Charles Spurgeon Commentary Daniel 1

Sin always brings its punishment. King Jehoiakim did evil in the sight of the Lord, so God used Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to be the rod in His hand to scourge His sinful people and their wicked king.

And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand,

It was not merely that Nebuchadnezzar was strong enough to overcome the Jews; but God handed over His people into Nebuchadnezzar's hand. The enemy cannot touch the Church of God without divine permission.

With part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

See how holy things, once used for the noblest purposes, are no longer of service when the Spirit of God has departed from the Church. You know that when the Philistines captured the Ark of God and put it in the temple of Dagon, the fish-god fell down broken before the Ark. Nothing of this kind happened in Babylon.

The holy vessels were put into the pagan temple, and no miraculous result followed, for God cares nothing for golden vessels in and of themselves. When sin has polluted His people, their precious things are nothing to Him. They may go wherever people please to carry them. All their value lies in God accepting the service rendered through them. So, brother, you may maintain your attendance at the Lord's Supper, your preaching, and your gatherings for worship; but they will all be nothing without the Spirit of God.

See how the Lord's Supper is turned into the Sacrifice of the Mass, and how baptism is represented as the channel or medium of regeneration, once the Spirit of God has departed from the divinely-appointed ordinances. Besides these holy vessels, Nebuchadnezzar took the best of the people of the land and carried them away captive. He singled out the rich and the noble, those who had education and other attainments, while he left the poorest of the land behind. Sometimes those who are the most exalted will experience the most suffering.

And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Children –

Or, youths, –

In whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

Nebuchadnezzar was, in many respects, an enlightened ruler. He considered it one of the best things he could do for his court and vast empire that he should pick out the best of the young men of every nation, who would bring their national knowledge with them; and then, being sprightly in body and nimble in mind, they were to be trained to become counselors, or advisers to the court, or prepared to fill important offices as they became vacant.

And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank:

Treating them exceedingly well, thinking, perhaps, that the very food they ate might help to tone their minds for the work to which he had called them. He wished to make them into true Chaldeans, so he ordained that they must eat of the meat he ate, and drink of the wine he drank.

So nourishing them three years,

Putting them to college, as it were, for three years.