Daniel Chapter 6 Verse 10

• So it doesn’t take long for word to get to Daniel. And no wonder, it was him they were trying to trap, right? No doubt they had a messenger waiting to go get at him! So the word has spread…no praying, no petitioning any god or man for thirty days or it’s the lions for you! What does Daniel do?
• Does he fret? Does he plan? Does he plot? Does he hide? Does he even think about it? Apparently not! Notice, he just goes home and talks to the Boss. Just like he had always done. Not only that, but it says here in this verse that he gave thanks! What kind of power is this!? The persecution of his adversaries, the threat of his enemies, check this out, did not activate fear but rather it stimulated faith! No matter the circumstance, the decree, the foolishness of others, even a momentary notion that God would fail him was ridiculous.
• So strength arrives man. Gratitude continues…worship happens! We get bent all out of shape all the time man…against our wives, against our husbands, our bosses, even fellow saints! Storms a brewing, we get all messed up. Storm arrives we stand in the boat screaming! And then Jesus awakens, or we finally turn to Him and His statement? “Where is your faith?” Think for a minute, stop for a second. Ground yourself in this statement…in times of argument, in times of adversity, tough times at home, tough times at work, tough times at church…when emotions rage and fear fights…you lack faith!
• God will not fail you! Not for a second. Find your spiritual spine and choose wisdom…love, patience, long suffering, kindness, forgiveness…produce peace! Spawn it man! Invent it right then and there lest you find your world, your day, your job, your home life…not in peace but in pieces! Root yourself in trusting in God and watch shame go on a permanent vacation!
• Daniel has seen the faithfulness of God. Time and time again. King and king again! So have we. We have never once seen Him unfaithful…and neither has Daniel so he changes nothing! Goes right home and gives thanks! And, with the doors open. Why? To taunt them? Not so much. 1 Kings 8:48. Solomon says “pray toward the land which was given unto your fathers, the city that God has chosen which He has built…” And so he opens his window toward Jerusalem as he did every day…and he kneels in faith…and in power…and in peace!

Daniel Chapter 6 Verses 11 – 12

• I thought about this a little more this past week. How foolish this decree was. Think about this. Let’s just say that Darius needs something from someone…”hey, can you please fetch me that pitcher?” “As you wish, highness!” Oh wait, that’s the Princess Bride! But really…what if he had to ask something of one of his guards, one of his servants, one of his family members…he’s not petitioning himself is he? To the lions! How foolish!!

Daniel Chapter 6 Verses 13 – 14

• That my friends…is a Biblical face palm! Just a few short verses ago, back in verse 3, Darius was giving thought to placing Daniel over the entire realm because of his great integrity, wisdom and presence…all stemming from what Darius would perceive as an excellent spirit. But now, Darius is trapped in his own foolishness. His pride led him to captivity and now who is in control? Not him…
• So he paces the palace floor…thinking of any way to not do this…but the law of the Medes and the Persians…once set in place…cannot be annulled. You couldn’t even decree a contradiction to an earlier decree! For example, Darius could not issue an amendment but he also could not decree at that point that Daniel can worship God…that would contradict his earlier decree…
• Not always a bad thing mind you. In Ezra 4 we see Ahasuerus the Persian king issue a decree that orders the Jews to stop the reconstruction of Jerusalem…that is until Cyrus’ decree is presented which of course orders the Jews to rebuild…and since Cyrus’ was first…Ahasuerus’ decree was ripped up!
• But not so much the case here in Darius’ time…no Medo-Persian decree from years past came to mind for him…he’s stuck…a puppet now to his early emotions…

Daniel Chapter 6 Verses 15 – 16

• How does Darius know this? Do we have record of Daniel preaching to Darius? Does Darius ever before mention God? Could it be that as Darius found humility and desperation and walked the halls of the palace, could it be that God was meeting him right where he was…lost and hopeless? Could be…could just be empty last resort words also….look at this…

Daniel Chapter 6 Verses 17 – 20

• See that? Wasn’t it just Darius that had said, “Your God, He WILL deliver you!?” But then he went and paced. Couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t care less regarding the musicians…so the question…Did Darius believe what he had himself said? I would submit to you no and I would offer his actions as proof.
• Hebrews 4 says, “God has promised rest, yet many don’t find it…because the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest.”
• So the difference between Daniel and Darius? The difference between Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and Darius? Not what they say! The three stood before King Nebuchadnezzar and stated the exact same thing.   “Our God is able to save us…” So no difference in their words at all…it’s what they believe…that’s the difference.
• Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego…they believe and place their hope, trust and life in God Almighty and therefore their lives are patterned around pleasing Him! Why pleasing Him, Matt? Couldn’t you just say obeying Him? No! Subtle yet HUGHE difference! What is obedience without love? Robotics! And so don’t miss this…we see a Biblical revelation emerging…that faithfulness is indeed pleasing the Lord…not just robotic obedience…and a desire to please the Lord stems from love…love for what He has done…love for who He is…love for how He first loves you….
• Hebrews again! Hebrews 11 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Three words we just heard…faith, believe and please…roll it all up into this one word…love and the expression of love towards God…worship! Darius is not a worshipper of God and therefore when the lions roar…rest runs!
• Daniel…Shadrach…Meshach…Abed-nego…? Cool as the other side of the pillow because God truly is their Rock, their Fortress, their Strong Tower…a very present help in any time of need…and so they stand…why? Not because they declare Him God…the demons do that…but because they have utterly placed their everything securely in His possession…

Daniel Chapter 6 Verses 21 – 23

• The power of believing God is truly remarkable…the results are even more amazing…why not just go for it? Why not just deny the lies and the deceitfulness of sin and just crumble into His arms? It’s either crumble there…or crumble here…choose there and watch the miracle happen in your life starting from within your own heart…be used by God, be known by Him…and even in the den of the lions man…no injury whatever!

Daniel Chapter 6 Verse 24

• Here is the contrasting case and I wish it was an example but it’s not…this tragedy actually happened…as they continue today…folks crumble to the pressure of the jaws of the lion’s mouth…because of hardness. Because of pride. And the worst part of it all…God is so very displeased and grieved.
• It was never His will for these other men to perish. And yet look, their wives and children paid for their sins as well…God’s heart breaks here…but that is ALWAYS what sin does…yet WE SLUMBER! I DON”T GET IT!!! Yes I’m a Christian. My God is able to save…then we deny Him with our laziness! With our carnality! With our love of SELF! WE LIE! And our wives…our husbands…our children…our ministries…find the pressure of the lion’s mouth and bleed out…while we blame and we deflect responsibility because we can’t face what WE and WE ALONE have done!
• Not me. I will take responsibility for My Savior! I will love Him, not just in Word and tongue but I will indeed love Him! In deed! I will prove Him man so that my wife may stand firmly in the fire. So that my daughter may stand confidently in front of the cowering lion…I will abhor evil…not just in emotion or intention but in patience and sacrifice…because the effect of sin is just this…families dead, God grieved…but the effect of faith…the reward of God…powerfully surprising and awesome! Take a look…

Daniel Chapter 6 Verses 25 – 28

• By one man’s faithfulness, by one man’s standing, an ENTIRE generation knows the power of God…notice, sin takes out the men and their wives and their families…the group perishes…yet faithfulness, love, worship…living something about it man not just doing something about it! LIVING something about it! Faithfulness declares truth to an entire nation! That surprises me! Could have been just Darius! Could have been just the zookeepers (those that tended the den of lions!) But not so! Just as the reach of sin is further than we know…so too the reach of a heart given over to God. Your turn…my turn…incline your ear man and leave behind the sin…forsake it man and get after Jesus…follow Him. That’s precisely what He did…only difference…He CAME for you…
• Isn’t that enough? If you truly believe it man…love will take root and from that love…faithfulness and that faithfulness will produce worship and that worship will ignite a nation…do you believe?