Character and Discipline · Christian Life

Conduct, obedience, and paying attention?

8 min read, approximately

“The king told Ashpenaz, chief of his eunuchs, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal line and the nobility: young men without any defect, handsome, instructed in all wisdom, knowledgeable, discerning, and fit to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of his food and of the wine he drank, and ordered that they be trained for three years, after which they would stand before the king. Among them, from the people of Judah, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he named Belteshazzar; Hananiah, Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abednego. Daniel resolved in his heart not to defile himself with the king’s food or the wine he drank; therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:3-8)

He named Daniel Belteshazzar, Hananiah Shadrach, Mishael Meshach, and Azariah Abednego. Daniel decided not to eat or drink the same things as the king, because for him that was a sin. So he asked Ashpenaz not to force him or his friends to sin by eating those foods.”

Daniel

Daniel, a young man from one of Judah’s wealthy families, was abruptly torn from the comfort of his family, his friendships, his people, and everything he was accustomed to… to be subjected to slavery.
Yet in God’s Word we find no complaint from Daniel. On the contrary, throughout his trials we always see Daniel respond with obedience, growth, and maturity.
Although we know God cared for Daniel, we also notice how Daniel did his part by paying attention, remaining obedient, and behaving appropriately in every matter. Let us examine these 3 points:

\1. Conduct

“Daniel resolved in his heart not to defile himself with the king’s portion of food or the wine he drank; therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs not to force him to defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8)

When faced with something that displeases us, that we dislike or disagree with, or with discipline, an instruction, or a warning, among other things, do we react with:

• Disrespect?
• Indifference?
• Shouting?
• Rage and anger?
• Frustration?
• Aggression or violence?

How do we react?

Although Daniel “resolved in his heart”, that is, “was determined” not to do it, he first tried to talk about it and seek a solution. That is why he “asked the chief of the eunuchs not to force him to defile himself.” And for this reason:

“God granted Daniel favor and goodwill with the chief of the eunuchs. The chief said to Daniel: I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and drink; if he sees your faces looking paler than those of the other young men your age, you will endanger my head before the king. Then Daniel said to Melzar, whom the chief of the eunuchs 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. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the king’s food, and deal with your servants according to what you see. He agreed to this and tested them for ten days.” (Daniel 1:9-14)

Can you imagine what would have happened to Daniel if, after resolving this in his heart, he had behaved badly?

Good conduct always brings benefits:

“God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in all literature and learning, and Daniel had understanding in every vision and dream. When the time the king had appointed to bring them in was over, the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. The king spoke with them, and among them all none were found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they stood before the king. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in his kingdom.” (Daniel 1:17-20)

\2. Paying attention

“In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams, and his spirit was troubled and he lost sleep. The king summoned the magicians, astrologers, enchanters, and Chaldeans to explain his dreams. They came and stood before the king. The king said: I have had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know it. Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show you the interpretation. The king answered the Chaldeans: I have forgotten the matter; if you do not show me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn to pieces and your houses turned into refuse heaps.” (Daniel 2:1-5)

When we need to focus our senses on a situation or a person:

• Are we easily distracted?
• Do we usually have too many things on our minds to understand what we are being told?
• Do we take notes?
• Do we put it off or leave it until the last minute?
• Do we prioritize?

We know Daniel was involved in the king’s affairs (Daniel 1:19-21), so he had to pay attention to what was happening around him. This helped him respond in time to the king’s proclamation:

“Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, and he would show the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went home and told his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened, so that they would ask the God of heaven for mercy concerning this mystery, lest Daniel and his companions perish with the other wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” (Daniel 2:16-19)

Can you imagine what would have happened to Daniel if he had not paid attention to the king’s edict?

\3. Obedience

“All the governors of the kingdom, magistrates, satraps, princes, and captains have agreed that you should issue and confirm a royal decree: whoever makes a petition to any god or person other than you, O king, during thirty days shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, O king, confirm the decree and sign it so that it cannot be revoked, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed. So King Darius signed the decree and the prohibition.” (Daniel 6:7-9)

When the apostles were forbidden to speak about Jesus, they said

“Peter and the apostles answered: We must obey God rather than human beings.” (Acts 5:29)

because they had to remain obedient to what Jesus had entrusted to them (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19), and, furthermore, the Word urges us:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and of good repute; if there is any virtue or anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Put into practice what you learned, received, heard, and saw in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

With this in mind, regarding the instructions, principles, and rules we receive from the Bible and those our parents have given us:

• Have we forgotten them because we are in a different place?
• Do we disregard them because we now have our own rules?
• Do we fail to keep them in mind because those around us tell us to do the opposite?
• Would following them make us seem old-fashioned?

For obvious reasons, Daniel chose to remain obedient to our Heavenly Father and

“… entered his house and, with the windows of his room open toward Jerusalem, knelt three times a day, prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he had always done.” (Daniel 6:10)

and although he was thrown into the lions’ den, he could say:

“My God sent his angel, who shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not harm me, because I was found innocent before him; and even before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” (Daniel 6:22)

Can you imagine what would have happened to Daniel if he had not remained obedient to our Heavenly Father?

Now, what have we learned from Daniel’s life? Do conduct, obedience, and paying attention serve a purpose? It is never too late to begin…

_**Remember to stop by the Songbook

May God continue to bless you, and may you continue to have an excellent day in Christ Jesus!