TO STAND OUT OR FADE AWAY

Every single person in the world is different. None of us are exactly the same. We look different, act different, talk different, etc. Some people like to be out front and in the spotlight, while some would have a heart attack if they were asked to do something like that! Some sing, some work with their hands, some use their above average intellect, some create inventions, and we could go on and on and on.

Every single person in this world has the ability in some way to STAND OUT. Standing out means separating yourself from the crowd in some way. It may be a small way or a large way, a private way or public way.

I had just finished reading the last few chapters of Ezekiel for my devotions one day and I was contemplating where to go next (sometimes I read straight through and other times jump around). I decided because Daniel is a small book, I would continue on with chapter 1. Side note - Daniel has always been one of my favorite characters in the Bible.

I don’t know how many times I have read this book, but this time something jumped off the page that I had never seen before.

In verses 1-6 it gives the narrative of King Nebuchadnezzar going to Jerusalem and “besieging” it. This word does not bring good thoughts when you hear it. He came in, took over and Israel and Judah were defeated.

Among the captives from Israel taken to Babylon were members of the royal family and nobility (1:3). Daniel and his three friends were among these taken. In one moment their lives went from security to complete chaos. Being part of the upper crust meant they probably had the best of a lot of things: clothes, living quarters, food, education. All of this was taken away when they were taken as slaves to Babylon. A life of blessing turned into a life of chaos.

But in the midst of the chaos came an opportunity. Nebuchadnezzar instructed Ashpenaz to bring in the best of the best: (1:4) - young men with no blemish, good-looking, gifted in wisdom, possessing knowledge and understanding, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace. Verse 5 says they were to be given food from the king’s table (which was the best), and three years of training. In other words, the king wanted them at their best. They would be treated well. They would not be slaves or killed, but even though they were prisoners in a foreign land, they would be taken care of very nicely.

Now comes the problem. The food from the king’s table was food that would defile a Jew. Daniel and his friends knew this. So we know from the story that they asked their overseer to not have the king’s food but only veggies and water. This is where words jumped off the page at me. All the other young men that were chosen from Israel followed the same diet. They were not supposed to eat certain foods per the law. But yet, only four of them said anything. The rest of the group made a conscious decision to go along with the flow, not rock the boat and do what they were told. In that moment, they refused to stand out with Daniel and his three friends. 

At the end of the ten days, they passed the test with flying colors and Ashpenaz honored them and didn’t make them eat the king’s food. All the other young men refused to stand out, they just blended in.

Consider the fact that all the young men had to endure three years of training in the ways of the Chaldeans. The king was trying to break them down and have them forget about their heritage as an Israelite. They learned abominable things that went against everything they knew as a Jew. They learned about the many false gods that Chaldeans worshipped. In fact, Daniel’s name was changed to Belteshazzar, which means, “Bel protects his life”. Bel was a false god (demon) they worshipped, so Daniel’s name was literally saying that a demon had been placed over Daniel to watch over him. But because Daniel stayed true to God, who do you think was more powerful in Daniel’s life? That demon had nothing on him. This was an area that Daniel stood out but not in a public way. He lived it in private like he lived it in public.

At the end of the three years when they stood before the king, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah had this written about them - (1:19-20), “then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like…and in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.”

Because Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah decided to stand out for God, God honored them for their decision. Everyone else faded into the crowd, and as far as scripture goes, none of them are ever heard from again. They faded away.

My guess is that when another challenge came the way of the three Hebrew children at the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar, all the other young men who were chosen for the training were on their faces bowing and worshipping the statue. They had faded into the Babylonian woodwork.

God has called us to stand out, not fade away. If you are a child of God, the devil will try every trick in the book to get you to compromise, cut a corner, give in to a little sin, whatever he can do to chip away at our relationship with our God. Standing out is not easy, and the end result may not be what we anticipated. History is full of people refusing to fade away by renouncing Christ in the face of persecution, adversity, temptation or hardship. Not all of them have been delivered like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Many of them have received their eternal reward by losing their physical life, but gaining eternal life. We do not have to worry or fear about it, God will take care of us no matter what.

The three Hebrew children did not know when faced with the fiery furnace that God would deliver them. The end of the story had not yet been written. They stood in front of the king and boldly said that they knew their God could deliver them, but three powerful words follow in 3:18, “but if not”. They had resolutely chosen to stand out no matter what the cost would be. And the same could be said about Daniel when faced with the lion’s den as well. He was going to stand out no matter what.

Are you standing out or fading away?