Daniel: Week 1

Long after the Divided Kingdom was established, Daniel was born under the the rule of Josiah, who was a good king. His son, King Jehoiakim, who was ruler during this time (Judah’s 19th king), continued to lead Israel in a downward spiral of unbelief, compromise, and disobedience. God had warned Israel that if they continued to walk this path, He would send them into exile. In 605BC, He kept His promise. (Deut 28:49-52) (Isaiah 39:5-7)

Daniel 1:1 tells us that King Nebuchadnezzar (reigned from 605-562BC) “came to Jerusalem and besieged it.” The city of Babylon was the world power of the day, and here in the Bible it refers to a specific kingdom in the 6th century (modern day Iraq). But in the Bible, Babylon also represents a spiritual power at work in every secular kingdom in every age. We see early Christians in the New Testament refer to Rome as “Babylon”, and John refers to the whole world system in Revelation as Babylon.

Daniel 1:2 says, “And the Lord GAVE Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God.” Babylon took some of the treasures of Israel and placed them in the house of their pagan god to say, “our god is better than yours.”

In verse 2, Babylon is referred to as “the land of Shinar”. In Genesis 11:2, we see that Shinar is where the people tried to erect the tower of Babel. So, in the Bible, “Babylon” is the term for the spiritual kingdom at work in secular world powers since the tower of Babel. It is the kingdom built in opposition to God, independent of God, and the kingdom where man is in charge and man is at the center.

Verse 3: “Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility,

1. Isolation- The first step in making Babylonians out of the four Hebrew teenagers was isolation from their homeland, family, and friends. This would have been very traumatic, causing them to be vulnerable, isolated, and separated from all that was familiar.
2. Indoctrination – They would be required to learn the language, the customs, integrate the food and drink, and to live in society as a Babylonian. This would have caused them to lose sight of their upbringing and all they learned in Judah.

Verse 4-6: They were to be youths without blemish, good-looking, skillfull in wisdom, and to learn. They were to eat a portion of the food that the king ate, and drink his wine. “They were to be educated for 3 years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.”

Among these were: Daniel, Hananaiah, Mishael, and Azariah – of the tribe of Judah. Their names were changed:

• Daniel: “God is my judge” was changed to Belteshazzar: “Baal protects the king”
• Hananiah: “God is gracious” was changed to Shadrach: “Under the Command of Aku” (the moon god)
• Mishael: “There is none like God” was changed to Meshach: “There is none like Aku”
• Azariah: “God has helped me” was changed to Abed-Nego: “The Servant of Nebo” (Babylonian god of wisdom)

These high-school aged boys watched as their homeland was invaded, their families killed, their Temple desecrated, their futures as husband and fathers destroyed, and their names changed to give praise to a foreign deity. This was forced identity with pagan gods.

We see that these young men conformed to the Scriptures instead of caving to the culture of Babylon. “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank.”

Daniel and his friends were forced to be in Babylon, but they would not let Babylon get into them. They made a determined decision to say no.

Verse 9: “And God GAVE Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs”. They asked for vegetables and to give them 10 days to eat and see if they were as healthy as the others. They showed to be the healthiest and best in the class.

The Babylonians thought they were in control of the world, but the Bible makes in clear again that the true God is the One who orchestrates events for the good of His people.

Verse 17: “As for these four youths, God GAVE them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”

The USA is a post-Christian nation, and a Babylon of the day. Each of us have 3 options in how to live in this land:

1. Withdraw – This is easy to do. Live in your bubble and be “safe” only being around other Christians.
2. Assimilate – Confess Jesus as Lord, but look and live like the world.
3. Influence – Be a difference-maker for Jesus, which could cost you a lot (your job, your favor with others, etc.)

Even when we are in a world run by ungodly rulers, we are not to run away from it and refuse to engage with it. In fact, as we engage, we might even find that we are more useful, both to the world and also to God. Knowing that “God gave” should instill confidence in us to engagement in the schools, in our jobs, and in our wider communities.

Questions:

1. Will you conform to Scripture or culture? Where is it easy for you to drift towards culture?
2. What are you going to do when “abstaining from the King’s table” costs you?
3. The world will not stop, and this fall will be full of caustic attitudes towards the Presidential election. How will you speak life, Truth, and peace into those conversations?