Bloodline

The Bible doesn’t tell much about Daniel’s family line. All we know about his lineage is that he was a member of Israel’s royal family and nobility. When their government fell on the hands of the invading Babylonian empire, he and his other friends were taken captive.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, made a good show of his conquest. By subjugating the Israelite nobles into servant-hood, he proclaimed and sealed their abasement in the eyes of the whole wide world. Daniel was one of the elite few who were groomed to become a servant to the emperor. Not exactly an exciting prospect for someone who came from a noble stock.

Yet Daniel pulled himself together, stood his ground and despite the utter humiliation, he proved to his conquering master that his nobility was more than just his bloodline. He was noble by the strength of his character and integrity. By refusing to be defiled by heathen delicacies and practices, he declared his unflinching allegiance to God and to his Hebrew legacy.

Because of this, God honored his commitment beyond measure. He was promoted to the highest position in the government next to the emperor himself. When the Babylonian empire lost to the conquering Medo-Persian empire many years later, we still see Daniel rising from the rubble, still giving wise counsel to the new emperor. He outlived his master and his enemies. He went from victory to victory and best of all, he kept his original name and his Hebrew legacy despite his political success in a foreign land.

Daniel was royal by birth but he stayed noble by choice. He remained true to his God and that, I think, what made him get through all the tight spots he’s been into.