EXILED

the story of Israel’s exile

Daniel, the story of an exile

A Noble Hostage…
Daniel 1:1-7
When Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonians (also called the Chaldeans) exiled Israel in his land,
he took who he thought would be the best and the brightest to be trained to serve in his court.

This meant that the sons of the king and the nobles were to become members of his court. There
were actually a couple reasons for doing this. First of all, Nebuchadnezzar would get some new
people for his cabinet. Most importantly, however, putting these people in his court would mean
that the dynasty in power at the time of the exile would be broken. There would no longer be a
clear heir to the throne.

The idea was to take the heirs to the throne and turn them into Babylonians, even to the point of
renaming them and assimilating them into the culture of the ruling king.

 The Babylonians even gave the Hebrew nobles taken into the court new names. How
does our culture attempt to “rename” us, and how do we live under the “name” of our
culture?

Workin’ for the man…

Daniel 2:46-49

Daniel requests that his friends be made overseers of affairs within Babylon and the king grants
his requests. Daniel, however, stays in the court as an adviser and dream interpreter of the king.
He stays in his cabinet.

The king knows there is something to Daniel’s God who gives him wisdom and sees the
intelligence in putting followers of this “Lord of kings” in power under him.
 Christians live amongst non-Christians and often find themselves working for non-
Christians. What about Daniel’s story informs us about how to work under non-Christian
rulers?

Temporary insanity
Daniel 4:28-37

Nebuchadnezzar is taking a walk and patting himself on the back for all of the glory of Babylon.
As soon as he starts to congratulate himself, God teaches him a lesson – he drives him
temporarily insane.

As soon as he repents, however, God reestablishes him in his kingdom.

This is an important text in the history of the exile because it shows that God is still in control,
even when His people are being dominated by a foreign ruler. God is using Nebuchadnezzar to
do His will and won’t stand for Nebuchadnezzar thinking that he’s the reason that he is in power.

 Martin Luther once said, “I would rather be governed by a wise Turk (Muslim) than a
foolish Christian.” How does God use non-Christian rulers and authorities for His
purposes today?

Under new management…

Daniel 6

God’s favor rests upon Daniel despite some rather large changes in leadership. When the
Mede/Persian king Darius takes over, he wants to set Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom.

Other leaders in the court, however, get jealous and trick the king into signing a document that
would force Daniel to not engage his faith. Daniel breaks the law in that document and must be
thrown to the lion’s den.

Yet God protects Daniel while he is in the lion’s den. This way the punishment of the law is
fulfilled, but in a way where it doesn’t harm Daniel.

God’s law for us is harsh and demands that we be perfect or die. But in Jesus the law of God is
fulfilled, putting the punishment we should receive on the shoulders of Jesus on the cross. We
live “in the death of Jesus” or “in the cross of Jesus” while we are in this life. This life is our
time in the lion’s den, faithful and protected by God.

For next time…

Read Ezra 1-6. Some of the opening chapters include some rather dry information about who
was sent back, but the story of Ezra is the story of rebuilding after the Exile. Work through the
dry parts and you’ll find some really great stuff.

Applying the story…

Daniel was a noble exile not just in that he was actually from a noble family, but that his faith
was noble. He found a way to be a noble Hebrew while living under a foreign leader in a foreign
land.
In some ways, our life here on earth can be seen as an exile. We have authorities put over us and
powers that are controlled by God that we sometimes cannot figure out.

Daniel knew that one day God would restore Israel. The later chapters of Daniel get into visions
of the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple. He had faith that told him that there would come
a day when his people were restored.

You have a faith that promises that you will be restored in the Kingdom of God, that He has paid
the price to redeem you out of exile. You know that day is coming, but you also know where
you live now. How can Daniel’s noble faith inform your own?

Please don’t throw this away. If you’re not going to use it, leave it for someone else to use.