1. The request (1:8–9): Determining not to defile himself by eating the king’s food and wine, Daniel seeks permission to eat other, more wholesome food.
· Defile: To Pollute, to stain, desecrate or to pollute oneself
o Daniel saw eating the allotted food and drinking the prescribed beverage as defiling
· Pro 23:1-3
2. The reluctance (1:10): His superintendent fears he will be executed if the Jewish captives do not fare well with this menu.
· When you are in other cultures and environments, they will not see your resistance to the worldly pleasures in the same way as you do.
· Daniel negotiates vs using straight out rebellion or resistance i.e.
3. The recommendation (1:11–14): Daniel suggests a 10-day test.
4. The results (1:15–16): Daniel and his three friends are healthier than the rest!
5. The reward (1:17–20): Three years later Nebuchadnezzar declares that the four young men are 10 times smarter than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom.
· James 1:27
· I Cor 6:12
· In whom do we place our trust for subsistence
o The delicacies of the World
o The supreme Power of our God
· What looks good naturally, may not be good for you spiritually.
Daniel the statesman (1:21): Daniel now begins his service in Babylonian politics.[1]
· Spiritual and natural gifts come from God, and they operate most effectively when we are fully committed to him and his purpose. They are at their greatest potency when we keep our hearts undefiled from the world.
[1] Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (Da 1:6–21). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
