Daniel And Peer Pressure | The Institute for Creation Research

Daniel And Peer Pressure

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank" (Daniel 1:8).

The Book of Daniel provides us with a case study in handling peer pressure. We note in our text verse that Daniel began his career in the worldly city of Babylon by making an internal commitment of personal purity.

Soon we see his standards challenged. Verse 10 tells how the prince to whom Daniel was accountable confronted him: "I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort?" Rather than buckling to go with the crowd, Daniel humbly requested his superior to put his performance to the test. God blessed Daniel and he passed this first test by maintaining his purity in a place far from home. ". . . among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king" (v.19).

In Daniel 6 the aged statesman is attacked by jealous peers. Yet verse 5 says they could find no fault with him, except in his allegiance to God. So these rivals conned the king into passing a law that only the monarch could be the object of of worship for 30 days. Daniel might have been tempted to cease his routine of public prayer for a short while, but his experience had taught him to take a stand for what is right.

Because of this stand, he was cast into the den of lions. Not only did God preserve him there, but his courage resulted in the king passing a decree "That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for He is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end" (v.26). DW

The Latest
NEWS
Liberty and the Word of God
“And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts” (Psalm 119:45). July 4th is called Independence Day here in our country because on...

NEWS
July 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome...

NEWS
Valued Longtime ICR Employee Mary Smith Retires
Mary Morris Smith, an employee of the Institute for Creation Research for many years, has retired. The second daughter of ICR founder Dr. Henry M. Morris...

NEWS
Man of Science, Man of God: George Washington Carver
Who:  George Washington Carver What: Father of Modern Agriculture When: 1864 or 1865 – January 5, 1943 Where: Diamond Grove,...

ACTS & FACTS
The Scopes Monkey Trial: A Battle of Worldviews
Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, and its statue of William Jennings Bryan Image credit: M. Mueller The Scopes Monkey...

ACTS & FACTS
Long Non-Coding RNAs: The Unsung Heroes of the Genome
Evolutionary theory holds that all living things came about through random, natural processes. So conventional scientists believe the genome has developed...

ACTS & FACTS
Yosemite National Park, Part 1: Tiny Clues of a Grand Picture
Yosemite National Park in California is a sure source of stunning scenery. It’s no wonder that American naturalist John Muir persuaded President...

ACTS & FACTS
From Inference to Theory: A Common Design Case Study
Without a doubt, humans, chimpanzees, and other organisms share similar features. An early explanation was that these features reflect similar designs...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: T. rex
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

ACTS & FACTS
Entering By The Door
Recently, I hosted a visiting pastor from a large church at ICR’s Discovery Center. As I guided him through our Dallas museum, one conversation...