Daniel 1 - 02.05.26
SCRIPTURE :Daniel 1:3-8a NIV
“Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.
He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names…
But Daniel—
OBSERVATION
Judah was under the rule of an evil king, and the people of Israel as a whole had turned away from God. Despite repeated warnings from many prophets, the nation refused to listen. Eventually, judgment arrived: the Lord delivered King Jehoiakim of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.
This fulfilled a prophecy spoken by Isaiah more than a century earlier.
King Hezekiah had foolishly displayed the treasures of the Palace and the Temple to the Babylonian envoys who had come to congratulate him on his miraculous recovery.
Isaiah 39:5-7
“Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah,
“Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.””
A young teenage Daniel and his three friends (descendants of Hezekiah) are part of that fulfillment and now find themselves in a foreign country.
Isolated—Taken captive—away from everyone and everything they know.
Brainwashing begins immediately as they enter the King’s “University of Babylon”. A program to indoctrinate the new recruits into every important aspect of Babylonian Life; Language, Religion, History, Philosophy, Astrology—and Customs. AND— as potential candidates for serving in the King’s Court—these captives were given special food delicacies and wine from the King’s very own Table.
APPLICATION
But Daniel—
I cannot imagine what it would be like to be ripped away from your parents as a teenager and taken captive to a foreign country—where EVERYTHING is strange and different. The language, foods, sights, smells, customs—
These particular young teenage boys must have had genuinely godly parents. We know their Hebrew names. And—we know when the testing came—they endured and were able to stand strong for God.
Daniel had been given the name— Elohim is my Judge.
Hananiah had been given the name—Yahweh is gracious
Mishael had been given the name—Who is like Elohim
Azariah had been given the name—Yahweh helps
Imagine being given the name—Daniel—The Supreme Powerful Creator—is my Judge. That is a name that carries some responsibility.
Although these young men were also given Babylonian names that honor Babylonian gods, these four never lost sight of what had been impregnated deep into their hearts and minds from birth.
They KNEW their identity in the ONE True God.
Being held prisoner in a foreign land required a unique blend of wisdom and obedience to the authorities. God gave Daniel and his friends both wisdom and favor, enabling them to stand firm in a place that was anything but welcoming.
Watching how these young teenage boys navigated horrific, life‑threatening challenges—yet maintained courageous and pure hearts before God—is an important and deeply relevant study. Their example shows what steadfast faith looks like under pressure.
We live in a society today that is not unlike Babylon: a culture eager to lure our kids with its own “fine delicacies” and intoxicating “wines,” offering comforts and temptations that seek to quietly pull hearts away from God.
So how and why did these four stand strong through the storm?
Prayer
Daniel and his friends prayed. Prayer wasn’t just an important daily item on a list. It was an—ESSENTIAL. (Daniel 6:10-11 records that Daniel prayed faithfully three times a day in addition to other times where he prayed specifically for special requests)
Fasting
Daniel fasted by God’s special favor to avoid defiling himself with the food and wine from the King’s table. God granted Daniel and his friends a healthy body during this fasting to demonstrate they did not suffer by eating only vegetables and water while others were eating all the best food from the King’s Table.
Daniel also mourned and fasted for 21-days (Daniel 10:2-3):Seeking God.
BUT Daniel—determined Early—that although he was now living “in” Babylon he would not be “of” Babylon. His Heart would always be “of” God’s.
Romans 12:2 Paraphrased
Don't let the world ("Babylon") around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove by how you live("making up your mind") that God’s Plan for you is good—meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true spiritual maturity."
Throughout the Word of God, there are a few others who showed uncompromising hearts when it came to unwavering Faith in their convictions to serve God even in the midst of challenges.
Caleb "... wholly followed the Lord God" (Joshua 14:14).
Joshua “..As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
Paul said: "... this one thing I do" (Philippians 3:13).
Mary of Bethany - “…Only one thing is needed” (Luke 10:38-42)
God may Sovereignly SEND you into a difficult situation or place—To SPREAD His Name among the Nations. He did this with Daniel and his three friends. God also did it with His Church shortly after the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Even in the midst of the most challenging situations like a country that can seem divided—God’s Love is More Powerful than any other force!
“Every word of God —proves true.”
(Proverbs 30:5 ESV)
“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.”
(Song of Solomon 8:7 ESV)
PRAYER
Dearest LORD Jesus,
Help me to be like Daniel. Deeply move in my heart to implant Your Presence SO Deep there is no question BUT…to determine my heart will always be Yours.
Your Love is a Force that Changes everything..the hardest hearts melt under Your Love. Teach me More and More what it looks like to Follow YOU with abandon. And Share Your Love Story.
Here I am Lord. Send me.
Amen
- Tina L Kudelka