The Excellent Spirit

Today I was led to consider the reputation Daniel garnered after years serving king Nebuchadnezzar.  The excellent and virtuous qualities observed in Daniel's character was not due to his natural goodness but the greatness of his God he trusted and worshipped.  Knowledge of God, His word and belief in Him guided Daniel to excel both as a student and a ruler throughout his entire career.  Like Joseph who was raised to be second to Pharoah in Egypt, he was successful at everything he did because God was with him.

After Belshazzar (Nebuchadnezzar's son) assumed the throne, during a feast he had a shocking and sobering experience when the fingers of a man appeared and inscribed words on the plaster wall:  "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN."  The king commanded his astrologers and diviners to interpret the message on the wall, but they were unable to do so.  When the queen mother heard of the uproar, she said in Daniel 5:11-12:  "There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father--your father the king--made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. ¹² Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation."

While the king, his advisors, concubines and mighty men were confused and troubled, the queen was without alarm or concern.  She had complete confidence Daniel would be able to provide the interpretation because the Spirit of the Holy God was in him.  She described Daniel as having "light and understanding and wisdom" within him, an "excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding" that enabled him to intrpret dreams, solve riddles ("dissolve doubts" in the KJV) and explain enigmas.  These godly qualities Daniel exuded by God's Spirit were like a bright shining light in a land darkened by idolatry, a wise, clear voice of reason that rang true amidst confused babbling and proud ignorance.  When Daniel was called before the king, God enabled him to explain the message which would soon come to pass in Daniel 5:26-28:  "This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; ²⁷ TEKEL: you have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; ²⁸ PERES: your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

Observe how objectively wise God is!  He is truly the God who reveals secrets, able to explain dreams, riddles and languages which man cannot know without Him.  God has all knowledge, understanding and insight; He is the sovereign God who is the KING OF KINGS, and His judgments stand.  The God of Israel does not only know things:  He can do everything!  It is exactly as Daniel proclaimed, that God who raises up kings also deposes them, gives wisdom to the wise, knowledge to the discerning, reveals deep and hidden things, knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him (Daniel 2:19-23).  May we bless the glorious LORD at all times as is written in Psalm 8:1:  "O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!"  The God who rules and reigns on high has become wisdom for us in Christ who grants us the Holy Spirit without measure (1 Cor. 1:30-31; John 3:34).