Book of Daniel

Introduction to the Book of Daniel

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Historical Background

Only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained in Canaan before the Babylonian captivity.

The ten northern tribes called Israel had been taken into captivity approximately 722 B.C. This left only the two southern tribes called Judah in the land of Israel.

Judah also was taken into captivity beginning first with an invasion by the Chaldean king, King Nebuchadnezzar. The word "Chaldeans" refers to the Babylonians.

Chaldea was originally a small providence in the southern territory of Babylonia at the head of the Persian Gulf.

Later when King Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562) established the Neo-Babylonian Empire ("neo" means "new") the name came to be applied to most all of Babylonia.

Judah was not completely destroyed, but was looted extensively.

This invasion is referred to as the first deportation.

King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah, took all the vessels from the Temple and deported the healthiest of the Hebrews back to Babylonia to be slaves.

Judah was made a vassal state and was allowed to keep its king.

Daniel was among those taken into captivity.

Eight years later there was a second deportation in 598 B.C., when Ezekiel was prophesying, followed almost eleven years later in 588 B.C. when Judah was completely destroyed and cease to exist.

The reason God allowed this to happen is found in the following passages of Scripture:

"The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened. And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the Lord; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years." ()

"Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till {there was} no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave {them} all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all {these} he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: {for} as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years." ()

God's stated reasons for allowing the destruction of Judah and their deportation were (1) their continued idolatry, (2) they mocked and abused God's messengers, (3) they failed to let the land lay fallow every seventh sabbatical year.

Israel's Failures: Idolatry

Idolatry is not only worshiping idols and false gods, but any created thing that is put before God. God's First Commandment is ". . . to have no other Gods before Me."() Israel came into being at the divine decree of God. He made them a special people, the people to whom He would give the special privilege of revealing Himself to the world. No one could know of God and receive eternal life apart from the agency of the Nation of Israel. He further gave the special promises of land and prosperity and most of all He promised them the Messiah the Savior of the world. This was the reason God created Israel and the Jews. They had more knowledge of God than any people on the earth, yet with the knowledge of God they refused to obey God's instruction and receive salvation and eternal life. They rebelled at almost every step of their history.

Rather they chose to worship inanimate objects such as stones, trees, rivers and a host of other things in nature. They worshipped the heavenly bodies as the sun, moon and stars. To try and understand why is to look into the very depravity of man. Man is at heart carnal and a sinner. Paul in states it clearly.

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." () Israel knew God, but as Jesus said in "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." ()

God said to the Jews, "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels." ()

However, God's love is shown in that even when man willingly rejected Him, He would not be deterred from His plan to save man. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ()

Israel's Failures: They Despised the Word of God Mocking and Misusing God's Messengers.

It should be understood that not all of the Hebrews rejected God. Through Israel's history there were those few who believed God and longed for the day when their nation and its leaders would also. (See as an example) They worshipped God and they lived their lives trusting God in faith.

These believers were always the minority and were always oppressed and persecuted by those who practiced false religion. These true saints and prophets believed and taught God's truth which offended the hypocrites and leaders of false religion within their nation. These wicked men hated the very word of God because it exposed their false teachings and their sins. Their shameful treatment of God's messengers the prophets is clear evidence of their despising the Word of God. The messenger was the one who delivered the word of God, but the message was from God! Yet, with no apparent fear of God, they imprisoned and murdered many of the prophets God sent to them.

Note what God says of them in the Bible's Hall of Faith, "And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." ()

It is clear that the unrighteous hated the men who delivered God's Word to them. Many would even conclude that it was the messenger's fault. But think for a minute. Who called and sent them the messenger? Who was it who chose "that" particular man? The answer is clearly revealed in God's Word. God did. Jesus said in , that His sheep hear His voice! Those that are truly sheep know when God's speaks and they know who speaks for God. There is no rebellion against the message of God from His children. But that is not so with the children of this world. They hate the instruction from God and they will rebel against it and the messenger sent of God. Jesus said the time would come when in the name of religion they would kill the saints of God and think they have done God a service. ()

They Refused to Observe the Sabbatical Years

In , God directed the Children of Israel to allow the land to rest each seventh year. After the forty ninth year they were to declare a special "jubilee" in which all land returned to its original owner and slaves were returned to their families. In , God promised to bless them abundantly in the sixth year with enough harvest to provide for them in the seventh year when no crops were to be planted or harvested. This was God's way of testing Israel and teaching them to trust in Him and live by faith. (See )

Israel never kept even one sabbatical year! For four hundred and ninety years all went well and not obeying God seemed to be of little consequence. In -1-27 God instructed Israel to allow the land to rest every seventh year. God promised that in the sixth year He would abundantly bless them and the land would yield enough food to last them for two years. Thus, to keep the sabbatical year was an act of faith in trusting in God's provision recognizing that they were God's people. This would be a testimony to all Israel, their children, and to the nations around them of God. Yet, the Bible does not record that Israel ever kept even on sabbatical year. However, God's day of accounting was coming and as states the land rested for seventy years. Because of their deportation they would not be in the land to disturb it. This period is figured from the time of the first deportation in 605 BC until 536 BC when the foundation of the temple was rebuild. (See and )

If Israel had repented God would have forgiven them and they would have been spared this judgment. They refused. God is loving and merciful and His long suffering can be seen in that He waited for them to repent for four hundred and ninety years!

God wanted Israel to live by faith and live according to His promises, yet they would not. They refused to trust God to meet their needs. Their trust was in human ability and them missed the blessing of God and reaped the destructive result of their sin. In human terms, it was unthinkable to "waste" a year of crops. Humanly it would seem they would be poorer for trusting God. It was a simple test of their faith. In the six years before the sabbatical year they did not live by faith and their ignoring God's instruction in the seventh was proof they were not living by faith at any time. Further, the showed they had no fear of God, either reverential or being afraid of his wrath and power. "God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God." ()

Background on the Book

The modern Bible places the Book of Daniel as the first of the Minor Prophets, as well as did the LXX (The Septuagint [70], the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) and the Vulgate (Latin Bible). However, in the Hebrew Bible the Book of Daniel is placed among the Poetic Books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Ester, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1-2 Chronicles.

Daniel was not a prophet in the normal sense because God did not deliver a message through him directly and publicly to the people. Yet,Jesus called Daniel a prophet in . Through him God revealed some of the most revealing of all the prophecies of God. The Book is referred to as being the "Book of Revelations" of the Old Testament because both books are apocalyptic. "Apocalyptic" means an unveiling, disclosing or revelation.

The Book is believed to have been written in 537 BC after the Captivity was ended. The liberal unbelieving scholars (so called by themselves) of the 18th and 19th Century rejected Daniel as the writer of the Book. Their chief premise was that the prophecies in Daniel of the fall of the Babylonian Empire followed by the Persian, Greek and Roman Empires was proof that the Book was written during the Roman period because no could have known of the session of these empires in their correct order. They denied that God could reveal coming history to a man many years in advance. They purported other supposed discrepancies in the Book, however their arguments have been proven invalid by many modern archaeological discoveries. Their main fault is they are unbelievers who deny God to their shame and destruction.

It is clearly established Daniel could and did write the Book. In , he claims to have written the Book and this is verified in the New Testament by Christ's reference to him. (, ) It is hard for those who deny God to accept a godly man such as Daniel lived and was greatly used of God. To deny the vality of the inspiration of the Book of Daniel is to deny God's word and man's responsiblity to his God and Creator.

About the Prophet Daniel

Daniel's name means, "God is my judge". In , , the righteousness of Daniel is attested to as well as to his wisdom in . He is a testimony of God's blessings and use of a man who will believe and yeild himself to be used of God.

God testifies through Ezekiel, "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. . . . Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness." (,)

Daniel was born to the royal family and of noble birth (,). His physical appearance is said in , as being without blemish and well favored. The Book of Daniel covers his life from a teenager to his death as a captive in Babylon. It shows what God can do with a young person that will hold him in good stead throughout his life. He lived to the end of the Captivity and was possibly eighty five when he died, if he was taken into captivity at age sixteen.

– Keeping Pure in The Face of Adversity

A. Introduction to the Book of Daniel.

1. Setting the time:

The prophet Daniel lived in the sixth century before the birth of Jesus.

Setting the time: The prophet Daniel lived in the sixth century before the birth of Jesus.

During this approximate period:· Construction began on the Acropolis in Athens.· Mayan civilization flourished in Mexico.· Aesop wrote his fables.· Confucius and Buddha lived.· Greek art began to truly excel.·

 The Greeks introduced the olive tree to Italy.· The Phoenicians made the first known sea journey around Africa.

2. The Book of Daniel is a target of critics who doubt that the Daniel described in the book actually wrote the book, especially in light of the book’s amazing prophecies.a. The Book of Daniel claims to be written by Daniel himself, and the fact that it is written mostly in the third person does not contradict that claim.i. The author mostly speaks in the third person, except for 📷, 9:2📷, 9:20📷, and 10:2📷, where he speaks in the “I, Daniel” form. However, it was customary for ancient writers to speak in the third person even when writing about themselves. The one Old Testament exception to this is the Book of Nehemiah, which is in the form of a personal diary. ii. Even God switches between the grammatical first and third person when speaking of Himself. One can comp20:2📷 (I am the LORD your God) 20:7📷 (for the LORD will not hold him guiltless).iii. Fortunately, Jesus took away all doubt on the matter. He told us that Daniel wrote the book of Daniel: Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the pro 24:15k 13:14📷).b. The Book of Daniel predicts events of the second century before the coming of Jesus (especially the period 175-164 B.C.) with such precision that doubting critics believe it had to have been written after that period, during the time of the Maccabees (in-between the Old and New Testaments). Supposedly, the purpose for writing Daniel at that time was to inspire God’s people on to victory during the Maccabean wars.i. The first recorded suggestion for a Maccabean date for Daniel was by the Neoplatonic philosopher Porphyrius of Tyre (third century A.D.). Porphyrius couldn’t believe the prophecies, so he suggested the later date. An early Christian writer and scholar named Jerome refuted these arguments in his commenaniel.ii. Influenced by Enlightenment philosophies, academics began to revive the old Maccabean date theory about the Book of Daniel. There was consensus among many academics that every accurate prediction in Daniel was written after the events took place.c. The modern argument for late dating Daniel is based on supposed inevitable mistakes that a second century B.C. writer made when writing about a period 400 years before, in the sixth century B.C. In our own day, it would be as if someone wrote a story about the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock while mentioning speedboats and computers. We would know that it was a forgery. There are usually said to be five main historical blunders: · The date for Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Judah.· Using the word Chaldeans to describe a class of soothsayers.· The account of Nebuchadnezzar’s madness.· King Belshazzar and his relationship to Nabonidus.· The figure of Darius the Mede.i. There is also a linguistic argument made against the Book of Daniel, claiming that certain Greek words used in Daniel are words that did not come into the Hebrew vocabulary until the second century B.C.3. (1-2) Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem.In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.a. Jehoiakim king of Judah: This was a Judean king placed on the throne by the Pharaoh of Egypt. His name means “Yahweh raises up,” but the LORD did not raise him up at all – Pharaoh did.b. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon: This was the mighty ruler of the Babylonian Empire. The name Nebuchadnezzar is a Hebrew transliteration of the Babylonian name Nebu-kudduri-utzur, which means “Nebu protects the crown.”c. Came to Jerusalem and besieged it: Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem because the Pharaoh of Egypt invaded Babylon. In response, the young prince Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at Charchemish, then he pursued their fleeing army all the way down to the Sinai. Along the way (or on the way back), he subdued Jerusalem, which had been loyal to the Pharaoh of Egypt.i. This happened in 605 B.C. and it was the first (but not the last) encounter between Nebuchadnezzar and Jehoiakim. There would be two later invasions (597 and 587 B.C.).ii. Some say that this mention of the siege of Jerusalem is a historical blunder made by a pseudo-Daniel. This is based on the fact that this invasion in 605 B.C. is not mentioned in the book of Kings. But the Jewish historian Josephus quotes the Babylonian historian Berossus, showing that the Biblical account of three separate Babylonian attacks on Judah is accurate (Against Apion, I 19 and Antiquities, X 11, 1).iii. This specific attack mentioned by Daniel is documented by the Babylonian Chronicles, a collection of tablets discovered as early as 1887 and kept in the British Museum. Nebuchadnezzar’s 605 B.C. presence in Judah is documented and clarified in these tablets.iv. When the Babylonian Chronicles were finally published in 1956, they gave us first-rate, detailed political and military information about the first 10 years of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. L.W. King prepared these tablets in 1919. He then died, and they were neglected for four decades.v. Excavations also document the victory of Nebuchadnezzar over the Egyptians at Carchemish in May or June of 605 B.C. Archaeologists found evidence of battle, vast quantities of arrowheads, layers of ash, and the shield of a Greek mercenary fighting for the Egyptians.vi. This campaign of Nebuchadnezzar was interrupted suddenly when he heard of his father’s death and raced back to Babylon to secure his succession to the throne. He traveled about 500 miles in two weeks – remarkable speed for travel in that day.vii. Therefore, we know that the siege of Jerusalem in 605 B.C. was cut short by Nebuchadnezzar’s return to Babylon. This was not specifically detailed in the Babylonian Chronicles, but it is entirely consistent with the record.d. In the third year of the reign: There is also no contradiction between Daniel (who said this happened in the third year of Jehoiakiah 46:2📷 (which said it was in the fourth year of Jehoiakim). Daniel reckoned a king’s years after the Babylonian method: the first year of a king’s reign began at the start of the calendar year after he took the throne. Jeremiah used the Jewish method.i. “It was customary for the Babylonians to consider the first year of a king’s reign as the year of accession and to call the next year the first year… Having spent most of his life in Babylon, it is only natural that Daniel should use a Babylonian form of chronology.” (Walvoord)e. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand: In this 597 B.C. deportation Jehoiakim, Ezekiel, and others were taken away. This deportation is desc 24:14-16📷.i. This was propsaiah 39:7📷: And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. This prophecy leads some to think Daniel and his companions were made eunuchs. Certainly, the Hebrew term saris was used of literal eunuchs; but the word derives from a phrase that simply means to be a servant of the king. It wasn’t exclusively applied to literal eunuchs.ii. The LORD gave Judah into the hands of the Babylonians for mainly two reasons. The first was Israel’s idolatry and the second was their failure to observe the Sabbaths foricus 25:1-7📷 and 26:2-35📷). This shows that God always settles accounts with those who refuse to respond to His warnings. In the 587 B.C. invasion the city of Jerusalem and the temple werKings 25:9-10📷).f. Some of the articles of the house of God: Nebuchadnezzar did not take all the furnishings of the temple, only some. The remaining furnishings were either hidden before Nebuchadnezzar came or they were brought to Babylon later.i. The confiscation of these items and their deposit in a Babylonian temple was a dramatic declaration by Nebuchadnezzar saying, “my god is better than your God.” Now the God of Israel had to vindicate Himself.ii. This was a low time for Judah and God’s people. It seemed that the God of Israel lost out to the gods of Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon. The Book of Daniel shows God vindicating Himself at a time when the conquest of Israel might have brought God’s reputation into disgrace.B. Babylon’s system of indoctrination.1. (3-4) The best and the brightest of Jerusalem’s young men are chosen and taken to Babylon.Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.a. Bring some of the children of Israel: Nebuchadnezzar not only confiscated holy things from the temple but also the shining lights of Judah’s future (young men perhaps 13 to 17 years old).i. Walvoord on the phrase king’s descendants: “The Hebrew for the princes is a Persian word, partemim, which is cited as another proof for a late date of Daniel. However, inasmuch as Daniel lived in his latter years under Persian government as a high official, there is nothing strange about an occasional Persian word.”b. Who had the ability to serve in the king’s palace: Nebuchadnezzar demonstrated that he was a wise administrator and a shrewd tactician. Taking these young men as hostages reminded the people back in Jerusalem that they should not revolt against the recently imposed Babylonian rule.2. (5-7) In Babylon, the Hebrew youths are groomed for the civil service.And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.a. The king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies: It was a given that the Babylonian government would provide for these young men in training. Yet, having the same food and wine prepared for the king was intended to be a special honor.i. In the ancient world much more than in the modern world there was a huge difference between the food enjoyed by the elite and what common people ate.b. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: Daniel tells us about four of these youths, and their new Babylonian names.i. The name Daniel (meaning God is my judge) was changed to Belteshazzar (meaning Bel’s prince).ii. The name Hannaniah (meaning Beloved by the LORD) was changed to Shadrach (meaning Illumined by Sun-god).iii. The name Mishael (meaning Who is as God) was changed to Meshach (meaning Who is like Venus).iv. The name Azariah (meaning The LORD is my help) was changed to Abed-Nego (meaning Servant of Nego).c. Three years of training for them: The purpose of the food, names, and education was simple. This was an effort at total indoctrination, with the goal of making these young Jewish men leave behind their Hebrew God and culture. Undoubtedly, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to communicate to these young men, “look to me for everything.” Daniel and his friends refused, insisting that they would look to God.i. Calvin wrote that Nebuchadnezzar knew that the Jews were a stiff-necked and obstinate people, and that he used the sumptuous food to soften up the captives. ii. Satan uses a similar strategy against believers today, wanting to indoctrinate us into the world system. Satan wants us to:· Identify (name) us in reference to the world.· Feed us what the world offers.· Educate us in the ways of the world.3. (8) Daniel’s decision to be faithful.But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.a. That he would not defile himself: The ancient Hebrew word defile carries the thought of polluting or stainso , Zepha and Malachi 1:7📷). That Daniel requested that he might not defilehimself implies that he explained the spiritual basis for his request. He didn’t make it seem that he wanted to avoid the king’s food out of other reasons.i. Therefore he requested: Daniel made a big deal over a little thing. The only way to go on with God is to be faithful in little things. We might ask, “Daniel, why bring religion into it?” But Daniel realized that his relationship with God touched every area of his life, including what he ate. Significantly, the root of sin goes back to eating forbidden food.b. That he might not defile himself: Daniel and his friends considered the king’s food defiled for at least three reasons. First, it undoubtedly was not kosher. Second, it was probably sacrificed to idols. Third, eating the king’s food implied fellowship with Babylon’s cultural system.i. Daniel did not object to the name given to him, because he knew who he was and others could call him what they wanted. Daniel did not object to the Babylonian education, because he knew what he believed. Daniel did object to the food from the king’s table because eating it was direct disobedience to God’s word.ii. “By eastern standards to share a meal was to commit one’s self to friendship; it was of covenant significance.” (Baldwin)iii. Nor with the wine which he drank: God did not forbid drinking wine. Nevertheless, in pagan cultures most wine and meat was dedicated to the gods, so Daniel and his friends refused it.c. Therefore he requested: Daniel made a remarkably courageous decision, especially when we think of all the reasons why it was a hard decision to make.i. The king ordered the menu. Rejecting the menu was rejecting the king, and could result in severe punishment.ii. Refusing the food might have branded them as being uncooperative, and could have spoiled all chances of advancement (many other Hebrew youths did eat the food).iii. There was a real threat of punishment. Ancient kings were well known for the severe and often sadistic punishments against those who crossed them. Nebuchadnezzar was capable of great cruelty. He murdered the sons of one king of Judah before the king’s eyes then immediately gouged out the eyes of the king, so his last memory would always be the mur (Jeremiah 39:6-7📷). Other rulers of Judah were literally roasted to dre (Jeremiah 29:22📷).iv. The food itself was no doubt pretty attractive, and seemed a much better alternative than eating a vegetarian diet and water for three years.v. Mere distance made this challenging. Separated from family and home, it was easy to compromise.vi. It was easy to think that God had let them down by allowing them to be carried away into Babylon. These exiles, kidnapped from Jerusalem, might have said: “Why should we risk our neck for a God who let me down?” Yet they were committed to obedience even if God did not fulfill their expectations.d. Daniel purposed in his heart: In this, Daniel illustrated how to conquer a difficult trial and glorify God before others in the midst of testing.i. First, the heart must be set. Daniel purposed in his heart, making up his mind beforehand that he would not compromise.ii. The life must be positive. Daniel found favor with his superiors.iii. Protest must be courteous. Daniel requested to be excused from the king’s table. He made a polite request, showing discretion. Making a stand for Jesus Christ does not mean we must be obnoxious.iv. Self-denial must be sought. Daniel and his friends knew this would cost them something, yet they were willing. “Be ready for a bad name; be willing to be called a bigot; be prepared for the loss of friendships; be prepared for anything so long as you can stand fast by Him who bought you with His precious blood.” (Spurgeon)v. The test must be boldly put. “I think that a Christian man should be willing to be tried; he should be pleased to let his religion be put to the test. ‘There,’ says he, ‘hammer away if you like.’ Do you want to be carried to heaven on a feather bed? Do you want always to be protected from everybody’s sneer and frown; and to go to heaven as if you were riding in the procession on Lord Mayor’s day?” (Spurgeon)C. The results of Daniel’s courageous decision.1. (9) God gave Daniel favor and goodwill with the authorities.Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.a. God had brought Daniel into the favor: God did not abandon those who stood for Him. Daniel entrusted himself to God and God came through – though it was no doubt a stretching experience for Daniel and his friends.b. Into the favor and goodwill of the chief: God moved upon the authorities so they regarded Daniel with goodwill; but God also worked through the wise actions of Daniel to cultivate this goodwill.2. (10-13) Daniel suggests a plan.And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.” So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. “Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.”a. Please test your servants: Daniel saw the situation through the steward’s eyes and addressed his legitimate concerns. He wouldn’t let the chief of the eunuchs pay the price for Daniel’s conscience. In it all, Daniel was willing to put himself and his faith in God to the test.i. There was something so reasonable about Daniel’s approach. He could have gone on a hunger strike or made some other kind of protest. Instead he made a polite request, he made it to the right person and said, “Put us to the test.”ii. In this sense we might say that Daniel made a godly and wise compromise with the chief of the eunuchs. He certainly did not compromise in an ungodly way, but hee wisdom James 3:17📷 speaks of: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.iii. “Martyrs by proxy, who have such strong convictions that they think it somebody else’s duty to run risk for them, are by no means unknown.” (Maclaren)iv. “It is of no use for a man to say, ‘I have made up my mind upon certain things,’ and to keep doggedly fighting over those matters, while, at the same time, the whole of his life is unkind, ungenerous, and unlovable. Yes, by all manner of means be a martyr if you like; but do not martyr everybody else.” (Spurgeon)b. Vegetables to eat and water to drink: Vegetables refers to all kinds of grains and plants, not strictly vegetables. Basically, this was a vegetarian diet, chosen because the meat at the king’s table was not prepared in a kosher manner or it was sacrificed to idols.i. Daniel was not presumptuous and he did not wrongly test God in this situation, because he had both a command to obey and trust. Exodus 23:25📷 says, So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water.3. (14-16) Daniel and his companions are blessed for their faithfulness.So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.a. So he consented with them in this matter: This was the hand of God at work. The chief of the eunuchs had all the power in this situation. Daniel and his friends seemed to be completely at his mercy. Yet God moved upon this man, and he consented with them in this matter. b. Their features appeared better and fatter: This was the hand of God at work. There was no biological reason why a vegetarian diet should make them appear better and fatter. Perhaps their diet would make them appear the same as the other Jewish young men who ate the king’s food, but not better and fatter.4. (17-21) Daniel and his companions are blessed and promoted.As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.a. God gave them knowledge and skill: The special intellectual ability of Daniel and his companions was not due to their diet, but to the special intervention of the LORD.i. Some think their diet had a direct effect on their knowledge. Trapp says, “This slender diet was some help to their studies; for loaden bellies make leaden wits.” Nevertheless, the key was certainly spiritual.ii. These young Jewish men gave themselves to the LORD in a remarkable way and God blessed them in a remarkable way. J. Edwin Orr remembered something Billy Brice said to him: “Edwin, if Christians would only give over and above their reasonable service, the Lord would give over and above the usual blessing.” Daniel and his friends understood this principle, and God blessed them for acting on it.b. Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams: This shows that purity of heart and faithfulness to God come before enlightenment in divine mysteries. Daniel would later receive great revelation, but now he simply showed himself a dedicated follower of God.c. None was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: These young men from Jerusalem were immersed in the study of Babylonian culture, literature, and religion; yet they remained faithful to God. The work of the prophets like Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk was not in vain. They were in Babylon, but not of Babylon.d. Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus: Daniel had a long, successful career in the worst of circumstances. He worked for tyrants who thought nothing of killing their staff and advisors, much less of firing them. His employer suffered the worst kind of hostile takeover when the Medo-Persian Empire conquered the Babylonian Empire. The seeds of his great success are evident in the very first ch the Book of Daniel.i. Daniel and his friends show us that inner conviction can overcome any outer pressure, and that God-honoring convictions yield God-given rewards.

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