Contradiction in Daniel?

[Craig]

Here is what it says in Daniel chapter 1:

5The king appointed for them a daily ration from the (L)king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.

So, the king appointed for them to be educated for three years...then it says:

18Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 18Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.
19The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like (AB)Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service.

So, here's how chapter 2 begins:

1Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar (A)had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his (B)sleep left him.

Long story short, when the magicians couldn't interpret this dream, Nebuchadnezzar was going to have all the seers and wise men killed...among them, Daniel. Why would Daniel and his friends be among those to be killed if they weren't already in the king's personal service? It seems that they were in the king's service after only a year and not three years.

I can come up with an explanation, but would like other people's input. It seems that chapter one gave a back story as to how Daniel and his companions came into service of Nebuchadnezzar...then chapter 2 jumps backward...Daniel was still in the "education period" and explains why he wasn't given summons to interpret the dream...but why would he be among those condemned if he wasn't in the king's personal service?

But, here's the issue: Daniel proved in the second year of the king's reign that God had endowed him with wisdom...and chapter one said it was after three years that the king saw how much more wise Daniel and his companions were. Here's another passage that seems to contradict the three year education period:

47The king answered Daniel and said, "Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery." 48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.49 And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king's court

So Daniel and his companions were promoted...were these positions different than being in the king's personal service? In any event, I'm scratching my head.

[Edited on 19-12-2004 by Craig]

 

[Contra_Mundum]

OK. Here's my slightly irreverent twist on the whole deal. Remember--the entire government apparatus, and even the whole empire, is the "king's service," his fiefdom.

King Nebby: "Why kill them all? Well if the teachers are dunces, I guess their students are too. The well is poisoned! Kill 'em all. Start from scratch." These kings had power; so do our "princes" today. Christian influence has changed many things, and driven other things from the open which once were unquestioned ramifications of total POWER in a man's hands.

The time hacks are valuable, and as you found, they tell us when certain things happen, even if the "story-line" doesn't follow a strict, straight-line series.

As for the three years, why not continue the students in the training (and we don't know all that was involved) until their "degree" is completed at the U. of B.? At the end of ch. 2, Danny gets an inside track into high office, and sets his buds up for primo internships. King Nebby gives the whole class the once over at final exams and graduation. Not too many surprises there. Top 1% of the class aces it. Maybe Danny and his buds get "official commissions" now for the civil-service positions they've already been occupying.

This kind of stuff happens all the time today still, just different names for things, different governments, different corporations, different educations. Same power games.

Anyway, that's my down-and-dirty take. Your best bet for true analysis is reading up on the details in a good evangelical commentary. And here is a good book on-line, re. Daniel http://www.puritanboard.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=7166#pid105793