hotcoffee
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Daniel 1:8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
c.Daniel 1:10 The Hebrew for your and you in this verse is plural
I found a verse while researching the differences in diet between the Babylonians and the Jews.
Genesis 1:29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
Daniel was a young teenage Jewish boy who had been captured and castrated. I'm sure he knew the Scriptures. This is the first sign that we see him grasping for normal. It says that God stepped in so apparently it was right for him to go back to the basics.
One of the commentaries brings up the fact the food wasn't kosher.
That he would not defile himself: The ancient Hebrew word defile carries the thought of polluting or staining (see also Isaiah 59:3, Zephaniah 3:1, and Malachi 1:7). That Daniel requested that he might not defile himself implies that he explained the spiritual basis for his request. He didn’t make it seem that he wanted to avoid the king’s food out of other reasons.
That he might not defile himself: Why did Daniel and his friends consider the king’s food defiled? First, it undoubtedly was not kosher. Second, it was probably sacrificed to idols. Third, it implied fellowship with Babylon’s cultural system.
i. Therefore he requested: Isn’t Daniel making a big deal over a little thing? Yes, but the only way to go on with God is by being faithful in little things. We might ask, “Daniel, why bring religion into it?” But Daniel realized that his relationship with God touched every area of his life, even what he ate. Significantly, the very root of sin goes back to eating forbidden food.
That he might not defile himself: Why did Daniel and his friends consider the king’s food defiled? First, it undoubtedly was not kosher. Second, it was probably sacrificed to idols. Third, it implied fellowship with Babylon’s cultural system.
i. Daniel did not object to the name given to him, because he knew whom he was - you could call him what you liked. Daniel did not object to the Babylonian education, because he knew what he believed. Daniel did object to the food from the king’s table, because it to eat it was direct disobedience to God’s word.
ii. “By eastern standards to share a meal was to commit one’s self to friendship; it was of covenant significance.” (Baldwin)
iii. Nor with the wine which he drank: God did not forbid drinking wine. Nevertheless, in pagan cultures most wine and meat was dedicated to the gods, so Daniel refused it.
ii. “By eastern standards to share a meal was to commit one’s self to friendship; it was of covenant significance.” (Baldwin)
iii. Nor with the wine which he drank: God did not forbid drinking wine. Nevertheless, in pagan cultures most wine and meat was dedicated to the gods, so Daniel refused it.
Daniel didn't just go on a hunger strike or pick at his food, taking only the vegetables and water. He requested a diet change. That same commentary says this is significant.
Therefore he requested: Daniel made a remarkably courageous decision, especially when we think of all the reasons why it was a hard decision to make.
i. The king ordered the menu. Rejecting the menu was rejecting the king, and could result in severe punishment.
ii. Refusing the food might have branded them as being uncooperative, and spoiled all chances of advancement (many other Hebrew youths did eat the food).
iii. There was a real threat of punishment. Ancient kings were well known for the severe and often sadistic punishments against those who crossed them. Nebuchadnezzar was capable of great cruelty. He murdered the sons of one king of Judah before the king’s eyes; then immediately gouged out the eyes of the king, so his last memory would always be the murder of his sons (Jeremiah 39:6-7). Other rulers of Judah were literally roasted to death over a fire (Jeremiah 29:22).
iv. The food itself was no doubt pretty attractive, and seemed a much better alternative than eating a vegetarian diet and water for three years.
v. Mere distance made this challenging. Separated from family and home, it was easy to compromise.
vi. It was easy to think that God had let them down by allowing them to be carried away into Babylon. Why should they risk their necks for a God who let them down? Many Christians have a mentality that says, “God, you do right by me, and I’ll do right by you.” Of course, God will always do right by us; but we don’t always know what is right for us
.ii. Refusing the food might have branded them as being uncooperative, and spoiled all chances of advancement (many other Hebrew youths did eat the food).
iii. There was a real threat of punishment. Ancient kings were well known for the severe and often sadistic punishments against those who crossed them. Nebuchadnezzar was capable of great cruelty. He murdered the sons of one king of Judah before the king’s eyes; then immediately gouged out the eyes of the king, so his last memory would always be the murder of his sons (Jeremiah 39:6-7). Other rulers of Judah were literally roasted to death over a fire (Jeremiah 29:22).
iv. The food itself was no doubt pretty attractive, and seemed a much better alternative than eating a vegetarian diet and water for three years.
v. Mere distance made this challenging. Separated from family and home, it was easy to compromise.
vi. It was easy to think that God had let them down by allowing them to be carried away into Babylon. Why should they risk their necks for a God who let them down? Many Christians have a mentality that says, “God, you do right by me, and I’ll do right by you.” Of course, God will always do right by us; but we don’t always know what is right for us
