Four Noble Boys

Where am i?" asked Daniel, rubbing his eyes. "Prison!" muttered Hananiah, who lay beside him in the dungeon. "We're in Babylon." Babylon! Suddenly it all came back. Those last terrible days in Jerusalem; the long siege, with its hunger, fear, and despair; the breaking down of the city gates; the final onrush of the fierce Babylonian soldiers; the dead bodies of friends and loved ones; the screaming women; the frightened children. What a nightmare! Daniel remembered how the prisoners had been seized and bound, the dreadful march across the desert to Babylon, the blows and curses of the conquerors, and finally prison. Now, as the morning sun shone through the grating above their heads, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah began to realize what a sad, sad thing had happened to them. All four belonged to good families in Judah. From childhood they had enjoyed the best of everything. Now they had nothing, not even freedom. As they looked ahead the future seemed dark indeed. Never again would they see thier beloved country, nor thier homes, thier fathers and mothers, thier brothers and sisters. All were gone forever. For the rest of thier lives they would be slaves of a hated enemy. As they talked together they must have asked each other, why did it all happen? Then they remembered the warnings of Jeremiah that just such punishments would come if the people did not give up thier idols and turn again to God. Perhaps right there in prison the four young men asked God's forgiveness for their sins and made up their minds to be true to Him always, no matter what the Babylonians might do to them. One day the prison door opened, and an officer named Ashpenaz came in. He looked over the prisoners and picked out Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. At first they wondered why. Had they done something wrong? The Ashpenaz explained that Nebuchadnezzar was a great and farseeing king. He did not kill all his captives. Instead he chose the best of them, those who appeared strong, healthy, and intelligent, and educated them in the schools of Babylon so that they might become a strenght to the country in days to come. The four boys, he said, should consider themselves very fortunate that they were among the few chosen for this honor. They did. They were happy indeed. But they were worried as to what it might mean. Would they be expected to worship the gods of Babylon? Would they have to take part in the worship of heathen idols? Their worries grew when Ashpenaz told them that their names would be changed. Henceforth they would have Babylonian, nit Hebrew, names. Daniel was given name of Belteshazzar; Hananiah was called Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abednego. From this it seemed clear that their masters meant to change them completely. They were to forget they were Hebrews and become part and parcel of Babylon. Then came the first big test. King Nebuchadnezzar gave orders that the captives who had been chosen to be taught "the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans" should be fed from th king's table. In other words, they were to eat what he ate. No doubt the king thought he was doing the captives a very great favor in providing them a portion " of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank"---and he was. But Daniel and his friends were troubled. They felt they couldn't eat the meat that was prepared for the king. For one thing it was probably first offered to idols. For another, much of it no doubt was pig's flesh, or pork, forbidden by God as one of the "unclean" foods. As for the wine, it was fermented, and full of alcohol, so they couldn't take that anyway. What to do? Was it worth fussing about? After all, it was only food and drink. Mabe they could take just a little and so avoid offending the king. Surely when a heathen king had gone so far in trying to be kind and generous to his captives it would be downright rude not to take the food and drink he gave them. " But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." He felt that if he were to yield on this point he would give away everything. He could never take a stand on anything else.If he was going to be loyal to God all the way, he had better start here or now. So Daniel plucked up his courage and spoke to Ashpenaz. Most respectfully he explained why he and his three friends could not take the food so kindly offered them; would it be all right if they something else? Nothing special of course; just vegetables and cereals, and good plain water to drink. Ashpenaz listened patiently. He liked this young man. Indeed "God had brought Daniel favor and tender love" with him. But now he was worried. He didn't see how it could be done. "I fear my lord king," he said. "If you don't eat the food he has provided, and you become thinner than the rest of the boys, he'll take my head off." Daniel knew how easily this could happen. Yet he felt sure all would be well. So he went to Melzar, whom Ashpenaz had put in charge fo the four, and told him what they wanted to do. "Just let us try it for the days," he pleaded. "Give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then look us over and do what seems best." Whit many misgivings Melzar agreed. Instead of the king's meat and wine he gave them vegetables, cereal, and water. And you can imagine how he watched them day by day for the first signs of weakness! But then didn't fall sick as Melzar expected. Nor did their faces grow thin and pale. Instead, "at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat." Melzar was surprised and very pleased. From now on he gladly gave the four boys the food they wanted. And somehow they were able to think more clearly than the others. They remebered their lessons better. Living on a clean, simple diet, they were able to gather knowledge and wisdom faster than all the rest put together. At the end of three years they were graduated from school with highest honors. As a special reward they were presented to King Nebuchadnezzar. "And the king communed with them." They had never expected this! Certainly not on that far-off night when they arrived, all weary and discouraged, at the prison. As for Nebuchadnezzar, he was much impressed; for of all the young men whom he had training there were "none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the kinv enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm." Would you like to be "ten times better" than all the boys and girls in your school? Ten times wiser, ten times healthier, ten times nobler? You can be. Just purpose in your heart to serve God always, whatever the cost.