Consecration
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to Daniel chapter six.
In the sixth chapter of Daniel, the Babylonian Empire is consigned to history, but Daniel continues on under the rule of the Medes and the Persians. Much more, he is elevated to a high position of power. Daniel, by his pleasant disposition and by his diligence, earned the favor of Darius the Mede. This also earned him the enmity of powerful enemies.
Message
Message
Read Daniel 6:10-14.
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Daniel’s faithfulness in prayer - Daniel 6:10.
Daniel: The Man of Loyalty (A. The Faithfulness of His Consecration)
Daniel was an old man in his eighties or nineties, [but] he was still going to be tested regarding his consecration to God. Was his consecration a matter of [convenience], or was it a matter of choice...?
Application: God never stops testing our consecration.
It wasn’t by chance that Daniel happened to go and pray. He went to pray having just learned that the writing was signed. “When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house.”
Prayer was a pattern of Daniel’s life, but even more than a pattern, today, on this day, it was a choice. He was faithful. He prayed even though he knew it could mean that he would be thrown into the den of lions.
Application: Faithfulness requires consistency. It means doing something over and over again regardless of the roadblocks that one may encounter along the way. Daniel had a pattern of going to the same place to pray. He had a pattern of thankfulness as he prayed.
Daniel: The Man of Loyalty Same Praise
Spurgeon said regarding this text, “Oh, mix up thanks with your prayers beloved! I am afraid we do not thank God enough. It ought to be as habitual to us to thank as to ask. Prayer and praise should always go up to heaven arm in arm.”
He had a pattern of kneeling when he prayed. And he had a pattern of believing God when he prayed.
Daniel was not a secret disciple. He would open his window toward Jerusalem, not because he wanted others to see him pray, but because he wanted to look towards Jerusalem when he prayed.
Daniel: The Man of Loyalty Same Publicness
This practice of praying toward Jerusalem reflected his faith in God about the promises for Israel and his desire for their fulfillment.
Daniel believed that God would be faithful to his promises and that Israel would be regathered to Jerusalem again. So Daniel was faithful in prayer.
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Daniel’s foes in waiting - Daniel 6:11-13.
Something in me would have been tempted to look at Daniel’s foes and say, “Guys, don’t you have anything better to be doing? Isn’t there some more productive way that you could be serving the king than going after one of his most trusted servants?”
Daniel: The Man of Loyalty The Promptness of the Assembling
These foes of Daniel’s consecration did not delay their evil. As soon as the decree was enacted, they went to Daniel’s house to observe and bring an accusation to the king.
Evil is diligent. It is prompt to do its wicked deeds. Evil runs to do evil; it does not walk slowly.
Here’s the amazing thing: they knew Daniel’s character enough that they fully expected to find Daniel doing the right thing, and they were correct.
They quickly took the news to the king. They had set the trap and now they were going to spring it on Daniel. Their speech to the king is remarkable for its subtly. O King, “hast thou not said...”
It reminds me of the serpent in Genesis 3:1.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
That’s because Satan is the father of lies. Jesus said in John 8:44...
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
In verse twelve, the king’s answer indicates that he is clueless as to what is going on. But that is about to change in verse thirteen. Suddenly, he is about to have some buyer’s remorse.
Read verse thirteen.
Daniel’s foes continue their lies against him. They accuse Daniel of disrespecting the king and of disobeying his decree.
Application: Don’t be surprised at how evil evil can be. The Scriptures teaches us how evil it is. It also teaches us how corrupt our own flesh is. The more you know the Scriptures, the less surprised you’ll be at the depths that evil can go and you’ll better understand how wicked your own flesh can be. These guys were master liers, just like Satan is.
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Daniel’s favor with the king - Daniel 6:14.
I can just hear the king saying, “O if only I had discussed this with Daniel before I signed it. I knew I should have run it by him first.”
Too late. The decree was signed, and all the king could do was be upset with himself.
Darius sets about to do everything he can to deliver Daniel. He stopped working on all of the other matters of government. This was all he cared about now.
He had the constitutional lawyers check their founding documents. He combed through all of the opinions of their legal experts. Was there any way to overturn this decree? He worked till sunset, but his search was fruitless. There was nothing to be done. The man that he favored so much would have to be cast into the den of lions.
Daniel: The Man of Loyalty (C. The Favoring of His Consecration)
The response of the king was not what the foes of Daniel wanted or expected. The king favored Daniel and though [they] tried to besmirch Daniel’s character and conduct with lies..., the king was not influenced by their character assassination efforts.
Application: The strongest defense against character assassination is a consistent, daily walk with the Lord. People can and will accuse you of all kinds of things, but when you have a pattern of consecration like Daniel did, those accusations will often fail. The king didn’t buy it. He didn’t believe their lies for a minute. Why? Because Daniel had already established his reputation by his consistent character.
Christian, walk with God every day. Setup some patterns in your life to develop your walk with God. Discipline yourself in godliness. Though others may resent you for it, be consecrated to God and seek His approval, not man’s.