Daniel's Youth

DANIEL’S YOUTH

Pedro L Martinez

RELI 1301 02

Spring 2015

April 02,2015

Introduction

        The Book of Daniel is on of the most intriguing books in many aspects. Daniel is a where God’s mercy is seen again and again while his people (Israelites) are exiled from Judah and Jerusalem. It is of a considerate importance to point out that there were waves of exile during time. The goal was to learn from Israelite aristocracy and relatives of the king ( Dan. 1:3) to better rule the people and form a relationship with them. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon wanted to form a cosmopolitan Babylon. The King od Babylon was also known as “builder of cities.” In all of this, God was also working in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court to expand his Glory and show the world that he is the one and true King. Around 605 BCE  a group of young men where brought to the King Nebuchadnezzar; Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah  who had survived the blazing furnace (Note* pagan names where given to the last three by King Nebuchadnezzar: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego). The book of Daniel was most likely written by Daniel himself (Dan 9:2) (Dan 10:2).  During a three-year training program for these young men, certain events occur to help glorify God’s name in Babylon. The main focus of this paper is to expand (to some extent) on what happened in Daniel 1:8,

“But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official for permission to eat other things instead (Dan. 1:8 [NLT]).”

Saying “NO”

        Most of what is being written will be about events that happened in Daniel’s life on or around the time he decided to be faithful to the Lord and not defile himself with the King’s food.  The royal provisions contained wine and meats and some speculate that Daniel resolved to not eat this food because it may have been forbidden by Jewish, (i.e. wine, pork, etc.) (Tyndale 1996, 1263).  Daniel came from Judah the southern kingdom, which was a kingdom that came from the lineage of the noble and beloved king David. The reason why this passage is so important is because it gives great emphasis on what Daniel’s desires were.  “ When Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself, he was being true to a lifelong determination to do what was right and not to give in to the pressures around him (Tyndale 1996, 1263). This valiant act is one that echoes through the ears of many youth, even today.  Daniel decided to “stand out” and fight for his beliefs and God had his back all the way. Daniel did not compromise his standards because of what everyone around him was eating or doing. He decided to live a life consecrated to the Lord’s ways. For example, students who decide to attend Dallas Baptist University for education.  Students who attend DBU may not be doing something valiant but it is a way to separate ourselves from other universities were most of us know that the theme is “party, party, and party”.  The way of the world is not the way of the Lord.  Daniel had previously thought about his conviction to the Lord and this made it helpful to stick to what he was going to do. Prior to facing the king’s delicacies Daniel decided that he will be faithful to our Lord (Tyndale 1996, 1263). Daniel and his friend drew the line and decided that even at his prime (his youth) he will be faithful to the Lord and stick to his commitments.  When temptation came, Daniel was ready to say “No” (Tyndale 1996,1263).  Daniel’s ways easily found great respect in the chief officials eyes’.  This derived from the grace that God had shed on Daniel because of his authenticity.  Daniel intelligently and courteously offered a proposal to not eat and drink the meals of the king (Harbin 2005, 319).  The Lord once again had Daniel’s back, at the end of a tend day trial period he was so healthy that the chief official did not had any problems with them eating the legumes and drinking water.  The Lord had saved Daniel and his peers from his peers from a fiery furnace (Harbin 2005, 318).  Daniels courageous and determined acts during his youth set him apart for the rest of his life under exile.  He goes through tribulations and the Lord always had his back.  This resiliency was favored by God; blessed… Daniel introduced us to Apocalyptic Literature (Harbin 2005, 320.)