The Food Test - Daniel at the King's Table

Shuma questions how his friend Opis stays healthy while keeping a different diet than his fellow Babylonians. Opis shares that he’s changing his meals because of the God he now serves. Opis then tells the story of how God provided for an Israelite named Daniel and his friends. They relied on God’s wisdom and strength to remain pure and faithful after being forced to move to Babylon.

God had listed clean and unclean foods during the time of Moses. Daniel’s test was a way to honor God by not eating the unclean foods offered by the Babylonians.

This story connects Daniel’s desire for purity to God’s blessing of skills and wisdom.

This story explains Daniel’s abilities and sets the stage for Daniel’s success in interpreting the dreams and visions of others in the rest of the book of Daniel.

Questions to Consider:

1. Do you think Daniel and his friends were afraid to ask for special consideration by the king? Would you be afraid?
2. Does doing the right thing make your life harder?
3. How did the king’s official react when Daniel’s test proved successful?
4. Is it hard to stand up for what you know is right when others want you to do wrong?