Highlighted Verses: Daniel 1:19-21 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.
The context through which you see life greatly matters. That’s the opening theme as we begin our sermon series on the book of Daniel and as we focus on chapter 1 today. Consider these scenarios. If you only had bread and water to eat for each meal, you might think you were being deprived or you might be tempted to complain. But that’s because you see to situation from the context of normal life. If you changed scenes, your response would be different. For example, if you only had bread and water for every meal, within the context of a being stranded in the wilderness – I’d imagine you would be thankful, instead of prone to complaining – given the fact that you weren’t starving.
Take health issues as another example. No one, at any age, wants to experience disease or affliction of the body. But, the age of a person does change the way we view the situation. If a young person is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, we tend to see it as much more of a tragedy than if the person was 95 years old. In both cases, we value life, and we seek to stem diseases, but we react different based on the age, because with that change our experiences and perception change as well.
Or consider the weather. If you’re looking forward to having a picnic, you’ll be disappointed if it rains. But, if you’re in the midst of a drought, you’ll rejoice if it rains. Context matters to how we respond to situations.
This is something we’ll see throughout the entire book of Daniel, but we talk about it today because it’s really the focus of the first chapter. The context of Daniel’s life is very interesting and complex from the start. Daniel, and his three friends, were part of the first group of exiles that were taken away from Judah and sent to Babylon. In fact, these four young men were taken well before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem.
Anyone going through that scenario would logically wonder, why me? And God tells us why. It was part of His will that Daniel, Mishael, Hananiah, and Azariah would be trained in the Babylonian culture and ascend to high positions within the nation. You see, while no nation enjoys being conquered by another, the Babylonians were not set on destroying Judah. Rather, they wanted to assimilate them into their own culture. It was the Babylonians’ intention to allow the people of Judah to live in their own land and continue their way of life, with a few exceptions of course. The Babylonians would take the best and brightest of each nation, and train them to become high ranking officials in their kingdom. In this way, the Babylonians would increase their power, wealth, and influence, and for the ancient world, this was really a new concept. This doesn’t excuse the Babylonian conquest as something noble, nor does it mean nothing bad ever happened to the exiled peoples. Jeremiah records in great detail about much of the pain and toil Judah would endure under this rule. But for Daniel and his friends, they had a pretty good life in Babylon.
So, the context matters to understand the nature of Daniel’s captivity. Yet, it was also the context that provided the first great test for these four men. The first story we’re told is about their diets. Part of the training they were to receive in the king’s court involved partaking of the edible delicacies of the Babylonian land. I’m sure we can imagine the great spread of food that would have been available, and it must have been attractive to a group of young men from an exiled land.
And yet, although the four men were strangers in this land, without any real power to speak of, they made a bold request to the king’s steward – that they would be allowed to refrain from eating meat and drinking wine. Why would the four men from Judah ask to only eat vegetables? Well, there were two primary reasons. First, the meat consumed on Babylonian tables was ceremonially unclean for Jewish people. From the time of Moses onward, God has strict and specific commands to His people about what was to eat. Daniel and his friends were raised to respect the LORD’s law. Second, the Babylonians had a tradition of connecting their feasts to the worship of their god – called Bel. We don’t know, within the words of the text, whether this was the case for Daniel and his friends, but it’s very likely that it would have been, especially when conducted in the king’s house. Whether or not idolatry was play we don’t know, but none of the men wanted to give the slightest indication of it in their lives.
It seems downright ridiculous to believe that these four men could make such a request and even be heard, let alone be granted what they asked. They had just arrived from a foreign land. They may have been training in the king’s court, but they were close to the lowest rung of Babylonian society. Not only that, the court official makes it clear that a change in their physical well-being could mean his own head. Why would he willingly go along with such a risky plan? Daniel gives the answer, writing that “God made the chief of the officials favorable and sympathetic toward Daniel.” The LORD was still in control and He was watching over the affairs of Daniel and his friends.
This is an important truth that must be affirmed in our lives also, especially as we consider the context of different situations. No matter what we face, the LORD is with us and is in control. It certainly didn’t seem that way for these young men of Judah, but it was, and they believed that it was. It was this confidence and trust in God that allowed to make such a bold request, and it was the LORD’s power that granted it.
As Daniel went on to record, the LORD proved that Daniel and his friends would be protected, as they not only were sustained through their vegetable diet, but they thrived. In addition to this, we’re told that “God gave them knowledge and insight into all kinds of literature, as well as wisdom,” and that “Daniel also understood every kind of vision and dream,” a truth that is going to be expanded upon as we continue this series. So as chapter 1 ends, we see Daniel, Mishael, Hananiah, and Azariah are excelling far above their peers and life is looking pretty good for them. As we know, there are more bumps in the road ahead, but the constant guidance and protection of the LORD remains with them.
What do we learn for our lives from this opening chapter? Well, as we think about context, we see that Daniel and his friends saw their context in light of God’s Word, not the other way around. They accepted the exile. They were okay with learning under the Babylonians. They were even okay with changing their names. But they would not accept breaking God’s restrictions – a matter that for them was God’s holy Word. When it came to the test of faith, they would not use the trials of their context to change the bigger context of God’s will. In other words, by faith, they submitted to God’s plan, instead of trying to forge their own way. As they grew and increased in knowledge, they used it to serve the LORD, not to detract from Him.
How many people can say the same today? It seems that people only need a mere taste of power, money, or wealth before they begin using those things against the LORD’s will. How well are we doing at curbing the passions of our hearts? We tell ourselves countless times over that if we just get what we want we’ll be satisfied, we’ll make more time for God, we’ll be better at helping others, we’ll stop indulging in that particular sin – yet we only spiral further downward.
Even more pointed, are you willing to submit to the LORD’s plan? Do you display an attitude of trust that takes risks to stand for God’s truth? Or, do you follow the easier path of fitting into the culture around you, regardless of how godless it becomes? One thing we’re going to see a lot throughout the book of Daniel is the proper Christian response to ungodly rulers. Isn’t that an issue that is at the forefront of our lives today, as we consider how to live as Christians in a politically diverse and divisive nation? These are tough questions to consider and many of the same ones before us today.
Take to heart the lessons displayed here by Daniel and his friends. Conform your context to God’s, not the other way around. Too many Christians today allow media, friends, talking heads, and their pre-ordered political leanings to dictate what they believe about God, instead of allowing God to dictate His truth to the formation of their ideas, goals, opinions, and desires.
Immediately, in chapter 1, these four believers were confronted with the same obstacle that we continue to face today. Do I follow God’s truth – even if the odds seem impossible, even if the issue seems unimportant, even if I have to deny myself? Or, do I tell God what I’m going to do? That’s the dividing line of context in our lives, just as it was for Daniel.
Now, these things are true because God is the Author of truth and our lives operate best when we follow the truth. That is logical and sensical. But, this is also true because it involves gospel truth. We opened by giving examples of how context matters. It matters to the way we process events and the meaning we attach to things. It matters to the opinions we form and the priorities we dictate. God’s Word tells us that we live in a context of salvation through Jesus. He redeemed us by shedding His blood. He became the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom from God. He removed all obstacles that we created by our sin. This is the context of our lives – right now. We stand cleansed of all filth by Christ.
God wants this most precious truth to shape the way we think, the way we handle His Word, the motives that enlighten our actions, and the agendas we choose to promote. Nothing we stand for should stand in the way of Jesus, our Savior. That was the contextual outcome for Daniel and his friends. No matter how enticing the new Babylonian pleasures and ways were, they could not stand in the way of God. This is the demonstrated faith we will continue to see through this book – faith that apprehended miracles and interpreted visions. And it’s the same faith you have today in Jesus. Amen.
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