Latest / Faith by annm2705 / 810. Bible Study: Daniel 1 (Captivity, Vegetable Diet, 10 Days)

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810. Bible Study: Daniel 1 (Captivity, Vegetable Diet, 10 Days) · Faith by annm2705

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We're starting a new book in the Bible.
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This is the book of Daniel, and it's an interesting one.
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There's a lot of prophecy in here that I've heard many
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different interpretations of it. And I don't know if any of us
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have it correct because that's how prophecy is.
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We're not going to really know until it all happens.
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But anyway, let's get started. This is the the next prophet
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that was, I guess, speaking with the people of Judah, the tribe
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of Judah after they were exiled into Babylon.
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So I will read what is in the study Bible as far as the
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introduction. Like why read this book?
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It isn't easy being a follower of Christ in today's culture,
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which is hostile to his values and ideas.
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Christians often find themselves in the minority as they struggle
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to live peacefully in a religiously diverse world.
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Daniel offers us an example of a godly man who lived obediently
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and courageously for God while earning the admiration and
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respect of non believers. In addition, the book of Daniel
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inspires awe as we read about how God performed miraculous
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rescues and humbled Pagan kings and how Daniel made amazing
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predictions of how God would triumph over nations and
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history. Who wrote the book?
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Daniel, whose name means God's judge or judge God's judgement
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or God is my judge, Possibly a member of Judah's royal family,
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Daniel was taken captive to Babylon around six O 5 BC.
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To whom was it written and why? Daniel wrote to the Jewish
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people who were exiles in Babylon to encourage them by
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reminding them of God's ultimate control over events.
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God would soon restore his people and his temple.
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When was it written? Some contend it was written
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after many of the predicted events it describes had
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occurred. But those who believe God can
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supernaturally reveal future events place the book's writing
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between 5:36 and 5:30 BC, soon after Cyrus captured Babylon in
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539 BC. What was happening in the world
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at this time? The Babylonian Empire from 626
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to 539 BC had replaced Assyria as the world's superpower.
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Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army had conquered Judah, taking
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thousands of God's people to Babylon, while others fled to
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Egypt. Jerusalem and the temple had
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been looted and burned. Now, if we remember or think
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about the prior prophecies, the Jeremiah's prophecies about to
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the people about what was going to happen, he said anybody who
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stayed in Jerusalem would end up dying.
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Anyone who fled to Egypt would end up dying, but anyone who
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went to Babylon and worked and did what was right and didn't
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really rebel, they would be fine.
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They would survive. They would live.
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So that's what Jeremiah was telling all these people.
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So this will also probably play into what we read here.
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And then what to look for in Daniel, God's faithfulness and
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power. Notice how he kept not only his
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promise to punish his disobedient people, but also his
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promise never to desert them. Note how God turned leaders and
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empires upside down at will, continually proving his
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superiority over other gods. And look for evidence of
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Daniel's courageous faith and humility.
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So let's get started, dear God, please be with us as we read
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through this chapter or maybe chapters depending on time and
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give us wisdom and insight as we read through this and how this
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could apply to our lives or just the knowledge that we receive.
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We ask this in Jesus name, Amen. Daniel's training in Babylon In
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the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah,
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Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged
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it. We know that happened because of
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Israel's disobedience to God. And we see that reoccurring,
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that when people are disobedient to God, he often allows their
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enemies to overtake them. And it's the purpose of that is
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to humble them and to get them to turn to God.
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And because God always has a good purpose in mind at the end
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of all of this. But sometimes we can be really
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stubborn and not want to listen to God.
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So through our obedience, good things do come.
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So let's continue on the second verse.
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And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into
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his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God.
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These he carried off to the temple of his God in Babylonia
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and put in the treasure House of his God.
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Now that's pretty shocking when you think about it, that God
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allowed articles from the temple that was built for him to be
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carried off to Babylon and put in another place for something
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that is not even a God that they were worshipping.
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So that you know, just and and God's in control.
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You have to remember that. But God allowed this to happen.
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What do you think all the people were probably thinking at that
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time? Because in the past when like,
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the Ark of the Covenant went certain places, it destroyed
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people who were ungodly, and people just wanted to get rid of
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it. Everybody at one point, people
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were afraid of housing the Ark of the Covenant because of the
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things that would happen. And they, you know, came to
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respect that with God's presence in it.
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But this is something different. And it's just interesting how
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God allowed this to happen. Like even the articles from his
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temple were taken out and put into another place.
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We do know that when things like this in the past happened, that
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I think there was a story about Dagon in the Philistines or
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something, and something was said in there.
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I can't remember all the details of it, but that that God, that
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false God actually fell on the ground and they kept sitting it
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back up and it kept falling over because of the presence of the
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of the Lords that was there. And that he would not, you know,
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he said you should. I mean, that's one of the
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commandments that we should not have any other gods before the
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true God and he will just destroy them.
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So we can essentially expect that from God based on history.
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OK, verse 3. Then the king ordered Ashpinaz,
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chief of his court officials, to bring into the King's service
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some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility.
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Young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing
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aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick
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to understand, and qualified to serve in the King's palace.
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He was to teach them the language and literature of the
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Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily
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amount of food and wine from the King's table.
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They were to be trained for three years and after that they
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were to enter the King's service.
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There's a lot of things in here. So I can see where the study
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Bible said that he was probably from royal family because it
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says that the king ordered this man to brings some of the
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Israelites from the royal family and then it starts naming Daniel
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and some of his friends. So it does seem like they were
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from royal family and nobility and they had really good
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qualities about them and this person was going to teach them
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the ways of the Babylonians. That's interesting because this
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is how the enemy wants to assimilate all the Israelites
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into their culture, their religion, everything, make them
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the same. And we see, you know, today that
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this is interesting. There's different areas and
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different lands and we just, you know, I don't know, it's I don't
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want to go down that path anyway.
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So that was his purpose. And then they were to be trained
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for three years and then enter the King's service.
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The three years has some interesting prophecy.
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It's usually like 3 1/2 years, but it's again just this three
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years. And I've also noticed that there
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aren't always coincidences. A lot of things have a literal
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meaning. They also have a symbolic
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meaning and sometimes a prophetic meaning too.
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When we see these things. That's just the way the Bible
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was written and it was written by all these different authors,
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which also makes it apparent that this is definitely
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supernaturally inspired, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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When you see these repetitive elements throughout the book
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that are written by so many different authors, but they tie
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together, only God could orchestrate that.
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So among these, among those who were chosen from some of Judah,
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Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azaria, the chief official gave
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them new names. This is like the enemy, like
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does the, you know, the same thing that God does, but in a
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different way. Like when someone becomes, I
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think when someone becomes a new creation, God gives them a new
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name. And just like Jacob, he renamed
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Israel, and Abram was named Abraham, and Sarai was named
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Sarah and God gives and then like Saul was named Paul.
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So often people are given new names.
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In the Book of Revelation. It also talks about giving new
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names to people also. But here we see essentially the
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enemy giving new names and assimilating these people.
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It's almost like you can now you're part of this family, the
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enemy family. You were there, but now you're
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part of this. This is what they're trying to
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do to Daniel and his and his other friends.
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And so he gave new names to Daniel, the name Beltashazzar,
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to Hananiah Shadrach, to Michelle Meshach, and to Azaria
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Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to
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defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the
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chief official for permission to not defile himself this way.
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Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to
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Daniel. But the official told Daniel,
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I'm afraid of my Lord the king who has assigned your food and
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drink. Why should he see you looking
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worse than the other young men your age?
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The king would have would have my head because of you.
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Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had
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appointed over Daniel. Hananiah, Mishael and Azaria,
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please test your servants for 10 days.
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Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
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Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat
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the royal food and treat your servants in accordance with what
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you see. So he agreed to this and tested
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them for seven or for 10 days. And this is another thing that I
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that I noticed about actually, I, I lost this because I had
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looked this up yesterday and I, it went away because I didn't
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talk about it. So I will anyway, it's
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interesting. Like I was saying that 10 days
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is, I thought it it's not really OK.
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There are things about 10 days in the Bible.
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When you search likeblueletterbible.org and you
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put in the search bar 10 days, you will see the references and
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there are 29 times and 14 verses in the NIV version that talk
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about 10 days and the first one's in Genesis.
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And I found that interesting because I was like, what was
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this? I didn't remember something in
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Genesis, but it was when Isaac was looking for, of a wife for
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Jacob or Israel and, and he found, let's see, I know it was
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Abraham for Isaac. I'm, I get names mixed up
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sometimes. And it was when Rebecca was
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found by the servant of God and they wanted to her family wanted
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to give her ten days to decide, but then she decided to go ahead
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and go with the man who was sent to find a wife for Isaac and,
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and she agreed to go with them. But again, like I think it was
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interesting that I never paid attention to that before.
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And it was 10 days that they were suggesting.
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So that seemed like a common amount of time.
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And, and then in First Samuel 25, it talks another time frame
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about 10 days about the Lord striking Nabel and he died.
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And I believe that was the husband of Abigail and he was,
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he was a cruel man. I'm not sure if that was yes.
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So he was a cruel man. And so maybe, you know, just the
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way God is, he gives a time frame like your final ten days
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because it's kind of interesting.
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So I'll just read a little bit from First Samuel 25 and
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hopefully this will explain what I'm trying to say, but not doing
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it very well. When Abigail went to Nabel, he
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was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king.
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He was in high spirits and very drunk.
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So she told him nothing at all until Daybreak.
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Then in the morning when Nabel was sober, his wife told him all
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these things and his heart failed him and he became like a
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stone. So and then it says about 10
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days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
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Knowing God. And the Bible doesn't say this,
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but knowing God and seeing the other entries that this is like
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a period of testing. There's like 10 days that God
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probably with Nabel's situation, he probably was giving him 10
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days to repent of his ways. Just before he had his heart
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attack. He was out, you know, partying
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it up, getting drunk. And he was a wicked man.
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And so then God struck him with a heart attack and then he
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didn't apparent. Well, it does.
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The Bible doesn't say what he did, but the Lord struck him
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dead after 10 days. So I think that there's not just
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a coincidence of this. It's like a 10 days of testing.
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Just like Daniel and his friends, they get 10 days.
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It's like a testing thing to see what happens in 10 days and the
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they they follow what they said they would do for the 10 days.
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And in the Book of Revelation in chapter 2, it says do not be
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afraid of what you are about to suffer.
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I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test
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you and you will suffer persecution for 10 days.
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Be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you life
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as your victor's crown. So that really sums it up.
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Like 10 days. And and it's interesting that in
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the Book of Revelation, it says the devil will put some of you
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in prison to test you, I guess to see what your faith is like.
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And it says be faithful even to the point of death because God's
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going to restore that death. Even if death happens, you will
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live as long as you don't deny Christ essentially.
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And I think 10 days is really interesting.
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So I just you can Google search this and in the Bible, 10 days
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primarily symbolizes a complete but limited period of testing or
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tribulation. It signifies A divinely
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appointed time frame that has certain a certain beginning and
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end. Often used in contrast temporary
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to. Often used to contrast temporary
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earthly suffering with eternal rewards.
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So the Church of Smyrna was talked was told that Jesus
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warned the Church of Smyrna that they would face tribulation for
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10 days. This is widely interpreted as
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symbolic way to show that while the persecution would be
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intense, it would be brief and bounded by God's sovereignty.
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Historical fulfillment. Some scholars believe those 10
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days represent 10 waves of Roman persecution against the early
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church, spanning from the Emperor Nero to Diocletian
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testing and divine approval, Daniel's dietary test, which
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we're reading about now, and Daniel 1 verses 12 through 15.
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Daniel and his companions were tested for 10 days on a diet of
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vegetables and water rather than the King's rich food.
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At the end of this period, they appeared healthier than the
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others, symbolizing that faithfulness during testing
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leads to divine favor and physical or spiritual fatness.
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Preparation and consecration. Consecration.
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The Days of Awe. Based on the biblical calendar,
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these are 10 days between Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets,
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and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
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These symbolize a sacred window for repentance, self examination
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and reconciliation before God. Wait for the Holy Spirit.
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While the Bible does not explicitly say the disciples
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fasted for 10 days, tradition notes they waited in the Upper
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room for roughly 10 days between Jesus's ascension and the
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arrival of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
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That's found in Acts chapter 1 and 2.
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This represents a period of expectant prayer and spiritual
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unity. Completeness as the foundation
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of the the decimal system, 10 presents a full measure of human
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responsibility or divine order, such as like 10 commandments or
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10 plagues. And so it's in brevity.
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It's used to mean a short while or a limited time.
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So that's kind of what what I found online that kind of
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summarized the things that I was noticing that 10 days I think is
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significant in several different ways and does appear to be a
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time frame of testing. And and like I said, if you
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search it in the Blue letter Bible and see the different
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periods of 10 days and just read about what each entry says, then
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you will notice a thing like Jeremiah 42 talks about 10 days
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later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.
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So Jeremiah had to wait for 10 days to get the word.
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And it's not always instantaneously.
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Even though Jeremiah was a prophet and was hearing from
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God, when he requested something, it would, it took ten
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days to get back to him. And so there's something about
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about 10 days and and enduring for those 10 days that I think
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is significant and the Bible is showing us that.
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So, OK, continuing on with this, I don't remember where I stopped
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off, but let's see. At the end of the 10 days, they
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looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young
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men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their
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choice food and the wine they were supposed to drink and gave
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them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave
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knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and
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learning, and Daniel could understand visions and dreams of
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all kinds. At the end of the time set by
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the king to bring them into service, the chief official
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presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
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The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel,
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Hananiah, Mishael, Azaria. So they entered the King's
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service in every matter of wisdom and understanding about
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which the king questioned them. He found them 10 times better
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than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole Kingdom.
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And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
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And that's the end of chapter 1. So I will read the XI, guess the
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study bibles explanations and then we'll just wrap up this
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chapter. Has God abandoned his people?
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It may seem that God was betraying Judah, but he was
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actually keeping a promise in his covenant with his people.
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God promised blessing if they observed obeyed Him, and
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punishment if they didn't. As He had allowed the
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disobedient northern Kingdom of Israel to be captured by Assyria
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in 722 BC, God let the idol worshipping southern Kingdom of
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Judah fall victim to Babylon. Far from abandoning his people,
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God made sure the nation survived the exile and learned
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from it. What did Nebuchadnezzar serve?
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What God did Nebuchadnezzar served.
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The Babylonians had many gods. The chief deity was Bel, also
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called Marduk. This is probably the God
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referred to here since the king later described Daniel as Bel to
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Shazzar after the name of my God.
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Why did the young men cooperate with their Pagan captors?
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Even though they were given new names that honored the false
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gods of Babylon? The young men did not seem to
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protest why? First, these young teenagers
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were prob probably were hostages held by Nubuck Nezzer to prevent
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a revolt by those who remained in Judah.
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Resistance could have meant death to the young men and to
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their relatives back home. Second, the prophet Jeremiah
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warned of Babylon's invasion and told the people not to fight
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back, and most hadn't. Why would Nebuchadnezzar educate
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captive leaders? Whenever the Babylonians
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captured a city, they removed royal officials, soldiers,
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officers, artisans, Craftsman, and people of wealth.
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Many were educated in Babylonian history, culture, and thought so
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they could be used as civil servants.
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In this way, the Babylonians strengthen their grip on the
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people and the lands they conquered.
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How would the King's food and wine have defiled Daniel?
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Because some of it probably had been offered to idols, faithful
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Jews would have been prohibited from eating it.
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Also, Gentiles had prepared the food without attention to Jewish
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dietary laws, meaning it was ceremonially unclean.
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The food probably included certain meat forbidden by the
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Law of Moses. Since there were no UN quote
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unclean vegetables, the young men switched to a vegetarian
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diet. And that wraps up chapter 1.
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We'll come back next time for Chapter 2, where it gets a lot
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more interesting.