Daniel 1:8
~16 min read
TRANSCRIPT
Greetings all of you in the Most Blessed name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Especially this evening, I bring you greetings from the brethren in Myanmar. We have been praying for you, and we know that you do the same for us. We are very privileged to have you as Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are serving the Lord together in one way or another. We thank everyone for your prayers and support all these years.
This evening, I count it a privilege to be able to stand before you, and I want to give thanks to Reverend Paul for giving me this opportunity. Since we are still in the very first part of the new year, I suppose it's fitting that we give some thoughts to how we ought to spend this new year that has been given to us. So, I have entitled my message this evening "New Year with New Resolution," and for our text, I have chosen Daniel 1:8.
If you have your Bible, please turn with me to Daniel 1:8. Let us hear God's word; "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." May the Lord bless us in the reading of His holy and perfect Word.
Life, in a sense, is replaced with decision. According to some source, an average person makes 35,000 choices per day. Assuming that an average person needs 7 hours for rest, for sleeping, that would make 2,000 decisions per hour and one decision every 2 seconds. That's a lot of decisions.
Of course, we know that some of our decisions are minor, like a simple choice to eat this or that and so on, but others are very important. They are crucial importance to us, and the decision we make affects us, sometimes for the better and sometimes sadly, for the worse. And the decision we make also affects others around us. The nearer they are to us, the more they are affected. So, decision making is a very important matter in everybody's life.
As we now begin the new year, is it not good that we keep serious thought over how we ought to make a new year decision for the Lord? In this regard, the life of Daniel is exemplary. Daniel gives us a most compelling and most God-glorifying example when it comes to making a decision.
I. Right Decision Explained
So first of all, let us try to understand what is the right decision. I would like to explain what it means to make the right decision, based on this verse that we have just read. As we do so, let us move a little bit back to the preceding verses in order to understand this portion of God's word in context.
Verse 1 to verse 7 give us the background into which this verse, that is verse 8, is given. From these few verses, we understand that Daniel was one of the many captives taken from Jerusalem, taken from Judah, over to Babylon as King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem. He was one of the many Jews taken from their Homeland to the Gentile land, Babylon. Daniel wrote his book in that land, and this is his life story—what happened to him and to the Jewish people in a foreign land in captivity.
When Daniel was taken into captivity, we understand that from various portions of God's word that he was still a very young man. He was in his mid-teenage years, probably 15 or 16, still a very young man. At that age, he was taken into Babylon and placed in a very special situation. King Nebuchadnezzar commanded that some of the Jewish young men be selected to enter into the king's college, the king's institution, where they would learn the learning and the tongues of the Chaldeans, according to verse four.
So, whatever Nebuchadnezzar planned, Daniel was chosen among the young Jews who had no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom and learning and knowledge, according to verse four. He was one of the selected students, and under the king's direction, these young students were provided daily food—all well-supplied. We can imagine the facility, the food, and everything, how everything was very conducive and well-provided because it comes from the order of the king himself.
But there was some problem when it comes to Daniel. Therefore, we read in verse 8, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank”. Soon, Daniel discovered that there's a problem for him. So, he did not want to defile himself with the provision of the king. So, That was the challenge he faced, and he, therefore, made a request that he would be tested for 10 days. So, we all know the stories, don't we? I wouldn't go into detail.
I just want to focus firstly on the importance of making the right decision. What is the right decision, by the way? Right decision is one which is made in accord with the revealed will of God in His Holy Word. Right decision is the decision we make in perfect accordance with the revealed will of God. It is never contrary to his word. It is not one which is made according to our sinful desire and pleasure. Right decision is not something that we make in order to please ourselves and to please others, but the decision that glorifies and honours God, according to the Word of God.
So, we read Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself anything. In other words, when we are brought into a certain situation, we need to make some crucial decision, and the right decision in those circumstances is the decision that will bring glory to God and honour to His name. The decision that is never contrary to his word. In the case of Daniel, he made the right decision—a God-glorifying decision that is not to defile himself with the portion of the king's meat. Or, we may explain it this way—not to defile himself with anything that can defile him.
In simple terms, Daniel's decision is this: it is obedience to God without compromise. No matter what, no matter the situation, no matter the reasonable excuses viable, he wants to make a decision that is glorifying to God, in perfect obedience to His holy and perfect way. So, right decision is the decision that is made in accord with God's Word, never contrary to God's Word.
Now, in order to make such a decision, it takes a lot of things. It takes conviction, strong conviction, and it takes courage as well. The question we want to ask is this: how was Daniel able to make such a Godly decision? Surely, he must have had the courage and the conviction that comes from God's Word Himself.
We understand from the Old Testament, other portions of the Old Testament, that Daniel had the opportunity to get such conviction and courage. Possibly, there were three sources from which he got such conviction and courage.
The first is that there was a nationwide revival under the godly King Josiah, and that nationwide revival must have brought some spiritual conviction. It must have worked in the lives of many Jewish Believers, the courage and conviction to stand for God's Word.
Secondly, Daniel might have learned that kind of conviction from His own parents, who were undoubtedly godly. According to Deuteronomy 6:6-7, we can understand that the godly Jewish parents would teach their children God's Word diligently, when they sit, when they stand, when they walk, and whatever they do. They will teach their children God's way.
Thirdly, Daniel might have gotten such strong conviction from the ministries of faithful Prophets like Jeremiah, who was prophesying when Jerusalem was taken. Although many of the prophets in those days were false prophets, yet still, there were few faithful Prophets used by God Himself. So, Daniel had the privilege to learn God's Word from his parents, from the revival that took place in his homeland, and from the faithful Prophets who minister God's Word to the people.
By way of application, how we need to thank the Lord for faithful and godly pastors and preachers, who feed us with God's Word faithfully. We have learned so much from godly people. Also, how we need to thank the Lord for godly parents who have been teaching us in the way of the Lord through their lives and teaching. And how we need to thank the Lord for His faithful ministers who have gone all over the world to preach God's word faithfully, to bring revival to the people. These are blessings that we receive from God.
So, Daniel was privileged to have received such spiritual privileges, and he made sure that he applied them rightly in the right moment, in the right place.
II. The Blessings of Right Decision
What about the challenges involved in making the right decision? What were the possible challenges Daniel faced in making this decision? This is rather a hard decision. Consider the situation Daniel was in. He was one of the many students, the elite students, chosen by the king himself to go through special training. All their needs were provided. So, what they needed to do is to study very hard to keep themselves to a serious study. They don't have to worry about any other things. They were under the direct direction of the king himself.
So, when Daniel wanted to make a decision that is not perfectly in line with the king's instruction, he was risking for his life and the lives of people who were in charge over him. And that's what we read in the following verses, when he made a request to the person in charge over him, namely Melzar in verse 11. Melzar was afraid because he might lose his life by allowing Daniel to follow his decision. So Daniel might have risked his life. He might have also risked the lives of people around him who were given this task, this responsibility,
Under such circumstances, normal people, ordinary people, may be thinking this way; “We are in a very special circumstance, the circumstance we are in is surely abnormal. In such a circumstance, God would not expect our absolute obedience, because our situation is unique. We are in captivity and we are under the authority of the king, the command of the king. So we simply have to obey the king's command, no matter what. God would not expect our absolute obedience in this kind of circumstances.” That is a reasonable standpoint from the standpoint of men, a very reasonable thought.
This kind of thought might have entered into Daniel's mind as well, but we can thank the Lord that he did not succumb to it. For Daniel, obedience to God's Word is number one, is top priority. No matter the circumstance, no matter the authority or command given by the king himself, he wanted to obey his Lord 100%, perfectly. He wanted to obey God's word. That's it, period. No reason is needed, no further reason is needed. He understands that God's word is right, and God's word must be obeyed.
So, no matter the circumstance, no matter the possible excuses, he shut up his ears, his thought. He just keeps his thought over to God's word, and he made the right decision.
By the way, a very famous and godly Old Testament scholar, Dr. John Whitcomb, made this important comment on this: “No one disobeys the revealed will of God without some kind of excuse. But our Lord is not interested in excuses. He requires obedience even if we do not understand the rationality of his Commandments at the time.” In other words, in the case of Daniel, he might not understand the rationality of God's command, but he understood that he needed to obey God's Word. That's all that mattered. So he obeyed God's Word.
When somebody disobeys God's word, he will always have some kind of excuse, isn't it true? But God is not interested in our excuses. He is interested in our absolute obedience, no matter the challenge, no matter the circumstance, no matter the rationality.
So thank God, Daniel provides us with an exemplary life in making decisions. The circumstances were unique, and the time was difficult, yet he was able to make the right decision that glorifies God. Praise God for that.
But right decision doesn't stop there. The right decision involves taking practical steps. That's what we find in verse 1b right through to verse 14. Now, you look at the second part of verse 8, “therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”
Firstly, Daniel purposed in his heart, that means in his heart he made the decision to please God, to glorify God, not to defile himself with anything, anything including the king's, daily provision. No matter who provides, no matter whose commands, he doesn't want to defile himself with anything that is absolute obedience.
So he doesn't stop there; he goes further. He makes a request to the prince of the eunuchs that he may not defile himself. So his right decision is followed by a practical step.
So, Daniel requested for a 10-day test, and the Lord honoured that decision. He passed the test. So the person in church over him, namely Melzar, took away all the portions given to Daniel, and Daniel could continue to eat the food that would not defile him. That's what we find in this passage of God's word.
Now I want to focus on the result of making the right decision. We understand that Daniel made the right decision to please God, to honour God, and to glorify God, and not to defile himself with anything. That decision brings blessings to himself and to people around him.
First of all, look at the life of Daniel himself. God gave him and his friends, knowledge and skill, in all their learnings and wisdom, that's what we read in verse 17. And at the end of the day, at the end of their training, he and his friends were tested, and they did ten times better than all the wise men in Babylon, according to verse 20. So the first thing we can understand from here is that making the right decision brings blessings to oneself.
And the next blessing we can find is in verse 12, where we read, "Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink". Now what we find here is this; in verse 8, Daniel purposed in his heart— note the singular, pronoun "his" heart. In other words, Daniel was making a decision himself. He was alone in making that decision. But along the way, in the process, his decision, his stand, his strong stand for the Lord and His word, challenged others.
THE BOOK OF DANIELNew Year With New ResolutionsNew Year With New ResolutionsDaniel 1:8
Lessons from the Prayer Life of Daniel (Part 1)Lessons from the Prayer Life of Daniel (Part 1)Daniel 2:14-23
Lessons from the Prayer Life of Daniel (Part 2)Lessons from the Prayer Life of Daniel (Part 2)Daniel 6:10
Lessons from the Prayer Life of Daniel (Part 3)Lessons from the Prayer Life of Daniel (Part 3)Daniel 9:1-27
