Daniel 1:1-21 says,

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

2 YHVH gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of Elohim; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his elohim, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his elohim.

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,

4 youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language

  of the Chaldeans.

5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service. [This is interesting in light of the commandments about partaking of the fruit of a tree. As we’ve mentioned before, when a tree is planted no one is to partake of the fruit for three years.  The fourth year the fruit belongs to YHVH and in the fifth year all can partake of it.]

6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

7 Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.

8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission [made a wise appeal] from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

9 Now Elohim granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,

10 and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the

    king.”

11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,

12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. [How many days between the first day of the first month (Nisan 1) when Moses and Aaron were given the commandment to select the lamb…the lamb that would be examined to shed his blood for the deliverance of the children of Israel when judgment was brought to Egypt? Ten.  How many days from the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei 1…Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets) is there till Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement, the judgment of the world?  Ten.  I believe this is significant and connected.]

13 Then [On the tenth day] let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”  [We, too, will be dealt with according to what our Elohim “sees” on the tenth day/Yom Kippur.]

14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.

15 At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. [They fasted the King’s choices and yet were fatter than all the others.  This principle is still true for us today.]

16 So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

17 As for these four youths, Elohim gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. [Daniel received extra understanding after he passed the ten day test.  Notice that he did not do this alone…though they were in captivity, they were gathered together and were all in unity to not eat the choice food or wine.]

18 Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. [They were distinguished from all other peoples. This is Israel’s mandate, Exodus 33:16.]

20 As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. [Imagine that…ten times better. J]

21 And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.

Let’s look at the list that even qualified them to be called up in the first place.  All six would have been graced to them from YHVH Elohim, but four of the six would have been instilled in them from the training of their parents.  These are the noble ways in which it would be wise to focus our children’s education.

The King ordered youth that:

1. Had no defect
2. Were good-looking
3. Showed intelligence in every branch of wisdom
4. Endowed with understanding
5. Endowed with discerning knowledge
6. Ability to serve in the King’s court

May the Spirit of Understanding cause us to see the value in the separation of not “eating or drinking” that which the world offers and stand strong together and know that at the end of ten days we will be found ten times better than all of the others and will enter into the King’s personal service.

Have a blessed and shalom filled day!!

Tammy

Courtesy of
River of Life Tabernacle
Tammy McLendon
Great peace have they who love Your law. Psalm 119:165a