8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and
he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better
nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the
guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and
gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding
of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand
visions and dreams of all kinds. —Daniel 1:8, 15-17
1. WHAT WE EAT MATTERS
Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave
you the green plants, I now give you everything. —Genesis 9:3
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything
is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. —1 Corinthians 10:23
What the world tells us is not always accurate.
What the world sells us is not always good for us.
And everything is not beneficial.19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in
you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were
bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. —1 Cor. 6:19-20
2. WHY WE EAT MATTERS
Daniel wouldn’t allow Babylon or a foreign King to be his sustenance or his
provider.
But where do we go when life throws us curveballs? Do we go to God or do
we seek comfort from other sources?
For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. —Psalm 107:9
The result of eating to satisfy the flesh, eating to fill an unmet need, or
eating to cover up a hurt isn’t God’s prescription.
It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own
honor. —Proverbs 25:27If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit. —Proverbs 25:16
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is
in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. —Philippians 3:19
The sin of gluttony is idolatry: the choice to self-love, seek comfort, and
control through food.
“Gluttony, like most sins, is a case of a thing of beauty that has been
spoiled, a healthy and normal drive that has broken the bonds and runs
rampant, a faithful servant who has assumed the throne and revealed
himself a tyrant.” —Christianity.com
3. THERE ARE REAL RESULTS
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better
nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the
guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and
gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding
of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand
visions and dreams of all kinds. —Daniel 1:15-17
Caring for the Temple of the Holy Spirit affects our interaction with the Holy
Spirit.1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable
matters. 2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man,
whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything
must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat
everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted
him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he
stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. —Romans 14:1-4
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND PERSONAL APPLICATION:
Q1: (Read Genesis 9:3 & 1 Corinthians 10:23) Does God restrict anything from our diet? Do we get closer to God for eating certain foods or further for eating other foods? What two qualifiers does Paul add to the great principle of Christian liberty (i.e.; the principle that “everything is permissible”)? What are some examples of things that might be permissible but are not beneficial?
Q2: (Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) What does it mean that our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit? Does this reality affect how you steward your body? Could the level of care of our bodies affect our interaction with the Holy Spirit?
Q3: (Read Daniel 1:15-17) What results did Daniel experience because of his choice of diet? While health might have played a role in Daniel’s diet decision, how does his resolve to not eat the royal food of Babylon also demonstrate his decision to be set apart for God?