Wholehearted Commitment
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel 1:8
Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) were Jewish young men who had been taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. These four were some of the brightest young men of Israel, and Nebuchadnezzar recognized them as men that he could use in his administration. They were scheduled to be fed the same rich food and wine of which the king enjoyed. The king and those of Babylon believed rich food was the key to health and vigor. However, Daniel and his three friends were followers of the God of Israel and abstained from foods that God proclaimed as unclean (Leviticus 11). We don’t know what the king had planned to serve the four men, but apparently it was on the list of the foods that God had forbidden His people to eat.
I would imagine that these four Jewish men had been taught when they were very young the ways of God and to be obedient to His law. Proverbs 22:6 tells us to train up our children in the knowledge of God, and when they are older, they will benefit from their spiritual education. They will have an advantage over those whose parents neglected to teach their children about God and spiritual matters, in that they may be more open to the gospel message. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were committed to obey God’s law even as they were held in captivity regardless of the consequences. We sure could use more men and women who are determined to obey God and not let threats, circumstances, and ridicule influence them into compromising their faith.
I don’t know if Daniel was older than the other three men, but it appears that he was the spokesmen for all four of them. Daniel was very conscientious and purposeful in following the laws of God and did not want to defile himself with the king’s food. It was highly likely that this food had been consecrated to the Babylonian god. (Under grace, we know that an idol is nothing and therefore food offered to an idol is not affected by it. It is permitted to eat, but we have to be sensitive to others who might be offended. Our liberty may cause them to violate their own conscience in eating that which they believe is forbidden-I Corinthians 8. The main thing is to be aware of how we influence others.)
Daniel requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself in partaking of the king’s food and wine. It was as if he was saying, “I will learn your language and give you the benefit of my knowledge of the arts and sciences as you demand, but I will not defy my God in whom I trust by bringing defilement upon myself as one of God’s chosen people.” Daniel was prepared to obey man’s law unless it conflicted with God’s law. He was a prisoner and therefore had little choice but to obey his captors’ demands, but he was determined to keep himself ceremonially clean. Apparently the prince of the eunuchs was impressed with Daniel’s resolve to not violate God’s commandments because he granted Daniel’s request to be served food that was permitted for Jews to eat even though the prince was fearful that the four men would not fare well, and thus the king would be angry at him and possibly execute him.
The Apostle Paul, in Romans 13:1-7, wrote that human leaders are given to us “not as a terror to good works, but to the evil”. God is the One who ordained government to keep order across the land. We are to obey the laws of the land so that peace will dominate the landscape, and we will not have to pay the price for disobeying. Paul went on to say that a leader “is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” But what if those in leadership positions defy God’s law with man’s law? Where does that leave the Christian who is committed to obeying God? We must stand for righteousness. If Daniel and his three friends reasoned among themselves that it would be o.k. to partake of forbidden food because of their situation, then they would begin the “slippery slope” into sin and an abandonment of the God they served. Whatever we decide to do when men try to supersede God’s law with their own laws in violation of what God has said in His word, we must remain civil, stating our position, and leave the results to God. The Lord will bless our efforts to remain faithful to Him.