Daniel Enrolls In The University Of Babylon

Title: Daniel Enrolls in the University of Babylon Type: Expos.

Script: Dan. 1 Where: GNBC 9-1-02/10-9-22

Intro: Paul Bertsch was one of those individuals that when you look over your life you realize held a disproportionate influence. From my soph. thru senior years of college Paul was my IVCF staff worker, friend and mentor. Paul used to say: “There are three significant decisions most college students will make while in school that will affect the rest of their lives: 1. What you will do w/ life, education, goals. 2. Who you will spend life with – marriage. 3. What “god” (God) you will serve. College can be a real trial of one’s faith, or it can be a time of blossoming and growth in one’s relationship to Christ. In today’s passage we will see what happened to Daniel’s faith after he received a full-ride scholarship to University of Babylon.

Prop: Examining Dan. 1 we will be encouraged to remain faithful in the midst of personal testing.

BG: 1. Dan. 1:1 sets for us the time frame and background- We know 1st yr. of Jehoiakim’s reign was 608 bc, so would have been circa 605 bc.

2. Liberals try to undermine Bible’s credibility. Jer. 25:1 different from Dan. 1. Difference of 1 yr. Really not a problem. Some used Accession year system of reckoning - thus yr. a ruler came to throne was 1st yr., and second yr. began 1st day of New Yr. Whereas Jeremiah used non-Accession yr. system and date off by one year.

3. How old was Daniel? Can’t be certain, probably about 15yrs.-17 yrs.

Prop: Are you struggling to remain faithful in the midst of testing? Look at Daniel’s example.

I. Daniel Enrolls at the University of Babylon. Vv. 1-7

A. Daniel is uprooted from Judea and taken to Babylon

1. Daniel first had to pass the University of Babylon’s Entrance Examination.

a. Illust- Daniel was a promising young man with a potentially bright future. Vv.3-4 tell us he was of either royal or noble family, good looking, demonstrated intelligence in every area of wisdom, endowed with understanding, discernment, knowledge, demonstrated ability. You might say he was a fast-tracker. Type of guy every college would like to offer a scholarship, however, you might say that he and his friends were “recruited” by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

b. Young people listen up. I am old enough to have witnessed plenty of individuals who started off with loads of promise, talent, good-looking, only to make a wreck of lives. (Illust- Carol down at the IMU several years ago, saw worried, chain-smoking shriveled-up old looking woman. Was one of the star students of her HS class.) Hard work, integrity, honesty, and God’s blessing on your life will get you farther and stand you better than raw talent and looks that go undisciplined.

B. Babylon Sought to Change Daniel in 4 Significant Ways

1. Babylon Sought to Change Daniel’s name and thereby his loyalty.

a. What’s in a name? Besides some Christians and some individuals interested in ethnic or family names, it seems as though Americans place little emphasis on the naming of children. Yet, was not the case with the Jews. Name was significant reminder of one’s ethnic and religious and familial heritage. (All of our children given at least one Christian name and then a name that represented, family or ethnic heritage.) Not surprising in attempts to make good Babylonian citizens out of these Hebrews that they started their molding process by changing their names.

b. v. 7 – Babylon changed Daniel and his friends’ names: Daniel: God is my judge – to Belteshazzar (servant of Bel) Hananiah – the Lord is gracious- Shadrach – (inspired by their sun god) Mishael – who is what God is – Meshach – (who is what the moon god is?) Azariah – the Lord helps – Abednego – (servant of Nebo). I think it is important for Christians regardless of age to realize the world system will attempt to change your identity, who you are. Christian parents, give your child a name that is rooted and grounded.

2. The University of Babylon sought to change Daniel’s Thinking and Worldview v.4b.

a. Illust- Daniel begins a 3yr. BA degree in the University of Babylon’s College of Arts and Sciences – instructed in the “literature and language of the Chaldeans” – Liberal Arts degree! There he learned Semic Akkadian cuneiform, history and philosophy of the nation. There he was taken, along with his friends, 1500 miles from home. That is often the experience of young people, “go off to college”. There you are made to think that they are so very wise and your family and friends and small town upbringing was so very rural and base and somehow their pluralistic cosmopolitanism is so very superior. Daniel was a long way from home, and there was no going back for “Passover Vacation”.