314
Prophets and Kings
“Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hana-
niah, Mishael, and Azariah.” Seeing in these youth the promise of
remarkable ability, Nebuchadnezzar determined that they should be
trained to fill important positions in his kingdom. That they might
be fully qualified for their lifework, he arranged for them to learn the
language of the Chaldeans and for three years to be granted the unusual
educational advantages afforded princes of the realm.
The names of Daniel and his companions were changed to names
[481]
representing Chaldean deities. Great significance was attached to the
names given by Hebrew parents to their children. Often these stood for
traits of character that the parent desired to see developed in the child.
The prince in whose charge the captive youth were placed, “gave unto
Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and
to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.”
The king did not compel the Hebrew youth to renounce their faith
in favor of idolatry, but he hoped to bring this about gradually. By
giving them names significant of idolatry, by bringing them daily into
close association with idolatrous customs, and under the influence of
the seductive rites of heathen worship, he hoped to induce them to
renounce the religion of their nation and to unite with the worship of
the Babylonians.
At the very outset of their career there came to them a decisive test
of character. It was provided that they should eat of the food and drink
of the wine that came from the king’s table. In this the king thought
to give them an expression of his favor and of his solicitude for their
welfare. But a portion having been offered to idols, the food from
the king’s table was consecrated to idolatry; and one partaking of it
would be regarded as offering homage to the gods of Babylon. In such
homage, loyalty to Jehovah forbade Daniel and his companions to join.
Even a mere pretense of eating the food or drinking the wine would
be a denial of their faith. To do this would be to array themselves with
heathenism and to dishonor the principles of the law of God.
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Nor dared they risk the enervating effect of luxury and dissipation
on physical, mental, and spiritual development. They were acquainted
with the history of Nadab and Abihu, the record of whose intemperance
and its results had been preserved in the parchments of the Pentateuch;
and they knew that their own physical and mental power would be
injuriously affected by the use of wine.