Discipled by Daniel

By Tom Dooley and Bethany Douglas

When we hear about the biblical figure Daniel, lions usually come to mind. However, the book of Daniel contains much more than Daniel in the lions’ den. Long before the lions, the first chapter describes a time of spiritual failure and catastrophic change for the people of Judah. If we study this chapter closely, Daniel reaches across the centuries to disciple readers, offering valuable lessons about honoring God in dark times and difficult places.

Spiritual Failure (Daniel 1:1-2)

The spiritual failure in Judah began at the top with King Jehoiakim. The 18th king of Judah, Jehoiakim began ruling at age 25 and continued 11 years (2 Kings 23:36). According to 2 Kings 23:37, King Jehoiakim lived an evil life. How would you like the Lord to look at your life and conclude, “He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord”?

What evil did he do? Jehoiakim worshipped Baal and the pagan gods of the East. He encouraged his people to turn away from the true God and join him in idolatry. He failed to lead his subjects in the way of the Lord.

God responded with judgment. He allowed Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to overthrow Jerusalem and seize control of Judah. These events offer a serious warning. We cannot get away with sin. God warned His people, but the warnings went unheeded and God acted to discipline His wayward children.

Catastrophic Context (Daniel 1:3)

The resulting judgment was catastrophic for God’s people, including Daniel. He lost his family, his home and culture, and even his name. I’m sure his boyhood dreams faded quickly, like the morning mist. Because of Judah’s disobedience, even faithful Daniel spent the rest of his life in a foreign land serving pagan kings. Within this catastrophic context, Daniel and his friends faced a great test. Would they remain faithful in Babylon?

Faithful Response (Daniel 1:8-14)

Notice the faithful response by Daniel and his three friends. When selected for training to serve the king of Babylon, they determined to honor the Lord in all things. The captives selected for the king’s service—let’s call them “trainees”—were to be given special names, educated as Babylonians, and fed a Babylonian diet.

Daniel quietly spoke to their overseer Melzar, and told him, “We prefer not to eat the food or drink the wine the king has selected for us.” The request did not go over too well, for Melzar feared the king. He knew if anything went wrong, it could cost his life. In response, Daniel requested Melzar to allow him and his friends a diet of vegetables and water for a ten-day trial period. If Melzar wasn’t pleased with their progress, he could then do with them as he pleased. Melzar consented.

Notice Daniel said nothing about losing his Hebrew name. He did not object to the Babylonian education. But when it came to the diet, Daniel drew a line. Why? Because God had given His people clear and specific dietary instructions. Daniel knew the diet suggested by the king required disobedience to God’s commands.

What a great example. While some cultural adaptation may not be harmful in our spiritual lives, believers must draw the line when the Word of God is clearly violated. We must honor the Lord, even when compromising His commands—even a little—seems easier. What kept Daniel and his friends from compromising?

God’s Word in Their Hearts

How did God’s law get instilled in the hearts of these young Hebrew men? Most Bible scholars believe Daniel and his friends were a quartet of captive 15-year-olds who chose to obey God’s dietary standards. But how did they know God’s dietary laws? We are not told in Scripture, but likely they learned the laws from godly parents who themselves refused to compromise with idolatry, and who taught their sons to obey God and His commands. Parents today are still responsible to pass God’s Word to their children, to disciple and teach them to love God and live faithfully.

To live faithfully, it is crucial for the Word of God to be hidden in the heart of every believer. Our minds should be bathed in scriptural truth, so when we face temptation, we can draw upon the reservoir of God’s Word in our hearts, enabling us to resist sin. Daniel knew God’s law, and it gave him strength to be faithful.

Choice to Obey

Daniel understood the cost of sin, and he refused to be defiled. The word defiled means “made unclean.” Daniel did not want to be unclean in the sight of God. He knew he would be defiled if he compromised, so he chose to honor the Lord no matter what. He made the right choice in a tough situation. He demonstrated one of the keys to surviving difficult situations: choosing ahead of time—before temptation—to do what is right.

Because Daniel chose to honor the Lord, he experienced the blessing of the Lord upon his life. Scripture teaches the Lord honors those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30). Don’t get me wrong. God did not take Daniel out of Babylon; He blessed him in Babylon. He did not take him from the catastrophic situation but allowed his life to glorify God through the difficulty.

After ten days, Daniel and his friends looked so much better than the other trainees, Melzar decided to switch everyone to their God-honoring diet (Daniel 1:15-16). And God’s blessing went beyond the physical. God also blessed these faithful young men with a special capacity to learn and granted them wisdom far beyond their years (Daniel 1:17-20). Later, when the king evaluated them, they were far superior to all the other trainees.

Will You Be faithful?

Babylon was a real, historical city but is also symbolic of a place we don’t want to be. Sometimes, God allows us to endure difficult places in our lives, whether the result of His discipline, the fallen nature of our world, or the consequences of our own choices. Perhaps your “Babylon” is a financial crisis, a relational difficulty, a crumbling marriage, or a serious health problem. You don’t want to be there, but you are. Will you be faithful?

To remain faithful in Babylon, we must learn from Daniel and choose to honor God in everything. Then, and only then, will we experience what Daniel experienced—the Lord’s blessing in a difficult place.

Adapted from Taming Life’s Lions by Tom Dooley, a Direction Bible Study. Learn more: fwbmastersmen.org.