King Nebuchadnezzar came with his army and besieged Jerusalem and conquered it. In addition to the precious items from the Temple of God he also brought back many prisoners of the people of Israel. Nebuchadnezzar ordered that the ‘strong, healthy, good looking’ young men of the captives be brought to his palace. They were to undergo a three-year training process to determine if some of them would be fit to become advisors in his royal court.

Daniel was one of the four young men named who were selected to be a part of this process. The king assigned to them the best of the food and wine that was served to him as their ration. Daniel made up his mind not to eat that food and wine because he felt it would defile him. He then asked for permission to eat something else.

Daniel was a Jew and had been raised under the strict dietary rules of the Law of Moses. God gave to Moses to give to the nation of Israel very strict instructions as to the things they could and could not eat. These dietary laws were meant to cause the Jews to be a separated people. They were meant to be different from the world around them. The dietary laws were just one of the ways God wanted to use to cause the Hebrews to be a people that stood out from the rest of the world.

Daniel could have easily justified in his own mind that he was a prisoner exiled from his homeland. He could have easily convinced himself that he really didn’t have a choice. Daniel is showing great faith in God and resolve of character to make a choice like this. This is even more remarkable when we remember that Daniel was a teenager at this time.

In many respects we are just like Daniel. This world that we live in is not our home. As Christians we are citizens of heaven. We are just passing through this world as we wait for our graduation to heaven. The world is also trying to ‘train’ us to be like it is. And just like Daniel, we are daily being offered things that will defile us.

We are called to be a separated people. Unlike the Jews we do not have the Law as a guideline. Instead, we look upon the New Testament as our guide, and we depend upon the Holy Spirit to teach us about holiness and separation from the things of the world.

It all begins with a single choice, much like the one that Daniel made in our verse for the day. We must choose not to be defiled by the world around us. Even if we never fully attain it our goal must be absolute holiness and righteousness. If we don’t set that as our goal, then we have no hope of even approaching it. Choose not to be defiled by the world around you. Jesus, help us to choose daily to be undefiled.

Read: Daniel 1:1-2:23; 1 Peter 3:8-4:6; Psalm 119:65-80; Proverbs 28:14