Page 85 - The Prophet-statesman a Drama of Daniel

support and backing of the great autocrat.
The envy and jealousy of the old Babylonian lords of the supremacy of Daniel
soon began to show itself and they began to sow seeds of discord against him and his

three friends who were the ministers of the three most important departments. As the
public administration of the four was sabotaged and their authority undermined, things
began to go awry, and the numerous enemies of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and
Azariah raised a hue and cry against them for maladministration and became bolder

and bolder in their slanderous charges against the godly and noble Hebrews. The
Babylonian officials, civil and military, combined against them. The interests of the
people and the empire were no concern to these greedy and vicious officials, who
were willing to destroy the whole fabric of government, so brilliantly woven by

Nebuchadnezzar, in order to gratify their own ambition and vent their resentment
against the Prime Minister and his helpers.

Daniel called his three friends and the little company of faithful subordinates into

a conference.
“It has now been a little more than two years since Jehovah laid his hands in
punishment upon the king. You are well aware that things have steadily deteriorated
and our hands are tied so that we cannot arrest the downward course. To continue

longer in office would be to consent to a system of misgovernment and malfeasance
and even to be participants in it. We must therefore, resign our offices and let those
take over who desire to.”

Most active and ablest of the leaders against the four Hebrews was Belgar of the
Ministry of Finance. He had gathered around him a powerful following and if the
Hebrews could be swept from power, he would certainly succeed to the supreme
authority. But back of Belgar was another Hebrew-subtle, unscrupulous. He was a

Hebrew by race but not by faith. He had completely turned from the worship of
Jehovah and had sold himself to the idolatry of the Babylonians and regularly offered
oblations in the temples of Bel. It was Adiel, old enemy of the four, who had been at
cross purposes with them from the early Jerusalem days.

So Daniel and his friends resigned and retired to the little house on Palace Way
that they had first occupied after their graduation.

Belgar immediately succeeded to power and Adiel was given an important
position as his right-hand advisor.

The government was reorganized throughout and all the important offices were

assigned to political opportunists and favorites of Belgar.