But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. Daniel 1:8
I pause in my study of Hebrews to study Daniel in conjunction with a disciple/small group study with my church's men's wake up call. This morning my focus is Daniel 1 and my unaided observations of this chapter. Tomorrow, I review the same text and lean on commentary provided the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series for Daniel. Here in Daniel 1, we read about how Babylon, under the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar, sieged Jerusalem and brought back to Babylon "vessels of the house of God" as well as youth of Israel to serve in Nebuchadnezzar's palace. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, whom the chief of eunuchs renamed Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were given the same food and wine that the king ate and drank, but Daniel "resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank" (v8). He requested vegetables and water and proved to the chief of eunuchs that he would not be any less healthy or strong, so ultimately allowed Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to eat and drink vegetables and water (v16). The text remarks twice how "God gave" and blessed the young men, first "God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs" (v9), then "God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams" (v17). From the text this morning, similar to how Joseph in Genesis found himself in difficult circumstances, Daniel and his companions, although they found themselves taken as slaves to serve in Nebuchadnezzar's palace, they held firm in their faith of God and chose to continue in obedience to Him - trusting that He would provide...and of course He did. We see in v17-20 how God blessed these young men with spiritual gifts that made them stand out among all the other slaves, and how they were "ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom." Regardless of our circumstances, God wants us to continue in obedience to Him. He places us in these circumstances for a reason - to glorify Him.
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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who blesses me, equips me, and provides for me - regardless of my circumstances. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such blessings. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
