Daniel 1:1-7 Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar’s Court
“During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.
“Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.”
The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7 The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:
Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.
All four of these young men had Hebrew names relating to faith in God. The meaning of the name Daniel is “God is my judge.” The suffix of Daniel’s name (and Mishael’s) is -el, which refers to Elohim, one of the names of the God of Israel. Azariah and Hananiah carry the suffix -iah or -yah, which is short for Yahweh, the covenant name of God (see Isaiah 26:4). Belteshazzar, the name given to Daniel, means “Bel protects his life.” The name: Hananiah meant “God has favored” or “God has been gracious.” His name was changed to the Babylonian name: Shadrach, which meant, “royal” or “the great scribe.” Mishael, which meant, “who is what God is,” was renamed Meshach, which meant “guest of a king.” Azariah, which meant, “Jehovah has helped” was called Abednego, meaning “servant of Nebo.”
By re-naming these young men, the Babylonians were beginning a forced assimilation, one that they intended would end with these four young people forgetting their Hebrew origins and their Hebrew God to embrace all things Babylonian. But the Babylonians failed to anticipate the deep faith of these people. Before things were through, not only would these young men resist assimilation, but they would assume major positions of leadership within the Babylonian Empire while retaining their faith in God.
Even as Babylonian officials were announcing these new names loudly at the court, these four youngsters were probably muttering their actual names under their breath. They might also have been reciting the Shemaa, from Deuteronomy 6:4– “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” They might also have been mentally reciting Exodus 20:2-5 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.”
Perhaps they were quietly praying, “Elohim, please forgive us for standing here while they pronounce blasphemy. You are the God whom we have served, and we will serve You and only You forever.”
What’s in a name? Names are both powerful and important. In Ghana, parents sometimes name their children in hopes of gaining God’ favor. In our area, many parents give their children names that translate to “God’s love” or “God’s favor.” My local name translates to “God has not refused,” meaning that when I am in need, God will hear and respond.
Conquerors frequently rename the conquered in an attempt to wipe out their previous identities. Sometimes this ploy works but other times, those conquered tolerate the additional names, feeling it better to remain alive than to press the issue and die prematurely.
What’s interesting is the fate of the other young men who were gathered in along with these four. We never know the identities of those men, nor do we ever hear about them again. In the case of those men, assimilation worked so completely that they lost their identities and blended into the Babylonian Empire, where they became anonymous and forgotten.
In Revelation 3:10-12, Jesus promises the church in Philadelphia, “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.”
Someday, Jesus is coming for those who have loved Him and who have been faithful. He promises to give all those people a new name, the name of His God, His new name. Will we be found faithful? As we study Daniel, let us beg God to help us, so that we will remain faithful, no matter the trials.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remain faithful to You, no matter what happens. Give us the strength, the courage, and the patience to endure so that we will become pillars in the Temple of Your God and receive Your new name. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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