Heath

Firstly, he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. When his first attempt failed due to the chief official's fear for his life, Daniel respectfully proposed a safe way for the chief official to test the different diet. Daniel was respectful towards the official and God caused the chief official to show favor and sympathy for Daniel and his request.

Daniel did not want to compromise his faith by eating from the king's table. He would have been aware how food and wine can be offered to gods and how certain foods are unhealthy. He made a stand for his right to be true to his LORD. Daniel was very courageous and confident in the LORD's ways to make this stand as it could have cost him his life.

They experienced their homeland conquered by a foreign people. They were separated from their families of nobility/royalty and taken to Babylon against their will to serve in the foreign king's palace. They were to be taught the letters and language of the Chaldeans. From being masters to being servants. Having their names changed emphasized that they were not in charge of their lives. The new names were insults to their faith. Being made eunuchs would have been physically, mentally and emotionally crippling. They had to submit to their ruler as long as it didn't compromise their faith.

I recall a rapid transition from my farming family home on the outskirts of a small rural village to a tertiary campus in a large city. It felt foreign, frightening and a sense of aloneness. With having to adapt to different people, routines and environment, my faith remained but adjusting took a lot of my time and focus.