Four Brave Boys by Emily Huntington Miller

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 13, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 18.

Four Brave Boys.

By Emily Huntington Miller

ONCE when the army of the king of Babylon came up against the city of Jerusalem, they carried away with them something more precious than the vessels of silver and gold. They chose out the best and most beautiful and the wisest among the children from the king's house, and carried them away to Babylon. They were not to be poor slaves and servants, but they were to be very carefully taught for three years, till they could speak the language of the people, and had learned all that the wisest men could teach them, and then they were to serve the king in his palace—to be his counselors, and to attend to all his business. This does not seem like a very hard thing; but would you be willing to be taken away from your father and mother, and all your friends, to live in a strange country among people who worship idols, and never see one of your dear ones again, even if you were to live in a splendid palace? Perhaps some of these boys liked it, and thought it a good chance to get rich and become famous. Perhaps some of them said: "Now we are so far away from home, among people who know nothing about God, it is of no use for us to try to serve him. We may as well do just as the people here do, and then the king will be pleased with us, and we shall be given the best place in his palace."

But there were four of these boys who remembered that God was just as near them in Babylon as in Jerusalem, and determined to serve and obey him wherever they might be. The only thing they were afraid of was doing wrong.

These boys may not have been related to each other, but it is very likely they might have been cousins. The names they called them by in Babylon were not the same as the names they had at home. Three of them were called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. The leader had another name also, but we will only remember the one his mother gave him, and the one we know best; his name was Daniel. He was the one who spoke for the others, and was their leader always.

The king wanted these boys to be strong and beautiful and manly when they grew up, so he told the officers who had charge of them to give them for food the meat and wine and dainty dishes that were prepared for the king's own table. This was not proper food for boys to eat; but that was not the worst of it. It had all been offered to idols. Just as we thank our Father for our food, and ask him to bless it to our use, so the king thanked his idols and asked them to bless his meat and wine. So these boys knew that if they ate it they would be worshiping the idols also. But what could they do? Most of the children did not try to do anything, but these four boys made up their minds very quickly.

Daniel was the leader, and spoke for the others, but they were just as determined as he was. They did not know what would happen to them, but they purposed to do right, and so Daniel went to the man who had charge of them, and asked him to let them have some other food. "Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs." He was very willing to please Daniel, but he was afraid that it might displease the king. He was afraid, if they ate only plain, simple food, and drank water instead of wine, they would not be so fair and strong as the other children, and then the king would be angry, and kill him.

Daniel was very gentle and polite, but he did not give up. He begged the officer to try them just ten days, and see which kind of food was the best. The officer said he would try them for ten days, and he gave these four boys bread and rice and simple food to eat, and water to drink, while the rest of the children had the meat and the wine from the king's table.

Can you not guess how it came out? God took care that his faithful servants should not be disappointed. At the end of the ten days they were fairer and fatter in flesh than any of the children that ate the king's meat, so that no one tried again to compel them to eat the food offered to idols.

See what God did for these brave children who set their hearts upon serving him. God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. And when the three years were past, and the king sent for all the boys, that had grown now to be young men, and talked with them, and questioned them, he found these four friends ten times better than all the wise men of his kingdom, and so he chose them to serve him in his palace, and be among his counselors. They had a house where they lived together, and where they could praise God and pray to him even in that great wicked city. They had the word of God stored up in their hearts, and it was like a lamp to show them always the right way to go. They did not ask what other people did, or whether any one would ever know what they did; they only asked what God had commanded, and then walked exactly in that way; that is what is meant by taking heed unto your way according to God's word.—Emily Huntington Miller, in Christian Union.