Daniel 1:1-7: Setting the Stage

"In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar

king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it." Daniel 1:1

Among other things, this December we are going to be walking through the book of Daniel and understanding all that it has to teach us. The book of Daniel is a most interesting book, as it is one of two books in the Bible of apocalyptic literature (the other being Revelation). Furthermore, the book of Daniel perfectly aligns with the seventy years of Israel's Babylonian captivity, allowing us to walk along Israel in their captivity and find how they had hope amidst trial, even as we can have hope amidst trial. However, perhaps the greatest finding from Daniel that we see is its pointing to Christ as the Son of Man, which will certainly help us understand greater the Incarnation of Jesus, otherwise known as Christmas. I'm truly excited for our journey through the book of Daniel. I hope you are too.

Nevertheless, let's get going. In these first few verses of Daniel, the author is going to set the stage for us. The first two verses are a broad summary of 2 Kings 24-25 (which we just went through in our devotional study; it's like I planned this or something), which tell of the fall of the Israelite kingdom by the Babylonians and their following captivity. After the Israelites were overtaken by Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar took most* of Jerusalem captive to his own land, using them for his own purposes. This is extremely important to the book of Daniel, as we see that the literary context of this book is Israelite captivity. In the past, God has covenentally promised to give Israel the promised land (see Genesis 12) and an everlasting kingdom (see 2 Samuel 7). In the 70 years of captivity, it seems as if neither of these promises are coming true. Is God unfaithful to his covenantal promises? We find the Israelites, as well as us, asking this question. Thanks fo the book of Daniel, we have an answer to that question, which we will see.

But let us move on. In the rest of the verses of this text, we our four main characters of the book of Daniel, men you know of as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These four men were chosen because of their connection to nobility, their manly-lookin' and studly outward appearance, and their competency in wisdom, to learn Babylonian culture and language, all for the purpose of being presented to the king at the end of three years for the king's purposes. Now, these verses are certainly setting up the stage for what we are about to see in the rest of the book of Daniel. However, I want us to pause here and realize: God has ALREADY been faithful to his covenant. He could have let the Israelites be fully overtaken by Babylon, but he didn't. How do we know this? Because we have the book of Daniel. We have four men who were a faithful remnant of Yahweh whom the Lord sovereignly appointed to flourish in the Babylonian society all that the nation of Israel might have a glimpse of hope. Thus, we find even in these short seven verses that the Lord's providential hand has been and always is on his people, which can certainly give us great hope today as well.

So, if God was true to his people even in the time of Israelite captivity, do you not think that he will be faithful to you today? Perhaps you have given up on God today, but let me encourage you that if you are truly his child, he has not given up on you. Though it may seem like you are in captivity, God has a providential plan for you pain. He will not desert his children, though in the depths of the valley it may seem as if he is not near. Dear child of God, take hold to the promises of God: in the time of captivity, he raised up a Daniel, but furthermore, in the time of silence, he raised up a Christ, who died for you on a cross to prove to you that he would never leave you nor forsake you. Amen!

*The only people left in Jerusalem were the poor and outcast (2 Kings 24:14).