QUALITY

D.Freeman

Daniel 1:8-17, 20, 21; 6:10-12, 16-22; 9:20-23; 10: 11-12, 19.

I thought we might pursue the thought of quality, beloved brethren, in relation to Daniel, who is a good example for us. It says of Daniel that he continued. He has the interpretation of the dream which indicates reduction in quality - the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw had its feet partly of iron and partly of day - but Daniel continues until the first year of Cyrus and the last verses that we read were his e:lGperience in the reign of Cyrus. The prophet Daniel is a very interesting book. Daniel lived to be an old man, so we have covered his whole life. God is interested in the whole lives of every one of us. He does not give us up when we get old but he is interested in us, indeed He carries us and bears us and I suppose the last years of our lives, can be times when there is great increase and furtherance of what is for the pleasure of God. I am thinking of Jacob, how he could speak of his age and what it was and what a knowledge of God he had! He was able to bless his sons concerning things to come, (Gen 49), and he was fully, we might say, in the light of God's thoughts. Maturity is seen with such men and it is surely to find its place with us. But then if we are young God is interested in us, interested in our resolves; and in a company like this, we have these times of our ages into which God enters in His grace. He knows the circumstances in which we are; indeed, the Lord Jesus Himself has grown up here. It is a wonderful thing to contemplate the life of Jesus, how He began as a babe, a dependent babe, then growing up as a boy (for we read of the boy Jesus): what pleasure He afforded God in those years! This is to be of interest to us; it is a word to us, and then there is to be full maturity, grown manhood. We read of Him beginning to be about thirty years of age. These stages of growth are seen in the divine family - the little children, young men and fathers. God helps every one of us in relation to these stages and I think it is important if we are young and when we are young to come, like Daniel, to a right resolve. This he did in his heart - not in his mind - his mind was governed by his affections.

We read of David's affections when he was young and it might be a word to us as to our affections, our affections for Christ, for His word, for His people, for His testimony, and desire to hold ourselves for His pleasure, the One who has died for us and risen again.

These circumstances were not easy for Daniel, and one would not suggest that our present circumstances are easy; in fact, I think perhaps for us they are more difficult than they have been for those who have gone before. I think of my own younger days, when the days in one sense were easier; not that they were easy, but they were easier than the present time. "In the last days", the Scripture says, "difficult times shall be there", 2 Tim 3: 1. We live in these difficult times; they are becoming increasingly difficult. Mr Taylor warned us that conditions in the world will become worse and worse, but things amongst us, beloved brethren, are not to change. We are to appreciate what is of value to God, we are to be found serving Him like Daniel, continually, and it is a good thing to have a first day in relation to His interests, as Daniel did. Heaven was interested, God took account of him from the first day that he set his heart to understand. And so God is interested in the resolves of those who are younger; they may not be of much account to others, indeed we may not know about them. Who would have known of this purpose of heart of these young men, who were in their 'teens, I suppose? This would be a difficult age, a difficult time, but they recognised the divine claim; they recognised that they were not their own. If we are the Lord's surely we would be concerned to recognise the claims of the Lord Jesus; He has absolute rights over us; He has died for us; He has given Himself for us. We are not to live to ourselves but to Him who has died for us and been raised. This means that we cannot enter into things that are not pleasing to Himself. Men may come and say, 'You must join this association; you must read this book; you must go to this party; you must go to this function'; but what about your inward resolves? Daniel, it says, had "purposed in his heart that he would not pollute himself with the king's delicate food, nor with the wine which he drank". He knew that there was another source for him, and the believer knows that he has another source in Christ on high. He has his food; he finds that food amongst the saints, and the Holy Spirit is life to him. He has another source from which he draws his refreshment and resource, and this is evident in his countenance. He is something different; he knows a different way to do things. Men desire stimulation for the flesh, entering into all that is unholy and displeasing to God, but we are to think that we belong to Another Who has saved us. We are going to be with Him and we want to be pleasing to Him now.

So Daniel begins in this way, with this resolve, that he would not pollute himself, and God helped him, and the results were seen, wonderful results in quality in a young man. God loves to bring young men before the authorities and before men to show what He can do. The world would show what it can cater to for the young and we see the products in his heart, and he stood firm, too, he stood firm to this day, and to the end he is still standing firm. There are those who would desire still to stand firm. The enemy seeks to get us to give up this and that, to reduce the standard here, there, and it is a gradual whittling away process until, we might say, there is nothing substantial left, and the answer that God is seeking is denied Him. We do not want to move on those lines, but rather to move on the lines of those who have a right outlook like Stephen, who increased in power and it was evident that God was with him, and God was prospering him, God was helping him as He was these beloved captive Jews, saints as they were in this past day in these difficult circumstances in the kingdom of Babylon.

Well, then Daniel is tested, and tests will come to those who desire to live piously, as it says. Let us not be afraid of that word "pious"; it says of Simeon that he was just and pious. God takes pleasure in piety. It says of the Lord that he was heard because of His piety. Piety brings God into our circumstances here. Faith brings God in, and the circumstances are never too great for God. God is greater than the circumstances; He is greater than our hearts, John says, and He knows all things, and we can persuade our hearts, it says, before Him, 1 John 3: 20. God is greater than every circumstance that has come in and as we wait upon Him we can prove His mind, for the truth remains, the standard remains, and where is our faith? "O ye of little faith", the Lord said to His own. Well, they became strong in faith; Abraham was strong in faith and gave glory to God. The tests will come to those who desire to live piously, as it says, and this is the test. The enemy would seek to cause us to move independently. Think of his temptations to the blessed Lord Himself, and how He answered with a knowledge of Scripture. It is good to have Scripture before us every morning and to begin rightly at home on the line of piety, individually, and household-wise too, in family prayer and reading. How important it is that our souls should be built up in the faith and on the lines of piety so that God is feared. A pious man fears God and he does not do this or that because he knows is displeasing to God. He is marked by faith and he walks with God and he is dependent on God and he proves God in his circumstances; he gives God thanks. These are simple matters; they are basic matters, important matters if God is to be rightly represented here, and he was by these young men of whom it says they were "ten times better", that is, God is able to help us to fill out fully what is according to His mind because of the supplies that He loves to bring in to help us, and He will give the needed word for whatever the circumstance may be. The Holy Spirit will teach you, the Lord said, in that hour, what should be said, Luke 12: 12. He understands the circumstances; He will provide what is needed; He will build us up, too, in relation to what is needed so that we have nothing to fear, and the result is seen, and seen by others. Their countenances were "fairer" and "fatter" than the others. What a testimony that was to the supplies that God gives, to the grace that He would bring in! This is not a testimony to the literature of this world which would build us up in the wrong man, the man that has brought dishonour and grief to God, the world of which Satan is the prince and god, but rather to another world and the One who fills it, the One who went down into death that God might be glorified. Well, these features are to be reproduced in us, and it is to be evident, as it says, that their countenances were fairer and fatter in flesh because of this simple food. A word of Scripture is of more value than innumerable volumes of this world's wisdom because it brings in Christ, and God's Christ is the answer to every need and circumstance among men. We think of the needs in the world, the war in the Far East, and all these conditions amongst men. What is the answer? God has the answer. The believer who is with God has the answer to it all. The answer is Ghrist, and He will soon appear. It says that when we see Him we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is, 1 John 3: 2; but in the meantime we are to be representative to men of what God's thoughts are, so that men can take account in us of that which is superior to what is in the world.

I pass on to the test that Daniel has, because we will be tested and we are inclined to be fearful of the test. The test comes; we may be persecuted. I do not think that what came to Daniel has ever come to us yet, but he was delivered. This is not just a story, you know; sometimes when we are young we think that this is just a story, Daniel in the lions' den, but this is a real circumstance about someone who was cast into this den of lions and the lions did not touch him. What is God saying to us in this? He is pointing to the kind of man th at Daniel was, how he was with God, and God was pleased to deliver him. We read of his habits; good habits are important; how little we cultivate them, such as the habit of prayer. It says of the Lord that He went up into the mountain to pray. We see everything in perfection with the Lord Jesus and we need to learn from Him. "Learn from Me", he says, "for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest to your souls", Matt 11: 29. We need rest in the troubled world, in a troubled Christendom, and whatever the circumstances may be, we can learn from Christ . There is nothing we are caused to pass through that He has not been through before us and can help us in with the grace that is freshly ministered to us from on high. Well, Daniel is one who continues "as he did aforetime". He has good habits; he goes into his chamber three times a day, firstly in the morning, I suppose, early morning - it is important to pray in the morning. Do you pray in the morning? Perhaps we should not take these things for granted, but it is a challenge to us as to whether we are marked by continual prayer. Daniel has these three opportunities - he is a busy man; we have an account of Joseph who was also a busy man. Some of us have busy jobs and God is with us in them, helps us in them, too, but then Daniel has time morning, midday, too, and evening, to revert in prayer to God. He does it continually, and no one is going to stop him. He is going to continue whatever the enemy seeks to do. Well, we know the enemy's attempt here is against Daniel, against his testimony - how inveterate the enemy is! - using this body of men to persuade the king to sign that whoever made a request of anyone but the king should be cast into the den of lions, and the reason was that they were after Daniel. And that is what the devil is doing, he is after the saints, after those who love God, he is determined to destroy them, he is the destroyer, and if he can, he is determined to destroy the testimony, but, thank God all his efforts will not prevail against the assembly because we know One who is greater, the great I AM. He says, "I am with you all the days until the completion of the age", Matt 28: 20. So He gives us the victory and God knows how to deliver the godly out of trial. Daniel had confidence in his God, and he was delivered because he believed in his God.

I want to refer to his outlook; I think that is very important. Three times a day he had his windows - not just one window; sometimes we say he had his window open but we need to read Scripture carefully - he had his windows open, all open towards Jerusalem; his whole outlook was directed to God's chief interest on earth. There it was in ruins, the nations had entered into it and plundered it, the vessels of God's house were in Babylon; they had been desecrated, and Daniel had stood before the king in association with the hand that wrote upon the wall with regard to the judgment of the kingdom. Daniel was there in correspondence with the hand, the fingers of a man's hand, and Daniel was able to give the interpretation. What were the feelings of his heart? Daniel was a feeling man, for he felt the conditions amongst the people of God at that time, felt that God's service and God's praise was hindered and he was there three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem. He was not thinking of a better position in Babylon; God had helped him in Babylon, but he was not settling down there. No, he probably had a good house - I would not doubt it - one of the best in the city - but no, Jerusalem was his chief joy. Jerusalem was in his heart. "They shall prosper", as it says in Psalm 122, "that love thee". Daniel was one of those who were prospering because he loved Jerusalem, and he could love Jerusalem in difficult circumstances. Are our prayers assembly prayers, even individually? Do we think of what concerns God, His honour and His glory? How we should feel these things! Daniel wept; Daniel was before God in regard to the conditions amongst God's people. With us this is often the subject of conversation, but with Daniel it was the subject of continual prayer, morning, noon and evening, in relation to God's interests, as his windows were open toward Jerusalem. What an example he is of one who continues, and what quality was there in manhood, intercessory quality with God!

This brings me on to the final verses, for God is drawn to him and heaven is interested in him. We were speaking this morning with regard to the activity of heaven in relation to the saints. Heaven is interested in a praying man; the heavens were opened to Jesus as He was praying. How God takes account of His people here as they are marked by prayer, deliberate prayer! We need to be deliberate, for the enemy would snatch these opportunities from us unless we are deliberate. I am sure we pray too little, at least, one feels that without question. Mr Raven said that, if he had his time over again, he would read less and pray more. Well, we need to do both. Daniel read, and he prayed, and he continued praying. He did not give up. Keep on praying is the word. Pray continually - how we need to! - because the enemy will seek an advantage over us in an unguarded moment. We need to be with God and to draw continually on the resources that are available to support us and to support the testimony here. We will be supported on that basis. Daniel was a feeling man; his feelings were in accord with the One who is on the throne, and God served him, too, in relation to his prayers. The prayer of chapter 9 was in the reign of Darius; perhaps it was uttered on one of the occasions referred to in chapter 6. As we know he was delivered from the den, but now in chapter 9 he goes back in his account to his prayer and the visitation that he had. God gave him to know that he was greatly beloved, and he was known personally above. Would not we like that? Daniel is seen as an individual whom heaven takes account of, whom heaven serves, and the priestly angel comes to him quickly with a quick answer to him. God has his contact here on earth in Daniel. Where is heaven's contact at the moment in relation to His people? God is going to see them through; the time is apportioned, seventy years. Daniel understood from the books that it was going to be seventy years and nothing could change that; it could not be sixty-nine, it could not be seventy-one. God is sovereign, and He does all things well, and He has measured all things according to His infinite wisdom and His love and His grace and His judgment. Everything is perfect in regard to God's timing. We might say, when we feel the conditions, "How long? How long?" Saints of God have cried, "How long?" many times, and God is affected by these prayers. He gives us to know how long, and Daniel continued, and he comes right through to the end, and he sees the return of the captivity, the answer to his prayer. God gives us to see the answers to our prayers, and He is affected by them, and He answers them quickly.

The man Gabriel flying swiftly touched Daniel about the time of the evening oblation. That refers to the oblation which accompanied the morning and evening lamb, which we read of in the law of Moses, Exod 29: 38-41, how the evening was to be in correspondence with the morning. There is to be no waning throughout the day, but full strength is to be continued to the evening as Christ is presented in the offering in the Iamb, accompanied by the oblation. We see how the Holy Spirit can help a man like Daniel to be maintained according to the height of the divine calling, so that he can take up divine interests in an intercessory way. We need to be intercessors. Great men of God have been great intercessors; indeed, Daniel is referred to in one of the prophets along with Noah and another man, Job; Noah, Daniel and Job, Ezekiel 14: 14. God said, if these three men were in the land and there were no greater men, we might say, who had more power in an intercessory way than these three men, yet He would not turn from His thought as to the people. A most solemn thing; God would not hearken even to such men as these, Noah, Daniel and Job, who would deliver but their own souls by their righteousness. What they represent, too, is the feature of patience. We read that the patience of God waited in the days of Noah, 1 Pet 3: 20. Think of that, God's patience waiting in view of the salvation, if possible, of men in spite of the terrible conditions that exist, and the more we are with God the more we will feel them and the depravity that marks the human race. What a model Daniel is for us! We have him here in these trying, testing circumstances, but he is committed, he is tested and tried, but God delivers him out of the den; but then he is maintained, too, at the height of the divine calling, prayerfully, as he intercedes for the people confessing his sin and the sin of his people. Notice that; he puts his sin there and he owns his part in the breakdown, the ruin that has come in. We all need to do that and to take it upon us, and then to confess the sin of the people, too. God will make us equal for that. We are not equal for these things of ourselves but we need the help of the Father's Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to enable us to be equal to God's thought and desires for us.

There is more that could be said, but Daniel is to shine. God has wonderful thoughts for the saints. We are to arrive at His full thought for us, and as one has said, we are not equal to this of ourselves, but God is able to make us equal; so Daniel was served in view of his being equal to what was to be communicated to him and he was assured at the same time that he was one who was greatly beloved. Well, we surely are to know this. We were speaking earlier of John, how he knew the love of Jesus and he spoke of himself in that way. Daniel was lovable. Mr Taylor spoke much of lovability in the saints. Are we lovable? Are we such that the saints can love us? Heaven's tastes are reflected, he said, in the saints. Daniel is loved in heaven and he is given to know this. This is a very precious thing to know in spite of the suffering, in spite of the pressure, and it is very great. Daniel feels these things with God, and he is made equal to what was to be communicated to him, and he is assured that in heaven he is greatly beloved. He is the subject, too, of divine visitations, and that quickly, the man Gabriel flying swiftly. What quality is seen there in Daniel! Then finally, the last word as to Daniel - I did not read this but I might add it - the word to him is, "Go thy way, Daniel; for these words are closed and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and be mad e white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand", Dan 12: 10. Then finally, "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days! But do thou go thy way until the end; and thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days", Dan 12: 13. Well, Daniel is one who continues, one who has an understanding of God's thoughts, and as an old man, too, he is maintained in the light of these things; he is preserved right through. God's hand is upon him; he is preserved from the lion - how great the deliverance! - and he is given to know heaven's interest in him, that he is personally known in heaven, that he stood firm in the testimony here and holds the divine thought and that there is an answer in him corresponding to what God's thoughts and desires for men are. God's thoughts are seen in Christ, and the Holy Spirit is here to help us in relation to them, that we might come up to the divine standard. Everything has been conferred upon us in Christ, and there is nothing lacking from the divine side, but there needs to be this work, this formation with us, and we need to be committed to it from our earliest days, setting ourselves to understand, determining not to pollute ourselves, not to go the way in which God would find it difficult, we might say, to help us, to speak to us, but we want to be a channel through which He can serve His saints, for He loves His people, too. This would link on with 2 Timothy; the quality is to be there in a vessel, "sanctified, serviceable to the Master, prepared", as it says, "for every good work". May we all be helped, beloved brethren, at this time, for His Name's sake.

Toronto

24th February 1973