July 2 –Daniel Taken Captive

Daniel 1:1 – 7

It was the third year of King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon declared war on Jerusalem and besieged the city. The Master handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the furnishings from the Temple of God. Nebuchadnezzar took king and furnishings to the country of Babylon, the ancient Shinar. He put the furnishings in the sacred treasury. The king told Ashpenaz, head of the palace staff, to get some Israelites from the royal family and nobility—young men who were healthy and handsome, intelligent and well-educated, good prospects for leadership positions in the government, perfect specimens!—and indoctrinate them in the Babylonian language and the lore of magic and fortunetelling. The king then ordered that they be served from the same menu as the royal table—the best food, the finest wine. After three years of training they would be given positions in the king's court. Four young men from Judah—Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—were among those selected. The head of the palace staff gave them Babylonian names: Daniel was named Belteshazzar, Hananiah was named Shadrach, Mishael was named Meshach, Azariah was named Abednego. (MSG)

The Lord delivered King Jehoiakim and the land of Judah into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:5-8). He and the people of the land of Judah were “detestable” because they were worshipping idols. God had warned them—beginning with the Ten Commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me” Exodus 20:3 (NASB). So God allowed Judah to be invaded by Nebuchadnezzar. It wasn’t just a mosey into Jerusalem and play a game of baseball or ping pong and whoever wins gets the city and the land. No. There was a siege—a mighty battle with losses on both sides. People feared Nebuchadnezzar for a reason—his army was strong. They won this battle and Nebuchadnezzar took the best of the land—both in the gold objects from the temple and in the smartest, strongest, and most handsome from the royal family and nobility. Those he left behind farmed the land to support King Nebuchadnezzar and themselves.

So Daniel and the other noble young men from Jerusalem trekked the 900 miles from Jerusalem to Babylon. As they left we can imagine that they were wondering if they would ever see their families, friends, and beloved Jerusalem again. That was a long ways for those young men to travel, probably on foot.   

Name changes. With their new Babylonian names there were new meanings attached to those names. Belteshazzar means Bel is the keeper of secrets. Hananiah means "God who is gracious" became Shadrach which means command of Aku, the Babylonian god of the moon. Mishael, Who is like God, became Meshach, “Who is what Aku is?” and Azariah, God has helped, became Abednebo, "servant of the god Nebo.” The Babylonians were certainly focused on their gods.      

Rich foods! When was the last time that you really enjoyed a meal of rich food? Food can be so rich that it is not satisfying—just makes me feel blah! Spiritually the “food” is never too rich although there are times when it is overwhelming to understand, when I just don’t want to know as much information as is available, even a prophesy study. God has a plan for the future and He has laid it out for us to discover through the prophesy in this book of Daniel, as well as in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Hosea, and New Testament books including: Matthew, Acts, Romans, 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians, 2^nd Timothy, Hebrews, James, 2^nd Peter, and of course, Revelation. There is just an immense amount of information to sift through, to decipher, and to understand. Those who tackle that will be rewarded by understanding God at a deeper level, as well as being prepared for the future. Are you up for that challenge?

Lord Jesus, help us to understand what we read and study not only in this book of Daniel, but in all the scripture on prophesy. Give us wisdom and understanding to apply Your word to our lives.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Scripture from The Message, except where noted.