v.1-10
Girl's meeting, Historical background of the 3 prophets:
(NET) This attack culminated in the first of three major deportations of Jews to Babylon. The second one occurred in 597 B.C. and included among many other Jewish captives the prophet Ezekiel. The third deportation occurred in 586 B.C., at which time the temple and the city of Jerusalem were thoroughly destroyed.
Ob and In:
1. The role of God, Nebuchadnezzar, and his gods v.1-2
God gave the king Judah, the vessels of the temple, to Neb, but Neb gave the vessels to his gods, and put in the treasury of god.
2. The young men from royal and noble line were already good enough to stand before the king v.4. All they needed now is to learn the Babylonian literature and language, or be Babylonianized. This is a continuation of point #1, Neb got the treasures (the young men) from Judah, but he used them for his own good.
The process of Babylonianization was decided by Neb
v.10b I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided your food and drink.
The 3 elements of Babylonianization:
a. a daily ration from his royal delicacies and from the wine he himself drank. (ZIBBC) Those receiving such rations were expected to show loyalty to the king in return.
b They were to be trained for the next three years
c. name changed
(NET) The names reflect a Jewish heritage. In Hebrew Daniel means “God is my judge”; Hananiah means “the Lord is gracious”; Mishael means “who is what God is?”; Azariah means “the Lord has helped.”
(NET) The meanings of the Babylonian names are more conjectural than is the case with the Hebrew names. The probable etymologies are as follows: Belteshazzar means “protect his life,” although the MT vocalization may suggest “Belti, protect the king” (cf. Dan 4:8); Shadrach perhaps means “command of Aku”; Meshach is of uncertain meaning; Abednego means “servant of Nego.” Assigning Babylonian names to the Hebrew youths may have been an attempt to erase from their memory their Israelite heritage.
3. In this "race," Neb seems to take over God's control and disregarded the fact that God was the One who gave all these to him. But, one person had a very clear mind of Who God is and Who Neb was. v.8 starts with "But." And God responded to him positively.
8a But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine...
9 Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel.
Reflection: Do we see the big picture or the reality of world power? Do we see Neb is the winner and the one who is in control? Of course, he was able to put the treasures in his god's temple and treasury. Those are the facts and things that people can see, but do we see the One behind this. Neb believed that he is able to use people's talent for his own good. All they need is to be integrated into his country, and forgot their own identity. Can I be like Daniel who has a clear mind of who God is, and who man is? To stand up against the king required courage. Do I have that?
v.11-20
Ob and In:
1. Change of character: v.11 Daniel spoke to the warden whom the overseer had appointed over them.
(NET) Having failed to convince the overseer, Daniel sought the favor of the warden whom the overseer had appointed to care for the young men.
The wisdom of Daniel was also shown for the period of time he asked for. 10 days seemed insignificance comparing to the 3 years of time. And thus, it would be easier for the warden to accept.
Reflection: Do I have the wisdom of Daniel and find the alternative of solution? Do I have the wisdom of Daniel in finding solution that will be acceptable to both parties?
2. Repeated word: appearance v.13, 15
The purpose of the food (at least from the surface) is to maintain their appearance, which was also one of the criteria when they were selected v.4 and the worries of the overseer v.10. At the end their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier than other young men. That was totally not up to them to maintain that, but God did.
God did not just take care of their appearance when they followed Him. He also gave them knowledge and skills in all sorts of lit and wisdom, plus insight into visions and dreams for Daniel (their spokesperson) v.17. Their advancement in knowledge skills were well tested by the king v.20. They were above not just the apprentice level, but master level v.20. Israel, the people of God, failed, but that did not mean that God was a failure. He was in control and He still is. His power, which was shown in Daniel's knowledge and skills, far exceeded the human's power.
The last gift God gave to Daniel was advance to his age in v.21. He outlived the Babylonian kingdom.
Reflection: When Daniel gave the proposal God responded and gave them the appearance that the warden and the overseer required. Do I have the faith like Daniel?
God was pleased with Daniel and gave him extra blessings, both in degree and in quantity. Finally, God blessed him long longevity. Do I honor people who feared God and blessed by God? Do I admire Daniel??
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