Bible Text: Daniel 1:1-21 | Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: Daniel, Daring to Stand for Godly Values

1.  “At the very beginning of their career in a three-year program, the young Yahweh worshippers were faced with a clear cut issue of obedience and faith.  They were doubtless subjected to intense social pressure from their classmates and teachers to do what everyone else was doing.  They might have argued with themselves about the apparent folly of letting a ceremonial quibble destroy their chances of attaining high positions in the government.  Should they not accept the royal diet and thus avoid giving needless offense to their classmates or to the officials of the king himself?  Worldly wisdom pointed in that direction.”  (Dr. Gleason L. Archer, Jr.)

2.  Daniel and his three friends (apparently alone out of all the Hebrews in the program) were more concerned with pleasing God than pleasing earthly rulers.  Thus they refused to defile themselves with the king’s food and drink.  The issue was not vegetables versus meat.  Though not all meat was prohibited by the Mosaic Law, the meat served them would no doubt have first been sacrificed to the pagan gods of Babylon.  Thus the food, though not unclean in itself, would have been made unclean by its use in pagan ritual.  Daniel and his friends were determined to be obedient to God in all they did, to please Him above all. 

3.  Daniel’s response to this challenge to godliness in his life was to respectfully propose an alternative.  They would eat vegetables and grains for ten days and have their progress evaluated.  The test was so successful that they were allowed to continue.  At the end of three years they were tested and Daniel and his friends were found to be the best of the best.  God blesses those who honor Him.  Daniel himself held high government offices under four different rulers in three different kingdoms.