Babylon isn’t just ancient history; its proverbial presence lives on in our pockets, tempting us to give into every indulgence, every noise, every decadent desire imaginable.
The Old Testament story in the first chapter of Daniel feels surprisingly modern, a poignant commentary on the choices Christians face every single day. “Content is king” may be a well-known marketing phrase, but it’s also a sobering analysis of our culture.
For Daniel, it was a literal king, Nebuchadnezzar; for us, it’s content.
After conquering Israel, the king ordered his chief of staff to bring men from Judah’s royal family to serve as servants in Babylon (Daniel 1:3-4). But it wasn’t just about service. Nebuchadnezzar wanted more than that; he was after their entire identities.
The men were taught the language, exposed to the literature, and steeped in a godless culture. Does that sound familiar?
Today, we live in what could be described as a digital Babylon — a world curated for us, made up of streaming platforms, social media fads, influencers, and celebrities, all pushing to redefine our identities, rewire our beliefs, and reorient our desires.
We aren’t forced into it. We are coaxed — slowly seduced — into embracing the world. Repeatedly throughout Scripture, Christians are called to protect themselves from the trappings of a godless culture.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” And in 1 John 2:15, the Apostle John wrote, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.”
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Before we consume any content or follow any fads, as Christians, we ought to keep those encouragements in mind.
In the 21st century, we should live counterculturally, just like Daniel.
“But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king,” the prophet wrote in Daniel 1:8. “He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.”
Ashpenaz, Nebuchadnezzar’s chief of staff, was afraid that, by abstaining from the king’s prescribed diet, Daniel would become frail. But Daniel was certain his countercultural diet — one in line with God’s teachings — would prove successful. He convinced Ashpenaz to let him try it for 10 days.
“At the end of the 10 days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king,” Daniel wrote in verse 15.
Daniel went on to write God gave him and his friends an “unusual aptitude” to understand the culture and language of Babylon and a supernatural ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.
Daniel was in the world, but not of it. He stood apart as an ambassador for God in a godless culture.
In this digital Babylon, Christians are called to be Daniels: men and women who listen not to algorithms or trends but to the Word of God and His Holy Spirit.
The same God who preserved Daniel in Babylon preserves us today, giving us wisdom, boldness, and unmistakable favor available to every believer who turns from the king of content to the King of Kings.
In a world where Babylon lives in our pockets, the call remains the same: resolve, like Daniel, not to be shaped by the world — but to stand for the Kingdom instead.
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