Context, Purpose and Structure
Context
Chapter 1 sets up the historical background and road ahead for the book of Daniel. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah are among those taken into exile to Babylon as part of God’s punishment for his people’s disobedience (see 2 Kings 24). Daniel and his friends are not taken captive as slaves, but are initiated into Babylonian life to serve the king as Babylonians. This chapter presents God’s sovereignty and faithfulness over these events and presents Daniel and his friends as distinct God-fearers in another kingdom throughout the entire exile.
Purpose
This chapter introduces a theme that will be unpacked throughout the book: God’s sovereign control over all human events and the lives of those faithful to him. In light of this, we are to boldly depend on God to remain devoted to him, rather than conforming to worldly rule.
Structure
1:1-5: God’s sovereignty in punishment
1:6-21: God’s sovereignty in preservation
1:6-16: God enables faithful dependence
1:17-21: God enables gracious distinction
Notes on the Text
1:1-5: Even in these first verses, God’s sovereignty is forefronted. We note that it is the Lord who delivers king Jehoiakim to king Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel also gives us a subtle reminder of Israel’s disobedience in the mention of the articles of the temple that are taken. This recalls Hezekiah’s foolish showing off of his riches that God rebuked him for (see Isaiah 39). The exile has happened, just as God said it would. We are also told that these articles are from the temple of God – his name is being dishonoured through this exile. 1:3-5 outlines the military strategy of Babylon at the time. This was not merely to capture those from other nations, but (more significantly) to assimilate them into the reigning culture so that other nations and beliefs would eventually be erased. Captives would have their names changed, be indoctrinated into the ruling cultural ideologies, and be well provided for by the king in order to serve him alone.
1:6-16: Here we are introduced to Daniel and his friends. Although having had his name changed, Daniel resolves not to defile himself with the king’s food. It is unlikely that this is an issue of Babylonian food not being kosher (10:3 implies that Daniel appears to have resumed eating this finer food at some point). The use of language about defilement could suggest food laws, yet it may also be a way of implying holiness – that is, devotion to God, rather than Nebuchadnezzar (God’s people in Daniel are “the holy people of the Most High,” 7:18; 7:22). The references to the ‘royal food’ (literally “provisions of the king”) in 1:8; 1:13 and 1:15 and to food from the king’s table in 1:4, suggest it is the source of this rich sustenance that is being highlighted. Daniel deliberately and openly wants to trust God and give him the credit for success during his training and not defile himself by trusting another king’s provision for his life. Daniel chooses this food issue as an opportunity to take a stand to express his dependence on God, rather than on the impressive provision of the world. This is a bold move that Daniel persists with. The chief official fears for his life if Daniel does not flourish (1:10), but Daniel continues to take the matter to the guard until a test is agreed. In 1:15 Daniel and his friends appear better than those who eat the royal food. Again in 1:9 we see God’s sovereignty over this situation, allowing these events to unfold, and we have to conclude that it is God who has given these men health, despite such modest diets.
1:17-21: In addition to preserving their health and their conscientious trust in him, God blesses these faithful men further, with the wisdom and skill they need to flourish, even while diligently working for another king. It is God who gives this wisdom, so that although in civil matters they serve Nebuchadnezzar, they are distinct because of God, and defined by his faithfulness and wisdom. This gracious provision continues for the entire exile (ending in the year of king Cyrus, 1:21). We have already been given a clue as to Daniel’s successful outcome and perseverance in the midst of godless authority and rule. Daniel may serve in Babylon, but ultimately he submits to God’s sovereignty and depends on his faithfulness.
Implications
Under the rule of other kingdoms and the governance of other cultures, God’s people may not always suffer materially. There are other ways in which God’s people can be erased. The danger of assimilation and dependence on the world is a real danger for us today. In this situation, one commentator writes that the devil’s fundamental goal is “always to obliterate our memory of the Lord, to re-educate our minds to his way of thinking and to install in us a sense that all of the good things in life come from the world around us and from the satisfaction of the desires of the flesh.”
For Daniel, the temptation was not merely to enjoy the privileges offered by the world but to rely on them for his wellbeing. Such things can quickly move from blessings that are enjoyed to lifestyles that define us, shifting our devotion and dependence from God to things he has created.
Whilst forgetting that our provision comes from God is one temptation, the flip-side is conforming to expectation. As with Daniel’s food issue, such conformity can often seem vital for survival in the world: In our own lives, it may take the form of beliefs or paradigms we are expected to subscribe to in order to get along in our academic field; financial and vocational decisions to sustain expectations of home and family; or ethical stances to maintain friendships. These are some ‘big categories’, but there may be other areas where we need to remind ourselves that God is sovereign and is faithful to sustain us. What deliberate steps can we take to do this? We need not wait however, until we spot such false dependence on the ways of the world. At a deeper level, it might be that we simply don’t have an attitude that is always looking for opportunity to express devotion to our God as we await the consummation of his kingdom. As we do commit to him, we find that God is amazingly faithful. In doing so, our approach won’t be to remove ourselves from the world, but like Daniel, to trust in God for being wise to the ways of the world and its ideologies and to be distinctively discerning within it.
Throughout all of this, we are to remember that our own exile, like Daniel’s, is no accident. God is in control and delights to preserve those that long to be faithful to him. In our own struggles and inevitable failures to live like Daniel, we must look to Jesus as the one who lived this life perfectly throughout his time on earth. He knew that man does not live by bread alone but by trust in God’s word; he knew that even the rulers of this world would have no authority over his life, if it were not given to them by God; he had godly wisdom, that the world not only marvelled at, but benefited from. In him, it is his devotion to God that enables our own.
Daniel 1 in the Academy
Daniel and his friends have been taken into Babylon to serve the Babylonian empire. They have been recognised as gifted people and have a full bursary funded by the empire to further their education in a three year programme in service of the king. We can note three things: firstly, Daniel and friends undertake this willingly and with good engagement with their captors, not under duress. Indeed, they are treated well by their captors as the intent is to assimilate them into Babylonian culture. Secondly, Daniel shows us that this is all the work of God. Humanly, it looks as though Nebuchadnezzar and his gods have got one up on the God of Judah, carrying off his possessions and owning them themselves. However, we know that this situation has come about as the Lord delivered them over. Thirdly, there is a desire to be distinct for God whilst in a pagan society.
In our position as exiles in the world, we may find that it is not the overt opposition to or destruction of our faith that is the danger, but it may be the assimilation into the culture around us. This may happen in a couple of ways, either through the privatisation of our faith (“serve the empire in your field of study, keep your faith at home and out of the academy”); or through the ownership of our God-given opportunities (“your expertise and study belong to the empire.”) The way this can be so dangerous is when our identity is closely tied to our career and academic achievement, where we ourselves are indistinguishable from the world that claims us.
We may not be bestowed with new names that seek to eradicate our identity as belonging to God as Daniel was, but the world may award titles that we cherish and seek, perhaps ‘Dr’ or ‘Professor’ or Fellow. Daniel and his friends hold these pagan names lightly, as the interchangeability of their Hebrew and Babylonian names throughout the book sees them walking in both lanes simultaneously; in the world but not of it.
As they navigate this in chapter 1, the main thrust is Daniel’s conviction that his success will not be attributed to, or owned by Nebuchadnezzar. He will serve the king, but it will be in God’s strength alone that he will find success. Daniel finds a way to make this overt by asking to be fed differently. Not only so, but his request, on the surface, is surely disastrous humanly speaking. It seems not only unlikely, but dangerous to diverge so radically from those around him by snubbing the king’s provision. Surely the king’s meat and the king’s table gives the best chance of success and survival. Yet Daniel knows differently. Daniel and his friends are able to serve humbly – not as ‘the best in their field’ or as a social elite – and yet they are also bold. This boldness comes not from spiritual or academic arrogance (“We’re better because we have the true God” or “We’re elite in our field, therefore doing God’s work”), but from their desire to honour God. Rather than the strength of their pagan funding, peer reviews, awards or patronage, they know that it is God who must be with them, not merely for ‘success’ but also for the honour of his name in the heart of secular culture and practice. How might this be true for you?
Discussion questions
Interpretation questions
- Why the emphasis on the monarchy in this chapter?
- How might this highlight Daniel’s objection to the food he’s offered?
- How is God’s concern with Daniel’s academic life and flourishing expressed in this chapter?
- How is this related to the honour of God in a pagan culture?
Application questions
- How convinced are you that God alone is to be trusted for your academic success?
- Reflect on the ways in which academia and university culture may seek to keep you indebted to itself and bind your allegiance to it.
- Are there any decisive choices or decisions that you can make that would highlight dependency and allegiance to God in your work?
- How might being indebted to pagan resourcing and strength compromise your allegiance to Christ or your desire to live distinctively for him?
- What is more at risk in your life: your academic flourishing or distinctiveness as a Christian?
- How might the sovereignty of God shown in this chapter encourage you going forward?
Matt Peckham is the Pastor at Bradley Stoke Evangelical church in North Bristol. After working as an Art Director in London’s advertising industry for 10 years, he re-trained at Oak Hill Theological College, which included an MA thesis on aesthetics and epistemology. He has previously written on apologetics for the FIEC Primer magazine and contributes to the work of The Foundations Trust, Cambridge.