Wednesday as
I listened to my favorite radio station, the program was about D-Day, the
largest seaborne invasion in history. American troops storm the beaches of
Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. More than 150,000 Allied troops invaded
Western Europe, overwhelming German forces in an operation that proved to be a
turning point in World War II. http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/03/world/europe/d-day-fast-facts
Why discuss
D-day in October? The radio minister reveals every day is D-day. We are in a
battle for our lives. We live in a world of moral decay, intense degradation,
and gross unrighteousness.
A sign outside of Trinity Church in New York invites
worshippers to pray for Allied victory in D-Day invasion. Prayer should be our first line of defense,
not our last.
Just like
Daniel, we have an enemy and there is a war going on. Do you sometimes feel
that you have been in a conflict? Every day we need to dress for battle. Soon
you will enter a war zone, for some the challenge is within the wall of your
home. For others it could be the workplace, traffic, or ever present media.
Open your bibles to Ephesians 6. Keep a bookmark here because
we will return later in the teaching.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of
truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for
your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil
one; 17 and
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God, 18 praying at all times in the
Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with
all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Prayer taps
us into “the all encompassing power and sovereignty of our great and awesome God.” Let us pray.
Warren
Wiersbe in his book, Be Resolute,
titles chapter 6 of Daniel: Liars, Laws, and Lions. That sounds perfect to me.
Liars, Laws, and Lions Please excuse my alliteration.
·
Darius Deceived by Flatterers 1-9
·
Daniel’s Devotion to God 10-19
·
Daniel Defended; Darius Delighted; Deceivers
Destroyed 20 - 28
Our memory
verse is our theme tonight. We
must obey God rather than men.
Darius was
appointed to rule Babylon. He chose 120 satraps (governors of Persian
provinces), to manage his affairs in the whole kingdom. Verse 2 tells us “and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these
satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.” Greed
and corruption were rampant, but they were accountable to Daniel and he stood
in the gap.
Daniel was reliable,
faithful, and worthy of trust over the king’s money. As with Nebuchadnezzar he
held a place of honor and responsibility over others.
3Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because
an excellent spirit was in him. And the
king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
The other
two presidents and the satraps (governors) were seething with jealousy, and
searched for some indiscretion in Daniel to report to the king.
4-they could find no ground for
complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was
found in him.
Wouldn’t we
want that said of us in our eulogy? We must obey God rather than men.
Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand
before jealousy?
Not only
were they jealous, they hated him enough to desire him torn “limb from limb” by
the lions. Isn’t that one of Nebuchadnezzar’s famous sayings? (2:5,3:29)
Psalm 5:9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self
is destruction;
their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
"O King
Darius, live forever!” We all agree the king
should make a firm decree that whoever makes petition to any god for 30 days except you, O King, shall
be cast into the den of lions.
Flattery and
the anticipated exaltation certainly turned the king’s head. Thinking of his
own glory, Darius consented to the plot and signed it into law. According to
Medo-Persian custom the decree once sealed was irrevocable. As we remember the first
dream of Nebuchadnezzar we should note that the power of the monarchs of the silver empire had diminished from the
golden empire of Babylon. A king was subject to the laws that he passed; they
could not be changed.
Romans
16:18 For such persons do not serve our Lord
Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
“All the presidents, prefects, satraps, advisers and
governors have agreed”—they lied! Daniel was not there.
Who do we
know that is deceitful, full of flattery and lies to manipulate God’s creation?
From the first book of the Bible Satan has deceived with lies.
Genesis 3:4-5 “You will not surely die. (Lie #1!) You will be like God, knowing good and
evil.” (Lie #2!)
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you
want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer
from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of
lies.
Betrayed by
lies and flattery, King Darius put the decree in writing only to regret it
later.
Daniel’s Devotion to God 10-18
v.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.”
Daniel could
have found many ways to modify his prayer time, but he chose not to stop his
routine. He knew the price for such defiance of a royal edict. But ever
faithful, Daniel trusted God enough to handle the situation. Do we have that
much trust?
We must obey God rather than men.
Ladies this
is my life verse and until this week, I had not remembered the second half. How
perfect for this chapter of Daniel!
Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret
not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man
who carries out evil devices!”
The
despicable witnesses accused Daniel 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."
Unlike
Nebuchadnezzar who flew into a rage when Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refused
to bow to his statue, King Darius 14 “was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till
the sun went down to rescue him.”
Ironically,
everyone was standing and now Daniel was bowing
in prayer before his God.
Have you
experienced the blessing of being
persecuted for your faith? Yes a blessing.
You may not
find it on the local news, but Christian literature and radio reports
atrocities around the world concerning the persecution of Christians. We haven’t
witnessed extreme persecution in America yet. But our freedoms are being
tested. We must take a stand before we lose the rights for which our country
was founded.
We must obey God rather than men.
Do you
openly pray in public or in front of families who are unbelievers? Which one is harder for you?
Jesus taught
in Matthew 5:11-12a “Blessed are you
when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against
you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in
heaven.”
Daniel
Defended
The king
held Daniel in high regard. His parting words were like a prayer, "May your God, whom you serve
continually, deliver you!"
v.17 tells us “a
stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with
his own signet.” Could this be a foreshadowing of the tomb of crucified
Christ being sealed with a large stone?
Daniel
trusted God enough to humbly enter the lion’s den. He made no protest or
quarrel against the law. No doubt he spent time praying, but I bet Daniel slept
better that the king.
Unable to
sleep or eat during the night, King Darius arose at daybreak and went in haste
to the den of lions. 20He cried out in a tone of anguish, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve
continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"
21Then
Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever! 22My 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."
Ladies don’t
we long to be found blameless? We must obey God rather than men.
Deceivers
Destroyed
24The king
commanded those men who had maliciously accused Daniel to be brought and cast
into the den of lions. Skeptics of the bible claim the lions had no teeth or they
were not hungry, but the accusers and their families did not walk out of the
lion’s den.
Have you ever
felt like you have been in a lion’s den: In a work situation, with your
extended family, and yes even in the church? Ladies our problem is not with
people, no, we have a greater opponent.
1 Peter 5:8 Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion, seeking someone to devour.
Sisters he wants our children. We must teach our son and daughters how to be
prepared.
Let’s return to Ephesians 6:11-1211 Put on the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the
devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh
and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
But praise God he is able to save! Jesus blood won the war, now we must
appropriate our victory.
We are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. Romans 8:37
Ladies
remember these verses are only true for God’s children who have accepted the free gift of salvation purchased by His
Son’s blood. If you do not know Jesus as LORD please take this opportunity to
search your heart. Invite Him in tonight.
King Darius was Delighted to proclaim in
these last verses (will you say them with me)
·
Our
God is the living God, enduring forever;
·
His
kingdom shall never be destroyed,
·
His
dominion shall be to the end.
·
He
delivers and rescues;
·
He
works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
·
He
is able to save us from the power of the lions
28-So this Daniel prospered during the
reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Daniel was a faithful to
God until the end of his life. He had overcome the ungodly opponents in the
king’s court, and God rewarded His faithful servant with authority and power in
two empires.
We must also
stand firm in a depraved and sinful world, be true to God’s commands and
maintain obedience and integrity in the face of disapproving family or
unsympathetic government. We must intentionally fervently pray for our nation,
our homes, and our CBS.
Live such good lives among the pagans
that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and
glorify God on the day he visits us (1
Peter 2:12).
Ladies
will you dare to be a Daniel and obey God rather than men?
There is an
old hymn titled Dare to Be a Daniel. Written by Philip P.
Bliss, 1873
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