“But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.” Daniel 1:8 NLT
During the next seven weeks in our Biblical Insights of Word for the Soul, we will be looking at the Old Testament book of Daniel. Our theme will be ‘Living in Babylon.’ There are many insights we can glean from pages of the book of Daniel which correspond to our day and age for Christians. In 605 B.C. Jerusalem was besieged by the Babylonian empire under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Most of the residents of the city were taken captive and carried off to Babylon, their new home for the next seventy years.
The Jewish people were now living in captivity in a pagan culture due to their rebellion and sin against the Lord their God, but God had not abandoned them. The Lord told them to have families, raise crops and seek the welfare of the people and the city of Babylon while they were there. Life for the Jews was difficult in Babylon for there was no mention of the God of the Bible, as many foreign pagan gods were the subject of worship. The culture was anti the true God with reminders of that at every turn, however this was now their home, and the Lord said He would be with them. Christians around the world, particularly in the United States, are living today in Babylon, a culture which is also anti God of the Bible. But as the Jews in Babylon, God has not abandoned us either.
Nebuchadnezzar took full advantage of the strong, healthy, intelligent, and gifted young men among the captives. He ordered they be trained in the language, literature, and customs of Babylon to serve in the king’s royal palace. Doing so would wash away any reminders of their homeland or the God of heaven, or so they thought. The first phase of the brainwashing was to assign them new names to represent the gods of the Babylonians. The book of Daniel specifically lists four young men taken into training for the king’s service. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are their Hebrew names, we know them better as Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, their pagan Babylonian names.
An insight for us to see is the effort to remove any remaining thought of previous life and to assimilate into a new culture. Our current secular world culture is the modern-day Babylonian empire forcing their way into the lives of God-fearing people to assimilate to the culture. Daniel and his friends experience this firsthand at the very beginning of living in their new surroundings and cemented an example for us to follow.
Naturally the newly acquired students in training for the king’s service were fed proper meals to ensure continued health and strength. They were given prepared meals from the king’s own kitchen and the best wine from his table. But there was one problem for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, the food and wine were offered to pagan gods. The Mosaic Law forbidden the consumption of food or wine sacrificed to a pagan god. Participating in eating this food would go against God’s holy standards for His people. The Bible says Daniel took a stand and was determined he was not going to defile himself with this pagan food and drink.
So, what are Christians to do when faced in compromising positions to assimilate to the culture when accepted is a violation of God’s standards. Daniel determined he would not defile himself with what he knew was sinful against the Lord God. Daniel and his three companions assimilated to their surroundings in every way that was not in violation of God’s laws. They were very successful in the service of the king and the government in Babylon for obeying God.
The Lord does not want us to hide ourselves disengaging from the culture but to assimilate for the progress and welfare of those around us. But Christians are not to compromise by assimilating to and accepting sinful practices as the current culture demands. The Lord will not abandon us, as He did not leave His people in Babylon to fend for themselves but honored their commitment to Him with blessings of fruitfulness in a land and culture not their own. We can experience the same today by being determined not to defile ourselves with the king’s food.
Read the rest of the story in Daniel chapter 1: Daniel 1 NLT – Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar’s Court – Bible Gateway
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