And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
Daniel 1:7
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I wonder if Daniel and his friends were ever tempted to break faith with the God of Israel? In the early days of their exile, it could have been argued that if ever there was a time to reject one’s religious upbringing and embrace another faith, this was it.
The city of Jerusalem had been besieged and its king was defeated. Certain citizens were carried off to Babylon, along with some of the vessels of the temple. These vessels were then placed in the temple of another god! Daniel and his friends were to be instructed in the literature and language of the Babylonians. Their minds were to be filled with teachings from a pagan nation.
And to make matters appear even more dire, their names were changed from those which gave honour to their God, to names which pointed to gods of other nations.
One could have despaired and believed that the God of Israel had lost. That it was time to move on. Time to abandon the religion, culture and ways of their homeland. But these men remained faithful.
I think about our culture. Christianity on the decline. Churches closing. Christians beliefs being treated as untrue, too narrow, bigoted or even evil. Some church goers might be tempted to jump ship. How can God be real when there is such a shift in the spirit of our age? How can the Christian God be real when so many people disagree with Him?
Let me encourage us all to stay faithful. The God who proved faithful to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah is the same God who rules today. He has not changed. In the Book of Daniel, we see Him do some amazing things to bring glory to His name. His work has not stopped.
