Fasting in Lent: What Daniel Teaches Us About Living Faithfully in a Secular World
"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine."
Daniel 1:8
Fasting in Lent: A Means, Not an End
Last week I wrote about fasting as a sacrifice we make — not as an end in itself but as a means to gaining something greater and more precious than the thing we have given up. This is a good principle to keep in mind as we journey through Lent.
This week I want to zoom in on a real-life example of fasting in Lent from the Old Testament.
Daniel: A Young Man Caught Between Two Worlds
Daniel was a young Jewish man who had the world at his feet and his whole life ahead of him when he was taken prisoner by the Babylonians and hauled off into exile along with some of his friends from Judah. He was chosen to enter the Babylonian king's service, for which he was put through a long and challenging preparation process. He was given a new Babylonian name in place of his Hebrew name, and had to learn the language and literature of the nation in which he was now a captive. All this he accepted.
However, when he was assigned food and wine from the king's table, he drew a line and refused it. Far from being a petty stand, Daniel took this potentially dangerous decision for spiritual reasons — the food and wine would be offered in sacrifice and thanksgiving to the Babylonian gods before being served to Daniel and his friends, and this was unacceptable to them, as it would have defiled them in God's sight.
Daniel's Ten-Day Fast: An Act of Faith
So Daniel requested permission to undertake a ten-day fast, during which time he would take only vegetables and water, declining the defiled food and drink. It was a stunning act of faith and a plea for God's help.
At the end of the fast he was found to be healthier and stronger than his peers, and was consequently allowed to remain on his preferred diet and thus avoid spiritual compromise.
What Daniel's Example Means for Us Today
Daniel is an example to us, for we too face the constant challenge of living in a godless society and have to work out how to live faithfully for Jesus. Where is it okay to compromise — like Daniel who accepted his new name and education — and where do we draw the line — like Daniel who wouldn't engage in the worship of false gods?
In truth it can sometimes be difficult to work this out, and Christians don't always agree on where the lines should be drawn.
A Helpful Biblical Rule of Thumb
However, it seems to me the fundamental question to consider in every circumstance is: What does the Bible say? And a helpful biblical rule of thumb might be: we live as good citizens in the society in which God has placed us, obeying its laws and customs, except when we are commanded to do something God has forbidden, or we are forbidden to do something God has commanded.
Two Biblical Examples
A good example of the former are the midwives in Exodus 1 who refused Pharaoh's command to kill the Hebrew baby boys at birth and were consequently blessed by God. A good example of the latter are the apostles in Acts 5 who continued to preach the Gospel in Jerusalem despite being forbidden by the religious leaders to do so, saying:
"We must obey God rather than human beings!"
Acts 5:29
A Prayer for Our Lent Journey
So, as we continue travelling through Lent, may God give us wisdom to navigate our way through the complexities of living faithfully for Jesus in a secular world.
Every Blessing
