The Book of Daniel - Chapter 1
So let's start our journey!
The Book of Daniel.
Chapter One -
Nebuchadnezzar, who was the king of Babylon came and took control of Jerusalem.
The implication here is that he was supported in this takeover by God himself since it says the Lord delivered King Jehoiakim into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar decided that he would bring some of the royal family and nobility into his service.
He wanted young men, handsome, without physical defects. He wanted them to be intelligent and quick to learn anything he might instruct them to study.
Basically the King wanted the palace to be a place of knowledge and insight. He could make use of the human resources he had gained through his conquest of Jerusalem, but he'd need to assimilate them into the King's environment.
After all, they'd be serving in the palace and since Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon, they would have to learn the language and literature of these Babylonians.
This would be quite an extensive process, so the plan was that they would be under instruction for 3 years, at which point, having shown they were capable, would go into the King's service.
Four of the chosen men out of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
King Nebuchadnezzar's chief official gave these men 4 new names. It appears they were renamed to help the process of erasing their association with their own nation and religion. To distance them from their actual history.
But being in the King's employ during this period of training and learning, they would need food and shelter and to accommodate this, the King declared that they would be fed from the royal food stocks.
Normally, we would think of this as a welcome and kind gesture on the part of King Nebuchadnezzar. However, Daniel (and his compatriots) had complications with this order.
Daniel asked that they be given permission to not eat the foods as they would "defile" them.
There are several suggestions about why the men thought of this food as defiling them.
One thought involved the fact that Babylonians meat of choice at that time was pork which was then, as now, against the dietary restrictions of Jews. Another possibility similarly is that food preparation was not kosher or that the preparation was so radically different from what was done by the Jews that it would be upsetting to their stomachs - in the same fashion that we can have problems visiting foreign places where the food can raise trouble with our digestion. Also it was suggested that since idolatry was practiced frequently in Babylon at the time that there was some fear that the food or wine had been previously offered to an idol (which would make it forbidden or unclean).
But in any case, the chief official was afraid that since he had been instructed to feed the chosen young men from the royal food stocks, that if he deviated and allowed them to eat instead, as they wished, they might begin to exhibit weight loss, or loss of strength. This would be seen by the King as a failure to execute the orders he had given and the official himself would be at risk of punishment or death.
After explaining this worry, Daniel responded that he had a suggestion that might help. He asked for a 10 day test in which they would be given nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. After the 10 days, the official could compare them to the other men and decide if it was a workable solution.
Agreeing to this, the test began. Ten days later, not only did they look stronger and healthier than the other young men, but showed signs of better nourishment. This led the Chief Official to allow them to eat the vegetables and drink the water as they had requested.
Apparently his head would remain safely upon his shoulders, which appeared to be a satisfactory (and preferred) location to him.
After the 3 year training was over, all the trainees were brought before the King to be interviewed by Nebuchadnezzar himself. Getting a feel for who might be the best fit for the positions he imagined them filling.
After talking with them, the King decided these four, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah to be the best of all the young men, and he chose them to enter his service.
Some of the training they had been given was involving magic and enchanting and the King decided they were far better than any other magician or enchanter in the whole kingdom.
And this was the place Daniel remained.
The Book of Daniel.
Chapter One -
Nebuchadnezzar, who was the king of Babylon came and took control of Jerusalem.
The implication here is that he was supported in this takeover by God himself since it says the Lord delivered King Jehoiakim into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar decided that he would bring some of the royal family and nobility into his service.
He wanted young men, handsome, without physical defects. He wanted them to be intelligent and quick to learn anything he might instruct them to study.
Basically the King wanted the palace to be a place of knowledge and insight. He could make use of the human resources he had gained through his conquest of Jerusalem, but he'd need to assimilate them into the King's environment.
After all, they'd be serving in the palace and since Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon, they would have to learn the language and literature of these Babylonians.
This would be quite an extensive process, so the plan was that they would be under instruction for 3 years, at which point, having shown they were capable, would go into the King's service.
Four of the chosen men out of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
King Nebuchadnezzar's chief official gave these men 4 new names. It appears they were renamed to help the process of erasing their association with their own nation and religion. To distance them from their actual history.
But being in the King's employ during this period of training and learning, they would need food and shelter and to accommodate this, the King declared that they would be fed from the royal food stocks.
Normally, we would think of this as a welcome and kind gesture on the part of King Nebuchadnezzar. However, Daniel (and his compatriots) had complications with this order.
Daniel asked that they be given permission to not eat the foods as they would "defile" them.
There are several suggestions about why the men thought of this food as defiling them.
One thought involved the fact that Babylonians meat of choice at that time was pork which was then, as now, against the dietary restrictions of Jews. Another possibility similarly is that food preparation was not kosher or that the preparation was so radically different from what was done by the Jews that it would be upsetting to their stomachs - in the same fashion that we can have problems visiting foreign places where the food can raise trouble with our digestion. Also it was suggested that since idolatry was practiced frequently in Babylon at the time that there was some fear that the food or wine had been previously offered to an idol (which would make it forbidden or unclean).
But in any case, the chief official was afraid that since he had been instructed to feed the chosen young men from the royal food stocks, that if he deviated and allowed them to eat instead, as they wished, they might begin to exhibit weight loss, or loss of strength. This would be seen by the King as a failure to execute the orders he had given and the official himself would be at risk of punishment or death.
After explaining this worry, Daniel responded that he had a suggestion that might help. He asked for a 10 day test in which they would be given nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. After the 10 days, the official could compare them to the other men and decide if it was a workable solution.
Agreeing to this, the test began. Ten days later, not only did they look stronger and healthier than the other young men, but showed signs of better nourishment. This led the Chief Official to allow them to eat the vegetables and drink the water as they had requested.
Apparently his head would remain safely upon his shoulders, which appeared to be a satisfactory (and preferred) location to him.
After the 3 year training was over, all the trainees were brought before the King to be interviewed by Nebuchadnezzar himself. Getting a feel for who might be the best fit for the positions he imagined them filling.
After talking with them, the King decided these four, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah to be the best of all the young men, and he chose them to enter his service.
Some of the training they had been given was involving magic and enchanting and the King decided they were far better than any other magician or enchanter in the whole kingdom.
And this was the place Daniel remained.
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