JULY 1, 2025 – TRAINING

READ: Dan. 1:1-7: … Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel  … and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king …

Under the wicked king Jehoiakim, the son of the faithful king Josiah, the LORD begins to punish His people, Judah, no longer willing to grant forgiveness as there was no repentance (2 Kings 23:35–24:7). Nebuchadnezzar initiates the first deportation to Babylon.

All the reassuring words of the false prophets, who relied on the temple (Jer. 7:4; 8:11; 28:15), are now exposed as lies. Along with the king, treasures from God’s temple are also taken away. This does not simply happen to Judah, nor is it Nebuchadnezzar’s achievement; no, it is God Himself who gives it into the hands of this heathen ruler (v. 2). It is His long-announced punishment, after centuries of sinning and desecrating the temple (Deut. 28:63f).

Among those taken into exile, some young noble Israelites are selected by order of Nebuchadnezzar; not only are they physically healthy and good-looking, but also intelligent and well-educated. These approximately 15-year-old boys are set apart for special training to serve the heathen king.

This integration course is intended to completely reorient their experience and mindset. It’s not just about learning the language and customs of Babylon—their entire way of thinking and acting must become Chaldean, Babylonian, for the greater glory of Nebuchadnezzar.

With the temple treasures from Jerusalem, he seeks to appease his idol, and from these boys, he wants to make interesting slaves. To do so, the doctrine of the idols must be poured into them, and they must daily breathe the atmosphere of idolatry during meals.

Even their names must no longer remind them of their God. It is a cunning, satanic plan to take God’s people from Him. But also seductive—especially when it comes to the delicious food: who can resist that?

Do we see a parallel here with the lives of believing children in today’s world?

How does the world try to indoctrinate us?

Sing: Ps. 86:5