Why Government Can't Save You by John F. MacArthur

Author:John F. MacArthur
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2011-08-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Daniel’s Uncompromising Civil Service

Daniel’s steady and godly performance in the arena of politics and government is an amazing testimony to the truth that God’s sovereignty works in mysterious yet perfect harmony with man’s responsibility.

Chapter 7

Daniel’s Uncompromising Civil Service

There is no better Old Testament example than Daniel of one who had an ideal relationship with secular authority—he maintained his walk as a believer and his life as a responsible citizen in perfect harmony. He is the rare example of one whose career was primarily devoted to statesmanship and civil service, yet without any of the modern negative connotations of being “a politician.” Today Daniel’s name is synonymous with integrity and quality of service, the model servant who was loyal to his government superiors, but not at the expense of his scriptural convictions.

Daniel was certainly recognized by his contemporaries as a superb role model. One of those men was the prophet Ezekiel, who through the Holy Spirit listed Daniel as one of the great men of righteousness of all time (Ezekiel 14:14). Actually, Ezekiel mentioned just three men, and two of them (Noah and Job) were already dead. Rarely does a living person receive such distinguished mention, so Daniel had to be an exceptional man, undoubtedly one whose actions and attitudes are worth studying and emulating.

THE ADVANTAGE OF GOOD PREPARATION

Daniel’s rise to prominence began during a difficult period for God’s people. He was among the many Jewish young men whom Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar took hostage after the first Babylonian invasion of Judah in 606 B.C. After Judah was finally defeated and its period of captivity in Babylon began in 586 B.C., Daniel and some of his peers were groomed to assist Nebuchadnezzar’s long-range plans for world domination.

Daniel 1:3–4 describes in part the kind of men the Babylonians were seeking for government service: “Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans [Babylonians].”

Daniel and his companions, by the simple fact that they were selected, proved that they were already well qualified for public service. First, they were “gifted in all wisdom”—they were already familiar with many academic subjects and would rather easily be able to learn new ones. Second, they were “possessing knowledge and quick to understand,” which means they could use discernment, correlate facts, and draw logical conclusions. In summary, Daniel and the other young men had quality educational backgrounds and good potential, which prepared them well for serving with excellence in their new country and relating properly to the demands of their government.

OBEDIENCE WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Daniel 1:4 concludes by saying “whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans [Babylonians].” That indicates that Daniel would have to engage

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