Daniel refusing the King’s Food (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
My person told me about someone in the Bible that I haven’t heard of before, but what he did doesn’t make sense to me. I think he’s crazy.
Person, I wouldn’t have done what Daniel did. It makes it hard to tell the story.
Okay, I’ll tell it the way you said it happened.
Daniel lived in Jerusalem at a time when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon came and besieged it. Hey person, what does besieged mean? I be seeing it? Did King Nebuchadnezzar come to see Jerusalem?
Okay, I’ll just tell the story.
King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the chief of his court officials to bring some Israelites from the royal family and the nobility back to Babylon with him. He was supposed to pick young men who were smart and handsome. Some of those he picked were Daniel and three of his friends.
They had to what? My person says they had to walk over 500 miles to get to Babylon. I like walks but I don’t think I’d want to walk that far. Why didn’t they just get in a car, person?
Okay, I’ll tell the story. This is the part I don’t get. The king offered Daniel and his friends all kinds of good stuff to eat. Lots of meat and stuff. Mmmm. Yummy!
And you know what Daniel did? He turned it down. Now that just doesn’t make sense to me.
My person says Daniel probably didn’t want the king’s food because some of it had been offered to idols, and it hadn’t been prepared the way God told the Israelites to prepare their food.
Daniel asked the chief official if he and his friends could have permission not to eat that food, but the chief official said he was afraid of the king, and the king had assigned the food to them. So Daniel made a deal with the chief official. He asked for him and his friends to be given nothing but vegetables and water for ten days, and then to compare their appearance with that of the young men who ate the royal food.
And this is the really sad part. At the end of ten days Daniel and his friends looked healthier and better nourished than the other young men, so they were allowed to honor God by eating vegetables instead of that really good food.
Person, I don’t like this story at all. I think you’re trying to turn everyone into vegetarians. No way am I giving up all the yummy stuff.
bongodogblog 
thesweetkitten
May 13, 2012 at 10:41 am
Oh no, Bongo, your person is turning you into a vegetarian? Time to come to Belgium!
Bongo
May 13, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Sweet Kitten, I’ll be right there. My person doesn’t give me enough meat anyway.
Home
May 13, 2012 at 1:01 pm
No way, Bongo – you stand up for your rights – meat, and plenty of it! (No, as a person I am not a veggie either you lovable dog) Hugs a plenty coming your way.
Come on bongo’s person, each to his own! You don’t want a very unhappy Bongo on your hands, do you? (chuckles)
Bongo
May 13, 2012 at 1:18 pm
Susan, thanks for having that talk with my person. I’m sending her out to the store right now to get me a big chunk of meat. At least I think she’s going. She hasn’t left her computer yet.
awayinthemanger
May 13, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Bongo, I’m afraid I have to agree with you on this one. Passing up all that tasty food…..ol’ Daniel was definitely more disciplined than I am (which may be why he was a great prophet, and I am a second rate retailer and third rate blogger…..). Lots of hugs and pettings to Bongo, and lots of kudos to the person!
Bongo
May 13, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Thanks Awayinthemanger. You and I can eat our meat together while Daniel has his vegetables. I’ve been trying to get my person to go to the store and get me some meat.
misswhiplash
May 13, 2012 at 11:40 pm
Hiya Bongo… I never heard that story before…. I do like to eat meat but I wish so much that I could just eat vegetables. We are always being told that red meat is bad for you, pork is not good and chicken is undesireable…what else is there ..only vegetables
Bongo
May 14, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Patreciau, as long as it tastes good, I’m eating it. Now if I can just convince my person to give me more meat. My person said she was going to tell me a story about some lions who wanted to eat Daniel, but she thought she should tell me who Daniel was first – so she’ll tell me about those lions later.
misswhiplash
May 14, 2012 at 10:55 pm
oh i know that one
angelswhisper2011
May 14, 2012 at 12:49 am
O, my sweet Bongo, I think you’re not included in the story, but only people are. That means that you can eat as many steaks as you like, but not at once of course. Feeling better now? 🙂
Bongo
May 14, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Angels Whisper, I feel much better now. I’ve got to tell my person that it’s okay for her to go buy me some steaks.
marina kanavaki
May 14, 2012 at 2:26 am
I don’t know Bongo, there are ways of making vegetable yummy! …and you wouldn’t even know it’s not meat.
Bongo
May 14, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Marina, I like vegetables but meat’s like having dessert for dinner.
bonesdiary
May 14, 2012 at 2:54 am
Stand your ground Bongo – vegetables? yeeeeuuuuccccchhhhh
Bongo
May 14, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Bones, I’m with you. Gotta have my meat.
eripanwkevin
May 14, 2012 at 6:49 am
My mom once used to be trying to be a vegetarian for a while because she felt very sorry for those animals, but soon found out that it was really hard because when she went out for meals with her friends, she had nothing to eat and couldn’t enjoy the table!!! So now she is NOT vegetarian….well… we admire Daniel. 🙂
Bongo
May 14, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Kevin, my person actually is a vegetarian but she eats fish and seafood sometimes. She says that makes it a lot easier to go out to eat with friends. Almost all restaurants have something on the menu that she can eat, and many around here actually have vegetarian dishes because there are quite a few vegetarians here. I still think Daniel and my person are crazy. Give me meat!
snoopys@snoopysdogblog
May 14, 2012 at 7:02 am
Hey Bongo,
I’d be with you buddy but I know my Mum would prefer just to have the vegetables? Huh? I don’t get it!! 🙂
Hope you’re having a fun day 🙂
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Bongo
May 14, 2012 at 1:56 pm
Snoopy, us dogs have to unite. I guess it’s okay if our people are strange and want to eat just vegetables, but give us our meat.
Tanya
May 14, 2012 at 8:46 am
oh no bongo! eat more chicken!
Bongo
May 14, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Tanya, my person feeds chickens when she should be feeding them to me. Maybe she’ll bring one home next time. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
rumpydog
May 14, 2012 at 12:13 pm
Can’t I have both????
Bongo
May 14, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Rumpy, I’m with you on that. Vegetables are good, but meat is the best.
colliesofthemeadow
May 14, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Its amazing how God can make anything happen if one has faith! We love your Bible stories and we pray that God Blesses You profusely!
God Bless You!
the collies and chuck 🙂
Bongo
May 14, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Thanks Collies and Chuck. God bless you too.
Sunshine
May 27, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Meat…and more meat! Only vegetable allowed are ones pictured in the magazines…hehe! Go forth Bongo and loved your persons Sunday story. 🙂
Bongo
May 28, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Thanks Sunshine. Vegetables are okay and I eat those sometimes too, but meat is the best.