6. Shema Yisrael

Time:  622 BC - 605 BC
Place:  Jerusalem

With the rediscovery of the Book of the Law, Josiah and Jeremiah would have instructed the Israelites to the most important verse in the Book of the Law - Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one.

Hebrew:
:שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יהוה אֶחָד

These words express the uncompromising worship of the one true God, Yahweh. Once our focus is on Yahweh God, this verse is immediately followed by the command, "You must love Yahweh God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deut 6:5)

At the time, the Israelites had strayed from the one true God and worshipped many idols and gods.  True spiritual revival calls people to return to worship and love the one true God Yahweh with all of their being.

Parents were instructed to impress these commandments onto the hearts of their children. They were to talk about them while sitting at home, walking along the road, lying down and getting up.

It is under this kind of spiritual atmosphere that Daniel lived in his early childhood under Josiah's revival and Jeremiah's preaching.  Jeremiah was a prophet preaching in Jerusalem at that time.  A firm spiritual foundation was laid.  Daniel knew the one true God Yahweh in his heart and to love God with all his being.

Let us also follow the same as we teach our children about the one true God, Yahweh, to worship and to love Yahweh God with all their hearts.

**This video is an excerpt from our Music Drama in Easter Camp 2014**

5. Daniel's Childhood in Jerusalem

Time:  622 BC 
Place:  Jerusalem

The early years of Daniel’s life was under the reign of Josiah in Jerusalem. Josiah was one of the few faithful kings of Judah.

Josiah's reign lasted 31 years 640-609 BC.  

Daniel lived during the latter years of  King Josiah's reign.  Josiah was a good king: "he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand nor to the left" (2 Kings 22:2).  

Josiah saw how the nobles and people of Judah had so grievously departed from God’s ways and sought earnestly to restore the true worship of the one true God.  So, it was said of Josiah "like unto him there was no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his night—neither after him rose there any like him" (2 Kings 23:25).

In 622 BC, during Josiah's reign, God did a marvelous act.  The Book of the Law was re-discovered in the Temple of  Yahweh.  Josiah brought about a spiritual revivial by reinstituting the Covenant, celebrating a national Passover, and destroying idol worship (2 Kings 22-23).

Daniel grew up under Josiah's revival. This revival laid a strong spiritual foundation for Daniel and his friends for the coming exile and future destruction of Jerusalem.

In the next article, we will look at the most important Scriptural verse the whole nation learned from the Book of the Law as they renewed their covenant to the one true God under Josiah's revival.  Do you know which Scriptural verse this is? It is under this powerful spiritual climate that Daniel was brought up in.  All the parents would have taught the children this important golden verse in Scripture.

:)