Daniel 1 Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar’s Court
1-5 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.
6-16 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 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.
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”
11-16 Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.
18-21 When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus. (Daniel operated as an official and a prophet between 605 B.C. and 539 B.C. The name “Daniel” means “God is my judge.”)
Sometimes we seek a calling but sometimes the calling finds us. Daniel is a teen-ager from a noble family in Jerusalem when he is carried off to Babylon with some of his friends. There is nothing recorded to indicate that God specifically calls Daniel; however, Daniel has obviously dedicated his life to God and God responds by using him effectively as an administrator as well as a prophet. Daniel’s three friends also remain true to God, eventually enduring one of the most harrowing trials of faith recorded in the Bible.
In contrast to Ezekiel’s dramatic call, Daniel’s call is never recorded at all. Sometimes God uses our circumstances to call us, and this is what has happened with Daniel. Why is Daniel’s story so important? Most of us will never witness the kinds of visions Ezekiel experienced, but many of us might find ourselves in the same situation as Daniel-our situation becomes our calling, and God begins to bring people and events to us, expecting us to fulfill His Will.
When Abraham sent out his chief servant to find a wife for Isaac, the servant began the description of his journey by saying, “I, being on the way, the Lord led me.” God led that man to find Rebekah and then led Rebekah to agree to launch off into the unknown. But the servant had to get going before God could lead him. In the same way, we must get going, for if we are going in a wrong direction, God can steer us. But God can’t steer a stationary object. If you are waiting for a call, look around you and ask God what He wants you to do with what He has built into your situation. You might find that your calling is sitting immediately in front of you. Do the first thing, and God will guide you to the next thing.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to look at the possibilities You have already given us and begin to work, trusting that You will guide us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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