Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. 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.

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. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God.

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. God had a plan to use Daniel as a strong witness for his truth and a strong encouragement for his people, even though they were exiles in a heathen land. All the events of Daniel's life were accounted for by God, and he worked all of those events together in Daniel's life to accomplish his positive purpose in a negative world. The Babylonian invasion did not come as a surprise to God. God did not have to shift from Plan A to Plan B because of unexpected circumstances. There, he experienced the fullness of God's purpose for his life.Įven though Daniel experienced suffering, anxiety, humiliation, and persecution as a captive of the Babylonians, God had a plan for Daniel's life. He was one of the bright, rising stars of Israel who served in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Because Daniel embraced the true wisdom of his God, his reputation grew and he became a prominent advisor in the royal court of Babylon. He remained true to the God of Israel in his heart. Though Daniel was taught these alien and ungodly ways, he never embraced them or converted to them. There Daniel was educated in the philosophies and pagan ideas of Babylon. Daniel and his people were captured and led away in chains into captivity in Babylon. In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim, 605 BC, the Babylonian army rumbled like a juggernaut across the land of Israel, destroying Jerusalem and laying waste the villages and the countryside. No one understood this principle better than this faithful prophet of the Old Testament. We all experience good times and bad times in varying proportions. For reasons that are often baffling to us, God sometimes allows us to go through intense pressure and trouble. Our minds are finite and his is infinite. We could not begin to comprehend his Master Blueprint for the universe or for our individual lives. Now, that doesn't mean that you and I will necessarily understand his plan in our lifetime.

His plan covers every detail, every need, every problem of your life. He always has a plan and a purpose for our lives-and for the ages. No matter how bleak our situation, God always has something up his sleeve. That is good advice, and we should remember those words whenever we are under pressure, under threat, or under stress.

Life of daniel bible study