Daniel 1:1

Daniel 1:1 says, In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.  Once more, God's chosen people were under attack because they refused to follow God.  We cannot be God's people, followers of Christ, and live in disobedience to His will and expect that there will be no consequences.  When God's chosen people began to live for themselves and not for God, He often removed His protective hand from them.  Verse two adds, And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.  When God removed His protection from Judah, they were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, who then took the vessels from the house of God and carried them to the treasure house of his god.  We might question why God would allow this to happen, but I believe that when His people did not follow His will that the vessels of the temple had no meaning.  We cannot claim that something is God's if we do not follow Him.  Verse three continues, And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes;  Since Asphenaz was tasked with bringing certain children of the king's seed to him, we can assume that Daniel must have been of the royal family.  Now, he found himself enslaved.  As followers of Christ, we are part of His royal family and must never allow ourselves to be enslaved by sin once more.  Verse four states, Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.  The king didn't want just any children, but he wanted the best so that they might stand, or serve, in the king's palace.  I guess if a person were enslaved by another, then serving in the palace would not be the worst thing that could happen. Verse five adds, And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.  We are not told how the rest of those captured were being treated, but the others chosen with him and Daniel himself were to be treated to the finest food and drink.  We may be offered the finest that the world has, but if we have to stop identifying as followers of Christ, we cannot accept it.  Daniel and those with him were basically going to be removed from his identity as a Judean.  Verse six continues, Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:   We are given the names of four of the children of Judah who were chosen.  Again, they might have felt fortunate to be in such a position and have even credited God with placing them there, but they were really being put in a position of having to praise, or at least thank, the king.  Verse seven concludes, Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.  I believe that this is further evidence that they were to be assimilated into Babylonian culture.  Even the names that they had were going to be changed.  If we begin to try to fit into the world, taking on all the habits of the world, we may soon lose our identity as a follower of Christ.  No matter how tempting things may look, if the lead us away from the will of God, they are wrong.  We must stand firm in our identity as God's followers, no matter what it costs us in this world.