Daniel 1 takes place around 586 BC when King Nebuchadnezzar came in and wiped out Jerusalem and carried off most of the people in exile. They were forced to live in Babylon. Daniel and his friends were chosen for a leadership development program in Babylon. They had an opportunity to become some of the top 1% of that culture. But, Daniel took a big risk when he turned down the rich foods they wanted them to eat, because it went against their faith. He persuaded them to let them try an experiment for 10 days with a different diet and see if they didn't come out healthier than everyone else. It worked. It shows us that sometimes we need to turn down the benefits and the privileges our culture offers to us, in order to stay faithful to God. If we do that, God will always lead us to a better place.
