Daniel and di King Food

Di plates come, food full dem reach top. Fine meat, fine bread, wine from di king own store. Around di table, young men wey come from far dey stretch hand dey chop. One of dem fold im hands, and quietly e talk say no.

For di third year of King Jehoiakim of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon come Jerusalem and surround am. Di book of Daniel talk say Di Lord give Jehoiakim into im hand. Nebuchadnezzar carry some of di holy vessels from God temple go, and e put dem inside di treasure house of im own god. And e carry another thing go too. Young people. Di brightest and di best from di big families of Judah, wey dem march for hundreds of miles go one city wey get big walls and tall temples, to serve foreign king.

Di king tell Ashpenaz, di head of im officials, make e choose young men wey no get any defect for body, wey fine, wey get wisdom, wey sabi learn quick, wey fit serve for di palace. Dem go study di language and di writings of di Chaldeans for three years. Four of dem come from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. And di first thing wey Babylon do na to change dem names. Daniel become Belteshazzar. Hananiah become Shadrach, Mishael become Meshach, and Azariah become Abednego. New names, new language, new house. Babylon dey turn dem to Babylonians. And every day, di king order make dem serve dem from im own table: im food and im wine.

But Daniel make up im mind for im heart say e no go defile imself with di king food, or with di wine wey di king dey drink. Di Bible no explain exactly why, and readers don give different reasons: God laws about food, food wey dem don offer to di gods of Babylon, or say e no wan depend on di king completely. Wetin clear be say Daniel draw one line. And see how e take do am. E no make noise. E ask for permission. God don give Daniel favour and compassion for di eyes of Ashpenaz. But di official fear. If di king see say una no look well like di other young men wey be una mate, e go cut my head.

So Daniel go meet di guard wey dey look after di four of dem, and e give am one offer. Abeg, test your servants for ten days. Give us vegetables to chop and water to drink. Then compare us with di young men wey dey chop di king food, and decide wetin you go do. Di guard agree. Ten days pass. And for di end of di ten days, Daniel and im friends look healthy and strong pass all di others. So di guard remove di king food and wine and e continue to give dem vegetables.

God give dese four young men knowledge and skill for all kinds of learning and wisdom. And Daniel fit understand visions and dreams of every kind. For di end of three years dem bring dem before Nebuchadnezzar imself. Di king talk with dem, and among all di people wey dem train, nobody dey like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Anytime e ask dem question of wisdom, e find say dem better ten times pass all di magicians and enchanters for im kingdom. And Daniel continue to serve for di royal palace reach di first year of King Cyrus, when Babylon imself don pass.

Di king table na real thing. Archaeologists wey dey work for Babylon find clay tablets from di time wey Nebuchadnezzar dey rule, wey list di oil wey dem share from di royal store give foreigners wey dey live for di palace. Among di names na Ya'ukin, king of di land of Judah, and im sons. Na Jehoiachin be dat, one king of Judah wey dem carry go Babylon few years after Daniel. True true, na di king of Babylon dey feed di captives wey get high rank.

Daniel and di king food. You go find am for Daniel chapter one. Daniel no fit choose im city, im teachers or even im name. But e fit choose who e belong to. And e do am with courage and with respect, and God honour am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. For world wey wan change you to another shape, which one line you don decide say you no go cross?