Are you living in a spiritual wilderness time, asking God, “Please, just make it end. Get me out of here!!!!” Daniel (of the Old Testament) lived in the spiritual wilderness of Babylon and Persia for a total of sixty-eight years. How does a good Jewish boy end up under these circumstances? It was not Daniel’s choice.
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the Kingdom of Judah and “ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.‘Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,’ he said. ‘Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.’ … They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. (Daniel 1:3-5)
NOT A GAP YEAR. THIS WAS PERMANENT
Strong, healthy, good-looking, smart, and of noble birth. Young Daniel meets all the requirements and is promptly carried off, never to see family or home again. This is not a voluntary choice. It is not a “gap year”; this is permanent.
I would feel a huge amount of resentment and probably spit in the face of my captors. Furthermore, how could God betray me and discard all my dreams and aspirations? So glad that Daniel makes better choices than me.
DANGEROUS CHOICES
He and his three friends decide to not buy into blending in with the Babylonians. But isn’t this dangerous? Remember who holds the sword over their heads. The first challenge came when “the king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens.” This meant violating Jewish dietary laws, and potentially eating food offered to idols. Young Daniel faces his first major test. Whose standards will he choose to live by?
BUCKING THE SYSTEM
Teenaged Daniel bucks the system. Living in a foreign culture, no human protection on his side, Daniel handles himself wisely. He says “No” but in a wise way. He asks permission from the king’s chief of staff, who already had “both respect and affection for Daniel”. (Notice that last line. David is both winsome and responsible.)
Daniel does not resort to a loud protest, demanding his rights. He requests the king’s staff, “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water. At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.”
THE TEST
The results are phenomenal. “At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.”
IT ALL BEGINS WITH ONE STEP
This is teenaged Daniel’s first major stand for God. He does it with wisdom and prayer. He goes on to a powerful career influencing both heathen King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians for God. It all begins with one step.
ASK FOR WISDOM
Are you living in a spiritual wilderness and asking God, “Please, just make it end. Get me out of here!!!!”? It wasn’t written during his time, but Daniel believed, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6)