Tonight, we begin a more detailed look at the book of Daniel. I’m not exactly sure where God will lead us in this study. There are only 12 chapters in the book of Daniel but I’m not sure how detailed God will get us. But I anticipate this study taking 5-6 months or longer. So, hang on. Fasten your belts and enjoy the ride.
First, a few background details of the book. The book itself claims to be the work of Daniel. In chapters 7, 8, and 9 we see that he speaks in first person. So, the writing seems to be a firsthand perspective. Jesus mentioned the writings of Daniel in Matt. 24:15. Have someone read that.
The book is unlike most of the phophetic books. Daniel’s writings aren’t addressed to any one specific audience. His interpretation of dreams and visions were given to the Gentile kings he served, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius. But his writings seem to be recorded to encourage the Jewish exiles living in Babylon and beyond—the ones who had been exiled from their homeland. Through these writings, God, through the prophet Daniel, was assuring the people that HE was in complete control and that they would one day be restored as a nation according to God’s promise and plan.
The book is written to encourage not only the Jewish people in exile, but also to encourage us and to prove that the LORD is the only true God and that He rules the world still today no matter what it appears to be at the time.
A unique feature of the book of Daniel is that it was originally written in two languages—Hebrew and Aramaic. Aramaic was the chief language of the Babylonian and Persian empires during this time. Chapters 2-7 were written in Aramaic and deal primarily with issues that would have concerned all the people of these empires, not just Israel.
Chapters 1, and 8-12 were written in Hebrew and deal more directly with issues concerning Israel—its future persecution and God’s plans for deliverance.
The book is believed to have been written during the 5th century, sometime around 605 BC. Even though it’s an old book, it has some good lessons for all of us today. Let’s get into the book now.
Would you agree that there is an urgent need today for heroes? We need young men and women of strong righteous character. We live in a time of immorality, wickedness, injustice, oppression, and greed. So, yes, the world longs for someone to take a stand for justice and righteousness.
Daniel was born into such an environment—an age of immorality, lawlessness, and violence when there was little justice or righteousness on earth. Yet he rose above it all. Despite all the temptations from a totally different culture, Daniel stood strong for the Lord, even in the face of death.
There are many things, many lessons we can learn from this book. This study is going to be more that Daniel in the lions den and getting thrown into the fiery furnace. Let’s see if we can get through the first 7 verses of chapter 1 tonight.
The book opens with the dramatic scene of war. READ v. 1. At this time, Jehoiakim was king of Judah. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army came into Judah and overtook it. He took the people of Judah captive. It was in this war that Daniel was taken captive and deported to Babylon where he would be educated. Daniel was around 15-16 years old at the time.
READ v.2. Note what v. 2 says. The LORD delivered King Jehoiakim into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar actually invaded Jerusalem 3 times. But on this time, he was acting as God’s agent of judgment against Judah. That causes me to ask the question, “Will God use an opposing force, an enemy, to bring judgment on us, His people?”
For more than 200 years God had used His prophets to warn the people to repent of their horrible sins and wicked lifestyles. But the people refused to listen. The Lord still showed compassion on His people by sending other prophets to warn them. In this, God warned them that His mercy wouldn’t continue forever, that a day would come when justice would have to be executed. Did the people change their ways? No.
They never really repented so the day came and God said that’s it. Justice had to be executed. Wrongs had to be dealt with. The time for judgment had arrived. Verse 2 also tells us that in this particular invasion, Nebuchadnezzar did 2 things: First, he deported Jehoiakim. Another Scripture tells us that he also deported 10,000 leaders, which included commanders of Jehoiakim’s army, business leaders, skilled craftsmen, politicians, and priests. (2 Kings 24:14-16) Have someone read that. Maybe America needs an invasion and our politicians deported. Daniel and his 3 friends were included in this deportation.
Second, Nebuchadnezzar plundered the temple of its sacred articles and carried them back to Babylon. He put them in the temple of his so-called god. Some 100 years earlier, King Hezekiah had shown several Babylonian ambassadors the treasury and wealth of Judah despite the prophet Isaiah’s warnings against it. Isaiah predicted in Isaiah 39:1-8 that because of Hezekiah’s unwise prideful behavior, Babylon would conquer Judah and carry off all the wealth of the nation. Have someone read this passage.
Each time Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah he carried off a little more of the wealth of the Lord’s temple. Later in this book, we will see where King Belshazzar uses the sacred cups and utensils in an immoral and drunken feast. Quick note: Daniel says this happened in the 3rd year of Jehoiakim’s reign. Jeremiah says it was the 4th years. This was because Daniel was using the Babylonian method of counting the years and Jeremiah was using the Jewish method.
READ vv. 3-4. Nebuchadnezzar was using the wise policy of preparing leaders to serve in his government and to help manage his vast empire. He separated the youth from their families. He tells his chief official Ashpenaz, to choose the young men of royalty and nobility. They had to be strong and healthy, without any defect. They had to be handsome. They had to be intelligent and quick to learn.
He started teaching them most likely things like math, law, administration, business, finance, other languages. READ v. 5. He gave them preferential treatment. They were given royal housing, food, and wine. They were enticed to become loyal citizens of Babylon through the special treatment they received. They were trained for a period of 3 years and then assigned a secure position in government service.
READ vv. 6-7. He changed their names. Why was that important? It was to help erase their attachment to their own nation and religion. So, they were given Babylonian names. Let’s spend a few minutes talking about these name changes.
The Hebrew names included a reference to the only true and living God, whereas the Babylonian name points to a false god worshipped by the Babylonians.
? Daniel’s name means “God is my judge.” He was given the name Belteshazzar which means “Bel protects his life.” Bel being a false god.
? Hananiah means “YAHWEH is gracious.: Shadrach means “command of Aku” OR “I am fearful of a god.”
? Mishael means “who is what God is.” Meshach means “Who is what Aku is.”
? Azariah means “the Lord has helped.” Abednego means “servant of Nevo” another false god worshipped by the Babylonians.
Through education and immersing the young captives in Babylonian customs and ways, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to erase his future leaders’ attachment to their own nations and religion. He hoped to mold them into full-fledged leaders of Babylon.
So, in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel and his 3 friends faced the trial of their lives. They were separated from their families and immersed in pagan ways and customs of an unbelieving nation. They received every imaginable privilege. Do you think they were tempted to compromise their commitment to the LORD?
This story is a story of commitment. How committed are you to our LORD? Daniel was only a boy when he was uprooted from everything he was familiar with; his homeland of Judah, his family, his friends, his home, his school, his church. Even worse, he was deported into a pagan heathen land and tempted to abandon his God.
Even though Daniel couldn’t control his circumstances, he could control himself; that is, he had the liberty to control his thoughts, his words, his actions, his motives, and his heart. And he did. Against overwhelming odds, Daniel was firm in his beliefs and in his commitment to the Lord. He knew WHOSE he was.
Our lesson tonight is that we, as believers, are living in a predominantly heathen world. And even though most of us haven’t been snatched out of our familiar surroundings, we still find ourselves in situations over which we have no control. Governments, organizations, businesses, schools, and even some churches pass laws that go against what we believe in.
The media promotes and provokes every type of sin imaginable, and Christianity as a whole is under attack worldwide. As believers, we will face the temptation to compromise our commitment to the LORD every day. But we must not compromise with the world nor participate in its wicked ways.
Paul said it like this: Romans 12:1-2 - “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
