DANIEL — LESSON 1

Scriptures for this lessen will be taken from Daniel 1 and 2 Kings 20.

We began this Bible study with the Book of Prophet Jonah who was called by God to go to Nineveh to preach to the people of Assyria, calling them to repent of their evil ways. They did repent for a number of years allowing God’s prophets to warn the Kingdom of Israel to repent of their idolatry. They did not listen, and in 721 BC God allowed Assyria to take the Northern Kingdom.

During the next 135 years the Southern Kingdom of Israel, Judah, struggled against Assyria, Egypt and Babylon to hang onto their kingdom. During this time God used the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel to warn the people of Judah to give up their idolatry and return to God and following His laws. They did not listen, so in 586 BC God allowed the Babylonians to take Jerusalem and the Nation of Judah. The people of Israel, called the Hebrews, are now going into exile to the nation of Babylon for seventy years. For reasons and background information, read the lessons on the Fall of Judah.

Things we will learn in the study of the Book of Daniel:

1: Daniel’s prophecy concerning the Hebrew people from the time of the exile until the end times.

2: Prophesies of the nations who will rule over Israel.

3: Prophesy of the coming Messiah and the time of His death.

4: Daniel through his prophesies shows how God is in control of the nations; how He uses, punishes and controls the nations on earth to bring about His will.

5: We get a glimpse in the Book of Daniel of a whole spiritual world that is moving and working all around us and we are totally unaware.

6: Daniel will show us how four Hebrew teenagers can be faithful to God and His teachings under extreme and dangerous situations and God will provide, protect and guide them.

Daniel’s authorship is questioned by some critics who say that it was written during the time between the Old and New Testaments because his prophesies are too accurate. The question is then, what about the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel or other prophets who were given their words from God? Does God not know the future?

Daniel was taken captive to Babylon in 606 BC with the first group of Hebrews from Jerusalem. King Jehoiakim had rebelled against Babylon refusing to pay tribute and King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem and took many captives who were nobles, officers and soldiers off to Babylon. Daniel and his three friends were among them. These boys would probably be between fifteen and nineteen years old. Daniel at least was a descendant of King Hezekiah which is a fulfillment of prophecy by Isaiah.

Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?” “From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.” The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?” “They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.” Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” [2 Kings 20:14]

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did indeed become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon! God’s prophecies always come about!

[Daniel 1:1-2] (1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. (2) And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.

The articles from the temple mentioned here and in the picture are lavers, cups, dishes, etc. used in the temple by the priests as they performed their work there. Make a note in your memory bank to recall when we study about the handwriting on the wall as these articles will be brought out for use at a banquet.

[Daniel 1:3-5] (3) Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility — (4) young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. (5) The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

Asphenaz was a very important man in Babylon at this time to be given this great responsibility. He was in charge of all the men in the king’s service who worked in and around the palace. His name has been found on monuments from ancient Babylon, now located in the Berlin Museum. The statement on one monument reads: “Ashpenaz, master of eunuchs in the time of Nebuchadnezzar.” It was a custom for kings who had many wives to have all the men who were around their palace and places of dwelling to be made eunuchs so the king was assured that any offspring from his wives would be his children.

The Hebrew captives were to be schooled for three years and during this time they would learn the Babylonian language, about their gods, literature, etc. in an effort to make them Babylonian. This would also take advantage of the education in astrology, mathematics, botany and whatever other skills they had learned at home in Jerusalem. The Babylonians were going to make good use of their captives. The boys in training were assigned food of the same kind and quality that the king himself ate. Only the best for them!

[Daniel 1:6-7] (6) Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. (7) The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

Each of the captives was given a Babylonian name. Daniel uses his Hebrew name through his writings but he uses the Babylonian names given the other Hebrew boys.

[Daniel 1:8-15] (8) But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. (9) Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, (10) but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” (11) Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, (12) “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. (13) Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” (14) So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. (15) At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. (16) So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

This is really amazing. We have young teenage boys who are trying to be faithful to God, living as prisoners in a foreign land, having the faith to stand up to the man in charge of them and request food that allows them to be faithful to the dietary laws given by God which are found in Leviticus (chapter 11). What courage and what faith they had that God would take care of them. Daniel negotiated with Ashpenaz, that they would be given only water, fruits and vegetables to eat and drink, believing that after ten days he and his friends would be stronger and healthier than the other boys on the king’s diet.

[Daniel 1:17-21] (17) To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. (18) At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. (19) The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. (20) In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. (21) And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

God honored Daniel’s faith. At the end of the ten-day test the four Hebrew boys indeed were stronger and healthier than the other captives eating the king’s diet. We have in verse-17 a mention that God had given Daniel some special knowledge and wisdom concerning the ability to understand visions and dreams. This special gift that God has given Daniel is going to put him in a position of power in the Babylonian kingdom next to the king. The gifts were given for a reason that will become more evident in the next few chapters. In verse-21 we are told that Daniel will remain in the king’s palace until the time that Cyrus the King of the Medes and Persians becomes king of Babylon. That will be seventy years from this time. So we see that Daniel as a teenage boy of about eighteen in seventy years will be about ninety years old when the exile ends. Cyrus is the king who will release the Jews and allow them to return to Jerusalem.

The Book of Daniel begins with the young Hebrew boys coming as captives to Babylon, standing their ground to remain faithful to God and God honoring and protecting them. This faith will continue as we move on into the next chapters. What an inspiration and witness to us today to follow the Lord’s teaching for living our lives in spite of hardships. The Lord will provide and protect.

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