In the first chapter of the Book of Daniel, a rather interesting event takes place that I have often thought of and considered with some fascination. Daniel and his three friends were among a number of young men who were being prepared to become part of the king’s staff of wise men
. They ultimately showed themselves to be perceptive men—men of much wisdom—and ended up working right next to the king. In fact, by all indications Daniel was the #1 man on Nebuchadnezzar’s staff—the man who did most of the advising for this gentile king.
This is an early example of a Jew finding himself next to the seat of power in a nation that was not Israelite. From that time until today, this pattern has been shown to repeat again and again. Besides this, the Jewish people have often been successful in business, highly placed in educational institutions, and prominent in creative fields. Partially due to this fact, they have also often been envied, feared, and persecuted.
Does the pattern of Jews in or near positions of power exist because they, as a people, are simply more capable and intelligent than mankind as a whole? Is it due to chicanery and tricks? Or is there a particular tradition, found in the pages of our Bible, that can help explain it?
Join Ron Dart in answering these questions and others while examining Wisdom
—what it is, how we can attain it…and how it can be lost.