Thursday: Final Exam
Read Daniel 1:17-21. What is the key to the success of the four men? (See also Job 38:36, Prov. 2:6, James 1:5).
After three years of training in the “Babylonian University”, the four Hebrews are brought before the king for the final examination. They are not only healthier than the other students, they surpass them in knowledge and wisdom. The four are immediately hired to serve the king. We shouldn’t forget that this “knowledge and wisdom” is no doubt comprised of a lot of paganism. Yet they learn it anyway, and obviously they learn it well, too, even if they don’t believe it.
Image © Kevin Cardin at Goodsalt.com
Nebuchadnezzar may think that such accomplishment would have something to do with the palace diet and the training program the four students have undergone. However, Daniel and his companions know, and the narrative clearly shows, that their superior performance owes nothing to the Babylonian system. Everything comes from God. What a powerful example of what God can do for those who trust Him. We should not fear the overwhelming power of media, governments, and other institutions that may threaten to destroy our identity as God’s children. As we place our confidence in God, we can be sure that He can sustain us in difficult moments and preserve us against all odds. The key is for us to make the right choices when confronted with challenges to our faith.
Looking at Daniel 1, we learn some very important lessons about God: (1) God is in control of history. (2) God gives wisdom so that we can navigate the hostile environment of our culture and society. (3) God honors those who trust in Him through inner conviction and lifestyle.
The chapter concludes by pointing out that “Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus” (Dan. 1:21, NKJV). The mention of Cyrus here is significant: it provides a glimpse of hope amid an experience of exile. Cyrus is the one chosen by God to liberate His people and allow them to go back to Jerusalem. Though the chapter begins with the appearance of defeat and exile, it concludes with a glimpse of hope and a homecoming. This is our God: even amid the most difficult moments of our lives, He always opens a window of hope so that we can see the glory and joy that lie beyond the suffering and pain.
(32)
It is worth remembering again that Babylon at the time was one of the recognised education centres of the world. We have already mentioned their development of place valued numerical system, something that even escaped the Romans centuries later. As Michele Robertson mentioned in comment on Sabbath, they developed many branches of science. Their understanding of the movement of the stars, planets and moon was phenomenal in its accuracy because of their ability to record time and angles with precision.
It is also worth mentioning that they were not altogether intolerant of other religions. It was in Babylon that one of the great rabbinical schools was established.
I would not be surprised if the four Hebrews were listened to as well as being taught in the Babylonian education. It is also important to understand that the Hebrew sacred literature, The Torah and some of the other old testament writings were taken to Babylon and were valued to the extent that they were persevered there. That in itself says something about the Babylonian education system. (Some scholars believe that the form we see them in today was finalised during the Babylonian captivity.)
I might also add a bit from my own experience. While most of my professional life has been involved in teaching in an Adventist institution, most of my education took place in state universities. I attended Monash University Melbourne, Sydney University and the University of Newcastle, where I studied education and computing. I studied Science at Avondale College but sat the London University examinations. Secular education, for me was necessary because I needed to have recognised qualifications to carry out my career. Was it challenging to my faith? Yes indeed. One result is that I have to think very carefully about what I believe and why I believe it. Another thing I have learned is to respect what others believe, even when I disagree with them.
So while the four Hebrew young men were challenged by their pagan education, I believe they learned valuable lessons and were able to express and retain their own ideas.
PS: I have noted there have been a number of comments expressing the idea that Daniel and his friends were Eunuchs. While there is a fairly high probablity that they were, it should be noted also that neither the Bible, or to the best of my knowledge, Ellen White, make any comment on the matter.
Welcome back Elder Ashton I love your contributions.
In sum, these young men had a strong faith nourished by their exposure to the Word of God, and God's Word provided a grid through which they could filter the godless Babylonian brainwashing.
This is a very astute comment and it is applicable today. Remember when we hear the news and secular society trying to shape and control our world view with their religion (eviormentalism/“climate change”, Mother Earth), that God is in control. Yes, we should do what we can to protect it but He designed it to survive until He comes.
JUST BEFORE THE FINAL EXAM
We should examine ourselves:
1. Do you love the Lord with all your heart?
2. Does sin grieve you?
3. Do you obey Jesus as the Lord?
4. Do you love your neighbours?
5. Where is your treasure?
6. What kind of fruits are you bearing?
7. Do you share Christ with others?
8. Is your speech Christ like?
9. Do you have regular devotion?
10. Are you regular in your church attendance?
11. Do you strive for holiness?
12. Do you treat your body as the temple of God?
These young Hebrew boys had a strong background on Torah since their early childhood.This enabled them to grow in the wisdom and faith which would later help them stand the test of their time in captivity,thanks to their parents who ensured who ensured their early childhood development was marked by the aspects I've mentioned above.Most of our youth get their secular education, something necessary for the development of their careers.Most of the ideas learnt in these institutions are derived from either Greek or Babylonian literature. After three years of their study in Babylonian universities,they even were found to have grown mentally stronger and superior to other students, and, this wouldn't sound surprise to say they attained first class honours following their discourse with the king.In camp meetings,i hear ministers advocate our children should join Adventist related institutions to avoid indoctrination,when,these Hebrew youths were never brainwashed at any point since their strong background on Torah and biblical principles. Are we parents missing our responsibility to nurture our children based on the two aspects above to send our youths to non-adventist institutions? Here are two issues of discussion:
1.Non-adventist/adventist institutions v.s indoctrination
2.Role of parents in early childhood development
I invite any schools of thought on the two issues above to help us on the subject of upbringing so that as our children join any institution of learning, they should know the bounds lest they fall a prey to being brainwashed and fall off the principles once laid to us by our forefathers.
You raise some interesting observations Simeon. The problem is that even after 40+ years as an educator, I don't know the answer either. Every student is different and the only method that has any hope of success is to love them unconditionally. The challenge is to teach them to be both robust and flexible by modelling rather than by just teaching learnable facts.
Ultimately young people have free choice and in spite of whatever you do and say, some of them are going to turn away from God. We have to live with that!
We might remember that Daniel and friends were hand-picked according to certain criteria to become students in the Babylonian system of Education. We also assume that their home and church education was superior as well.
An advertisement for 'church school' went something like this: Parents, consider your children as plants. If you have a geranium which requires special attention, send them to church school, but if you have a cactus, it may not be so important. Of course, it was a bit comical, since the cactus was considered a tough, grow anywhere plant. Few parents would associate this plant with their children, it was hoped. Yet...there is the variable...the child. I agree with Maurice. There are no guarantees. A child raised in a Christian home, given a great Biblical foundation may still fold under the pressures of life, or follow another path. The preparation needed is one of the Spirit, I believe. Notice that after they stood this particular test..there may have been others... they were endowed with special gifts. These gifts were of inestimable value.
I really appreciated this study today. The Lord knows exactly what we need and when we need it & I needed this today. I am an older student in a Christian but Non-Adventist University, I am also a teacher in an Adventist school, Preschool & Kinder. I love my University and my classes, but there are times I question the Lord and say is this where you want me to be? I recently watched an Adventist video on the history of education in America and after watching it, I was again asking the Lord, is this where you want me to be? Even though I know in my heart He led me to this place and He opened doors that only He could open, my faith was wavering. Today's lesson has helped me to see, that Yes, I am where I need to be and He is opening my eyes to wondrous things out of His law (Psalm 119:18).He will guide my mind and heart and help me to see through the Babylonian education as long as I keep drinking deeply from His fountains of water. Thank you again for all of your comments which inspire me daily to think & drink deeply.
This is a wonderful example for the young people of today's world, that despite the temptations and vices of the world, we can still maintain our godliness and purity if we trust and commit to God. Even better we can excel in wisdom and intellect, with God's blessings! There is hope in Jesus!
The LORD gave them "knowledge & skill", does that mean they didn't have to study?
What is the LORD's part and what is our part?
Dan 1:17 As for these four boys, God gave them knowledge and skill in all writing and wisdom. And Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
Daniel 1:9
(ASV) Now God made Daniel to find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs.
(KJV) Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
(MKJV) And God had given Daniel kindness and compassion before the chief of the eunuchs.
What is the difference in meaning of these translations – God had:
Made Daniel to find kindness
Brought Daniel into favour
Given Daniel kindness before chief
Who is being changed – Daniel or the chief eunuch?
May I ask about God’s sovereignty?
Today’s lesson states (paragraph 3). “...very important lessons about God: 1) God is in control history...”, and from Sunday “...God drives the forces of history through His sovereignty...”.
This seems important to understand how these statements align with what has been discussed regarding God’s character of Love.
Gary, that is one of those questions that takes a long time to answer. Part of the problem is that we use some of the language with a recklessness that does not take into account the different ideas that people with various backgrounds associate with the words.
Someone expressed the idea of God's sovereignty like this. "God is in control but is not controlling!" I reckon that is a good starting point and is worth exploring in more detail.
There are some people with strong and differing ideas on the question of "God's sovereignty" and we might still hear from them.
My simple thoughts are as follows:
The LORD created the Universe and our World and the people, animals and vegetation so He owns everything and has the right and ability to determine the course they follow.
His character determines what He does.
He has committed himself to the following characteristics:
"Exo 34:5-7 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name (character) of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation."
Within His Right and His Commitment to His announced Character,
He gives individuals the choice to accept His Everlasting Covenant and to commit to follow His Principles of Life or to reject Him and reap the consequences.
In addition He also exercises His right to intervene at times in history to ensure the end result of His plan of Salvation as stated at the beginning. Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.
These are my simple thoughts but I always remember the LORD said:
Isa 55:8-9 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways, says the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Very true, Shirley. God is sovereign because He alone is God and the Creator. He planned His creation for His purpose and glory according to the “counsel of His will”. All things have happened as ordained by God in eternity passed. But what does “He gives individuals the choice to accept His Everlasting Covenant” mean? Does God say “ you are free to accept it or reject it”?
Hi Kenny, yes we are free to accept Him or reject Him and experience the consequence of eternal separation from Him, He offers us eternal life or eternal death from the beginning, at the Tree of Life. He does not force us to love Him!
Hi Shirley. When a covenant is “cut” the participants are bound by/restricted to the terms of the covenant. They are not “free” to set it aside or even add conditions or provisions (Gal 3:15; Heb 6:16). Did God *offer* “death” to Adam, or even “life”? Didn’t God set the tree of “knowledge of good and evil” as a test and *forbade* them eating of it? He didn’t “offer” death. Did God, as Creator, endowed Adam with this trait: “I am free to choose to eat of any tree in this garden”. Adam was created good, with the ability to choose what is morally good. We are inclined to choose what is best for us. There was nothing in Adam’s nature that would “tempt” him to choose death. Eve did not claim her “right” to choose freely or “free will” when confronted by God. She said that she was deceived, and that she was. She reasoned that eating was in her best interest according to the serpent, consistent with Mankind always choosing what is in their best interest (Matt 16:23). If the serpent had said that she would die she would not have eaten. It was not “free will” or freedom of choice that brought death into the world. They believed the serpent all the way.
Resisting the serpent and obeying God’s word, over the serpent’s, would have brought them the *true* knowledge of good and evil, that is God’s knowledge - without participating in evil. They would not have termed“evil”good, and “good” evil.
Hi Kenny, are you saying God does not give people a choice, that He forces them to worship Him?
What do these texts that start with "if" mean?
Exo 19:5 And now if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure to Me above all the nations; for all the earth is Mine.
Lev 26:3-4 If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
Lev 26:14-15 But if you will not listen to Me, and will not do all these commandments, 15 and if you shall despise My statutes, or if your soul hates My judgments, so that you will not do all My commandments, so that you break My covenant;
I agree if we accept the LORD as our King we are committed, bound, to follow His ways, however if we refuse to follow His Principles we are in fact breaking our covenant with Him.
Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Adam & Eve - their covenant was to accept that the LORD was all powerful and wise - and to do to what he told them. By choosing to take Satan's word over God's word, by making a decision based on her own thinking - she was breaking the covenant. Just as later on the Israelites worshiped pagan gods and the LORD said they were breaking the covenant.
Jer 31:31-32 Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, 32 not according to the covenant that I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Jehovah;
What happened to the northern kingdom - Israel - when they broke their covenant with the LORD - He cast them away out of his sight.
2Ki 17:18 So Jehovah was very angry with Israel, and turned them away from His face; not one was left, only the tribe of Judah by itself.
2Ki 17:20 And Jehovah rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight.
2Ki 17:21 For He tore Israel from the house of David. And they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel away from following Jehovah, and made them sin a great sin.
2Ki 17:22 For the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did. They did not depart from them
2Ki 17:23 until Jehovah turned away Israel from His face, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria until this day.