Daniel 1:1 | Godly Roots, Ungodly Shoots
Daniel 1:1 - “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.”
The Time of the Siege
The book of Daniel is tethered to world history, indicating that Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, was besieged in "the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim" (Daniel 1:1), which was previously under the control of Egypt (2 Chronicles 36:4). Jehoiakim, named Eliakim at birth, was the second son of Josiah (Jeremiah 26:1), the royal reformer of Judah (2 Kings 23:19-25). Jehoiakim reigned over Judah for eleven years (c. 609–598 BCE) and became a vassal of Babylon in 605 BCE. But there are two discrepancies to this "third year" siege date.
Two Discrepancies
First, in other biblical accounts, we see that Jerusalem was besieged in 597 and 587 BCE, during the reign of Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim (2 Kings 24:10-25:21). How do we make sense of this variation? Joyce Baldwin makes this helpful observation:
"When the evidence from Daniel is added to that of the historical books, it becomes clear that the fall of Jerusalem was brought about in three stages, in 605, 597, and 587 BCE, of which only the first is mentioned in Daniel and only the second and third feature in history." [1]
Second, the prophet Jeremiah records that Jerusalem was besieged in "the fourth year of Jehoiakim" (Jeremiah 25:1). The reason for this variation is contextual: Jeremiah used the Palestinian system for reckoning time, while Daniel used the Babylonian scheme. This discrepancy suggests that Daniel, while a Jew, adopted the Babylonian system of regnal dating after his deportation.
The Reason for the Siege
Unlike his father Josiah, who brought faithful reform to Judah, Jehoiakim became a rebel king and "did what was evil in the sight of the LORD" (2 Kings 23:37). The bankrupt attitude of Jehoiakim was exposed through the preaching ministry of Jeremiah. In one scroll to the people of Judah, Jeremiah warned the nation, acknowledging the Babylonian invasion was a consequence of their unrepentant sin. But due to his heart of stone, Jeremiah cut out every third and fourth line of the manuscript "and threw them into the fire pot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire" (Jeremiah 36:23). The king was intolerant of divine accountability, hardened his heart before the Word of God, and even struct dead one announcer of the Word, the prophet Uriah (Jeremiah 26:20-23).
Godly Roots, Ungodly Shoots
Here is a principle for family life: godly roots are no assurance of godly shoots. Even though Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah, he bore the marks of Satan. Piety isn't hereditary. This sad truth is revealed also in 1 Samuel 8:3: "[Samuel's] sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice". It is a sad truth, but one that we must remember: righteous parents can have wayward children. In our own family life, let us then not neglect our responsibility to disciple but trust God in prayer, for he is the ultimate sculptor of our hearts.
[1] Joyce G. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (vol. 23; Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1978), 85.