Holding to Convictions

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Misha-el, and Azariah,

13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Misha-el, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

Golden Text: Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.—Daniel 1:8.

2. Explain how the example of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah is helpful to Christians as they face challenges from an ungodly culture.

In 2005, a new church sought to rent space in a certain public school building. There was nothing unusual about this fledgling church. Countless churches have rented similar facilities for identical purposes. Yet after this church secured a contract, the news went public and the response was startling.

Based on pure speculation, the church was accused of being a terrorist organization seeking to infiltrate the school system to plant bombs in students’ desks. The church was required to pay for a security guard to protect school premises from potential terrorist activity. As I write this, a legal battle is being waged over whether it is appropriate for this church, or any other, to rent state-owned facilities.

Christians increasingly are deemed a threat to societal progress. Being Christian is indeed challenging when Christianity is not the norm. For many, these developments seem new and unnerving. But God’s people have held minority status quite often throughout history. Scripture has much to say about what it takes to protect our identity in hostile cultures. In Daniel 1, we learn that this requires costly intentional effort. God empowers such effort and blesses those who remain committed to Him.

Working through Kings David and Solomon, God built Israel into a mighty nation. Israelites occupied an impressive stretch of land, they were ruled by their own kings, and smaller nations paid tribute to them. By the end of Solomon’s reign (about 930 bc), the Israelites had come a long way since the Egyptian bondage of some 500 years previous.

But prosperity went to their heads. The Israelites began worshiping the gods of other nations, mistreating the poor, and trusting human power rather than God. The Israelites, whom God called to be distinct from other nations, became like the nations they dispossessed. Through prophets, God warned His people that He would punish them if they refused to reform their ways. The Israelites did not repent permanently, so God used the Assyrians and the Babylonians to conquer His people.

Jerusalem was quite a distance from Babylon—some 900 miles. For the Babylonians to maintain control of the territory of Judah was a challenge. The Babylonians could establish a large military presence in Judah, but the costs would be high and soldiers undoubtedly were needed elsewhere in the empire.

So King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon chose a different strategy: he crippled Judah’s ability to revolt by relocating the most educated and skilled Jews. This way the king of Babylon could benefit from their abilities while the Jews who were left behind would lack the leadership to rebuild. The word we normally use for such forced relocation is exile.

In Daniel 1:1–7, we learn that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among those gifted Jews who were taken into exile (about 605 bc). Being of royal blood, they were selected to serve in Nebuchadnezzar’s royal court in Babylon. Such service required preparation. So for three years these men were given the finest education Babylon could offer.

Yet such an education raised questions for exiled Jews. How much could they immerse themselves in Babylonian culture before they ceased being Jews? How could they survive among the pagans without becoming just like them? As recent events have taught us, these questions apply not only to ancient Jews, but also to modern Christians. Let us therefore pay careful attention to the answers of Scripture.

8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Our text begins with Daniel’s heartfelt conviction that eating the king’s rations will lead to defilement. It is not clear, however, what it is about the king’s royal food that may defile Daniel. Jewish law forbids eating certain kinds of meat, but other kinds are perfectly acceptable. Wine is not forbidden (Numbers 6:20; 18:12; 1 Samuel 1:24; Psalm 104:14, 15; etc.), although it is spoken of in negative terms when excess is involved (Isaiah 28:7; 5:11, 22; Proverbs 20:1).

Daniel may be avoiding food and drink associated with pagan temple offerings and thus idolatry (compare 1 Corinthians 8). But under this theory, the vegetarian alternative he proposes in verse 12 would be equally suspect since flour is also offered to pagan idols.

Perhaps Daniel thinks it inappropriate to eat festive food such as meat and wine during Israel’s time of exile—a time of Jewish mourning. This suggestion, however, does not account for Daniel’s concerns about defilement. Another theory is that Daniel refuses to be dependent upon a foreign ruler; however, he does not reject extensive training or later appointments to high positions in the king’s court.

One further possibility should be considered. Daniel knows that even in exile the Jews need to maintain a distinct identity. They cannot simply blend in with the surrounding cultures. To adopt every and all foreign practices is to defile themselves and forsake their Jewishness. Daniel knows, however, that one can learn about the ways of other people without accepting those ways. That’s probably why he doesn’t object to learning the Babylonian language and literature (v. 4).

Food, however, is different in light of God-given dietary laws for Old Testament Jews. The Jews had been set apart by diet. Daniel has to make choices regarding what will compromise his Jewish identity and what won’t. To compromise on the food issue will mean that he and his friends are becoming full-fledged Babylonians rather than Jews that happen to live in Babylon.

Regardless of the specific reason for his decision, Daniel is not content to keep his conviction to himself. He sticks his neck out and tells the king’s official that he wishes to avoid being defiled by the king’s food. What a bold statement! Daniel publicly declares that the king’s chosen food is unacceptable. [See question #1, page 280.]

The official can respond in more than one way. A mild response would be to demote Daniel. If delicacies enjoyed by the king’s closest attendants are not acceptable to Daniel, then perhaps he should join lower-level servants who eat lesser food. More severely, an underling who insults the king’s graciousness can be executed. Yet neither of these fates befalls Daniel because God had brought Daniel into favor with this particular official.

10. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

Although the official does not respond harshly, neither does he immediately grant Daniel’s request. Instead, he expresses fear that his own life will be at risk should he agree to Daniel’s plan. Perhaps the king will notice a difference in appearance between those who abstain from the food he supplies and those who don’t. The official thus makes what appears to be a compelling case for why Daniel’s suggestion should be denied.

A person of lukewarm convictions would eat whatever the king sets before him. A bold Jew would go one step further and venture a request like we see in verse 8. But only the most conscientious Jew would persist in his request after being rebuffed like Daniel is here in verse 10.

The Netherlands has a long-standing reputation for cultural “tolerance.” The freewheeling drug and sex culture of the late twentieth century seemed to indicate the nation could tolerate anything and still flourish. However, large numbers of Muslim immigrants who settled there did not assimilate into the prevailing culture. The Muslim ghettos became breeding grounds for unrest and, many feared, potential terrorism.

One fearful response has been legal repression, such as outlawing Muslim attire. Similar concerns and responses can be found throughout the world as migration increases in the twenty-first century.

Such circumstances may help us to understand better the situation in which Daniel and his friends found themselves. The Babylonian king, like modern governments, was wary of a cultural minority in his land. As Christianity becomes or remains a minority religion in many lands, we may find ourselves under increasing suspicion as well. The question for Christians is, how will we present ourselves to a culture that is hostile to the truth of Christ? —C. R. B.

11. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Misha-el, and Azariah.

Hananiah, Misha-el, and Azariah were introduced earlier in Daniel 1:6. Now we learn that they too share Daniel’s convictions. The words “now among these” in verse 6 indicate that other Jews besides these four are also in the king’s palace. But they apparently make different choices about diet and Jewish identity. We are not told that God judged these other Jews, but as the story unfolds it is clear that God blesses the most conscientious.

12, 13. Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

Daniel does not give up. Since the official is nervous about the future physical appearance of these four, Daniel proposes a test. He requests water instead of wine and seed-bearing plants (pulse) instead of meat. This diet resembles what God gave humans to eat in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:29) and corresponds to what many nutritionists recommend today.

We must be careful, however, not to read too much into such connections. In Genesis 9:3, God granted that humans also could eat meat. We also should be mindful that what it means to look healthy differs from culture to culture. In modern Western cultures, a slim figure is a sign of health, and a vegetarian diet is one way for overweight people to trim down. In ancient cultures, however, a slim figure may indicate poverty while plumpness indicates the presence of a robust diet and the wealth necessary to have it. [See question #2, page 280.]

14, 15. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

Here we see God’s hand at work in two ways. First, as in verse 9, the official continues to have a favorable view of Daniel. So when Daniel boldly yet respectfully counters the official’s reservations, the official does not receive it as an affront to his authority, but as an idea worth trying. [See question #3, page 280.]

Second, it may be that God blesses these four so they will gain more weight than their peers. Experience teaches us that under normal circumstances those who drink water and eat vegetables lose weight, whereas those who eat meat and drink wine tend to gain. But the exact makeup of the diet, which is unknown to us, may result in the opposite here.

The king’s official is now comfortable enough to remove their portions of wine and meat altogether. Perhaps for a while he has set these items alongside their vegetables just for show. If so, this procedure is no longer necessary, since the superior appearance of the four Jews now testifies to the validity of their diet. Thus is removed any threat to the official’s life.

17. As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

God’s blessings do not end with the favor and health of these four. God does not bless them for mere survival. He wants to bless them with abundant life. Such blessing is central to God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3) and covenant with Israel (Deuteronomy 28:1–14).

Such blessing, however, comes with conditions. God’s people have to serve God alone and follow His instructions diligently. If not, they will experience curses (Deuteronomy 28:15–68). This is why Jerusalem is destroyed in 586 bc (less than 20 years in the future from the time of the incident we are considering now).

Judah’s failure to honor God’s Word is the reason these four young Jews now find themselves serving a foreign king in Babylon. The book of Daniel teaches us, however, that even in exile God wishes to bless those who remain true. [See question #4, page 280.]

18. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

The time period in view with the phrase at the end of the days is not the 10-day test we saw earlier, but the three years of training introduced in verse 5. All the trainees are brought before King Nebuchadnezzar, not just the four Jews we have been talking about.

19. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Misha-el, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

The king spends time with his new recruits, interviewing them and selecting them for various administrative posts. Like his official, Nebuchadnezzar is impressed with Daniel, Hananiah, Misha-el, and Azariah. They are therefore given high positions near the king himself; that’s what therefore stood they before the king signifies.

20. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

God has so blessed Daniel and his rookie friends that they are vastly superior to the king’s veteran counselors. Those other counselors are described in such a way as to highlight the source of their so-called wisdom. Unlike Daniel and his friends, who owe their wisdom to the one true God, these rivals rely on various tricks and the movements of the stars. (Sound familiar?)

This verse is the starting point for two themes that become increasingly important as the book of Daniel moves along. First, God blesses His people, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of the nations. His will is that all nations worship Him. God has exalted these Jews in Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes because He wants Nebuchadnezzar to exalt God in the eyes of all Babylon. This begins to happen in chapter two. [See question #5, page 280.]

Second, we will see that when God’s people are exalted in foreign lands, foreigners are not pleased. Imagine how the native Babylonians feel as their positions of power and influence fall under the supervision of Jewish outsiders! Competition and jealousy will arise, and this will pose an additional threat to God’s people.

“You can’t fight city hall” is an old sentiment. It is uttered by those who are frustrated with government practices.

Take, for example, the doctrine of eminent domain, which says government may condemn private property for a greater public good. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that a city could exercise eminent domain even in cases where a private developer would profit substantially if it were to result in an enhancement of local tax revenues. The high court said this could be done even if the property were not blighted (one of the usual reasons for exercising the doctrine).

This was a case of fighting city hall and losing. But some people decided to continue fighting anyway. Since Justice David Souter had agreed with the majority opinion, someone proposed to use the doctrine to take Justice Souter’s farmhouse and turn it into the Lost Liberty Hotel with a Just Desserts Café on the premises. It was probably a tongue-in-cheek gesture, but it demonstrated frustration with what was perceived to be bureaucratic arrogance.

The four Hebrews in today’s lesson decided to “fight city hall,” and they won! Of course, it was with God’s help, not that of a lawyer. God honored their trust in Him and caused them to be elevated to prominent positions in Babylon’s government. The “good guys” don’t always win in the way the world defines winning. The most important thing is to make sure you’re on God’s side of the issue before the battle starts. —C. R. B.

In adopting an alternative diet, Daniel and his friends reminded themselves daily that they were different from the Babylonians. Remaining God’s people meant remaining visibly distinct from the nations.

Christ said that His followers are not of the world, but are sent into it as ones who are set apart (John 17:14–19). We live in the world (1 Corinthians 5:10); yet the apostle Paul cautions us not to be yoked with unbelievers, but to come out and be separate from them (2 Corinthians 6:14–18). The separation is not one of physical isolation, but of maintaining a pure spiritual identity. According to James, pure religion entails, in part, keeping oneself unstained by the world; those who befriend the world become God’s enemies (James 1:27; 4:4).

Peter ties these themes together with Israel’s Old Testament witness by referring to Christians as strangers in this world (1 Peter 1:1, 17; 2:11) and calling us to be holy as God is holy (1:14–17). So while the cross of Christ has removed barriers between believers—whether of race, gender, age, ability, or social status—our distinctively holy way of life continues to set us apart from those who do not believe. We must never forget, however, that this difference is not for difference’s sake. We are different for the sake of witness, so that others may be drawn to God (1 Peter 2:9).

The nonbelievers we know at work, at school, and in our neighborhoods should notice that we are different. If this is not clear to them, then perhaps we, like Daniel and his friends, need a symbolic reminder of our unique identity. They chose diet as their reminder, but that won’t work today (see Mark 7:17–19). So we choose other ways to remember and announce our set-apart status. Some wear certain rings to remind themselves of the need for sexual purity. Some wear WWJD bracelets. Others wear necklaces with crosses. Some remove the TV from being the focal point of the living room.

Christians do such things because they believe that symbolic practices can be meaningful if used properly. When Jesus washed His followers’ feet, He did not significantly improve hygiene in Palestine. Nor did He change the way kings and governors rule. Rather, He created a symbol for His disciples so they would not forget that leadership in His kingdom is not about worldly power, but about service. How will you remember your unique identity in Christ this week?

We thank You, God, for setting us apart. We thank You for calling us to the adventure of following You. This adventure is never dull and always entails making tough yet life-giving choices. Empower us the way You empowered Daniel and his friends to make the right decisions. Forgive us when we have preferred simply to blend in. Give us the courage to stand out so that You may use our witness to draw others unto You. In Jesus’ name, amen.