Creator, Father, King #146

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

IF THE FOLLOWING DINNER options were placed before you, which would you choose?

1. A. a mouthwatering six-course meal filled with cheese and crackers, an appetizer, fresh fruit, a Caesar salad, a chicken or steak entree made to order, and your favorite ice cream
2. B. steamed spinach and water

It’s a no-brainer, right? Option A! Who would ever choose option B?

Well, Daniel and his three friends did.

Daniel and his friends—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—were Jewish prisoners exiled to Babylon when King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah in 605 BC. The Babylonians tried to strip the conquered people of their national and spiritual identities and assimilate them into Babylonian culture. So upon their arrival, Daniel and his friends were forced to change their names, diets, language—everything.

But “Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king” (Daniel 1:8)—possibly because the king’s food was at odds with Old Testament food regulations (Leviticus 11) and also perhaps to retain their identity as God’s people.

Daniel and his friends boldly asked to eat only veggies and water for ten days while their peers ate from Nebuchadnezzar’s menu. “At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king” (Daniel 1:15). So they were allowed to continue eating veggies and water.

What’s It Mean?

While exiles, Daniel and his friends remained committed to their identity as God’s people, despite incredible pressure to conform—and God blessed them for it.

If you are a Christian, you are an exile, too. This doesn’t mean you’re a deported individual from a conquered nation. It’s referring to your identity in Christ and your eternal destiny.

This world is only our temporary home. As today’s verse says, we are “sojourners and exiles” here, momentarily passing through as we await our forever heavenly dwelling. As such, don’t let the world’s sinful enticements and “the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” allure you.

Like Daniel and his friends, remain committed to your identity as a child of God, despite the intense pressure around you to conform to the world’s standards.

Now What?

Are you conforming to the world’s standards? Prayerfully read through Romans 12:1-2 and ask God to help you remain faithful to your true identity in him.

Did You Know?

Daniel and his friends’ new names—Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were in honor of various Babylonian deities.