God, the Source of all Wisdom, not just Bible Stuff
[17] As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. [18] At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. [19] And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. [20] And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. [21] And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Daniel 1:17–21 ESV
Here are 4 guys that experienced a major career change. One day they were part of the lead social class. They had all of the privilege that we hear about the fortunate: education, food, health, housing. And then they were carried off to Babylon! Nebuchadnezzar was building a kingdom and he knew that part of that involved getting rid of the best of the old kingdoms, so he took these guys in and reprogrammed them to be Babylonians. They got new names, new clothing, a new language, and a new education.
One of the greatest things about the book of Daniel is that God goes beyond the borders of Israel to be with His people. After all of these years of speaking Hebrew, God reveals Himself as the God of all nations, who can also speak fluent Persian.
Without scriptures, traditions, or anything really tying these 4 boys back to their Hebrew roots, they remain faithful to God in the midst of their new education. They cry out to God and He helps them learn more than anyone else of the Babylonian history and ways. Anyone that gets a new job has felt a little bit of what these guys felt. “Lord, help me learn how to do this!” was probably their daily prayer.
This learning grew in them as a revelation of God and His presence. Sure they learned the book stuff that everyone else was expected to learn, but there were some extra things that they knew only came from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That book knowledge, combined with the extra credit from the Lord, carried these guys to some of the highest positions in Babylon.
God loves to show up in every single thing we do, not just the Bible stuff. Take this bit from the life of Daniel and apply it to the things you need to learn. God wants to show up there too.
”But a general understanding of God exists, for God reveals a measure of his truth and wisdom to all. This is why Isaiah 28: 23 – 29 can state that anyone who is skillful in agriculture, who brings forth an advancement in farming science, has been “instructed by God.” One commentator writes about this text: “What appears as a discovery (the proper season and conditions for sowing, farm management, rotation of crops, etc.) is actually the Creator opening his book of creation and revealing his truth.” And farming is just one aspect of human culture. The development of new music, new technologies that advance our ability to travel by air or communicate with others, wise political leadership — all of these things are the result of God’s opening his book of creation and teaching us (cf. Ex 31:2–11; Jas 1:17).” – Tim Keller, Center Church