The Lord is Our Judge - Daniel 6

Introduction

So we have been looking at Daniel for the last several weeks and we are coming up to the final chapter in the narrative portion of Daniel.

I have title this series, “God is My Judge,” because that is what Daniel’s name means. We are going to see that in a real way in today’s chapter. Daniel is going to remain faithful to God because he knows that God is ultimately his judge.

However, as we look at the idea of judge, we need to realize what that would have meant for Daniel and for his people. We think of a judge who simply passes judgment on someone who is being accused.

The Biblical judges would for sure pass judgment on God’s people. However, they did more than that. The judges were anointed by God to not simply pass judgment, but they were also a kind of king or ruler over God’s people, as well as Savior to God’s people. The judges would rescue God’s people from some kind of slavery or punishment that God’s people endured because of their rebellion.

We have seen through the book of Daniel, that God truly is his Judge in all those senses. We have seen that God has shown Himself to be King, not just to Daniel, but to all the kings of the earth. And we have seen that God is Savior. Today we are going to see that God is Judge in how he declares someone guilty or innocent.

Read Daniel 6:1-10

Daniel 6:1–10 (ESV)

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

Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 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. 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.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

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.

I. Whom do we Fear? (vv. 6-9)

In the first section of this chapter, we see that Darius has set Daniel, this Jewish exile, up as highest over the kingdom. We see that the king knew he could trust Daniel because his work was distinguished above all the others. Why? Because there was an excellent spirit within Daniel. Here in chapter 6, we see that God’s Spirit was working in Daniel’s life to glorify God in all he did.

Understandably, those who were native of this kingdom did not like the turn of events and to see an outsider and an alien receive such a prominent role in the kingdom.

They knew they had to find a way to discredit and remove Daniel from this position. However, as hard as they tried, they could find nothing to bring against Daniel.

So in order to discredit Daniel, they had to come up with a law that they knew Daniel would not be able to obey because of his commitment to his God. What a testimony. For men to be able to discredit him, they had to fabricate a new law that would stand in opposition to the law of Daniel’s God.

This law would state that no one could pray to anyone or anything other than the king. They are setting Darius up as the one and only mediator between the people of Media & Persia and the gods. If you want to talk with the gods, you have to go through King Darius.

A. There is a question here of whom should we fear, reverence, and honor?

The biblical idea of fear is more than just being afraid. It carries with it the idea of standing in awe and reverence of the honor and power of someone else. There is a sense of fear in knowing they hold your fate in your hands, but it is not simply being afraid. It is saying, I put all my trust and confidence in you and I do not want to step outside your will for I know my security is with you and danger is outside of you.

This is what it means in Proverbs 1:7

Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The wise men chose to fear the law of the Medes and Persians in order to obtain what they were after. And they knew that Daniel feared the Lord alone.

They also wanted to king to believe that they were trying to fear and honor him and to force others to do the same. It was a nice act of flattery for the king.

Again, we have a king being set up as a god to the people.

The consequences of disobedience in this matter is facing death in the Lion’s Den.

B. Whom do we fear today? Who do we give our honor, trust, and allegiance to like that?

our job or boss

our sense of identity

the court of public opinion

II. Turn to the True Mediator (v. 10)

Daniel 6:10 (ESV)

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.

What about Daniel? What do we see from him in light of this turn of events?

We see that Daniel does not stand in fear of the law of the land or of the king. Now, we will see here in a moment that Daniel has not disrespected the king or done any harm to him in any way. Again, we’ve said this before, that it is possible to remain faithful to God’s Word and God’s law while still remaining submissive to the authority that God has placed in our lives. So even as Daniel here will choose civil disobedience in order to remain faithful to God, he has not disrespected the king.

But Daniel’s act here is not simply an act of defiance or civil disobedience. I do not believe he is trying to make a statement of that kind.

Daniel knows that he is being attacked and that his reputation and innocence is being called into question. He is seeking the help of a mediator who can stand in the gap for him as he faces this unjust act being done against him.

A. The Mediator Between God and Man

Look at what Daniel does here in this passage. He not only prays, he opens his windows which points towards Jerusalem.

Why would Daniel do this?

In the Jewish custom, because of their belief in God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness, the law required that God’s people go through a mediator in order to go to God.

This mediator would be a priest of God’s own choosing, who would serve within the temple.

This mediator would have to go through the purification laws in order to present himself as holy before God.

Daniel is praying towards Jerusalem because that is where the temple would have stood with the priest serving as mediator between God and His people.

In fact, this law of praying only to the king, was trying to set up Darius as the mediator between man and the gods. Daniel knows there’s a true mediator.

However, there is no temple because it was destroyed in Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Jerusalem. And therefore, there is also no priest serving as mediator at this time. What is Daniel doing?

B. The Better Temple and High Priest

Daniel is looking forward to when God will be sending the better High Priest. He knows that the temple is no longer standing in Jerusalem and that there is no High Priest to intercede for him there.

However, Daniel knows that God is sending one who will be a better High Priest than any other priest Israel has yet known, one who will be able to perfectly mediate between God and Man and who will be able to offer the perfect sacrifice for sinners and who could truly mediate as He not only serves at the temple, but who is Himself the Temple and who is seated at the right hand of God.

Daniel, while he has not heard the name Jesus yet, is looking forward to Jesus.

Daniel is able to remain steadfast even in the face of false accusations and the temptation to turn away from God because of this better High Priest that is coming. He is looking forward to what the author of Hebrews would one day write:

Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV)

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We, too, can have this same confidence to continue to approach God’s throne regardless of what others might say about us because we have one who defends us before God, the only One who’s knowledge of us matters.

Prayer is the gift from God for us to communicate with our mediator who stands between us and God. What a blessing we neglect when we fail to pray and communicate with Jesus, our perfect Mediator!

III. The True Judge Will Pass the Verdict (vv. 11-22)

So the men who came up with this law to trap Daniel went to go spy on him knowing exactly what they would find. They knew he would not be able to abide by the commandment of this law. So they found him, just like they knew they would in prayer to his God. So they went to report to the king what they found.

When the king heard their report, he knew he had been duped and played by these men who simply wanted to unjustly attack Daniel. Daniel had been such a faithful servant to him that he did not want to throw Daniel to the lions. However, as hard as he tried to find a way out, the law would not allow him to excuse Daniel’s seemingly rebellion against him. And instead of eating his pride and admitting his failure in signing this law, he had to save his image and abide by what was written.

Read Daniel 6:16-22

Daniel 6:16–22 (ESV)

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

Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 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?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 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.”

So the wise men sought to pass judgment on Daniel and to prove his guilt against the king and the empire, even though Daniel faithfully served those whom God had put over him. But now it seems as if the accusers have won by passing judgment on Daniel.

Daniel was thrown into the lions den to face what was surely going to be his death. Notice here what might sound familiar to another story you might have heard. He was set up and falsely accused because of their hatred for Daniel. He was presented before a leader who did not want him to die, but had to save his own reputation and therefore gave him to his accusers to kill. He was cast into this den and then a stone was placed over its mouth and then sealed with the King’s seal to make sure no one would tamper with the stone.

The king would spend all night praying and fasting for God to deliver Daniel. The one who signed the law that no one should pray to anyone but the king is now mediating for Daniel by going to Daniel’s God to save him. God is showing Darius and the rest of the kingdom who is really in charge.

When morning came, Darius went to the den to see if Daniel was still alive.

When the stone was removed, the king was delighted to hear Daniel’s voice:

“O king, live forever! 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.”

Daniel’s judgment came from God, not from men

Daniel was practically thrown to the grave and came out alive.

Death is the penalty for sin and rebellion

God passed judgment on Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity for its rebellion against him

We all will face death because we are all guilty of sin

Daniel was found innocent because he trusted in the True Mediator

Jesus, the True Mediator, the Great High Priest was able to declare Daniel righteous

Jesus, Himself, faced a trial filled with false accusations, much like Daniel.

He also faced a ruler who cared too much about his image to do what he knew to be right. Pilate, like Darius, had to save face even thought they both wanted to release their unjustly accused prisoners.

Jesus faced the judgment of men in death, not from lions, but on the cross.

Jesus, however, did experience death.

However, as the grave tried to swallow Jesus, Jesus was found to be innocent. Because Jesus had never sinned, the grave could not hold on to Him.

Jesus’ resurrection is proof that God the Father has found Him truly innocent.

In the same way, God rescued Daniel from Death because he was found innocent.

Daniel was found innocent, not because he was without sin, but because he trusted in the one who is truly innocent.

4. What about us?

a. Like we talked about with the fiery furnace in Daniel 3, we are never guaranteed that God will save us from the threat of physical harm, imprisonment, or death

All but one of Jesus’ disciples died a martyr’s death because of their faithfulness to Christ

And even John, who was not killed, was imprisoned for much of his life because of his faith in Christ.

There are believers all over the world today facing imprisonment, physical persecution, and even death because of their faithfulness to Christ.

b. However, we can rest assured that if we truly trust in Christ and follow Him, death will have no hold on us.

Because Christ Himself has been resurrected, we know that we too, whether we die a natural death or a martyr’s death, the grave will not hold on to us.

Because of Christ, we have been declared innocent.

There might be times in our lives when we feel Satan, which means accuser, attacking us because of our past failures. Know that when you turn to Christ in faith and repentance, he has forgiven you of all you have done and has declared your innocence. We do not have to fear the accusations the enemy throws our way. The Gospel reminds us that Christ died on the cross not just for some of our sins, but for all of them.

We might also find that we are being falsely accused today because of our faithfulness to God. Jesus tells us the world will hate us because it hates Him. When we live in faithfulness to Him we will face troubles. We ought to expect to face trials and false accusations because of our identity in Christ.

But let us make sure that we are being hated because of our faith in Christ, and not because we ourselves are being ugly and hateful to others or because we are cutting others down simply to prove we are right. We need to be sure we are truly being gentle and loving as we share the truth of God’s Word and that what we are being accused of truly is false as Peter tells us:

1 Peter 3:14–17 (ESV)

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

Our ultimate judgment does not come from what the world says about us or does to us. Our judgment comes from God alone. So we can quietly, gently, and lovingly relate to others as we faithfully follow God in obedience knowing Romans 10:11

Romans 10:11 (ESV)

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Conclusion