Are we entitled to ‘getting it our way’ or do we need to include submission before God before expectation of His outcome? Is civil disobedience in the name of God appropriate as long as we do it to accomplish what we believe God wants to accomplish?
Context: The Babylonians come to Jerusalem, overwhelm it and take the King and some of the sacred serving vessels of the Temple back to the Babylonian capitol. They also enslave some of the royal family and nobles, taking well-gifted captives home to to serve in the Babylonian government. Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian king provided for provision of food and education according to the customs of his land so they would be better equipped to serve his court. But,
Bravo! Daniel and three other young Jewish men take a stand to not ‘defile’ themselves by eating and drinking that which violates God’s laws to the Israelites. Resolution—we won’t do it. But then see how this mindset plays out, how do they convey the ‘resolve not to defile’ to the man responsible for their preparation for service.
Do we want to accept the truth that Daniel ‘asked’ the civil authority over him to ‘allow (us) not to defile’ ourselves? Did he need to submit to the authority over him before he carried out the intent of his heart or was it enough to just refuse the provisions? What is his intention in asking a servant of an idolatrous king for opportunity to be true to his God; does Daniel need to explain the ‘why’ or ask and leave the moving of the will of the master up to God. God apparently has already begun to make the way before Daniel asks for this exemption for,
‘God gave favor and compassion’ for these four in the view of the man responsible for their preparation. This doesn’t mean they were enabled to do whatever they wanted, given freedom to go forward without accountability. In the following verses Daniel answers the concerns of the chief over them that this resolve to not could impact not only their readiness to serve but also the chief’s acceptability to the King. Daniel suggests,
As you read the rest of the account, you find that in ten days, God moves in such a way that there is a discernible improvement in these four over the others. The chief was confident not only in the appearance but the text notes they excelled in all of the needs preparing them for service.
Do we need to be negative to demonstrate God’s favor when we live in accord with Him before men, to be belligerent or defiant or can we allow God to work through the mechanisms of changing the situation without we ourselves being in charge. The Babylon Four repeatedly trusted God to provide the way through circumstances appearing decidedly against them but which are turned from the expectations of man for defeat into the pointing to God as Lᴏʀᴅ. Can we trust the Lᴏʀᴅ for the unexpected details in our modern lives or are we too complicated for simple God-believing faith?