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"Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself."
(Daniel 1:8, CSB)
The book of Daniel is one of history and prophecy! The book starts with the knowledge that the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar has overrun Jerusalem, and some people of Jerusalem have been exiled to Babylon. The ones exiled to Babylon are chosen pretty intentionally in Daniel 1:3-4. The tactic was to take some of the best and brightest that Israel had to offer and indoctrinate them into Babylonian culture. Daniel was part of this group, and as indoctrination was about to begin, you see Daniel's mindset in going into the training time for the chosen few Israelites.
It says "Daniel DETERMINED that he would not defile himself with the king's food or the wine he drank." This verse is incredible, because Daniel chose to revere and obey God over what cultural and societal norms expected him to do. Daniel was supposed to eat the finest delicacies from the king's table and drink the best wine, but Daniel determined that he would not do it because of the possibility of this wine and food being unclean or going against what was required of Israelites by God's law. Daniel prioritized obedience to God over the convenience of culture.
Daniel's determination in chapter 1 of the book plays itself out a few times later in the book. Throughout the book, Daniel chooses faith over culture that tries to trump God's word. Daniel's example is something that we, as followers of Jesus, can follow! As a follower of Jesus, we know that this world is not our home, and so, like Daniel, we are foreigners in a harsh land! We live in a day and age that is very challenging to uphold and live out biblical truths, values, and verses. This should not deter us from being obedient to the scriptures; instead, this should make us more determined not to defile ourselves. I am not saying that culture in and of itself is evil and should be shunned; I think the believer in Jesus needs to have the wisdom and the boldness to see where things disagree with scripture and make the bold choice to choose scripture over culture. Daniel did not shun the culture; he was still in the confines of everyday life in Babylon and
decided to put his faith over his comfort.
Follower of Jesus, first things first, do we know enough of God's word to combat issues and "things" that go against what God's word says? Do we have enough biblical theology to spot things that go against the scriptures? If this is not the case, be a student of the word of God so you can build your theology, beliefs, and mind on the word of God! Secondly and lastly, where is an area of life that you need to, like Daniel, determine not to defile yourself? By no means are we to be ugly and disrespectful, but where do you need to choose to live your faith out and not just go along with what culture may say is suitable or appropriate?
May we all have some of Daniel's determination in us!
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