Daniel: Introduction (4)

Introduction
The purpose of God’s chastening is correction and restoration. God sent His people into captivity in Babylon, but He did not intend them to languish there. They were still His covenant people, blessed of God to be a blessing to the nations. A time of restoration would come, and His people must be always preparing for this, as the prophet Jeremiah explained.

Read Jeremiah 29.1-14.

Read Daniel 1.3-7.
Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

Think it Through
1.  God instructed His people to fulfill His covenant, even while they were in the stressful and inconvenient circumstances of captivity. Meditate on Genesis 1.26-28 and 12.1-3. God’s covenant people are His covenant people regardless of where they are or what’s happening around or to them. How would Jeremiah’s letter to the captives have reminded them of this? How can we remind ourselves of this every day?

2.  Meditate on Proverbs 21.1. God moved Nebuchadnezzar to take His people into captivity (Dan. 1.1, 2). But God commanded His captive people to fulfill His covenant and bless their captors (Jer. 29.1-14). How can you see from Daniel 1.3-7 that God works to enable His people to fulfill what He expects of them? How do you see God doing this in your life? From early on in the book of Daniel, God reminds us that He is in control, and His covenant and rule will not fail. Explain.

Meditate
“Now all this happened just as Isaiah had predicted to Hezekiah …: ‘And some of your own sons will become slaves, yes eunuchs, in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” Theodoret of Cyr (393-466 AD)

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13.20, 2`

Thank You, Father, that Your covenant is everlasting, Your promises will never fail, Your Word is utterly reliable and entirely true, and therefore I…

Pray
By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down, yea, we wept
When we remembered Zion.
We hung our harps
Upon the willows in the midst of it…
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget its skill!
If I do not remember you,
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—
If I do not exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.

Psalm 137.1, 2, 5, 6

Psalm 137.1, 2, 4-6(The Gift of Love: Though I May Speak)
We sit beside the waters deep, in broken pride, to mourn and weep
For Zion’s woes and all our sin: How great our foes, without, within!

How can we sing, exalt Your Name, or praises bring amid our shame?
If we forget Your Church’s fame, O Lord, then let our hands grow lame.

T. M Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006.