“Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine he drank.” – Daniel 1:8
If you grew up in the church like me, then you’ve probably heard or read about Daniel many times. He was the man God spared from the lion’s den. However, the more that I study about him, the more I see a man of God who stood by His faith and refused to let the culture around him change that. And boy did the Babylonian culture try to change that.
Some say Daniel was around sixteen when he was captured from his home in Jerusalem and taken to Babylon. In those days, when a king conquered another territory, it was common for them to take the children of the nobles. They had to be young enough and skilled enough so that they could serve King Nebuchadnezzar, but also so the Babylonians could brainwash them and teach them things that went against God. It was also a way to control their parents and keep them from rebelling.
What’s In a Name?
So not only did Daniel find himself all alone in a strange land at a young age, but the people around him were trying to change how he thought and acted. Names in the Hebrew culture meant something important. They described who you were and what you believed. Daniel’s name meant “God is my Judge”. This name reflected his parents’ hearts for the Lord. The Babylonians refused to believe in God, so they changed his name. Instead of being called Daniel, he was called Belteshazzar which meant “Bel, Protect his life”. Bel or Bel-Marduk was one of the pagan gods that the Babylonians worshiped.
Daniel is Tested
Daniel proved himself to be a very gutsy young man with integrity when he found himself offered food and wine. Now that might sound strange; it’s just food, why would he refuse that? God gave strict rules for the Israelites’ diet. All the Babylonian food and wine had been offered to the pagan gods. Daniel refused to partake in that. Being among only Babylonians, the sixteen-year-old could have easily followed suit. I mean, no one wants to stand out from the crowd, right?! Daniel was a man of integrity because he stayed true to God. He knew that table fellowship meant who you eat with and what you eat shows who you are.
He chose to obey God by asking to eat only vegetables and water (Daniel 1:8) for ten days (1:12), during which time they tested Daniel expecting him to lose weight. Daniel continued to trust God who answered by making him “fatter in flesh” than all the rest (1:15). He also gave each of them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom. Daniel was given the understanding in all visions and dreams which would find him great favor later (1:17).
I see this as a “gutsy” move because he was being given the best of the best in this strange new world. Yet Daniel decided early on that he didn’t want any of that. But wait… If he didn’t go along with the ways of the culture, wouldn’t King Nebuchadnezzar remove him from the training? Nope. Instead, God used Daniel to inspire his three friends–Mishael, Azariah, and Hananiah–to obey the Lord as well.
So, What?
So, what does this mean for us? While we may not be captives living among the Babylonians, we do live in a culture that is constantly trying to change the way we believe and act. We live in a society that is trying to prevent us from believing in God.
The world is continually trying to program us into a different way of thinking. It is important that we make up our minds in advance about being loyal to God and to know our own limits so that we do not compromise.
Godly convictions yield God-honoring results.
If we were put in Daniel’s position today, would we find ourselves making the same decisions as he did? Are we willing to stand out when no one else is? Let’s encourage each other to be like Daniel.
