Contest of the Gods

Chapter 1. The Jewish Captivity

(vs. 1-2)
When Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem at the time of the first captivity, he took from the Temple some of the sacred vessels & put them in the treasury of his gods. This act implied a contest of power and supremacy between the true God of heaven and the gods of Babylon.

Spotlight on Daniel and his 3 Friends

(vs. 3-4)
Ashpenaz, the Palace Master, was ordered to select from the Jewish captives certain young men who would be trained for service in the King’s palace. While this may have been esteemed as an honour, it undoubtedly had a more sinister purpose as becomes evident in the criteria that was required in the selection:

• Israelites from the royal family or nobility.

• Young men who were handsome without physical defect

• Endowed with wisdom, knowledge & ability to understand.

• They were to be taught the literature & language of the Chaldeans.

1. From the royal family or nobility of Israel

(v. 6)
Amongst these were 4 devout youth who were loyal to God. They were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. It is interesting to observe that Daniel states he and his friends were from the tribe of Judah; and Josephus, the renowned Jewish historian, informs us that Daniel was related to King Zedekiah, as one of King Jehoiakim’s successors.

2. Handsome & without physical defect

God had previously informed King Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah, that some of his descendants would be taken captive and become eunuchs in the palace of Babylon (Isa.39:7; 2 Kings 20:18).

(vs. 3-4) Some translations state that Ashpenaz was the master of the eunuchs or the chief eunuch. Archaeological reliefs on palace walls reveal that some officials were eunuchs. The description “without physical defect” hardly suggests these faithful 4 were eunuchs!

3. Young men of wisdom, knowledge & intelligence

One would expect those of the nobility or royalty to be educated to a certain standard. It would be pointless including an ignoramus to undergo palace training. “It was an old custom of conquerors to carry away princely hostages to guarantee the loyalty of the conquered foe.” (Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 758)

4. To be taught the literature & language of the Chaldeans

This assignment invokes concern because of the pagan influence of the curriculum they were now expected to learn and conform to.

(vs. 6-7)
Enrolled in the school of Babylon, their Hebrew names were changed since they were centred in the one, true God and reflected their Jewish religion; but now the intent was for their new names to reflect the pagan religion:

DANIEL (meaning “God is my Judge”) - now called Belteshazzar after the name of Nebuchadnezzar’s god (Daniel 4:8) - i.e. Bel-Marduk, the chief Babylonian god - Belteshazzar meaning ‘Bel will protect’.

HANANIAH (meaning “Jehovah is gracious”) - now called Shadrach - i.e. Shudur Aku - Shadrach meaning ‘inspired of Aku’ or ‘command of the moon-god’. Aku was the moon-god.

MISHAEL (meaning “Who belongs to God”) - now called Meshach - i.e. meaning ‘belonging to the moon-god’.

AZARIAH (meaning “Jehovah helps”) - now called Abednego - i.e. after Nebo, a major god in the Assyro-Babylonian pantheon who, along with Bel was denounced by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 46:1). He was the son of Bel-Marduk, patron of writing and god of vegetation. Abednego means ‘servant of Nebo’.

(v. 5)
Then followed a more stringent test of loyalty to God. They could put up with having Babylonian names but compromising their diet would involve disobedience to the true God. That they could not and would not do!

• A god-fearing Israelite avoided spiced food because he belonged to God & did not wish to defile his body or inhibit its usefulness.

• Meat prepared by the Babylonians would not have been handled according to the instructions given through Moses.

• Some meats would be classed as “unclean” - they were forbidden by God to be consumed. Therefore, all the Hebrew young men who had been selected were now confronted by issues relating to heathenism.

GENTILE LEARNING. Teachings would include beliefs in astrology & the occult.

GENTILE CUSTOMS. They would be associated with pagan beliefs & practices.

GENTILE FOOD. Eating & drinking involved an act of veneration & worship of heathen gods.

(v. 8)
Here they were in a pagan land, confronted by heathen beliefs, practices and customs. It was a contest between God & Satan. Whom should they serve? What should they do? They were now subjected to a primitive form of brainwashing to re-educate them into rejecting the true God and giving allegiance to a false system of worship!  While the rest of the captives complied, Daniel and his three friends were determined to remain loyal to God.

Who Wanted to be God?

It boils down to the question of whether we choose to serve God or Satan! Satan was once “an anointed cherub” serving next to the throne of God. God created him a perfect being, but he corrupted himself & became proud and jealous of God’s position (c.f. Ezekiel 28:14-17). Before his fall, he was called Lucifer, meaning “light bearer”). By guile and deception he succeeded in winning some angels to his side and so he tried to usurp the throne of God but failed (Isaiah 14:12-14; Revelation 12:7-9). Jesus, Who won the battle, informs us that He beheld Satan fall from heaven (see Luke 10:18).

Ever since, Satan has been attempting to be god; in fact, when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he tried to get Him to fall down and worship him (Luke 4:8,9). He now works through human instrumentalities to take control by leading earth’s inhabitants into disobeying and rejecting God, and by so doing, they are giving allegiance to Satan. This is what the whole controversy between Christ and Satan is about: it is ‘The Contest of the Gods’.

The First Round of the Contest

(vs. 8-20)
Daniel requested they be tested for 10 days by being allowed to only partake of a natural diet & fresh water. God rewarded their faithfulness by ensuring they were healthier. He also blessed them abundantly in their knowledge and abilities; so that after the three years of training, they were found by the king to be 10 times better than anyone else!

This test on diet may seem insignificant to some but it is well to recall that the first test in the Bible was also to do with diet! Could it be that the depth of love & commitment is best revealed in little things? Great doors often swing on small hinges. Our five senses are the avenues to the soul. The psychosomatic effect of the mind upon the body, and vice versa, are very significant when it comes to physical, mental or spiritual health & behaviour.

Daniel asked for the diet of the common people of Babylon. He would have been familiar with the Biblical warning found in Proverbs 23:1-3. Diet does have something to do with our relationship with Christ. Should we expect Christ to heal us and keep us in reasonable health if we neglect caring for our bodies?  The main causes of heart disease are:

• An inadequate diet, consisting mainly of refined foods & excessive fats resulting in deficiency and high cholesterol.

• Insufficient exercise.

• Tobacco

• Extreme tension or stress.

Vegetarianism is a far healthier option. It was the original diet given by our Creator. Here is some good advice to follow: 1 Corinthians 6:19,20; 10:31.

Chapter 3. The Second Round of the Contest

(v. 1)
The outcome of later tests that are more severe is mainly determined by the initial test. God had informed Nebuchadnezzar that his Kingdom would be succeeded by an inferior kingdom and that God’s Kingdom would eventually replace all those of the world (Daniel 2). In what appears to be an act of defiance, Nebuchadnezzar sets up a statue that implied that he wasn’t going to be subjected to the God of Israel; after all, this was a contest between his gods and the God of the Jews! 

(vs. 4-6)
Daniel’s three friends now found themselves confronted by a decree that violated God’s Ten Commandments. If they refused (v. 16) to obey, they would be burnt alive in a furnace! What should they do? (v. 18) They chose to be faithful to God. 

What was the outcome?

See for yourself in Daniel 3:19-30.

Chapter 6. The Third Round of the Contest

(vs. 1-4)
Daniel faced this test during the reign of Darius who set up 120 satraps or princes (i.e. subordinate rulers) stationed throughout the entire kingdom. Over these were three presidents, including Daniel. Since Daniel had an excellent spirit, Darius intended to make him the Chief President over all the rest. Out of jealousy the others tried to find grounds for complaint against him, but they knew it could only be found “in connection with the law of his God” (Daniel 6:5).

(vs. 6-9)
Unaware of their intent, Darius was persuaded to make a decree that no one should pray to anyone, divine or human, except to the king for the next 30 days, otherwise they were (v. 10) to be thrown to the lions! Daniel could still have prayed to God secretly, but he chose to follow his regular routine. 

(v. 14)
When the matter was reported to Darius, he was much distressed because he now realized the trap they had set for his loyal servant. Unable to extricate Daniel from this binding decree, he reluctantly put him in the den but somehow had faith that Daniel’s God would deliver him (see Daniel 6:16-22).

The Contest of the Gods!

The key words at the end of the contest on the Plain of Dura are to be found in Daniel 3:28. The key words at the end of the contest in the lion’s den are to be found in Daniel 6:25-27. In the Early Church, the apostles made the same stand, according to Acts 5:29.

“The greatest want of the world is the want of men - men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” (Ellen G. White, Education, p. 57)

In each of these 3 tests there was subtlety on the part of Satan to obliterate the name of the God of Heaven:

1st Test: On Identity, False Teaching & Diet; To replace any reference to God by changing their names; to make the choice of following some falsehood; to weaken their physical, mental, moral & spiritual powers.

2nd Test: On Compromise; Coercion to worship a counterfeit instead of the true God.

3rd Test: On Turning Away From God; To reject God when decreed to do so by human laws.

Each of these tests also reveal a typology of the conflict of the ages in the great controversy between Christ and Satan:

1st Test: To disobey God & do what is pleasing to others; By identity, false teachings & diet.

2nd Test: To replace God’s commands with counterfeits; By compromise.

3rd Test: To reject God when decreed to do so; By turning away from following Christ.

This has happened throughout history. Prophecy reveals that it will be a main issue again at the end of time before Jesus returns. Christ is Victor: He conquered Satan at the Cross (Revelation 12:11). If we choose to identify with Jesus, we may share His victory through faith in Him (1 John 5:4).

This article serves as the script for presentation #3 in "The Book of Daniel" series, delivered by Pastor Michael I. Walker. If you're interested in downloading a printable PDF version, just click here.

You can also find the video presentation recorded during the Zoom meeting on Friday, 7 February 2025, below.