They looked healthier and better

“At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” (Daniel 1:15)

 

Daniel was an ordinary man, but he was also a special man inspired by God. As a man with absolute faith in God, Daniel showed an excellent spiritual figure in the era of Old Testament. His faith was expressed with thorough will and action. It’s very difficult to endure hunger, but it’s never easy to refuse to eat good food too. There is a big difference between to have the royal food and the meal with vegetables and water only. Of course, eating good food will improve one’s complexion because of becoming healthy, and if one doesn’t eat properly, the body will get weak. But what the more important than than the quality of eating food is the faith, whatever one eats, relying oneself upon God’s omnipotence completely.

 

Daniel was taken to Babylon at the time of the first invasion of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, in 605 BC. He was one of young men chosen specially among Israelite, who were without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, in order to work for the service of Babylon’s king. Daniel and the three friends were youths of big talents, so they could have a chance to learn Babylon’s studies and languages. All of their good conditions of qualifications were things given from God in the grace. Moreover, Daniel received a blessing of special inspiration as a gift from God differently than others. They had suffered the misfortune of living as the captured in the foreign land, but in the midst of such that bad situation, they were able to overcome difficulties and live in blessings through God’s grace. Everybody may be placed either in a good situation or the bad, but it is important than any others to live by experiencing the protection and guidance of God every that time.

 

The essential requirement for experiencing the grace is to have absolute faith in God. People value the physical experience of seeing with eyes and touching with their hands. The experience of physical actualities arises from faith at basis. Faith is a state in which a person meets God, and everyone experiences meeting with true God in believing in Jesus Christ. Though Jesus’ disciple Thomas had heard the news of Jesus’ resurrection, he did not believe it at first. Then it was not before until he met Jesus, who came to the place with other disciples, that Thomas believed the fact Jesus had resurrected. Likewise, person can believe in Jesus through meeting with Jesus, since then get a resurrected life Jesus gives. To become like that, people must experience spiritual communication through meeting with Jesus by reading and praying the Bible, the word of God.

 

The faith Daniel believes in God was not limited to theory or thoughts and laws. Those who have real faith, the resurrected life in Christ, have to live by showing the faith through one’s will and action. However it’s never that easy to practice that as the said. When it is in a difficult situation, the true figure of the person can be checked rightly. Daniel and his three friends had been guaranteed to stay well there, eating good food at the royal palace. Nevertheless, Daniel showed his determination not to tarnish himself with the royal food and wine. Daniel’s intention to ignore the principles set by the king seemed greatly reckless. It was because if things went wrong, not only Daniel but also the chief official for Daniel could not survive. Nevertheless, Daniel offered to the chief official to test according to one’s opinion for ten days and make confirm the results.

 

For Daniel to be treated by favorable sense, God guided the chief official’s mind in grace and mercy. And as a result of the test for ten days, Daniel and his three friends, who only ate vegetables and water, looked more glossy and beautiful than other boys who ate the royal food. This is a matter simply not to be convinced in common sense. But it is God Almighty who accomplishes even things that are not common sense. Just because God is not common sense here, you should not misunderstand Him as God who ignores the laws of nature. We need to know two important points clearly. One thing is a fact that God, who created natural law, but His ability transcends the scope of natural law. And another is that it’s never, that just because man doesn’t understand God’s actions in man’s common sense, that it becomes into meaning that He is God who ignores natural law.

 

The Almighty God is in charge of everything on individual or of the nation. It’s as like for Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, the chief official, Daniel’s friends, and to anybody in the world. God gave them learning, wisdom, fantasy, and dreams. Daniel and his three friends had known the God in true faith, so successful life was possible for them. In order to make oneself show to be better the figure in life, anybody must have wisdom in awe of Jehovah. If you believe in Savior Jesus Christ and follow Him, you will reach full wisdom.

 

(Written by Koonoh, the pastor of JDO church, on September 25th in 2022)