Daniel dared to stand alone for his godly convictions, and God blessed him.
Daniel was of royal blood and was 14 when Nebuchadnezzar took the Israelites into captivity. He was one of the children of Judah who received training in the ways of the Chaldeans to serve King Nebuchadnezzar in his palace.
Daniel 1: 5-6 (NIV) states, “The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.”
Daniel wasn’t careful to refuse to eat the meat and drink the wine from the king’s table in a strange land because he feared and revered God more than the king.
There’s an adage that says, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”
Daniel stood up for his godly teachings and upbringing. He believed eating such food would defile him, and he held to his conviction to remain undefiled. He didn’t delay telling the eunuch that such foods were against his teachings and religion. As a slave, Daniel submitted to those things that didn’t bring dishonor to God, himself, his people, and his family. To betray his conscious and eat meat that was unclean or sacrificed to idols was unconscionable. Daniel 1:8 (NIV) states, “He asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
In doing so, David set his conditions and boundaries. Sacred boundaries are good, but they are best when not crossed.
David would live in captivity, but captivity would not live in him. He would not be a slave to quail, other meats, leaven bread, and wine. He was under a new king but would not be indoctrinated to serve an idol god by eating unclean food. He had a distaste for anything that could compromise his devotion to God.
Daniel was a model of character without compromise. We, as Christians, are taught to live in the world but not let the world live in us. Like David, it’s best to stand alone than go along to get along. David refused to act like the Babylonians while in Babylonia,
The name Daniel is hefty. In Hebrew, the word means God is my judge. His parents impressed upon him the importance of honoring the true and living God. He would not please the king and displease God. He purposed in his heart to please God, not the Chaldeans or the world
It didn’t bother Daniel, an Israelite, that they changed his name to Belteshazzar, a Babylonian name. The name Belteshazzar means to protect the king’s life, and this was honorable if it meant his actions didn’t dishonor God.
As flawed and weak creatures, we sometimes break the bonds and covenants of our beliefs and vows. One of the many lessons we can learn from Daniel is – if we honor God, He will provide for us, wherever providence takes us.
Daniel 1: 9 states, “Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel. The eunuch fed Daniel and his brethren vegetables as Daniel requested. And they that ate vegetables were healthier and fairer than those who ate from the king’s table.
“Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct.”
― Thomas Carlyle
Thank you, God, for my believing that I cannot live by bread alone but by your word. Help me to set godly boundaries with the conviction to honor You always. Amen.
Be safe.