What were the characteristics that made Daniel a man with an excellent spirit?
Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring 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 ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel 1:3-6
Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians as a teenager to serve the king. He wasn’t brought to be just slave in a foreign land; he was chosen to serve the king in the palace.
The king was looking for a few qualities that were present in Daniel. Physically, he was good looking and without blemish. He was also gifted in wisdom. He had shown the ability to be prudent, to relate to people well, and to make sound decisions that allowed him to stand above all others. He possessed knowledge which meant he had done the work of becoming educated and learned young man. He was also able to be quick to understand.
Those characteristics show someone who had a vision for his life. Daniel wasn’t preparing for any long term goals neither did he know that he was going to be taken to the king’s palace. As a matter of fact, considering the condition of Israelites and their captivity, he could have easily found excuses not to become educated. He could have determined in his heart that there was no point to gaining skills or knowledge if he was going to spend the rest of his life as a Babylonian slave.
Some of the common questions from my children and my students are, “Why do I need to learn this material? Where will I use it?”. Our children have a mindset that they don’t need to learn something until there is a need to learn to it.
If Daniel had that attitude, he would not have been ready for what came his way. He had no prior knowledge that he was going to be taken to the king’s palace. He wasn’t doing it because he had career goals and ambitions. Daniel was only doing it because he had a noble character, and he was willing to do his best regardless of the circumstances. This caused him to have such a good reputation that the king heard about him.
When we give our best whether it matters or not, we have stepped into a new dimension. We have started walking down the path of excellence!
Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians as a teenager to serve the king. He wasn’t brought to be just slave in a foreign land; he was chosen to serve the king in the palace.