Faith that Stops the Mouths of Lions

Daniel 6

July 10, 2005

Background

A. The first six chapters

1. Purpose of heart 2. Power of prayer 3. Bow or burn

4. Conversion of Neb. 5. Confronting Belshazzar

B. Familiar stories it is easy to miss the main point (e.g. Jonah and the prodical son)

C. Context

1. The Israelites are scattered and crushed. They used to be rather noticeable in a market place as they dressed differently and ate differently. They had choices to make: to be faithful to God or to blend in; take the risk of living righteously or compromise. They also could become subversive and a general pain to be around with their negative attitudes. Daniel’s life was a parable for Israel.

2. Babylon has fallen to the Medo-Persian Empire just as God said it would in chapter 2. The last chapter describes some of what was going on in Babylon the night it fell. So confident were the Babylonians of their walls, the King was having a large party. Things aren’t always the way they appear. The MPE is now reorganizing as 6:1 describes. Esther 1:1 there is 127 provinces.

3. The Israelites need repentance and hope. A testimony of the faithfulness of God and His power was formed and broadcast through a man with a good attitude: a godly attitude… the Spirit of God in the midst of tough times.

I. Purpose in the Lion’s Den

A. The purpose of the wicked was to destroy Daniel and promote themselves

1. The jealousy of Daniel’s enemies: The world is a poor judge of Christianity but they observe well our behavior. They know selfishness, lying, hypocrisy and other things we call sin when they see it. Daniel’s enemies couldn’t find accusation against him, however… (4-9) The purpose of heart is guiding him. He is the first of 3 presidents over the 120 governors.

2. The purposes of man are rarely the purpose of God. (Gen. 50:20) But, God uses even the misguided choices of man to accomplish his own will. (Pro. 16:9 – “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”)

B. The purposes of God

1. The purposes of God are barely understood in our own life times as they reach even into eternity. Think for a few minutes about the impact of Daniel’s life. Daniel didn’t know that what he was recording would be the apocalyptic book of the Messiah’s day nor did he know the Messiah would quote Daniel when He prophesied about the signs of the last days.

2. The purposes of God go beyond the time of this age and include eternity which means there will be plenty of things we will just never be able to figure out.

3. They are, however, fully connected to our good as Romans 8:28 assures us.

4. Daniel probably wasn’t thinking, “Hey, this is going to be a great testimony to the king.” Yet, there was a purpose in it for the king, also. Look at the king’s testimony about God (vs. 16; 25-27)

C. The real purposes of our lives

1. Are not discovered in a personality profile but are fulfilled in our day to day activities as we are salt and light.

2. They are rarely if ever revealed before a test of our faith. I don’t think Daniel was thinking he was going to have a nice warm evening with hungry lions. On the other hand we don’t hear the bitter rantings of an angry old man: angry because he again has to face death for his faith even though he has been so faithful in a pagan society. No… we see a good attitude reflecting the Spirit of God.

3. Daniel was not a victim nor was he subversive (something the Sadducees of Jesus’ day forgot).

4. The purposes are sometimes not even revealed in our own life times

5. They have nothing to do with our accomplishments and becoming fulfilled and everything to do with our character formed in our choices and prayer.

a. Choices that reveal character are the sum of small decisions that have little significance in the current time and sometimes not even understood until it is viewed over time.

b. A person can multiple good excuses for not having devotions; not going to church for awhile; not getting involved in a ministry… until over a life time we see a Christian whose testimony has become ineffective and their ministry has been excused away. “For time (they) ought to have become teachers but is now in need of the basics all over again.” (Heb. 5:12) Then what is the quality of spiritual heritage they leave behind?

6. The real purposes of our lives are found more in tough choices to have integrity and to be selfless than finding something that makes us happy. This is what one famous historian Thomas Cahill says about his view of the story Western Civilization. “…it is, finally,

a recounting of those essential moments when everything was at stake, when the mighty stream that became Western history was in ultimate danger and might have divided into a hundred useless tributaries of frozen in death or evaporated altogether. But the great gift-givers, arriving in the moment of crisis, provided for transition, for transformation, and even for transfiguration, leaving us a world more varied and complex, more awesome and delightful, more beautiful and strong than the one they had found."

7. Rom. 11:3 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

II. Power for the Den’s and Lions of Life

A. The habit of prayer

a. Priority of prayer: it was a something that took place no matter what… even if it meant Daniel’s life. There were no excuses for Daniel that he allowed. The edict didn’t decrease nor increase Daniel’s habit of prayer though it may have added something to its content.

b. Position of prayer: on his knees. This is a position of submission and serious business. Not as likely to drift off of business.

c. Practice of prayer: “as was his custom since the early days.” A well practiced habit from his youth. Too often we don’t realize the significance of our children’s prayers and the necessity of teaching them to pray until they are in trouble as teens. The excuse to skip church: “I’ve got a job. I have to make money.” Where did they learn that one?

d. Power of prayer:

a. The source of Daniel’s strength, wisdom and excellent spirit.

b. I believe it is what gave him the power to not become a victim.

B. The lack of prayer

a. The South Korean church’s decision to pray or die (one church has over 500K) and its central feature is prayer

b. High complaint and low praise without prayer

c. Hearts not maintained in the Spirit of God

d. Prayer puts you up on the Potter’s wheel

e. God is seeking “pray-ers not mayors”

f. Isaiah 59:16 “He saw that there was no man, And  wondered that there was no intercessor.”

g. “You have not because you ask not… ask amiss…” (James 4:2-4)

III. A Perspective on the Lion’s Den

A. Daniel’s testimony

a. His enemies called him faithful and without fault

b. His friends called him a man with an excellent spirit

c. God called him “greatly loved.” (9:23; 10:11, 19)

B. Daniel’s God

a. In the den with the lions… the lions could only do what God allowed: no more and no less.

C. Daniel’s lesson for us:

a. Be yielded to God

b. Be faithful to God

c. Be praying always