Inspired by the LGG Study, The Fruit of the Spirit, w6d1
Roadmap for today’s journey: Read Daniel 1:1-17; SOAP Daniel 1:8
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.Daniel 1:8
To fully understand and appreciate this decision that Daniel and his friends made, we must understand why they are where they are.
3Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,’ he said. ‘Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon. ‘ 5The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.
6Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah.
7The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego.
Daniel 1:3-7
For more insight into Daniel chapter 1, visit “Who is Daniel?”
Daniel and the others had many valid reasons1 to forgo the food and wine from the diet the king had assigned them for a three-year period, during which they were to be trained and prepared to enter the king’s service. As David Guzik’s commentary points out: “Daniel did not object to the name given to him, because he knew who he was and others could call him what they wanted. Daniel did not object to the Babylonian education, because he knew what he believed. Daniel did object to the food from the king’s table because eating it was direct disobedience to God’s word.” While these boys may have had valid reasons, their decision was a courageous one, bringing with it the threat of severe punishment and branding them as uncooperative. It could also have been insulting, as the Hebrew word for “defile” meant to pollute. “BUT GOD” showed favor to Daniel by bringing him into the overseer’s favor.1
Reflection and Application
Friend, is there an area of your life where you need to make a purposeful, advance decision before temptation arrives? What would it look like to “purpose in your heart” in that area today?
We would be wise to take note of David Guzik’s teaching from Daniel 1:9 on how Daniel illustrated the way to conquer a difficult trial and glorify God before others in the midst of testing. I plan to write them on a card, or perhaps 5 individual cards, to read daily until they are ingrained in this aging mind. There is no mistake in the ordering, for while we cannot leave any out, if our first step is not to purpose in our heart not to compromise in keeping God’s Word, then we will surely fail.
i. First, the heart must be set. Daniel purposed in his heart, making up his mind beforehand that he would not compromise.
ii. The life must be positive. Daniel found favor with his superiors.
iii. Protest must be courteous. Daniel requested to be excused from the king’s table. He made a polite request, showing discretion. Making a stand for Jesus Christ does not mean we must be obnoxious.
iv. Self-denial must be sought. Daniel and his friends knew this would cost them something, yet they were willing. “Be ready for a bad name; be willing to be called a bigot; be prepared for the loss of friendships; be prepared for anything so long as you can stand fast by Him who bought you with His precious blood.” (Spurgeon)
v. The test must be boldly put. “I think that a Christian man should be willing to be tried; he should be pleased to let his religion be put to the test. ‘There,’ says he, ‘hammer away if you like.’ Do you want to be carried to heaven on a feather bed? Do you want always to be protected from everybody’s sneer and frown; and to go to heaven as if you were riding in the procession on Lord Mayor’s day?” (Spurgeon)
The More We Know
Bibleref.comWho is Daniel? The first chapter of this book introduces Daniel and explains how he became a renowned advisor under several pagan rulers. It also mentions three other Hebrew boys, who would become part of a famous story of bravery and faith. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were boys of royal families taken for reeducation in Babylon. As part of this, they would be immersed in Babylonian religion, culture, language, and literature. To represent the effort to change the youths’ identities, the man in charge of their training renames them as Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1:1–7).
Most of the captured youths were probably integrated easily into Babylonian culture. The four named in this chapter, however, remained committed to their faith. Though captives, they wanted to continue to obey God and His laws, including in matters of food. Daniel asked the man responsible for his training, the chief eunuch, to allow him to abstain from the king’s food. The king’s food would have been excellent—but also would have included unclean animals and not been prepared according to the Law of Moses. Despite his great respect for Daniel, the chief eunuch hesitated to allow anyone to skip part of their reeducation regimen. Daniel proposes a test, and in ten days proves he and his fellow Hebrews can thrive on vegetables and water (Daniel 1:8–16).
God honors Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah with extraordinary wisdom and intellect. The use of their Hebrew names, rather than their new Babylonian titles, expresses how God’s providence brought them to their new roles. Daniel is also blessed with insight into dreams and visions. These skills will make all four important figures in Babylon—and will force several conflicts between faithfulness and self-preservation (Daniel 3; 6). Daniel will live on as a brilliant advisor through several regime changes, surviving until the rule of Cyrus the Great. Bibleref.com / Daniel 1:17–21
- The food and drink would have: 1) likely been unkosher… 2) probably been sacrificed to idols… and 3) eating the king’s food implied fellowship with Babylon’s cultural system (Guzik / Enduring Word / Daniel 1:8,b ↩︎
