Welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Sunday afternoon Bible study. Today will be study #8 of Daniel, chapter 1, and we are going to read Daniel 1:6-16:

Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

I will stop reading there. In our last study we looked at the names of Daniel and his three friends and we saw the meaning of each of these names and they all identified and related to God, which we would expect of the people of God that were born Jews and had identification with the kingdom of heaven. But in Babylon the prince of the eunuchs gave them Babylonian names that identified with Babylonian gods. It is all part of Satan’s attempt to receive worship as God. These Jews were people of God that had come from Judah, the outward representation of God’s kingdom on earth. The king took them away from Judah and now he has taken away their names and he has given them names that identify with Babylon and Babylonian gods. Satan was seeking to receive the adulation and worship of these young men who have been faithful to their God despite the circumstances. God referred to those that went into captivity as “good figs” or those that the Lord would identify as being faithful.

We wonder about the prince of the eunuchs that gave them their Babylonian names. He would have been under orders from the king to do so, as all these instructions are coming forth from the king of Babylon. There is this prince of the eunuchs that Daniel and his friends found themselves under and this man had authority over them. Actually, it is a little cloudy concerning who this prince of the eunuchs is and who really has authority over them. If we go back to Daniel 1, verse 3, it says: “And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes.” This is the first and last time we read of Ashpenaz or even a reference to “master of his eunuchs.” From verse 7 through verse 11 we read of the “prince of the eunuchs” five different times and he is referred to once more after the matter of proving the young Hebrews with their diet. We find him mentioned these five times, but it also says in Daniel 1:11: “Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.” So there seems to be this third individual named Melzar and Melzar is also the one that took away the portion of their meat, in verse 16. So, we have Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs; then we have an unnamed prince of the eunuchs; and then we have Melzar that the prince of the eunuchs set up over Daniel and his friends. So, it is a little difficult to see who Daniel is dealing with and we find that it was the prince of the eunuchs that said, “I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink.” In response to the prince of eunuchs, it says in Daniel 1:11: “Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants,” so it is difficult to determine who is being addressed, but it appears that Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs, could be the one that was ultimately in charge of the eunuchs. I am saying that it appears to be the case because it is not certain, but Ashpenaz is the one that gets it all started by bringing the eunuchs into the “training academy,” as it were, and then there is a prince of the eunuchs that is unnamed. Daniel was dealing with the prince of the eunuchs, but since the prince of the eunuchs had set up Melzar, then any dealings with Melzar would also be considered dealings with the prince of the eunuchs. However, again, I do not think that is definite, but it is the best I can figure out.

Well, let us think about the prince of the eunuchs. He is mentioned five times in these four verses and he is the one that was said to allow Daniel to be proven for 10 days, and so forth. Let us ask the question: “Who does the prince of the eunuchs represent? Of whom is he a type and figure?” He is the prince over eunuchs and we looked earlier at what eunuchs represent and we saw they represent God’s elect. Remember it said in Matthew 19:10-12:

His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

So, there are eunuchs that have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. It is someone in service to God.

Also, it says in Isaiah 56:3-5:

Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to JEHOVAH, speak, saying, JEHOVAH hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith JEHOVAH unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

Eunuchs receive an everlasting name. Whenever we read that kind of language of eternity, it definitely refers to salvation and eternal life, so eunuchs are pictures of God’s elect, especially Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. (I am more familiar with their Babylonian names than their Hebrew names of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.) Daniel and his three friends are saved individuals, without any question. They were also eunuchs because they are in a place that is under the authority of the prince of the eunuchs. They have been made eunuchs by men, but they are also servants of God. So, the prince of the eunuchs is the prince over these true believers or God’s elect.

If we look at the word “prince,” we see it is translated in several different ways, but it is also translated as “prince” in a few important places. It says in Isaiah 9:6:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Obviously, this is a reference to the Lord Jesus. Jesus is The Prince of Peace.

In the Book of Daniel, it says in Daniel 8:11:

Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

This refers to Satan’s assault against Christ, “the prince of the host.” Then it says in Daniel 8:25:

And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

This is another reference to Jesus Christ as the Prince. It says in Daniel 10:13:

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Michael is another name of Christ and it means “who is God.” He is referred to as “one of the chief princes” because of the Trinity and each Person of the Trinity is of equal power and authority, so each is a prince and Michael, the Lord Jesus, is one of the chief princes.

It also says in Daniel 10:21:

But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

He is also called Michael the prince in Daniel 12, verse 1.

To be very clear, so there is no mistaking who the Prince is, it says of Jesus in Acts 5:31:

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Jesus is a Prince. Let us look at one more verse in Revelation 1:5:

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Does it say “prince of the eunuchs?” No, it does not, but who are the kings of the earth? They are God’s elect, the true believers, just as the eunuchs typify God’s elect, so whether it says “prince of the kings of the earth” or “prince of the eunuchs,” they are the same thing spiritually.

So, here we have the prince of the eunuchs. And, yes, it is Babylon and the king of Babylon is an evil king and the prince of the eunuchs is under this evil king. I know that, but keep in mind that there are people of God found in the Bible that serve heathen kings. I am not saying that the prince of the eunuchs was a child of God. In all probability, he was not. He could have been a man taken from another nation or he could have been a Babylonian, but he represents the Lord Jesus Christ. It is just as Joseph was lifted out of the pit and taken into Egypt and came to be the right hand power of Pharaoh. We would think that Egypt and Pharaoh would not have anything to do with the Lord Jesus Christ and, yet, Joseph was a type and figure of Christ as he ruled as second in command under Pharaoh. I do not always know why God draws these kinds of spiritual pictures, but He does draw them from time to time.

Let us return to Daniel, chapter 1 and look at Daniel 1:8:

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel purposed in his heart. It refers to Daniel’s heart because he is someone that had a new heart and a new spirit because God had saved him. In that new heart he has been given perfection and there is no sin of any kind. There is an ongoing desire to do the will of God and when it comes to “meat” God’s Law was very straightforward as to what meats they could eat and what meats they were not to eat. Likewise, it was not for kings to drink wine or strong drink. But, now Daniel is being confronted with a diet of meat and drink that goes against the commandments of God and, therefore, it goes against the desire God had placed in his heart to keep His commandments.

This is a grievous thing for the child of God. It is a very troubling thing. Down through history God’s people have found themselves in these kinds of situations. If you live any length of time as a child of God in this world, there will come situations where we are put to the test. The test will be in regard to the Word of God and what God has said on some point.

As far as Satan is concerned, he does not care what point of the Bible it may be. From Satan’s perspective, whatever point he can press upon the child of God, his desire is for the child of God to submit to him and disobey God just as he did in the Garden of Eden. In that case, the point happened to be the tree that God had commanded the man not to eat of, so Satan came pressing Adam and Eve on that point. At that time, it happened to be the only Law of God so it was the only point that Satan could use to usurp God’s authority, but that is how Satan works. He will come to a person on a particular point. Normally it would depend on circumstances. People are different and their circumstances are different. For example, one person may be self-employed or another person has a job and a family and they need the wages from that job, so it would be much more “trying” for a child of God that works in a corporation that looks at Sunday as just another profit making day and they want their workers to work on Sunday, which the Bible says is the Lord’s Day. The company does not care that the Bible says that, so here is the proving ground for the child of God that has that new heart and new spirit. In that heart there is the desire to do the will of God, but it is troubling because it is his only source of income: “I have a family. I have children. I have bills to pay. What am I going to do?” That is real trouble.

Daniel and his friends have real trouble, too, and greater trouble than losing a job and not being able to pay the bills. They could have lost their lives. If God had not worked things out in their cases, Daniel and his friends would have been executed because the king had given instructions as to what food and drink they could eat, and so forth. Later on in the Book of Daniel, we will see that when the king wanted everyone to bow down to the image he had set up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused and they were sentenced to a horrible death in a burning, fiery furnace. So we can be sure this was a matter of life and death in regard to whether Daniel and his friends would eat the king’s meat and drink the king’s wine or if they would fail to do so.

It is very easy for the people of the world to say, “No” to the child of God, is it not? Typically what happens when a corporation makes changes and they want everyone to work on Sunday, the true believer would go to his supervisor or manage and make request: “I understand that you want everyone to work on Sunday, but is it possible I could get that day off? I will work “double” some other time. I will work until midnight on Saturday or I can come in at midnight on Monday morning. I will do whatever you want, but is it possible I could get that day off?” He makes his request and it may be sent up the line to whoever makes the final decision. And, yet, Daniel had already purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat or the wine which he drank. So this means that Daniel is also making a request. He is going through the proper channels to present it, but before he does that he has already made up his mind: “I cannot and I will not disobey God on this Law. I cannot do what they want me to do. So, if it comes down to it, I will have to refuse to eat the meat or drink the wine, no matter what the consequences.” That is what Daniel purposed in his heart. If our heart waivers, we may not be a child of God – our thoughts may waiver, but not our heart. It is either a born again heart or it is not. That is why the emphasis is on the heart. The heart of the child of God does not waiver. It desires to serve God perfectly and it will serve God perfectly. In this case, God had given Daniel much grace and his new born again spirit had control over his body. The Spirit of Christ indwelling him had authority over the life of Daniel and Daniel submitted himself to God in his soul and he kept rule over his own body and did not permit the sinful flesh to rule in his life, by the grace of God. He did service to God and he determined to do so.

Daniel is going to make request to the prince of the eunuchs, but he has already made determination as to what he intended to do. But before Daniel went to the man, we can be sure he first went to God. There is another historical record in Nehemiah concerning Nehemiah making request to the king. It says in Nehemiah 2:1-4:

And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request?

Here, the king is asking Nehemiah for his request and Nehemiah is going to make a request of the king just as Daniel would make request to the prince of the eunuchs, but notice what it says at the end of Nehemiah 2:4:

… So I prayed to the God of heaven.

And we can be sure it was a quick prayer. It would have been an instantaneous, “Oh, Lord, help me!” Then it says in Nehemiah 2:5:

And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

And it did please the king and he did send Nehemiah to the city of Jerusalem and we know the story about how he built the wall in fifty two days.

But, here, Nehemiah is making request of the king, but he also prayed to God and that is what the people of God do – we pray to God for His grace and help to find favor in the sight of man, as Nehemiah prayed concerning the king. According to His will, God will grant us grace and favor and that is certainly what Daniel would have done. We know from reading the Book of Daniel the type of young man he was and he would have besought the Lord to help him in the situation as he goes to the prince of the eunuchs to beseech him. It is a picture of a believer that goes to God to make request for help in our trials, troubles and tests. They are tests that God has arranged in our lives and we should be sure that every test in our lives (no matter what it is) has been arranged by God. The things that are going on currently in your life, in my life and in the life of every child of God have been set up by God Himself, whether it is a test at work, at home, with our marriage, with our children or with our neighbors or with strangers. Whatever kind of test it may be (and there are thousands of possibilities), God has arranged it. He is the one that has allowed it to happen and, in doing so, He has made the circumstances and we are in this test to see how we are going to respond. Are we going to respond faithfully or unfaithfully? Are we going to pass the test or fail the test?

You know, life at any time for the child of God is a test. It is a testing ground all the days we live. Of course, when we came to the time of the Great Tribulation, there was increased testing, doctrinally, as God was opening the Scriptures. Now in the Day of Judgment, there is severe testing to see if we are “gold, silver, precious stones” or “wood, hay, stubble.” But the tests are constantly coming before us, so the child of God is constantly turning to the Lord for help: “Help me, O, God. Help me to pass this test. Help me to be faithful and not to give in the point on which I am being tested.”

Let us say there is trouble in a marriage and the doctrine or the “meat and drink of Babylon” would say, “Divorce and get a new spouse!” For the child of God to be faithful, he would stay married and he would not contemplate divorce or separation in any way because they are joined together by God and what God has joined together, let not man put asunder. The child of God would turn his eyes to the Word of God in whatever the test might be and this is how God would have us to respond.

Now Daniel is making request of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. That is our request to the Lord: “O, Lord, help us to live faithfully and to glorify your name.” In Isaiah 24 it very intently describes God’s judgment upon the world in verse, after verse, after verse. Then there is a significant statement that says a lot about the present situation of each child of God, in Isaiah 24:15:

Wherefore glorify ye JEHOVAH in the fires, even the name of JEHOVAH God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

This verse is an example of Hebrew parallelism where God says something in the first part of the verse and then he restates it another way in the second part of the verse, but they both speak of the same thing. We are to glorify JEHOVAH in the fires and in the isles of the sea. The isles of the sea are the continents and it represents the entire world. In verse, after verse, it has been pointing out that the world is “on fire.” It is Judgment Day and it is the wrath of God. Remember what it said back in Isaiah 24:6:

Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

The earth is on fire. The isles of the sea are on fire. God says there are “few men left” because these few are those left on the earth to live through Judgment Day and to “go through the fire,” just as it says in 1Corinthians, chapter 3, where it says that God will put the fire to all that profess to be true believers and the “day” will declare whether they truly are believers. So, God is telling us in Isaiah 24:15 that it does matter how you live during the Day of Judgment and each one of us ought to be seeking to glorify the Lord: “Wherefore glorify ye JEHOVAH in the fires.” Glorify Him in the day of His wrath and in the time when we wait on the Lord and there is confusion at times as we go through this period. It would be very easy to think, “Well, the church age is over. The evangelization of the world is done. What is there left for me to do?” What is left for you and I to do is to glorify the Lord and serve him in our circumstances, faithfully and obediently. We do not have any doubt about how to do that – that is not a question, is it? The Bible tells us, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” When we wake up to the day, the Bible guides us and instructs us in what to do to please God. In our homes, husband love your wives; wives submit to your husbands; raise your children well; work heartily as to the Lord and not to men; love your neighbor and love your enemies. We have direction and guidance for every area of our lives in the fire. When we are obedient and we are doing things God’s way and we are able, by the grace of God, to keep His commandments, then we will be glorifying the Lord in the fires and not failing the test and not failing to bring Him glory in the Day of Judgment.

Again, we see that Daniel requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Ultimately, it is according to the will and grace of God whether we have that kind of heart, a heart that can purpose to do the will of God and is able to perform the doing of it. The only way that is possible is through the new born again heart.

Look at Daniel 1:9:

Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

Once we see that the prince of the eunuchs is a type and figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, this verse makes perfect sense and it fits right in. It says, “God had brought Daniel,” and it could be said that God brought all His elect into favour and tender love with the Prince of life, the Lord Jesus Christ. If it said that, we would understand it, but it is only because it refers to “the prince of the eunuchs” that it seems unusual. We know that God is able to give His people blessing when they go about their business in the world and when they do the things they have to do in the world (because we are all part of this world). He blesses them so they can function and perform well in business or in their homes, and so forth. They are able to do well. How can that be when we know that the world is hostile to God and to the people of God? We know there are spiritual forces that are set against the children of God in this world and, yet, the people of God can often do very well in the world. It is because God does grant His people grace and favour in His sight and in the eyes of man. Remember that was said of the young Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 2:49-52:

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

It says in Proverbs 16:7:

When a man's ways please JEHOVAH, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

God is able to bless His people and to help His people to function in the world. God is already doing this for you and me or else we would not have made it to this point. God has helped us with jobs. He has helped us in our neighborhoods and he has helped us with many people in various ways. He has helped us with the government. He tells us that the government is here for our benefit and we are to submit to the government in all things lawful. God helps us in dealing with man. Here we are living in a world that has multiplied evil at an incredible rate and, yet, we are moving about and going about our business and that business should be our Father’s business as we seek to do the will of God, day by day. We pray, “O, Lord, guide us in what I should do.” Of course, at this time the Father’s business is to feed the sheep. God is helping us and granting us favour and tender love.

We cannot mistake this language regarding “favour.” The word “favour” is Strong’s #2617 and it is often translated as “mercy.” In Psalm 136 this word is used several times. It says in Psalm 136:1-3:

O give thanks unto JEHOVAH; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The word “mercy” is the same word translated as “favour” in our verse.

God brought Daniel into “favour” or “mercy” and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. The word translated as “tender love” is another word that is also translated as “mercy.” If we go to Genesis, chapter 43 we see the account of Joseph and this is who Jacob is referring to in Genesis 43:14:

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

Jacob was praying to God that He would give mercy in the sight of the “man.” That man was Joseph, a type of Christ, and they did find mercy in the sight of that man, just as God’s people find mercy in the sight of Christ.

This word is also translated as “mercy” in Nehemiah. It says in Nehemiah 1:11:

O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

This is the word that we have in our verse in Daniel and it is translated as “compassions” in a wonderful verse in Lamentations where it says that God’s compassions fail not. This is what God did for Daniel. God brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. God did it. God arranged it in an historical way, but, spiritually, God brought Daniel into tender love with the Prince and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. This fits very well.