The Victorious Sober Vegetarians

November 25, 2019

From today’s reading…

But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself

with the king’s food or wine;

so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this defilement.”

The Book of Daniel was not written by Daniel. Rather, Daniel is the hero who was setting the pace and walking his talk around 540 B.C.

Two years ago we looked at this reading from the opening of Daniel, which is yet another story of a narcissistic dictator throwing his weight around and forcing his conquered subjects to act a certain way. (I thank God for the 2nd Amendment every day, but I digress.)

Unlike Mattathias, about whom we read a few days ago who killed the apostate and the king’s messenger, Daniel uses his skills of persuasion and trust in the Lord to get him through a sticky situation.

However, like Mattathias, today’s reading from Daniel chapter 1 sets the stage for the first several chapters, which show how people with a strong faith can defeat temptations and overcome the most arduous of adversities.

By the time we get to verse 20, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were not as good or twice as good or even five times better “than all the magicians and enchanters in (the) kingdom.”

They were TEN TIMES better.

Since we stand on the shoulders of giants like Daniel, we, too, can be better than the heathens around us if we just…

Stay the course.Keep the faith.Endure.