In Moses’ time God cared what His people ate and drank. But today – well, have we advanced so much that He’s no longer concerned with our diet? I promise you, He who never changes hasn’t changed, and He still cares. What we do to our bodies we do to our mind[s] and spirit[s]; what we do to our spirits we do to our bodies, as illustrated by this story.

Nebuchanezzar, the King of ancient Babylon swept into Jerusalem and took captive the best of their population, and then he took them to Babylon. From among these, he charged one of his ministers to search out some of the best and brightest of the Hebrew children. The minister, Ashpenaz, had three years to feed, fatten and instruct these children in the wisdom and learning of the Chaldeans, and all this to prepare them to stand before the King. In short, these captive children were to be remade into Babylonians first, and Hebrews second, if at all.

Well, among them was [were] Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. The latter three are more commonly known to us as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

Now, considering that these four children had just endured a terrible war and a siege, and a forced march of hundreds of miles to Babylon, they may not have looked too [very] healthy. So determined was the King in this endeavor that he appointed a menu for his protégés from his own table – the very food and drink of royalty and wealth – by royal command.

“…Daniel” however, “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with … the King’s meat…” (Daniel 1:8)

He requested of the steward that he and his friends be given the food and drink that was in keeping with the law of Moses. Now, you have to admire the courage of a captive boy to even make such a request of his captors.

Well, Ashpenaz, the steward – he liked Daniel and he wanted to accommodate him, but he also feared the king. If the king looked upon Daniel and his friends at the end of the three years and they didn’t look healthy, Ashpenaz wouldn’t be healthy either; he’d lose his head. Therefore, Daniel proposed a ten-day experiment. (Daniel 1:10)

“… give us pulse to eat and water to drink,” he said, “Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat [of] the portion of the king’s meat; and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.” (Daniel 1:12-13)

Ashpenaz agreed. At the end of ten days, Daniel and his friends on their whole grain and water diet were already “…fairer and fatter in flesh than all the…” others. (Daniel 1:15)

For the remainder of the three years they ate and drank of God’s menu, not Nebuchanezzar’s. At the end of the three years, all the Hebrew children were brought in and interviewed by the King.

“…and among them all was found none like Daniel…” and his friends. (Daniel 1:19)

“…. In all matters of wisdom and understanding…he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all…” of Babylon. (Daniel 1:20)
These four faithful Hebrew children became the King’s personal advisers ever after.

Now, what do we learn from this? God built our bodies and designed our minds. His intent ever and always has been to magnify and empower them both. To enslave one is to damn the other. Now, we have a choice – probably have never had a better choice: By what we eat and drink, we can either be merry and damned, or have joy and be saved. Or said another way: With our teeth we can either dig our graves and die, or empower our bodies, open our minds, and live abundantly. God bless [you].