Daniel in some ways had it easy. Though he was brought to Babylon as a captive and then the kingdom changed hands several times, he was second or third in the kingdom for much of his life. But when I say he had it easy I mean comparatively (you have to remember I have been reading through the Bible and Daniel is in middle of the prophets who all had --to all appearances-- pretty miserable lives). Daniel did not have a carefree life.
Remember the handwriting on the wall story? He gets to tell Belshazzar that "God has numbered your kingdom and finished it. You have been weighed in the balances and been found wanting. Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians."(Daniel 5: 26-28) Then the king has him all decked out and made him third most important in the kingdom. Why would a very proud king do that after Daniel said he was doomed? It wasn't because he said he would do it. If Daniel was right and the Medes and Persians did conquer Babylon, they would kill all the most important people among whom would be Daniel. The Medes and Persians did attack, Babylon was captured, Belshazzar was killed, and under God's hand of protection, Daniel was spared and made a governor under Darius.
Then, under Darius, he gets thrown in the lions den because his peers hate him.
He also has trouble with dreams. Not just the ones that he had to interpret for Nebuchadnezzar which under ordinary circumstances would have got him killed. Daniel had his own dreams. Here are a couple verses where Daniel himself says that they are terrifying:
Daniel 7:28 ¶ “This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.”
Daniel 8:27 ¶ And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.
and here's the killer: as far as we know Daniel was still on the vegetarian diet that he and his friends established when they were brought to Babylon from their homeland in captivity. Also as far as we know, Daniel never saw that homeland again. A life you would have liked to live? I don't think so.
But Daniel did it anyway. Being captured he couldn't avoid. Most of the rest of he could have if he had chosen to, though. God used Daniel's extraordinary life for His glory. In the big picture --like many other men of God of that time period (remember, I'm reading in the Prophets at the moment)-- at the time he had little impact on Israel as a nation. He didn't lead them out of captivity or cause the whole nation to repent and turn back to God, but in the even bigger picture, he did everything he was supposed to. He obeyed God no matter what and didn't compromise his convictions. Also in the bigger picture, many people throughout history have decided to stand up for what they believe in solely because they remember the story of Daniel's life of faith and obedience to God.
Hebrews 11:32 ¶ And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
Hebrews 11:33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Hebrews 11:34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again. ¶ Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
Hebrews 11:36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—
Hebrews 11:38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
Hebrews 11:39 ¶ And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
Hebrews 11:40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
