Freedom in an Unlikely Place

July 4, 2022

But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.” Daniel 1:8-10 NLT

Most parents have dreams and ambitions for their children when they are born. They want happy, productive lives for them. Most of us would say we want our children to have lives that exceed our own in many ways.

Don’t you imagine Daniel’s parents felt that way? They named him a name that means “God is my judge,” and taught him the ways of God. They probably prayed for him unceasingly, doing all they could to bless him. The historian Josephus said Daniel came from a royal line, had great social standing, and the best education possible. No one would have dreamed his parents would be separated from him the rest of their lives as he served godless kings in a foreign land.

When King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and conquered Judah, he deported the brightest and the best as slaves to Babylon. Daniel was one of them. Can you imagine their agony as they watched him be swept away? Not just their own incomprehensible loss, but what about him? Would he survive? Was his training enough? Did he know the one true God well enough?

You know the story. You know what happened. Daniel couldn’t have imagined what happened to him either. Most of the captives ended up in refugee camps and worked at hard slave labor. Few ended up in the palace or court system in white-collar, privileged work. But Daniel stood out from the crowd physically, intellectually, and socially. He attracted attention without trying or desire. Attention was sure to make his life harder.

The king’s chief of staff determinedly plunged Daniel into the Babylonian culture assimilation. He had to succeed, or he would literally die trying. But they didn’t understand that quality of life begins with knowing WHO you are and to WHOM you belong. Daniel knew. His identity as a child of the one true God was so strong, his relationship was faithful and trusting. It made him free and unafraid. He was freer as a slave than the king, the chief of staff, or any other Babylonian. It’s our path to freedom too.

• You will only be shaped and labeled by the culture if your identity is weak. Sit with Jesus a few moments and then write your statement of identity. Ask Him to help you make it clear.