In his prayers for the disciples, Jesus made it clear that we are in the world but are not of the world, as he is not of the world also (John 17:13-19). That makes us holy misfits. Daniel, who lived in a society that was completely at odds with his beliefs and values as a believer in God, is an enduring biblical example of faithfulness for believers today.
Daniel’s Biblical Worldview
Daniel grew up in a monotheistic community that believed in one God, the creator of heaven and earth (Deut 6:1). God defined morality for the Israelite nation. He gave them the Ten Commandments through Moses to instruct them on how to relate to him and to each other (Exodus 20:1-17). If they failed to observe God’s word, the LORD brought judgment on them, which often involved using other nations as a means of justice. The people could be subdued by their enemies and even enslaved. Daniel came from a background that had great reverence for God. The Israelites had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians, as prophesied by prophets such as Jeremiah and Habakkuk (Jeremiah 25:11-12; Habakkuk 1:5-11). Daniel and his friends were among those taken into captivity in Babylon (Daniel 1:3).
The Clash of Two Worldviews
The Babylonians were a polytheistic people who believed in many gods. They intertwined religion, magic, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrology (Daniel 1:20; 2:2). They relied on stars to predict their gods’ will over life matters. The king was seen as the earthly representative of the gods. He upheld justice and ensured the nation’s prosperity. While the Babylonians believed that only the king bore the image of their god, Marduk, in the Israelite worldview, all people are created in God’s image and likeness. Even though Daniel was thrust into an entirely different worldview and was expected to adjust to it, he held on to his biblical worldview.
Christians, like Daniel, live in a world where their views and those of the surrounding world are completely opposed. The clash may sometimes feel like one of multiple worldviews, the world having become a small village thanks to the internet and increased access to other cultural beliefs. How ought we to live in such a world?
Believer’s Responsibility
A biblical worldview acknowledges both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. We are called to align our lives to the will of God (Matthew 7:21). When our views are confronted with other worldviews, our loyalty remains to Christ. The king offered Daniel and his companions daily meals from his table and commanded that they be well cared for (Daniel 1:5). They were aware that the food provided in the king’s palace had idolatrous associations. They chose not to eat.
Daniel’s companions serve as a reminder that friends are critical to reinforcing our beliefs and values, especially in a world at war with what we subscribe to. They hold us to account whenever faced with opportunities to compromise those values. Among Daniel’s close friends were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1:6-7). The friends came from the same background and paid their allegiance to the only true God. It is crucial that we consider who influences our lives here in a world that is not our home.
The Pressure to Conform
Daniel and his friends were under pressure from multiple directions to conform to the Babylonian lifestyle. Some of the pressures they had to overcome include:
- King’s pressure: The king had assigned food for Daniel and the other people living in the palace (Daniel 1:5). Daniel knew the food was connected to idolatry and would have defiled him. Hard as it must have been to turn down the king’s offer, Daniel chose his faith over the pleasures of the palace. Sometimes, as Christians, we brush shoulders with the powerful and might be tempted at their hands. Some employers lure young ladies into sexual immorality with the promise of a job. Many a young man, on the other hand, has fallen prey to older, adulterous women who offered comfort. If faced with similar pressure, will you succumb, or will you cling to your convictions, however costly?
- Peer Pressure: All the other people were obedient to the king and ate from his table. They risked not appearing as healthy as the others at the end of 10 days. We usually justify conforming to the world with phrases like “everyone is doing it.” It was not the case with Daniel and his friends; they did not mind being physically malnourished, provided they remained spiritually fit.
- Captivity World: Daniel and his friends were far away from their home. They had been on a tour, but in Babylon as enslaved people. They were poised to battle a worldview different from theirs. By defying the king’s orders, they risked death. I have come across some ladies who say they would rather suffer in marriage with a rich, abusive man than be happy with a kind, poor man. Were they to travel back millennia and be the ones to face a hostile king’s edict, they would rather enjoy the king’s delicacies than suffer death or imprisonment for their faith. Faith is not for cowards but for people who have resolved to lay down their lives for the sake of Christ.
We all face such pressures every once in a while. Such challenges, as Daniel helps us appreciate, are not unique to our times.
Defining Boundaries
And neither should the faith that is clear about its boundaries be unique to Daniel’s time. Knowing one’s boundaries and keeping them in the face of compromise is critical for a believer in a foreign world. Yet beyond knowing our boundaries, we must ask ourselves, “What price am I willing to pay to keep them?”
Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine and made that abundantly clear to the chief eunuch (Daniel 1:8). To set proper boundaries, we must know our beliefs and values. Christians subscribe to a biblical worldview, and thus the scriptures define our boundaries as we live in the world. The questions to ask ourselves each time are: What value or belief is presently under threat of compromise? How does the Bible expect me to respond?
God’s Providence
Finally, consider God’s providence. God was with Daniel in the foreign world. As they defended their beliefs, God gave them favour with the king and the chief eunuch (Daniel 1:9). He gave them knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature (Daniel 1:17). At the end of the set time by the king, they were found to be ten times better in everything compared to their peers.
While some people want to believe that God created the universe and left it to run without his influence, Christians know that God is actively engaged in the world he created. We are not alone. Jesus promised that he would be with us to the very end of time (Matthew 28:20). In that, may you find great comfort, even in the face of untold trial.