The Book of Daniel is a prophetic and historical book that is found in
the Old Testament. Originally most of the Old Testament was written in
Hebrew, the language of the Jews. Yet during the first century while Jesus
was on earth, and in subsequent years Jews for the most part did not read
the Hebrew version of the Old Testament. They read what is known as the
Septuagint, which is a Greek translation from the Hebrew text translated
between 285 and 270 B. C..
In 606 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, a general in the Babylonian Empire army
attacked the southern kingdom of Israel known as Judah. Judah’s capital
city was Jerusalem The northern kingdom of Israel had already been
overthrown by Persia a few decades earlier. Nebuchadnezzar was coming back
from the Battle of Carchenish in Egypt when he attacked Judah. He became
king of Babylon soon after he returned home because his father who was
king died. The Babylonians headed by King Nebuchadnezzar took the spoils
and all of the important and valuable possessions of Judah back to
Babylon, including young men who had potential for the king’s service.
Daniel was one of these young men that was transported from Judah to
Babylon as a teenager.
This captivity of the Jews is known as the 70 years of judgment by God
on Judah for not obeying the Sabbaths as required by the Law of Moses.
Some scholars suggest that 70 years represents every seventh year Sabbath
that the Jews refused to keep – one year for every seventh year Sabbath
when Israel was to grow nothing in their fields.
It is interesting to me that Daniel lived to be very old, maybe 100
years old, and only twelve chapters are written in his book. Did he have
more prophecies than what appears in this book? We don’t know, but it
might just well be that the prophecies that were recorded were all that he
received from God. The interesting point to me is that Daniel spent most
of his life in captivity, had a few, albeit very important prophecies, and
is known as a great prophet of old for all of eternity. It goes to show
that greatness in God’s eyes is not necessarily great in man’s eyes.
It might just be possible that a man would live a whole life and do one
great thing for the Lord, and that might be God’s will for him.
We should note that the first six chapters of Daniel are historical,
while the last six are prophetic. We also note that the book was written
in Hebrew except from chapter 2 verse 4 to the end of chapter 7. These
chapters tend to deal with the Gentile world and thus was written in the
Chaldean language.
In verse 1 we see Judah mentioned. Earlier in Jewish history Israel
split in two. The southern kingdom was called Judah and its capital city
was Jerusalem. King Jehoiakim was king of Judah.
Nebuchadnezzar was a young and ferocious king of the Babylonian Empire.
He attacked Judah in 606 B. C. as a general in the Babylonian army and took
the spoils home with him. Like many other warring nations in those days,
the winner would keep what was valuable for themselves, unlike the Roman
Empire that came later who simply torched everything and destroyed it
completely.
In verse 2 we note that it was "the Lord who delivered Jehoiakim
into Nebuchadnezzar’s hands. God Himself was behind the captivity and
exile of Judah which lasted seventy years. This was God’s judgment because Judah refused to obey the Sabbaths.
We also note that Nebuchadnezzar took the valuables from the Jewish
temple back to Babylon where they were used in pagan Babylonian worship
that was associated with astrology. How often is this the case even in
modern times. The church falls prey to the world and the world takes over
that which was important to the church. Music is one prime example, once
predominately a tool of the church a thousand years ago became secularized
and used by the world.
Babylon is a very important ancient Kingdom and some of the importance
of it effects us today. Astrology was greatly developed in this society.
We have 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in hour, and 24 hours in a
day. This came from Babylon. Angular degrees such as 180 or 360 degrees
came from Babylon.
You note in the KJV the name "Shinar" . Babylon once was
Shiner and the area around Babylon in this time was also known as Shiner.
The NIV does not use Shinar but Babylon instead.
Other important verses to read concerning Babylon are found ins Isa.13
14, Jer. 50 51 and Rev. 17. Of course there are many other verses about
Babylon because Babylon is the second most mentioned city in the Bible.
In verses 3 to 6 we see that Nebuchadnezzar ordered his chief official
to find the best young men of Jewish nobility and bring them to be trained
in the ways of the Babylonians so they could be used in the service of the
king. These young men had to be strong, good looking and intelligent.
Daniel was one of these young men.
In verses 6 and 7 we see that three other notable young men were chosen
along with Daniel. Their Jewish names all had God in their meaning.
Hananiah (Jewish for "Jehovah has favoured") was renamed
Shadrach. Michael (Jewish for "who is what God is") was renamed
Meshach. Azariah (Jewish for "who Jehovah helps) was renamed The
renaming of these men shows you to what extent Nebuchadnezzar went to
using what was valuable to the Jews for himself. He even used the good men
and called them by Babylonian names.
We also note that the name "Daniel" means God is judge, or
God’s judges.
In verse 8 we see that Daniel decided not to defile himself by eating
the food that was made in the king’s kitchen. Babylonian religious
ritual was to throw a little bit of the food and wine one would drink and
eat on the ground as an offering to the gods. By participating in the food
that was first set apart by pagan worship would be idolatry to Jews and so
Daniel would not eat any such food offered to idols.
In verse 9 we see God’s involvement in Daniel’s life. The text says
that God was behind the king’s official granting Daniel his request even
though it was with great reluctance. The official was afraid of the king.
If Daniel did not eat properly and looked sickly to the king that meant
the official was not doing his job and he would be killed by the king.
Nebuchadnezzar was noted for "roasting" men at the stake.
Daniel and the guard the chief official put in charge of the Jewish men
made a deal. Daniel would eat what he wanted for ten days and if he looked
sickly he would eat the king’s food but if he didn’t, he’d eat
kosher food. The official agreed to Daniel’s plan and after 10 days
Daniel looked better than everyone else.
We see in verse 17 with the use of the pronoun "them" that at
least the other aforementioned three men were in agreement with Daniel and
did not eat the king’s food.
In verses 18 to 21 we note that after the three year period of training
was over the chief official brought the four Hebrew young men into the
presence of the king who was greatly impressed. They had more wisdom and
understanding than the king’s own magicians. Thus God granted these men
favour in the eyes of this fairly wicked king, yet it was not for their
safely alone. God had plans for these men to be a witness of Him to the
worldly king.
Verse 21 tells us that Daniel stayed in the courts of the king until,
or at least into the rule of King Cyrus who was actually a Persian king
who had attacked and defeated the Babylonian king at the time.