I was a teenager when I had my first opportunity to take a trip without my parents or siblings accompanying me. It was a church trip and I remember it well because it was 1976 - the year of the Bicentennial Celebration for the United States. My family had earlier agreed to visit my relatives in New Mexico during that time, but I had ‘won’ the trip; so they compromised and allowed me the opportunity to travel by myself.
The trip lasted almost two weeks and I saw some pretty neat things along the way: New York, Cape Cod, Niagara Falls, and we also paid a visit to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The trip culminated in a week-long seminar at the Baptist Center in Ridgecrest, North Carolina, so there was a spiritual aspect to travelling as well. I was in the company of my closest friends, therefore I was not in the least bit nervous, but still it felt odd to know that I was basically on my own. No parents to look over my shoulder and no brother or sisters to ‘rat me out’ if I did something wrong. Because my parents both did an outstanding job raising me, I did not get into any trouble during the trip and have nothing to look back on with shame or regret today.
I thought about that trip as I took my youngest daughter to college a few weeks back. As I moved her into her dorm-room, I hoped and prayed I had performed as good of a job in raising her as my parents had with me. If that was the case, I would have nothing to worry about. (Who am I kidding? I constantly worry about her! It was hard on me!) So far she has alleviated my fears and seems to have found her niche in school, and though this is her first time away from home I know that she will bring honor to both of her parents by her studies as well as her behavior.
The story of Daniel opens with a group of young boys, probably around fourteen years of age, taken captive and hauled away to Babylon. The Jewish nation had been conquered by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, and they had taken all of the young people that were ‘fair’ in complexion, athletic, and mentally sharp to be trained (brainwashed) as servants in the king’s court. These four boys were among that group. I’ll step back here and let the Bible speak of the matter:
“And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.”
These young boys found themselves hundreds of miles from home, among other teenagers their own age, and it seemed as though they were going to be well-treated. They would be served the same meat that the king himself ate, as well as the wine that he consumed. They also were given the opportunity to learn from the Chaldeans, who just so happened to be the most advanced civilization of the era. Not too bad for a group of teens far from home and on their own.
But as is always the case, there was a slight problem. As Jews they were not supposed to eat pork; and the king had an affinity for glazed ham. Wine was a totally separate issue unto itself.
So what could they do? To refuse their captors would possibly mean death by having their heads chopped off. On the other hand, mom and dad were far away, as was their rabbi (preacher) and all of their close family and friends. We only know about these four, but it is implied that they were part of a group. The rest of the group apparently ‘lightened up’ and decided to ‘go with the flow’. They are never mentioned again in this book.
Notice that they didn’t refuse the opportunity to gain knowledge and they did not protest when their names were changed. But they stood firm on what they specifically had been taught was wrong. Another thing to note is that they were not high and mighty about it – they offered a compromise instead. They asked to be fed pulse and to drink only water for ten days, after which their master could judge for himself by the results. Because they had gained favor with him, the master agreed to the challenge. After ten days they were in obvious better health than the rest of the captives, and he allowed them to continue avoiding the diet that was spiritually wrong for them to follow in the first place. The Bible also explains that God blessed them for taking a stand. “As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”
It is amazing to me when I ponder all of the things the world has to offer young people today. I am also heartbroken when I witness those same young people captured and pulled down into the depths of despair by the fruit of those same offers. Working with teenagers over the years, I have seen far too many Christian teens get burned by walking too close to the edge and flirting with worldly promises or ideas. We are called to be different. As Christians we are admonished to be in the world, but also to be separated from the world.
John reminds us of this in I John, Chapter 2: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
Yes, my heart literally aches when I see one of ‘my young people’ all grown up and suffering from sin in their lives that could and should have been avoided. Possibly it hurts most because I know I made the same mistakes in my own life at their age. Yet my heart also leaps when I run into one of those teens that received the message, took it to heart, and made a firm commitment to God and kept Him in their life. I know that ‘come what may’ they will be fine, and God will keep His hand on them and bless them throughout their lives for doing so.
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