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Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I wonder what the greatest test of your spiritual faith in God has ever been. Come with me, back to the great city of Babylon in about 604bc. As we saw yesterday King Nebuchadnezzar had invaded Jerusalem on his victorious march back from Carchemish where his Babylonian army had defeated BOTH the last remaining remnants of the great Assyrian empire and the very powerful armies of Pharaoh Necho of Egypt.
In a proud victory march, Nebuchadnezzar made sure every town and city came under his authority during his 1000-mile return march to Babylon, including the city of Jerusalem. From Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar took some spoils of victory including sacred golden worship objects from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem as well as hundreds of prisoners, including the princes of the royal family and nobility in Jerusalem, the next generation of Jewish leadership.
Among these prisoners of war were Daniel and his three friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. All four were placed into Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian 3-year leadership training program for captive royals. Yesterday we looked at Daniel’s description of some of the things done to them and demanded of them. In what appeared to be a very kind gesture by Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, his friends, and other prisoner royalty in this forced leadership training program, were given the best food and drink in the land. Nothing was to be spared in developing these young men as quickly as possible into servant leaders with allegiance only to King Nebuchadnezzar.
This wonderful banquet for each meal put Daniel and his three Jewish friends into a great dilemma. While they wanted to excel so they could in some way be protective leaders of the Jewish captives, this pagan food was likely already dedicated to the Babylonian idol gods and would contain much of the food God had commanded His Jewish people not to eat.
One simple but powerful statement reflects Daniel’s courageous position: “But Daniel RESOLVED not to defile himself with the royal Babylonian food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission to not defile himself in this way.” (Daniel 1:8)
The remainder of Daniel chapter 1 describes the reluctance of the supervisor of these leadership trainees to release Daniel from the royal menu provided, especially when Daniel requested only water and vegetables for 10 days. But God had given that official a tender heart toward Daniel and he amazingly agreed to a 10 day fast from the royal banquets for Daniel and his three Jewish friends.
Amazingly after 10 days Daniel and his friends appeared healthier and were in better physical shape than those who had been feasting at the royal banquets, so the supervisor agreed to make the dietary change permanent for Daniel.
Daniel records for us that God honored Daniel’s courageous resolve and “to these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.” (Daniel 1:17) Does this trouble you, my friends? Does it seem God is aiding and abetting the enemies of God, Nebuchadnezzar and his wicked people? In reality God is doing something very, very strategic. I’ve learned that God is always working in the present, in anticipation of what HE knows the future will hold. And secondly, God is working all things together for His larger plan and purpose!
Here’s a powerful Scripture that became very significant at a strategic moment in my life and I think it fits perfectly with what was happening in Daniel’s dilemma in Babylon: Eph. 1:11,12 “In Him [Jesus] we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we…might be for the praise of His [God] glory.”
While Daniel’s family, I’m sure, had a wonderful life planned for Daniel and therefore had him enrolled in the best Jewish schools in Jerusalem and receiving great tutorials from wise mentors, it was nothing compared to a much larger and longer-term plan God had for Daniel! Unknown to Daniel, this leadership training he was receiving in Babylon, under the supervision of King Nebuchadnezzar’s court, would prepare Daniel to be advisor not only to King Nebuchadnezzar, but to the most powerful and significant leaders in all the world for more than 50 years!!
But essential to Daniel being eligible for God to position him and sustain him in these strategic roles would be Daniel’s RESOLVE to never defile himself or his integrity!
Let’s pause a moment here. I have two questions for us to consider:
1. How do you describe the courage and boldness required for Daniel to request being released from the requirement of this elite training table banquet each day?
2. How do you describe the resolve you’ve had in your life to live a God honoring life and not participate in or partake of things which may harm your reputation or damage your health, your state of mind, or the integrity of your relationships with God or other people, especially your spouse?
I doubt any of us can truly imagine what those three years of intensive training were like, especially with each day being a spiritual battle for Daniel and his friends, knowing they were being forced to become leaders for a very wicked, vicious man who was determined to be the most powerful man in the world, dominating every city and people on the planet!
How earnestly Daniel and his friends must have prayed, determined to see God’s hand, to understand God’s plan in this global disaster! While you may know the story and how things turned out for Daniel, let’s pause to embrace this opportunity to learn to trust God’s larger plan and purpose, and here’s a worship song to help us. “How Long O LORD, How Long” must certainly have been Daniel’s cry!
Today’s Scripture: Daniel 1:1-17.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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