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A Call to Stand Apart
Among the Israelites who were taken as prisoners of war to
Babylon were men and women who were as true as steel to principle,
not corrupted by selfishness but willing to honor God at the loss
of everything. In the land of their captivity these individuals were
to carry out God’s purpose by showing to non-Christian nations
the benefits that come through knowing God. They were to be His
representatives. Never were they to compromise their faith. In good
times and bad they honored God, and God honored them.
Daniel and his three friends stood up for God—wonderful ex-
amples of what young people may become when they unite with
the God of wisdom and power. From the comparative simplicity of
their Jewish homes, these youth from royalty were taken to the most
fabulous of cities and directly into the court of the world’s greatest
emperor.
Seeing enormous intellectual potential in these young men, Neb-
uchadnezzar decided that they should be trained to fill important
positions in his kingdom. To prepare them for their administrative
careers, he arranged Chaldean language study, as well as entrance to
the three-year specialized education reserved for royalty.
A crucial test came right at the beginning of their elite training.
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As a token of the king’s approval and personal interest in their
welfare, he provided the Jewish students with cuisine and drinks
from his own table. However, since part of the meal had been offered
to idols, anyone who ate it would be recognized as respecting the
gods of Babylon. Loyalty to Jehovah prohibited Daniel and his
friends from honoring a false god in any way. Even pretending to
eat the food or drink the wine would be denying their faith.
Additionally, these young people dared not risk reducing their
vitality and squandering their physical, mental, and spiritual health.
They remembered the sad results of Nadab and Abihu’s drinking,
and didn’t want to injure their own physical and mental powers
through the use of wine.
Daniel and his friends had come from homes in which parents
had emphasized abstinence from alcohol. They had been taught
that God would hold them accountable for their talents and abili-
ties, and they must never undermine or deplete their strength. This
early childhood education helped Daniel and his friends make good
choices, though degrading influences and strong temptations were