Daniel's Fast, 10 days, Vegetables & Water

Daniel, an Israelite, was taken captive when Israel was invaded and overthrown by the Babylonians.  Daniel's decision to not eat meat was a combination of both his desire to abstain from meat offered to the false gods of Babylon and to uphold the Kosher laws of his Jewish heritage.  He wanted to remain pure and holy and by doing so honor the God who gave him life.

Apparently, as the result of this food test, Daniel was found to be healthier than those who chose to eat the fine foods of the King.  The application to our modern day is likewise that, if we want to remain pure and holy before God, we need to practice self-discipline and refrain from engaging in those behaviors that corrupt and compromise our faith.  

Daniel's faith allowed him to withstand the many trials that were about to come about him, from being thrown into the Fiery Furnace (Chapter 3) to spending time in the Lion's den (Chapter 6).  Would Daniel been able to withstand those trials without God's protection?  The obvious answer is no as without being protected by an angel in the fiery furnace and without an angel closing the mouths of Lion's, he would have been eaten alive.  

The God of whom we serve is faithful and wants to give us 'abundantly, exceedingly, above all that we can ask, think, or imagine.'  BUT, before that happens, we must prepare our hearts and minds and be purify our hearts before him while in the midst of people who do not revere God's name.  

FAST:

Fasting has roots all throughout the Bible.  This fast in particular is in relation to eating only veggies and drinking water for 10 days.  According to scholars, the word translated into modern day word 'Vegetable' is a word that means 'pulse' or anything eaten grown from the ground or with a seed.  In other words, fruits, vegetables, or anything grown in the family garden would have the food of choice along with water.

Check it out.  Daniel 1 and two great sources to read.

Daniel 1 reads the following:

 ⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
 ¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” ¹⁴ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
 ¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. ¹⁶ So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. 

Key Points from Freedomyou:

Daniel refused to defile his body with foods that had been sacrificed to false gods. Picture him sitting and eating his bowl of veggies with a tall glass of water among muscled men slurping on royal food, savory dishes that filled the air with mouth-watering fragrance. As men do when sharing fine food and drink, there would be boisterous camaraderie, a celebration of the senses. He stood alone in the conviction that his circumcised body was holy. This was not a secret impractical conviction but observable for all to see by how he lived—and how he ate. 

But under the New Covenant, didn’t Paul say that all foods are now clean to eat? Yes, we can enjoy all foods with a clear conscience. You see the connection here is not legalism; it goes deeper. I am sure you have learned by now that no form of legalism can tame the jaws of hunger—in fact it will only anger the beast within. Don’t make the mistake of misreading Daniel's intentions or you will miss the message. This was about love, not law. It was about how he saw himself and how he saw his God.   

 I believe it goes beyond the nutrition of raw food. There is something in Daniel we all aspire to, a strength of character that comes from a clear sense of who he is. In an age of media-induced addictions, where we race from one emotional fix to another, resulting in escalating obesity, illness and loss of self, the maverick message, “Dare to be a Daniel” spells refreshing freedom. His strength to say no speaks to the real you suffocating under years of saying yes to the wrong things; to the real you that is wired in the image of God―creative, fiercely individualist, and full of life and passion. 

 From DanielCookbook:

The Daniel’s Fast is just one of the many types of fasts mentioned in the Bible. The fast described in this book is not EXACTLY the same as Daniel’s original fast. It is based on what Daniel requested to eat to avoid being defiled when Israel was besieged and taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. When studying the scriptures, we first recognize the King’s food was not compliant with God’s dietary law established with the Israelites. Daniel’s request to only eat “pulse” was to avoid breaking these laws- his intended purpose was to eat “kosher”. The Daniel’s Fast is a modified fast based on what Daniel avoided, not his intentions. Therefore, the Daniels fast is not simply a kosher diet (a diet following the Old Testament laws associated with food); it is a modified fast based on what Daniel requested to eat to avoid defilement. Daniel 1:8 says “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat nor with the wine he drank. Therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” KJV He did not eat meat or drink wine. Therefore, on the Daniel’s fast there is NO meat or animal products.  

In Daniel 1:12 Daniel asked for a ten day test in which they be given “pulse to eat and water to drink”. In simple terms, pulse is anything grown up from a seed. Barnes notes defines pulse as “what grows up from seeds-such, probably, as would be sown in a garden, or, as we would now express it, vegetable diet.” 

Daniel's Fast: Day 3, A Modern Day Daniel

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: An Interview with Biographer Eric Metaxas

A Q&A with the author and speaker Eric Metaxas on his new book, Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.  Some of the highlights below.

• What Bonhoeffer cared about was what God required of him. His life and theology were inextricably intertwined; his theology was his life.  So as I say, it was his fealty to God that led him to the gallows.
• Bonhoeffer understands that our lives and our theology have to be one thing. It’s one reason that in his theology he stresses the Incarnation as he does.
• Christ did not suggest loving one’s enemies — theological or otherwise — he demanded it.  Bonhoeffer showed love towards his theological opponents. He refuted them logically, but respectfully.
• It’s something like Mark Twain’s statement that a lie can get half-way around the world before the truth can get his shoes on.
• We want to gravitate towards eccentricities and exaggerations. But as I say, Bonhoeffer wants to pull us towards the center, towards Christ who judges AND forgives. “Christ the center” as a theological method is a reflection of Bonhoeffer’s life and theology.
• That was certainly Bonhoeffer’s goal, to lead people to Christ, the “man for others.” 

This man was purposed his entire life.  Coming from a family of doctors and intellectuals, he turned away from the path that was set before him like the movie Adjustment Bureau and sent out to discover his passion and the purpose that God had meant for his life to become.  He wanted to study theology and study he did.  His works led him to disciple young men in developing into sincere Christian men of faith before many of them entered into war.  He never pastored one church, but instead started his own seminary of sorts and his active Christian faith led him to oppose the corrupting attempts to remove Christ from the church in Germany in the years pre-WWII.

In the end, his faith led him to try and attempt to save the lives of the innocent that were being murdered all over Germany by attempting to assassinate Hitler in an attempt that was known as Valkerye, of which a movie has been made related to this action.  The failed assassination ultimately led to his imprisonment and death by a German shooting squadron just days, I believe 19 days, before the Germans were defeated and the war ended.

Such was a man whose life commanded the utmost of devotion to the God who saved his soul.

Daniel's 10 Day Fast: Day 2

We shall not fight our battles alone.  There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends and fight our battles for us."

Patrick Henry March 23, 1775

Destiny.

Your destiny.  The destiny of nations, the destiny of mankind.  We each have one.  The founders often believes that we all played a part in the development of human history.  Our act was one act in a multiple act play.  We each have a piece of the multi-movement music piece to play.  The founders understood this and that is why they took their role so seriously in challenging the British and attempting to establish a nation free and independent of the Queen's rule.

So much so that in 1774 the congress resolved to "discourage every species of extravagance and dissipation, especially all horse-racing, and all kinds of gaming, cockfighting, exhibitions of shows, plays and other expensive diversions and entertainments."

They wanted God's favor and did not want anything to interfere with this favor.  

The old testament prophets understood their roles.  Some were born during Israel's darkest days and were called to call out to strengthen Israel while calling out heir sin (Ezekiel).  Others like Daniel were called to serve in positions of leadership among Israel's captives and document the wonders of God to a pagan society.  

Still others faced trials of many sorts, all within the purpose that God had for them.  Many like those below, faced those trials and 'accomplished' little in the eyes of the world, but served out the purpose God had laid out for them. 

Hebrews 11:32-40

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to  tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:  who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to fight the armies of the aliens.  Women received their dead raised to life again.  Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.  Still others had trial of mockings, and scourging, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword.  They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented,

of whom the world who was not worthy. 

They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.  And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.  

Daniel's 10 Day Fast: Day 1

Daniel 1:5

"Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.  Then let our appearances be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants."

Do we check our appearance in the mirror every morning?  Do we look out at the sun and see a sun coming up and hear the birds singing? 

Life so often is missing the joy that we should be experiencing.  So often, it is because of internal conflict that eats us up like a termite chomping away at the foundation of your house while you sleep.  While a physiologist will tell you that you need more reflective time with yourself and nature or that the harmony between your spirit and nature is not in line, may I offer another suggestion? 

The questions you face are deeper--they are the longings of a human heart toward the things of the Eternal.  Our lives are destined for a greater purpose.  This purpose though does not necessarily shout out to us, "Here!", but rather whisper to us in the form of internal joy.  This purpose to life can only be found outside of ourselves in the God who gave us a mind and spirit to use to glorify him.

Questioning life?

Take 10 days. Fruits, Vegetables, what have you.  Become a Methodist in a way, implementing some method in which to clear your mind, practice restraint, and separate yourself like Daniel did.  In doing so, the Lord will revel himself to you in powerful ways.

Empires of Prophecy and Daniel Chapter 2

In Daniel chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream in which Daniel interprets. The dream and its interpretation applied toward the kingdoms that would rule the earth until Christ returns and sets up the final kingdom in which Christ will rule and reign on earth for a thousand years. The prophecy was given in or around the time of Babylon's rule in about 600 BC.

A more in depth summary of this chapter is as follows:

The king has a disturbing dream and asks his wise men to interpret it, but refuses to divulge its content. When they protest he sentences all of them, including Daniel and his friends, to death. Daniel intervenes and asks for a temporary stay of execution so that he can petition his God for a solution. He receives an explanatory vision in the night, and then relays the content and meaning of the king's dream the following day. Nebuchadnezzar has dreamed of an enormous idol made of four metals, with feet of mixed iron and clay. The image is completely destroyed by a rock that turns into a huge mountain, filling the whole earth. The idol's composition of metals is interpreted as a series of successive kingdoms, starting with Nebuchadnezzar. Finally all of these dominions are crushed by God's kingdom, a kingdom that will "endure forever".

History itself has interpreted the meaning of the dream. Daniel revealed that the head of gold represented the Babylonian empire (Daniel 2:37). Babylon crumbled, being over rode by the Medes and Persians. The Persians were then conquered under the leadership of Alexander the Great in 334BC and the Roman Empire then eventually came to rule the world for over a half century. The Roman empire was divided between the east and west with Rome, Italy and Constantinople, Turkey (Istanbul today) being he eastern leg; thus fulfilling the prophecy.

The Kingdoms are thus as follows:
1. Babylonian Empire---600 BC
2. Medio-Persian Empire---450 BC
3. Grecian Empire---300 BC
4. Roman Empire---150 BC to about 476AD

Doubting that Daniel could have predicted these events so long in advance? Many were skeptical until the Dead Sea Scrolls were found the caves in Qumran in the 1950's. These scrolls mentioned Daniel by name and provided authenticity to prophecies.

Here are a couple critiques on when Daniel was written:

Dead Sea Scrolls. When was Daniel written? The Dead Sea Scrolls provide the first proof that the book of Daniel existed before 165 BC, since Daniel was found among the manuscripts at Qumran. This early date is the result of radiocarbon dating of the Dead Sea manuscripts of Daniel. They imply that earlier copies of the book with older dates already existed.

Ezekiel's Reference. Most critics widely accept the book of Ezekiel as being written between 586 BC and 538 BC. What is fascinating is that the author, Ezekiel, refers to Daniel in Ezekiel 14:14, 20. This implies that Daniel was alive during his time. Daniel claims to be the author (Daniel 12:4) of the book which bears his name and to have lived during the life of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1-2) and Darius (Dan. 9:1). This implies that Daniel was a contemporary of Ezekiel and lived to see the fall of Babylon (Dan. 5:30-31).

Another good summary of Daniel 2 can be found here.