God Grants Rulership
The Book of Daniel presents insights into the future with an emphasis on the rise and fall of key empires that will impact Israel. This includes coming times of “tribulation” when the people of God will endure persecution and even martyrdom at the hands of despotic pagan kings. But before doing so, it declares that the downfall of the kingdom of Judah is according to the will of Yahweh – it is the God of Israel who “gave” the Babylonian king sovereignty over the Jewish nation.
This theme occurs several times throughout
the Book. It is God who “gives the nations to whomsoever He pleases”
despite how things may appear. He uses the aspirations, arrogance, and deeds of
pagan kings and emperors to accomplish His will on behalf of His people. And
this is all part of an age-old controversy between Yahweh and His adversaries.
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| [Photo by Puk Patrick on Unsplash] |
In its opening paragraph, the Book labels Babylon the “land of Shinar,” a verbal link to the “Tower of Babel” incident. The Neo-Babylonian Empire had an ancient pedigree, and like his forbears, Nebuchadnezzar was determined to unite all men under one language and one government so all men might render homage to his great golden image and sovereignty.
Unwittingly, the Babylonian ruler was
working to reverse the judgment of Yahweh against “Shinar” by gathering all
nations under his rule. Representatives from conquered peoples were taken to
Babylon where they would be educated in the Chaldean “language” and
wisdom, including Daniel and his three companions.
Despite the efforts and intentions of the king,
events moved according to God’s plan. He was and is sovereign, and He rules
over the kingdoms of this age, including the mighty Neo-Babylonian Empire. In
fact, it was Yahweh who “gave” Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian throne and dominion
over the kingdom of Judah.
- (Daniel 1:1-2) – “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon to Jerusalem and laid siege against it; and the Lord gave into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah and a part of the vessels of the house of God, and he brought them into the land of Shinar into the house of his gods, and the vessels he brought into the treasure-house of his gods.”
GOD GRANTS POLITICAL POWER
The God of Israel is active in the affairs
of all nations, and He “GAVE” the kingdom of Judah into the Babylonian
king’s “hand.” Moreover, in doing so, He also placed the four powerless
Jewish captives in positions within the imperial court in Mesopotamia where
they would help advance His redemptive plans for Israel and the nations.
The first verse sets the stage - In the “third
year of the reign of Jehoiakim” - about the year 605 B.C. The career of
Daniel continued from this point until the “first year of King Cyrus”
when the “kingdom of the Medes and Persians” overthrew Babylon, also
according to Yahweh’s decree. But this clause is more than a chronological
marker, for it establishes the commencement of the seventy-year captivity
of the Jewish nation, an important milestone in Daniel – (Daniel 9:1-2).
In 605 B.C.,
Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem after defeating Egypt at the Battle
of Carchemish. At that time, he removed the “vessels” from the
Temple in Jerusalem and selected men from the royal house to be educated in
Babylon for service in his government.
With the conquest of Jerusalem, the
political independence of Judah ceased. The city and Temple were
ransacked, and the upper echelons of Judean society were sent to Mesopotamia.
Thus, Daniel found himself a powerless exile working in the civil service of the
Empire.
From the human perspective, this was
disastrous, nonetheless, it was in accord with the purposes of Yahweh. The
Hebrew verb rendered “GAVE” or nathan is applied several times in
Chapter 1 whenever Yahweh arranges events. Precisely why God “GAVE”
Judah over to this fate is not stated in the passage.
In fact, this becomes a key theme reiterated several times in Daniel, that God gives political power to whomever He pleases - (e.g., Daniel 2:20-21, 4:17).
The Babylonian king removed the vessels to
the Land of “Shinar,” and like the “Tower of Babel” incident,
he attempted to unite all people under one language, religion, and culture.
However, the “Most-High God” used the situation to accomplish His
purposes.
IN THE IMPERIAL COURT
As was his custom, Nebuchadnezzar planned to educate the Jewish exiles in the
wisdom, literature, and language of the “Chaldeans” so they would be
equipped to serve in the administration of his empire. On their arrival
in Babylon, the “king appointed the exiles a daily provision of his
food and of the wine that he drank to nourish them three years.” This was a
great honor, one not to be rejected without suffering serious consequences.
But Daniel was concerned that partaking of
the royal provisions would put his ritual purity at risk, and most probably, the
issue was eating food offered to (Babylonian) idols. In Babylonian rituals, food
consumed in the royal court was offered first to the Babylonian gods in
their sanctuaries before being served at the royal table.
But God “GAVE” Daniel favor before
the “prince of the eunuchs” who, then, granted his request to abstain
from the royal provisions for ten days. His positive response to Daniel was due
to the intervention of Yahweh - it was God who “GAVE” Daniel “kindness
and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs.”
Furthermore, God also “GAVE” the
exiles “knowledge and prudence in all learning and wisdom,” and He also gave
Daniel “understanding in all visions and dreams,” which, through the
prophet, became the primary means by which God announced and influenced the
direction of empires - (Daniel 1:9-16).
Nebuchadnezzar examined the youths and
found they excelled in “every matter of wisdom and understanding… And
Daniel continued even unto the first year of King
Cyrus.” That is, until
538 B.C. This establishes the length of his career - from the third
year of King Jehoiakim to the first year of Cyrus the Great – 605 to 538 B.C.
BOOK OF REVELATION
In Revelation, the story of Daniel’s “test” is
alluded to in its letters to Pergamos, Thyatira, and Smyrna. In the cities of
Asia, believers were being encouraged by false teachers to “eat meat offered to idols.”
Doing so would compromise the faith and
testimony of the Asian churches. However, refusing to participate in the idolatrous
practices of their society would expose them to persecution - (“The Devil is
about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days”).
In the passage in Revelation, the Greek
verb rendered “try” is the same one used in the Septuagint version
of Daniel, and the verbal link is deliberate. Daniel’s exemplary example
is the model for perseverance for the “seven assemblies of Asia” - (Daniel
1:12-14, Revelation 2:8-10).
Like Daniel, John found himself sent into exile
on the Isle of Patmos for the “testimony of Jesus.” He became a “fellow
participant in the tribulation and the kingdom and the perseverance in Jesus”
with the beleaguered and marginalized congregations of Asia.
And like Daniel, God used John to “prophesy
to nations and kings,” pronouncing their rise and fall, and in the end, the
victory of the kingdom of God and the absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ over
the Cosmos - (Revelation 1:9, 10:11).
