DANIEL ~ MAN  OF  INSIGHT

DANIEL IS TAKEN CAPTIVE

Daniel lived from the latter part of the 7th century BC until well into the 6th. He lived at least until 534 BC, the third year of the reign of Cyrus. He is the author of the book which bears his name. J. Dwight Pentecost[1]  presents several reasons for placing the book in the 6th century BC. Among them he says that “Daniel’s familiarity with the individuals spoken of in the book and with the historical events and customs mentioned in the book necessitates a 6th century date.”

It was in the year 605 BC that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jerusalem. This was ‘the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim King of Judah.’ (Daniel 1:1). Along with several other promising young men, Daniel was taken captive to Babylon. Pentecost[2] suggests that Nebuchadnezzar’s purpose may have been to hold them as hostages as a warning to the people in Judah against rebellion.

Jehoiakim’s successors however, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah, did in fact rebel. This resulted in two further attacks by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar over the next 20 years. Concerning the first of these in 597 BC, Pentecost[3] writes that “10000 captives were taken to Babylon, among whom was the prophet Ezekiel. (Ezekiel 1:1-3, 2 Kings 24:8-20, 2 Chronicles 36:6-10).” In the next attack in 586 BC the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the temple destroyed. The people who were not killed during this attack were taken captive to Babylon along with valuable articles from the Temple. The people of Israel’s 70 year captivity in Babylon had commenced.

But back to the time when young Daniel and his friends were taken to Babylon. It was then that the first picture of Daniel as a person of insight emerges. In the court of Nebuchadnezzar he gained an in depth understanding of ...

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE BABYLONIANS

A Privileged Education

Daniel was among those chosen to undertake a three year course of training as preparation for serving in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The King quickly saw the leadership potential of the teenage Daniel. The course would include studies in theology, astronomy, astrology, law, mathematics, agriculture, architecture, and the Akkadian language. Daniel would graduate with a degree similar to the combined BA degree in Arts/Theology presented in our universities today. Like present day students Daniel in the course of his studies would have experienced ...

The Testing Of His Faith

Daniel was fortunate to have born in the middle years of King Josiah’s reign in Jerusalem. (2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35). Under the influence of this godly king Daniel’s faith grew strong. The teaching of Jeremiah also meant a lot to him. During his university course in Babylon however, Daniel’s faith was to be severely tested. The primary source of the testing would have been in the nature of the course itself. Charles Swindoll[4] points out that, “Total indoctrination was the objective. Nebuchadnezzar wanted these boys to walk, talk, and think Babylonian style.” The intention was to replace the world view and value system of Daniel’s faith with that of the Babylonian. Swindoll[5] writes,

   Imagine a fourteen or fifteen year old boy living hundreds of miles from his family, forced to take college level courses in a foreign language, constantly barraged by pagan philosophy, and surrounded by the intimidating sights and sounds of a big city. There’s no going home. No summer vacation. Only day in, day out brainwashing in the ways of the world. It would be quite a test of his beliefs wouldn’t it? Daniel not only handled the test but passed it with flying colours.

Faith Wins Through

Daniel did not turn away from the Lord during his years at university. He withstood the pressures that he experienced in the intellectual, psychological, emotional, and spiritual areas of his life. 

It was Daniel’s faith in God which enabled him to negotiate his way through the tests which confronted him. One of the first tests he faced was associated with food. At meal times he was invited to eat food from the King’s table. The problem for Daniel was that such food was considered ceremonially unclean by Jewish people, because Gentiles had prepared it. Even more of a problem was that such food would have been offered in sacrifice to Babylonian gods before being brought to the King’s table. For Daniel to eat such food would be to acknowledge those gods and deny his own. (Exodus 34:15). He showed great insight in handling the problem. He avoided confrontation. Instead, writes Swindoll,[6] “he built a bridge of understanding between himself and his superior.” His request to be given other food was granted. His faith won the day.

The Source Of Daniel’s Faith

For Daniel it was the teaching of Josiah which pointed him towards the way of faith. But that teaching alone was insufficient. He needed to listen to what the Scriptures had to say to him personally. And he did just that. Daniel’s confidence in and love for the Hebrew Scriptures then in existence becomes clear from a reading of his book. It may have begun for him when one of Josiah’s secretaries found some long neglected dust covered copies of the Scriptures buried in the rubble of a part of the Temple which lay in disrepair. When Josiah called the people together and “read in their hearing all the words of the Book,” (2 Kings 23:2), Daniel would have been among those who responded.

Daniel was especially encouraged by the writings of Jeremiah. After many years in Babylon his hope for the deliverance of his people was kept alive by the Lord’s promise through Jeremiah that the captivity would end after 70 years. Daniel refers to this promise later in his book. “I Daniel, understand from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.” (Daniel 9:2).

Daniel received a wonderful education by courtesy of the Babylonian government. He graduated with an in depth understanding of the ways of the Babylonians but with his own world view and belief system intact.

The Lord also gave Daniel insight concerning ...

THE RISE AND FALL OF NATIONS

A Troubled King

In the second year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar began to be troubled by dreams. Among them was one which kept recurring. The king became so agitated that he called all his counsellors together to interpret the dream for him. By means of sorcery and magic they were supposed to have insight in such matters. But ...

The King’s Advisers Are Unable To Help

Nebuchadnezzar knew that an interpretation could be fabricated if his wise men knew the content of the dream. And so he wisely demanded that they first tell him what the dream was about and then explain its meaning. Faced with this demand the astrologers had to admit that they were inadequate. To the King’s request they angrily replied, “What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods and they do not live among men.” (vs. 11). They were wrong in their reasoning however, for there is a God who lives among men. And as he was about to reveal to Daniel, he controls the rise and fall of nations as time marches on towards the coming of his Messiah.

Daniel Takes Up The Challenge

The king was so angry with his advisers that he ordered their execution. Daniel and his friends were also included in the order. When Daniel heard about it he went to the king and told him that his God had revealed both the dream and its meaning to him during the night. He said to Nebuchadnezzar, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.” (Daniel 2:27-28).

When he heard this, the king invited Daniel to tell him the dream and its meaning. Daniel was careful to explain that his understanding had come from God. He would tell the king what God had revealed to him. 

The Dream And Its Meaning

Daniel first of all told Nebuchadnezzar the content of his dream as he said to him ... 

   “You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue, an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:31-35).

Daniel then interpreted the dream for the king. He explained that the different parts of the statue represented kingdoms that would fall, beginning with the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar. As each kingdom fell it would be replaced by others. And then, continued Daniel, “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to other people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end but it will itself endure forever.” (Daniel 2:44). When Nebuchadnezzar heard this he was moved to acknowledge the supremacy of the God of Daniel over all others. He said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings.” (Daniel 2: 47).

THE DETAIL IS NOW CLEARER

Daniel was not told the names of the kingdoms which would follow the fall of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. But if we put the history of the nations as we now know it alongside the insights Daniel received, the picture becomes clear.

The Head Of Gold (vs. 36-37)

This represents Nebuchadnezzar and the kingdom of Babylon over which he ruled. Nebuchadnezzar used to refer to himself as the King of Kings (Ezekiel 26:7), but he would soon become aware that it was a title belonging only to the Lord. (Daniel 2:47, Revelation 19:16).

The Chest And Arms Of Silver (vs. 32,39).

These represent the Medo-Persian kingdom. It would have been hard for Nebuchadnezzar to accept that an inferior kingdom would overthrow his. Babylon’s capital city Babylon was protected by a moat connected to the Euphrates River which ran through the centre of the city. Surrounding the city were high double walls many metres thick. But Babylon did fall to a less powerful group of people. Charles Swindoll[7] describes what happened.

   In 539 BC however, the unthinkable happened. According to Herodotus, the combined forces of the Medes and Persians diverted the Euphrates, causing the water level to drop and enabling them to enter at night through unguarded sluice gates. Great golden Babylon fell without a fight or harm to the city, and in its place rose the Medo-Persian empire. Darius the Mede required conquered nations to pay tribute in silver, which, interestingly, corresponds to the silver chest and arms.

The Lower Trunk Of Brass (vs. 32,39)

This part of the statue represents the kingdom which Daniel predicted “will rule over the whole earth.” (vs. 39). It was the kingdom of Greece. Dwight Pentecost  notes that it was the Greek emperor Alexander the Great who conquered the Medo-Persians between the years of 334 and 330 BC. Alexander’s conquests, writes Pentecost[8], “extended the Greek Empire as far east as the north-western portion of India.” Ray Stedman[9] says that he “swept across the world of his day, conquering the known kingdoms of earth and weeping because he had no other worlds to conquer.” And Swindoll[10] makes the interesting observation that “the Greek soldiers used shields made of bronze, hence the bronze in the image.”

The Legs Of Iron And Feet Of Iron And Clay (vs. 33, 43)

These represent the Roman Empire. Swindoll[11] writes, “In 146 BC Roman legions like iron tanks rumbled across the Mediterranean world and eventually Europe, crushing everything in their path.” The Kingdom of Rome eventually collapsed because of internal divisions and moral decay. Just as iron and clay do not mix, so the mixture making up Roman society was never able to hold together. This picture of Rome however, includes more than the ancient Roman Empire. Ray Stedman[12] understands this part of the picture. He writes ...

   The interesting  thing now is that every single nation of this western hemisphere was begun by one of the nations of the Roman Empire. Our entire Western world is Roman to the core. You can see that even in our own [USA] history. We have a senate which is one of the fundamental bases of our government, and which we copied directly from the Roman senate. The very republican form of the United States government is based upon the republic of Rome. Our courts, our laws, our military, all reflect the ... forms of the Roman Empire.

   ... ‘so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united’ (vs. 43) ... seems to imply a universal application ...

   What is happening in the nations of the West in our day? Well clearly they are torn by domestic strife. They are being weakened by internal conflict. There is enough iron yet, to threaten with the power of ancient Rome, but there is enough clay to weaken and paralyse, so that nations are unable to accomplish their objectives. Thus we have the sight of great and powerful nations which are almost helpless to carry out what they set themselves to do. They are being throttled and thwarted by internal weakness, by struggles breaking out from within, by the unmixable principle of the voice of the people and the iron will of authority in conflict.

The Rock Which Became A Huge Mountain (vs. 34-35, 44-45)

The rock which “was cut out but not by human hands” is Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:6-8). The last kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream will be replaced by the kingdom which Christ will establish. This kingdom will never fall. “It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” (vs. 44).

SOME LESSONS FOR TODAY

Adversity May Be An Opportunity For Witness

In allowing Daniel to be taken captive to Babylon, the Lord was putting a witness to himself at the centre of Gentile world powers. Compare Daniel’s experience to that of Paul’s. (Acts 9:15-16).

God’s Discipline Is Always For His Peoples’ Good

At the time the people of Israel were taken into captivity, the evils of idolatry were rampant in Jewish society. By the time they were set free to return to their own land 70 years later, the Jewish people acknowledged but one God, a conviction that has remained with them ever since. The discipline of the Lord is always meant for our benefit. (Hebrews 12:5-11).

The Kingdoms We Build for Ourselves Are Only Temporary

Swindoll[13] writes, “Our golden dreams may sparkle briefly in the sunlight, but eventually they will all come crashing down. Invest your life in what will last - the Kingdom of God. Construct your future on Jesus the Rock. There is no firmer foundation.”

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By faith these people overthrew kingdoms,
ruled with justice, and received what God had promised
them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames
of fire and escaped death  by the edge of the sword.
their weakness was turned to strength. They became
strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.
                                       (Hebrews 11:33-34)