Daniel 1:2 | Hope in the Pride Land
Daniel 1:2 - "And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god."
Is All Hope Lost?
Upon first inspection, the event of Daniel seems to be engulfed in catastrophe. Faith is relentlessly tested on the rough journey to the unfamiliar land of "Shinar". Reflecting on God's promise to David, "I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom" (1 Chronicles 17:11), I imagine exiled, broken-hearted families can't help but feel disillusioned. What once seemed like concrete promises now feel like distant dreams. The majestic throne of Jehoiakim lay in ruins, its grandeur shattered, while the sacred vessels of God were shamelessly plundered. On the slow, rugged march into the land of Shinar, it seems all hope is lost.
The One In Control
But while God appears defeated, there is more than meets the eye. Within the text lies a subtle but powerful line: "And the Lord gave" (Daniel 1:2). David Helm makes this wonderful comment:
"[Daniel] wants them to know that, when catastrophe struck Judah's king and kingdom, it was God, and not Nebuchadnezzar, who was ultimately the one moving the wheel of history to accomplish his eternal ends." [1]
In other words, God reigns supreme. In the grief of exile, when it seems like all is lost, God is at work, acting by his "good purpose" (Philippians 2:13). In the rich tapestry of history, "[God] removes and sets up kings" (Helm). The Lord is in control.
The Land of Shinar
In fact, God has come to repeat history—to lay waste to Shinar. Shinar is also known as Babylon, a land of proud rebellion against God. The careful student of scripture will notice that the land of Shinar is first mentioned in conjunction with the Tower of Babel (Genesis 10:8-10; 11:2). In this story, a group of settlers decided to build a city that reached the heavens. Wendy L. Widder comments:
"The Tower of Babel was a ziggurat, part of a temple complex that seemed to function as a staircase for the gods to make their way down to earth, where they could accept gifts from their worshippers." [2]
But the settlers of Shinar had an alternative purpose for their ziggurat: to build a name for themselves and to ascend to the status of God (Genesis 11:4). Since they blurred the lines between divine and human, God, in a sense, came down the staircase, visited the settlers of Shinar, assessed their pride, and disrupted their plans.
A War On Pride
In 609 BCE, God has returned to Shinar once again to conquer a proud people. Even though it appeared that Marduk, the patron god of the city of Babylon, had defeated Yahweh and pillaged his Temple (Daniel 1:2), this was no defeat. When plundered by the Philistines, the golden ark of the covenant crushed their god, Dagon (1 Samuel 4-5). Likewise, the golden vessels of God will be used to bring an end to a mightier enemy—the proud kingdom of Babylon (Daniel 5). James B. Jordan makes note of this:
"The golden vessels of the Temple, taken to Babylon, make war on the Babylonians, as the Ark made war on Dagon and the Philistines. Like Dagon, [Belshazzar] was brought down, physically collapsing, and then slain. The crumbling and death of Belshazzar corresponds to the second fall and destruction of Dagon." [3]
Refreshment in Exile
The book of Daniel surfaced during a time of uncertainty when many questioned whether God still held sway over events. Amid exile, Daniel's words breathed new life into weary hearts, urging them to stand firm amidst the arrogance of their surroundings. The truth is that God reigns supreme, guiding, sustaining, and orchestrating every aspect of creation, from the grandest to the most minute, by his holy and wise providence. Knowing this, let us stand in hope alongside Daniel when the world appears lost like God is defeated. The spiritual Shinar of our culture will not last. "With such violence, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again" (Revelation 18:21).
[1] David Helm, Daniel for You. (The Good Book Company, 2015), 18.
[2] Wendy L. Widder, Daniel (ed. Tremper Longman III and Scot McKnight; The Story of God Bible Commentary; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2016), 23.
[3] James B. Jordan, The Handwriting on the Wall: A Commentary on the Book of Daniel (Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 2007), 133.