During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god. Then 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. “Select 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.” The 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. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. The 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. 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. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.” Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others. God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.
Daniel 1:1-17
The most outstanding teaching from the story of the
beginning of Daniel’s (and Israel’s) captivity by the king of Babylon (which is
today’s Iraq), is that Daniel’s life, and the lives of his fellow Israelites, was
hanging by a thread. With complete power
of life and death in his hand, Nebuchadnezzar could have easily put them to the
noose, chopping block, or any of a thousand tortures. In light of that it is amazing and an
overwhelming inspiration for those who would look for a pattern to follow-after
in life, that Daniel and friends humbled themselves and placed themselves squarely
in God’s hands to determine the outcome, based solely on their obedience to God’s
ways, rather than their circumstances, or surrounding culture.
For You Today
The culture in which
you live is turning more apathetic towards God with every passing day. It may be in your lifetime or not, but the
challenge is turning-up the heat for those who would follow Christ. Be careful to pray over the choices you make
today. Ask God to help you act like
Daniel, honoring God with every step you take, thought you entertain, and
activity in which you participate. The
world will try to put you in chains of their bondage, but God still honors the
obedience of any who will bow in Heaven’s direction…the world’s chains cannot
bind you!
[1] Images: Pixabay.com Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
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