But Daniel set in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:8 LSB
Can you just imagine being a young boy taken away from your family and your home and brought to a foreign land? This was the case with Daniel and three of his friends. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was a wicked man. He wanted the choicest of the young men taken from Jerusalem and brought to Babylon to serve in his court.
He wanted to strip them of their Jewish heritage and turn them into Babylonians. He changed their names and changed their language. Dr. David Jermiah wrote a book, The Handwriting on the Wall. He points out in his book that Daniel and his friends did not resist these changes because there is nothing in the Bible against changing our names or our language.
When the king insisted they eat what he ate, Daniel took his stand. The problem with the king’s food is it was offered to false gods before being served to the king. Daniel knew he could not eat food offered to and blessed by false gods.
Daniel was in a very precarious position. The king could have ordered him to be killed. The king liked to kill people by burning them alive. He placed Daniel’s friends into a fiery furnace in chapter 3. Daniel could have died for taking this stand, but as he said in our Scripture passage, he could not defile himself. Daniel took a stand to die for what he believed in or live to do God’s will.
We live in a world where we are told we need to be unified. We need to compromise to get along. If you read your Bible, however, you will find that God’s people separated themselves. Noah built an ark in a land that had never seen rain. Everyone thought he was crazy, and they mocked him, but Noah kept on building. No one was laughing when the water started to rise. Noah’s obedience to God saved his life, the lives of his family members, and the lives of the animals.
Daniel’s obedience to God caused him to rise in the ranks of the Babylonian empire. No matter what adversity came his way, Daniel stood strong and refused to go against God’s instructions. He refused to do the things he knew were wrong, as did his friends.
Taking a stand proved to serve them well. God took good care of them through the Babylonian captivity. He protected them in times of trouble. He allowed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to walk around in the fiery furnace and escape without even the smell of soot on their clothing. He allowed Daniel to spend the night unharmed in the lion’s den.
When God says no and we do it anyway, we are out there on our own. God never honors disobedience. If we want God to give us peace and joy, we must trust and obey. We must do so, even if it means going against what everyone else is doing. We must be separated. We must stand out.
There were many times in my life, especially during my teen years, when friends wanted me to do things my parents had forbidden. I said no because I feared the consequences. Sadly, today many people live without fear of the consequences. Just as I know my earthly father would have dealt with me severely, I know my heavenly Father will not tolerate my disobedience.
When God says no, He means no. We need to study His word and develop a good understanding of His rules and what He expects from us. We need to attend Bible study and go to church to gain a deeper meaning of His word. Most importantly, we need to realize that God is sovereign. He is in complete control. Never surrender to a mere mortal.
Surrender to God. Trust in Him. Refuse to defile yourself by going against His word. When God says no, He means it. Don’t test His patience or His goodness with willful disobedience, you will not be happy with the results.
Have a great day!