Introduction to the Book of Daniel

 Introduction to the Book of Daniel 

From the English Standard Bible

 

Author and Date

Daniel wrote this book in the sixth century B.C. It records the events of Daniel’s life and the visions that he saw from the time of his exile in 605 B.C. (1:1) until 536 B.C., the third year of King Cyrus (10:1).

Theme

The book’s central theme is God’s sovereignty over history, empires, and kings (2:21; 4:34-37). All the kingdoms of this world will come to an end and will be replaced by the Lord’s kingdom, which will never pass away (2:44; 7:27). Though trials and difficulties will continue for God’s people up until the end, those who are faithful will be raised to glory, honor, and everlasting life in this final kingdom (12:1–3).

 

 

 

Daniel 1:1-7

 

March 2, 2024

 

Daniel Taken to Babylon

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it.  And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.  Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.  The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time, they were to stand before the king.   Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.  And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

As I read this, I was thinking, I would have been passed over and left in Israel; I was a long way from nobility.  I was not good in appearance, nor skillful in wisdom, and certainly not endowed with knowledge.  Daniel has always been one of my heroes of God, in that he was just a young boy when he was taken, and we see nowhere in Scripture where he was anything but faithful to all he knew about God.

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice