Godly Living In an Ungodly World: Daniel 1
Living in this world is tough. Every day, there is a new voice screaming to be heard above the crowd. From our Facebook feeds, to flashing digital billboards, to $6.5 million ad during Super Bowl LVI, these voices beckon us to come here, go there, think this, do that, like these, hate those, and more. This cacophony, however, is not new. In fact, something similar was happening in the Old Testament book of Daniel.
If you are unfamiliar with the book of Daniel, it follows the life of a man named Daniel and his three friends after they were hauled away from their homes in Jerusalem and forced to live in the city of Babylon. God allowed this to happen because, for a couple of centuries, the people of Israel had been spiraling away from God. Every couple of generations, they would have a king who tried to bring revival, but for the most part, evil king followed evil king, and generally speaking, the people were quite happy to follow the king. Ultimately, the nation’s apostasy would result in most of the people being hauled into exile in Babylon in 597 BCE, and pretty much everyone who was left over was hauled away when the city was destroyed in 586 BCE. The book of Daniel, however, began a decade earlier shortly after Prince Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Assyrian army at Carchemish in about 605 BCE and cemented Babylon’s place as the unrivaled superpower of the Middle East. Shortly after this victory, King Nabopolassar, died suddenly, and in order to consolidate his new territory and show everyone who was in charge, the newly-crowned Nebby marched his army throughout the region, past the former satellite nations of Assyria, and demanded tribute. This is where the account of Daniel picks up.
The world would conform us.
In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar[a] of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. 2 The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon,[b] to the house of his god,[c] and put the vessels in the treasury of his god.
3 The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the Chaldean language and literature. 5 The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to attend the king.[d] 6 Among them, from the Judahites, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief eunuch gave them names; he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.
Daniel 1:1-7 CSB
There was no escaping the fact that Daniel and his friends were in a tough spot. A thousand miles from home, in the heart of a definitively ungodly regime, they had no friends, no refuge, and no way to get home. Everywhere they looked, Babylon’s greatness was evident. The city was practically brand new. Its size and opulence made even the palace of Jerusalem seem like an old shack. The king’s library, archives, and university were unparalleled in Israel, and the Babylonians’ religious temples easily eclipsed the rundown husk of Solomon’s.
Of course, Daniel knew why this all happened. The language of verse 2 clearly alludes to the accounts of Joshua and Judges, where God handed the wicked over for destruction and warned that, if Israel ever wandered from him, he would do the same to them. They knew, then, that God had allowed the anointed king of what was supposed to be his people to be overtaken by this unanointed, ungodly king. No doubt, this knowledge was little comfort.
As they woke up in this strange city, though, things were about to get worse. The king ordered that they should be instructed in Babylonian wisdom and knowledge, language and literature. He had them trained in Babylonian science and astrology, which was more like voodoo than any science we would recognize. He commanded that they should eat food from his table and given Babylonian names, and it was announced that, at the end of their training, they would serve the king.
Nebby intended to transform these former members of the royal court of Israel into model Babylonians fashioned in his own likeness. His objective was to thoroughly assimilate them into Babylonian culture so that they could act as liaisons to the Hebrew people and examples of all that the Babylonians had to offer the Israelites. If all else failed, they would also be leveraged as hostages so that Judah’s king Jehoiakim could be extorted into doing Nebby’s bidding. Thus, over the course of three years, Nebby’s chief eunuch, Ashpenaz, and his team worked systematically to obliterate every trace of Hebrew culture in Daniel and his friends. Even their names were changed to replace references to the Hebrew God with references to Babylonian dieties. Daniel, whose name meant “God is my Judge” became Belteshazzar, meaning “O Lady [wife of the god Bel], protect the king!” Hananiah, whose name meant “Yahweh is gracious” became Shadrach, meaning “command of Aku [the Babylonian moon god].” Mishael, whose name meant “Who is what God is?” was called Meshach, meaning “Who is like Aku?”, and Azariah, meaning “Yahweh is a helper” was called Abednego, meaning “servant of the shining one [Nebo],” another Babylonian god.
Yes, Nebby and the Babylonians endeavored to conform Daniel and his friends to their own likeness. He wanted them to be just like him, and there are plenty of people in this world who want the same for God’s people today. Indeed, the world would conform us to itself. They would have us talk like them, using profanity, telling dirty jokes, etc. They would have us see the world as they do, processing it through the same lenses and living by the same standards. They would have us do what they do and believe what they believe, and while they may not compel us to change our names, the fact remains: the world would conform us.
Live godly amid the ungodliness.
Fortunately, at least Daniel recognized immediately what Nebby was doing.
Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself. 9 God had granted Daniel kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch, 10 yet he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and drink. What if he sees your faces looking thinner than the other young men your age? You would endanger my life[e] with the king.”
11 So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief eunuch had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king’s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see.” 14 He agreed with them about this and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days they looked better and healthier[f] than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. 16 So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.
Daniel 1:8-16 CSB
In short, Daniel knew that he and his friends had a choice to make. On the one hand, they could go along with Nebby’s plan and become the ideal Babylonians. Certainly, this was the easier option. If only they could master the extraordinarily complex Chaldean language used by the Babylonians and learn what Nebby wanted them to learn, they would be guaranteed jobs, homes, and plenty of the finest food in the world. They had only to betray everything that they knew to be true and right.
On the other hand, they could dig in, cling to their former lives, and refuse to accept anything at all from Nebby. Of course, this would mean starving or even execution, but at least they would die as Hebrews. They could go to their graves with their heads held high knowing that they had not compromised.
Fortunately, Daniel recognized a third option: live godly amid the ungodliness. Certainly, this was the most difficult of the three options, but navigating the tension between what the Babylonians demanded of them and what God called them to be would be key to more than six decades of effective ministry for Daniel and his friends. Make no mistake, living a godly life amid the ungodliness of today’s world has the same potential. But how can we do this? We find in these verses at least four keys.
First, Daniel recognized the tension between the godly life to which God called him and the ungodly one Nebby was trying to get him to live, but instead of going with the flow or digging in his heels, Daniel used critical thinking to consider each thing that Nebby ordered him to do in light of what he knew of God’s character and commands. In doing so, he realized that many of Nebby’s requests were perfectly compatibly with godliness. For instance, Nebby wanted Daniel and co. to be wise and knowledgeable. God was the ultimate source of wisdom and knowledge. So also, Nebby wanted them to learn the Chaldean language and literature. God had issued no command against such things. In fact, the only thing that was problematic was the food. By thinking critically, Daniel and his friends were able to discern what elements of this new culture could be embraced and what needed to be rejected so that they could live a godly life amid the ungodliness.
Second, Daniel resolved to focus on only the things that he could control. We see this in action in verses 7-8. In verse 7, the chief eunuch assigned Daniel and co. names. Daniel and co. could not control what the chief eunuch called them. Conversely, in verse 8, “Daniel determined that he would not defile himself.” That is, Daniel and his friends absolutely could control who they would be and who they would worship in their own hearts. By recognizing that there were things that they could control, and other things that they could not, Daniel and co. were able to do what they could. Initially, this meant affecting only their diet, but over time, the scope of things that they controlled expanded until these became four of the most powerful men in the empire.
Third, Daniel picked his battle. As we have seen, he could have refused to learn, eat, and respond to his new name. Of course, this would have led to death or, at the very least, a miserable existence. Instead, Daniel chose to fight only the mandate that held real spiritual consequence, the food. In this world, there is no end to the things that we can fight against. No, we probably will not die if we choose to fight against everything, but we also probably will not have the effect that we are hoping for. We must pick our battle.
Finally, Daniel was winsome. We see this in the way he approached the chief eunuch in verse 8. Namely, he asked permission rather than made demands. We see it also in the way he did not argue when Ashpenaz was afraid, the way he said “Please” in verse 12, and the way he proposed the desired change as a temporary experiment rather than a permanent solution. Each of these things lowered the stakes until his captor had to be thinking, “It’s only a couple of people, and it’s only ten days. How much harm can it really do?” More, they endeared Daniel and his friends to the chief eunuch and guard; it is amazing how much better people like you when you are courteous and considerate! As a result, the eunuch and the guard were much more inclined to agree.
Even the most ungodly people in the world will not object to authentic godliness. Indeed, more than 600 years after Daniel’s arrival in Babylon, St. Paul made a similar observation in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.” Is it easy? Certainly not. In fact, I would submit that living a godly life amidst all of the ungodliness in this world is, in many ways, far more challenging than going with the flow or fighting everything. It takes a lot of effort to navigate that tension!
Godliness is key to impact.
Yet, navigating that tension is worthwhile every time! Consider the conclusion of Daniel 1:
God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind. 18 At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to attend the king. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them ten times[g] better than all the magicians and mediums in his entire kingdom. 21 Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Daniel 1:17-21 CSB
Again, there are several things to note here. Notice, first, that God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. This is interesting because Nebby arranged for Ashpenaz to train Daniel and his friends in these things, but it was still God who gave them what they needed. Notice also that Daniel understood visions and dreams, an ability which would come in handy in chapter 2, and no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and mediums in his entire kingdom. That is, they excelled, and as a result, the king trusted them. The king listened to them. And they were able to make a difference. Notice, finally, that Daniel remained in Babylon until the first year of King Cyrus. This is astonishing because approximately 65 years separated the time when Daniel and co. were taken to Babylon and Cyrus’ first year. Even more astonishing, Daniel and co. served five different Babylonian kings during that time. Moreover, Cyrus was not even Babylonian! He was the king of the Persian Empire, which conquered Babylon in 539 BCE. What Daniel did, then, was the equivalent of serving as Secretary of State under every president, Republican and Democrat, from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Joe Biden! Even kings more diametrically opposed than Donald Trump and Joe Biden held mutual respect for Daniel because, for Daniel, it was never about who ruled in Babylon. It was always about the One who ruled in heaven and in his heart and life.
Let me be clear. Godliness is key to impact. If Daniel and his buddies conformed and became just like all of the other Babylonians, they would have been just four more nameless attendants in the court of the Babylonian king. On the other hand, if Daniel and his buddies dug in their heels and fought against everything Nebby asked of them, even if they sis nor die, they would have been “those guys.” They would have ended up bitter and broken and all alone because no one wants to be around someone like that! These people end up bitter, broken, and alone because no one wants to be around someone who is always fighting.
Whether we conform to the world or fight against it incessantly, we will never make a difference. No, the only way to make a difference in this sin-darkened world is to live godly amid the ungodliness because godliness is key to impact.”
In a world characterized by pandemic and promiscuity, racial tension and political strife, we find signs of cultural and spiritual meltdown everywhere we look. Worse, that same world is constantly pushing and pulling us in this direction and that, always trying to get us to conform. We must not allow this faithless world to draw us into ungodly behaviors. At the same time, we must not simply dig in our heels and resist everything and anything that comes our way. No, we must commit ourselves to living truly godly lives amidst all of the ungodliness that is present in this world. Because only then will we be able to make an impact in this world.