Last week, in our series The Greatest Story Ever Told, we learned that the Northern Kingdom of Israel faced God's judgment for their idolatry and was captured by the Assyrians. The Southern Kingdom may have had moments where they stayed faithful to God, but ultimately, they, too, strayed from God. Like the Northern Kingdom, they faced God's judgment as a result of turning away from God and were captured by the Babylonians.
When the Babylonians invaded and captured the Southern Kingdom of Judah, they took a number of the best, strongest, and healthiest men from Judah to Babylon (verses 3-4). The goal of bringing them to Babylon was to train the young men "in the language and literature of Babylon" so that they could ultimately enter into Babylonian’s "royal service" (verses 4-5). We learn about 4 of these men in Daniel 1. These men were given new Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Belteshazzar's new name was Daniel, and he is called Daniel throughout the book of Daniel. The purpose of teaching these men the Babylonian language and literature of Babylon and giving them Babylonian names was to inundate them in Babylonian culture so that they would forget their own culture and, even more, their God.
We learn in Daniel 1 that the king ordered all of the young men who were brought to Babylon from Judah to be given "a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens" (verse 5). The problem with the meat and wine they would be given is that all of it had been offered to false gods. As a result, Daniel "was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king" (verse 8). He requested 10 days from the chief of staff for him and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to eat only vegetables and drink only water. At the end of 10 days, they could evaluate how these 4 young men looked compared to the other young men who ate the king's meat and drank the king's wine. Then, they could make a decision and answer Daniel's request. God honored Daniel's obedience. At the end of 10 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 they continued eating only vegetables and water (verse 15). Even more, "no one impressed him as much as Daniel" and his three friends (verse 19). He found them "ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom" (verse 20). God honored Daniel and his friends as a result of their faithfulness to Him.
We may not have the temptation of eating food and drinking drinks sacrificed to idols, but every day, we are inundated by the culture around us and tempted to give in to culture instead of following God. When we choose to honor God and live for him instead of this world, we stand out, and the world takes notice.
Daniel and his friends remained faithful to God and refused to be influenced by Babylonian culture. What an example they set for us! Is there an area of your life where you have been compromising or being tempted to compromise your faith? Confess that area to God today. Commit to let go of that area and live a life where you remain firm even when culture tempts you to compromise.
1 During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 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.
3 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. 4 “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.” 5 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.
6 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7 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.
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. 9 Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. 10 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.”
11 Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12 “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13 “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.” 14 The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
15 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. 16 So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
17 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.
18 When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. 20 Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.
21 Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus.
