The Lives of the Wise in an Anti-God World
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The Lives of the Wise in an Anti-God World

Daniel 1ā€“6

Michael Kenneth Wilson

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eBook - ePub

The Lives of the Wise in an Anti-God World

Daniel 1ā€“6

Michael Kenneth Wilson

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About This Book

A world in which the lives of people are threatened and controlled either by an unpredictable megalomaniac or by a cold, unyielding legal system. A world of political skulduggery. A world in which people experience a personal identity crisis and the rejection of their values and beliefs. A world in which they face intimidation and bullying and an intense pressure to conform. A world of ominous dreams and life-threatening situations. Sound familiar? This book will help you to negotiate your way through such a world because it is the very world which confronted Daniel and his friends.

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Daniel 1

Drawing the Line

The Establishment of the Distinctiveness of Daniel and his Friends: Godā€™s Sovereignty Veiled, and the Superior Wisdom of the Jews Explained
Introduction
Scholars generally agree that Daniel 1 not only introduces the stories of Daniel 2ā€“6 ā€”as the time frame from Nebuchadnezzar to Cyrus indicatesā€”but also the book as a whole, as indicated by such themes as temple desecration, the contrast between divine and human sovereignty, and wisdom.9
Structure
To describe Daniel 1 as a tale is problematic.10 But the pattern characteristic of tales identified by Coats, while somewhat artificial, roughly fits Daniel 1: Exposition (vv. 1ā€“2); Complication (vv. 3ā€“7); Resolution (vv. 8ā€“16); Denouement (vv. 17ā€“20); Conclusion (v. 21). Coats observes that often ā€œthe resolution of the complication will mark the critical insight into the goals of the story, or at least it will provide some signpost toward that end.ā€11 This indicates that verses 8ā€“16 have special structural significance.
Unlike Coats, Milne, applying Vladimir Proppā€™s model, does not see verses 1ā€“7 performing the functions of a ā€œtaleā€ but rather describing ā€œthe initial situation.ā€12 Goldingay, structuring the chapter on the basis of content alone, uses the word ā€œresolutionā€ differently.13 He observes that verses 1ā€“14 create ā€œtensionā€ while verses 15ā€“21 involve ā€œresolution.ā€ The chiastic structure shown below represents a modification of Goldingayā€™s:
Tension: The Implications of Defeat (1ā€“14)
1ā€“2 Nebuchadnezzar defeats Israel
3ā€“7 Nebuchadnezzar requires certain Israelites to undergo training
8 Daniel (representatively) resolves to avoid defilement
9ā€“14 The setting up of a test for Daniel and his friends
Resolution: Triumph (15ā€“21)
15 Daniel (and friends) triumph in the test
16 Daniel and his friends triumph in avoiding defilement
17ā€“20 Daniel and his friends triumph in the training
21 Daniel outlasts Nebuchadnezzar
It is difficult from this analysis to determine whether any particular part of the chapter should be accorded especial significance relative to the rest. Many understand the center of a chiasm to hold this status and if this is so then presumably verses 9ā€“15 perform this function. This substantially overlaps with Coatsā€™ identification of verses 8ā€“16 as holding the key to the chapter.
Also worthy of note is John Sweigartā€™s proposal of a more detailed chiastic structure for Daniel 1:14
A (1:1)The beginning of Danielā€™s career.
B (1:2) Articles taken from the house of God (to demonstrate the inferiority of Israelā€™s God).
C (1:3) Master of the eunuchs brings young men to Babylon (at the end of the siege).
D (1:4) Young men are shown to be capable of learning Chaldean language and literature.
E (1:5) The king chooses their diet and training.
F (1:6) Daniel and his three friends among the sons of Judah chosen
G (1:7) New names are given to the four.
H (1:8) Daniel fears God and chooses not to be defiled.
X (1:9) God had granted Daniel favor with the master of eunuchs.
Hā€™ (1:10) Chief of eunuchs fears the king.
Gā€™ (1:11ā€“14) New diet of clean food given to the four.
Fā€™ (1:15) Daniel and his three friends compared to their peersā€”better health.
Eā€™ (1:16) Kingā€™s diet discarded.
Dā€™ (1:17) God gives the young men ability in all literature and knowledge.
Cā€™ (1:18,19) Master of eunuchs brought Daniel and friends to the king at the end of days.
Bā€™ (1:20) Daniel and friends shown to be superior to Babylonian worship leaders.
Aā€™ (1:21) The end of Danielā€™s career.
This analysis suitably places central focus on the role of God in this situation. But in biblical narrative it is typical for narration to be subordinate to direct speech. Alter comments:
In any given narrative event, and especially, at the beginning of any new story, the point at which dialogue first emerges will be worthy of special attention, and in most instances, the initial words spoken by a personage will be revelatory, perhaps more in manner than in matter, constituting an important moment in the exposition of character.15
If we accept the above then verses 10ā€“13 assume particular significance in the exegesis:
Narrative: vv. 1ā€“9
Prepares for direct speech
Direct ...

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