Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Daniel 1:3-7
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. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. (ESV)
by Linda Harris
The four Hebrew boys faced four disruptions in their lives:
• They became isolated from their land, religious structures and families.
• They were indoctrinated in Babylonian culture.
• The temptations of the royal cuisine challenged their beliefs.
• Their name changes threatened their identities. Their Hebrew names glorified God (through the suffixes -el and -iah) while their new names extolled Babylonian gods.
Think about times when you have been isolated, indoctrinated, or tempted. How did you feel? Has someone labeled you “troublemaker” or “unwanted”? Have you been told you’re not attractive or smart? Those descriptions are not your identity. Your worth comes from God, who sees you as loved, precious, and desirable.
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
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