Did you know that Shadrach, Mesach, and Abendago aren’t the real names of these three guys? Daniel was renamed Belteshazzsar, and Shadrach was originally Hananiah, Meshach was Mishael, and Abednego was Azariah. (Daniel 1:7)
Names matter. Even the silly ones, the nicknames, and the names your siblings call you. They are heavy with meaning and memories. In the culture of the ancient Near East, a name was actually an indicator of a person’s character. Some of my favorite examples are how angels appeared in dreams to name Isaac, John the Baptist, and Jesus. Names are a big deal. And changing names is an even bigger deal - particularly for four “good-looking” Jews plucked out of Jerusalem to serve in the king’s court. Did you know that King Nebuchadnezzar picked Daniel and his 3 friends after he captured Jerusalem as strong, smart, good-looking, young men capable of serving in his palace?
Each of these 4 Jewish exiles were given names by their fathers. The meaning of each name acknowledged the one, true God. But, as they began their new life in Babylon, in order to make them forget the God of their father, the chief official gave them new names with meanings in direct opposition to their upbringing, favoring the idolatry of false gods.
As temporary residents of a foreign land, Daniel, Hananiah, Michael, and Azariah involuntary found themselves in a true identity crisis - how can we serve God and Babylon? Is that even possible?
King Neb did everything he could to “take the Jerusalem out of the Jews,” but as you see in upcoming chapters, it would go nothing like he’d hoped. These faithful men would remain steadfast in the midst of a culutral ritual of idolatry.
Like the 4 Jewish exiles with new names but still an unshakable loyalty to their God, Peter encourages us in the New Testamant as “strangers and exiles to obtain from sinful desires” that war against us. (1 Peter 2:11)
Darling, the world will try to rename you your entire life. You’ll call yourself “Christian,” and the world will call you different. God calls you “brand new,” and the world will try to tell you you’re stuck where you’re at. God writes “redeemed” across your forehead and the broken world will try to make you forget it. But you know, because God’s Word tells you, that your citizenship is in heaven.
Let the One who made you also name you, and let that be the only name you’ll ever need.
📖 Daniel 1-2
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