God Gave Them Favor

This teaching explores Daniel chapter 1 as a case study in how God's sovereignty and the faithful obedience of His servants unfold amid exile. The speaker emphasizes the structure of the narrative (a chiastic form), Nebuchadnezzar's calculated removal of Israel's elites, and Daniel's quiet resistance against assimilation. Through detailed exposition of Daniel's refusal to eat the king's food—likely due to what it symbolized, rather than its substance—the lesson highlights how Daniel and his companions retained their spiritual and cultural identity. By God's providential hand, their obedience leads to divine favor, physical flourishing, and supernatural wisdom, marking them as distinct even in Babylon. This culminates in a broader encouragement: believers today, like Daniel, live in exile and are called to remain holy, trust God's commands, and influence their surroundings without conforming to them.