Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel,
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were faced with a problem. They were determined to stick by their resolve, but one thing stood in their way. The chief official who had been placed in authority over them by Nebuchadnezzar was a man loyal to his king. He was obviously a man whom Nebuchadnezzar trusted or he wouldn’t have been given such a responsible position. He was in charge of these choice young men who had been brought from Israel to serve Nebuchadnezzar in his palace. It was his direct responsibility to oversee their three year training period, during which they would be taught the language and literature of Babylon , an education which also involved teaching these young men about the gods of Babylon and what they must do to serve these gods, as well as the king. This was the strong, educated and trusted man that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had to face with their request to do something directly against the king’s orders. If they had fallen to human thinking, they would never have made the request in the first place, because by all human logic, there is no way the chief official would have granted their request.
But, instead, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took a stand. Defying human logic, they stood firm in their resolve to follow God’s laws. And God "caused the official to show favor and sympathy" to these young men. When these four young men took a stand for God, God stepped in and took care of the situation.
Sometimes, all God is waiting for is to see you and me take a stand for Him. He wants us to defy human logic. He wants us to face impossible circumstances and stand for Him. He wants us to believe He will do what He says He will do, and for us to act on our faith in Him.
Are you facing an impossible situation in your life? Does doing God’s will in that situation defy all human logic? Allow Him to work out the situation in His way. You do your part by taking a stand for Him.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."
Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. Daniel 1:8-16 NIV
How many times have you heard it said, "Kids today are bound to get into more trouble than we did. There’s so much more out there to tempt them." Or "Christian or not, I have to have a social life. And, yes, there are temptations, some of which I give in to. But God knows what the world is like today. He understands. Besides, if I come off like some Jesus freak, I’ll never have any friends…." Or, "I have to obey the law of the land. That’s a sound Christian principle."
Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, could have said all the same things. After all, they were living in a pagan land, surrounded by a pagan lifestyle. When Nebuchadnezzar ordered that these four young men, along with a number of others, be fed only on the special food and wine, they refused (nicely, and with wisdom and discernment, of course!) on the grounds that they would be tainted by that food and wine. I’m sure that they would much rather have eaten all that good meat and drunk that sweet wine, but they chose to follow what God told them to do, so they ate vegetables and drank water instead… and God blessed them for it. When Daniel refused to obey the injunction of not praying to God, he got thrown in a lion’s den! But, as we all know, God closed the mouths of the lions throughout the night and protected him. And when Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (by that time, being referred to as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the Bible) refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s ninety foot tall golden idol, he threw them in the fiery furnace - a furnace so hot that it burned up the men who threw them in… but our three men were not even singed! While they were in the furnace, the King could see a fourth man standing in there with them… either the pre-incarnate Christ or an angel whom God had sent to protect them, although the pagan polytheist, Nebuchadnezzar, was content to think it was a lesser heavenly being sent by the all-powerful Hebrew God.
All four of these young men stood firm in what they knew was right. They didn’t waver, even when faced with the possibility of violent and painful death. So should we stand by what we know is right. Rarely will we be faced with anything so violent if we do. Instead, we might have to face ridicule, rejection, or loneliness. But will God defend you and me any less than He did these men? No. Rather, he will stand by us in the fiery furnace of ridicule and rejection. And bring us out of it without so much as a singe. He will close the mouths of those who ridicule and reject us and protect us from harm. And, in the end, "He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday." Psalm 37:6 NIV
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."
Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
Daniel was faced with yet another problem. He had prepared himself in advance for temptation. He had resolved to obey God’s laws. But Nebuchadnezzar was determined not only to change the loyalty and thinking of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah), but also to change their lifestyle. If Nebuchadnezzar was successful, these four young men would become completely and totally his men. So Nebuchadnezzar ordered that all of the young men (remember, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were just four of the chosen group brought captive to Babylon ) be given the delicious and tempting meats and wines from his own table. Not only did Nebuchadnezzar want these young men healthy and strong, he wanted them to be Babylonians.
In his resolve to follow God’s laws, Daniel could have been argumentative, vocal, rude, or confrontational with the chief official. Instead, he asked for permission to keep from defiling himself. God caused the official to show favor and sympathy, but the man still presented his argument to Daniel as to why he couldn’t honor the young man’s request. He was afraid that if Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego ate only vegetables and water as they had requested, they would lose weight and look bad. Then the king would notice that something was up, and would kill the chief official for disobedience. At this point, Daniel, again, could have been confrontational. Instead, he chose to negotiate by asking that the guard appointed by the chief official to give them a ten day trial, and to treat them according to how they looked at the end of that ten days.
Many times you and I are faced with situations where we must choose to go against the grain of society or our bosses or our friends or our families in order to remain faithful to our own resolve to follow God’s commandments. We, like Daniel, have the option to be argumentative, vocal, rude, or confrontational - or to negotiate with those with whom we find ourselves at odds. When we choose the former tack, we usually find ourselves in an argument with unpleasantness, hurt feelings and, sometimes, destroyed relationships, as the result. In the alternative, when we use quiet and calm reason and negotiation, we will find ourselves with not only a better outcome emotionally, but with final negotiations that do not compromise our commitment to Jesus. And through it all, our demeanor and attitude will stand as a witness to others for our Lord.
Think about it.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
Have you ever stood on the edge of a cliff? What would happen if you took just one step? Obviously, you would fall, probably to your death, but most assuredly to destruction of your body.
This is how Daniel looked at eating the meat and wine given to them from the king’s table. It’s possible that the meat was pork, a meat forbidden to Jews. But then, it might not have been. It may have been perfectly allowable meat to Jewish dietary standards. And Jews certainly drank wine, so this could not have been the problem. The problem was that by accepting the meat and wine, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would have taken the first step in shifting their loyalty away from God and toward Nebuchadnezzar and the gods of Babylon .
I remember the first time I stood at the top of one of those water slides. The view from the top was terrifying. I was ready to turn around and walk all the way back down the stairs rather than take the first step toward sliding down that twisting shoot. But I saw everyone around me having such a good time - so excited to be sliding down that scary slide - that finally I summoned my courage and stepped off… and found the thrill of the ride incredible. I couldn’t wait to get back to the top and slide down again and again and again! After that first, difficult step, I was a total advocate of water slides!
Moving away from God is the same. We might hesitate at the first step. But we see those around us having such a good time… so excited to be participating in a secular lifestyle… so enthused at being a part of what the world has to offer… so we take that first step. And just like the water slide, the first step takes us ever downward - but instead of toward a fun, splashy ending, it leads us toward destruction.
When you’re tempted to take a step away from God’s will, remember the water slide. Then remember resolve of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They refused to take the first step, no matter how tempting. And God blessed them, just as He will bless you.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
What does being "resolved" mean? When you and I are resolved, we are committed to a course of action; we are devoted to principle. Daniel resolved not to defile himself. He was devoted to God’s principles. He was committed to a course of action. He was determined not to defile himself by giving in to anything the pagan Babylonian king commanded.
Most Christians would not hesitate to say, "I want God’s will in my life," or "I want to live my life in accordance with God’s Word." But just making this kind of statement doesn’t mean that the person is resolved to stand by that statement. Resolve means backing up our words with action. Resolve means being totally, one hundred percent committed to doing what God says. Making that resolve requires a lot more than just commitment. It requires knowing what God’s word says. It requires learning how to know what God’s will is. It requires a commitment, not only of our own resolve, but to studying the word daily in order to avoid being swayed.
Our lives are filled with a daily onslaught of pressure from Satan to do what he wants us to do. Just turn on your television for thirty minutes and watch virtually any program, from the nightly news to the majority of sitcoms. Or talk to your co-workers. Or watch a movie. Or read a secular book. Or listen to many of our national leaders. Everything around us is filled with ideas and philosophies designed specifically to sway you and me away from God’s word and toward destruction. Unless you and I know exactly what God has to say about each and every matter - large and small - in life, we will be swayed away from the truth and into the lie.
Don’t just give lip service to wanting to do God’s will in your life. Be resolved. And then begin to study God’s word today so that you will always know what He would and would not have you do.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
Long before Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were faced with the temptation of the delicious meat and wine from the king’s table, they had made the commitment to stick by God’s word and to follow God’s laws. So, when they were faced with the temptation, it was easy for them to resist. They were prepared.
How about you and me? We say we don’t want to give in to temptation, but do we truly prepare ourselves for facing those temptations like these four young men did? Let’s look at a simple one. We know that our bodies are temples of God. We know that we are supposed to take care of our bodies and not to defile them with things like illegal drugs, illicit sex, or (oh, my goodness!) over-eating. That last problem - the battle of the bulge - is common to a large number of people. In fact, considering how many different “diets” there are, not to mention cover blurbs on virtually every magazine on grocery store shelves about “fast” weight loss, it would seem that problem is nearly universal. But how many of us look at losing weight and keeping fit as a spiritual challenge? How many of us study God’s word to learn how to deal with the temptation of overeating? How many of us prepare ourselves ahead of time to deal with the temptation of delicious food? So, when faced with cooking a meal or shopping at the grocery store or eating out, we instantly fall back on old habits, give in to temptation, and eat anything and everything that we want.
The same principle applies to all forms of temptation. If we think about situations that might come to tempt us, if we study God’s word to know what He has to say about those things that tempt us, if we pray in advance - before we’re tempted - we will be prepared to face those temptations when they arise… and to face them God’s way.
Wouldn’t today be a good time to start being prepared to face those things that tempt you the most? Do this… make a list (be honest, now!) of all those things that might come to tempt you. For instance, when it comes to food, my big downfall is really good homemade fudge and a particular brand of Dutch Chocolate ice cream. What’s yours? Study God’s word to see what He has to say about each one of them, looking specifically for ways that He might give you a “way out” when faced with each one. Obviously, I won’t find that fudge or ice cream mentioned specifically in the Bible, but I will find what God says about overeating. (eg. Exodus 16; Numbers 11:32-33; Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Proverbs 23:2) Then pray that He will give you the strength to follow through on your commitment. If you are prepared, then you - like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – will be better able to withstand any temptation, no matter how enticing it is.
"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NIV
Among these were some from Judah : Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
After his conquest of Judah , Nebuchadnezzar brought a number of young men and women to his court to serve him. The young men were chosen because they were the best of the best in Judah . Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Because Nebuchadnezzar wanted these young men to serve him, he wanted to make them over into Babylonians. His first step in doing this was to change their names. Daniel’s name ("God is my judge") was changed to Belteshazzar, which means "Bel, protect his life!" Bel, also called Marduk, was the chief Babylonian god. Hananiah ("the Lord shows grace") was changed to Shadrach, which means "under the command of Aku", the Babylonian moon god. Mishael ("who is like God?") was changed to Meshach, "who is like Aku?" Azariah ("the Lord helps") was changed to Abednego, which means "servant of Nego/Nebo", or Nabu, the Babylonian god of learning and writing.
What’s in a name? How does this apply to anything today? Take a look at sports as one example. Many sports figures either change their names, like Muhammed Ali (who became a Muslim and gave up his birth name of Cassius Clay), or adopt nicknames (Magic Johnson, The Bus) to increase the loyalty of their fans. Sports teams are given names that indicate some form of power - Razorbacks, Vikings, Steelers, Wildcats. Entertainers often change their names or are given nicknames that, again, increase the loyalty of their fans. Elvis was called the "King." John Wayne was the "Duke." The space program is full of the names of mythical deities, like Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Everywhere we look, the names of people, organizations, companies, activities, books, entertainment, philosophies and lifestyles all depict those things that cause us to shift our allegiance toward that particular person, organization, company, activity, book, entertainment, philosophy or lifestyle. Just like Nebuchadnezzar was trying to accomplish with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, we shift our focus away from God and toward loyalty to some other entity.
When faced with the question, "What religion are you?", nearly every Christian will name his or her denomination, rather than simply stating a belief in and a relationship with Jesus. Of late, I’ve been asked that question a lot, since I’ve seen a lot more hospitals than I’d like to, and in each situation, when asked that question, I say, “Christian.” Then the hospital registrar says, “What denomination? I don’t have a space here for just ‘Christian’.”
Don’t allow the name of anything around you to shift your allegiance - or even the appearance of your allegiance - including the name of your church. Put Jesus first in everything, even if they don’t leave a space for Him on their form.