Daniel In the Lion s Den Message 8 in Daniel Sermon Series Scripture Text: Daniel 6:1-28

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Daniel In the Lion s Den Message 8 in Daniel Sermon Series Scripture Text: Daniel 6:1-28"

Marilynn Mason
5 years ago
Views:

1 Message for THE LORD S DAY MORNING, June 24, 2012 MESSAGE 8 in Daniel Sermon Series ( Back To The Future ) Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister Daniel In the Lion s Den Message 8 in Daniel Sermon Series Scripture Text: Daniel 6:1-28 Today as we resume our series of messages from the Book of Daniel, I would like for you to please open your Bibles to the sixth chapter of Daniel. Before we get into our text, let me refresh your memory as to just where we are at this point in our study of Daniel. After dominating the world for 70 years, the Babylonian empire has now fallen, and the Mede-Persian empire has risen to power. Remember in Daniel chapter two in Nebuchadnezzar s dream of the giant image, the Mede-Persian empire was represented by the chest and arms of SILVER. The Mede-Persian empire would rule for 206 years, from 536 B.C. to 330 B.C. As we come to Daniel 6, Daniel is about 90 years old now. For most of his adult life he had held a key position in the Babylonian government. Now he holds a key position in the Mede-Persian government. And I remind you, this was all according to God s plan. Daniel chapter 6 is important for a couple of reasons: (1) For one, Daniel chapter 6 contains one of the most familiar true stories in all the Bible, the account of Daniel In The Lion s Den. (2) Another reason Daniel 6 is important is because it concludes the HISTORICAL section of Daniel. After this chapter, the remaining six chapters of the Book are noticeably PROPHETIC in nature. In fact Daniel chapters 7-12 form the backbone for all other biblical prophecies. Before we get into today s study, LET S GO TO GOD IN PRAYER. As the curtain is pulled back to begin Daniel chapter six the first

2 thing we notice is I. The Promotion of Daniel, (vs. 1-3) Daniel 6:1-3 (NKJV) 1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 2 and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. 1. There are two things I would have you to note in verses 1-3: (A) First of all, note DARIUS OUTSTANDING ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS (vs. 1,2) Any time there is a change in power there is always a period of transition. But keep in mind, we re not talking about a transition from Republicans to Democrats or Democrats to Republicans. We are talking about a transition from the government of the Babylonian empire to the government of the Mede-Persian empire. History tells us the transition period between the fall of the Babylonian empire and the rise of the Mede-Persian empire was characterized by chaos, confusion, and civil disobedience. Restoring order would require someone with tremendous administrative skills, someone with the ability to place key people in key positions. Darius was such a man. Darius divided the Mede-Persian empire into one hundred and twenty jurisdictions. (Think of them as 120 states) And over each of these 120 states, Darius placed a satrap. A satrap was like a high-level CIVIL administrator. In other words each satrap received his orders

3 from above and were responsible for seeing that those orders were carried out in their jurisdiction. Over these 120 satraps, Darius placed three governors. The governors were the second highest ranking officials in the Mede-Persian government, with no one to answer to but the King himself. One of the three men Darius appointed to the position of governor was Daniel. (B) That brings us to the second thing that stands out in these first three verses and that is DANIEL S ASTOUNDING CHARACTER (v.3) v. 3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. I want to take you back to when Daniel was just a 15 year old boy and in his first year of captivity in Babylon. Remember Daniel, and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego had been hand-picked to be in King Nebuchadnezzar s training program that would prepare them for service in the Babylonian government? And remember how Daniel and his three friends refused to eat the King s food or drink his wine, choosing vegetables and water instead. That wasn t just a dietary choice, it was a CHARACTER choice! Daniel 1:8 said, But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.. Fast-forward 75 years. Daniel is now 90 years old, and Darius sees in Daniel, the same character, the same honor and the same integrity that King Nebuchadnezzar had seen when Daniel was fifteen; so much so in fact, the King even considered putting Daniel in charge of the whole realm. That means he considered making Daniel the Prime Minister over the Mede-Persian empire. When word reached the other governors and satraps that Daniel was in line to become the Prime Minister they became so filled with JEALOUSY they were determined to see that it never happened.

4 ******************************************************************************************** That brings us to the second thing we want to consider, and that is. II. The Plot Against Daniel, (vs. 4-9) Let s move on to VERSES Daniel 6:4-9 (NKJV) 4 So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then these men said, We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 6 So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: King Darius, live forever! 7 All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter. 9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. 1. Some things never change! Politics is a dirty, cut-throat, profession! It always has been and it still is today. Any man who has political aspirations must be prepared to have every minute detail of his life, his marriage, his finances and his career scrutinized, analyzed and ostracized. 2. As soon as the governors and satraps heard the news that the king was planning to promote Daniel to the position of Prime Minister, they tried to dig up some dirt on Daniel.

5 They carefully examined his government service records and every detail of his personal life, but they could find no charge or fault; because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Here we see a Christ-likeness in Daniel. Remember Pilate could find no fault in Jesus? The governors and satraps could find no fault in Daniel! 3. Now it would seem Daniel was off the hook. But remember, the world of politics is mean, dirty and nasty. When the governors and satraps could find NO FAULT in Daniel they decided to COME AFTER HIS FAITH. 5 Then these men said, We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 4. The governors and satraps began plotting to get Daniel out of the picture once and for all. The plot was really quite simple, and that was to get Darius to sign into law a decree which stated: For the next thirty days no one is to make any request of any deity, except to King Darius himself. And if anyone violates this decree, he will be sentenced to die in the lion s den. 5. Just how many people were involved in this conspiracy? We learn in VERSE 7 that everyone in the Mede-Persian government was in on it, which would include those who worked closest to Daniel. Keep in mind this whole plot was put together in the days before s, cell phones and fax machines. It would take months and months to put this whole thing together and get everyone in the government on the same page. 6. Finally after months of putting this scandalous plot together, the governors and satraps acting as representatives of the entire Mede-Persian government, showed up at Darius oval office one day with the decree already written and signed by representatives of every branch of the government.

6 All Darius needed to do was put his signature on it would become law; a law which even King Darius himself could not reverse even if he wanted to. VERSE 7 simply says, Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. THE TRAP HAD NOW BEEN SET! *************************************************************************************** III. The Prayer of Daniel, (vs. 10,11) 1. It wasn t any time at all before Daniel found out about the decree. What did Daniel do? He did what he always did, he PRAYED. Daniel 6:10,11 (NKJV) 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. 11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 2. You notice verse 10 says it was Daniel s custom to get down on his knees three times each day and pray to God. Daniel had a disciplined prayer life. Daily prayer was his custom his habit his routine. 3. Now I want you to think about something. There was nothing in the decree that said one had to pray. The decree simply stated, no one could PRAY to anyone other than King Darius. Daniel could have taken the easy way out and just stopped praying for thirty days. He could have changed

7 his routine, he could have altered his habit for one month, and been well within the bounds of Darius decree. 4. But Daniel didn t do that, did he? Why? Because he was a man of godly character and people of godly character don t change just because their situation changes. Oh what a powerful lesson there is in that for you and me! May there be a CONSISTENCY in our godliness regardless of WHO WE ARE WITH, WHERE WE ARE, OR WHAT OUR CIRCUMSTANCE MAY BE! VERSE 11 tells us, Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying. 5. Daniel was so consistent in his prayer life, the governors and satraps knew the exact time of day and the exact window to be watching to catch Daniel at prayer. ******************************************************************** Next we see IV. The Prosecution of Daniel, (vs ) 1. Once the governors and satraps caught Daniel in the act of prayer they hurried off to Darius palace to tattle on Daniel like a bunch of school children. Daniel 6:12-13 (NKJV) decree: of 12 And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king s Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter. 13 So they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. 2. You can tell by the King s response in verse 14 how much respect and admiration Darius had for Daniel. 14 And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with

8 himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Have you ever done something you couldn t change or undo and felt like kicking yourself? I think that is exactly what Darius was feeling at this point. Darius spent the rest of the day trying to find some legal loophole or political maneuver he could use to spare Daniel s life, but by day s end, Darius had exhausted all his options. 3. Left with no alternative but to carry out the decree he had signed into effect with his own hand, Darius had Daniel thrown into the den of lions. But notice what Darius said to Daniel before he did v.16b But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you. 4. And with those words, Daniel was put inside the lion s den a stone was placed over the entrance so Daniel could not escape, (nor the lions I might add), and Darius placed his official seal on the stone meaning if anyone tried to free Daniel and stop the execution they would receive the same sentence. V. The Protection of Daniel, (vs ) 1. History tells us that in ancient times it was a very common practice to use ANIMALS in the execution of humans. In fact the ancient Latin term for execution by beasts was dom-nah -tee-oh ad beastyoss (damnatio ad bestias) which meant to be thrown to the lions or to be thrown to the beasts. -In some countries that meant being thrown to the alligators or crocodiles. -In some countries it meant being crushed by an elephant. -Other countries would put the victim in a pit of poisonous snakes or scorpions or poisonous spiders. -In the ancient Mede-Persian empire it meant being thrown to the lions. 2. I love the way Dr. David Jeremiah describes the scene inside that den that night in his book, The Handwriting on The Wall. Dr. Jeremiah writes: Only our imaginations can take us into that den. We find out later there weren t pussy cats down there

9 because of what later happened to Daniel s accusers. When the guards slammed the door shut on the opening and affixed the seal, Daniel slid the floor of the den. With an ear-shattering roar, the huge cats came bounding from their caverns and skidded to a stop as if a powerful hand had reigned them abruptly. Their roars began to fade as they formed a solid wall of fur around the alien intruder, some sniffing at his feet and others gradually nuzzling his side. Others turned with an indifferent snort and ambled back to their caverns. Daniel slumped down, completely exhausted after his nervewracking experience, and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving to Jehovah for His deliverance. He leaned back against the wall to make himself comfortable for the night, but the dungeon was damp and chilly. Two lion cubs moved in his direction, not crouching for an attack, but with an obvious friendliness. They nestled close to Daniel providing him with warmth, cushioning his body in their soft fur. An old lioness crept over and lay in front of Daniel; he stroked their backs and they licked his hand. Soon the head of the old patriarch was pillowed by one of the cubs, and the four slept soundly in perfect peace and tranquility. But poor Darius tossed and turned all night long in his comfortable bed, wracked with guilt and fear. (The Handwriting On The Wall by Dr. David Jeremiah, p. 124 WORD PUBLISHING CO. Dallas/London/Vancouver/Melbourne Copyright 1992 ) 3. Verse 19 tells us that after a long night without sleep, Darius hopped out of bed early in the morning and rushed to the den of lions. Fearing the worst, Darius calls out to Daniel Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually been able to deliver you from the lions? Notice Daniel s response to Darius in VERSE 21,22.. v. 21,22 O King, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lion s mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O King, I have done no wrong before you. 4. In a scene very reminiscent of The Fiery Furnace in Daniel 3, Daniel was brought out of the lion s den and not one scratch or injury of any kind was found on Daniel s body. WHY? Verse 23 says, Because he believed in his God. 5. But wait! That s NOT the end of the story. Whatever happened to those governors and satraps who had come up with the evil plot against Daniel? 6. Look at VERSE 24 v.24 And the king gave the command, and they brought those men

10 who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions--- THEM THEIR CHILDREN and THEIR WIVES; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den. Why didn t Darius just throw the governors and satraps into the lion s den? Why were their wives and children also executed? We find our answer in the writings of ancient historian, Marcellinus. He wrote of the Persians, The laws among them are formidable, by which, on account of the guilt of one, all his kindred shall perish. ******************************************************************* C O N C L U S I O N Dr. Ray Pritchard gives this excellent summary of Daniel chapter 6. I would like to share it with you in closing. In Daniel chapter 6 we learn the secret of Daniel s success. Somehow he managed to survive and thrive in a spiritually hostile environment. That point is a good place to begin because Christians live in a world of spiritual hostility where the temptation to compromise our faith is with us every day. The world doesn t want its conscience pricked and doesn t reward those who dare to stand up for what they believe. In some parts of the world, standing up for Christ means suffering and death. In America (and in most countries in the West) it means ostracism, ridicule, scorn, being left out and perhaps being passed over. The account of Daniel and the lion s den reminds us that there is a spiritual battle raging all around us. The devil himself is like a roaring lion who would devour us if he could Therefore, it should not surprise us if the devil has an army of supporters whose major call in life is to harass us, trick us, and trip us up if they can. You can tell a lot about a person by the quality of his enemies. Daniel must have been a good man because he had the right kind of enemies. The people who hated him were no friends of God. They came after his faith because they could find no fault in him, and they had no answer for what he believed. (How to Tame Lions - Dr. Ray Pritchard - January 2000) Even in the face of PERSECUTION and POTENTIAL DEATH, Daniel remained a man of CHARACTER and CONSISTENCY and CONVICTION and COURAGE! Will you DARE TO BE A DANIEL?

Daniel 5-7, 2 John 1(New King James Version)

Daniel 5-7, 2 John 1(New King James Version) Daniel 5 Belshazzar s Feast 1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he