Resolve

The Babylonians came tearing through Israel. They conquered cities, pulled apart families, and took over the land. Eventually they made it to Israel’s pride and joy: Jerusalem. The king of Babylon, the mighty Nebuchadnezzar, led a full-scale assault of the city. He laid siege to it, hoping to intimidate and starve its inhabitants into submission.

Eventually, the king of Judah, a guy named Jehoiakim, gave up. He relented and opened the city to the invaders. The Babylonians always took the best things back with them. They raided Jerusalem, sacked the city, and looted its goods. They even walked into the temple of Israel’s God and took some of the golden vessels. Having gathered the most valuable items around, the king headed back to Babylon.

But Nebuchadnezzar left someone behind: Ashpenaz. Ashpenaz was in charge of one of Babylon’s more genius techniques for conquering nations. When Babylon defeated you in battle, they didn’t just steal your gold and cattle; they went after your most valuable resource. Ashpenaz’s task was to find the best and brightest Jewish youth to bring back to Babylon.

Babylon’s method was extremely effective. They would skim the smartest, prettiest, and best off the top of your nation. They would bring these young people back to Babylon and assimilate them into Babylonian culture. They would learn the language, history, and literature of a new nation. As they were rewarded for their integration into Babylonian society, they were given leadership roles in Babylon. The goal was for these young people to cut ties to their conquered nation and rise with the success of their captors.

Imagine having your nation ripped away from you, only to have your child taken as well. Ashpenaz had to be a hated man. I wonder if he promised the families that their children would be better off, or if he just took them. His job was to select the most talented Hebrews for new roles in Babylon. He only had three years to prepare these students for their new roles in the kingdom, so he made sure to choose those who appeared to be quick learners.

We don’t exactly know why, but Ashpenaz chose Daniel. But this was not a contest you wanted to win. Daniel was taken from everything he knew and transported to Babylon. His re-education began with a new name. All of the foreigners called him Belteshazzar. They also took Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The Babylonians called them Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Though it probably didn’t feel like it to these young men, some people would have thought that they had it made. They didn’t have to live in the smoldering nation of Israel, and they were brought directly into the king’s palace. Some might say they had a cushy life. They had a comfortable place to live and the best education that Babylon had to offer. Not only that, but they got the best food in all of Babylon.

At Daniel’s first meal, He made a strange decision. Who knows what the first meal they tried to serve him was, but he wouldn’t eat it. Everyone probably thought he was crazy. He had just come from a besieged city– there couldn’t have been much good food to eat in there! And now, he sat at a decadent table, spread with Babylon’s finest offerings. He was served the same food and wine that the king ate, but Daniel wouldn’t eat. Look at Daniel 1:8:

“But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank."

Daniel was making a stand. But why would Daniel make a stand at the dinner table? Why did it matter what kind of food he should eat? Surely the king’s food was good enough for him? Daniel 1:8 tells us why this decision was such a big deal to Daniel. Though the food probably tasted fine, Daniel did not want to “defile himself.” The food he was being served did not meet the dietary restrictions of his people. These weren’t health standards, but they were part of God’s defining characteristics for his people. Daniel was not abandoning his roots. The food had probably been sacrificed to other gods as well. For Daniel to eat the food, he would have been complicit in the worship of those false Gods. Daniel, sitting at the dinner table in the king’s palace, was making a significant choice.

If you think about it, the best thing to really do in this moment is just go along with whatever they say. If I were at this table, I would eat whatever was served to me! “Please don’t kill me,” would be on repeat in the back of my mind. I would nod, smile, and say it was delicious. But Daniel was looking at something other than his own survival. He believed something bigger than his capture was happening. Something bigger than his life was at stake.

Remember, Daniel’s environment has completely changed. His parents weren’t there. There were no priests around. Daniel grew up in a nation that talked about following God. Sure, they were struggling with idolatry (that’s how they landed in this situation), but they were a nation that was built on the concept of worshipping God. Now he found himself in a completely different place. All the forces that had once encouraged him towards God had evaporated. He was on his own. What was he going to do?

Daniel didn’t really think. He had already decided. Sadly, we don’t get to see this part in the Bible. But somewhere in Daniel’s past, he had decided that he really believed in God. Daniel trusted that the stories he heard from his parents were real. God had really chosen to use Israel as a way to show his love to the world. Daniel believed that God really cared about him and had a plan for his life.

How do we know this is true? Daniel is placed in a set of circumstances where every logical choice points to defection. It’s in his best interest to just “go with the flow” of the Babylonians. He shouldn’t rock the boat. He should get his education, take his medicine, and do his part. I’ve heard that if you’re ever kidnapped, the best thing to do is “be useful.” Any way that you can find to be helpful will help ensure your survival. Essentially, your captors won’t want to kill you because they like you. Daniel seems to do the opposite. He’s operating with a different goal. My goal would be survival. Maybe yours would be, too.

Daniel's goal was to follow God, no matter the circumstances. We tend to negotiate our ability to follow God from our circumstances. If things are going well, we will make the right choice. If they're not, we think we deserve a little sin. Daniel's decision to follow God certainly didn't make his life easier, but in the end it brought more glory to God. And that seemed to be the goal.