Daniel Chapter 1
Dan 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
As the prophet, Jeremiah, Isaiah and others had warned, the king of Babylon came
as God said he would. The prophets that prophesied good things and tickled the
ears of the listeners were wrong. The Jewish people were in for 70 long years of
captivity.
Dan 1:2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of
the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the
house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
Here we see the goal of many who come from one land to take over another. Not
only do they desire conquest and power but they desire to accumulate riches.
How did the king of Babylon know what wealth was in the house of God?
2Kings 20:12 At that time Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of
Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that
Hezekiah had been sick.
2Ki 20:13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and showed them all the house of his
precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious
ointment, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his
treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that
Hezekiah showed them not.
2Ki 20:14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him,
What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said,
They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
2Ki 20:15 And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah
answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing
among my treasures that I have not showed them.
2Ki 20:16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.
2Ki 20:17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which
thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon:
nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
When Hezekiah showed the king of Babylon all these treasures, this king most
probably spoke of this to those back in Babylon. By the time Nebuchadnezzar
became king, the treasure in the house of the Lord in Israel was well known of.
This was probably the main motive for the siege of Jerusalem. Hezekiah's pride
in those treasures was a means to bring about the captivity of Israel. The main
reason for the captivity of 70 years was Judah's disobedience to God and the
false worship of other gods that God forbade. That commandment has never
changed. We are not supposed to mix the worship of God with the ways of the
heathen.
We cannot compromise our faith with the ways of the world around us. Compromise
will lessen religious persecution and make life easier but it will not please
God. Our relationship with God will suffer if we compromise to please society.
Dan 1:3 And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he
should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of
the princes;
Dan 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in all
wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had
ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the
learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
I believe God put the desire in the heart of this king so Daniel and his friends
could be placed in a position to influence the king and bring about the will of
God. God was providing for those that stayed faithful to Him even in this land
of captivity.
Dan 1:5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and
of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end
thereof they might stand before the king.
Dan 1:6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,
and Azariah:
Dan 1:7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel
the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of
Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego.
Dan 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with
the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he
requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
These men were Jews and were under the law of God. God's laws commanded that
they only eat certain meats. Perhaps pork or some other forbidden meat was given
to them. Notice that Daniel did not want to drink the wine. Perhaps the wine was
intoxicated or some kind that would override the conscience of Daniel. That is
mere speculation. It could be this food was offered to the false gods of Babylon
which would have made it wrong to partake of the table of idolatry. Whatever the
meaning we know that Daniel purposed in his heart to not compromise his faith in
God to please those that held him in captivity. He was indeed a person who
feared God rather than man. Here is an example of one who is faithful.
Dan 1:9 Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince
of the eunuchs.
God does not leave His faithful followers without friends. These eunuchs no
doubt saw something different in Daniel than they saw in their own fellow
countrymen. Daniel was a man after God's own heart and could be trusted.
Dan 1:10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the
king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your
faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make
me endanger my head to the king.
Dan 1:11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
Dan 1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us
pulse to eat, and water to drink.
Daniel did not desire to get these men in trouble and jeopardize their lives so
he allowed them to put them to the test and see if they could survive on water
and vegetables like beans. We know today that the kind of food Daniel ate would
have been better for them, but at that time, they thought rich meats and wine
was the better food.
Dan 1:13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the
countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as
thou seest, deal with thy servants.
Dan 1:14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
Dan 1:15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and
fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's
meat.
That God blessed them in this is of no doubt for usually they would have lost a
little weight but not in an unhealthy way. The old school of thinking was the
fatter one was, the healthier one was. Until recent times that was the thinking
most had.
Dan 1:16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that
they should drink; and gave them pulse.
Dan 1:17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all
learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
This was not a natural trait of Daniel's but one that came from staying faithful
in prayer night and day. Daniel prayed 3 times a day faithfully and did not stop
even if it meant he could be put to death for doing so.
Dan 1:18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring
them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
Kings in that day really were exalted above common people. To come into their
presence one had to be prepared. They could not just waltz in uninvited or
without being clean and presentable.
Dan 1:19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none
like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the
king.
Dan 1:20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired
of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers
that were in all his realm.
Dan 1:21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.
Daniel lived to see Babylon overthrown and a new king arise that was
instrumental in allowing the Jews to return to their own land. He lived to see
part of his vision come to pass concerning the image that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed
in later chapters. He was a young man in this chapter so he had to have been in
his nineties or later when he died since the captivity was 70 years. This
captivity must have broken the hearts of the Jews that lived then so God in His
mercy may have allowed some to live to see the captivity ended. .
All these things that happened to Israel and Judah was because of sin. Also
prophecy of restoration followed by the the Greek then Roman oppression was
leading up to the time when Israel was to give birth to the Messiah which we
know now as Jesus Christ.
The Jewish nation that rejected the Messiah was again overthrown by the Roman
armies in 70 AD. Until 1948 there was no Judah or Israel in existence. All this
fulfills Daniel's visions. We are now living in the time of Daniel's vision that
is at the bottom of Nebuchadnezzar's image of clay and iron mixed. We see the
different nations in Europe that do not really mix as yet until the arise of the
anti-christ. The stone that destroys the image that we will study later is the
return of Jesus Christ. We are living just before the latter day fulfillment of
the time of Jacob's trouble describes in Daniel and in Revelation.
I sometimes wonder what the world would be like if Israel had of believed in
their Messiah. Because of their rejection though the gospel came to the Gentiles
as prophesied in the Old Testament. We now are living in the time when the
gospel is returning to the Jews. The time of the Gentiles is gradually coming to
a close as we see God's attention returning to His original people of the
promise. Is it because we have taken that gospel lightly and are becoming
lukewarm with His message that He has to get Israel to do it instead?
The 144,000 sealed in the book of Revelation is all Israelis. They no
doubt will be the latter day preachers of the gospel.
Daniel Chapter 2