“Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself.” (v. 8)

One note right from the start:

This wasn’t about health food. This wasn’t a fasting diet. This wasn’t about balancing plates and pyramids. That colors the picture, but it wasn’t what Daniel was opting out of.

When Daniel and his Hebrew companions were abducted into Babylon’s royal house, they were really abducted into indoctrination. The king’s servants worked to obliterate there cultural, religious, and dietary backgrounds by giving them the best that Babylon had to offer—by force. They were to be grown into good Babylonians.

And that meant partaking in the whole cultural diet—including foods God had disallowed, which were likely from animals sacrificed to pagan idols, regardless of any notion of biblical rightness.

So what is Daniel opting out of?

The indulgence of going with the cultural flow. Of consuming, regardless of biblical conviction. He and his friends are asking permission to serve their ruler while also honoring the true Sovereign.

Opting in to Babylon would have been safer, but not better.

Does this intersect your lived experience here? What do you need to opt out of, to stay true to your God in your culture?

— Tyler