Daniel (Greek) 6:1-5: a reflection

1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty local governors, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; 2and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these local governors might give account to them, and that the king should suffer no loss. 3Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the local governors, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 4Then the presidents and the local governors sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. There wasn’t any error or fault found in him. 5Then these men said, “We won’t find any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

Daniel, serving in the government of a foreign empire, is so capable and trustworthy that the king plans to set him over the whole realm. His rivals, jealous, look for grounds to accuse him; but they cannot find any. He was faithful, the text says, and no error or fault was found in him. So they conclude: We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God. His only vulnerability was his devotion to God.

Notice the testimony of Daniel's life: his enemies could find no fault in him. They searched, they were motivated by jealousy, they wanted grounds to accuse him; and they found nothing, because he was faithful and without error in his conduct. His integrity was so complete that the only thing that could be held against him was his faithfulness to God, which they would have to twist into a crime. His life was above reproach.

That is an integrity worth aspiring to. Could our enemies, searching for grounds to accuse us, find nothing but our devotion to God? Daniel lived so uprightly, so faithfully, that his conduct gave no handle to those who wished him ill; the only fault they could find was his faithfulness to God. Aspire to that kind of blameless integrity, so that your conduct is above reproach, giving no legitimate ground for accusation. Live so faithfully and uprightly that if anyone sought to accuse you, the only thing they could find would be your devotion to God, which is no fault at all. Let your integrity be your defense, as Daniel's was, so that those who oppose you find nothing to hold against you but your faithfulness to God.

Lord, Daniel served so capably and faithfully that his jealous rivals, searching for grounds to accuse him, could find none, because he was faithful and without fault; the only thing they could hold against him was his devotion to you. Give me an integrity worth aspiring to. Could my enemies, searching for grounds to accuse me, find nothing but my devotion to you? Daniel lived so uprightly, so faithfully, that his conduct gave no handle to those who wished him ill; the only fault they could find was his faithfulness to you. Help me aspire to that kind of blameless integrity, so that my conduct is above reproach, giving no legitimate ground for accusation. Help me live so faithfully and uprightly that if anyone sought to accuse me, the only thing they could find would be my devotion to you, which is no fault at all. Let my integrity be my defense, as Daniel's was, so that those who oppose me find nothing to hold against me but my faithfulness to you. Make me faithful and blameless, Lord.