"Standing out from the crowd" - a sermon on Daniel 1:1-21

Having lost a power struggle, the Israelites had been taken into exile in Babylon. There, King Nebuchadnezzar sought out certain distinguished young Israelites to be trained for three years to serve in the king’s palace. This was not a benevolent act by Nebuchadnezzar, but rather smart politics to try to utilise and incorporate some of the talents that he had militarily acquired. One of these recruited young men was Daniel.

Having forcibly to live in a foreign culture brings all sorts of challenges. For the person who seeks to serve God above all other, in a place where the God of the Bible is not generally known, there has to be careful thought and prayer given to how they will relate to their living environment. What personal connections will be helpful, and what situations should be avoided? As a small minority grouping, how will they cope with both the threats on the one hand and the seductions on the other. What might a person have to be critical of no matter the cost? Where will the boundaries have to be drawn? On the other side, where might God be wanting us to engage?

This is complicated even further in Daniel’s case, by his recruitment into the public service ... into the service of the King of Babylon. How could Daniel effectively serve this foreign king, while still maintaining his complete commitment to God. His decision-making dilemma is all played out in chapter one of the book of Daniel.

As a result of Daniel (and the other three young men) being recruited to service the palace, they were assigned a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine (1:5), as some sort of sign of special favour. These would be the same elaborate provisions that the king himself would enjoy.

But, we read in verse 8, that Daniel refused this daily portion of the royal food and wine on the basis that these rations would “defile” him. Then we read in verse 9, that “God allowed Daniel to receive favour and compassion from the palace master”. We are clearly supposed to see a connection between Daniel’s decision not to allow himself to be “defiled” and the subsequent favourable position that he then occupied. Certainly God will work in and around and alongside the one who makes such strong resolutions.

For me this seems to be the result of a test that we only read the last part of. Was Daniel prepared to make a stand, and dedicate himself wholly to God, and not let anything else get in the way? As the answer was ‘yes’, now Daniel had proven himself to be trusted with great responsibility. God would continue to work in Daniel’s life (and in the circumstances surrounding Daniel’s life), “allowing” or ‘facilitating’ him to receive favour and compassion from the normally hostile ruling authorities.

We are often tested – the question is how we react to that test, and how ready we are for God to take us to the next level of effectiveness in God’s Kingdom. After all, God would not want us to be given responsibility before we are ready, and then at the first hurdle make a laughing stock of God. Tests come upon us to prove our loyalty and our maturity.

Now we might think that it would have been best if Daniel did not have to serve this foreign king at all  – yet this was the political reality that Daniel just had to face up to. His nation of Israel had become weak and an easy prey for powerful Babylon. But in spite of this tragedy, there will remain for Daniel an opportunity to credibly represent the true God right within the walls of highest decision-making in Babylon.

Daniel could have sought to avoid this royal appointment and thus not been under such pressure. Yet he understood both his God-given abilities and the opportunity he had to positively impact a whole nation of people, and boldly took the tougher option. To receive “favour” and “compassion” (v.9) from otherwise hostile opponents would suggest that Daniel would be viewed in a good light, and that he would be treated with due respect, and that he could make a real impact for God.

Wise and insightful Daniel understood the depth of the opportunity that had presented itself, and would not want to blow it! So he recognised something that might “defile” him, and he wanted to resist this. He continued to resist even when pressured by the “palace master” (v.10); and also being under no illusions concerning the danger of refusing the king’s hospitality. So, what was it about the “daily portion of royal rations of food and wine” (v.5) that was so problematical to Daniel?

It has been argued that this is about Jewish dietary rules, where to be true to the faith of his forefathers, Daniel would need to stick to these, and not eat meat that wasn’t regarded ‘clean’ or prepared properly, or had been first sacrificed to idols. And this could be part of the reason. But this wouldn’t fully explain why it was particularly the “royal rations” that Daniel would refuse, as against any other food which was just as likely to infringe such cultural food regulations.

Daniel would likely stick to these traditional dietary requirements anyway (as seen by his “vegetable” diet in verse 12), but there was something else about the “royal rations” that worried him. Here are some suggestions:

1.       Solidarity

Perhaps it was the lavishness of this “royal” food and wine compared to what his own people would be having (or not having) outside the palace or back in besieged Judah – a feeling of solidarity with his less well of brothers and sisters.

Some of us have done better resources wise than others within this unjust and unequal world. Those of us who are better off than others should not flaunt their good fortune (or hold on to them too tightly), but rather find ways of making contributions to balance the scales a little more. In a way we would not want to profit from such an unjust system. The great leveller in all this, is that none of us can take anything but our character and our soul into the next life.

2.       Discontent

Perhaps it was that possible sense of doing so well, even profiting, from a situation that had begun by his own people being so rebellious to their God and thus putting themselves at risk of defeat in the first place. There could have been a sense of national regret and repentance here for the misdeeds of his people. Even if Daniel didn’t feel personally responsible, he didn’t want to feel or be seen to be profiting from such a state of affairs.

We shouldn’t ever feel too comfortable in a material sense when there so much inequality and need, and thus there is so much to do in the world in partnership with God (fulfilling the responsibilities God gave us within his acts of creation). We should actually never feel content, but rather disturbed that there are so many people living without knowing Jesus and living without purpose and hope, and in some cases living with poverty and death hanging heavily upon them.

3.       Heavenly Citizenship

Perhaps it was that Daniel didn’t ever want to be regarded (by anyone) as a real member of this royal court, as if he had completely sold out to it or allowed himself to be adopted into it. After all, the royal palace of Babylon was hardly to be regarded as a godly place, indeed quite the opposite. Daniel could perform a role there, but not ever be regarded as belonging there or beholding to it. To accept the king’s food would have been an act of total commitment and loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar. Yet, how seductive would it have been for Daniel to have accepted all the perks of the palace, thereby leaving God behind!

Certainly the king was very keen that Daniel and the other young men obeyed his every command (e.g. v.10), which would of course bring great risk of compromise to their closely held beliefs. Indeed there were big dangers in serving the palace that had been such an enemy of his native people – not just for his long-term safety, but also for the maintenance of his good character; yet, if the temptations could be resisted in maintaining humility before God, there would be great opportunities to change a whole nation. Isn’t this the dilemma that any Jesus follower faces who enters politics or political debate.

We, having encountered and been saved by Jesus, are first and foremost citizens of heaven, of God’s Kingdom, even while we remain physically living on earth. Thus we should not be seen to be so entrapped by allegiance to things of this world that lays any doubt upon this. We are really members of God’s international spiritual community. On earth, we now simply play out our God-given roles. We can be seduced by all sorts of dazzling lights and acts of earthly flattery, but it is only the light and acceptance of Jesus that really counts for anything. As Larry Richards put it, we need to have what Daniel had, i.e. “a strong sense of identity as one of God’s people”. Daniel never sacrificed his inward conviction that in body and soul he belonged to another Kingdom and not to Babylon (R S Wallace).

Now, we should also note Daniel’s good example to his three colleagues – Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, or as they became known – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These three followed Daniel in not accepting the “royal rations” and thus also shared in the blessings of standing firmly with God. Firstly each of the four men remarkably appeared in better shape on “vegetables and water” than those who partook of the “royal rations”. Secondly we read (in verse 17) that these four young men received from God a special measure of knowledge and skill.

I don’t think our growth and spiritual maturity in life comes by accident. We grow, develop and become more spiritually mature and effective, because we first make ourselves more available to God, and because we allow ourselves to be open to the transforming work of God’s Spirit. So if we are not growing, then likely we are ourselves putting things in God’s way!

What might these things be???

·         personal agendas, desires and goals

·         secret behaviours and attitudes

·         bitterness, or the lack of forgiveness and compassion.

Daniel and his three friends received from God very useful “knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom” because they had decided to guard themselves and put the things of God first. This obviously includes placing a high value on other people, and wanting to live in a way that would influence them towards knowing God personally themselves.

You might think that particular “knowledge and skill” towards “wisdom” is alright, but why “literature”. The “literature” referred to here would have broadly included material that would aid Daniel’s understanding of his new living environment, e.g. various religious beliefs, myths & legends, astrology, and handbooks on trades like glass-making. “Skill” in interpreting “literature” was obviously important in Daniel’s situation so that he could effectively relate with people from a different mind-space.

We might consider that the important lesson here is to be able to be good interpreters of our current culture, thus better discovering how we might communicate the love of God within that culture. Such “literature” can be studied without harm, as long as the eternal Word of God (the Bible) is kept as the foremost reference point. And, no one should spend more time studying any other discipline or reading material than they spend on their own spiritual and theological discipline.

Now, in verse 17, we notice one other skill that Daniel was given. We might now call this a gift of the Holy Spirit – the gift of ‘discernment’. Daniel now had special insight into other people’s visions and dreams. This would be applied with great effectiveness with King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel had shown himself trustworthy and available to God’s purposes, and now he would be used in mighty ways to bring strong witness to this God that he loved and served.

Daniel could have moaned and groaned about being taken off against his will to a foreign country and forced into the king’s service, but rather he quickly realised that this gave him an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and make a difference in other people’s lives.

The guard, and the palace master, and then the king himself, began to see something different about Daniel, that certainly needed to be reflected upon. The “guard” saw that Daniel and his three colleagues were doing better on “vegetables” than were other people on the “royal rations” (v.16); all symbolic of performing much better according to specific commitments made to God, rather than just floating along like everybody else.

We read in verse 19, that according to King Nebuchadnezzar, “... among them all, no one was found to compare with Daniel [and his three friends]; therefore they were stationed in the king’s court”. Now not many of us would like to be “stationed” in the prime minister’s office (although some might), but each of us should want to be “stationed” in the places of significance and influence of God’s choosing for us. This might be in our workplace, in our community, in our place of learning, or in our place of recreation. It will certainly be in our church community, and in our family, that we are “stationed” to share the knowledge, wisdom and giftedness we have been given.

Now there are many options in today’s society for people’s allegiances. Don’t you just hate walking around markets and shopping strips and seeing the evidence of belief systems that will cost people money, and purport to offer them hope, but actually take them nowhere. This includes the false god of materialism, but also the fortune-tellers and the tarot cards and the crystals; and also includes those religious pursuits that don’t point toward a living and personal God.

We read of Daniel, and of Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah (in verse 20), that, “In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom”. So it’s no use bemoaning all those new-age type people who seem to be getting people’s attention; it’s up to us to know and present our message better than they present theirs. No wonder then we keep highlighting the need to study God’s Word together and pray for understanding. This is how we will stand out from the crowd!!

If you read into chapter 2, you will see Daniel become the king’s ‘go to man’ when it came to interpreting his dreams; but Daniel did not use this situation to rise personally above the pack and just draw attention to himself. Rather Daniel pointed to where all his knowledge and wisdom came from – “the God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (2:28), and also showed God’s heart of compassion by praying and arguing strongly against the destruction of the failed dream interpreters.

Daniel was a true leader for all the community. It was in a constant attitude of prayer and faithfulness, that Daniel and his friends were able to make a positive difference within a very alien culture.