Nobel Birth
Daniel was of noble birth, he was from the royal tribe of Judah and probably from the house of David, possibly a descendant of King Zedekiah. He was an attractive young man with no physical deformities or defects. In other words he was a healthy, handsome, young man, pleasing to the eye. He was intelligent, well-trained, and was apt to learn and comprehend new things and to adapt to new cultures and languages.
God is my Judge
His name meant “God is my judge." Names were very important then; your name described who you were. To God names are very important, for example, God changed Abram and Sara's names to Abraham and Sarah; He changed Jacob’s name to Israel.
Prophet of God
Daniel was a prophet of God. Jesus confirmed this in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14. Throughout the book of Daniel you read prophesies of Daniel from God. Many prophesies were fulfilled in Daniel's time, others were fulfilled 100 years later, and some of these prophesies are not yet fulfilled. These fulfilled prophesies have become historical facts you read in history books.
Love for God’s Word
He had a love for the Word of God and studied and meditated on it. Just like a teacher? Nowhere in the Bible do we read that Daniel was a teacher, but Daniel followed a very important principle. He ‘walked the talk’, he lived by example, he lived what he believed and this is one of the most important principles for a teacher—for everyone, but definitely for a teacher. The Bible warns teachers that they will be held accountable (James 3:1); therefore it is so important that teachers live what they teach. We all need to live by example, so these principles are not only for teachers but for everybody. You teach or instruct as a parent, a coach, a training officer, and so forth.
Middle-Management
Daniel worked under four different kings, where he reported directly to the king. In modern times we would classify Daniel as middle-management. His employers differed from a tyrant to God’s shepherd. During his career he survived a hostile take-over (Medo-Persians taking over Babylon) and three times the changing of the head, and therefore the culture, of the organization (different kings from different lands ruled Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus)
Daniel was a man who lived by faith.
