In this series, I’ll highlight some leadership lessons which we can learn from the life of Daniel. Unlike King David, who was the King of Israel, Daniel provides significant leadership lessons for those who are high up in an organization, but report to someone who is antagonistic toward God.
Chapter 1 of Daniel reads as follows:
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 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. 3 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—4 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. 5 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.
6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. 8 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. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
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.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
Introduction
Daniel is taken by force to Babylonia and is put into service of the King, Nebuchadnezzar. In order to serve the King, Daniel needed to learn the language and literature of Babylonia. He was to be trained for three years, then enter the King’s service. Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t care about Daniel’s religion or his upbringing. He doesn’t give one whit about what Daniel already knows, he only cares about what Daniel can learn from him and his court.
Christians do themselves a great disservice by not being willing to learn from those who don’t know God. I’ve met Christians who have an underlying suspicion of anything a godless person knows simply because they are godless. Daniel doesn’t fight learning from the godless – but as we’ll see, he also clings to that which he knows to be true, even if it costs him everything.
Daniel Doesn’t Give In to Get Along
Part of his training included food and wine from the King’s table. The food and wine, apparently, would cause Daniel to defile himself, so the Bible says that Daniel “resolved not to defile himself” with the royal food and wine. Daniel was learning new things. He had just been taken from his home – never to see it again. He was in a foreign land with his friends, but was having to learn a new language and culture. He was isolated. One would have understood if he had chosen to give in to get along.
Christians who are on the fast track to leadership in organizations that are godless will be asked, from time to time, to give in to get along. The temptation is to set aside your standards and beliefs in order to “fit in” – to “get along”. He wasn’t being threatened with death – that would come later. For now, the temptation is small – or seemingly so.
Daniel Communicates – He “Manages Up”
So, given this situation, Daniel communicates with the official over him and lets him know of his inability to eat the King’s food and drink the King’s wine. Now – notice the assumption of the official: if Daniel doesn’t eat and drink the King’s food and wine, he will become unhealthy and it is the official who will pay the price. But Daniel challenges this assumption and gives the official a viable way through the impass: try not eating the king’s food and wine for 10 days and then see if he looks healthier.
When faced with a situation in which you’re asked to give in to get along, look for a way to communicate your beliefs. But do it respectfully and not demandingly. Daniel was neither. Then look for a viable way through the impass – in most instances, God will need to show you the way out (echos of 1 Corinthians 10.13). You’ll need to take the initiative and “manage up” as you stay true to your beliefs and standards.
Notice also that Daniel leaves the outcome in the hands of the official – I think – presuming that God will intervene in the official’s thinking and direct his decision (vs 13).
Daniel Trusts in the Providence of God
Twice in Chapter 1 we find God doing things on Daniel’s behalf which Daniel needed:
- Vs 9: God had caused the official to have “favor and compassion” for Daniel and his three friends
- Vs 17: God gave to Daniel and his friends knowledge and understanding, but to Daniel, he also gave the gift of understanding dreams and visions
As Christians, when we are serving a godless manager or business owner, we need to trust that God can give that person favor and compassion for us, even though our beliefs are radically different. And we need to remember that our gifts and talents come from God and that they can be used to point the godless to the one true God.
Daniel Excels at Mastering What He was Assigned to Learn
Notice in vss 18-19 that Daniel and his friends mastered the content given to them to learn – so much so that they were found to have no equals in the kingdom. They must have been learning ideas and religions that were not true – yet they invested themselves in learning these things better than anyone else.
God does not condemn us for learning that which is not true. He only condemns us when we believe it. You can learn many things without believing those things are true. If we are to be salt and light in a lost and broken world, we need to connect with this world and understand what it believes. While many falsehoods are highly deceptive, if you know the truth, it will set you free from being entrapped by the alluring deceptions other religions and systems of thinking offer.
Summary
When you work for someone else who is clearly not a follower of Jesus Christ, keep in mind these four things:
- Don’t give in to get along – leaders know when they must take a stand
- Communicate well and “manage up” – leadership can happen at any level in an organization
- Trust in the providence of God – he can increase your effectiveness as a leader
- Excel in your work and learning to the point where there is no equal to you in your company – leaders are well read and well educated
Bill English
Bible and Business
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