Daniel 1:1-4

OBSERVATION:

Verses 1-2
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem and conquered it. He captured King Jehoiakim of Judah. As part of his plunder, King Nebuchadnezzar carried the vessels of the temple to Babylon and put them into the treasure house of his god.

Verse 3-4
Nebuchadnezzar also took the best children of Israel- those of royal blood, of best education, of great physical stature and brilliant. Daniel was among those kids. Among the things that the young captives were going to learn in Babylon is the tongue of the Chaldeans which is the Babylonian language.

INTERPRETATION:

Verses 1-2
Daniel was born during the middle of Josiah's reign in Judah and grew up during the king's reforms. He must have heard the message of Jeremiah. When Josiah died, Jehoiakim became king. The nation of Israel returned to its wicked ways. God disciplined His people by giving Israel and King Jehoiakim into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon as it besieged the nation.

King Nebuchadnezzar was feared throughout the land during his time. When he attack a nation, defeat was certain. To show his power, he takes his plunder of the most valuable things and people as captives to Babylon.

Verses 3-4
Those most valuable people who King Nebuchadnezzar brought back to Babylon were to be educated in the academic system of Chaldea (Babylon). The system includes Mathematics, astronomy, history and a strong dose of alchemy and magic. By imposing this system on their captives, Babylon would have a vast supply of wise and talented people for its civil service.

APPLICATION:

God is sovereign! He is Lord over the most minor to the most major changes in the history of man. Nothing happens or stops to happen without Him allowing it. He alone has the power to plant and overthrow kingdoms. King Johoiakim and the whole Israel were warned by the prophet Jeremiah to repent of their wicked ways and return to God. But they didn't obey the Word of God through the prophet. It is a serious thing to refuse to repent when God say so. It is always followed by a disaster. God has the power to hand us over to defeat and captivity... maybe in the form of worldliness, pluralistic ideology, depression, addiction, sickness, poverty, reprobate mind and etc. if we refuse to obey His Word.

There are two kinds of captives. One, those who embrace their captivity... enjoy it and comply with the wishes of their captors. Two, are those who embrace their captivity with a repentant heart and never allow their captors to convert them... never allowed their captors to reshape or completely replace their beliefs.

I am in this world but I am not of this world. I will be careful not to allow this world to shape my beliefs. I must not allow this world to convert me into a person who does things that are not pleasing before my God. I cannot blend in this world... this world has a form of godliness but it denies the existence and sovereignty of the almighty God, the Creator of all things! I cannot blend in this world as it denies the Lordship of Jesus... as it denies that Jesus Christ is THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE... NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM!