Daniel 1:3-7 – Re-education
A “Vocational Education and Training Centre” sounds like a wholesome place. These centres list their objectives as “promoting social integration” and promise to provide a quality education for the all the underprivileged people who enrol. Yet, behind the innocuous name is a terrifying reality. Mountains of evidence prove that these “training centres” are in fact concentration camps: a key instrument in the tool box of the Chinese government as it attempts to impose its will on the Uighur minority. The “students” are really prisoners who can spend months or years in these camps being subjected to both physical and psychological pressure that is designed to break their spirit and force them to conform to the ideals of the Chinese state.
Daniel and his friends found themselves in a similar position. They were provided with an education (v5), but they weren’t students; they were prisoners. These four lads were expected to let go of their religious beliefs and embrace the Babylonian way of life. A failure to conform could be deadly. There was a flip side of course: if they threw their faith in the trash they could be richly rewarded with prestigious and influential jobs. They could have a nice house, big garden, and comfy car in the driveway. All they had to do was go with the flow. This is particularly apparent when we see the name changes forced on these lads in v7. For example, Daniel (God is my judge) and Azariah (Yahweh is the helper) became Belteshazzar and Abednego (tributes to the false gods Bel and Nebo).
So, can these four young followers of God survive the brainwashing of the wicked Babylonian regime? Many of us, particularly parents, face the same fears today as we consider the agendas of the media and world around us. Is there any hope? Take heart and praise God! One of the great lessons of this book is this: by the grace of God you and your family can flourish even amidst indoctrination. God’s truth triumphs over the lies of the world.
Questions
- Have you, perhaps without realising it, embraced some of the world’s values?
- How do those values go against God’s values as revealed in the Bible?
Prayer Points
- Pray for Christians around the world who, like Daniel, could face physical harm
because of their faith. - Pray for the covenant children in your congregation. Pray that God would give them strength and wisdom to resist the indoctrination of the world.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.