5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, (Same time frame as many University degrees) and after that they were to enter the king’s service. (So long as they passed) Daniel 1
8 But Daniel RESOLVED NOT TO DEFILE HIMSELF WITH THE ROYAL FOOD AND WINE, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favour and compassion to Daniel, …
There may be things that individuals have a conscience about not taking; for Daniel and his friends in exile it was the king’s food and wine. We’re not told what they felt about the food but there was something about it that appeared unclean to the young men.
The chief official was afraid they would appear less healthy than their peers, but Daniel asked that they be fed on a diet of vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of the time the official could review their appearance and judge accordingly. Longer term their restricted diet may have become monotonous, but they appeared healthy. God honoured the young Hebrews for their desire to live righteously, while in the Babylonian culture. This was one of many tests that those in exile faced living in a hostile pagan culture, not too dissimilar to the Church on earth today.
3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 1 Peter 4
There’s an old saying that, ‘sin loves company’. People may become offended if you don’t join with them and sooner or later all believers will face situations where we have to STAND FOR OUR BELIEFS OR FOLD. The good news is that every time we do make a stand, it strengthens our faith in the Lord and puts us more firmly on Heaven’s side, so to speak.
Daniel and his friends were destined by God for high posts in the Babylonian Government, but they had to fight and win their own private battles first. We need to establish our position in the Lord before He can entrust with positions of authority in His Kingdom.
God bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.