# The King's New Courtiers - The Book of Daniel

An episode of [Kids Bible in a Year with Julia Jeffress Sadler](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1696638708), 17 Jan 2024, 12 min.

Audio: https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/f8ddd7fd-69c6-48d0-804f-b4d6010c327c/6f1a9589-3de7-4311-99f1-b4d60188ceaf/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=14e8ed60-20b2-4d5c-a832-b4d6010c3283

Join Julia Jeffress Sadler as she takes us on an incredible adventure in Episode 133. Discover how these four young men from Judah, renamed Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Babylon, demonstrate faithfulness and wisdom under King Nebuchadnezzar's rule. Chosen for their intelligence and potential, they face a challenge to their faith: eat the king's rich food or adhere to God's dietary laws. Daniel's wise request for a test of ten days on a diet of vegetables and water leads to an astonishing outcome. The young men appear healthier than those who ate the royal food, showcasing God's blessing on their faithfulness. Gifted with exceptional wisdom and understanding, especially Daniel with his ability to interpret dreams, they impress Nebuchadnezzar and secure prominent positions in his court. Sign up to receive Kids Bible in a Year devotionals in your inbox every weekday: https://www.kidsbibleinayear.com/ Get ready to experience the Bible designed specifically for children with the official KidsBibleinaYear.com podcast, led by Julia Jeffress Sadler. This captivating audio series presents the age-old wisdom of the Bible in an engaging format that will captivate your kids. Each episode Julia translates biblical teachings into real-life applications, making Bible comprehension a breeze for young minds. And if you want more Christian resources and content, you can download the Pray.com app. Pray.com is the digital destination for faith, offering over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime Bible stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible. For more resources on how to live a successful Christian life, visit Julia Jeffress Sadler's website at https://ptv.org/julia/. This episode is sponsored by Little Passports. Visit LittlePassports.com/blessed and use promo code BLESSED to receive 20% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Among them all was found no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,
[0:05] Speaker 1: and Azariah. In every matter of wisdom and understanding, the
[0:10] Speaker 1: king found them ten times better than all the magicians
[0:15] Speaker 1: and enchanters who were in all his realm. Daniel 1,
[0:20] Speaker 1: 19-20 Dear God, thank you that your wisdom is greater
[0:26] Speaker 1: than any other wisdom in the world. You created everything,
[0:30] Speaker 1: and so you know how it works better than anyone.
[0:34] Speaker 1: Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us when we
[0:36] Speaker 1: ask you to. You are so great, and we love
[0:39] Speaker 1: you so much. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
[0:44] Speaker 2: Thank you for praying with us today. The Kids Bible
[0:47] Speaker 2: in a Year podcast is sponsored by Little Passports. delivering
[0:51] Speaker 2: monthly activity kit subscriptions that help kids explore the world,
[0:55] Speaker 2: cultivate curiosity, and discover new interests with hands-on crafts and
[0:59] Speaker 2: activities in cooking, science, crafts, and more, all with a
[1:03] Speaker 2: unique cultural twist. Visit littlepassports.com slash blessed to learn more
[1:08] Speaker 2: and save 20% with code blessed.
[1:17] Speaker 3: The King's New Courtiers In our last story, we explored
[1:23] Speaker 3: Ezekiel the prophet and his vision of the dry bones
[1:26] Speaker 3: in the valley. In this story, we learn about the
[1:30] Speaker 3: life of another prophet named Daniel. In this story, Daniel
[1:36] Speaker 3: is a young man who was brought to Babylon under
[1:39] Speaker 3: King Nebuchadnezzar to be trained in Babylonian ways, as inspired
[1:44] Speaker 3: by Daniel.
[1:49] Speaker 1: Hi again, it's Joya Sadler with the Kids Bible in
[1:52] Speaker 1: a Year podcast. I'm so excited you're here with me.
[1:56] Speaker 1: Today we're going to hear a story about four Jewish
[1:59] Speaker 1: boys who are brave and respectful, even in the face
[2:03] Speaker 1: of danger. So God used them to show his faithfulness
[2:07] Speaker 1: to everybody. It's such a good story. Let's dive in. Nebuchadnezzar.
[2:15] Speaker 3: The king of Babylon defeated Judah's king and took Jerusalem captive.
[2:20] Speaker 3: The people residing in Judah were now under his reign.
[2:24] Speaker 3: King Nebuchadnezzar then ordered his court officials to find some
[2:28] Speaker 3: of the best men in Judah to train and serve
[2:32] Speaker 3: in his royal court. These men were to be high
[2:36] Speaker 3: in intelligence, strong in stature, and quick at learning. They
[2:41] Speaker 3: were to learn the language and books of Babylonians as
[2:44] Speaker 3: they feasted the best food and drank the best wine
[2:48] Speaker 3: for three years. Four men in particular were chosen, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,
[2:56] Speaker 3: and Azariah. And while there, they were also given Babylonian names, Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach,
[3:05] Speaker 3: and Abednego. As followers of the Lord, These men did
[3:09] Speaker 3: not defile themselves with the royal food that went against
[3:12] Speaker 3: God's dietary laws. Instead, they asked the chief official for
[3:17] Speaker 3: permission to not taint themselves. The official told them, I'm sorry,
[3:22] Speaker 3: but if the king sees that you appear skinnier and
[3:25] Speaker 3: unhealthier than the other men, the king will surely have
[3:28] Speaker 3: my head cut off. Daniel reassured the official and said,
[3:32] Speaker 3: Before you decide, test us. Give us nothing but vegetables
[3:37] Speaker 3: and water. Then see how our appearance is compared to
[3:40] Speaker 3: those who ate the royal king's food. The official had
[3:44] Speaker 3: compassion and respected Daniel, so he agreed and tested the
[3:48] Speaker 3: men for ten days. Ten days later, these four men
[3:53] Speaker 3: looked healthier and better than any of the men who
[3:56] Speaker 3: ate the royal food. The guard accepted their request to
[3:59] Speaker 3: eat vegetables and drink water. This proved that God was
[4:04] Speaker 3: with Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God continued to give
[4:10] Speaker 3: them knowledge and understanding of wisdom throughout their time in
[4:13] Speaker 3: the royal courts. Daniel was also able to understand dreams
[4:17] Speaker 3: and interpret visions. Three years had gone by, and Nebuchadnezzar
[4:22] Speaker 3: wanted to examine the new recruits of the court. He
[4:25] Speaker 3: found that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego excelled unlike anyone else.
[4:32] Speaker 3: So they served in the king's court. The king went
[4:36] Speaker 3: to them to evaluate their wisdom, understanding, and every matter questionable.
[4:41] Speaker 3: He valued them ten times better than all the magicians
[4:45] Speaker 3: and enchanters in his entire kingdom. Daniel continued to serve
[4:50] Speaker 3: at the king's court until the first year of King Cyrus.
[5:00] Speaker 1: Today's story marks the start of an important time for
[5:03] Speaker 1: Israel called the Babylonian captivity. If you remember, the people
[5:08] Speaker 1: of Judah or the Jews had disobeyed God for many years.
[5:13] Speaker 1: Even though God kept his promises to them, his people
[5:16] Speaker 1: turned their backs on him and his generous love and kindness. So,
[5:22] Speaker 1: just like your mom or dad might put you in
[5:25] Speaker 1: time out or take away some privileges when you disobeyed,
[5:29] Speaker 1: God gave Judah a big timeout and took away some privileges.
[5:34] Speaker 1: Using a king named Nebuchadnezzar and his army, God moved
[5:39] Speaker 1: the people from Judah all the way to Babylon, about
[5:44] Speaker 1: 500 miles away, to think things over for a while.
[5:48] Speaker 1: The sad, scared, heartbroken Jews were taken from their homes
[5:53] Speaker 1: in three groups— But even though God was disciplining his people,
[5:58] Speaker 1: he still loved them and took care of them every
[6:01] Speaker 1: step of the way. Now at this time, Babylon was
[6:04] Speaker 1: one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world.
[6:08] Speaker 1: It was like New York City or London or Tokyo,
[6:13] Speaker 1: filled with people from all different cultures who spoke all
[6:16] Speaker 1: different languages. So King Nebuchadnezzar made sure Everybody working in
[6:23] Speaker 1: his government or his court also spoke different languages and
[6:27] Speaker 1: understood different cultures. That way, everyone in his city could
[6:33] Speaker 1: get along. And when new groups of people like the
[6:37] Speaker 1: Jews came to Babylon, he chose the ones with the
[6:40] Speaker 1: biggest muscles and even bigger brains to work in his court.
[6:45] Speaker 1: They learned to be good, strong leaders who spoke Babylonian
[6:50] Speaker 1: and knew its history and laws. To God, being a
[6:54] Speaker 1: good leader is much more about your heart than about
[6:59] Speaker 1: your muscles or brain. He wants you to be kind, brave, truthful,
[7:03] Speaker 1: and care for those needing your help. But he also
[7:08] Speaker 1: wants you to use everything he gave you, like your muscles, talents,
[7:13] Speaker 1: and brain. King Nebuchadnezzar didn't think like God. So when
[7:18] Speaker 1: the first group of Jews arrived, His officials only looked
[7:22] Speaker 1: for the strongest, most handsome, and smartest young men. But
[7:27] Speaker 1: God ensured they were also the ones with the kindest, bravest,
[7:32] Speaker 1: most truthful hearts. Among the Jews, there were four teenage
[7:36] Speaker 1: boys who hadn't turned their backs on God. Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah,
[7:42] Speaker 1: and Mishael still loved and obeyed the Lord. So God
[7:46] Speaker 1: chose them. King Nebuchadnezzar's officials took the boys, changed their names,
[7:52] Speaker 1: and put them in a special school to learn everything
[7:56] Speaker 1: they'd need for the king's court. The four Hebrews learned languages, science, literature,
[8:03] Speaker 1: and all about the stars. They were given the best teachers,
[8:07] Speaker 1: the nicest clothes, and King Nebuchadnezzar's fanciest food. Uh-oh, that
[8:13] Speaker 1: food looked delicious, but it was full of all kinds
[8:17] Speaker 1: of ingredients God had told the Jews not to eat. Now,
[8:21] Speaker 1: if you were Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, what would
[8:26] Speaker 1: you do? You're in a new city with new friends
[8:29] Speaker 1: who might think saying no to delicious meals would be weird. Worse,
[8:35] Speaker 1: it could get you in big trouble. It would be
[8:37] Speaker 1: easy to just ignore God's laws and eat the king's food.
[8:42] Speaker 1: But those four boys had kind, brave, truthful hearts. They
[8:48] Speaker 1: knew obeying God was more important than taking the easy
[8:52] Speaker 1: way out. So they respectfully requested different meals. And because
[8:57] Speaker 1: they weren't rude and didn't say, Oh, gross, I'm not
[9:00] Speaker 1: eating that. The king's officials let them try eating vegetables
[9:06] Speaker 1: instead of the king's fancy food. When they did, everyone
[9:10] Speaker 1: could see they were healthier, stronger, and happier than any
[9:14] Speaker 1: other students at school. King Nebuchadnezzar saw it too, and
[9:19] Speaker 1: later he made those four young men powerful leaders in
[9:23] Speaker 1: his court. Now, isn't God faithful? He used the obedience
[9:29] Speaker 1: of four boys to bless all his people.
[9:32] Speaker 2: How?
[9:33] Speaker 1: How? Because even before the second and third groups of
[9:37] Speaker 1: Jewish exiles left their homes in Judah, God had put
[9:41] Speaker 1: these good, strong Jewish leaders in the Babylonian government. Young
[9:46] Speaker 1: men with kind, brave, truthful hearts who were ready to
[9:51] Speaker 1: take care of those who needed their help, like the sad, scared,
[9:56] Speaker 1: and heartbroken Jews. I'm so glad you joined me for
[9:59] Speaker 1: today's story. Come back next time to hear what happens
[10:03] Speaker 1: when King Nebuchadnezzar has a crazy dream that only one
[10:07] Speaker 1: person can explain. Remember, the Bible is the best story
[10:12] Speaker 1: ever told. It's God's story to you, and it's all true.
[10:17] Speaker 1: If this podcast brought you joy and seems like a
[10:20] Speaker 1: valuable tool for kids and parents alike, don't hesitate to
[10:23] Speaker 1: share it with someone you care about. Thank you for
[10:26] Speaker 1: listening to Pray.com's Kids Bible in a Year. For more
[10:30] Speaker 1: Bible stories and wisdom to last a lifetime, download the
[10:34] Speaker 1: Pray.com app for free today. See you next time. Thanks
[10:47] Speaker 1: for listening to Kids Bible in a Year. I want
[10:49] Speaker 1: to invite our adult listeners to check out my other show, Unapologetic,
[10:54] Speaker 1: God's Truth on Today's Topics. It's unfiltered, important, inspiring, and
[11:00] Speaker 1: we have awesome conversations and amazing guests such as Candice
[11:04] Speaker 1: Cameron Bray, Vice President Mike Pence, Dr. Robert Jeffress, Shannon Bream,
[11:10] Speaker 1: Maddie Pruitt, and so many others. We are helping you
[11:14] Speaker 1: have conversations, that empower you to have bold faith in
[11:19] Speaker 1: a broken world. You'll be excited, inspired, and encouraged in
[11:23] Speaker 1: your faith as you check out Unapologetic. Remember that you
[11:27] Speaker 1: can tune in wherever you get your podcasts and on Pray.com.

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