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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll see that God wants us to be people of blameless character and spiritual wisdom who stand firm in our faith regardless of the circumstances around us.

Key Verse

Daniel 1:17: As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Introduction

Daniel stands as one of the greatest examples in all of Scripture of a person completely dedicated to God. He was a young Jew of royal birth who was taken captive to Babylon during one of the deportations from Jerusalem. Despite being torn from his homeland and forced to serve in a pagan king’s court, Daniel never wavered in his commitment to the Lord.

Daniel 1:1-4: In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.

God blessed Daniel with a remarkably long life and gave him some of the most important prophecies about the end times found anywhere in Scripture. Daniel’s visions of future events complement and connect directly with the final book of the Bible, Revelation, giving us a complete picture of God’s plan for history. Three times in his book, Daniel is described as “greatly beloved” by the Lord—a remarkable testimony to his faithfulness.

Daniel 9:23: As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.

In this lesson, we’ll discover three qualities that made Daniel greatly beloved by God and see how these same qualities can transform our own walk with the Lord:

• conviction
• integrity
• discernment

A Man of Conviction

Daniel knew exactly what he believed, and he refused to compromise his convictions regardless of the pressure he faced. We see this quality demonstrated immediately when he arrived at Nebuchadnezzar’s court.

The king commanded Daniel and his friends to eat food and drink wine from the royal table. This might seem like a small matter to us, but it presented a serious problem for these young Jewish men. The food had likely been offered to idols and prepared in ways that violated the dietary laws God had given to Israel. For Daniel, this wasn’t just about food—it was about faithfulness to God.

Daniel 1:5-8: The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 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.

Notice that Daniel “resolved” not to compromise. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision made under pressure. Daniel had already decided in his heart that he would obey God no matter what the cost. (Notebook Moment: Have you made similar resolves in your heart about areas where you will not compromise your faith? What specific convictions has God called you to hold firm, even when it’s difficult?)

It would have been easy for Daniel to make excuses for giving in. After all, he was in a foreign country, far from home and the temple. He could have told himself that God would understand if he bent the rules just a little to survive. But Daniel understood an important truth that we must grasp as well—God’s standards don’t change based on our circumstances.

Psalm 119:89: Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

Matthew 24:35: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Daniel also understood that we cannot make small compromises with the world without eventually making large ones. Sin often begins with seemingly insignificant choices that lead us step by step away from God’s will.

Psalm 141:4: Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.

Psalm 1:1-2: Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

1 John 2:15: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

What’s remarkable about Daniel’s response is that he wasn’t rude or disrespectful to the authorities over him. He found a way to be submissive to earthly authority while remaining faithful to his heavenly King.

Daniel 1:11-12: Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.”

Later in his life, Daniel faced an even greater test of his convictions. His enemies, jealous of his success, convinced King Darius to pass a law forbidding prayer to anyone except the king for thirty days. Daniel knew this law was designed to trap him, but he refused to compromise his commitment to God.

Daniel 6:10-11: Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.

Daniel’s unwavering convictions became a powerful testimony to the reality and power of the true God. Even pagan kings recognized that Daniel served the living God.

Daniel 6:25-27: Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: “May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

A Man of Integrity

Daniel built a reputation for complete honesty and reliability in every area of his life. His integrity was so well-established that even his enemies couldn’t find any fault with his character. How did Daniel demonstrate this remarkable integrity?

First, Daniel chose his companions carefully. He surrounded himself with people who shared his commitment to God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood with Daniel in refusing to compromise their faith. These young men encouraged each other to remain faithful to the Lord.

Daniel 1:17: To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

When these three friends faced the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image, they showed the same unwavering faith that characterized Daniel.

Daniel 3:16-18: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 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.”

The kind of friends we choose reflects our own character and influences the direction of our spiritual life.

Proverbs 13:20: Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

1 Corinthians 15:33: Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

2 Timothy 2:16: Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

Second, Daniel remained loyal to his friends when God gave him success. He understood that God alone gives success and promotion, so he used his influence to help those who had stood with him.

Daniel 2:48-49: Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.

Psalm 75:6-7: No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.

Third, Daniel earned a reputation for excellence and trustworthiness that was recognized even by his enemies. His character was so blameless that those who wanted to destroy him had to create a law specifically targeting his faith in God.

Daniel 5:11-12: There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. I myself have found Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, to be a man with an exceptional spirit and with knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.

Fourth, Daniel was trusted with tremendous responsibility in managing the kingdom’s affairs. King Darius recognized Daniel’s exceptional abilities and planned to set him over the entire kingdom.

Daniel 6:1-3: It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

Daniel’s enemies searched hard for some way to accuse him, but his life was beyond blame. (Notebook Moment: If people who wanted to harm you examined every detail of your life, what would they find? Are there areas where you need to pursue greater integrity?)

Daniel 6:4-5: At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

This kind of blameless character is what God wants from all His people. Unbelievers are watching Christians carefully to see if our lives match our words. Our integrity—or lack of it—becomes a witness either for or against the gospel.

Colossians 4:5: Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

People should be able to examine our lives closely and find no legitimate reason to accuse us of wrongdoing.

A Man of Discernment

God blessed Daniel with supernatural wisdom and the ability to understand visions and dreams. But this wasn’t because Daniel was somehow more special than other believers. God gave Daniel these gifts because he wanted wisdom and used it to bring glory to the Lord.

Daniel 2:19: During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.

Daniel was always careful to give God the credit for the wisdom he received. He never took personal glory for the revelations God gave him.

Daniel 2:30: As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

Even pagan kings recognized that Daniel’s wisdom came from God.

Daniel 2:47: The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”

God blessed Daniel with wisdom because he wanted it with the same hunger that Solomon showed when he asked God for wisdom to rule well.

Daniel 2:20-23: Daniel said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

James 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

The same Holy Spirit who gave Daniel wisdom and discernment is available to every believer today. God has provided us with His Word and His Spirit to guide us into all truth. The wisdom that Daniel received through special revelations, we can receive through careful study of Scripture and dependence on the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:9-13: However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

✏️ Notebook Moment: How are you actively seeking God’s wisdom through His Word and prayer? In what area of your life do you need spiritual discernment right now? What practical steps can you take to grow in wisdom and discernment?

God revealed to Daniel many details about future history and the end times. These same truths have been preserved for us in Scripture, where the Holy Spirit continues to teach us through God’s written Word.

Conclusion

The life of Daniel reminds us of another young man we’ve studied—Joseph. This connection teaches us that there are common qualities that appear in all people who walk closely with God, regardless of their background or circumstances.

First, like Daniel, Joseph was a person of unshakeable convictions. Even when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, Joseph refused to compromise his commitment to God.

Genesis 39:9: No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?

Second, like Daniel, Joseph was a person of great integrity. He built a reputation for trustworthiness and excellence that was recognized by everyone around him.

Genesis 39:2-4: The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

Third, like Daniel, Joseph was a person of spiritual discernment. God gave him wisdom to interpret dreams and manage the resources of an entire nation during a time of crisis.

Both Joseph and Daniel were given positions of great authority and influence. God blessed them and helped their work succeed because of their faithful character.

What’s especially striking is that both of these men were young when they first faced their greatest tests. Daniel was likely a teenager when he was taken captive to Babylon. Joseph was seventeen when his brothers sold him into slavery. Throughout our lessons in this survey, we’ve seen how God uses all kinds of people to accomplish His purposes—men and women, young and old, rich and poor, educated and simple. Age is never a barrier to being used powerfully by God.

One of the final revelations given to Daniel describes how God views His faithful servants, and this promise applies to every believer who lives with integrity and wisdom:

Daniel 12:3: Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

Daniel’s life challenges us to examine our own commitment to the Lord. Are we people of unshakeable convictions who refuse to compromise our faith regardless of the pressure around us? Do we demonstrate sterling integrity in every area of our lives? Are we growing in spiritual discernment through God’s Word and dependence on His Spirit?

The God who blessed Daniel’s faithfulness is the same God we serve today. He is still looking for people who will stand firm in their convictions, live with integrity, and seek His wisdom above all else. When we commit ourselves to these qualities, we too can become people who are “greatly beloved” by the Lord and used powerfully for His glory.

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