God Gave Knowledge And Skill
Then Daniel asked the guard whom the
palace master had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: “Please
test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to
drink. You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men
who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you
observe.” So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days. At the
end of ten days it was observed that they appeared better and fatter than all
the young men who had been eating the royal rations. So the guard continued to
withdraw their royal rations and the wine they were to drink, and gave them
vegetables. To these four young men God gave knowledge and skill in every
aspect of literature and wisdom; Daniel also had insight into all visions and
dreams.
At the end of the time that the king
had set for them to be brought in, the palace master brought them into the
presence of Nebuchadnezzar, and the king spoke with them. And among them all,
no one was found to compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore
they were stationed in the king’s court. In every matter of wisdom and
understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten
times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. And
Daniel continued there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Job and Daniel had much in common.
They went through serious trials and challenges. Both had great success because
of the blessing of God’s presence in their lives. Both are viewed as giants of
the faith, one for his patience in suffering and the other for his purity in an
impure culture. In the passage from Daniel, the three who were given wisdom
have become known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. They supported and strengthened each other in
difficult times. They stood together in honoring God and in refusing to bow
before the king’s image. That is the kind of friend we all need, and with the Holy
Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost we have those same three friends today.
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