Ten Days of Vegetables

The Story

When Babylon conquered Jerusalem, King Nebuchadnezzar took some of the brightest young men from Judah’s noble families back to his palace. They would be trained for three years to serve the king. Among them were Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

They were given new Babylonian names. And they were given food from the king’s own table, rich meat and wine.

But “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat.” The food may have been offered to idols or prepared in ways God’s law forbade.

The official in charge was afraid. If you look worse than the others, he said, the king will have my head.

Daniel made a respectful proposal. “Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.” Just vegetables and water. Then compare us.

At the end of ten days, Daniel and his friends looked healthier than all the young men eating from the king’s table. And over the three years of training, “God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom.” When the king interviewed them, he found them ten times better than all his wise men.

Reflection