Observations from the Book of Daniel
Lessons for our daily walk with God
(part 2)
mdb
CALLED BY NAME
The promise of God -
"The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you." - Deut 28:9-10
"If you keep the commandments of the Lord your God..." The condition required to receive the fullness of the promise. God is faithful to establish each of us as holy to Himself if we are faithful to keep His commandments, fear Him, and walk in His ways. Then shall the world see that we are called by His Name. Today the world looks at "Christian" nations and sees the "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and the like" that are contrary to the Eternal Law and very nature of God.
The world will not fear or respect those who claim the Name of the Lord when those representing that Name themselves neither fear God or keep His commandments. Cannot we hear His Spirit speaking to us even now, "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" - Deut 5:29
As we will soon read, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were men who met the condition. They obeyed the commandments of the Lord our God. And although physically they were slaves to the Babylonians, inwardly (in heart, soul, spirit and also action) they were slaves to God, not allowing themselves to become enslaved to the ways of the Babylonians. And unlike the rulers of Judah, they were ashamed of the fruitless actions of their countrymen, and made the choice to walk in the ways of the Lord by Whose Name they were called. Dear saints, we never have to be enslaved by sin, regardless of our station or circumstances in life. The Apostle Paul, even while imprisoned physically in Rome awaiting trial, declared "my chains are in Christ" (Phil 1:13), and declared that we are to "have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Rom 6:18). So, those who have accepted the blood atonement of Jesus the Messiah, been set free from sin, turned from the shameful things of the world, and become slaves of God and righteousness, will He establish as a holy people to Himself.
"What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Rom 6:21-23
Do our lives honor that Name by which we have been called?
DANIEL CHAPTER 1 continued...
So at this point in time Judah has been conquered by Babylon. We know God allowed it because of their unfaithfulness and disobedience to Him. And now we read of Nebuchadnezzar taking the best of the young men of Israel to serve him -
"Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.
Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego." - vs 3-7
This pagan king desired the best of God’s people to serve him. He sought to educate them in the "language and literature of the Chaldeans." I believe that in this, satan was trying to turn God’s chosen people back to the false religion that God had called Abraham out of when He purposed to make a nation for Himself. It was in the land of the Chaldeans that Abram was dwelling with his father when God called him. Abraham responded to the call of God and followed Him. The faithfulness and obedience of Abraham to God brought him a new name, and the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise.
"You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram (High father)
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans
And gave him the name Abraham. (Father of many nations)
"You found his heart faithful before You,
And made a covenant with him
To give him the land of the Canaanite,
Of the Hittite and the Amorite,
Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite--
To give it to his descendants
And You have fulfilled Your promise,
For You are righteous."
- Neh 9:7-8
(The faithfulness, obedience and righteousness of Abraham is another wonderful study from the Scripture. Perhaps we will look at that soon. As the Lord leads.)
In Genesis, God gave Abram a new name, a greater name. In the Book of Revelation we find that those who overcome will be given a new name, even Christ’s new name, showing our allegiance to God (Rev 3:12). Here in the Book of Daniel, the heathen world gives new names to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: names which were designed to show an allegiance to the gods of Babylon.
Daniel - meaning in the Hebrew - God is my Judge or Judge of God
- changed to Belteshazza - meaning Bel’s prince (Bel being a god of Babylon)
Hananiah - Yah has favored, or God is gracious
- changed to Shadrach - command of Aku (Babylonian god of the moon)
Mishael - Who is What God is? or Who is like God?
- changed to Meshach - "who is what Aku is?"
Azariah - Yah has helped
- changed to Abed-nego - servant of Nebo (Babylonian god of wisdom)
Names are usually very significant in Scripture, especially the Old Testament. And throughout the first few chapters of the Book of Daniel we will find that there is indeed no one like our God, we will see His judgment, as well as His favor and how He helps those who trust in Him. The given Hebrew names of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah describe genuine attributes of the One True God.
Babylon gave them each different names. In Scripture Babylon often symbolizes the world. In the Hebrew it means ’confusion’ deriving from the Tower of Babel where God "confused the language of all the earth." (Gen 11:9), and we know how much confusion exists in the world today. So although the world renamed these young Hebrew men in an attempt to conform them to the ways of the world, we will read how they held fast to their convictions, refused to compromise, and saw the grace of God work in their lives, and His judgment against those who persecuted them.
The enemy of our souls today seeks to turn our hearts from God and serve him. Those who God has called out, satan often attempts to get to return to the gods of this world. We belong to EL SHADDAI , Almighty God, the One who has redeemed us and called us by name, yet our enemy seeks to change our name and our devotion.
"But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
"For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.""
- Isaiah 43:1-3
Indeed we will soon see the promises of this passage played out in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego as we continue this study. I pray that we too will see these promises fulfilled in our lives as we walk with the Holy One of Israel, our Savior, who has called us by name.
The question is... Does God know me? Does He know my name? Does He know yours?
Remember, Jesus speaks these words to many who proclaimed to know Him -
"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, ’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
- Matt 7:21-23
The Lord God knew Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Later in chapter 1 we read that to "these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom" (Dan 1:17)
Similarly, during the Exodus, when the sanctuary was being built, God specifically called out by name two men, and gifted them with His Spirit and Wisdom to complete the tasks set before them.
Bezalel, whose name means "in the shadow of God" and Aholiab meaning "tent of the Father", showing, I believe, the testimony of men who abode and walked with God even as their feet tread upon this earth.
"See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.6 "And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle." - Ex 31:2-7
Again, the Lord God knew these men. All of Israel was called by the Name of the Lord (Num 6:27), but not all had a relationship with Him. So many rebelled against the One who desired to know them and commune with them. So many missed out on the promises of God because they did not follow the Lord with their whole heart, and as He said "they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me" (Jer 16:11). In the New Testament, Jesus said He longed to gather God’s chosen people to Himself "as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but (they) were not willing!" (Matt 23:37).
Friends, that very same Holy One desires a relationship with us. Are we willing?
May our heavenly Father say to us in that Day - "you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name." (Ex 33:17)
Do we realize the significance of having God know our name? Do we understand what it truly means to be called by the Name of Christ? Do we know that to enter into the fullness of God’s Promise we must "walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory" (1Thess 2:12), and "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10), regardless of our external circumstances?
As we continue through this Book, reading of the experiences of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, I believe that these young men would be able to fully relate to the words of the Apostle Peter that he wrote to encourage even those called by the Name of Christ this day -
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the Name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear That Name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,
"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."- 1Pet 4:12-19
Will we honor His Name? Will He honor our name? My prayer is to be found among like those in Sardis whose names Jesus will acknowledge before His Father. Our Father.
"You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." - Rev 3:4-5
Amen.
To be continued....
Next... Obedience
