The Silent Circus
Great Stories of the Bible • Sermon • Submitted
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· 6 viewsGoing to see circus animals up close is usually something to be excited about. One night in the Silent Circus of the lions den was more than Daniel desired. May the faith and fortitude of Danile rub off on us as we study his amazing story.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
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D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The Food
The Food
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
Near Death Experience
Near Death Experience
and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.”
The Figure
The Figure
Near Death Experience
Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
Prayer
Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
The Fire
The Fire
And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”
Second Chance
Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
Deliverance
He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.
The Flip-Flop
The Flip-Flop
Another Dream
More Wise Men
Another Interpretation
Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!
Kings that Kill
Ahab and Jehoshaphat
The Fall
The Fall
The Finger
Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.
That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.
The Felines
The Felines
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.
Government Structure
120 Satraps
Provinces
3 Govenors
overseer
Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
Set Daniel
over the 3
Second Command
Prime Minister
Jealousy
Foreigner
Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.
Digging for Dirt
Elections
More Angry
“good two-shoes”
“teachers pet”
Why does king like him?
Honest
True
Not Power Hungry
80 yrs old
no flattery
“He was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.”
Said about Me?
Said about you?
Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
They only way
we can get him:
Make His Religion Illegal.
Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
Appeal to Pride
King is God
Worship King
Proverbs 29:5 (ESV)
A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.
Psalm about Wickedness
Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
People love it
reaches pride
original sin
Speaking the Truth
Speaking the Truth
They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse. Selah
His speech was smooth as butter,
yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.
Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than he who flatters with his tongue.
Illegalizing True Religion
Illegalizing True Religion
Sound Familiar?
Last day,
Same for righteous
144,000
144,000
Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
more...
It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.
They Are:
Virgins
Follow Lamb
No Dishonesty
Blameless
How to get them?
Make their religion illegal:
And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.
Make law
destroy them.
Why No Second Coming?
No 144,000
(Sanctification)
Back to Daniel
Did it work?
The Flattery
Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
It worked
They were excited
Who was behind this?
Prophets and Kings Section 5—In the Lands of the Heathen
The enemies of Daniel left the presence of Darius, rejoicing over the snare now securely laid for the servant of Jehovah. In the conspiracy thus formed, Satan had played an important part. The prophet was high in command in the kingdom, and evil angels feared that his influence would weaken their control over its rulers. It was these satanic agencies who had stirred the princes to envy and jealousy; it was they who had inspired the plan for Daniel’s destruction; and the princes, yielding themselves as instruments of evil, carried it into effect.
This plan
trusted Daniel
He incriminate himself
Like Uriah
What will Daniel do?
complain?
go to king?
explain problem?
pray in closet?
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Hears about law...
First thing he does?
Why not closet?
Intentional Conflict
Intentional Conflict
Last Day Events (Refrain from Work on Sunday)
If they should come here and say “You must close up your work and your presses on Sunday,” I would not say to you, … “Keep your presses going,” because the conflict does not come between you and your God. — Last Day Events p. 139
Did Daniel
create more conflict
than necessary?
Not against God’s law
Rest on Sunday
Is against God’s Law
Work on Sabbath
Is against God’s law:
Pray to false God
Not against God’s law
Pray in closet
Last days,
keep sharing truth
as long as possible
Jesus - “tell no one.”
Daniel
Attack him
individually.
Will you still pray?
Education Illustrations
The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
No More Fear
Mature Faith
They watch him.
They catch him.
They tell on him.
King tries to save him.
Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.
Why so much effort
Daniel honest
Daniel true
Daniel righteous
Daniel innocent
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
Two Believers
Two Believers
Nebuchadnezzar
Darius
Converted...
Wicked Men
pagans
idolaters
antagonistic
reject God
Totally Converted
Partly Daniel
Evan
Apologetic
Don’t Argue Your Faith.
Live Your Faith.
Last Day Events (The Honest-In-Heart Will Not Hesitate Long)
The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. — Great Controversy p. 612
Darius
Was a believer!
Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
Wouldn’t have come
unless he believed.
Faith of the Pagan.
Last Days
People watching.
What will you do?
Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
Hungry
children
people watching
Last Day Events Persecution Leads to Unity among God’s People
When the storm of persecution really breaks upon us, the true sheep will hear the true Shepherd’s voice. Self-denying efforts will be put forth to save the lost, and many who have strayed from the fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and present to the enemy a united front. In view of the common peril strife for supremacy will cease, there will be no disputing as to who shall be accounted greatest.—Testimonies for the Church 6:401 (1900).
Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
Darius Convinced
Daniel’s God
True God.
Just Like last days
Last Day Events The Honest-In-Heart Will Not Hesitate Long
A good many do not see it now, to take their position, but these things are influencing their lives, and when the message goes with a loud voice they will be ready for it. They will not hesitate long; they will come out and take their position.—Evangelism, 300, 301 (1890).
Darius Sends Letter
I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be to the end.
He delivers and rescues;
he works signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
In the end
Last Day Events Thousands Converted in a Day
There will be thousands converted to the truth in a day who at the eleventh hour see and acknowledge the truth and the movements of the Spirit of God.—EGW’88 755 (1890).
Conclusion
Conclusion
Daniel - One Test After Another
You - One Test After Another
A Great Final Test Awaits
People Are Watching
Appeal
Appeal
Your Choice Today
Your Choice Later