Road Warriors: Daniel—A Message of Holiness - Thursday
Daniel 1:4c
Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon. (NLT)
Daniel and the young men exiled with him were handpicked for their appearance and their aptitude. The king’s strategy was to train them for three years before they entered into his royal service. However, their training wasn’t just about what specific foods they ate—it was about something else they were fed.
I like how Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message: “...indoctrinate them in the Babylonian language and the lore of magic and fortunetelling” (Daniel 1:4).
That word indoctrinate really paints the picture. They didn’t just have a few Babylonian book assignments and language pop quizzes. Their training was closer to brainwashing, to repeatedly drilling the ideals and values of a godless and immoral society into their minds. They were given Babylonian names, taught the Babylonian worldview, and immersed in all things Babylon. The king did not merely want them dining from the same menu—he wanted to take Yahweh out of their hearts and minds. He wanted to reorient their worship and allegiance. After all, you are what you eat, right?
The same could be said about us in 21st century America. It might not feel as foreign as Babylon, but aren’t we being indoctrinated on what to value and what to buy and what’s most important? And it’s not just books and language, but movies, music, advertisements, media, and the list goes on. We face the same kind of trial as Daniel.
So how did Daniel and his friends do it, and how can we do the same? How do we stay true? How do we not compromise? How do we stay committed to God?
Answer: We must be transformed instead of conformed to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2). This happens by meditating on and living out God’s Word. We develop a devotion to God that is purified by the heat of testing and suffering. Commitment to Jesus cannot be something we pursue only when it’s convenient, politically correct, or socially acceptable.
Daniel 1 is not a chapter about dieting; it’s about the courage to live out biblical conviction when compromise would be easier. Daniel and his friends displayed unshakeable resolve to obey God. Unflinching. Undaunted. Unwavering. May the same be said of us
Thursday’s Reflection
Are you enduring in your faith? Are you being transformed instead of conformed? Identify where you are tempted to compromise, and process that with God.
