3 years

Yesterday we started a sermon series through Daniel. The events of chapter one occur over a three year period. Verse five reads, “The king [Nebuchadnezzar] appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine from which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter into the king’s personal service.” Then in verse 19 we read, “The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service.”

Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food and drink so he works out a process where he and his friend would only eat vegetables and drink water. They did not eat the king’s food or drink his wine. They prospered and were healthy. To say that they were vegetarians during this period would be a true and right statement based upon the text of God’s Word. To say that the Bible supports vegetarianism would not be a true or right statement based upon the text of God’s Word.

The point of Daniel’s resolve to not eat the king’s food or drink his wine wasn’t his health and well being it was his commitment to not be defiled. To disobey God in eating meat sacrificed to idols or to eat food which God commanded the Jews not to eat, i.e. pork, would have defiled Daniel. Daniel made a commitment that we know lasted these three years and we can reasonably assume that even after the period of training ended and they were brought into the king’s personal service Daniel and his friends continued to uphold their resolve not to be defiled.

Daniel was a youth when he made this commitment. God honored and blessed Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah throughout their lives. That does not mean that their lives were easy. We see that clearly as we read through the rest of the book of Daniel. But the foundation for their lives was laid at the beginning of those three years of learning.

What sorts of resolve are you making today that will serve for the rest of your life? Diet? Exercise? Kindness? Pay it forward? None of those, and many more, are bad things. Just like eating vegetable but let’s all be challenged by Daniel and resolve not to be defiled in our relationship with God. Let’s resolve to live today and everyday mindful of the way He wants us to live. In the power of the Holy Spirit. Loving one another. And Loving Him supremely…