A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

period of that Captivity. His autobiographical account of that period has long been studied for its
prophetic significance, but because of the prominent position held by Daniel throughout this
period, it also provides significant insights into the political affairs of two of the world’s greatest
empires.
But Daniel is not always remembered today as a political counselor. Beyond his ability to
influence the greatest leaders of his day was his ability to influence God. He was a man of
unquestioned integrity and character. A survey of his life provides ample evidence that he was a
man committed to a vital walk with God. His faithfulness and life of prayer has been a challenge
to Christians in the midst of trials in all ages. He is unique in Scripture in that there is no sin
charged against him. He was not sinless as he confessed his sin to God (Dan. 9:4). Yet his life
was so blameless that even his enemies could only find him guilty of being consistent.
Daniel was among the most educated men in the Old Testament. Perhaps only Moses and
Solomon had a more thorough training than this man. He had probably received some training in
Judah before the Captivity. That he was selected among the first to be taken to Babylon suggests
he had already begun his education before learning the ways of the Chaldeans. When the army of
Babylon returned from their first conquest of Jerusalem, Daniel was a teenager taken prisoner.
Judah had turned from God to worship idols, so God gave His people what they thought
they wanted. Babylon was the home of idolatry and would be the home of God’s people for
seventy years. It was during this Captivity that the Jews finally sickened of idol worship. When
they left Babylon, they never again worshiped idols of wood and stone. But as they arrived, they
would be immediately exposed to and encouraged to participate in the worship of the Babylonian
gods. In keeping with the custom of the Babylonians, the Hebrew names of Daniel and his three
companions were changed to names which honored Babylonian gods rather than the God of
Israel.
When “Daniel and his friend arrived in Babylon, they were placed in the custody of
Ashpenaz, who is described as “the master of the king’s eunuchs” (1:3). The Hebrew word
translated “eunuchs” is saris and could mean either “court officer” or “castrated one.”
Commentators are divided in their opinions as to what the term means in this context. Those who
believe Daniel was castrated by the Babylonians note that is what this word means in Isaiah 56:3
and is consistent with the claim of the Jewish historian Josephus. Those who disagree with this
conclusion note Daniel is described as having no physical blemish (Dan. 1:4) and note the word
is used of Potiphar, who was a court officer and was married (Gen. 37:36). The word was
translated to mean “court officer” in the Targum rendering of Isaiah 39:7.
Though Daniel found himself in a foreign culture which was hostile to his faith in God,
he determined not to lower the standard of his faith. He determined God was to be obeyed in
Babylon as He was to be obeyed in Judah. It was not long before that personal religious
conviction was to be tried.
Daniel was given food to eat which he could not in good conscience eat. There were
probably at least three reasons for Daniel’s actions. First, the food did not meet the requirements
of the Mosaic Law. It may have been unclean by levitical standards or may not have been