Historical Introduction, 1:1-2 I. Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. A. Following the Battle of Carchemish, May-June 605, Nebuchadnezzar (605-652) began to control Jerusalem (cf. 2 Kgs 24:1; 2 Chr 36:6-) B. King here is used in anticipatory sense: 1. Nabopolassar died August 15/16, 605 2. Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon crowned king September 6/, 605 II. Daniel 1:2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. A. The Lord delivered, literally?gave" (yn" doa]!teyiw: ) Jehoiakim... into his hand indicating this was God's doing th B. Isaiah had prophesied of a century earlier ( century): 1. Hezekiah had displayed the temple articles to Merodach-Baladan, Isa 39:1-4 2. Isaiah had replied: 2 Kings 20:1 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. Introduction of Daniel and His Friends, 1:3- III. Daniel 1:3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility 6 A. Isaiah had further prophesied ( Isaiah 39:6-) The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." 1
1. That time had come 2. Daniel and his 3 friends were selected as we shall see B. Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials 1. ASV, KJV master of the eunuchs 2. Hebrew wys'_yris' br:å, rab särîsäyw,?master/teacher/senior, etc., eunuchs/officials" IV. Daniel 1:4 young men without physical defect and handsome, versed in every branch of wisdom, endowed with knowledge and insight, and competent to serve in the king's palace; they were to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans. A. These were the cream of the crop of captives B. Without physical defect and handsome N. had made them eunuchs 1. Cf. Isa 39: 2.?Eunuch"(cf. TWOT). a. ~ysi êyris', särîsîm,?official, eunuch." The noun, meaning?(court) official," has its origin in the Akkadian title ša r ši (šarri)?the one of the (king's) head." b. The meaning "eunuch" arose with the practice of utilizing castrated men in key positions in the various nations of the ancient Near East (e.g. in Persia, Est 2:3ff; Est 4:4ff). c. The Hebrew word is clearly related to the name of the Akkadian royal official (2 Kgs 18:1). d. Accordingly, s¹rîs is not to be translated "eunuch" unless context or other evidence demands it. e. The prophecy of Isaiah and this text corroborate that Daniel and his friends were castrated as part of their preparation for service. 3. Imagine! 1-20 year-old male, castrated so you could serve the king's in his 2
court 4. Versed in every branch of wisdom intellectual aptitude 5. Endowed with knowledge and insight 6. Competent to serve diplomatic training. Taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans trained in all Babylonian wisdom V. Daniel 1:5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king's court. A. Assuming Daniel and his friends were 1 years old when taken and castrated the end of their education for three years would make the 20 at the end of their training B. Stationed in the king's court 1. enter the king's service 2. Hebrew stand before the king, %l,m,(h; yneïp.li Wdßm.[;y:), ya `amdû lipnê hammeºlek VI. Daniel 1:6- Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The palace master gave them other names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. A. We are inconsistent in our remembering the names of these three 1. Daniel we remember, but forget his Babylonian name, Belteshazzar (1:; 2:16; 4:8-9, 18-19; 5:12; 10:1) 2. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego we remember, but forget their Hebrew names, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah B. We should remember their Hebrew names since these give glory to God and not their Babylonian names, which give glory to the Babylonian deities. 1 1 Cf. Mangano, 10. 3
Hebrew Name Meaning Babylonian Name Meaning Association with Babylonian Deity Daniel God is my judge Belteshazzar Lady, protect the king Lady=wife of Marduk or Bel, the patron of Babylon Hananiah The Lord has been gracious Shadrach I am very fearful Mishael Who is what God is? Meshach I am of little account Azariah The Lord is my help Abednego Servant of the shining one Nabu The Test, 1:8-16 VII. Daniel 1:8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. A. No evidence that Daniel had objected to anything else? Being castrated?! B. The Bible does not say! C. Yet we all have principles, lines we will not cross D. Daniel's was with the royal food and wine VIII. Daniel 1:9 1. All food of Babylon was considered unclean, Ezek 4:13 2. Perhaps Daniel objected to food that had been offered to idols. 3. We simply do not know; yet there is a great lesson for us here. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel A. Daniel's request was honored because God providentially had worked for the official to look upon Daniel's good conduct with favor and sympathy 1. Perhaps the way they accepted their lot 2. Sympathy may reflect the fact that he was the?senior eunuch," in charge of the others, and therefore remembered what he had lost? B. Literally,?God had given kindness and mercy before the chief of the eunuchs." 4
IX. Daniel 1:10-16 but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, 12 Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us 13 nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in 14 15 accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the 16 young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. A. The fear of this official, whether or not he is Ashpenaz, is not unreasonable. B. Neither is Daniel proposed test C. The official agreed ; ten days later they were healthier and better nourished D. The choice food/drink are taken away and they are given vegetables permanently The Conclusion, 1:1-21 X. Daniel 1:1 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams 18 of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official 19 presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole 21 kingdom. And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. A. Daniel and his friends were very successful due to the fact that God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning, v. 1 B. Daniel's understanding of visions and dreams foreshadows chapter 2, v. 18 C. At the end of the time set by the king (3 years, v. 5) would be about 602 and they would be about 20 years of age, v. 18 D. The use of their Hebrew names even though the king talked with them (v. 19) also reenforces this came from God (v. 1) and stands in tension with the earlier use in v.. 5
XI. Daniel 1:20-21 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and 21 enchanters in his whole kingdom. And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. A. The Judeans being ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom would sow seeds of jealousy among their colleagues and sets the stage for the?competition" and?opposition" in the succeeding chapters B. Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus shows that Daniel: XII. Lessons 2 1. Lived throughout the life of the Babylonian Empire at least the next 0/80 years 2. Outlived his conquerors! A. Illustrates the challenges of living within society, but not being part of it, cf. 1. Jeremiah 29:5- Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat 6 what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 2. 1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority 14 instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to 15 commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you 16 should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 1 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. B. Christians must stand against all expressions of godlessness in today's world 1. Philosophical naturalism we are only animals; there is not God 2 Mangano, 13-1. 6
2. Sexual impurity, cf. 1 Cor 6:13b 3. Materialism C. At the same time we must be the?salt of the earth, Mat 5:13