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Without Spot Or Blemish

Pastor Bill Farrow

Daniel 1:3-5

[3] Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, [4] young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. [5] And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.

(Verse 3) - That he should bring certain of the children of Israel - Hebrew, "of the sons of Israel." Many use the word thd is here for "sons" and stretch it to imply that Daniel was very young when he was taken. However, when viewed honestly and objectively, nothing can with certainty be determined respecting their "age" by the use of this expression, for the phrase means merely the descendants of Jacob, or Israel, that is, "Jews," and it would be applied to them at any time of life.

This does not mean that Daniel wasn't a youth, he likely was. It would seem, from subsequent statements, that those who were selected were young men. It is evident that young men would be better qualified for the object contemplated - to be "trained" in the language and the sciences of the Chaldeans than those who were at a more advanced period of life.

And of the king's seed, and of the princes - That the most illustrious, and the most promising of them were to be selected; those who would be most adapted to accomplish the object which he had in view. It is probable that the king presumed that among the royal youths who had been made captive there would be found those of most talent, and of course those best qualified to impart dignity and honor to his government, as well as those who would be most likely to be qualified to make known future events by the interpretation of dreams, and by the prophetic intimations of the Divine will.

(Verse 4) - Children in whom was no blemish - The word rendered "children" in this place is different from that which is rendered "children" in Job 1:3. That word denotes merely that they were "sons," or "descendants," of Israel, without implying anything in regard to their age; the word here used would be appropriate only to those who were at an early period of life, and makes it certain that the king meant that those who were selected should be youths.

Compare Gen. 4:23, where the word is rendered "a young man." It is sometimes, indeed, used to denote a son, without reference to age, and is then synonymous with a "son." But it properly means "one born;" that is, "recently born;" a child, (Gen. 21:8; Exo. 1:17; 2:3); and then one in early life. There can be no doubt that the monarch meant to designate youths.

The word "blemish" refers to bodily defect or imperfection. The object was to select those who were most perfect in form, perhaps partly because it was supposed that beautiful youths would most grace the court, and partly because it was supposed that such would be likely to have the brightest intellectual endowments. It was regarded as essential to personal beauty to be without blemish, 2 Sam. 14:25: "But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for beauty; from the sole of Iris foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him." SOS 4:7: "thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee."

In all of this, Daniel was found to be foremost qualified. He met and surpassed the King's requirements. He was found in no regard to fall short of the standard. We will see that he was measured and examined and that he passed every measure. He demonstrated his qualifications under the most stringent and demanding of standards. He was subjected to the close scrutiny of the King himself.

In this Daniel is a picture of Christ. The Scripture teaches us that Christ was the perfect sacrifice of God. As such, He had to be without spot or blemish. As that sacrifice He was subject to the standards established by God. He was found to completely and absolutely in comple once with those standards. He was subjected to the closest scrutiny of God Himself. He noasured up at every turn.

You and I must undergo the self- same scrutiny of God and all required to measure up to the perfect standards of the King of all men. Sadly, we are not as perfect as Christ was, nor even as perfect as Daniel was! We need a righteousness that surpasses that which we are able to supply for ourselves. Daniel was subject to the standards and scrutiny of a human king. Even one such as he falls far short of the standards required by God for entrance into His Kingdom. We all need the righteousness of Christ to commend us to God.

Daniel portrays for us the accountability we all share before the King of all. He underscores for us the perfect standard to which all are held. Having been called to recognize our accountability to the lofty standard of the King of all men, we are immediately reminded that we cannot supply the necessary righteousness ourselves. We are left to cry out to God for mercy, mercy provided only at the cross.

This is important. I must hold this as an inviolable principle in my mind.