The Unashamed Boldness of Daniel

“When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you possess a large appetite.” (Proverbs 23:1-2)

Is there a better example of this than Daniel? After being taken into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire, Daniel was immediately tested. Nebuchadnezzar attempted to brainwash him by putting him through a Babylonian education, gave him a Babylonian name that meant “May Bel protect” and then given food and wine from the king’s table.

Daniel accepted the first two but rejected the last. Why? There was no prohibition in God’s Law for having your name changed or the type of education you received. However, there were rules about what a Jew could eat or drink. There were 2 reasons he chose not to eat or drink from the king’s table.

First, Babylonian food was not clean. There wasn’t any distinction in Babylon between clean and unclean. Leviticus 11-17 was never considered the Babylonians were organizing their menu.

Second, eating at the king’s table would align you with the gods of the hosts. To accept the king’s provisions might show allegiance of friendship towards him and his gods. If you accepted the king’s provisions, you might show your allegiance toward him or his gods.

Daniel refused these delicacies. This is the faith of a young man away from home, with no mother or father looking at what he is going to do, and he was faced with the decision to make the king happy by obeying him. The uncompromising nature of Daniel stood strong. There was an unashamed boldness that surrounded Daniel.

As believers, we too must have unashamed boldness in defending the truth. Jeremiah talks about being a valiant for the truth (Jeremiah 9:3). Ezekiel tells his people to set their face like flint; flint is hard and difficult to move (Ezekiel 3:9).

Have you recently compromised your faith? Do you regret staying silent when someone asked you about your faith?

Take heart, Christian, Daniel’s example of unashamed boldness can be your own example.