I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

In the year 2000, on the 23rd day of this month, my wife married me.  So here we are on day 11 of the 20 days that I am going to wish her Happy Anniversary for 20 years of marriage.  Happy Anniversary Darling!

Today, I am reading and commenting on Daniel 1-2.

I have read many people who interpret the actions of Daniel and his three friends as dietary advice and there have been times I have looked at this passage to consider its practical application.  However, the point of the passage is that Daniel and his friends were healthier than the other young men because they were faithful to God’s commands.  Now, I find myself looking at what we can tell about the diet of Daniel and his friends versus that of the other young men.  The difference which tells us anything useful is that Daniel and his friends drank only water while the other young men drank wine.  To me, this right here explains the difference between them, both initially and at the end.  We have here a bunch of young men away from their parents for the first time in their life given lots of tasty food and as much wine as they can drink.  They would have drunk to excess and eaten way too much of food that was not particularly good for them (and very little of what was good for them).  That would have left their minds a bit muddled for their studies.  Whereas Daniel and his friends were drinking only water and eating food which was sustaining, but probably not tempting them to eat to excess.  Their heads would have been clearer when it came time to study and learn.

Then in chapter 2 we have the story of Daniel interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.  This bears a resemblance to Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams.  Just as with Joseph, Daniel refuses to take credit for providing the interpretation.  Daniel insisted that his ability to interpret the dream was no reflection of any special skill or merit on his own part.  God chose to reveal something about the future to Nebuchadnezzar through the dream and Daniel was merely the conduit for God sending him the message.  Daniel did everything in his power to make sure that the glory for the interpretation he provided went to God.  Daniel and his friends were not healthier and smarter than their fellows because any of them had special insights into the correct diet for young men.  They were healthier and smarter because they faithfully followed God’s commands.  Daniel did not obtain Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its interpretation because he was smarter, wiser, or possessed arcane skills that others did not.  He did so because he asked God in fervent prayer for that answer and God provided it to him.  God could have used someone else to deliver the message.  Daniel was the one He chose because Daniel put his trust in God.