Why did Daniel and his three friends accept the changes in education, language, and names but refuse …
(Daniel 1:1-21; Lev.10:9; 17:7, 10; Isa. 42:24) Blog Dec. 29 – Jan. 4, 2020
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
INTRODUCTION: The book of Daniel (our study for the first quarter of 2020) was written 500 years before the birth of Jesus and contains apocalyptic prophecies. Apocalyptic prophecies differ from classical prophecies in that they have only one application and outline events from the prophet’s day in an historical continuum down to the end of world history. Classical prophecies, like those contained in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Matthew 24 have multiple applications and don’t give an historical continuum from the prophet’s day to the end.
The Expletive Key (Dan. 1:1-4; Isa. 42:24; Eze. 21:26-27; 2 Chr. 36:20-21)
1. What was the condition of God’s people when the book of Daniel opens? Their kingdom was defeated, their king dethroned, their sanctuary sacked, & their people were captive.
2. Why would Daniel record these details in this very order? Because in the chapters that follow he would include a prophetic outline for the restoration of each of these four elements in this exact same order: kingdom (chap. 2), king (chap. 7), sanctuary (chaps. 8-9), people (chaps.10-12).
3. What other aspect of Daniel follows this same order of kingdom, king, sanctuary, people? The four stories that Daniel tells follow this same order, illustrating the restoration of the kingdom (chap. 3), the king (chap. 4), the sanctuary (chap. 5), & the people (chap. 6).
4. Why would Daniel repeat the same prophetic outline four times? Not only because of the four different elements they would cover but also because repetition fixes the thought in one’s mind, & because each prophetic outline adds more details than the previous outline making the book take the form of advancing education from primary school (chap. 2), to high school (chap. 7), then on to college (chaps. 8-9), & finally to university (chaps. 10-12)
5. Why were God’s people in such a deplorable condition? Because they had broken God’s Law, so that their land could have its Sabbath rest that had been denied, & because their king was corrupt.
The Interpretive Key (Dan. 1:4-16; Lev.10:9; 17:7, 10)
6. What changes came to the lives of Daniel and his three friends when taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar in 606 BC? Their education was changed from Hebrew to Babylonian education, their names were changed from Hebrew names to Babylonian names, their language was changed from Hebrew to the Chaldean language, & their diet was changed?
1. Daniel = God is judge changed to “Prince of Baal”
2. Hananiah = Grace of God changed to “Servant of Aku (the moon god)”
3. Mishael = None like God changed to “None like Aku”
4. Azariah = Helped by God changed to “Servant of Nebo (the mountain god”
7. Why did Daniel and his three friends accept the changes in education, language, and names but refuse the change of diet? Because their Hebrew Scriptures did not prohibit any of these changes except that of diet.
8. Where does Holy Scripture prohibit eating Babylonian food? In Leviticus10:9; 17:7, 10.
9. What principle of interpretation for the book of Daniel should we gain from the refusal of the Hebrew youth to accept the Babylonian diet? That the Bible is its own interpreter & if we are to understand Daniel correctly we must follow this principle rather than first running to history books or current events in an attempt to understand its meaning.
The Operative Key (Dan. 1:11-22; )
10. When threatened by being given an unhealthy, prohibited diet what did Daniel propose to Melzar, their immediate overseer? That they be given a probationary period, ending in an examination, followed by the execution of their judge’s decision.
11. How did king Nebuchadnezzar arrange the education of his captives? That they be given three years of training, ending in an examination before himself, followed by placement in his kingdom according to his judgment.
12. What do the ten day, the three years, and the seventy years of Daniel’s of governmental service (mentioned in verse 22) tell us about how God operates with human beings as illustrated also in the stories and prophetic outlines given in Daniel? They tell us that God gives us probationary time ending in an investigative judgment, followed by rewards.
13. What should we learn from Melzar’s and Nebuchadnezzar’s examination at the end of the stated time period together with Daniel’s reinstatement as a top government official after the fall of Babylon? That it is in crisis (judgment) that character is revealed & that God’s judgment crisis will come at the end of one’s probation (even the name Daniel means God is Judge).
14. Where else is this principle of “time, test, & results” taught in the book of Daniel? In the handwriting on the wall in chapter five.
15. What indication of apocalyptic writing do we find in Daniel 1? The fact that the chapter begins with the prophet’s captivity & finishes with the end of his government service seventy years later under Cyrus.