Bible Study - Chosen To Serve

I would encourage you to read the whole book of Daniel, but our focus for today is going to be on verses 6-10 of chapter 1 and four young men who were taken from their homeland of Jerusalem and chosen to serve in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Read Daniel 1:6-10, or the whole chapter if you would like to get more of a background.

1. What do you think it would have been like to be taken from your home, marched across country and treated like a slave after living in complete freedom? What kind of thoughts and questions would have been going through your mind?

2. Do you think that Daniel and his compadres were glad to be chosen from among the most promising of the Jews to serve the king? Would you have liked to be chosen?

3. What were some of the requirements for being chosen to serve the king?

4. What kind of food were these young men to be eating?

5. What did Daniel decide that he was not going to do?

6. Why do you think that he made this decision?

7. What could have been the ramifications of this refusal?

8. Do you think that it was easy for Daniel to make this decision? Where do you think that the strength and courage to make the decision came from and do you think that it came in that instance or had that strength been grounded in him beforehand?

9. What were the results of David’s request?

10. Why did God take care of Daniel and his compadres in this way?

11. Is God asking you to make a decision that “goes against the grain?” Why would God ask you to do something like this?

12. What might the ramifications of your decision be?

13. Where does your strength and courage come from?

Do not be afraid to make decisions that go against what everyone else is thinking and doing. God does not call the equipped but equips the called. If he is asking you to do something difficult then He will give you the strength to do it and will bring a blessing into your life because you have been obedient to Him and His calling on Your life. God gets much glory when we make decisions according to His leading and guidance from the Word.


by Justin Kantonen
originally posted January 2008