The Story Behind the Daniel Fast

Anna,

Since we are doing a fast from Daniel, I just read through a few chapters of the book to put it in context. Here's how the fast came to be:

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, took over Jerusalem in about 539 BC. Shortly thereafter, he wanted to take the best and brightest of the youth of his kingdom to train and educate to work for him. Among the young men chosen was Daniel, along with a few others from Judah. All of these specially chosen students were to eat food specially set aside for them from the King's table. Daniel and the other Jewish students didn't want eat the "defiled" royal food, so he asked his guard if he could have just vegetables and water. The guard knew he would be in trouble if the Jewish kids were for some reason skinnier and in poorer health than the rest (which he assumed would happen if he didn't eat the king's food), so David told him to let them test the vegetable-and-water diet for ten days.

"At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. 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." Then these four Jewish guys who had been fasting were ten times better than the other students, and were therefore taken into the King's service professionally.

I think this story makes this particular fast even more perfect for us, Anna. If you think about it, he was first in a selection program for education and then after that in a very competitive selection process for a job. Anna that's exactly where we are! It was during those trials of Daniel's life that he followed this fast to honor God, and because of it was placed in the position of influence that allowed a lifetime of visions and miracles to happen in the kingdom. This fast itself is a fast for preparation for vocation and calling. Go glance through the first few chapters of Daniel. I just read through chapter 10 and I am amazed.

Daniel fasts a second time at the beginning of chapter 10, this time because he is in a state of mourning. In book 9 he says a long prayer in which he expresses humility, worship, confession and petition. The period of Lent is meant for that, sort of. I've been reading about it today, and most church traditions seem to agree that during lent we are supposed to mourn our sinfulness, acquaint ourselves more fully with Christ's sacrifice, and get ready to celebrate Christ's resurrection like crazy on Easter. The first 10 chapters of Daniel also contain three visions about different kingdoms that rise and fall before Christ comes to establish His everlasting kingdom - which is also great preparation for Easter in a more historical sense.

Love,

Catherine