Baroda Bible Club

Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself

Dan 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Loving Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the book of Daniel we read about four Hebrew youths were taken to Babylon by the King to use them in his court. In Dan 1:4 to "youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans." In Dan 1:5 And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service. These four youth were as in Dan 1:6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. But in the new country they all got a new name where they gone as prisoners. In Dan 1:7 Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.( In addition to adapting to the provisions associated with the diet and habit of the king himself, the four Hebrews discovered a thoroughness in the Babylonian attempts to erase from their minds all memory of former religious commitment. To do this their names were got changed, all of which in some way incorporated the name of the true God, were replaced with names containing references to the diverse gods of Babylon: Daniel ("God is my Judge") to Belteshazzar ("Lady protect the king"), Hananiah ("God has been gracious") to Shadrach ("I am very fearful [of god]"), Mishael ("Who is what God is?") to Meshach ("I am of little account"), Azariah ("The Lord has helped") to Abed-Nego ("Servant of the shining one" [i.e. Nebo]).

Dan 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself (only you can make a decision for yourself) with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel's determination to remain undefiled by not eating the king's food, which may have included ceremonially unclean meats as well as meats offered to idols, bears eloquent testimony to the fruitlessness of the Babylonian efforts to induct the Hebrews into Babylonian religion.

Results of the Good Decision

When Daniel took a decision fearing God, God also helped him. God helped him to get favor in the eyes of the people above him. The steward (v. 11) was reluctant to cooperate, but because of a friendship God had produced between him and Daniel

(Dan 1:9) "Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel,"

God works through foreign officials without their knowledge to accomplish His purposes for His faithful people he substituted water to drink and vegetables to eat (v. 12). In Dan 1:14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

The results of the ten-day experiment demonstrated God's approval of Daniel's courage and conviction. God will never put us down before people. In Dan 1:15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. Even Nebuchadnezzar found the four Hebrews to be not only healthy, but also wise in giving counsel (Dan. 1:19).

In Prov 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Vs. 1:7 The motto of the wisdom teachers and theme of the book is that the fear of the Lord is the starting point and essence of wisdom. fear of the LORD. I.e., a reverence for God expressed in submission to His will (cf. Job 28:28; Eccl. 12:13; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10; 15:33). Wisdom is not acquired by a mechanical formula but through a right relationship with God. Fools. I.e., easily led, gullible, silly persons; those who are both mentally naive and morally irresponsible. In Dan 1:20 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. Even if we fear God today God can give us super wisdom. Do you like to have wisdom? In James 1:5 to 8, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

The Plan of God. In 1 Cor 1:25 to 29, For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

The longevity of Daniel's ministry is here indicated in V.21. The prophet arrived in Babylon in 605 B.C. and was still a Babylonian official when Cyrus the Persian conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. This is the point of the verse. In fact, according to 10:1, he continued as an official under the Persians until the third year of Cyrus (536 B.C.). In Psa 91:14 to 16, "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Among all his own Hebrew friends it is Daniels name remained unchanged through out his life in the foreign country since he was the one who took a decision for God. For all other three the Babylonian name become their name. Even we know them by their Babylonian name as to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. but not Daniel ("God is my Judge"). God helped him to have the same name. We do not know his changed name "Belteshazzar ("Lady protect the king"),

Apostle Paul says in 1 Cor 3:16 & 17, about our body as the temple of God. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

My dear friends when we take a right decision for God, according to the word of God God will also honour you. Shall we take a right decision like Daniel took.

Rev. T. Marcus Devasahayam

Pastor: Baroda Bible Club



Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself

Dan 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Loving Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the book of Daniel we read about four Hebrew youths were taken to Babylon by the King to use them in his court. In Dan 1:4 to "youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, *showing intelligence in every branch of* wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court*; and he ordered him* to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans." In Dan 1:5 And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service. These four youth were as in Dan 1:6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. But in the new country they all got a new name where they gone as prisoners. In Dan 1:7 Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.( In addition to adapting to the provisions associated with the diet and habit of the king himself, the four Hebrews discovered a thoroughness in the Babylonian attempts to erase from their minds all memory of former religious commitment. To do this their names were got changed, all of which in some way incorporated the name of the true God, were replaced with names containing references to the diverse gods of Babylon: Daniel ("God is my Judge") to Belteshazzar ("Lady protect the king"), Hananiah ("God has been gracious") to Shadrach ("I am very fearful [of god]"), Mishael ("Who is what God is?") to Meshach ("I am of little account"), Azariah ("The Lord has helped") to Abed-Nego ("Servant of the shining one" [i.e. Nebo]). Dan 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself (only you can make a decision for yourself) with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel's determination to remain undefiled by not eating the king's food, which may have included ceremonially unclean meats as well as meats offered to idols, bears eloquent testimony to the fruitlessness of the Babylonian efforts to induct the Hebrews into Babylonian religion. Results of the Good Decision When Daniel took a decision fearing God, God also helped him. God helped him to get favor in the eyes of the people above him. The steward (v. 11) was reluctant to cooperate, but because of a friendship God had produced between him and Daniel (Dan 1:9) "Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel," God works through foreign officials without their knowledge to accomplish His purposes for His faithful people he substituted water to drink and vegetables to eat (v. 12). In Dan 1:14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. The results of the ten-day experiment demonstrated God's approval of Daniel's courage and conviction. God will never put us down before people. In Dan 1:15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. Even Nebuchadnezzar found the four Hebrews to be not only healthy, but also wise in giving counsel (Dan. 1:19). In *Prov 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but* fools despise wisdom and instruction. Vs. 1:7 The motto of the wisdom teachers and theme of the book is that the fear of the Lord is the starting point and essence of wisdom. fear of the LORD. I.e., a reverence for God expressed in submission to His will (cf. Job 28:28; Eccl. 12:13; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10; 15:33). Wisdom is not acquired by a mechanical formula but through a right relationship with God. Fools. I.e., easily led, gullible, silly persons; those who are both mentally naive and morally irresponsible. In Dan 1:20 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. Even if we fear God today God can give us super wisdom. Do you like to have wisdom? In James 1:5 to 8, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. The Plan of God. In 1 Cor 1:25 to 29, For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. The longevity of Daniel's ministry is here indicated in V.21. The prophet arrived in Babylon in 605 B.C. and was still a Babylonian official when Cyrus the Persian conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. This is the point of the verse. In fact, according to 10:1, he continued as an official under the Persians until the third year of Cyrus (536 B.C.). In Psa 91:14 to 16, "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." Among all his own Hebrew friends it is Daniels name remained unchanged through out his life in the foreign country since he was the one who took a decision for God. For all other three the Babylonian name become their name. Even we know them by their Babylonian name as to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. but not Daniel ("God is my Judge"). God helped him to have the same name. We do not know his changed name "Belteshazzar ("Lady protect the king"), Apostle Paul says in 1 Cor 3:16 & 17, about our body as the temple of God.** "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." My dear friends when we take a right decision for God, according to the word of God God will also honour you. Shall we take a right decision like Daniel took.

Rev. T. Marcus Devasahayam Pastor: Baroda Bible Club