During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.

Daniel 1:1-2

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:

Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.
Daniel 1:6-7

• Daniel 1:1-2 is not just a historical report; it's a profound theological statement.
• The book of Daniel opens with what seems like a great defeat for God's people: Jerusalem is under siege and its treasures are plundered.
• However, the crucial phrase is found in verse 2: "And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand." This establishes that even in a moment of disaster, God is sovereign and in control.
• Daniel 1:1 describes a siege in "the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim." This was not the final destruction of the city, but the first of three major campaigns by Nebuchadnezzar.
• This initial siege was a decisive display of Babylonian power over Judah.
• Nebuchadnezzar did not destroy the city at this point. Instead, he took royal captives (like Daniel and his friends) and some of the temple treasures as tribute.
• This event marked the beginning of the end of the Kingdom of Judah and the start of the Babylonian exile.
• The exile of Judah was not a single event, but a series of three deportations over two decades, each more severe than the last.
• First Deportation (605 B.C.): This is the one mentioned in Daniel 1. The city was besieged, and Nebuchadnezzar took young, skilled, and noble captives, including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Judah became a vassal state to Babylon.
• Second Deportation (597 B.C.): After a rebellion by King Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar returned. He took the king, his family, the leading men of the country, and thousands of craftsmen and soldiers. This group included the prophet Ezekiel.
• Third Deportation (586 B.C.): King Zedekiah, who was installed by Babylon, also rebelled. Nebuchadnezzar returned for the final, devastating siege. The city walls were broken down, the Temple was completely destroyed and burned, and the vast majority of the remaining population was taken into exile, marking the end of the Kingdom of Judah.
• The message for us today is that even when we face loss, defeat, or circumstances that seem to be a result of evil forces, God is still in control. He is sovereign over history and our personal lives.
• The opening verses of Daniel teach us to trust that God is working out His purposes, even through tragedy. He used these painful exiles to discipline His people and set the stage for His future plans of redemption and restoration. Our ultimate hope is in His perfect, sovereign plan, not in our current circumstances.

Slow down…take note of words! Make a point of checking dates and context clues. God is at work…even in Babylon!