Chapter 76—The Insignia of Nobility
During their three years of training, Daniel and his associates
maintained their abstemious habits, their allegiance to God, and their
constant dependence upon His power. When the time came for their
abilities and acquirements to be tested by the king, they were examined
with other candidates for the service of the kingdom. But “among them
all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.” Their
keen apprehension, their choice and exact language, their extensive
knowledge, testified to the unimpaired strength and vigor of their
mental power. Therefore they stood before the king. “And in all
matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them,
he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers
that were in all his realm.”
God always honors the right. The most promising youths from all
the lands subdued by the great conqueror had been gathered at Babylon,
yet amid them all the Hebrew captives were without a rival. The erect
form, the firm, elastic step, the fair countenance, the undimmed senses,
the untainted breath,—all these were insignia of the nobility with
which nature honors those who are obedient to her laws.
Effect of Physical Habits on the Mind
The lesson here presented is one that we would do well to ponder.
A strict compliance with the Bible requirements will be a blessing
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both to body and soul. The fruit of the Spirit is not only love, joy, and
peace, but temperance also. We are enjoined not to defile our bodies;
for they are the temples of the Holy Spirit.
The Hebrew captives were men of like passions with ourselves.
Amid the seductive influences of the luxurious courts of Babylon, they
stood firm. The youth of today are surrounded with allurements to
self-indulgence. Especially in our large cities, every form of sensual
gratification is made easy and inviting. Those who, like Daniel, refuse
to defile themselves, will reap the reward of temperate habits. With
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