the wise men of Babylon. Why is it put in that way?
JT It is the acceptance of the government of God. It is not the God of Jerusalem, nor the God of Israel, it is the God of the heavens. The rule of the world had gone out among the gentiles, but it is a question of showing that heaven ruled. It is very beautiful; he is in the mind of God.
Ques Using the word “mercies”, would that suggest that he acknowledged that if God gave them light in regard to the matter, it was entirely on the ground of His own sovereign mercy?
JT Quite so.
WHM “In thy light shall we see light”, (Psalm 36:9). You were speaking of the sanctuary; Daniel goes right into God’s presence.
JT Yes, and he says, “the light dwelleth with him”. Elsewhere we are told that He dwells in light unapproachable, but here the point is that light is dwelling with Him. That is light which He gives.
RA Would you say that God took account of what Daniel purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself, and on that account he is a model as a true servant?
JT That is chapter 1 where the moral feature appears toward the world, and God honours you there. But now, in chapter 2 it is what is priestly, and the sanctuary, because you have the worship of God.
LM You mentioned Matthew earlier; would it come in with, “when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber”,(chapter 6:6) that is the individual side, and pray to One who is in secret and sees in secret, and He shall reward thee?
JT Very good.
LM Well, I was wondering where the companions would come in. Would that be in Matthew 18, where you get “two or three”?
JT Yes, that would come in very nicely. It says, “if two of you”, meaning two who were companions in exercise as to divine interests.
LM Therefore we would really value companionship, and, as our brother was saying, bring in what is mutual.
HCL In connection with the house, would you connect it with Jeremiah’s letter to the captives? — he told them to build the houses, plant gardens, etc. (Jeremiah 29).
JT Yes, that was the word of God, that they were to accept the action of Nebuchadnezzar, which was His ordering. But He would be a sanctuary to them. I think it is perfectly lovely here, that Daniel goes to his house, and the companions are evidently there, as if it was their [p. 376] normal place. My house is open to my companions, the brethren. It says, “Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions; that they would desire mercies of the God of the heavens concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision”.
JHC Would you say that this is an important principle — leaving room for God to come in? Daniel asked for time — that God might come in.
JT It is, and you wait until you get your answer.
WSS I was going to ask in regard to these few verses of praise or thanksgiving, do they suggest a basis, without which service would be impossible; the understanding that God rules, that He is superior to all the empires of the earth?
JT Yes. Daniel would see what Nebuchadnezzar had seen in the night vision, but he would see it with intelligence. It says, “Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of the heavens”. He did not go to tell Nebuchadnezzar at once; he remained to give thanks to God. He worshipped God. God had His part in all this. If God is not having His part in any service there is not much in it.
JH Daniel knew what the end would be, he had got that in the night vision.
Ques Would you say that the poetic verses show that God was known by Daniel in this way, “he ... revealeth the deep and secret things”? Would not Daniel learn that in his own soul?
JT I think the tribute of praise is based on his own knowledge of God. If we analyse these poetic lines, we get the elements of the book.
EG Daniel not going to tell Nebuchadnezzar at once would show that we have to control ourselves in all [p. 377] circumstances?
JT Just so. It is a great thing to have yourself under control, and so to act at the opportune time. He began with that — that the king would give him time. We need time if we are to act rightly in the things of God.
LM A vision is rather large, we might say. What about a word from the Lord?
JT In taking up service one is assured of something as before the Lord. What you get becomes enlarged in the presentation of it, but you are assured from the outset. And I believe that is what Matthew would teach us, that you have to take a journey to get it. See the anxiety these men went through, see the journey they had to take, morally, to get this message; but they got it. Daniel got it, he knew he had it, and I think that is how you approach service. You are in the mind of God, and you give Him thanks beforehand.
WG Would you say that was seen in the apostle Paul in regard to the glad tidings? He served God in his spirit.
JT Just so. He served God in it, in the glad tidings, and, as we were saying already, he worships in writing the letter — Romans.
GWW The exercise, without the turning to God, will not make the thing effective in my soul. God must have His portion out of it before one can be useful with one’s brethren.
JT These men approach their service as worshippers. “Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch”; that is an important word, it is a word of sequence. God was much greater in their minds now than Nebuchadnezzar could be.
FWW The confidence that God is going to give the increase; is that a very encouraging point of service? God will give the increase if we have patience to wait.
JT Quite so. Then see the tone it gives to you in your service. You are a worshipper of God as you approach His service. There is a tone, a liberty, in your [p. 378] spirit; as our brother has well said, you are serving God in your spirit.
ASL But you have been with God, before you go to man about it. That is what you are seeking to emphasise.
Do you see the same thing in Abraham’s servant, when he got the answer to his prayer? It says, “And the man stooped, and bowed down before Jehovah, and said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has not withdrawn his loving kindness and his faithfulness from my master; I being in the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master’s brethren”, (Genesis 24:26).
JT It is very beautiful. He worshipped before he proceeded.
ASL That is a great point. Do you not think it is a great thing to cultivate a spirit of worship?
JT That is what our lesson imparts — you learn here that Daniel approached the king as a worshipper of God. God would be greater in his soul than the monarch. We have not to be afraid of standing before kings. The Lord said of Paul that he would testify before kings: but he would do that knowing that God was greater than the kings.
JR In that way Daniel is in keeping with what his name means, “God is Judge”.
ASL If a servant is called to stand before the king, and he stands there as a worshipper, he will recognise the king’s place. He will conduct himself suitably.
JT He will not despise the king, but he knows that God is greater.
EJF Daniel takes command here: he says to Arioch, “Destroy not the wise men of Babylon”
JT It is a command, as you say. It is moral power. “Destroy not the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation”. See the power there is in those words! Daniel is full of moral authority, and that is an immense thing at the present time.
WCG “If God be for us, who against us?” (Romans 8:31).
EW It says of Nehemiah too that he prayed to God, and then turned to the king.
JT Yes. You can see that Daniel is like an apostle in Matthew; he has influence; “make disciples”.
Ques Do you think it important that Peter suggests the thought of holy priesthood, before he brings forward the thought of kingly priesthood?
JT Quite so. The first is what I am to God; the second, what I am before men.
GFG Would the consideration of the stone cut out without hands both produce worship and give stability in the heart?
JT Quite so.
ASL How would Peter’s exhortation come in: “sanctify the Lord the Christ in your hearts, and be always prepared to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15)?
JT That fits in here. “Sanctify the Lord the Christ in your hearts”. Thus there is power in the heart.
Ques “We have boldness towards God, and whatsoever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and practise the things which are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:21,22) — would that be the moral basis for all this?
JT Yes.
JHT In Acts 4:23 they go to their own company, and then they pray and praise God; then there is power for speaking, as they are filled with the Holy Spirit (verse 31).
JT That is the order; Peter and John had been prominent in service and suffering, but now the other apostles are in view as having power in bearing witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (verse 33).