Daniel 1:11-15

"Then Daniel asked the guard whom the palace master had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: ‘Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you observe.’ So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was observed that they appeared better and fatter than all the young men who had been eating the royal rations" (Daniel 1:11-15).

Comment:

The Book of Daniel was written in 167-164 BCE, at the time when the Jews were suffering under the brutal rule of Antiochus Epiphanes. The author shares six stories of events that had taken place centuries before, when the Hebrews were in exile in Babylon. The stories were intended to reassure the suffering people that, no matter how bad things got, they could be sure that the Lord would deliver them.

You ask about verses 14 and 15; I've added the preceding three verses to provide context. In this story the Babylonian king had requested from the captive Hebrews "youths without blemish, handsome and skilful in all wisdom (1:4)" to both serve and be educated in the palace. One of those unblemished youths was David. He and three others decline to eat the rich food of the palace, but is told that the king might take offense if they refused his generosity. David then proposes the test described in this passage: he and his friends will eat only vegetables and drink only water for ten days, while other young men eat the food prepared by the king's kitchen. The results might have seemed 'miraculous' at the time, although today it would simply be affirmation of the benefits of a healthy diet.

I think there's much to be taken from this story. David did not create conflict; he found a middle path that ultimately found an understanding that satisfied everyone. It's also about standing firm in your Truth, calmly and lovingly refusing to allow mortal temptations to distract us. And so long as we see everything through the 'single eye' of spiritual understanding, we can be absolutely sure that infinite Good will express.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed