This first section of the book of Daniel was written in native Hebrew, and as such was meant for the nation. According to 1:3-4 Daniel was deported along with “Some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had the ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.”
Though it would be the king who tested Daniel to see if he was worthy to serve in his court, it was in reality the King of Kings who tested him to see if he would be fit to serve in His court.
Dear ones, never forget that such testing is necessary. The world may say that “character does not matter,” but that is not so. They may say that what a person does in private between consenting adults is no matter, but it matters to God. Daniel and his three friends were put to test with God’s provisions and were better prepared to face the world with God than facing the world without God with the provision that the world offers.
We are told in 1:20-21 that “in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.”
Such testing was not just once my friend but remained for the entire 70 years in captivity. Saints, do you know that right now we dwell in the land of captivity and are being tested by the temptations of the delicacies of this world? Oh, I pray that we may pass the test and press on to the upward call in Christ!