And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.
Daniel continued even unto the first year of ... Cyrus - (2 Chronicles 36:22; Ezra 1:1). Not that Daniel did not continue beyond that year, but the expression is designed to mark the fact that he who was one of the first captives taken to Babylon, lived to see the end of the captivity. See my Introduction, 'SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BABYLONIAN EXILE.' In Daniel 10:1 he is mentioned as living "in the third year of Cyrus." See margin note here on the use of "till," in Psalms 110:1; Psalms 112:8. He lived until the first year of Cyrus, the epoch of the end of the captivity, and he lived beyond it.
Remarks:
(1) This book begins with an historical and biographical introduction in the first chapter. Daniel as a captive exile represents his nation in their servitude and captivity, while his holy separation from pagan pollutions (Daniel 1:8-17), the care and favour of God toward him, and his heavenly insight into the deep mysteries of the future (Daniel 1:20), represent the divine superiority of the elect people of God, even in their exile, to their proud pagan masters. As Daniel saw the beginning, so he lived to see the end of the Babylonian captivity under Cyrus, and the downfall of the haughty oppressor, Babylon (Daniel 1:21). The greatness of the world at its best is transitory; the people of God, at their worst, are still heirs of heavenly glory.
(2) The vessels of Yahweh deposited in the house of a Babylonian idol (Daniel 1:2) were a presage of the destruction of Babylon by Yahweh; because it was impossible but that God would be jealous for His own honour, thus insulted, and vindicate it by awful judgments at last on the insolent enemy. Wicked men often are suffered to complete their guilt by some one act which provokes God to inflict vengeance upon them.
(3) Daniel and his three youthful fellow captives were by Nebuchadnezzar's direction taught in all the learning of Chaldea. How remarkable is the providence of God, that He should make the enemy of the elect people the instrument of training his chosen servant in those human qualifications which adapted him for the high functions, temporal and spiritual, which he was to discharge! The prophet of Babylon's downfall, and of the doom of all the opponents of God and His people, to the last ages of the world, was prepared for his work by the then existing representative of Antichrist, the Babylonian king. As Moses was trained in all the learning of Egypt by the instrumentality of the daughter of the King of Egypt, whereby he was qualified to be the deliverer God's people out of the hand of the King of Egypt; so in all ages God makes His enemies unconsciously further His purposes against themselves, to the praise of His glory.
(4) In order that Daniel and his three friends might forget their God, whose name entered into the composition of their Hebrew names, Nebuchadnezzar gave them new names, containing the names of his idols: Belteshazzar, from the idol Bel; Shadrach, from Rak the sun-god; Meshach, from Shak the earth god; and Abed-nego, from Nego the fire-god. Their names thus indicate at the outset the seeming triumph of the pagan world-power; but they really were the pledge that God would save His people and cast down the idolatrous oppressor, for the honour of His holy name, which was thus set at nought. They who bear the name of God should always, however exalted in worldly position, walk worthy of their high name, and never allow the name and rank which the ungodly world gives them to cause them to forget their trite name and character as the children of God. In educating the young, parents ought to remind them that they belong to God and His Christ, whose holy name was put upon them in their baptism.
(5) Though the sentence of God on the Israelites, that "they should eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles" (Ezekiel 4:13), was executed on the majority, there was an elect remnant who remained pure amidst Gentile defilements. Daniel, with deliberate "purpose of heart" (Daniel 1:8), would not defile himself with the king's meat or wine; because to have partaken of it would have been a tacit sanction of idolatry, seeing that an initiatory offering had been made of it to consecrate the whole meal to idols. He who was to be the interpreter of Yahweh's revelations against the pagan world-power, must not himself feed on the dainties, nor drink from the intoxicating cup of the world. Like Moses, he must "choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:24-26). Faith was the secret principle of Daniel's consistency. Faith alone can enable the young to overcome the carnal appetites of sense, which are especially strong in early life and youthful vigour. They who would excel in wisdom and piety must learn early to keep the body in subjection to the spirit. Temperance is conducive to the health alike of body and of soul. A pampered body clogs the intellect, and still more incapacitates the man for spiritual impressions.
(6) Above all, when indulgence in the appetite, as in Daniel's case, would have involved a compromise of religious principle, the path of self-denial is clearly the path of duty, of safety, and of happiness. Daniel and his three companions living on pulse and water, for conscience' sake, were fairer in countenance and fatter in flesh than all the children who did eat of the king's meat (Daniel 1:15). Not that God ordinarily enjoins asceticism for "meat commendeth us not to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, neither if we eat not are we the worse" (1 Corinthians 8:8). But where the question is between eating some particular food at the cost of offending God and not eating, and so retaining the favour of God, there the principle which should actuate us is plain-namely, faith in the power of God to find other means of sustaining His people when He forbids them certain viands as being connected with sin. "Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the month of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
(7) Firmness in faith is consistent with gentleness of demeanour. Many, under the pretext of faithfulness in bearing testimony, cover over a spirit of ostentation and love of opposition. Daniel did not court martyrdom for its own sake, but sought, by conciliatory means, to maintain a conscience void of offence, without the least compromise of principle. So "God brought him into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs" (Daniel 1:9); and ultimately, when the time of training was completed, God had endowed Daniel and his three companions with such "knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom," that "the king found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm" (Daniel 1:17; Daniel 1:20). God thus made one of the despised covenant-people to excel the Chaldean sages in the very science on which the most prided themselves; an earnest of the final triumph of the people of God, though now so downtrodden, above all their enemies. Let us see that we give our sympathies to, and take our portion among, the people of God at all costs; for whosoever, like Daniel, shall confess the Lord before men, shall be confessed by Him before the assembled universe when He shall come in His glory.