The king’s policy was to train the best people of the conquered nations to serve in his government. He could benefit from their knowledge of their own people and could also use their skills to strengthen his own administration. There were several deportations of Jews to Babylon both before and after the fall of Jerusalem, and it appears that Daniel and his three friends were taken in 605 when they were probably fifteen or sixteen years old. The prophet Ezekiel was sent to Babylon in 597, and in 586, the temple was destroyed.
A dedicated remnant (vv. 3–4a). Even a cursory reading of the Old Testament reveals that the majority of God’s people have not always followed the Lord and kept His commandments. It has always been the “faithful remnant” within the Jewish nation that has come through the trials and judgments to maintain the divine covenant and make a new beginning. The prophet Isaiah named one of his sons “Shear-jashub,” which means “a remnant shall return” (Isa. 7:3). The same principle applies to the church today, for not everybody who professes faith in Jesus Christ is truly a child of God (Matt. 7:21–23). In His messages to the seven churches of Asia Minor, our Lord always had a special word for “the overcomers,” the faithful remnant in each congregation who sought to obey the Lord (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 24–28; 3:4–5, 12, 21). Daniel and his three friends were a part of the faithful Jewish remnant in Babylon, placed there by the Lord to accomplish His purposes.
These young men were superior in every way, “the brightest and the best,” prepared by God for a strategic ministry far from home. They were handsome, healthy, intelligent, and talented. They belonged to the tribe of Judah (Dan. 1:6) and were of royal birth (v. 3). In every sense, they were the very best the Jews had to offer. Because Ashpenaz is called “master of the eunuchs,” some have concluded that the four Jewish boys were made eunuchs; but that is probably an erroneous conclusion. Originally, the term “eunuch” (Heb. saris) referred to a servant who had been castrated so he could serve the royal harem; but the title gradually came to be applied to any important court official. The word is applied to Potiphar and he was married (Gen. 37:36). The Jewish law forbade castration (Deut. 23:1), so it’s difficult to believe that these four faithful Hebrew men who resisted Babylonian customs in every other way would have submitted to it.
A difficult trial (vv. 4b–7). It was an honor to be trained as officers in the king’s palace, but it was also a trial; for these dedicated Jewish boys would have to adapt themselves to the ways and the thinking of the Babylonians. The purpose of the “course” was to transform Jews into Babylonians, and this meant not only a new land, but also new names, new customs, new ideas, and a new language. For three years, their Babylonian teachers would attempt to “brainwash” the four Jewish young men and teach them how to think and live like Babylonians.
The name Daniel means “God is my judge,” but it was changed to Belteshazzar or “Bel protect his life.” Hananiah means “the Lord shows grace,” but his new name, Shadrach, means “command of Aku” (the moon-god). Mishael means “Who is like God?” and the new name, Meshach, means “Who is as Aku is?” Azariah means “The Lord is my help,” but “Abednego” means “Servant of Nebo (Nego).” The name of the true and living God was replaced by the names of the false gods of Babylon; but would we expect unbelievers to do anything else?
Learning a new language and even receiving new names didn’t create much of a problem, but practicing customs contrary to the law of Moses was a great problem. The Babylonians were great builders, calculators, and military strategists, but their religion was steeped in superstition and myth. Just as Christian students in secular schools today often have to study material that contradicts what they believe, so Daniel and his friends had to master Babylonian history and science. In fact, in the final examination, they excelled all the other students (v. 20), and later, God gave them opportunities to show that their Jewish faith was superior to the faith of their captors. But when their course of training required them to disobey the holy law, they had to draw the line.
Surely the king’s food was the best in the land, so why should these four Hebrew students refuse it? Because it would defile them and make them ceremonially unclean before their God (v. 8). It was important to the Jews that they eat only animals approved by God and prepared in such a way that the blood was drained from the flesh, for eating blood was strictly prohibited (Lev. 11; 17:10–16). But even more, the king’s food would first be offered to idols, and no faithful Jew would eat such defiled food. The early church faced this same problem.
A discerning test (vv. 8–16). How can God’s people resist the pressures that can “squeeze” them into conformity with the world? According to Romans 12:1–2, “conformers” are people whose lives are controlled by pressure from without, but “transformers” are people whose lives are controlled by power from within. Daniel and his three friends were transformers: instead of being changed, they did the changing! God used them to transform the minds of powerful rulers and to bring great glory to His name in a pagan land.
The first step in solving their problem and being transformers was giving themselves wholly to the Lord. Daniel’s heart—the totality of his being—belonged to the Lord, as did the hearts of his friends (Dan. 1:8; Rom. 12:1–2). “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4: nkjv). A heart that loves the Lord, trusts the Lord, and therefore obeys the Lord has no difficulty making the right choices and trusting God to take care of the consequences. It has well been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence—that’s superstition—but obeying in spite of consequences. When they had to choose between God’s Word and the king’s food, they chose the Word of God (Ps. 119:103; Deut. 8:3).
The second step was to be gracious toward those in authority. The four men noticed that Ashpenaz was especially friendly and kind to them and recognized that this was the working of the Lord. (Joseph had a similar experience when he was in prison. See Gen. 39—40.) “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Prov. 16: nkjv). Instead of expecting a pagan Gentile officer to obey the law of Moses and get himself in trouble with the king, Daniel and his friends took a wise approach and asked for a ten-day experiment.
Throughout Scripture you will find courageous people who had to defy authority in order to obey God, and in every case, they took the wise and gentle approach. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Rom. 12: niv).
Along with Daniel and his friends, you have the examples of the Hebrew midwives (Ex. 1), the apostles (Acts 4), and even Jesus Himself (1 Peter 2:13–25). All of them had to resist the law in order to obey the Lord, and God gave them success. They were courteous and didn’t try to get others into trouble. They had a meek and quiet spirit. They saw the challenge as an opportunity to prove God and glorify His name.
The four Jewish students didn’t threaten anybody, stage a protest, or try to burn down a building. They simply excelled in their studies, acted like gentlemen, and asked Melzar to test them for ten days by feeding them only water and vegetables. Christians have no right to ask others—especially the unsaved—to take risks that they won’t take themselves. Unconsciously directed by the Lord, Melzar was willing to accept their suggestion, and God did the rest. In the end, the four Jewish boys were healthier in body and better looking than all the other students. This is a vivid illustration of the promise in Matthew 6: and the principle laid down in Colossians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; and 1 Peter 3:15.
When it comes to solving the problems of life, we must ask God for the courage to face the problem humbly and honestly, the wisdom to understand it, the strength to do what He tells us to do, and the faith to trust Him to do the rest. Our motive must be the glory of God and not finding a way of escape. The important question isn’t “How can I get out of this?” but “What can I get out of this?” The Lord used this private test to prepare Daniel and his friends for the public tests they would face in years to come. The best thing about this experience wasn’t that they were delivered from compromise, as wonderful as that was, but that they were developed in character. No wonder God called Daniel “greatly beloved” (Dan. 9:23; 10:11, 19), for he was very much like His Beloved Son.
God Gave Ability and Success to Daniel and His