Daniel One ... Background

Daniel 1 begins by placing Daniel in Babylon under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. It states that the time frame was "the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah," which the Expositor's Bible Commentary places in the year 605 BC. It states that the third and final storming of Jerusalem took place in 587 BC, which accounts for the discrepancy in dates that are usually given for the start of the exile. Any Jews who had not previously fled were taken into captivity in 587 BC. Verse 2 states that Judah had fallen to the Babylonians, just as the prophets had predicted. The Babylonians plundered Jerusalem and took large amounts of valuable goods back to Babylon. At that time, it was a common practice for conquering armies to take valuable possessions from conquered peoples. They also usually took residents back to their country either as captives or to be sold as slaves.

The text seems to give special attention to the fact that the Babylonians had plundered the Temple. This would have been particularly offensive to Jews at that time. Verse 2 states that, "he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god." This means that objects set aside for worshipping the Lord were now destined for use in pagan temples. They were not just being put to common use but were going to be used for purposes that were in direct violation of God's commands.

The king ordered the chief of his officials to bring before him the most talented and intelligent Jews. They were to serve the king of Babylon in high government positions. They were given a first-rate Babylonian education and were taught Babylonian literature, culture and language. The Chaldean language that is mentioned in verse 4 was spoken in what is today southern and central Iraq. Babylon itself was located in approximately the center of modern day Iraq. Verse 5 states that the education of these Jewish captives was to last three years, after which they would enter the king's service.

Verse 6 mentions that some of the Jews who were captured were given Babylonian names. This could have been an attempt to assimilate them into Babylonian culture and draw them away from their faith in the one true God. Many kings at that time also held themselves to be gods, so it could also have been an issue of loyalty to the Babylonian king.

They were also ordered to adopt a Babylonian diet. They were given a ration of choice meat and wine. Verse 8 says that Daniel refused to defile himself with the king's choice meat or wine. This was more than an act of defiance on the part of a captive. The meat would very likely have been offered to a pagan god before it was served. It would have gone against God's commands to eat meat that had been offered to a false god.

Verse 9 says that God granted Daniel favor in the eyes of the commander of the officials and Daniel was permitted, on a trial basis, to live on a diet of vegetables and water rather than the king's meat and wine. The commander of the officials was very hesitant about this, because he feared that if the king's advisers appeared unhealthy, he could pay for it with his life. So the young men were tested for ten days to see how their diet affected their appearance. Verse 15 states that at the end of the ten-day period, they appeared healthier and were fatter than those who had been eating the king's choice food. It is unclear whether this was due to divine intervention, but that is not the point of this episode. The point is that God honored and protected Daniel because of Daniel's commitment to obeying God. Daniel didn't compromise his faith or his obedience to God, even in the face of resistance by those who did not follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

As a result of the ten-day testing period, the young Jewish men were allowed to continue on a diet of vegetables and water. God also gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom. He allowed them to excel at their job as a result of their obedience. They also had visions and dreams. God poured all kinds of spiritual blessings on them. One would certainly hope that we would seek the same blessing from God, but it is important to note that their faith and obedience preceded the blessing. God does hold out that same offer to us today, such as in Matthew 6:33, where Jesus said, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you." (emphasis mine)

Verses 18 and 19 say that the exiles who had been going through this three-year training program were presented before Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. There were no other officials like them to be found. Verse 20 states that they were ten times better than all the other magicians and conjurers who were in all the Babylonian realm. Again, this appears to be a result of their obedience to God and their commitment to Him, despite being immersed in a culture that was openly hostile to their faith.

*= Denotes taken from the Expositor's Bible Commentary

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