Daniel 1

Background

Daniel was a prophet during the initial Babylonian exile

Came in 3 different parts (Daniel +3 in 605 BC, again in 597 BC with Ezekiel, and finally in 586 BC where the first temple was destroyed)

Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and takes them captive

Nation of Judah was

Major prophet

Just means his books are longer than others

Structure

Ch. 1-6 tell of Daniel and the 3 living for YHWH in Babylon

Stories tell of these men continually standing to YHWH

Daniel and the lions den

Shadrach, meshack, and abendego

Ch. 7-12 are Daniel recounting and interpreting visions

Apocalyptic literature

Visions of the second resurrection and what it specifically entails

What can we learn from Daniel?

How to live for the Lord in a culture

V 1-8

Context clues

Judah has fallen (Show Map)

Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin are the two evil kings that lead to the fall

Egypt has been overrun by the Babylonians under Emperor Neco II

Nebuchadnezzar brings in the 4 to be trained in the Babylonian ways

They are selected as they are “the brightest” of the future of Judah

Notice that not only has the city been destroyed and the temple raided, but the future is at stake as well

Given new names

Each new name given, was a direct connection to Babylonian Gods and Goddesses

The name Daniel (meaning God is my judge) was changed to Belteshazzar (meaning Bel’s prince).

The name Hannaniah (meaning Beloved by the LORD) was changed to Shadrach (meaning Illumined by Sun-god).

The name Mishael (meaning Who is as God) was changed to Meshach (which may mean Who is like Shach, which some believe was a Babylonian goddess corresponding to Ishtar or Venus).

The name Azariah (meaning The LORD is my help) was changed to Abed-Nego (meaning Servant of Nego).

V 9-20

Daniel and the 3 refuses to eat the food given to him as it would make him unclean

remember that a major emphasis of OT law was the idea of ritual purity or cleanliness

Unclean because of its contents, used for idol worship, and showed surrendering to the kingdom

Sending food back in a restaurant

Daniel tells the king he would prefer to eat something else

Notice how many different factors Daniel is able to discern by doing such a thing

He remains pure in the eyes of the Lord

He discerns what he can and cannot live with

He takes account for what is able to be done

He takes the concern of the chief eunuch into account (which was necessary)

His obedience becomes blessed

The eunuch allows him to

Daniel did not have any authority to do such a thing. Rather all authority lies with the chief eunuch

He engages in a vegetarian diet

Not only do the four of them survive, but they appear better and fatter than the others who ate the food of the kings

All four men are blessed with deeply spiritual gifts

gave them all skill and wisdom

Daniel was specifically gifted the wisdom of dream interpretation

“Be in the world but not of the world”

These men spent their days learning Babylonian customs, yet their faith sustained them to not convert

They were in a culture that wanted nothing to do with their God, yet they were able to both be in the culture and be in