Devotional: Responsibility that Pays Daniel 1

“But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8, NASB).

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, seizes Jerusalem. He takes king Jehoiakim, vessels from the Lord’s house, and members of the royal family and some of the nobles from Jerusalem to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar wants to control his captives by making them a part of his culture. They will learn his language. They will be educated in the literature and science of Babylon. Four Hebrew youth are selected to participate in this program. The first thing that the commander of officials does is that he changes the names of these selected young men. A person’s name identifies the person. The official wants these young men to identify themselves in a new way. They are no longer Hebrews that serve the Lord God of Israel. That is all in the past. Their new names give them identification with the god of Babylon who they will now serve. Their way of life is changing from that of the Hebrews to the ways of the Chaldeans. Although they are brought to Babylon as captives, they are being offered the chance to be important people in Babylon; even in the king’s court. This sounds good doesn’t it?

There is a problem here. Daniel decides that he will not defile himself with the king’s choice food and wine. Now, contrary to some popular teachings today, this is not about Daniel refusing to eat. Daniel is not fasting. No, it is about Daniel holding on to the commands of the Lord God of Israel. You see, according to biblical scholars, Daniel is about fifteen to seventeen years old. He was born and raised in Jerusalem during the reign of Josiah, the last godly king in Judah (2 Kings 23:1-30; 2 Chronicles 34:1-35:24). Because of his childhood training Daniel is aware that if he does anything that is against the commands of his God and participates in the ways of the peoples of the nations, he is defiling himself and separating himself from his God. Daniel refuses to eat the king’s foods because they are foods that God forbids in the Law. Leviticus 11 specifies foods that are clean and foods that are unclean. Why is the writer emphasizing the food?

There are three things that are essential for human life. Without either one of the three essentials the life span is limited. Human beings cannot live without oxygen (air), water and food. The king of Babylon cannot control the air. He can control the water and the food that these young men will consume. The king of Babylon wants to control these young men by controlling what they eat and drink. However, “God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials” (1:9) and Daniel convinces the overseer to test Daniel and his three friends by giving them only vegetables for ten days (v.12).

At the end of the training period the young men appear before the king. Their appearance is assessed. Their knowledge and wisdom are assessed. The king interviews them. What does the king find? “As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm” (v. 20, NASB).

Daniel takes responsibility. His faith is in the Lord God of Israel. He will not give in to the persuasive ways of his captors. Instead of allowing his captors to control him, he makes the responsible decisions to trust the Lord. Daniel cannot control the situation, but he can choose how he lives through the situation.

Prayer: Lord we commit to be responsible for the choices that we make. Grant us Your favor and compassion. Amen.