Sermon Tone Analysis

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Understand the Context

Jehoiakim was one of Judah’s last kings.

In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, laid siege to Jerusalem (Dan.

1:1).

Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jehoiakim, and took to Babylon many vessels from the temple to deposit in the house of his god (1:2).

The king ordered his chief official, Ashpenaz, to bring to Babylon as a resource many youths from the Judean royal family and nobility (1:3-4).

Ashpenaz gathered for the king those young people who showed the most promise in both aptitude and appearance.

Nebuchadnezzar ordered that these young people learn the literature and language of the Babylonians so that he might utilize them in service to him.

The king treated these new captives well, appointing a daily ration of his best food and wine (1:5).

They would undergo a three-year training period, after which they were to enter the king’s service.

Included among the captives to enter the king’s training were four Judean youths: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (1:6).

[LifeWay Adults (2021).

Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022.

LifeWay Press.]

One of the ways to force captives into the new culture is change their name removing and references to their past way of living.

It is not surprising therefore that these youth names were changed.

All of their birth names direct us to the God that they faithfully serve and the major themes throughout the rest of the book: God has judged (Daniel), God helps them (Azariah), God gives them favor (Hananiah), Who is like their God (Mishael).

Our lesson passage starts after the 3 years of training began for those youths identified within the captives as “without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent” (Dan 1:4).

Explore the Text

Our passage begins with a “but” letting us know that Daniel’s choice is opposition to the desires of the captors.

This was not a quick rash decision but a thoughtful resolution.

The word translated here in the ESV as resolved is more than on Hebrew word.

The verb in the phrase is sometimes translated as commit, consider, or set in place (Job 5:8).

The noun in the phrase speaks to the heart, mind, will or emotions.

KJV may have the best English translation with “he purposed in his heart”.

New Testament references have the phrase “decided in his heart” (1Cor 7:37; 2Cor 9:7).

This resolution to follow God set the tone for all the rest of the events surrounding these youths within the book.

Daniel led the little group to live out Psa 119:106 “I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.”

Although defile gives the proper spiritual connotations of the word in our text, I think pollute gives a better mental image of what would happen if he and his friends yielded to eating the king’s food.Polluted water can sometimes be harmful to drink even though it looks clear in the glass.

In the book of Ezekiel that we just finished reviewing, the Lord warns the people about becoming defiled in the captivity by eating the foreign foods (Eze 4:13).

In the New Testament, Paul tells the Corinthians that the eating certain foods may also lead others to compromise their convictions as well (1Cor 8:7-10).

The king’s food and drink may have been unclean because of food type (Babylonian diet at that time included non-kosher meat such as horseflesh and pork), improper preparation (being done by Gentiles), contact with dead or other impure objects, or because it was sacrificed or poured out to idols.

The youths go to extreme measures to protect themselves from defilement.

Their activities also show their resistance to assimilating into Babylonian culture but are respectful of authority and follow protocol in seeking a new diet.

[Barry, John D. et al.

Faithlife Study Bible.

Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

Print.]

One author points out that the captivity, forced education in Babylonian’s ways, and name changes were not areas of concern or at least not directly opposed to any of God’s laws.

But when the choice of what to eat was given and other options where available, the wise and devoted youth chose not to defile himself.

The Babylonians could change Daniel’s home, textbooks, menu, and name, but they could not change his heart.

He and his friends purposed in their hearts that they would obey God’s Word; they refused to become conformed to the world.

Of course, they could have made excuses and “gone along with” the crowd.

They might have said, “Everybody’s doing it!”

or “We had better obey the king!” or “We’ll obey on the outside but keep our faith privately.”

But they did not compromise.

They dared to believe God’s Word and trust God for victory.

They had surrendered their bodies and minds to the Lord, as Rom.

12:1–2 instructs, and they were willing to let God do the rest.

Three times in this first chapter the statement “God gave” appears.

This time He grants favor to Daniel through the eyes and hearts of his captors.

Also translated as “steadfast love” or “lovingkindness”.

Most other occurrences speak as God having this toward a person, here God directs this “good will” toward Daniel through the chief of the eunuchs.

The same wording is used for another youth in a foreign land sovereignly positioned for future national recognition - Gen 39:21 “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

This favor also reminds of the proverb linking faithful service to God and protection from enemies: Prov 16:7

Proverbs 16:7 (ESV)

When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Not only did the relationship between captor and captive seems peaceful, but God also added compassion or emotions to the bond.

This word translated as compassion appears to be very feminine in connotation referring more to the feelings of a nurturing mother.

Heart sometimes refers to bowels or “guts”, this word refers to the womb.

We may be able to render these two benevolent tendencies as favor by choice and compassion with emotion.

Very wisely the young man made a request of the authority over him and his friends instead of demanding or making a scene of some kind.

This subtle humble attitude may have added to the favorable relationship being formed.

The chief eunuch’s response also shows some respect toward Daniel as there was not a flat denial but a truthful expression of his concerns about the request.

I doubt those within the death camps under the Nazi regime received such empathetic responses.

The chief’s concerns were legitimate as he was responsible for maintaining the health of all those whom the king had given into his care (Dan 1:3).

We also know from the rest of the stories in this book and other historical books in Scripture that death was a common sentence for those that disobeyed the king’s commands.

Knowing that Daniel cared for his personal well-being further solidifies the truth of the God given favor between these two.

Not letting the matter go completely because of his desire to honor God more than fearing man, Daniel proposes another option to his captors that could give both parties increased favor in the eyes of those they serve.

Very tactfully, Daniel moves down the chain of command to the steward and proposes the “test”.

If the test fails, then the chief eunuch is absolved of the responsibility and the steward’s head would be on the chopping block.

The steward however understands the situation and also is bent in favor to Daniel’s proposal by the sovereign will of God and His directing of their hearts (Prov 21:1).

The test is simple.

10 days within the 3 years of training is barely noticeable.

It is unclear as to why Daniel chose this particular length of time.

Some speculate that this was the typical interval that the king asked for reports or came to check on the progress of the youths himself.

Regardless, this was enough time for the effects of the diet to be noticeable, not because of physical changes but because of God’s direct blessings in their lives.

Daniel and his friends could have just eaten the king’s food and not bothered with Jewish dietary laws.

They could have said: “We’ll follow the Babylonian religion outwardly but continue to be Jews inwardly”—an impossibility for anyone of true faith.

But Daniel and his friends resisted those thoughts; their faith was true.

Nebuchadnezzar could change their home, their dress, their names, and their curriculum; but he could not change their hearts.

[Hale, Thomas.

The Applied Old Testament Commentary.

Colorado Springs, CO; Ontario, Canada; East Sussex, England: David C. Cook, 2007.

Print.]

Although the test was a restricted diet compared to the king’s offerings, it may not have been a limited as the word used implies.

More literal translation for the word “vegetables” could be “seeds and that which grows from them”.

Gen 1:29 use of the word includes “fruits” of trees.

Seeds and grains also may not have been categorized differently in ancient cultures.

Even if they were not later allowed to eat their chosen diet these youth probably had already been taught Deut 8:3 and were trying to live it out even in exile.

It is unclear whether other non-Hebrew youths were present at this time.

Given Nebuchadnezzar’s warring tendencies, other nations may have been represented in his court-training school.

However, the contrast established by the author between right and wrong action suggests that all the players are probably Jews.

Apparently some of them had resigned themselves to indulge in the pleasures of the palace.

In the end, those who do right according to God’s Law excel—a theme carried throughout the remainder of the book.

[Faithlife Study Bible]

We know from Dan 1:2-5 that there were more than just 4 Jewish youths being trained for 3 years.

We are not told in this book what happened to the rest of them.

Maybe because they did not remain “Jews” and were so integrated into the culture that they were no longer a part of God’s chosen people.