DANIEL CHAPTER 1 Part 1
Daniel’s Captivity – 609 B.C.
Daniel's study is a challenge because of the many prophecies that we will encounter, but it is also a great blessing because this book is very practical. Daniel is a spiritually mature believer under great adversity, and we will see the secret of his success. I hope you will "Dare to be a Daniel" in the place the Lord has given you to serve Him.
A Changing Gentile World
Daniel lived during a time when there was a major shift among powerful Gentile nations. The Assyrian empire had dominated the Mediterranean countries for over 200 years but now was in decline. Her diminishing power threatened world stability. Two men emerged to challenge Assyria: Pharaoh Necho of Egypt and Nebopolassar of Babylon. Each wrestled from Assyria their independence and then sought to conquer its territories. This began in 625 B.C. when Nebopolassar organized the Babylonians and then declared his independence from Assyria. He established himself as King of the Babylonians.
Little by little, Nebopolassar’s strength grew, and with the help of the Medes and the Scythians, he attacked Nineveh, the capital city and heart of the Assyria monarchy. The final assault took place in 612 B.C. The Fall of Assyria created a vacuum that drew into a conflict between Egypt and the newly formed Babylonian kingdom. In 605 B.C., these two arch-rivals met in battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Nebuchadnezzar, son of Nebopolassar, soundly defeated the Egyptians (2 Chronicles 35:20-24).
According to Cambridge Ancient History:
Nebuchadnezzar was a vigorous and brilliant commander, and physically as well as mentally strong, fully worthy of succeeding his father. He was to become the greatest man in his time in the Near East, as a soldier, a statesman, and as an architect. He was greatly concerned with building up his kingdom on a world-wide scale. He married a Median princess which secured his kingdom from a Northern invasion. This was an excellent military maneuver. It pointed to his brilliance as a commander. It was for this wife that the famous hanging gardens of Babylon were built (considered by the Greeks as the 7th wonder of the world). 1
Nebuchadnezzar continued his world conquest, and Judah was now in his sights. The Assyrians gobbled up the Northern Kingdom; now Judah was about to suffer a similar doom at Babylon's hands.
A Changing Jewish World
The two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin were joined to form the Southern Kingdom when the nation of Israel was divided into two independent nations. The Northern kingdom fell into idolatry and apostasy from its beginning in 931 BC. The people disobeyed the Law of Moses, violated the Ten Commandments, and turned their back on their God.2 Evil and moral degeneracy began to saturate the land. The prophecy of the five cycles of discipline became a reality. The fifth cycle of discipline occurred in 721 BC when the Assyrians took control of the Northern Kingdom. Judah was now the surviving kingdom of the Golden Age of Israel’s monarchy under David [1010 - 971 BC] and Solomon [971 -931 BC].
Dr. Leon Wood summarizes the 200 years of the Northern Kingdom in this way:
Israel continued as a nation for just over two centuries (931 – 722 BC). Nineteen kings reigned, representing nine ruling families. Eight kings were assassinated or committed suicide. Not one of the nineteen was considered good by God because each followed either the substitute worship at the golden-calf centers or the more evil cult of Baal. 3
The question now becomes, “Would Judah learn the lesson that the fall of the Northern Kingdom revealed?” If you turn your back on God, you too will be disciplined. This is a lesson of what happens to a priest-nation when it rejects the Lord. Today, the America we love is abandoning the God we love.
The Principle of Grace before judgment
It is important to note that God never turns on the cycles of discipline without warning the nation. The ordeal of Judah that chapter one presents is a picture too ugly to imagine. The tragedy of a people systematically plundered and eventually robbed of their freedom is an awful reminder of sin and evil consequences when they saturate the land. Consider this; what occurs in this opening chapter is the fulfillment of over 100 years of divine warning. God's message of impending judgment upon Judah was enumerated by Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah. These men clearly attested that if Judah continued to rebel against God, continued to violate the Mosaic Covenant, God would discipline her.
Israel had a Wall of Fire around her. It was a spiritual and invisible barrier that repelled all agencies, both angelic and earthly, which sought to harm her. Judah was an impregnable fortress. If she walked with the Lord in obedience, she would enjoy peace and prosperity. BUT what if she walked in disobedience? This is what the prophets warned. Israel's discipline would come in the form of national destruction. This was spelled out clearly in the Law. It was taught to Israel, and all of the prophets preached based on it. This was so important that it was written down, and we find it explained in Leviticus 26 and repeated in Deuteronomy 28. 4
We find that for over 100 years, the prophets warned Judah that because she was saturated with the evil of idolatry and because she broke the law and the covenant, she was to face the "fifth cycle," the loss of national sovereignty. The following review may help understand the background of the events leading up to Nebuchadnezzar's invasion.
1. In 701 B.C., the Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah and attacked Jerusalem. Isaiah and Micah were the prophets who warned the people of the impending judgment. Hezekiah repented, and this led to a national revival. This was the fourth cycle of discipline, and you can read the following Scripture passages that record these events: Isaiah chps 36-38; 2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32.
2. In 648 B.C., the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal attacked Judah and removed Manasseh, King of Judah, captive to Nineveh. Isaiah was the prophet whose warnings and dire predictions fell on deaf ears. The fourth cycle of discipline fell upon Judah for the second time, and you can read the following Scriptures that are a record of these events: 2 Kings 21:1-18; 2 Chronicles 33:11-20.
3. Daniel was born about 620 B.C., and just after his birth, the Assyrian threat ended with the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C. Jeremiah and Ezekiel were the prophets of Judah during this period.
4. In 606 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah. Jeremiah the prophet, warned Jehoiakim of his coming. You can read the following Scriptures that record these events: Jeremiah 25:1-11; 2 Kings 23:34 - 24:7; 2 Chronicles 36:4-8. Again, the fourth cycle of discipline was applied, and during this invasion, Daniel, just entering his teens, was taken hostage to Babylon (Daniel 1:1).
Daniel's Deportation 1: 1-7
The Siege of Jerusalem
1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah (606 BC), Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
To avoid confusion, we should note that there were three invasions of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. (1) Daniel 1:1,2 records the first, which takes place in 606 B.C. (2) Then Nebuchadnezzar returns to Judah a second time in 597 B.C. This is in response to King Jehoiachin's rebellion. In this incursion, Jerusalem was brought into subjection to Babylon, and 10,000 captives were taken to Babylon; among them was the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1: 1-3; 2 Kings 24:8-20; 2 Chronicles 36:6-10). (3) Finally, Nebuchadnezzar returns to Judah a third time in 588 B.C. After a long siege against Jerusalem, the city walls were breached, the city destroyed, and the temple burned in 586 B.C. Most Jews, who were not killed in this assault, were deported to Babylon (2 Kings 25:1-7; Jeremiah 34:1-7; 39:1-7; 52:2-11).
2) And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god (city of Babylon).
This act of putting the holy vessels of defeated people into the Temple of Bel, who is the Babylonian god of creation, was like playing the spiritual king of the mountain. Since I beat you, my god is greater than your God. War trophies of defeated nations were a great morale builder for the Chaldean army, who called upon Bel to protect them in battle and give them victory.
I remind you that Daniel correctly interprets history, "And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand ....” This is where a principle begins to come forward and will be carried right through the Book. There is an invisible authority that controls history. Although Daniel seems to be in grave danger, there is no real threat to his life. We know this because the story of Daniel is written. All through the book, we see God's Sovereignty. God's hand is at the helm, and He is guiding all things to their predetermined ends. God is the Person in charge.
When the army of Nebuchadnezzar was storming the walls of the city, was Daniel in grave danger? When the walls were breached, and the enemy swarmed into the city, sacking it and setting it on fire, was Daniel in grave danger? When Daniel was arrested and began the 500-mile journey to Babylon, was Daniel in grave danger? When the palace commander walked through the crowd of youth and saw Daniel and asked him to step out, "let me look at you," and Daniel was separated from the other Jewish captives for three years, was Daniel in grave danger? He survived all these hardships!
As for Daniel, he looks at his life from the divine viewpoint. He walks by faith, not by sight. His faith is resting in the Word of God, resting in his understanding of the Person of God. Daniel's God is absolutely sovereign, all-powerful, everywhere present, and all-knowing. These are the attributes of the divine nature in which Daniel's faith rests. Daniel has a BIG God!
Why should I study Daniel? This book is written to encourage you in circumstances where everything is going wrong when facing some trouble or some difficulty.
Every time you turn around, in every chapter, Daniel is in hot water. In chapter two, he is going to be executed with the entire State Department. He saves the day. In chapter three, his friends are thrown into the fiery furnace. They emerge unscathed and unharmed. Again, in chapter five, the Fall of Babylon occurs. Daniel is protected and promoted by the Persians. In chapter six, Daniel is cast into the lion's den. No one ever got out of the lion's den alive, but Daniel did.
Dare to be a Daniel. Daniel looked at life through the lens of Scripture. He understood through the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and through the Law that the fall of Jerusalem was in God's hands. This is similar to the perspective of the Apostle Paul when Rome placed him under arrest. He wrote the Ephesians, "I, therefore, a prisoner of the Lord ...” (Ephesians 4: 1). He was not a prisoner of Rome, just as Daniel was not a prisoner of Babylon or Persia.
Choosing of the hostages 1:3,4
3) Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,
To ensure the allegiance of Israel, Nebuchadnezzar instructed Ashpenaz to bring back hostages. This man was the Minister of the Royal Palace of Babylon. He would be responsible for the selection and training of the hostages. So young boys, teenagers from the family of David, and other families of Judean nobility were taken to Babylon.
4) youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge, and who had the ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Some of the qualities sought were, they had to be healthy, that is, to be without physical impairment or handicaps. Attractive physical features, intellectual abilities, poise, and good manners were other traits needed.
Chaldean Brainwashing 1:5-7
5) And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
They were to be educated to think like Chaldeans. This was the first stage in their indoctrination, and it was to take three years. This verse shows the importance placed on these young men. They were not ordinary prisoners. They would eat the same food as the king. They received the best treatment one could get as a prisoner.
6) Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7) Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.
Here is the second way they attempted to indoctrinate these young men. They changed their names. Why do you think this was necessary? I think because most Jewish names have spiritual meaning. Their names tied them to their God as well as to their families and homeland. Daniel's Hebrew name means "God is Judge." His name is changed to Belteshazzar, which means “Bel's prince.” Bel is the chief deity of the Babylonian pantheon. Daniel's name contains the honored name of God, "Elohim." "Elohim" is the Mighty and Majestic God of the Universe; He is "the putter forth of power." He is sovereign, all-powerful, everywhere present, all-knowing, and wise. An attempt is made to blot out a reminder of the awesome nature of Daniel's God.
Hananiah means "The Lord is gracious." His name is changed to "Shadrach," which means "illumined by the Sun God." Here is an attempt to blot out any reminder of the grace of God. Mishael means "Who and what is the Lord." His new name is "Meshach," which means "Who and what is Ishtar." Ishtar is the goddess of love. Here our devotion and love of the Lord are to be transferred to devotion and love of Ishtar. Finally, Azariah, whose name means "The Lord is my help," now becomes Abed-nego which means "servant of Nego." Instead of serving God, he is now to serve "Nego," the God of wisdom and education.
It is apparent that the hidden agenda in changing the names was to turn their hearts away
from their God. For three years, the brainwashing continues. Did it work? See Daniel 2:20-23.
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Endnotes:
1 Cambridge Ancient History, Vol.3, p. 2
2 See Hosea 4:1-7
3 Wood, Leon A Survey of Israel’s History, Zondervan’s Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, sixth printing, 1975. p. 334.
4 An explanation of this doctrine is found at OpenTheWordofTruth.com. See Reference Section “The Five Cycles of Discipline”.
Acknowledgment
At my side, as I prepared this commentary on Daniel, are my notes taken at Practical Bible Training School listening to my professors Dr. Marion Lowe, my teacher in the Old Testament, and Dr. Floyd H. Barackman, friend and teacher of Theology. These men wrote no book on Daniel, but they are ever-present in my understanding of Daniel. For historical background, The Cambridge Ancient History Vol. 3 - 5 was beneficial. Dr. Leon J Wood’s books on (1) The Survey of Israel’s History, and his Commentary on Daniel, significantly contributed to my understanding of the persons and events in the Book of Daniel. No commentary begins with a blank sheet of paper, and my debt to these works when not footnoted is always present.
Below is a list of sources used in preparing these messages:
Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (1977). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Cambridge Ancient History. Vols. 3-5, 2nd ed. edited by John Boardman et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970–1991.
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Vol. 4. Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1948.
D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed.), Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Leon J. Wood, A Commentary on Daniel, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973.
Leon J. Wood, A Survey of Israel’s History, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973.
Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Babylon, Babylonia. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 247). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1987). The works of Josephus: complete and unabridged (p. 286). Peabody:
Kitchen, K. A., & Mitchell, T. C. (1996). Chronology of the Old Testament. In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed., p. 186). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things To Come. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969
Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1981.
Whitaker, R., Brown, F., Driver, S. R. (Samuel R., & Briggs, C. A. (Charles A. (1906). The Abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon of the Old Testament: from A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Francis Brown, S.R. Driver and Charles Briggs, based on the lexicon of Wilhelm Gesenius. Boston; New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company.