~Daniel 1~
After King Nebuchadnezzar
destroyed Jerusalem, he took a large number of Israelites to the
capital of his kingdom of Babylon. Amongst this group of maybe
thousands of young men, there were four boys--Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
They were taught at home to be faithful to God in every aspect of life, even in the small things. They loved God more than anything else. And now these four boys were captives far away from he place they always new as their earthly home.
After they arrived in the capital city, they were put into Babylon's best school and given some of Babylon's best teachers.
One day, King Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest king of the world, decided to provide for three year the richest food and the best wince that he could give to Daniel, his friends, and to many other youth. (verse 5)
But, these boys knew that God did not want them to drink the wine and eat the food. (verse 8)
Now Daniel and his friends had to decide if they were going to follow the king's desires and eat the food and drink the wine, or if they would choose to honor God even if they would lose their lives.
They did not want to dishonor God by eating and drinking what they knew God did not approve of. They loved God more than their own lives. So, because of their love for God, these faithful boys chose with determination that they would not defile themselves with any of the food nor with the wine.
Then they requested Melzar, one of the king's officers, who was in charge of them, to ask the king if they could be excused from eating the food and drinking the wine.
Melzar began to fear what the king might do if the four boys ended up looking worse than the other Jewish boys if they didn't take part in the king's feast. He said to them, "Are you going to put me in danger of getting my head cut off?"
Then Daniel suggested a 10 day test. And in these 10 days, he and his friends would eat healthy food and drink water. When those days were completed, Melzar was to look at the faces of Daniel and his friends and compare them with the faces of the other boys. Melzar accepted the plan.
At the end of the 10 days, they looked healthier than all those who ate the king's food and drank the wine. Then Melzar stopped providing the king's food for them and continued to give them healthy food.
Because these four boys were faithful to God, God honored them by giving them understanding and skill in all learning and in wisdom. And to Daniel, He gave the gift of interpreting visions and dreams.
Then the king asked that they be brought to him. He was so impressed by them that he made them rulers in his kingdom--the most powerful kingdom on earth. He found Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to be 10 times better than all his magicians and astrologers.
If Daniel and his friends didn't learn to be faithful to God every day in the small temptations and trials, they would probably not have been faithful to God under this much larger test. It is in the small tests that you and I face each day that greatly effect if we will or will not have victory when larger tests come.
And because Daniel and his friends honored God, God blessed them. God cannot bless us like He wants to if we do not honor Him, even in the seemingly small things. God promises to honor us too if we will honor Him above anything else, even if we lose our own lives.
They were taught at home to be faithful to God in every aspect of life, even in the small things. They loved God more than anything else. And now these four boys were captives far away from he place they always new as their earthly home.
After they arrived in the capital city, they were put into Babylon's best school and given some of Babylon's best teachers.
One day, King Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest king of the world, decided to provide for three year the richest food and the best wince that he could give to Daniel, his friends, and to many other youth. (verse 5)
But, these boys knew that God did not want them to drink the wine and eat the food. (verse 8)
Now Daniel and his friends had to decide if they were going to follow the king's desires and eat the food and drink the wine, or if they would choose to honor God even if they would lose their lives.
They did not want to dishonor God by eating and drinking what they knew God did not approve of. They loved God more than their own lives. So, because of their love for God, these faithful boys chose with determination that they would not defile themselves with any of the food nor with the wine.
Then they requested Melzar, one of the king's officers, who was in charge of them, to ask the king if they could be excused from eating the food and drinking the wine.
Melzar began to fear what the king might do if the four boys ended up looking worse than the other Jewish boys if they didn't take part in the king's feast. He said to them, "Are you going to put me in danger of getting my head cut off?"
Then Daniel suggested a 10 day test. And in these 10 days, he and his friends would eat healthy food and drink water. When those days were completed, Melzar was to look at the faces of Daniel and his friends and compare them with the faces of the other boys. Melzar accepted the plan.
At the end of the 10 days, they looked healthier than all those who ate the king's food and drank the wine. Then Melzar stopped providing the king's food for them and continued to give them healthy food.
Because these four boys were faithful to God, God honored them by giving them understanding and skill in all learning and in wisdom. And to Daniel, He gave the gift of interpreting visions and dreams.
Then the king asked that they be brought to him. He was so impressed by them that he made them rulers in his kingdom--the most powerful kingdom on earth. He found Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to be 10 times better than all his magicians and astrologers.
If Daniel and his friends didn't learn to be faithful to God every day in the small temptations and trials, they would probably not have been faithful to God under this much larger test. It is in the small tests that you and I face each day that greatly effect if we will or will not have victory when larger tests come.
And because Daniel and his friends honored God, God blessed them. God cannot bless us like He wants to if we do not honor Him, even in the seemingly small things. God promises to honor us too if we will honor Him above anything else, even if we lose our own lives.
"...Them that honour me I will honour..."
~1 Samuel 2:30~
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