Daniel’s Steps toward Protection – Daniel 1:1-21

 This evening I’ll try to finish my thoughts from this morning. Daniel was abducted from his home and shipped to Babylon – along with several other young people. He was thrust into a world which was completely foreign to his own. You may think that I’m taking liberty with the scriptures, but this is how I picture his circumstances. Those young men were given a harem-type room at the luxurious Babylon Hilton or Wilshire Plaza. They were forced to speak a language which was new to him, and only in private could he talk with friends in his native Hebrew. They were given new clothes to wear, and probably some of his fellow-captives rejoiced in them. Whereas they had been living in forced poverty at home, they were living in opulence now. Soon they would be thrust into a school system which was foreign in every way. They were going to be learning the early forms of evolution and science – both true and false. They would be indoctrinated in astronomy and also astrology. Beyond things like math they would probably be exposed to Babylonian literature and philosophy. You may think that the public education system in the United States is thoroughly rotten, but I personally think that what Daniel and his friends had to endure was probably worse. These young people no longer had the support of their parents or other godly adults. It was a particularly difficult situation.

I have heard of some of the brainwashing techniques that are used by modern man. I have heard about sleep depravation and extremely loud and vicious music assaulting the senses. I have heard about changing people’s diets, exposing them to things outside their moral principles. I have heard about terrorists using these tactics, and I’ve heard rumors that Americans do the same. And I also imagine that some of these same sorts of techniques were used to change the hearts and minds of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and the other Hebrews with them. As I suggested this morning, I believe that these same sorts of things are being used upon us and upon our children, but in much less obtrusive ways. Satan is trying to brainwash us – to despiritualize us – to make us more like himself and the world.

But clearly, Daniel resisted this process, and so can we. What sort of things can we see in this scripture which he used to protect himself? Are they available to us today? Are they at all important today?

In no particular order, consider that…

Daniel seems to have refused the heathen name which was thrust upon him.You may think that I’m being silly at this point, or that I’m just trying to show off something that I’ve learned. Maybe it is a stretch, but there is a point to this. There is always some debate about the meaning of old Hebrew names, but there is little doubt that the name Daniel means “God is my judge.” What sort of world would this be, if every day we awoke with the realization that God is our judge. What if when we met our friends or we were introduced to someone, they were confronted with the fact that God is our judge? Daniel’s name assaulted everyone he met with the fact that God is our judge. Hannaniah means “The grace of the Lord” or “The Lord is gracious.” Mishael could mean “He that is the strong God” or perhaps “Who equals God?” And Azariah means “The Lord is my help.” Each of these names, may have had special significance to their parents. Of course it might have been to honor a grandfather who bore the same name. But it could have been that each of these families wanted to honor Jehovah.

One of the first things that the Babylonians did, was to strip these boys of their godly names. Daniel’s name was changed to Belteshazzar which means “Keeper of the treasure of Bel.” Hananiah became Shadrach – “Inspiration of the Sun” – which most heathen then worshiped. Mishael became Meshach – “Of the goddess Shach” – which was one of the early names for Venus. And Azariah became Abednego – “Servant of the Shining Fire” – both fire and the sun were worshiped.

Do you honestly think that these name changes were not done without a reason? I suppose that there could have been several reasons, and we might never know some of them. But obviously, one was to try to put some distance between these boys and their connection to Jehovah. I believe that today, Satan would like to try to do the same thing, but he has another trick up his sleeve. Today he has taken the good name of God and so polluted it in the world that it has lost it’s meaning. Who are the true witnesses of Jehovah? It’s not the Russelites, and it’s not the Jew. Who are the true disciples of Christ? It’s not the Campbellites. The name “Christian” has lost just about all of its credibility and it’s true meaning, as has just about every other godly designation from a century ago or from the days of the Bible.

Do I have any scriptural right to think that Daniel resisted this name change? It appears to have been used officially, but not privately or personally. The name “Daniel” is used 65 times in this book, but “Belteshazzar” is used only 8 times, never outside this book. Unfortunately the frequency of Hananniah, Mishael and Azariah to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is not so positive. The Babylonian names are used about three times as often as the Hebrew. Perhaps this suggests that they weren’t as resistant to the change as Daniel was.

As Christians, I challenge you to learn those young men’s true names and to use them. Don’t give Satan the satisfaction of calling them Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And also as Christians, I challenge you to learn the names and language of the Word of God, especially as they apply to ourselves. And we need to use them all as a testimony to who we are and Who we worship.

Second, Daniel knew the Law of God.So here he is locked away in a secular cloister – away from the Word of God and away from the prophet of God. And yet he knew enough to recognize that there were problems in eating the king’s meat. I have to admit that I have a benevolent attitude toward Nebuchadnezzar. But my perspective comes from the direction of the future. Daniel’s perspective was from the days before Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and confession of God. Jeremiah 39:6-7 tells us that this man was a cold-hearted despot who could authorize the killing of children and then the immediate blinding of the father of those children. He had no qualms about slaughtering all the nobility which were left in Jerusalem – perhaps Daniel’s father. This would come during the days of king Zedekiah, but that was who Nebuchadnezzar was at this time. Jeremiah 29:22 suggests that this Nebuchadnezzar was not above roasting human flesh in the oven. He came quite close to doing the same with Hananniah, Mishael and Azariah. And here he comes with a plate full of Babylonian roast and pastries. Is it really roast beef? Perhaps. What if this food was first dedicated to one of the idol gods of the Babylonians.

How did Daniel know that he should be cautious about eating the king’s meat? Wasn’t it because as a youth the Word of God had been planted in his heart? Did he really know what this meat was? What he did know was that Leviticus 11:44 said: “For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Perhaps Daniel thought that it was better to be overly cautious than to become incidentally guilty. Undoubtedly Daniel had memorized Psalm 119 and the verse which reads: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Probably as we did last week, he had read the words of Isaiah 52:11 – “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.” Perhaps it was one of the Biblical history lessons which came to his mind: Joseph in Potiphar’s House.

What I’m trying to say is that I believe that Daniel’s victory over this temptation and Satan’s attack was his thorough knowledge of the Word of God. Parents who do not take Sunday School seriously, are endangering their children. Parents may think that the simple Bible stories recited in children’s terms are a waste of time. The Word of God is never a waste of time, and particularly so when it is presented to our future Daniels.

Daniel’s third defense was directly related to his second.That young man had no option but to attend the Babylonian public school. In that school, he learned many very good things, taught by some of the finest minds of the kingdom. But he also got a thorough education in astrology and whatever it was that Babylonian magicians learned. He learned the intricacies of trigonometry and calculus, as far as it was developed in his day. But he also learned how to name the stars and planets, and what to say when one was juxtaposed against another. He learned the names of hundreds of species of animals, but he was also confronted with the early forms of evolution. No, evolution didn’t begin 300 hundred years ago with Charles Darwin, but in ancient Babylon.

Despite all the garbage which he was taught, it must be admitted that Daniel was not overcome by the heresy. I am sure that his upbringing in the Truth of God helped to protect his heart and mind. But I’m also convinced that it was because of the grace and mercy of God. Remember that there are thousands of Christians in the world today who have been educated in the public Babylonian school system. And notice too that there are thousands of lost men and woman who were home-schooled by their parents. The difference between those two groups of people is the grace of God, built on the foundation of the Bible

The fourth thing in Daniel’s protection was his purposed heart.Verse 8 – “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.” Based upon what he believed his Bible to teach, he determined not to eat the offered food. You might say that he bowed his neck and refused to take the yoke – (the egg yoke?) Some would say that he got stubborn; some would say that he was really, really foolish. Some would say that he was incredibly brave. All are probably right depending on the point of view.

Try to picture the pressure on this young man. If I had to guess, I’d say that no one but Daniel realized the potential danger in this compromise over food. It appears that he may have convinced his three closest friends, but were there any others? Some of the other Hebrew boys may have been arguing against this stand of his. And remember, that Daniel may have known how barbaric this Babylonian king could be. But Daniel was willing to risk his life over the question of mere food. Not only was he risking his life, but he was probably being told that he was endangering all the others as well. Then along comes the prince of the eunuchs, pleading with him to acquiesce, stating that his life was being endangered. It wasn’t as though Daniel was eating in a buffet where he had several choices. Not only might he draw down the wrath of the king, but he could also simply starve to death.

But none of this moved him, because he was convinced that the choice he was making was right. He “purposed,” that is, he steeled his heart, put his foot down, and trained his eye upon the Lord. He showed courage, resolve and genuine character. This is rare in much more mature people, but in a youth like this, it is astounding.

And on the heels of this point, Daniel challenged the authority placed over him.He told the prince of the eunuchs that he would not defile himself with that food. And in essence he defied the command of the most powerful monarch in the world. When his Astronomy teacher demanded to the know the names of the constellations in the east quadrant at two the morning, Daniel quickly told him. And when his Astrology teacher wanted to know the meaning of the presence of Mars under the constellation Orion, I think that he would tell him what he wanted to hear. And yet I believe that he also told that man that the whole question was a log of bologna. But for this question about food there were no other options as far as Daniel was concerned. He couldn’t bring himself to eat but with protest, as perhaps other Hebrews were doing. He simply could not, or would not, eat it. He defied the authority of the king’s kitchen.

But at the same time, he spoke with a maturity and attitude that bespoke a respect for that authority. I’m not suggesting that Daniel approved of that authority and that wicked king. But since Nebuchadnezzar was the king which God had permitted to sit upon that throne, he knew that he must submit to his authority in every way possible. He didn’t consider this food as possible. And yet, he spoke to this prince with the utmost respect. “He REQUESTED of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I BESEECH THEE, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.” There is no suggestion here that Daniel spit in his face. There is no attack upon the wishes of the king or upon the food that he was providing. It wasn’t about ingratitude or rebellion for rebellion’s sake. Daniel as respectfully as possible declined the king’s kind gift. But of course the king didn’t know about it until later, if he ever did at all.

Remember that I’m thinking about the steps Daniel took to protect himself from the attack of Satan’s world.

And in that regard, the key ingredient was his trust in the Lord.Of course this is assumed. In fact, this is something far too often assumed. We assume it as we go through our day to day lives. “I trust that the Lord will protect me from Islamic terrorism and from cancer.” Actually, this kind of trust is most often merely taken for granted. Let’s see if I can illustrate it here in Daniel.

Have you ever tried to loose ten pounds? It is a very easy thing to gain ten pounds, but losing them again is ten times more difficulty – a ten0 times. But some of you have lost ten pounds before – it can be done. Did you do it in a week or ten days? I suppose that it is possible, but its highly unlikely. And to guarantee that loss in ten days is probably rather foolish.

Daniel made a similar kind of proposal to Melzar, not about ten pounds, but about obvious and even spectacular general health. “Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.”

Daniel had to convince his caterer that he and his three friends would be more healthy with ten days of pulse than all the rest of the crew who were eating roast beef, pork, bacon and chocolate cake. Ten days, not ten weeks or three months – ten days. Unless I’m completely wrong, it appears that Daniel is asking the Lord for a minor miracle here. Daniel is not talking about trusting the Lord for protection from remotely potential problems, as we often do. He was sticking his neck out and asking the Lord for something spectacular – right here and now. This was an act of faith.

And do you know what? The Lord blessed that young man and his friends. “And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.”

Despite still having to live in an heathen world, and having to fight for his right to serve the Lord, these four young men, proved to be worthy neighbors and citizens of the kingdom of God. And not only of the kingdom of the God, but of the kingdom of Babylon as well. It is possible to live godly in this present evil world. It will not be easy, but it is possible. The two primary keys are genuine practical faith in the Lord and practical faithfulness to the Word of God.