Series: Daniel
2 Kings 24:1-4 ESV
2 Kings 24:10-16 ESV
Jeremiah 30:3 ESV
Jeremiah 31:33 ESV
Romans 8:28 ESV
Daniel was a prophet who was born in Jerusalem in 623 B.C. of Jewish nobility. His parents were not named in scripture.
The name Daniel means ‘Judge of God’.
Daniel was taken into captivity in 605 B.C. by the Babylonians who were led by Nebuchadnezzar. While the conquering king had a reputation for being a cruel military conqueror he has been called the greatest king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
In the video entitled “How King Nebuchadnezzar Destroyed Jerusalem in 587 B.C.” We are told that in 589 B.C. the Babylonian King marched on Jerusalem to conquer King Zedekiah of Judah and Jerusalem. For more than a year Israel stood their ground. They endured the blockade until their food supply was depleted. That was followed by plagues. By 587 B.C. Nebuchadnezzer’s men broke down the city walls killing inhabitants and looting everything of value. The Babylonian King took all able bodied men to Babylon. Daniel was 14 years old when he was captured.
We know from 2 Kings 24:1-2, “In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets.”
In 2 Kings 24:10-16 we learn, “At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold. He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war.”
King Nebuchadnezar knew exactly where to strike and who to capture so that Israel would lay in waste.
Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were young boys but king Nebuchadnezzar planned to make it so Israel would not have the ability to rise up against him in the future.
When Daniel and others were captured Nebuchadnezzar wanted to remove their Hebrew names so he renamed Daniel Belteshazzar which means, “May God (specifically Bel) protect his life.”
The names were changed to establish conformity in their new life in Babylon. Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were all given new names. (https://www.gotquestions.org/Daniel-Belteshazzar.html)
Daniel was trained in the high court and he became distinguished in the Kings court for his intelligence and his faithfulness.
Daniel was still living when Assyria was overthrown by the Medes and Persians in 539 B.C.
When Cyrus conquered Babylon he set the Jews free and many returned to Jerusalem. Daniel could have been in his mid to late 80s and he did not return to his homeland.
Daniel the Prophet was known for his wisdom and faithfulness to Yahweh God. For example, while King Nebuchadnezzer offered Daniel and his three friends rich foods and wine to eat they chose to eat vegetables and water.
Daniel had many Dreams and Visions during his lifetime. God spoke to him in mighty ways as he continued to remain true to a Yahweh God even in captivity.
The Prophet Jeremiah told of a new day of Hope in Jeremiah 30-33.
In Jeremiah 30:3 he wrote, “For behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.”
In Jeremiah 31:33 we read, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
As we explore and learn about Daniel’s days in captivity we will see how God continued to bless his children in Babylon.
Spiritual Practice: All things Good
Paul tells us in Romans 8:28 that God brings good to those who love God. Think of a time when God brought an unexpected blessing to you when you were going through a difficult time.
In God, Deborah
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