The Daniel Files: 02 – Adapting without Defiling

(Reflections and notes on Daniel 1 – for Part 1 of the series click here.)

The first few verses of Daniel 1 make for sobering reading.

Usually the way things worked where gods and their countries were concerned, if you beat the people that meant you defeated their gods. That’s certainly how the Babylonians may have felt when they took some of the treasures from the house of Yahweh to the house of their god. Defeated people means defeated god. Yet for those who paid attention in Jerusalem, this was not the case. This was the case of the faithful covenant God allowing His people to experience the consequence of unfaithfulness. The people may have tasted defeat, but this only reinforced the righteous rule of their God.

It’s fascinating, however, to look at the Babylonian strategic approach to victory. It wasn’t for them to just beat up people and take away the physical goods. To enrich their kingdom further it was important that they take on and assimilate the intellectual goods – and that was about people. Not enslaving people – assimilating people to comply with the new rule. The cream of the crop where nobility and royalty would now have to adapt to be like their new rulers.

Complying with this process essentially meant whatever values, practices and customs that may define where you come from must take second place to the values, practices and customs of the place you’re now placed in. It’s something we know about today at all ages and stages of life. The young person who was brought up in a home that held strong views against consuming alcohol is suddenly away from home in a university environment. That environment and the peer group among other things suggest it’s in your best interests to enjoy what goes on during the Friday nights, Saturday nights and even occasional midweeks. That means the clubs and bars and of course it means chipping in with the drinks. The young person might maintain their home position initially, but it might be difficult to maintain that when they bear witness to how ‘accepted’ people are in the groups for following the practices of the others.

That’s not a critique against the consumption of alcohol, but it is an insight into how subtle and yet powerful the process of assimilation can be. What makes the situation with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah noteworthy is that they stood out from their peers. Others who were transplanted from Judah to Babylon, went with all the instructions they were given in this new place. Others who had been brought up on the Law of Moses, steeped in the traditions of being God’s people subsequently turned their backs on it to comply with the new status quo.

For Daniel to be able to defy so as not to defile is a remarkable step. He clearly isn’t doing that on his own, though. He’s got a crew with him. He can look to make representation to decision-makers – but he’s not in it on his own. There’s a hymn that talks about Dare to be a Daniel and his stance that he took on his own. That does some disservice, however, to the years in which he clearly didn’t make a stance on his own. It’s a small thing, but I love how this chapter is written maintaining the names that Daniel and his friends were given by their home, not their new rulers. The recording of that will change later, on, but at this stage – it’s Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. This is a reflection of their faithfulness to the covenant even if they find themselves in the position because of the faithlesness of their people to the covenant.

The issue of identity and knowing when to make a stand is interesting, however, when it comes to the journey from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. For the believer today – even if they have been brought up in Christian households – I wonder if they’ve really been grounded in the Kingdom culture or just another effort at a controlling culture that wants to assimilate you to things that don’t reflect your ruler. That is what’s going on in the larger scheme of things. The covenant relationship that God pledged to Israel was with the desire that they would reflect their Lord. Nebuchadnezzar’s drive was to ensure that the prime royalty and nobility would be assimilated to His majesty. In as much as there is no overt ‘royal figure’ today, there is still competing ways of life that looks to assimilate you to their way of thinking and being. And do it to such a degree that you’ll end up reflecting the prevailing thought of the day. The challenge for the believer today is whether or not we’re really reflecting the Lord Jesus.

I’m not looking to be comprehensive in covering every aspect of the chapter that we go through over the week, but it this is a great chapter to read about identity, power, control, faithfulness, favour, excelling and engaging with what God wants from us even if we’re in a strange situation. In the light of the Kingdom of God, we do find ourselves in a strange situation …

Questions from Daniel 1:

What does it meant to ‘defile’ yourself?

How can you defile yourself in the world today?

What challenges do you experience in terms of your identity as a follower of Jesus today?

How was Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah able to adapt without defiling?

What do you learn from how Daniel was able to get the time for his friend and him to prove themselves?

What would it look like for you to flourish in your area of life because of the favour of the Lord?

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden