Be True to Christ – Daniel 1:3-21
1 (3) Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—(4) young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was instructed to teach them the literature and the language of the Chaldeans. (5) The king assigned to them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. (6) Now among these young men were some who came from the people of Judah, namely, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azaraiah. (7) But the chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, the name Shadrach; to Mishael, the name Meshach; and to Azariah, the name Abed-Nego.
(8) Now Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food, nor with the wine he was given to drink; therefore, he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself. (9) Now God caused Daniel to find favor and compassion in the sight of the chief official. (10) But the chief of the officials said to Daniel, I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and your drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? If that were the case, you would be endangering my head before the king. (11) Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, (12) I beg you, test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. (13) Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the king’s choice food; and treat your servants in accordance with what you see. (14) So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. (15) At the end of ten days their appearance was healthier and they were better nourished than all the young men who ate the king’s choice food. (16) So the steward took away their portion of choice food, along with the wine they were supposed to drink, and gave them vegetables.
(17) To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every branch of literature and learning; furthermore, Daniel could understand all kinds of visions and dreams.
(18) At the end of the period that the king had appointed for preparing them to be presented before him, the chief of the officials brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. (19) The king conversed with them, and from among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azaraiah; therefore, they stood before the king. (20) In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them to be ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in his whole realm. (21) Daniel remained in his position until the first year of King Cyrus.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
