dailywordofdestiny

“DANIEL, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah”

“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 in whom was no blemish, but well favored, 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…Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat…As for these FOUR children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams…And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them TEN times better than ALL the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm” (Daniel 1: 3-20).

Daniel and his three friends were teenagers (Daniel 16 years old) when they were taken from Jerusalem into captivity by the Babylonians in 605 B.C. Perhaps Daniel was a bit older than his three friends as he was the “designated spokesman” when they were addressed by Ashpenaz as well as at other times throughout their early years in Babylon. I wonder how these young teens felt as they were taken from their comfortable, protected lifestyle and homeland into a future that held many unknowns. I would feel FEAR and yet as I read about these young men, I do not see fear as being an issue for them. Maybe they felt a kind of EXCITEMENT in getting away from that very same protection; after all, at 12 years old they passed the rite of passage into manhood. Can you imagine how the parents felt as they watched their children being led away, perhaps never to be seen again? Can you not hear them crying out the names of their sons and daughters long after they caught their last glimpse of them?

I am always interested in a person’s name; who named them and why that name was chosen. In Canada, I worked with the Indian population. Historically, many of their names were given according to what the mother first saw in nature around her at the birth of her child. If the mother saw a deer walking in the trees at the time of delivery, the child’s name may have been, “Deer Walking in the Tree” and so on. Many Bible characters have their names and meanings listed in the concordance and I FULLY BELIEVE that their names were chosen for a “specific reason” by God (Matthew 16: 17, 18; Philippians 2: 9-11). I believe that every time your name is spoken it solidifies your DIVINE PURPOSE. Every time your name is called out; it calls forth your DIVINE DESTINY. Daniel, “God is Judge”; Hananiah, “Gift of the LORD”; Mishael, “Who is What God Is”; and Azariah, “Whom Jehovah Helps”. Isn’t that interesting? Their names almost tell the story written about them in the book of Daniel. smile

I find it equally as interesting that the enemy wants to RE-NAME people. I am sure it is with the intent to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10: 10) our destiny and purpose. He always has a “counterfeit” to the TRUTH of God’s Word and it is wise to remember this. Daniel was renamed Belteshazzar (Prince of Bel); Hananiah was renamed Shadrach (Command of Aku); Mishael was renamed Meshach (Who is as Aku); and Azariah was renamed Abednego (Servant of Nebo). Bel was the chief Babylonian god, Aku was the moon god (fertility; reproduction), and Nebo the Babylonian god of literature, wisdom, and the arts.

Furnace As I was reading their story and praying about it, I thought about how much we aid the enemy in destroying the destiny and purpose of God in our own lives and in our children’s lives. For example, my name (Judy) means “Praised of the LORD” and TODAY, I fully BELIEVE that I AM PRAISED OF THE LORD! There was a time I didn’t. I always wanted to do my best but as I was growing up I often heard the words, “It’s okay, BUT you could do better.” So, I’d work very hard in doing better but it was always the same, “You could do better.” Pretty soon, I began to accept this phrase as part of me and I began feeling inadequate and unable to accomplish anything of worth. In fact, I felt unworthy and unacceptable most of the time. When you begin feeling that way; you begin doing things that reinforce the label you accept as yours. The enemy took my acceptance of this as an open door. He used circumstances and people around me to make me believe I was nothing. I quit going to church, I hung around with many other “unworthy people.” I was truly becoming someone else. I walked in this “identity” for many years. BUT THEN, one day God reached down from heaven and in His infinite LOVE He pulled me out of Satan’s death grip and set me into the solid foundation of JESUS, His WORD! Now, I KNOW WHO I AM IN HIM. I am Judy, “PRAISED OF THE LORD”! Hallelujah!

Does what you call yourself or your children make a difference? You bet it does. We left these four young men at the turn in the road, hearing their parents calling out their names; “Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah! G-D keep you, G-D bless you, may His face shine upon you.” (or similar). I can hear their daily prayers going forth as they call out their sons’ names. What about their PURPOSE and DESTINY in Babylon? Go to Daniel’s book and let’s look at part of God’s realized plan in the lives of THREE of these YOUNG MEN (Daniel 3: 13-30).

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up (vs. 16-18). And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. THEN Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, ‘Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?’ He answered and said, ‘Lo, I see FOUR men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; AND THE FORM OF THE FOURTH IS LIKE THE SON OF GOD (vs. 23-25). Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God (vs. 28)… there is NO OTHER GOD that can deliver after this sort” (vs. 29b).

Hananiah (Gift of the LORD), Mishael (Who is What God Is), and Azariah (Jehovah Helps) BELIEVED their GOD was real and ABLE. God called their names out before they were formed in the belly (Jeremiah 1: 4, 5). In their names He spoke His purpose and it was fulfilled in them, according to His plan!