Daniel’s Courage or Solomon’s Wisdom?

Our discussion on Monday—whether we would rather have Daniel’s courage, Solomon’s wisdom, Joseph’s patience, or Peter’s boldness—has stayed with me over the past few days.

There is much to admire in Solomon. In fact, Solomon’s first great act of wisdom was asking God for wisdom. God was pleased with that request and granted him not only wisdom, but also wealth, honor, and influence. Solomon taught us what wisdom truly is: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” One of my favorite passages is Proverbs 8, where Lady Wisdom invites the simple to come and partake of her feast. It is a beautiful picture of God freely offering wisdom to those who seek it.

Job makes a similar observation. People go to extraordinary lengths to mine silver and gold from the earth, yet often do not pursue wisdom with the same determination, even though it is far more valuable.

What I find sobering, however, is that Solomon himself eventually departed from the very truth he taught. The man who wrote that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom ceased to fear the Lord in key areas of his life. His disobedience brought consequences not only upon himself but also upon the kingdom, contributing to its division and much of the turmoil that followed.

Then there is Daniel. What impresses me most about Daniel is that his courage was not merely a personality trait. It was built on discipline, conviction, and faith in God. Taken from his family at a young age and carried into exile, Daniel learned to govern his appetites and draw clear lines he would not cross. God honored that faithfulness by granting him wisdom.

Although he served under powerful and often arrogant kings, Daniel understood that the true sovereign was not the king of Babylon but the God of heaven. That perspective gave him remarkable courage. Equally impressive is the testimony of his daily life: his enemies could find no corruption or negligence in him. Courage in a crisis is admirable, but a lifetime of integrity, diligence, and faithfulness may be even more remarkable.

Daniel was also a prophet, and the testimony that Scripture gives about him is extraordinary. In Ezekiel, God places Daniel alongside Noah and Job as examples of exceptional righteousness, saying that even if Noah, Job, and Daniel were present, their righteousness would deliver only themselves. Later, in the book of Daniel, the angel addresses him as one who is “highly esteemed” or “greatly beloved” by God. Few people in Scripture receive such a commendation. It is remarkable that both God’s testimony through Ezekiel and heaven’s testimony through the angel point to the same man.

So, it is not really a competition between Daniel and Solomon. Both have much to teach us. But after reflecting on it for a few days, I still stand by my choice of Daniel. His courage was rooted in a disciplined life, unwavering faith, a deep recognition of God’s sovereignty, and a character that earned God’s own commendation. That is the kind of life I would most want to emulate.

Anyway, thank you for posing the question. It has given me much to think about.