I Would Rather Die Than Dishonor Yahweh

“I would rather die than dishonor Yahweh.”

This was the principle which guided the life of Daniel and his friends. This was the principle that guided our LORD Jesus Christ, Paul, Peter, Job, Elijah and all the great saints of the Bible. When a Christian has either to die or dishonor God, the Christian chooses rather to die than to live in dishonor.

This seems like a difficult choice – one that most would rather not make. However, as a Christian, the choice is already made. The very essence of being a Christian is to have died already to the things of this world, so that leaving this world through physical death is a mere formality. The reality is, the genuine Christian has already relinquished the fleshly pleasures of this world and all of its pride and lives on in this earth in joyful anticipation of being with Christ when God calls an end to his labors. Paul said, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) and “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). Christ said, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27). It is only in spiritually dying to self, that one can fully live for Christ and live joyfully in this life free from fear.

Living in spiritual death to the things of this world in anticipation of dying and being with Christ was as actual and vibrant in the Old Testament as the new. This was the guiding principle in the lives of Daniel and his 3 friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

Daniel and his friends lived in exile, outside of the Promised Land, first in Mesopotamia as Babylonian captives and then in Persia as captives of the Persian Empire (Daniel 1:3; 5:31). Worshipping Yahweh in captivity, without the protection of the Jewish state, was dangerous. Other people worshipped many gods and even men, so that worshipping Yahweh exclusively often provoked others.

However, from their early youth, Daniel and his 3 friends resolved never to compromise their worship of Yahweh even in the face of death. When commanded to eat unclean food as youths, Daniel and his friends refused (1:14). When commanded to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah said they would rather die (3:18). When commanded to stop praying to Yahweh and worship King Darius, Daniel preferred to be thrown to the lions (6:16).

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah never died violently. Their God protected them and magnified their testimony, so that through these 4 men who were unwilling to compromise their faith, God impacted whole empires of ancient idolaters regarding the truth of the Jewish Messiah.