Daniel (Greek) 11:20-24: a reflection

20“Then one who will cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory will stand up in his place; but within few days he shall be destroyed, not in anger, and not in battle. 21“In his place, a contemptible person will stand up, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in time of security, and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22The overwhelming forces will be overwhelmed from before him, and will be broken. Yes, also the prince of the covenant. 23After the treaty is made with him, he will work deceitfully; for he will come up, and will become strong with a small people. 24In time of security, he will come even on the fattest places of the province. He will do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers. He will scatter among them prey, plunder, and substance. Yes, he will devise his plans against the strongholds, even for a time.

This passage foretells the rise of a contemptible ruler who was never given the honor of the kingdom by right, but who seized it by other means. He comes, the vision says, in a time of security, and obtains the kingdom by flatteries; he works deceitfully, growing strong by treachery and intrigue rather than by legitimate right. His power is gained not through honor and integrity, but through flattery and deceit.

Notice how this ruler gained his power: by flattery and deceit, not by right. He had no legitimate claim to the honor of the kingdom; he obtained it by smooth words, by working deceitfully, by treachery. His rise is a picture of a way of gaining power and position that runs entirely on flattery and deception rather than integrity, seizing by cunning what was not rightfully given.

That is a way of the world we still see, and are warned against. There are those who get ahead by flattery and deceit, who gain power, position, and advantage through smooth words and treachery rather than honesty and integrity; and their rise can tempt us to envy them, or even to imitate their methods. But what is gained by flattery and deceit is built on a rotten foundation, and does not finally stand before God, who sees the cunning behind the smooth words. Do not envy those who get ahead by flattery and deceit, nor imitate their methods to advance yourself. The way of integrity, though slower and less impressive, is what endures; refuse to gain by deceit what can only rightly be gained by honest means, and trust God with your own advancement rather than seizing it by flattery and treachery.

Lord, this passage foretells a contemptible ruler who obtained the kingdom not by right but by flatteries and deceit, working treacherously to gain what was not rightfully his. It shows me a way of the world I still see, and am warned against. There are those who get ahead by flattery and deceit, who gain power, position, and advantage through smooth words and treachery rather than honesty and integrity; and their rise can tempt me to envy them, or even to imitate their methods. But what is gained by flattery and deceit is built on a rotten foundation, and does not finally stand before you, who see the cunning behind the smooth words. Keep me from envying those who get ahead by deceit, or imitating their methods to advance myself. The way of integrity, though slower and less impressive, is what endures. Help me refuse to gain by deceit what can only rightly be gained by honest means, and to trust you with my advancement rather than seizing it by flattery and treachery. Keep me in the way of integrity.