When His people sin, remaining faithful to His unchanging principles and character, God acts with justice to discipline His people. In the beginning of this chapter, God executed judgment on the nation. In the rest of the chapter, however, God showed compassion and grace to His remnant at the individual level through Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

• God of Principle II (Compassion): Despite the sins of Judah, God showed compassion and ensured the survival of His people. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among those who received God’s favor (Daniel 1:6, 8). Through God’s compassion, Daniel and his friends were able to abstain from the king’s choice food and instead eat only vegetables, thus keeping themselves undefiled (Daniel 1:8-16).

• God of Principle III (Grace): For Daniel and his three friends – who were likely in their late teens or early twenties – being deported from their homeland of Jerusalem to Shinar in Babylon, a foreign land full of idols, was a traumatic and difficult circumstance. Nevertheless, God provided them with more than enough to live as men of God. God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom (Daniel 1:17).
  

Summary (Daniel 1:4-21)

Daniel was determined not to defile himself with the king’s food and wine. He sought permission from the commander of the officials to avoid consuming it. With God’s favor and compassion, the commander agreed to test Daniel and his friends by allowing them to eat only vegetables and water for ten days. When they appeared healthier than the other youths, the commander withheld the king’s food and continued to provide them with vegetables.

God gave these four youths knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom. After three years of education, they were presented to King Nebuchadnezzar and found to be ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers. Daniel continued to serve until the first year of King Cyrus.

Prudently denied King’s Choice Food

Daniel’s unwavering confidence in God was evident even though he hailed from a defeated nation. He understood that it was God’s will for Judah to be delivered to the Babylonians, and he prudently displayed this confidence to the Babylonians. With faith in his God, Daniel made the bold decision not to defile himself with the king’s choice food and requested that he be given vegetables and water instead.

While this may seem like a trivial matter, it was a risky request for Daniel to make as a prisoner from a conquered nation. If King Nebuchadnezzar had found the request displeasing, Daniel could have been executed. However, it was crucial for Daniel to maintain his identity before God the LORD, and his confidence in the sovereignty of the LORD gave him the strength to make this audacious request.

It’s worth noting that the term “defile” here refers to more than just physical intake but also spiritual intake. The meat offered to new students in the Babylonian royal institution was likely sacrificed to Babylonian gods and not prepared according to Levitical standards. By eating this meat, Daniel would have defiled himself spiritually. This was why he took the risk of requesting vegetables and water instead of the king’s choice food, displaying his unwavering faith in God even in the face of danger, even death. 

… Yet, “accepted” Babylonian name and education 

On the other hand, we find it intriguing that Daniel did not oppose being given a new Babylonian name, Belteshazzar (Daniel 1:7), and accepted Babylonian education (Daniel 1:5). 

First, Daniel knew his identity in the LORD God. The meaning of Belteshazzar is “Bel will protect,” and Bel is one of the Babylonian deities, a far cry from the meaning of the name Daniel, which means “God is judge.” Although others in Babylon may have referred to him as Belteshazzar, Daniel knew the meaning of his name and his identity in God the LORD. Therefore, he did not care what other people would call him or how they would try to define him.

Second, Daniel did not reject being educated in Chaldean literature. Given that Babylon was the most powerful nation in the region, it is likely that their progress in science, technology, military, and agriculture was far more advanced than that of Judah. Additionally, Babylon may have had a better understanding of the literature and geopolitical insights of surrounding nations. These kinds of knowledge did not oppose the principles of God in and of themselves. Daniel was confident in God’s ability to use even the leading scientific knowledge and literature to further his understanding of God and to serve Him as well as the king of Babylon.

Opportunity to expand One’s Visions

The collapse of Judah was a great crisis for the Jewish people, as it threatened to erode their identity in God. But it also presented a great opportunity. In the aftermath of the destruction of Judah and God’s temple, the Jews had a chance to expand their understanding of God. God can work wonders with His remnants, even through the wisdom and literature of the gentiles, especially the Chaldeans.

Daniel and his three friends were among those remnants who were given knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom. They did not reject this education, but instead used it to further their relationship with God. They did not allow themselves to be turned by Chaldean literature and wisdom, but instead used it to become even stronger men of God who could serve both their pagan kings and honor God (Daniel 2 and 3).

If Judah had not collapsed, Daniel and his friends might not have had the opportunity to serve the king of Judah in such important roles. Those who were faithful to God might have faced persecution in Judah, as Jeremiah did. The intelligence and wisdom of Daniel and his friends might have shone more brightly under the Babylonian empire, where they were allowed to be educated. In addition to the word of God, they equipped themselves with the world-leading Chaldean wisdom and literature, becoming more refined men of God with competence.

We can learn from their example today. We too can use cutting-edge technology and frontier knowledge to serve our nation and honor God at the same time. We must not allow this knowledge to master us, but instead subject it to the service of God, our nation, and our neighbors. In this way, we can use even secular knowledge to become more refined men and women of God.

Conclusion

The last verse of this chapter shows that Daniel was a man who served faithfully for around 70 years until the first year of Cyrus. Daniel was undoubtedly a competent man of God, but it’s essential to recognize that his success and longevity were a manifestation of God’s faithfulness. Despite Judah’s sins and the collapse of their nation, God remained compassionate and gracious to His remnants, including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. We can draw inspiration from the lives of Daniel and his friends and see how God’s wisdom and knowledge were instrumental in the foundation of their success in the kingdom of Babylon. 

As followers of Christ today, let us continually praise God for His unwavering love and faithfulness towards us. May we seek God’s grace and compassion in our lives, knowing that He is the ultimate source of all wisdom, knowledge, and strength.