He is Greater: Daniel and the Lion's Den

Sermon Introduction

You will recall from my sermon last week that we are now in the portion fo the Old Testament that covers the period known as the Babylonian Exile

Though, while we call it “Babylonian”, it represented a period when two major empires - the other was the Persian empire - that ruled over Israel

The start of the exile was around 618 BC when the Kingdom of Judah, which remember is the Southern Kingdom was conquered by the Babylonian Empire

The northern kingdom, which retained the name Israel, had been conqured by the Assyrians just over a hundred years earlier

And so, when the Babylonians conquered Judah, that was basically it… Israel would cease to be a self-governing nation for nearly 2,500 years until May 14, 1948 when the State of Israel was created

As we were reminded yesterday, however, although Israel has done quite well as a sovereign nation over the past 75 years, it is far from secure

The attacks launched by the terrorist organization, Hamas, is the 16th major conflict in Israel since 1948… 9 of those were large enough to be officially designated as wars… including the current conflict, which has already forced the Israeli government to declare a state of war

What is it about Israel? Why is there so much hatred against it?

Did you know that just since 2015, the United Nations has passed 140 Resolutions against Israel...

That is more than double the number of resolutions passed against every other nation.. combined

By comparison.. in 2022, North Korea, which literally starves its citizens, has had 1 resolution

Afghanistan, which does not allow little girls to attend school, 1...

Myanmar, which is currently ruled by a military junta… 1...

The country which had the 2nd largest number of resolutions against it? Russia… with 6...

Russia… which literally invaded another country… and all of these other nations with some of the most horrible human rights records in history… have been censured by the United Nations less than as much as Israel

Why is that?

Well, I think Psalm 2:1–2 , gives us an answer... “1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed.”

The world hates our God...

Whether it is against the Church, or against the nation of Israel, which effectively are the two most visible symbols of Yahweh in our contemporary world, it’s clear that our world rages against Yahweh… The Creator God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...

With that, let’s turn to our passage today...

Scripture Introduction

Last week, we looked at the story of Esther, which occured during the rule of King Ahasueras, also known as King Xeres

Today, we step back a little bit to the end of the Babylon Empire, just before it was conquered by Persia

Daniel Under Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel, was one of the Jewish captives taken to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar

In captivity, Daniel is part of a group of Jews who proved to be especially wise and skillful, and so they were given the best education that the Babylonians had to offer, so that they may serve as advisors to the king

Daniel proves himself further by interpreting a dream that Nebuchadnezzar had in chapter 2, which foretold of the kingdoms that are going to rise up after Babylon...

As a result of that, Daniel is promoted as the head of the king’s advisors

He serves throughout the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, through to the fall of the Babylonian empire under King Belshazzar

Daniel Under Darius the Mede

And by the time we pick up our story in Daniel 6, there is a new ruler in Babylon, named Darius the Mede, who ruled the region on behalf of the Persian Empire...

And so, in a sense, the King Darius mentioned here in Daniel 6 is similar to King Herod in the Gospels, who, even though he was considered the King of Judea, was really ruling the region on behalf of the Roman Empire...

Just like under Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, Daniel is one of the top advisors to Darius… According to Daniel 6:2, he is one of three High Officials that the 120 advisors to Darius, called Satraps, report to.

He then distinguishes himself even further over the other two High Officials, and according to verse 3, Darius planned to “set him over the whole kingdom”

And so, he is about to become the sort of Prime Minister of the region… Very similar, if you’ll remember, to the position that Joseph held in Egypt, centuries before him

The Plot Against Daniel

This makes the other two high officials jealous, though, and so they hatch a plan to trap Daniel...

In Daniel 6:7, they present the plan Darius... “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.”

In verse 10, we learn why they chose this plan to trap Daniel… As it says:

Daniel 6:10 “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.”

So, Daniel was caught praying to God, and the high officials demand that Darius follow his own decree to throw him into the Lion’s Den even though Darius clearly did not want to do it.

So Darius has no choice but to throw Daniel in to the Lion’s Den, although of course as we already read, God saved Daniel from the Lions… He said...

Daniel 6:22 “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.””

Daniel 6:23 “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.”

Rage of the Nations

Daniel’s story is an incredible story of faithfulness and deliverance

And it is a story that is becoming more and more relevant to us in our world today

As I mentioned earlier concerning the current conflict in Israel, I truly believe that the nations are raging against Yahweh and his people here on earth...

Now, I do need to address the fact that there are severeal views concerning the relationship between the Church and Israel, which also determins the role that Israel plays in God’s redemption plan...

The two primary views are:

Supersessionism - Israel has been superseded by the Church as God’s covenant people and...

Zionism - Israel continues to be significant to God’s purposes and plans for the future

Supersessionism has been the predominant view in the church for most of our history, which would make sense, since, as I mentioned before, Israel stopped being a nation for 2,500 years

It would then also make sense that Zionism has grow much popular since Israel became a nation again in 1948

Whichever view someone holds, the fact of the matter is, now that Israel is a nation, in the eyes of the world, it is as much a representation of the God of the Bible as the church is…

And as the nations rage against Yahweh, it will rage against both the church and Israel...

Matthew 10:16–18 ESV

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.

1 Peter 4:12–14 ESV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

And so, what the State of Israel right now is suffering through is of course the most extreme example of this.

And we know that the church, in its own way, is suffering through a milder form of this also...

And so, the primary lessons that we can learn from Daniel concerns how we should be acting when the world rages against us...

Daniel’s Integrity

Daniel 6:4–5 “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. 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.””

There is nothing that Daniel could be accused of

And notice, this is regarding to their own laws

The really gives new meaning to

Romans 13:1 ESV

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Philippians 2:14–15 “14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”

How? Spiritual Disciplines

READ YOUR BIBLE PRAY EVERY DAY: Colossians 3:16 “16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Daniel’s Character

Daniel 6:14 “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.”

Daniel 6:19–20 “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?””

King Darius was so fond of Daniel he was concerned about his wellfare

What does this say about Daniel’s Character?

Philippians 4:8 “8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

This is tough, but with the spirit dwelling in us, it can be done..

Galatians 5:22–23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”