The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 134

IV. I'll! ALL-OONQUERING POWER, It shall be ra~d by no other kingdom; it shall vanquish all. It-s victories may be slow, but they are sure. No weapon that is formed against this empire shall prosper. The nation that will not servo King Jesus shall perish. 'l'he powers that asS11il the Church of Christ shall be broken in pieces as a potter's vessel. Duri11g the past eighteen centuries this has been the tale of history. 'l'he two-edged weapon of Divine truth has triumphed. 'l'he testimony of infidel and adversary is this: "The Nazarene has conquered.'' It is a bloodless warfare, and ends in abiding victory. V. MARK ITS PERPETUAL DURATION, The elements of which this kingdom le compo~ed are indissoluble and imperishable. They are righteousness, truth, love, peace. The King himself is eternal and immortal, "without beginning of days, and without end of life." To all his subjects he gives immortal youth. "They shall never perish." Hence there is nothing in this empire that is pervious to decay, Once more will God shke heaven and earth, to the end that what is frail may perish, and that the "things which cannot be shaken may remain." This is a kingdom which cannot be moved. " For he must reign, until he bath put all things under his feet,'' It is a ciccree growing out of the roots of absolute and eternal neceosity,-D. Vers. 46-49.-The kingly worth of a good man discovered. As surely as God lives, the Author of all real goodness, loyalty shall become, in due time, royalty. Faithful devotion to him shall be honoured in the presence of monarchs and mighty men. The man who bows in lowly homage at the feet of the Eternal shall by-and-by see others at his feet. "Before honour is humility." I. THE PROPHET'S suooEss. Daniel had proceeded, with honest fidelity, to declare to the king the truth entrusted to his keeping. He had not flattered Nebuchadnezzar with glittering and delusive hopes. He had held out no prospect that the Chaldean kingdom should be permanent. Nevertheless, the Chaldean king felt that there was an authority and a majesty in the troth, vastly superior to his own. He bowed before it. The previous discovery of the magicians' falseness had prepared his mind to value truth ; hence he prostrated himself before the visible representative of heavenly truth, with that abject mode of prostration common in his court. The truth from the prophet's lips had produced that inward sense of personal littleness which accorded with reality. The homage he rendered to God's message was, according to the customs of the age,jitting. There was more of kingly nobleness in Daniel than in Nebuchad- nezzar; and the monarch, in his way, foresaw the day when the sons of God shall be manifested in royal power. But it was not fitting that the homage due to the Master should be given to the servant; and, though the narrative leaves Daniel silent here, doubtless he disclaimed all right to such adulation, and directed it to be given to the Divine Author of truth. Publicly did the heathen monarch confess that Jehovah was God above all other gods-King over all other kings. It was no slight change wrought in the convictions and temper of the monarch, when he thus cast obloquy on Chaldea's deities, and confessed the power of Israel's God. 'l'his was the success which Daniel had sought. II. THE PROPHET'S BEWAllD. Although Daniel declines to accept the homage which was due only to the unseen God, he does not fall therefore in the monarch's esteem: he rises higher still. Then the candid honesty of the man compels him to forego worldly advantage, that he may be loyal to truth and to God. Buch a man is worthy of large and implicit trust. The interests of the empire can be entrusted to no better LBllds. He she.II stand next to the king; he shall be king in all but the name I No human sovereign can make Daniel a great man. He was great already, moulded and fashioned into greatness by a Divine hand. Such intrinsic greatness the world could not give nor take away. Outward signs of greatness, however, the king conferred, He gave him riches; he gave him rule; made him prime minister of state. The king Lad learnt by experience that no expense spent on Daniel had been waste. His nourish- ruent and education of Daniel for three years had proved most remunerative outlay. A.mp1y had Le been repaid. And now gratitude and interest alike prompted him to confer all pr.. ssible power upon this right noble man. Never could the title be better conferred-" most excellent," or "right honourable.'' He "sat in the gate" to direct tLc adminiatration and to dispense justice. This was the" sublime porte" of Bab¥lon, en. m. 1-30.] THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 9fi -----------------~ III._ THE PROP~ET'e SELF-FORGETFUL S1;'1RIT. He bas but one request to make of the kmg, 1md this r~queat was not for himself, but for ot~e_rs. Having been highly exalted, he seeks g1f~s for_ men. Nowhere does the nobility and magnanimity vf the man come more mto view than here. II1s sudden elevation to rank. anrl riches an~ n!l~ bav~ not spoilt h~m. I1;1 ~im lurks _no ambitious pride. He has no thought of mv1d10us n_valry. He 1s unwilling to en,1oy bis honours alone. In that hour of unex_re~tcd tnurnph he d~es not forget bis fellow-captives who had joined their prayers to hu m the hour of exigency. It may seem a bold petition: it may imperil his reputation with the king. To ask that the native Chaldeans-the officers who had gained illustri~us honour by the conquest of Jerusalem-should be displaced to make roo~ fo! three_ obscure_ an~ captive. Jews_: truly, this was e. large request. Does not Damel Jeopardize e.11 his go.ms by this dannu proposal? Come what will he will serve his nation, he will serve his God, And if, by sagacious foresiaht he can' diminish the oppressions of his countrymen, or pave the path for their retu~ t~ Palestine he will do it. The sacred fire aglow in his heart is revealed. Self is obliterated. To' do good to Jew and Gentile alike-this is bis sweet ambition I O man "beloved of God" thy name shall be embalmed in fragrant remembrance.-D. ' '