STUDY THEME: GODLY MEN OF FAITH. 6-11-06.
DANIEL: “FAITH REFUSES TO COMPROMISE.” DANIEL 6: 1-27.
DANIEL 6: 3-5, 10-13, A6, 19-23, 25-27.
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO DANIEL 6.
Last Sunday we learned that Caleb had an enduring lifestyle of faith that was built on his wholehearted trust in God.
Today we learn that we too can have strong enduring faith by recognizing that we will be tempted to compromise our faith and then deciding to act with uncompromising faith whatever the cost.
I have known only a few people who could be compared favorably to Daniel and his solid faith in God that he would not compromise. The reason for making such a statement is that I have not been with anther Christian in the kind of situation that swirled around Daniel in this lesson.
The threat to Daniel’s life was real. This was no fake test or sham accusation that he could escape without any problem or consequences. To say that we would be faithful to God and not compromise our convictions when faced with life or death is an empty claim that none of us are prepared to carry out. We can only pray that we will be found faithful if and when God allows us to face such a test. Through this lesson, Daniel shows how to live with uncompromised faith.
Self preservation is said to be the strongest drive we humans have. All of us will do anything we must in order to save our lives. Some of us will do anything necessary to save our lives no matter who else is hurt or destroyed.
Only a few will give their own lives to save another person’s life. Under a repressive regime, compromise of one’s beliefs and/or religious practices is often the first victim of the urge to preserve life. What about you? What elements of your faith in God are not subject to compromise? Or are you determined to be acceptable to the people around you and to be politically correct in everything you do and say?
The Prophet Daniel was born into an unidentified family of Judean nobility at the time of the good King Josiah’s reformation in 621 B.C. He was among the select youthful hostages taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C., the third year of King Jehoiakim in Jerusalem.
Daniel is described in Daniel 1: 4 along with other young men like him as, “youth’s in whom was no defect, who were good looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court.
When the other officials heard about the plan to make Daniel higher in rank than they were, they considered this bad news; and they sought some way to stop this from happening. Envy was at work in their hearts. Prejudice was also a factor. Later when they spoke of Daniel, they referred to him as a Jewish exile.
The other officials decided to try to discredit Daniel in the eyes of he king. They set out to explore every aspect of Daniel’s life, especially his record in government service. They looked into Daniel’s record and found “no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.
They could not accuse Daniel of any corruption or of any neglect of his duties. They found no skeletons in his closet. Perhaps this explains why they did not bribe false witnesses. No one would believe them. How would your life and mine stand up under this kind of careful scrutiny? Hopefully we would receive high marks. People of unblemished character can make their mark for God and his kingdom.
Jealousy is a terrible taskmaster. It causes people to be vicious in their relations with other people. The desire to destroy another person often arises out of jealousy as it did with Daniel’s fellow government officials. While these fellow workers plotted a trap that they hoped would be Daniel’s downfall, they also gave him a high compliment in saying that they would never find an improper conduct that they could use to bring charges to the king against him.
And it wasn’t that they did not try. The text says, “The administrators and satraps…kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom.”
What a testimony Daniel had! He was a man of blameless character. The Bible states, But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. Would to God that all persons in government service were like Daniel.
They are not, as we see from the actions and attitudes of the other government servants. But whether government servant or not, what do we learn from Daniel is that being a godly person of faith means demonstrating blameless character in every responsibility and role a person has.
Those who distinguish themselves for God in how they live stand out from others who live for themselves and their own interests.
Daniel’s enemies then decided to find some way to use his religion against him. Everyone knew Daniel was a loyal worshiper of his God. He made no secret of his faith. They found out his daily routine of prayers and decided to use this to bring some charge against him. Daniel was the kind of man who could be discredited only by exploiting his faith in God.
Being a godly person of faith means demonstrating blameless character in every responsibility and role you have.
In Daniel 3: 1 Nebuchadnezzar erected an image of gold some 54 ft. in height, in the plane of Dura which was probably some six miles south of Babylon. The plain was ideal for assembling a huge crowd of people. Scripture does not say if the image represented Bel the Babylonian god or, perhaps, Nebuchadnezzar himself.
In Daniel 3 Nebuchadnezzar gathered the officials from all Babylon to worship the golden image. He made a decree that everyone present should fall down and worship the image or be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Evidentally Daniel was not present, or was exempted by his high position from having to demonstrate his loyalty.
The charge was made against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego that they did not bow to worship the golden image.
Nebuchadnezzar, in a rage commanded the three Hebrew children be brought before him. He would give them a second chance. When the music sounded they would fall down and worship the image or be immediately thrown into the burning fiery furnace, “and who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said unto the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hands, O king.
But if not, let it be know to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
You will remember that Jesus not only saved the Hebrews but joined them in the fiery furnace and walked with them in the flames.
The idea is not that God will always protect His people from physical harm. He may do that and certainly is able to do so. The central idea is that God’s people should be obedient to Him whatever the consequences.
PLEASE READ DANIEL 6: 10-13.
Daniel’s enemies knew of his habit of praying to his God. Therefore they came up with a devious plan to trap him. They knew the king had a tremendous ego, and they hatched a scheme to take advantage of his pride.
They advised the king to decree that no one could make petition of any God or man other than the king. Anyone who did would be thrown into the den of lions. This edict would be in force for thirty days. They counted on Daniel’s deep dedication as a means of accusing him of breaking the king’s edict. And they were right. Daniel knew about the edict and about the evil purpose of his rivals. If the average person were in such a position, he or she would be looking for some way to foil their plot.
What were Daniel’s options? He was probably more than 80 years of age. For one thing, he could have skipped praying for 30 days. Or he could have at least prayed in secret as Jesus had taught in Matt. 6: 6.
Instead Daniel continued his practice of praying three times a day. Daniel made no attempt to hide this. His practice was to pray three times a day with the windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem.
He kneeled upon his knees. And as Daniel prayed, he gave thanks before His God. The last words of vs. 10 are significant: “just as he had done before.” This emphasizes that this was Daniel’s daily practice.
It teaches us several important things about prayer. Daniel’s prayer life was the source of strength for his courage and convictions. He did not pray only when he was in trouble. His prayer life was done in humility and with thanksgiving.
Those who had plotted against Daniel got together and found Daniel while he was praying. No doubt they congratulated themselves on the success of their scheme. Daniel had played right into their plans.
They went to the king as a group and reminded him of the edict he had approved. Apparently they did not produce Daniel until the king had affirmed that he had signed such an edict. In their accusation about Daniel, they said, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.”
PLEASE READ DANIEL 6: 16.
Too late the king realized that his officials had deceived him. They had told him that all the officials had recommended the edict, but Daniel surely had not done so. The king realized they had duped him, taken advantage of his pride, and set up Daniel.
Modern readers wonder why the king didn’t just repeal the edict, but in the Persian Empire an edict could not be reversed. So the king issued the command, and they cast Daniel into the den of lions. They placed a stone cross the opening to the den of lions, and the king sealed it with his signet ring. The king respected Daniel’s well-known faith. He said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.”
Did the king express a prayer that Daniel would be saved when he said, “May your God, whom you serve continually rescue you?” We cannot know the king’s heart. More likely he had seen and heard of the wonders that God already had worked through Daniel and was expressing a remote hope that God might spare Daniel from the inevitable death to which he was condemned. We legitimately can conclude that the king had a strong liking for Daniel and was hoping that he would be saved.
Daniel had an undaunted faith. Fully aware of the decrees prohibiting people from praying to any god other than the king, Daniel refused to compromise his faith. So it is for us today. As believers we need to be ready to exercise an uncompromising faith, even if doing so involves risk to ourselves.
The contrast between a person who lived by faith in God and a person who does not has never been more sharply drawn than in this sixth chapter of Daniel. That contrast is seen in vs. 17-22.
The king had the power to execute the death sentence against Daniel, but the king was unable to sleep, could not eat, and could not be entertained.
In sharp contrast, Daniel exercised strong unchanging faith in God and was rescued by God. Mighty beasts that could have torn Daniel to shreds and fought with each other over his flesh had their mouths shut tight. I even can imagine they may have laid down with Daniel for a good night’s rest.
PLASE READ DANIEL 6: 19-23.
The king spent a restless night. He grieved that he had been unable to save Daniel. He did not use any diversions to ease his tension. Early the next morning the king went unto the den of lions. The lions seem to have been in a kind of cistern or hollowed out stone hole in the ground. The stone had been rolled across the opening. When the king came to the den the next morning, “he cried out in anguish to Daniel…’Has your God whom you serve continually been able rescue you from the lions?’
Notice in vs. 16 and 20 the king used he word continually to describe Daniel’s service to God. The king was overjoyed when he heard Daniel’s voice from the lions’ den. Daniel’s response was to the point. He addressed the king with respect. Daniel knew his enemies had duped the king. Daniel explained that his God had sent his angel, and the angel had shut the lions’ mouths. Because of this, the lions did not harm Daniel. God knew that “Daniel was not a law-breaker.” The happy king ordered that Daniel be lifted up out of the den. Daniel had no injury after spending the night with hungry lions. This was obviously deliverance. The deliverance was because he believed or trusted in his God.
The Bible tells of others who experienced miraculous deliverances because of their faith and faithfulness. Heb. 11: 33-35a tells of the kinds of miraculous deliverances God brought to people of faith. One example is that He “stopped the mouths of lions.” Heb. 11: 35b-37 tells of others with equal faith who were persecuted and killed.
Daniel’s three friends told Nebuchadnezzar, who threatened to burn them alive if they would not bow to his idol. “If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king.”
“But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” God delivered them, but He did not save from death people of faith such as John the Baptist and Stephen. True faith believes that God is able to deliver but trusts Him to do what is His will.
This lesson has taken us into some scary areas of self-examination. To say what you think you would do when actually faced with a life or death choice of openly bearing testimony of service to God or attempting to preserve your life is easy.
However, when the servant of God is in that situation, the decision becomes far more difficult. Possibly the right question to ask is not “What would I do if faced with the choice Daniel faced?” but “What course of action will give God the greatest glory in such a situation?” Then pray that God will give you the strength to take that action.
5.PLEASE READ DANIEL 6: 25-27.
Daniel’s entire life was a testimony, expressed sometimes in words and often in actions. He was obviously a man of courage and faith in God. This is seen in each of the stories in Daniel. His life and testimony had affected King Darius even before his deliverance from the lion’s den.
Daniel did not flaunt his faith in God, but neither did he hide it. The king’s words when he threw Daniel into the den of lions show that the king was impressed by the God of Daniel. The words of his decree after Daniel’s deliverance show how he praised God.
King Darius issued his decree to all people everywhere. Most of them were subject to his empire. He referred to the God of Daniel. He decreed that all the people in the empire tremble and fear before this God. Darius called Him the living God.
Darius said that the kingdom of this God was eternal and enduring---his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. The king was impressed that He is a God who delivers and rescues because He delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
The king knew the lions were just not hungry when Daniel spent the night in their den because they made quick work of the conspirators against Daniel in vs. 24.
The Bible teaches that God moves in the affairs of nations to bring in His kingdom. The story of redemption at times paralleled the lives of kingdoms and kings. Some of these God used without the knowledge of the king; others saw God’s power at work. Some, such as the Pharaoh of the exodus, resisted God’s work. Others, such as King Darius, had times when they acknowledged and even praised God. Daniel’s godly faithfulness presented the others a powerful testimony to the one true God. Others, even people in positions of power, are affected by such testimonies.
There may come a time when we too may be faced with such a choice as Daniel faced, even here in the U.S.A. where religious freedom is an accepted right. What we do with that choice when the time comes will be determined by the choices we make now in following God faithfully and in following the example of such a hero as Daniel. For example, will we continue our religious practices unabashed and unashamed then?
Does anyone know that we practice them now? Will we continue to pray then? Do we pray now? Will we continue to tell others about Jesus and what He has done? Do we do that now? Don’t expect to live an uncompromising faith in times of persecution if you are not living an uncompromising faith now.
Why not begin now to demonstrate a blameless Christian character, to exercise an undaunted faith, to trust God fully, and to give a powerful testimony to the one true God? Do it now and we will be in a better position to do it then.
NEXT SUNDAY PHILIP PROVES THAT FAITH LEADS TO WITNESSING. ACTS 8: 26-40. A.V. DAUGHERTY <altav@swbell.net>