Scripture to Read: Daniel 1:3–5
Daniel was called upon to take a stand for God at age 15. In Daniel 1:3–7, we read how Daniel and others were chosen by Nebuchadnezzar to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans and the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to groom these young men to get on his side and then use them to convince the rest of the population of Judah to go along with Nebuchadnezzar. This is why Nebuchadnezzar came in three waves. First, he captured the best and the brightest, who showed the most promise and were the most articulate. He wanted to alter their worldview through an intense educational program, and once they were on his side, he’d use them to lead the rest of Judah to follow their example. Nebuchadnezzar didn’t want them studying the Torah or the Pentateuch. He wanted them to learn their literature, methodology, system, and religion. He tried to make them more tolerant of alternative lifestyles or worldviews so that he could use them as a propaganda tool. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to indoctrinate those Hebrew youths with a distorted view of history. Sounds like our society today. We have students being taught that the Bible is irrelevant, it’s not really God’s Word, it has mistakes in it, it can’t be trusted, and many other lies. Our students are also being taught that alternative lifestyles are normal and that people are born that way. Again, Daniel and his friends were about 15 years old when all of this started for them. They had to have a firm foundation in their walk with God to overcome.
Challenge & Application
• How does Nebuchadnezzar’s plan compare with what you see from our world’s system today?
• What type of foundation would a 15-year-old need to be able to take a stand against a worldly system?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!