FAITHFUL CONTINUANCE
T. E. Druckenmiller
Daniel 1: 8, 9, 11, 17; 3: 27; 6: 20–22
Our brother has spoken of recovery and return; that would be one side of the present moment; the other side would be faithfulness to God on the part of many who would seek to consider for the rights of Christ. It would, I suppose, be expressed in the feature of the overcomer which we had in our song; God is looking for overcomers. In Daniel’s day it was captivity, but in the presence of captivity it was the maintenance of faithfulness and the maintenance of the divine standard of the truth on the part of just a few; just Daniel and three companions it would appear. There may have been others, as we get in other books—Esther and Mordecai and such—but here in Daniel it would appear that it comes down to Daniel and his three companions. But later it was just Daniel himself, and so I believe it is with us today; it really comes down to the individual; are you, am I, prepared to be for the Lord in the midst of what is crooked and perverse? One often thinks of Mr. Taylor’s word, ‘Whatever others may do, think, or say, my obligation is to do what is right’ (Vol. 85. p.406). It puts the onus upon us each as individuals.
What made one think of this was our brother’s reference in Isaiah to being for God and not being ensnared by man; “The fear of man bringeth a snare”, Proverbs 29: 25. It is that line of things that has overcome many, and I suppose if we look at our histories we would have to say it has overcome us ourselves. But through mercy God would help us. We need to be priestly. One looked over the page in Malachi and saw that verse as to Levi, “He walked with me”, Malachi 2: 6. Oh think of God saying of that man, Levi, “He walked with me ... and he turned many from iniquity”. It shows it comes down to the individual and simple abiding faithfulness—“He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity”. What a wonderful word that is! I believe Daniel was that kind of man; he walked with God and he walked in uprightness, and some of the features that are seen in him we might just look at quickly.
Firstly there was the desire not to be polluted by the king’s delicate food, nor with the wine which he drank; and he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not have to pollute himself. And God granted Daniel favour. Oh how we need to count upon God in days of departure and sorrow, but beloved brethren let us be assured that we can count upon God.
The history of the beloved apostle Paul’s testimony shows us this, and there are the faithful men that he drew attention to in the epistle to Timothy; he said, “These (things) entrust to faithful men, such as shall ... instruct others also”, 2 Timothy 2: 2. If we look through the recovery of the truth there have been faithful men and they have instructed others also. The test would be, am I a person that can be instructed? can I be taught of God? That is a feature of these men; it says in verse 17, “God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams”; God gave it to them. That, I believe, is what God will give to the overcomer. Oh let us be encouraged, beloved brethren, in smallness and insignificance, in a place like this, or wherever it might be, let us encourage ourselves in God, as David did in a time of distress in Jehovah his God (1 Samuel 30: 6), and be strengthened to go on in confidence in our God.
One just wanted to draw attention to these two touches, first the fire, which I suppose would be the effect of what man would seek to do. It was Nebuchadnezzar who commanded that the fire be made seven times hotter. He was infuriated, as a king might be, a man of authority, but that is all Satan can do. The Lord speaks of such—“Be not afraid of those who kill the body ... but fear rather him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”, Matthew 10: 28.
That is another kind of fire that is from God. This fire is from man; it is the worst that man can think to do, and yet it says of these men, “upon whose bodies the fire had had no power,
nor was the hair of their head singed, neither were their hosen changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them”. Oh let us think of that, “the fire had had no power”. The other touch is that the lions’ mouths could not touch Daniel. It is the result of men of faith, that the power of men, the worst that men could bring against them, had no power.
Let us be encouraged, beloved brethren, tonight to trust in God and to go forward maintaining the principles that govern the house of God, maintaining the truth and holding to what is for God, and then see how God comes in. We need to be strengthened in this way. We can see how God came in for these men—how wonderful it was. And as the book proceeds we see how Daniel continued to the reign of Cyrus. Cyrus is a foreshadowing of Christ, and it is a suggestion really of continuing to Christ (see J. Taylor Vol.33, p.366). We want to think of what continues, what will prevail; it is what is priestly, what is princely, and what is in accord with the mind of God.
Just those few comments, beloved brethren; let us be encouraged and stimulated. Think of how the king came to Daniel; he knew it was not right that Daniel should be put there, but he just could not help himself once he had signed the decree and gone along with these wicked men; but he too had some sense of God’s intervention, and how thrilled he must have been to hear the voice of Daniel saying to him, “O king, live for ever!”. How the sound of that must have thrilled that king’s heart! Daniel said, “My God hath sent his angel”. Is his God your God? Is He my God? Paul could say, “An angel of the God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood by me”, Acts 27: 23. We are in days, beloved brethren, when we want to know God and we want to walk with Him. We had a touch as to walking by the Spirit, and if we live by the Spirit, let us walk also by the Spirit (Galatians 5: 25). Let us prove our God in these times of pressure and testing. Whatever may betide let us go on with our God and prove how near He will be in times of distress and pressure that may come upon us testimonially. Let us think for God’s rights and think for the glory of His name, and seek that the Lord Jesus may be honoured and that thus He will be free to come and manifest Himself to us. It will help us in view of what our brother referred to as to recovery and turning many from iniquity; there is a need for that today. May we be strengthened in having withdrawn from iniquity to maintain the divine standard of the truth by the pursuit of righteousness, faith, love and peace with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2
Timothy 2: 22), for His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, Plainfield
26 April 1983