DANIEL 1THE CAPTIVE CHILDREN 4
So Daniel had proposed a test: " Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 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. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days." Daniel 1:12-14. The Prince of the eunuchs agreed to try the boys for 10 days. They could have their strange diet, and after the test he figured they would see that the King's diet was much better and they would agree to that.
The ten days passed; the other captives all gorged themselves on the rich meats and spicy dainties, washed down with goblets of the finest vintage wines. Perhaps they may have cracked a few jokes at the four at the one table with bread, fruit and vegetables and plain water on it. The day came when Melzar made his inspection, lining up the captives to evaluate their health.
"And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. 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." Daniel 1:15-17 Now the Bible let's us in on another important secret— after the three years of intense schooling were completed, the graduates were brought in before the King himself to have their final exams. "Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar." Daniel 1:18.
"And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm." Daniel 1:19,20 Now these were the best educated men in the world at that time; and Daniel and his three friends were 10 times smarter!
Would you like to be ten times smarter? Well, that diet of Daniel's, plain fruits grains and vegetables, simply prepared and lots of pure water will definitely help you. And there is another secret also; when we 'purpose in our hearts' to follow God and obey both His physical and His moral laws, then He will bless us in whatever we undertake. With His blessing and guidance it is easy to be 10 times smarter. 21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. He lived to a ripe old age also. Further Thoughts: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11 The Bible is not just a story book of history; everything in it has a message for our days here at the end of time. If it was important for Daniel to abstain from rich and unhealthful foods and beverages, how much more is it important to us who expect shortly to be facing the trials and tests of the closing up of God’s work for planet earth? In our day it seems customary to live to indulge in every kind of unhealthy habit and consider such indulgence a ‘treat’. At a time when animal food has been clearly demonstrated to be unnecessary to human nutrition, we still hear from ‘official’ sources about the importance of protein in the diet with the emphasis placed on animal flesh.
Yet never has there been a time in history when animal products were more objectionable. Because of the factory farm methods of raising food animals and the unnatural diet fed them, disease is rampant in food animals sent to the slaughter houses to appear on our tables. Mad Cow and other deadly scourges have immerged from the shadows to take their toll in human lives of men, women and even children. Careful and unbiased researchers have found that most of the diseases bringing misery and suffering to people of our day have at least some of their roots in the use of animal flesh and animal products for food. The message of Daniel 1 is a message for today! A simple diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts with adequate pure water will still work the wonders today that it did for the four youth in Babylon. Also such a diet will protect us from much if not most of the diseases that are crowding our hospitals and doctor’s clinics with suffering humanity seeking, too often in vain, to obtain relief through chemical drugs and surgeries.
Take heed of the lesson, pray for strength and guidance and start today to put it into effect in your life—you will be glad that you did!
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