1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 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. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.
Daniel 1:1-6 ESV
Once again we find the Hebrew people turning from God and worshiping gods. (Jeremiah 32) As a result, He allows Nebuchadnezzar and the peoples of Babylon to conquer Judah and carry many of the Jews into exile. As was the practice in that day, the king would select the best and the brightest to assimilate into the Babylonian culture.
We don't have a number of how many "youths without blemish" were selected for this "honor", but we do know Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were selected. Among this group Daniel's future exploits are recounted in scripture, including the Old Testament book that bears his name. However none of it would have been possible had Daniel not lived a life pleasing to God prior to his capture.
The young men selected were already a cut above. Not just in physical appearance, but also in wisdom, knowledge, and learning. They obviously were the cream of the crop, the best of the best, the pick of the litter. Had Daniel not lived a productive live up to that time, he never would have been among that select group that went to the palace.
I get that fact that the "without blemish" is many times beyond our control. Acne, overbites, birth defects, and accidents can all lead to physical blemishes, but this group was noted for accomplishments in wisdom and learning also. These are within reach of almost all of us. Time spent in prayer and meditation will increase wisdom. Daily reading and study of the Bible and other quality literature will increase our knowledge.
When Daniel and the three were attending Hebrew school, they did not know about the Babylonian conquest. When reading the Torah, the four could not have known how important a part their knowledge and understanding would play in their lives.
We can never know how our actions today will affect the outcome of a situation tomorrow. Productive hours this week can have huge dividends next week or next month. Time, like money, invested wisely will pay future dividends. Invest wisely.
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