When the Jewish people were taken into captivity by Babylon, the Babylonians wanted to erase their God-given identity and give them a Babylonian identity. Some young men were taken to the palace, where they faced three years of education. The purpose was total indoctrination, with the goal of making these young men leave their faith, customs, traditions, and Scripture, and embrace Babylonian culture instead.
King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to communicate to these young men that he could be their source for everything. It is similar to how young people today are urged to look to government and business elites, pop stars, and social media influencers as role models. Our young people are feeling pressure to conform, but God is looking for the Daniels of our time who will know their identity and to whose kingdom they belong.
Daniel and his friends refused to look to the king for everything, insisting that they would look to God. Today, Satan is still trying to indoctrinate us with a worldly system instead of us looking to God. He wants us to identify with what the world is being fed through media and social media, instead of what is being provided in the house of God. Satan wants to teach us the ways of the world until our connections to God, Christianity, and traditional Judeo-Christian values disappear.
Daniel 1:8 says, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Some may look at this and say Daniel made a big deal out of a little thing. What does it matter which wine or food he had? We are told in Scripture that if we will be faithful over little things, God will make us rulers over bigger things (see Matthew 25:23). Daniel realized his relationship with God touched area every area of his life, including his diet. Your relationship with God will affect everything in your life. If there's any area of your life that your Christianity does not influence, then He's not Lord of all.
Daniel probably considered the king's food defiled for a few reasons. First, it was non-kosher. Second, it had been sacrificed to idols, as was often the case. Third, eating the king's food implied acceptance of the king and his system. Daniel objected because eating that food would have disobeyed God's Word in the old covenant. However, he risked making the king upset because, by Eastern standards, to share a meal was to commit oneself to friendship. That, and the Babylonians couldn’t stand being rejected.
When Daniel and his friends rejected the king’s food, it was equivalent to rejecting the king himself, which might have branded them as uncooperative, bigoted, or radical, and it could have spoiled their chances of advancement in the Babylonian system. Nebuchadnezzar could have exacted severe punishment upon them, including death. It would have been easier to compromise. It certainly would have been easier to stop following God after He had allowed them to be carried into captivity. Still, they were committed to obedience, even though God had not fulfilled their expectations.
Daniel 1:8 says, “Daniel purposed in his heart.” In this, Daniel shows how to conquer difficult trials and glorify God in the midst of them: Set your heart on it. You have to make up your mind beforehand that you are not going to compromise, no matter what you are offered or how much you could gain. The Babylonian system doesn't reward competence; it rewards compliance. It's not about whether you are the best at your job; it's whether you agree with the agenda.
Many people think the only way to be successful in this world is to compromise. However, Daniel and his friends gained favor and goodwill with the authorities after they took a stand. “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm” (Daniel 1:17-20).
God does not abandon those who stand for Him. When people commit themselves to the Lord, He will bless and reward them. I believe the story of Daniel is a prototype for what God desires in the modern prophetic movement. Daniel 1:17 said he “had understanding in all visions and dreams.” Wouldn't you like to have that same kind of understanding? This verse shows why, in the next chapter, Daniel was able to tell the king what he dreamed and interpret the dream. Daniel first had a purity of heart and a faithfulness to God, and then the enlightenment came. Everybody wants the gift before they have the fruit. However, God tests us to see if we are truly faithful.
Being faithful to God does not mean you won't ever fail or mess up, but if you're committed to repenting and trying to live for God, He can give you dramatic dreams, visions, and revelations. Daniel was given revelation about the events of his time and end-time events we are just now starting to see. Why? Instead of taking the easy route, he showed himself consecrated and dedicated to God. May the same thing be said about you, no matter what you're going through today.
