Daniel 1:1-20 In
the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzarking
of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord
delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the
articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his
god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court
officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the
royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing
aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand,
and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and
literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food
and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and
after that they were to enter the king’s service.
Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel,
the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to
Azariah, Abednego.
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. Now God had caused the official to show favor and
compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am
afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your 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.”
Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had
appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your
servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to
drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the
royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So
he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better
nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard
took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them
vegetables instead.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and
understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel
could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
At the end of the time set by the king to bring
them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The
king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and
Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and
understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times
better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
Matthew Henry's
Concise Commentary
1:17-21 Daniel and his
fellows kept to their religion; and God rewarded them with eminence in
learning. Pious young persons should endeavor to do better than their fellows
in useful things; not for the praise of man, but for the honor of the gospel,
and that they may be qualified for usefulness. And it is well for a country,
and for the honor of a prince, when he is able to judge who are best fitted to
serve him, and prefers them on that account. Let young men steadily attend to
this chapter; and let all remember that God will honor those who honor him, but
those who despise him shall be lightly esteemed.
Although Daniel was living as a captive in Babylon, he
resolved in his heart not to violate God’s laws. He never wavered from his
commitment. What motivated this young man to live out such a pledge?
Devotion to God. Daniel’s deep love for the Lord made
him determined not to defile himself with the king’s food and wine. Dedication
to God means choosing to be set apart to love, worship, and obey only Him. It
amounts to declaring, “Lord, every part of me is Yours. I want what You want.”
When we keep Jesus Christ as the focus, our hearts will overflow with
thanksgiving, and we will be motivated to stand firm.
Clear direction. If Daniel refused outright to eat the
king’s food, he would likely have lost his life. So he and his friends turned
to God for direction. The Lord gave them the wisdom they needed to develop an
alternate plan—and then also provided them with the courage to ask permission
to follow His way. Notice there were no loud demands, no arguments, and no
rebellious spirit. Their behavior was marked by trust in God and dependence on
Him. Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will give us guidance and
understanding (John 16:13). When we listen closely to His direction, we will be
motivated to act.
Through daily prayer and meditation upon God’s Word, we can
keep our eyes centered on Christ, our ears attuned to His voice, and our hearts
motivated to obey. We’ll be able to make the same wholehearted commitment
Daniel did. So ask yourself, How eager am I to do God’s will?
No comments:
Post a Comment