THE LION'S DEN
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
-As we’ve looked through Daniel we have seen how a pagan government and a pagan culture can bear pressure on people to conform to their ways and values, and if someone doesn’t conform to the values of the state or culture then they will persecute the offender in some sort of way. We often associate persecution with governments and cultural powers. We hear of how communist governments such as China imprison or kill church leaders. Or we hear how Muslims will kill Christian families and burn down churches.
-But sometimes the persecution that comes our way becomes a little more personal in that there are individuals who have a problem with our expression of faith who will try to destroy us because of what we stand for. If someone doesn’t like our biblical values they might spread rumors about us to try to ruin our reputation and thereby undermine our influence. They might try to get us fired from a job. Many times a Christian has been removed from some sort of public platform because another person on the platform was offended by the biblical worldview to which a Christian held. Sometimes a Christian will be falsely accused of something by an individual to try to get them out of the way.
-And like I’ve mentioned in other chapters, just like the governments or culture would leave us alone as long as we conform to their way of thinking, individuals would probably leave us alone if we didn’t make them so uncomfortable in their sin. The problem is, to stop doing that we’d have to stop obeying God and living for Him, and that’s not something that we are going to do.
-Daniel ran into just such a problem, and for him it was a matter of life and death. There were individuals who did not like what he stood for, and wanted to get him out of the way because of that. We should not be surprised when it happens to us as well. Now, this is assuming that you are being persecuted for your faith in God and not because of being a jerk or some sin that you committed. But when true persecution happens, we trust that God will bring forth justice in His time and in His way. So, if you run into individuals who are persecuting you because of your stance for God, take heart, God will avenge. So, let’s take a look at what happened to Daniel.
1) The flagrant persecution
1) The flagrant persecution
1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.”
6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!
7 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.
8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
-If you remember what happened in Daniel 5 that we looked at several weeks ago, the Babylonian Empire fell to the Medes and Persians. Darius took over as king, and immediately went to work in building his bureaucracy so that the government would run efficiently and there would be no disruption to government revenue and no threat from those who might try some sort of military or political coup. Darius set up several mid-level officials called satraps and placed three men to be administrators over them.
-Daniel is one of those three men set up over all those other government officials. Daniel’s reputation preceded him from the Babylonian government into the Medo-Persian government. Daniel had spent decades in high government positions in Babylon, and that’s the kind of guy Darius was looking for. But Daniel stood out from all of them. Darius noticed that Daniel had more skill and experience in what he was doing. But it wasn’t just that he had more talent or gifting, it says that Darius also noticed that Daniel had an excellent spirit. Now, Darius might not have understood that it was God’s Holy Spirit that empowered Daniel, but the king noticed that Daniel had a different air about him than anyone else. On this side of things, we understand that it was God through His Holy Spirit working through Daniel that made him effective at what he did and gave him grace in the eyes of the people.
-But Darius thought that Daniel so excelled over all the other government officials that he was going to promote Daniel even further to a position that I think would be equivalent to second in command of the kingdom. Here is Daniel, somewhere in his 80’s, about to be placed in what might be the second most high place in all the kingdom. You see all these other government officials who are trying to get ahead see this old guy going into the spot that they are all trying to strive for, you are going to get a lot of people jealous of your position. All the satraps and high officials were offended that this old Jew was moving up the ladder while they were stuck in the same place they’ve always been.
-So, all these other jealous people, seeing how Daniel’s God gave him success, wanted to take Daniel down. They wanted to get him removed. The only problem was that Daniel always did things above board, he never cut corners, he never did anything shady or illegal—he never did anything wrong such that they could accuse him and get him fired. (Here’s a short little lessen here—people who are part of the kingdom of God ought to be the most godly, honest, good citizens within the kingdom of men.)
-They tried to find something to accuse him of, but they just couldn’t do it. So they had to try a different tactic. The only way they would be able to trip him up is if it is somehow connected to the law of his God. That means that they knew that Daniel was so devoted to God and would follow God’s laws and ways to a T they figured they could somehow find a way to weaponize that. See, they knew Daniel’s beliefs because Daniel was not a secret disciple, his convictions were not hidden, the whole world knew where Daniel stood with God. This begs the question: Do people know where you stand? Do they know you are a follower of Christ or are you a follower just in secret? Would people be surprised to know you were a Christian?
-So, they devised their plan, but to see it through they would have to trick the king. They come to the king with a “brilliant idea” that they say all the government officials are on board with (although, obviously Daniel knew nothing about it) saying the king ought to make a law that no one can pray to any god or go through any priest or mediator except through the king himself for 30 days. The king is flattered. His ego gets a huge stroke. But the king doesn’t check the facts and figures why not because this could ensure loyalty to him throughout the land.
-The king signs the decree, and as you’ve heard of the saying THE LAW OF THE MEDES AND PERSIANS, once it’s in the book it cannot be changed. The flagrant persecution of these wicked men is now unchangeable law. Daniel now knows it is the law, so what does he do? What he always has done.
2) The fearless prophet
2) The fearless prophet
10 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.
11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.
12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14 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.
15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
16 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!”
17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
-Daniel found out that this decree had been put in place. He could have easily just laid low for 30 days—pray in secret, because nobody would know the difference. That’s the temptation that we would face—if we think we’ll be embarrassed or harassed at work or school or whatever, we just go on the down low and keep a low profile. But Daniel did not do that. He did not let this decree stop him from doing his normal routine of prayer and worship. He prayed three times a day every day, and wasn’t about to stop. And now, knowing the king’s decree and knowing what his enemies were probably up to, he probably included in his prayer a prayer for supernatural deliverance from his enemies’ schemes.
-Some people might try to say that by doing this Daniel broke the government’s laws. Well we should follow government laws unless they contradict divine laws. If there is ever a conflict between the two we always obey God. As the disciples told the Sanhedrin, we ought to obey God rather than men. Daniel was not about to allow anybody to take away his devotion to God.
-But Daniel had that reputation that his God always came first, so these enemies that were persecuting him knew that and just waited for him to break the law. Daniel didn’t try to hide his prayers to God, but the enemies had to have been spying on him at his house to catch him. But once they had their witnesses they ran to the king.
-They make some terrible accusations against Daniel. They first point out to the king that there is this captive from Judah not following the law. By pointing out that he was from Judah they’re really saying: This guy is an outsider, he is not one of us, and therefore he cannot be trusted. But then they made it seem that what Daniel did was a personal affront to the king—that Daniel was snubbing his nose at the king. They tell the king that this captive from Judah doesn’t show regard to the king—he doesn’t respect the king.
-Notice they don’t tell the king at first who it is. They get the king all riled up first to set the trap. This captive from Judah broke your decree and has no respect for you, so like the decree says he gets thrown in the lions den. And they remind the king that the law is immoveable. The king agrees with them, and then they spring the news on the king—the captive from Judah we are talking about is Daniel.
-The king is no dummy and he knows immediately that he’d been played. He’s mad at himself for falling for it and mad at the guys who led him that way. But the law is the law. He spends all day trying to find some sort of legal loophole in order to save Daniel, but to no avail. Daniel had to be thrown in the lion’s den. Daniel is put in. The king prays that Daniel’s God will save him. A stone covers the opening and the king seals the opening to ensure it is not tampered with.
-Daniel was fearless and trusted God even when faced by this personal attack. What about us? Would we be so fearless and trusting? So many people say that they would die for God, but that’s probably a lie since they don’t even live for God. Do you think your faith is worth dying for much less worth living for? So, what happened to Daniel?
3) The foiled plan
3) The foiled plan
18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.
20 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?”
21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!
22 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.”
23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.
26 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.
27 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.”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
-The king couldn’t eat or sleep, and was in no mood for diversions. All he could do was stress out over Daniel. But the second the sun dawned, he ran to check on Daniel and found him alive. Daniel says that God sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions. God decided to take care of Daniel in a mighty, supernatural way.
-Now, that’s not to say that God will deliver in that way every time. It all depends on his plans and purposes. If you remember way back in chapter 3 the three guys told Nebuchadnezzar that God was more than capable of saving them from the fiery furnace, but God might choose not to do so. Either way, they weren’t going to worship and idol. And here, either way, Daniel was not going to stop praying to God.
-This is where faith is put to the test: what f God’s plan is not to deliver you or whatever you think the plan ought to be? What if God’s plan is different than yours? Are you OK with that? Will you still worship Him? Will you still faithfully follow Him?
-But as we find throughout the Bible, God can and will deliver people in a mighty fashion. According to the author of the book of Hebrews, it was because Daniel was a man of faith:
33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
-And in the end of this passage both Daniel and Darius give glory to God. God did what He did not only to save Daniel, but to get glory from a pagan king. Now, after seeing what God did, Darius sends out a different decree throughout the kingdom, that everyone should fear and honor the God of Daniel. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Darius or anybody else was converted, but at least they were showing God due reverence and respect.
-And not only did God save Daniel, but He prospered Daniel. God does some amazing things for his children, and we thank Him for it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
-God has tender care for those who walk upright before Him and trust in His love, power, and faithfulness. That doesn’t mean that life will be without tests and trials and persecutions. This doesn’t mean we won’t be wrongly accused or have people trying to undermine us. But it does mean we have a faithful God that will stick by us when we do have people setting us in their sights for harm.
-But, some quick questions from the lessons we learn in this passage:
(1) Will our Christian walk stand out such that people know that we believe in Jesus?
(2) Will you choose to remain faithful to God even in trials and tests and tribulations and persecutions? Will you pass the test, or will you keep failing?
(3) Will you trust God or not in the middle of whatever it is you are in the middle of?
Let’s pray that God would so work in us to make that a reality...