Preaching the Word
The "First Principle" podcasts which are numbered # are a great tool for believers to go over the essentials of the Christian Faith.
The "Mysteries of God's Word" podcasts are an indepth study of Scripture.
The other podcasts are sermons that have been given, some verse by verse and others topical.
It is my passion to be true to God and His Word. To preach in such a way that people can easily see the LORD as our Creator and as our Redeemer. To understand that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever even as we live in a world that is continually changing. Salvation is and has always been through faith alone in the Messiah alone. His name is Jesus the Christ; there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Preaching the Word
Daniel 1:8-21 - The Young Man Who Refused a King's Table - The Mysteries of God's Word
Have you ever faced a situation where standing on your principles seemed impossible? Daniel's story begins with exactly this dilemma—a young man taken captive to Babylon, faced with royal food that violated God's law.
This episode examines Daniel's courageous resolution not to defile himself with the king's food and wine. Rather than rebel openly, Daniel respectfully proposes a test: ten days of vegetables and water instead of the royal diet. The results are remarkable—Daniel and his three friends appear healthier than all the other young men in training. But the physical benefits are just the beginning.
The true power of Daniel's faithfulness becomes evident when God grants these four young men extraordinary wisdom, knowledge, and discernment. Daniel receives a special prophetic gift to interpret dreams and visions, setting him apart even further. When presented before King Nebuchadnezzar, they're found to be "ten times better" than all the magicians and enchanters in Babylon. This single act of obedience launches Daniel into a seventy-year career in the king's court, influencing generations and multiple kingdoms.
This story challenges us to examine where we might compromise our convictions to fit in. When we choose to honor God's principles—even in seemingly small matters—we open ourselves to divine wisdom that far exceeds worldly knowledge. What areas of your life need this kind of resolute commitment? Where might God be calling you to stand firm, even when everything around you pressures you to conform?
Email: nathan@nathandietsche.com
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. Last week we began our study in the book of Daniel and we learned that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had just come to power and he came to siege Jerusalem. And on that first siege on Jerusalem he took some of the most promising young men from noble families in all of Israel that they might be trained in his kingdom, and amongst them were Daniel, hananiah, mishael and Azariah. And they were to be educated for three years. And during their education the king was assigning them a portion of his rich food and of his finest wine, and that is where we pick up today in verse 8.
Speaker 1:But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine that he drank. Therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel I fear my lord, the king who assigned your food and your drink, for why should he see that you are in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.
Speaker 1:In our first three verses we see that after Daniel was offered this rich portion of food and this fine wine, he resolved to not defile himself. And this fine wine. He resolved to not defile himself. The Hebrew word for resolve here means to purpose in your heart. Daniel made a resolution in his own heart he would refuse to eat this food of the king Because not only was it rich and full of delicacies, but it included food that was unclean by the laws of Moses. The food and drink was committed to idols, and the laws in Exodus 34 forbid this. But furthermore, this pagan food would have included food forbidden by God's law in Leviticus 3, leviticus 11, and Deuteronomy, chapter 14. So in doing this, daniel, from the very outset, stopped eating food that he knew was unclean according to the law that God had given the Jewish people, and he was showing that he stood on God's word, on the principles that the Lord had given them, and he wasn't going to compromise. This made Daniel stand out both in the king's court and from the rest of his people who would compromise. And when Daniel did this, god gave Daniel favor with the chief officer who was in charge of training them all. Now, God giving Daniel favor in this way very likely means that it was because Daniel was walking in faith. Daniel showed obedience and gracefulness in how he was trained and his interaction with the chief officer. Through Daniel's trust in the Lord, god, and his desire to glorify God in all things, at all times, daniel found favor in the sight of this chief officer.
Speaker 1:And the chief officer gave Daniel a very honest response. When Daniel started to do this, he told Daniel I fear what King Nebuchadnezzar is going to do to me if you don't comply with the official policies. And one of his thoughts was well, if you guys aren't eating the food that the king gives you, you're probably going to end up skinny and unhealthy and that is going to reflect badly on me. He says, you're going to endanger my head. So if Daniel and his companions start to look unhealthy or thin because they're not eating, which Daniel has stopped doing at this point, the responsibility would be on the head of this chief officer. Literally, he could very likely lose his head if Daniel and his companions were not properly cared for. And Daniel responds to the officer and he tells him test your servants. Daniel tells this chief officer to give them 10 days of just eating vegetables to prove that they will eat well and they'll remain healthy. And Daniel phrases this request in the form of a test. So the chief officer doesn't feel intimidated in any way. He will be the judge of this test at the end of ten days and, based upon his judgment after the ten days, he will decide whether Daniel and his companions can continue on this diet.
Speaker 1:Verse 14 picks up saying so. He listened to them in this matter and he tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all of the youth who ate the king's food. So the steward took away their food and their wine that they were to drink and he gave them vegetables. In verses 14 through 16, we see that the test happened and the test is going well. After 10 days of eating vegetables and drinking water, daniel and his three companions looked healthier than the rest of the youth. Daniel and his three companions looked healthier than the rest of the youth. Now we know that just 10 days on vegetables isn't going to make a huge difference in weight one way or the other. However, a vegetable diet with water after 10 days would very likely have begun to detox the body. It would have created a healthy glow on these boys and given them extra energy. And after the chief officer sees Daniel and his three companions looking healthier than all of the other boys, he allows them to continue on this vegetable diet and he takes away their portions of rich food and wine.
Speaker 1:Picking up again in verse 17,. As for these four youths, god gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. I just want to focus on verse 17 for a moment. It says God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom. So these four young men have committed their way to the Lord. They've set themselves apart for the Lord, despite the incredible pressure from strict authorities, peers practicing dark magic and everything around them telling them to conform to a luxurious and self-indulgent culture. But now that they've set themselves apart, committing their ways to the Lord, they find themselves the beneficiaries of gaining wisdom and knowledge that come from the Lord.
Speaker 1:I'd like to read some passages that teach this in Scripture. 1 Kings 3.12 reads Behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. Proverbs 1.7 reads. Proverbs 2.6 says For the Lord gives wisdom. From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 3.7 reads Proverbs 3.7 reads Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Proverbs 9.10 reads. James 1.5 reads If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all, without reproach, and it will be given to him. And Ecclesiastes 2.26 reads For the one who pleases him, God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given busyness of gathering and collecting, only to give to the one who pleases God. This is also vanity and a striving after wind. All of these verses that I just read teach us that knowledge and wisdom come from the Lord, god himself. It doesn't come from academia, it doesn't come from other men, it doesn't come from a certificate or a degree. Knowledge and wisdom come from God, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom.
Speaker 1:In addition to what we might consider godly knowledge and wisdom, we are told that Daniel was given an understanding of visions and dreams. This is a supernatural gift that God gave Daniel. It's a special gift of prophecy so that Daniel could discern visions and dreams that God would give about the future. This is a special gift of prophecy. Prophecy itself is simply the declaration of the word of God to man. But Daniel has a special gift of prophecy. It's a unique gift of prophecy. Daniel is given the ability to understand visions and dreams. So not only is Daniel a prophet, but he has a special prophetic gift.
Speaker 1:Picking up in verse 18, at the end of the time when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar and the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, hananiah, mishael and Azariah. Therefore, they stood before the king and in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all of his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of king Cyrus. In these last four verses we read that at the end of their three years, daniel and his companions were brought in by the chief officer to present them before the king, king Nebuchadnezzar, and when Nebuchadnezzar spoke with these young men, daniel and his companions stood out as the cream of the crop. Their knowledge, their insight and their wisdom that God had given them during their training far exceeded that of any of the other young men. And so Nebuchadnezzar put them in his court, and it says they stood before the king. So Daniel and his three companions were given an official place amongst the wise men in the king's court because of their wisdom, and they would stand before the king daily, giving him wisdom and guidance in daily affairs.
Speaker 1:And in verse 21, we're given a little insight into Daniel and his time in the king's court. It says he was there until the first year of King Cyrus. Daniel's time in the king's court of Babylon extended throughout all of Nebuchadnezzar's reign and into the other kings that would follow in Babylon. Daniel was there in the king's court the entire 70 years of Babylonian captivity, from 607 BC through 537 BC. Daniel stood in the king's court. Thank you so much for joining me this week and I hope you join me next week for Nebuchadnezzar's Dream. God bless you this week.