Cowardly Lion

Would You Rather

Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck… or 100 duck-sized horses?

Get it all over at once, one heroic battle to the death...

Or the discipline of tracking down each duck-sized horses. It’s a heavy decision.

Would you rather make a slight adjustment to your prayer life… or fight an actual lion to the death.

Like 400+ pound, 6 foot long, claws, teeth, death machine… and they brought friends.

or… don’t pray for a few weeks. Or pray silently, in your head. Or even in an inside closet.

Dumb question… obviously we would ALL choose to fight lions!?

The man, the legend, Daniel.

Daniel 6 (ESV)

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;

2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.

3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.

“no ground for complaint.”

Isn’t that remarkable??? What a man of integrity.

This guy has been in HIGH GOVERNMENT for 7 decades!!! and they can find no ground for complaint.

We call that “above reproach.” So… they have to make something up.

5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!

7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”

They appeal to his vanity. Ooooh, that sounds good, let’s do that. Worship me!!!

9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

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.

When Daniel heard… he started this new prayer practice. Nope. It was “as he had done previously.”

The same practice he had before. Three times a day, praying and giving thanks before God.

This upper chamber:

“This was not an attic but a room on the flat roof of the house. These rooms were, and still are, common in the East, being used as private apartments to which one retired when wishing to be undisturbed. They usually had latticed windows which allowed free circulation of air.”

private…ish, but certainly not secret. So Daniel isn’t praying in the streets in everyone’s face, nor is he hiding in shame in a closet. He is doing exactly as he was doing before he saw on CNN that his prayer was now illegal.

11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.

12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”

13 Then they answered and said 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.”

14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.

15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

This is one of those things that may make MORE sense if Darius is a vassal king to Cyrus of Persia. So he doesn’t have ultimate authority, he is subject to the “law of the Medes and Persians” and answerable to someone else. So he tries, but he can’t get out of it!

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”

“whom you serve continually.” Love that the king sees that in him, recognizes his faithful devotion to YHWH.

17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

There’s no caves near Babylon. It’s flat riverlands. So this is a constructed for the purpose “den”. And lions… don’t like dens, they don’t live in caves, they live in grasslands.

A divider down the middle so the keeper can put food in one side, lift it up, then clean the side without lions in it.

Daniel, exiled to Babylon between 15 and 18, now it’s 70 years later, so Daniel is 85-88? Oldest dude around, maybe.

Down with the lions he goes. These are intended for punishment, kept mean and hungry for potential executions.

18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.

20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

Tone of anguish because… he isn’t expecting an answer. He’s expecting Daniel to be super dead.

But Daniel’s super NOT dead.

21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!

22 My 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.”

23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

“Because he had trusted in his God.”

But… there are other explanations, right?

Maybe these lions simply weren’t hungry. Or they were toothless, old, sad lions.

Or… just nice lions. Let’s test that hypothesis.

24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.

26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.

27 He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

God gets the glory.

Daniel, every time, turns the glory to God.

SO many great lessons in the book of Daniel and in this well-beloved story.

The courage and faithfulness of Daniel in the face of the lions. I mean… we don’t really hear a lot about Daniel’s words or emotions in it. I want the play-by-play here. But we can likely assume by the lack of crying and screaming that he played it pretty cool.

That he was confident that “our God is able to deliver.”

Daniel: “I’m not trapped in here with you… you’re trapped in here with me.”

Daniel isn’t in the lion’s den… he’s in God’s den.

Maybe Daniel knew what God would do… maybe like his friends he thought “God is able to deliver… but even if He doesn’t...”

Courage and faithfulness. And I’ve heard this sermon (and it’s a good one), what are the lions you’re facing. Be “strong and courageous.” God is able to shut the mouth of lions! Amen!!!

Daniel was faithful and courageous in the lion’s den… because he was faithful and courageous every day before for years.

Daniel spends time in prayer, time with God, every day, three times a day.

Daniel is a hero of the faith, a model of wisdom, courage and faithfulness.

It isn’t in Daniel’s Diet, or in Dreams, or in the Den… it is in Daily Disciplines, Daily Prayer, Daily Faithfulness.

Where is your “upper chamber” to pray and give thanks thrice daily?

When is the moment of heroism? The truest moment of courage and faithfulness?

Daniel 6:10 ESV

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.

A Hero in Prayer

Daniel learned to pray from his forefathers. David:

Psalm 55:16–17 ESV

But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.

Solomon started this tradition of praying towards Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 6:34 ESV

“If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name,

That goes on to talk about “when you’re taken captive...”

He takes the traditions that he knows, the best of prayer as he knows how to do it… and he is just RIDICULOUSLY faithful with it. Day after day, year after year, 70 years in exile.

Heroic Faithfulness

Daniel 6:10 (ESV)

10 … He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

The daily discipline of this.

I remember flying overseas to Israel, long international flight, lots of Muslim friends. And the plane had to accommodate the hours of prayer, 5 times, aimed towards mecca.

Muhammed didn’t make most of this up whole cloth, he is adapting ancient practices, disciplines of prayer from Christian and Jewish traditions.

It isn’t empty ritual… it isn’t about showing off on a plane how holy you are… it isn’t a measure of your righteousness… and it isn’t a ticket to heaven.

It is an ongoing conversation with your Creator, with your heavenly Father who loves you. And it shapes you every time. It directs your heart to thankfulness.

Daniel was filled with wisdom to interpret all dreams. I believe that wisdom was forged in prayer all the days of his life.

Daniel was strong and courageous, to the point where the lion thing comes off almost like a non-event for him. No biggy, just camping the night out. I believe that courage… which is really just an overwhelming trust in God… forged in prayer. Every day. Thrice daily.

So… would you rather?

Would you rather have the “moment” of heroic pressure where you have to stand up and declare your belief in God?

When the day comes when the name of Jesus is illegal, the day of anti-Christ, a day of darkness. You think it’s not coming, read the rest of Daniel!

When the day comes, will you have the courage and strength to stand?

Well… do you have the “courage”, the faithfulness to spend a moment in prayer today? And tomorrow?

And if you can’t do it now when it’s easy… oh when they make it illegal I’ll start.

This is how your “Hero’s Journey” is forged. Daily Disciplines, especially prayer. Alone time talking with God. You to him. Hearing - Him to you.

Thrice daily is a good start. Morning noon and evening.

Where are you going to pray? Make it real. Having a prayer spot helps discipline your mind to get there. This is the place I talk to God. Being here reminds me, focuses me, here I give prayer and thanks!

What do you say in prayer? Three times a day?

You know who was really good at this? Jesus. Getting away from everyone else, getting alone with his Father… to pray. The disciples knew he had this incredible relationship with God, talked with God in a way they didn’t know how, hadn’t seen before.

Jesus taught us to pray. So beautifully simple:

Matthew 6:9–13 ESV

9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

(Doxological addition)

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.