Daniel 1:4 “CHILDREN IN WHOM WAS NO BLEMISH, BUT WELL FAVORED, AND SKILLFUL IN ALL WISDOM, AND CUNNING IN KNOWLEDGE, AND UNDERSTANDING SCIENCE, AND SUCH AS HAD ABILITY IN THEM TO STAND IN THE KING’S PALACE, AND WHOM THEY MIGHT TEACH THE LEARNING AND THE TONGUE OF THE CHALDEANS.”
The composition is:
1. The best of Israel is now given over to the heathen.
2. Ever how many were included in this group, the Lord would use at least four of them, Daniel and his three companions.
CUNNING IN KNOWLEDGE
The phrase, “Children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science,” refers to the fact that the Children of Israel, the most intelligent on the face of the Earth, were now serving the Babylonian Empire, in effect, idol worshippers, even though they were not associated with the idol worship, at least those who truly served God, such as Daniel and his close associates.
The Children of Israel were the only people on Earth who had the knowledge of the Lord; consequently, they were the only people on Earth who had true wisdom. This made them, at least when they were serving God, the most intelligent, the most brilliant, the most informed, the most enlightened people on the face of the Earth. In other words, they were light years, so to speak, ahead of anyone else in the world as it regards intelligence because their intelligence was of the Lord. No other nation in world had this intelligence, and simply because no other nation in the world knew God. In fact, all the other nations of the world were idol worshippers, and knew not at all of the true God.
This means, that if Israel had properly lived for the Lord, that no nation in the world could have even remotely overcome them. In fact, God intended that they would be the light of the world, the intelligence of the world, the nation of the world, in fact, which would lead the world toward God. To say it in a different way, they were to be so blessed by God, which, in fact, they were during the time of Solomon, that the nations of the world would come to their door, seeking to know the secret of their prosperity, freedom, and blessing. This was God’s intention, and, as stated, which actually did take place during the reign of Solomon, but soon deteriorated at the close of his life, and after his death.
The reason was always sin, as the reason is always sin. But we need to look at the real sin, in other words, the real cause of their idol worship, their straying from God.
THE LAW OF GOD
As we’ve already stated, they were the only people on Earth who had the Law of God, which addressed every facet of life and living, and was the only true Law on the face of the Earth.
But yet, due to man’s fallen condition, even God’s chosen people, it was not within man to properly keep the Law. As simple as it was, the sin nature, due to the Fall, constantly led man astray. But yet, the Law was God’s Standard of Righteousness, and a Standard which He could not diminish, and, as well, due to His Righteousness, He must demand total obedience. The failure of obedience, as it regards the Law of God, was death (Rom. 6:23).
But despite the fact that it was impossible for man, even the Israelites, to keep the Law, which not even a single one actually did, still, they were to try to do so, and to try to do so with all their might and strength. Jesus Himself summed it up, in these words: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the First Commandment.
“And the second is like, namely this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mk. 12:30–31).
So, the Israelites were to seek to do this with all that was within them, while at the same time, God knew that it was impossible for them to do such.
Some have claimed that God should have lowered the Standards of the Law; however, that would have solved nothing, in fact, would have only made a bad matter worse.
Some have, as well, said that God should have given them super power to have kept the Law, which He could have done.
While it is true that He could have done such, the facts are, had He done such, and I refer to giving them power that they might have the strength to keep the Law, and despite their fallen condition, the end result would not have been what would be commonly thought.
PRIDE
Man’s problem is pride, and had God given man the strength and power to have kept the Law, it would not have resulted in Righteousness and Holiness, but rather, in pride, which was man’s problem to begin with.
That’s why Jesus also said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mat. 5:3).
The idea behind the phrase “poor in spirit” refers to the fact that such a person knows that he, at least within himself, is morally and spiritually bankrupt. It is hard for man to admit that! He sincerely desires to think otherwise.
The question is not as to whether man is morally and spiritually bankrupt, that being a given fact; the question is, will he admit it?
So, if God had given the Children of Israel the power to keep the Law, as stated, it would not have resulted in Righteousness and Holiness, but rather the very opposite. In other words, it would have made man even worse than he had been at the beginning.
So, what was the answer to this dilemma?
THE CROSS OF CHRIST
In the midst of the Law of God, which moral part is found in Exodus, Chapter 20, and which we refer to as the “Ten Commandments,” the Lord instituted the Sacrificial System.
This System was not new, having begun on the very first page of human history (Gen., Chpt. 4). To counteract the Fall, the Lord would institute the Sacrificial System, then, the Whole Burnt Offering, which would enable man to have his sins covered, and at least a modicum of fellowship restored between sinful man and a thrice-Holy God. It could only be done through the slain lamb, which symbolized Christ.
The Altar, which God demanded, symbolized the Cross. The animal, which was the innocent victim, in this case a Lamb, would be the substitute for Christ. It was the most docile of creatures, which Isaiah symbolized (Isa., Chpt. 53).
Its throat was to be slit, with the hot blood poured out, and poured out at the base of the Altar, which symbolized the Shed Blood of Christ. The skin of the Whole Burnt Offering was to be taken from the body of the animal, signifying that sin is more than a mere surface problem, but goes to the very vitals of humanity. The “fat,” signifying God’s best, was to be burned on the Altar, separate from the Carcass, which was to be consumed wholly, signifying that the Sacrifice of Christ, which would ultimately come, would be a complete and total Sacrifice (Heb. 10:12–14).
The fire symbolized the Judgment of God that would come upon the Son of God, in other words, Him taking the blow which, by rightful due, should have come against us. The great difference, this “blow” would have destroyed us because we were sinful creatures. But the blow did not destroy the Son of God because He was a perfect Sacrifice, but rather destroyed the power of sin (Rom. 6:6). In other words, at the Cross, the power of sin would be broken, and the guilt of sin would be removed.
All of this, which portrayed the coming Redeemer, even promised at the very time of the Fall (Gen. 3:15), would symbolize the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Only Son, Who would ultimately come, referred to as the “Seed of the woman,” signifying His Virgin Birth, and the Incarnation, God becoming man (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14).
THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM
This System was carried forth for the approximate 2,400 years, at least by those who truly loved the Lord, which number was infinitely small, until the time of Moses, when the entirety of the Law was given on Mt. Sinai. As stated, in this great Law, which incorporated every facet of life and living, the Sacrificial System served as the very core of all that was given.
Knowing that man could not successfully and properly keep the Law, which, of course, incurred the death penalty, the Sacrificial System, even in a far more elaborate way, was instituted in order that man may have recourse from the broken Law, and have his sins covered and fellowship restored.
Always, and without exception, even as Paul graphically brings out in the Book of Hebrews, the Sacrificial System, within itself, could not take away sins. Paul plainly stated:
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). In other words, animal blood was woefully insufficient, even though it did serve as a stopgap measure, until Christ would come.
Always, and which information had been amply given, even at the beginning (Gen. 3:15; Chpt. 4), the Sacrifices were always meant to point to the One Who was to come. They were to serve as a symbol, as a type, as a figure, so to speak. Faith must always be placed, not so much in the sacrifices themselves, but in What and Whom they represented, namely the coming Lord Jesus Christ, Who Alone could take away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29).
But regrettably, the Children of Israel, at least in a sense, began to worship the Sacrifice, instead of what it represented. In other words, they put their faith in the ritual and the ceremony, instead of what the ritual and the ceremony were supposed to represent—the coming Christ. As a result, they lost their way.
THE MODERN CHURCH
Regrettably and sadly, and I say this with a broken heart, the modern Church is presently placing its faith and confidence in things other than the Cross. As a result, Churches are filled with people who are not truly Born-Again. They have a “form of Godliness,” but they “deny the power thereof.” The Holy Spirit, through Paul, said, as it regards these people, and He is here speaking of the modern Church, “from such turn away” (II Tim. 3:5). But sadder still, the far greater majority are not turning away from this saddened spectacle, this denial of the Cross, but rather are turning to this abomination, and, for the most part, accepting it wholeheartedly.
In fact, in the last few decades, the Cross of Christ, which is the very foundation of Christianity, actually the foundation doctrine (I Pet. 1:18–20), has been lampooned, ridiculed, caricatured, and even denied. It has been referred to as the “greatest defeat in human history,” or “past miseries.”
The propagators of the Word of Faith doctrine, which is a very popular doctrine at this time, openly state “if one preaches the Cross, one is preaching death.” In other words, this doctrine, which is so very widespread at this present time, and the doctrine which I believe is Satan’s final effort, at least before the rise of the Antichrist, has pulled the Church away from the Cross, until, for the most part, its faith is now anchored in anything and everything except the Cross.
THE MODERN EMPHASIS OF FAITH
Satan has been so successful at denigrating the Cross in the last few years, that now the emphasis of faith is on the Church, manifestations, Church Ordinances, or good works, in fact, anything but the Cross.
While some of these things may be very good within their own right, that is not where the emphasis of faith must be. Listen to Paul:
THE CORRECT EMPHASIS OF FAITH
First of all, let’s establish the fact that it is “Faith” and Faith alone which God recognizes; in other words, Faith is the coin which spends in God’s economy.
Paul said: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
“By Whom also we have access by Faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the Glory of God” (Rom. 5:1–2).
And then he said: “For by grace are you saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God:
“Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8–9).
But yet, it must be faith in the correct object, that is if God is to recognize such. Listen again to Paul:
He said: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect” (I Cor. 1:17).
Here he tells us that Water Baptism, as important as it might be in its own right, is not to be the emphasis of Faith, but rather the Cross of Christ.
The Apostle also said: “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised (put your faith in such, or anything else of that nature), Christ shall profit you nothing (meaning that what Christ did at the Cross will be of no effect to you)” (Gal. 5:2).
He then said: “Christ is become of no effect unto you (What He did at the Cross) whosoever of you are justified by the law (who seek to be justified by the Law, which cannot be done); you are fallen from Grace (meaning that faith in anything other than the Cross of Christ stops the flow of Grace)” (Gal. 5:4).
In fact, I could give many more Passages from the writings of Paul, which, of course, were given to him by the Holy Spirit.
Paul preached the Cross. He said: “We preach Christ Crucified” (I Cor. 1:23). He then said, and continuing to speak to the Corinthians: “I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” (I Cor. 2:2).
Anyone who will tender even a cursory examination of the Ministry of Paul cannot help but come to the conclusion that Paul preached the Cross.
WHY DID PAUL PREACH THE CROSS?
Any Bible writer proclaiming the Cross is of vital significance; however, with Paul, it is even more important, far more important.
It was to Paul that the meaning of the New Covenant was given, which, in effect, is the meaning of the Cross (Gal. 1:12). He referred to himself as the “Masterbuilder of the Church.” He said: “According to the Grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon, but let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:10–11).
Very clearly, the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle, tells us here that it was to Paul that the information of the foundation of the Church was given, which is on Jesus Christ, which refers to what He did at the Cross, and that alone.
While every other writer of the New Testament, and the Old for that matter, was certainly inspired by the Lord, still, everything that was written, whether Old or New, in some way complemented what the Lord gave to Paul. Let us say it again:
It was to Paul that the Lord gave the meaning of the New Covenant, in other words, what Jesus actually did for us, and that meaning was the meaning of the Cross. This is proven to us in many places in the Word, but very specifically it is proven in I Corinthians, Chapter 11, where the Holy Spirit, through Paul, gives us a detailed account of the Lord’s Supper, which highlights the Cross, and does so in totality (I Cor. 11:24–31).
So, if the Church is to preach the Gospel (I Cor. 1:17), then the Church must preach the Cross.
This means that every Preacher must understand that every single thing that comes to the Believer from the Lord comes exclusively through Christ and the Cross. To say it in a better way:
Christ is the “Source,” while the Cross is the “Means.” If the Preacher doesn’t believe that, or doesn’t understand that, then, while he might be preaching about the Gospel, he is not really preaching the Gospel. As a result, precious few souls will be saved, and precious few lives will be changed (I Cor. 1:18).
That’s the reason, at this present time (2003), there are probably less people being truly Born-Again than at any time since the Reformation. As well, there are probably less people presently being Baptized with the Holy Spirit than at any time since the Latter Day outpouring of the Spirit, which basically began at the turn of the Twentieth Century.
All of this means that precious few are having their lives actually changed. Yes, the Churches are glutted with people, and there is more money than ever before, but very little of it is truly of God. Please read the following statement very carefully.
CAIN’S ALTAR AND ABEL’S ALTAR
Around Cain’s altar many are gathered, while around Abel’s Altar, precious few are gathered.
As we have previously stated, Cain’s altar is beautiful to the human eye, but repulsive to God. Abel’s Altar is repulsive to the human eye, but beautiful to God!
If it is to be noticed, Cain did not deny the existence of God (Gen., Chpt. 4). Neither did he deny the need for a sacrifice. Neither did he deny the need for the altar. But what he did deny was the true sacrifice, thereby substituting something else to take its place, in effect, the labor of his own hands, which God can never accept. The reason is simple:
As a result of the Fall, man is totally depraved. This means that he can produce nothing that is righteous or holy. He has no semblance of God. In fact, he is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). One must remember that “dead” is dead! That means that unredeemed man has no knowledge of God, no understanding of God, no way to reach God, with nothing in his heart that even reaches out toward God, at least within himself. It is called “total depravity” (Rom. 3:10–18).
So, if man is to be saved, everything, as it regards his Salvation, must originate from without man, and, in fact, must originate with God.
The only way this terrible chasm between God and man, caused by sin, could be bridged is by the Cross. And if anyone attempts to substitute anything else, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, had a scathing denunciation; he said:
“But though we, or an Angel from Heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
“As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8–9).
The word “accursed” means “damned;” it means to be eternally lost.
Let us say it again: Paul preached the Cross because the Cross is actually the meaning of the New Covenant, that toward which the entirety of the Old Covenant pointed. Every other gospel, so-called, is cursed, as well as those who preach such. (JSM COMMENTARY)
