September 14: Daniel 1-3

September 14, Daniel 1-3

Daniel was part of the exile sent to Babylon. A little bit about Babylon… Ancient Babylon was a renowned powerhouse in its day. It was home to many foreign gods and housed the Great Temple of Marduk (Bel god). It is said that in Babylon there were 53 temples and 180 altars to Ishtar - a very ‘religious’ city. Archeologists have uncovered many of the ruins of babylon, including Nebuchadnezzar’s palace. It was one of the most amazing buildings ever built on earth. We have read many of the prophets so far prophesy that Babylon would one day be destroyed. After Alexander the Great, the city began its decline. By the time Jesus came on the scene, it was mostly in ruins. 

About Daniel - he is the author of his book, a true and historical book. The book is basically 2 parts: the narratives about the lives of Daniel and his friends, and the second half is an apocalyptic vision about the future. That being said, Daniel is all about the Sovereignty of God even amongst persecution and hardships.

Daniel 1  Daniel was there when King Nebuchadnezzar took over Jerusalem. The historian, Josephus, said that Daniel was of royal blood – was related to king Zedekiah. King Nebuchadnezzar brought a fair amount of people from Israel back to Babylon, Including some royal family and youths that were exceptional (including Daniel & his friends). The King brought a lot of those people to his palace and they ate what he gave them and drink what he gave them. They were educated for three years about the Babylonian ways and gods, and at the end of the three years they were brought before the king for a test of worthiness basically. Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah came before him. Their names were all Hebrew names with powerful meanings. For example Daniel's name literally meant God is my judge. Their names were changed to reflect Babylonian gods. They were continually reminded that they were in a foreign country and that by eating at the Kings table and having the names of false gods… they were in a foreign land under foreign power who submitted to false deities. Daniel resolved that he would not eat the Kings food and defile himself. He went to the chief eunuch and requested that he not have to eat the kings food. Daniel asked that he be tested for 10 days eating only vegetables and water, Along with his friends, and see how we looked after that. After 10 days he was better in appearance & fatter than all of those who were eating the Kings food and drinking his wine. They were given permission to eat only vegetables because God gave them favor. Got had also given Daniel and his friends an incredible amount of wisdom and understanding, 10 times more than the enchanters and magicians that worked for Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was obviously unwavering in his convictions and yet functioned at high capacity in the Kings chambers.

Daniel 2 Here we learn about the Sovereignty of God. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream any was troubled. Back in the ancient days when kings had a dream they were thought to be a shadow of things that would happen in the future. The king commanded all the magicians and enchanters to tell him what his dream was and what it meant. There is no human that can do this, and they realized that. . They were stalling and the king knew it, so he decided to kill all of them. When Daniel heard about this he requested a meeting with the king. Before he met with the King, he went to his friends and told them  to seek mercy from the God of heaven. Daniel was still fairly young at this time in his life. He put forth an amazing prayer to God because he knew that God is the only one who can reveal deep and hidden things. When your life is on the line, it is often then that you realize that God is the only all-powerful God. Daniel requested a meeting with the king, it was granted, and the king asked him if he was the one to tell him his dream and interpret it. Daniel confessed that no man, Including his own magicians, could tell him the mysteries that he requested. But he did say, “But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.” Daniel then told the king what his dream was. Historians generally believe that the four empires that were predicted here were Babylonia, Persia Greece and Rome. Halley’s Bible handbook puts it this way, “from the days of Daniel to the coming of Christ the world was ruled by these four empires exactly as Daniel had predicted. In the days of the Roman empire Christ appeared, and set up the kingdom which, starting as a grain of mustard seed, and passing through many vicissitudes (twists), now giving every evidence that will become a universal and everlasting kingdom, blossoming into full glory at the Lords return.” Daniel has this prophecy explain greater in chapter 7 and we will get to that.

When the king had his dream told to him and interpreted, he fell down and commanded that an offering in incense be offered up to Daniel. The king confessed that Daniels God, Yahweh, is the God ofgods and the Lord of lords and revealer of mysteries. The King gave Daniel many gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon. Daniel requested that his three friends be appointed over the affairs of Babylon as well, but Daniel stayed with the king in the court. God was obviously Sovereign and in charge of everything going on.

Daniel 3 here we get to read about  Nebuchadnezzar creating an image of gold that was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. The king required that all people bow down and worship this image. Whoever chose to not fall down and worship was to be thrown into a fiery furnace. Some Chaldeans maliciously schemed against the Jews and set them up for certain failure. They went to the king and said that some Jews were not bowing down and worshiping the image, So the king was furious and commanded that Daniels three friends were to be thrown into the furnace as punishment. He gave them a choice to bow down to worship the false god or they would die. But they replied “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” As you can tell, they shared Daniels resolve do worship only God Almighty. The king was so mad he had servants heat the fiery furnace up seven times hotter than normal. When some of his servants went to throw the three men into the furnace, they died just by getting close to the heat! They were bound up and thrown in. The king was astonished as he went and looked in on them I noticed that they were all alive, and they were unbound and there was a fourth man with them. This is what is called a Christophany - a fancy way of saying that this was the appearance of Christ before he was on earth, with them, protecting and comforting them. Jesus was with them in the fire. God's power is greater than any man. The king couldn't even protect his own people by throwing them in. And God protected his people against all odds - God does not play the odds! The king ordered that they be released and he blessed God. They were not hurt nor any hairs singed. To go one step further… the king made a new decree… “Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.” Ironically, this is the same punishment that was made for those that did not bow and worship the golden image. 

To sum it all up: 

• Daniel desire to be obedient, even in the food that he ate. There are many theories as to why he did that, but he did. It is funny to me that modern churches promote the  ‘Daniel diet’ - but yet fail to realize he got fatter than the other youth! Daniel do not do this to go on a diet but to be obedient to Yahweh. We should not miss that point.
• Do not wait until your life is on the line to turn Jesus. Today is the day of salvation. You may not get another opportunity. I'm not saying that to be a fear-mongerer - just being honest with you.
• God is there for us. When we read stories like this, our faith should increase a hundredfold, knowing that God is sovereignly in control of everything and everybody.
• Place your faith in Jesus Christ, there is no other worthy of your life.