Daniel 5:13-17 - You may keep your gifts

5:13-16

Daniel was brought to the king. The king asked Daniel if he was indeed Daniel. This seems rather strange, surely he knew this. Maybe it demonstrates the lack of intelligence of the king, who was not the brightest. The king then uses a lot of flannel, saying he has heard great things about Daniel’s abilities, and making him the same offer as he had made to the wise men.

5:17

The king needn’t have bothered with all the flattery and rewards, for Daniel was not interested in these. One of the signs of being a godly man or woman is not being swayed by human praise or flattery, nor the offer of temporal rewards. Of course, we see this most clearly in the life of Jesus, but it should also be a characteristic of ours as well. Being sinful men and women we will not achieve it to the same degree as Jesus in this life, but the more closely we walk with God the nearer we should come to achieving it. For if we know we are loved by God why would human praise or earthly reward influence our actions?