Daniel, Chapter 1

The Book of Daniel opens with King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieging Jerusalem, taking captive the most outstanding princes from the Judean court, and bringing them to Babylon to “re-educate” them. Did you know that Daniel was a prince – in the royal lineage? He was probably a teenager when captured.

This was his custom, to collect the cream of the crop from the nations he conquered, to be educated in the Babylonian language, culture, and religion. Then they would join the council of the king’s advisors, known as the Wise Men, or Magi. These advisors were usually astrologers, magicians, and sorcerers.

Daniel and his three friends remained strong in their belief and love for their God, against the indoctrination into the Babylonian culture and religion. Babylon, which was later described as an extravagantly worldly city in other parts of the Bible, was also the center of idolatry. It came to represent the mentality of wealthy materialism that entices people to worship money, aka Mammon, which draws people away from God.

Sound like our society? We seem to be inundated with the Babylonian mentality. Are we willing to extract ourselves from it and remain faithful to our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel)? Whoever or whatever we spend most of our thought life on becomes our God. I think we might be in trouble, huh?