Daniel: an example of good cultural adjustment

Earlier today I read the first 6 chapters of Daniel. It's been awhile since I've read it, although we did see an excellent cartoon version of it on Sunday.

As I have 3 kids in French public school, I've sometimes asked people to pray that they would stand firm like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego did against some of the pressures that they faced to compromise.

But it struck me today how they are good examples of what people living in other cultures should seek to emulate. I was struck by God's sovereignty throughout all these stories. God intervened, even in the lives of Kings Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar & Darius. Certainly I have some friends stateside who are concerned about the current presidential regime & some of the directions being pushed. Daniel is a reminder how God works through kings, even those who don't initially acknowledge Him. In fact, these 4 men are examples of God putting his people in influential places so as to move kings toward His ways.

God's hand was on these young men. He gave them knowledge and wisdom beyond that of their peers. For Daniel, he gave the capacity to interpret dreams. God made them succeed. It struck me that I should be praying that for my children, as well as for my wife & me. The success of these 4 men didn't get to their heads (and Nebuchadnezzar's 7 years of madness are a reminder to not let God's blessings make us proud). But success sometimes brings opportunities to positively influence. Bono in U2 is an example of this.

I was quite encouraged by this reading of Daniel today. It is possible to get culturally & linguistically proficient in a new culture. But it's probably important to ask God to supernaturally guide this, in addition to working as hard as possible.

It only took 4 men to influence the Babylonian & Persian kingdoms. When skimming 1 Chronicles 12 today, verse 32 mentioned 200 men from the tribe of Issachar. They "had understanding of the times, to know what Israel should do." For all the other tribes mentioned before & afterwards in this chapter, there are larger numbers: 6,800 from Judah; 7,100 Simeonites; 4,600 Levites; 3,000 Benjaminites; 20,800 Ephraimites; 18,000 from one half of Manasseh; 50,000 from Zebulun; 38,000 from Naphtali; 26,800 Danites; and 120,000 from Reuben, Gad & the other half of Manasseh. 200 is much less than the other figures, but they knew what to do. Daniel, his friends, Joseph, and others lived in other lands, but knew what to do.

May we have the supernatural wisdom of God to know what to do in our times.