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?
“Purposing in your heart looks like deciding in advance how you will respond when temptation shows up. It looks like setting boundaries around the things that slowly pull your heart away from God. It looks like choosing what you allow into your mind. It looks like starting every morning by reminding yourself of your identity in Christ before the world has a chance to tell you otherwise.” For more insight from the journal, see “The More We Know” section below.
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 we do not first 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)
Response of Prayer
Father God, thank you for the example of Daniel’s determination to stay true to You. Thank you for showing us that he did not compromise but stood strong and courageous in his faith. Thank you that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were friends who stood with him. Help us to live like this today – resolved to walk according to the light of Your word and not the call of our culture or the demands of the world around us. It is hard to go against the grain, Lord, but You are worthy of our allegiance. ~ Amen🙌💜
The More We Know
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. – Daniel 1:8
It might sound a little dramatic, but I think we are living in our own sort of Babylon these days. The culture tells Christians that our standards are outdated, and our convictions are limiting.
It whispers that real freedom looks like having no rules at all. And if we are not intentional about who we are and whose we are, we will slowly drift without even realizing it. And that is exactly why Daniel’s story matters.
Babylon was the most powerful empire in the ancient world, and it was relentless in its mission to reshape everything and everyone it consumed. When Nebuchadnezzar’s army swept through Jerusalem and carried off its finest young men, the goal was clear. Take them. Rename them. Reeducate them. Turn them into Babylonians. And it worked. For almost everyone. But not Daniel. Before the fine food was set before him and the test even arrived, Daniel had already made his decision. The New King James Version of Scripture tells us that he “purposed in his heart” that he would not defile himself.
That phrase stops me every time. He purposed in his heart. Daniel’s self-control was not a last-minute reaction to temptation. It was a premeditated decision. He knew who he was. He knew whose he was. And he decided–before Babylon could get its hands on his heart–that his identity was not up for negotiation.
Sweet friend, we need that same intentionality today. Purposing in your heart looks like deciding in advance how you will respond when temptation shows up. It looks like setting boundaries around the things that slowly pull your heart away from God. It looks like choosing what you allow into your mind. It looks like starting every morning by reminding yourself of your identity in Christ before the world has a chance to tell you otherwise.
Self-control begins in the heart before it ever shows up in behavior. Daniel didn’t drift into faithfulness. He chose it. Deliberately. Daily. In advance.
Borrowed from the LGG Digital Journal, The Fruit of the Spirit, p164
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 ↩︎
