Daniel 1. 8-21 Blend in or Stick Out

At some point in the assimilation process Daniel RESOLVED to hold on to his belief in God. He would preserve his faith and maintain his integrity. What were the dangers of such action? How did he decide to deal with the situation? What was wrong in taking the king’s food and drink?

“There is no such thing as a free lunch”. Can you think of examples in the modern world where, having been favoured in some way, a person might feel obliged to return the favour?

• Why was the chief official reluctant to agree to Daniel’s request? Do you have any sympathy for him?

• How did Daniel respond, and with what results?

• Consider carefully the huge significance of verse 11.

• How do verses 18-21 show where real power lay?

• What do you think is the key message of this opening chapter?

 
Further questions for discussion, leading into PRAYER:

• In what way might we, as Christians, be tempted to go along with the world?

• Are there times when you are tempted to say YES to the world when you should really say NO?

• What does this chapter teach us about determining what things matter and what things do not?

• What do we learn from this chapter about God’s control of the world?

ADDITIONAL NOTES INTENDED FOR HOMEGROUP LEADERS BUT AVAILABLE TO ALL:

• At some point in the assimilation process Daniel RESOLVED to hold on to his belief in God. He would preserve his faith and maintain his integrity. What were the dangers of such action? How did he decide to deal with the situation? What was wrong in taking the king’s food and drink?
  
  He boldly approached the chief official and asked for permission not to accept the king’s rich food and drink. He had accepted deportation, a re-education and a change of name – but no more. It was a radical action to turn down the graciousness of his benefactor, the one who at that time had conquered the known world and destroyed Israel.
  
  So why refuse the food and drink?
  
  It had been offered to idols. But as far as we know the Babylonians offered every kind of food to their gods, including vegetables. You might like to pick up the NT passage (1 Corinthians 8-10) where Paul speaks of this topic.
  
  The meat came from unclean animals. As a Jew he knew that certain foods were “unclean” (Deuteronomy 14.1ff). But why reject the wine? The only people we know of in the OT who did not drink wine were the Nazarites (Numbers 6.21) and the Recabites (Jeremiah 35) and we have no indication that Daniel had links with them.
  
  We need to look elsewhere in the book (chapter 11) where it becomes clear that by eating the kings’ food they have an obligation to be loyal to him.
  
  Daniel knew that accepting the king’s food was a sign of commitment which challenged his freedom to be God’s person – whatever the cost.
  
  Cf Jehoiachin (2 Kings 25.27-30) who, by eating at the king’s table, showed he was a conquered king of a conquered nation.
  

• Why was the chief official reluctant to agree to Daniel’s request? Do you have any sympathy for him? How did Daniel respond, and with what results?
  
  Look at verses 8-16. Note that having failed to persuade the chief official Daniel then approached the guard who agreed to a 10 day test. And the result was astonishing!
  

• Consider carefully the huge significance of verse 11.
  
  God put his reputation on the line! These young men were standing for God, and God gave them success in order to preserve his people. Daniel may have been the hero but the power to do it was God’s.
  

• How do verses 18-21 show where real power lay?
  
  It was not so much that Daniel and his friends were intellectually superior to their Babylonian counterparts, but that it was the God of Israel who had given them such knowledge. Victory in battle seemed to belong to Nebuchadnezzar and his gods, but this success had been given to him by the God of Israel!
  
  In 539 BC Jeremiah’s prophecy (25.12) was fulfilled. Cyrus of Persia conquered the great and powerful Babylonian kingdom. It went the way of all human kingdoms, but Daniel (God’s man) survived.
  

• What do you think is the key message of this opening chapter?
  
  This is God’s world. We are going to face many situations where we will say YES, but there will be times when we have to say NO, however difficult that may be. We are God’s people as a result of Christ’s death on the cross for us. We must not allow ourselves to be bought at any price. We are to live for Christ.