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The Tale of the Countenance

Pastor Bill Farrow

Daniel 1:14-15

[14] So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. [15] And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies.

(Verse 14) - So he consented to them in this matter - The Hebrew literally means: "he heard them in this thing." The experiment was such, since it was to be for so short a time, that he ran little risk in the matter, as at the end of the ten days he supposed that it would be easy to change their mode of diet if the trial was unsuccessful.

(Verse 15) - And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer - The Hebrew literally says: "good;" that is, they appeared more beautiful and healthful. The experiment was successful. There was no diminution of beauty, of vigour, or of the usual indications of health. One of the results of a course of temperance appears in the countenance, and it is among the wise appointments of God that it should be so. He has so made us, that while the other parts of the body may be protected from the gaze of men, it is necessary that the "face" should be exposed. Hence, he has made the countenance the principal forum of expression, for the chief muscles which indicate expression have their location there. Hence, there are certain marks of guilt and vice which always are indicated in the countenance. God has so made us that the drunkard and the glutton must proclaim their own guilt and shame.

One writer noted "The bloated face, the haggard aspect, the look of folly, the "heaviness of the eye, the disposition to squint, and to see double, and a forcible elevation of the eyebrow to counteract the dropping of the upper eyelid, and preserve the eyes from closing," are all marks which God has appointed to betray and expose the life of indulgence." Another writer said: "Arrangements are made for these expressions in the very anatomy of the face, and no art of man can prevent it."

God meant that if man "would" be intemperate he should himself proclaim it to the world, and that his fellow-men should be apprised of his guilt. This was intended to be one of the safeguards of virtue. The young man who will be intemperate "knows" what the result must be. He is apprised of it in the loathsome aspect of every drunkard whom he meets. He knows that if he yields himself to indulgence in intoxicating drink, he must soon proclaim it himself to the wide world.

No matter how beautiful, or fresh, or blooming, or healthful, he may now be; no matter how bright the eye, or ruddy the cheek, or eloquent the tongue; the eye, and the cheek, and the tongue will soon become indices of his manner of life, and the loathsomeness and offensiveness of the once beautiful and blooming countenance must pay the penalty of his folly. And in like manner, and for the same reason, the countenance is an indication of temperance and purity. The bright and steady eye, the blooming cheek, the lips that eloquently or gracefully utter the sentiments of virtue, proclaim the purity of the life, and are the natural indices to our fellow-men that we live in accordance with the great and benevolent laws of our nature, and are among the rewards of temperance and virtue.

What is very significant here is that God gave Daniel great favor with the Steward. This man could easily have said no and enforced his will on Daniel. I'm sure that he was no pushover and that he was used to hearing appeals from those in his charge. Yet, he allows Daniel to try his plan for the period he suggested - giving Daniel everything he had asked for. I cannot stress how unusual this is! This was a youth, a part of a newly conquered people, one who ought have had no favor whatsoever with him, let alone favor on this scale. Without the favor, clearly given by God and God alone, the outcome would have been very different.

Another thing we should note here is that Daniel and his three friends were actually better, fatter than all of the rest. Normally we would suggest that fatter means more prosperous. However, there is no reason to see this as referring to anything other than genuine weight gain!

Why would this not be so? If God calls us to a task and we give ourselves to the pursuit of it; what reason would there be for Him to fail to bless and prosper such an one?

I need to be aware that this is so and keep it in mind as I deal with the matters of life.