Delivered from the Den
Notes
Transcript
In chapter 1 of the book of Daniel, the prophet writes of the capture of Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar came into the southern Kingdom of Israel (Judah) captured some of God’s chosen people and took them to Babylon.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were faithful to God while they lived in a foreign land. But even though they were not worshippers of foreign gods where they now were, they were respected. Not just because they were wise, but because of where their wisdom came from.
They trusted God, because they knew he had a plan. Even surrounded by false gods and kings who did not follow the one true God, they would not turn away. In the middle of fire, in the middle of lions, in the middle of a threat of death, still they would would not turn away from Jehovah God.
Today, Chapter 6, Daniel makes a stand, and shows that God is still in control, he is still sovereign, even in a foreign Kingdom. And this morning we will see Daniel delivered from the Den, and the hope that those who believe and worship the one true God also has.
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Open your Bibles and let’s read Daniel 6
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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!”
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.
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?”
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.
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.
Last week we saw the end of Babylon (the golden head of the great image) and the beginning of the Medes and Persians (the silver arms and chest of the great image). And as we see the first verse of Daniel 6, the new empire, the Medes and Persians, there is a new king, Darius.
With this new kingdom, Darius would have 120 satraps over the entire kingdom. A satrap is like a governor. Enugu has a governor, just like every state in Nigeria. So think about this, as big as Nigeria is with its 36 governors, this country has 120. This was a BIG empire, the biggest and greatest of its time.
So in verse 1 he sets these 120 governors over the country, then over them three high officials, but, the Kingdom might have changed but Daniel was still regarded as important. Verse 3 said that Daniel was above all the satraps and high officials because “an excellent spirit was within him.”
What did that mean? Did that mean that he was a good guy, that everyone liked him? HIs excellent spirit wasn’t anything that he did, it was who he was.
You know the story. The people who were the governors and officials of this new kingdom didn’t like this foreigner, this Jewish man who did not understand their ways, be looked at as important in the kings eyes. They king trusted him, but they didn’t and they didn’t want him to be around or trusted.
So they came up with a plan to get rid of Daniel. But this plan would mean that they would trick the King. They would come up with something that would fool the king.
They’re plan was this: anyone in the kingdom, for the next 30 days could not pray to anyone except the King. They’re prayers and allegiance should only be to the king. No on else. And if anyone should pray to someone who is not the King, then they would be thrown into the Lion’s den and be eaten by the lions.
How could the king refuse. Everyone must honor him. Everyone must look to him and see the greatest man in the kingdom. HIs head must have gotten big. But do you remember another kings head that got big? Yep, Nebuchadnezzar, and he was brought down low.
King Darius said yes, it’s a good idea, and his people reminded him that is was a law between the Medes and the Persians that once a law or decree had been made, it could not change. The King couldn’t even change it.
So Daniel did as he always did, every day, three times a day, he would go up to his room, close his door, and his window towards Jerusalem and pray to God. Nothing changed.
The officials told the King what Daniel was doing, and in that moment the King knew he had been tricked. Verse 14 sys that he was “in distress.” He was worried, sad, and didn’t want his most trusted advisor to be killed, but he couldn't do anything about it. He allowed them to carry Daniel to the lion’s den.
What do you think when you hear those words…. The Lions Den. Do you think that there was a big cage with bars to keep the lions in and they would the gate and put Daniel in with the lions?
That’s not what a lions den is. A lions den, in the case of Daniel was down in the ground. It was a pit, where there are many lions. Think about this picture here. The lions would all live in this area. Inside the den would be the smell on piss and _____, you know. The wind doesn’t blow from above down there, so the air is never refreshed. The smell would have been too much. Also, do you see the words that are used to describe how they put Daniel in the Lions Den… (verse 16) he was cast into the den. He want lowered with a rope, or helped down…HE WAS CAST. He was thrown. He was over 80 years old at the time, and these men threw him down into the lions den.
The king knew that it was wrong, and as Daniel was cast there, the king said these words…
Daniel 6:16 (ESV)
16 … “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
Then the king went to his bedroom and did not sleep all night, because he was worried about Daniel’s life.
The sun comes up, and the kings rushes to the lion’s den, and calls out to Daniel: Daniel 6:20
Daniel 6:20 (ESV)
20 …“O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
Daniel answered back, that God had sent an angel to close the mouth of the lions because he had done nothing wrong.
The lions who first instinct is to kill and eat had not eaten all night, but they were about too. The king has all the people that tried to trick him and kill Daniel cast (thrown) into den along with their families and they were all killed.
This is one of the popular stories of the Bible where God preserves his people and shows that his purpose and his plan will not be changed by any man.
But for the next few moments, let’s go back to the words of a Gentile King who is not a follower of believer in the one true God Jehovah, lets look at his words….
In fearing for Daniel’s life, he called to him as he was being cast into the lions den:
Daniel 6:16 (ESV)
16 …“May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
These words identified the character and hope of Daniel. Look at the first thing he said:
May your God
These simple three words are very BIG! They reveal where Daniel puts his hope, his trust, and even his life and eternal soul. But these three words also reveal that anyone who knew Daniel, knew where he placed his faith…in Jehovah God.
What do people see of you. Do they see someone who is living life, trying to make money, trying to achieve big things, and only has their eyes on this world. Is that what people see in you? Or do they look at you and the way you live your life, and immediately know that you trust in God and you live your life in a way that honors him?
2. whom you serve continually,
King Darius, looks at Daniel, not just once or twice, but the entire time he knows him, and sees that his love of God, his trust, is something that is always there. It never ends. His God, whom he serves continually is where Daniel put his hope.
One thing this reminds me of is that Daniel’s faith did not come and go, it was always there. In other words, his faith and service to the one true God did not change or shift because of his circumstances.
You will find as you live your life, there will be times where you have to stand strong in your faith. You will have to say, “no I will not do that because it will be a sin before my God.” I think the key word in that phrase is continually. That means it does not end. His service, his faith, his obedience to God does not end. That should be the way we live our lives as a saved, follower of Christ.
3. deliver you!”
King Darius was hoping that Daniel’s God would save him from the lions den. He was hoping that he would physically save him and he would not be killed. But can I tell you this, even if Daniel would have be eaten by the lion’s, God still would have delivered him. Even in death, Daniel would be delivered.
Let’s see the last words of Chapter 6, they are spoken by King Darius in Daniel 6:25-27
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.”
As I have been studying and reading these first six chapters of Daniel, one question has been going through my mind. “Did these kings ever really follow and worship the one true God, Jehovah?” Going back to the chapter with King Nebuchadnezzar, after the interpretations and the stroy of Shadrach, Mechach , and Abednego, Nebuchadnezzar proclaimned that Daniel God would be the only one worshipped, and even here King Darius made a law that everyone in the Kingdom should fear and tremble before the God of Daniel, but what we see in not a personal decision to move their heart towards God, but a law for those in the nation to do so. Did they ever worship the one true God themselves? We don’t know for sure. Some would say yes, but some would say they were only using their words and commands for the Kingdom, but not themselves.
How do we know? The only way we can know for sure, is that one day, for those who truly follow God, we will see them in heaven as we worship around the throne together.
In Revelation 3:5 it says that we will stand before the Lord, and a big book will be opened. This book is called The Book of Life. In this book will be all the names of those who truly worship God. Those who have given their lives to him. Those like Abraham, who followed God before his Son, and those like Paul who believed that Jesus was the way the truth and the life. The names that are there are those who believed and followed him. On that day, standing before God, looking back on your life, I pray that you have believed in the one who gave his life up for you. Not with your words only, but that your heart had truly turned to him, made him Lord of your life, and seek to follow him and his word every day.
Play “Book of Life” Video
Play “Book of Life” Video
5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
If your name will be written in the book of life, that means that you will have to make a stand for Jesus. Not just being kind, or nice, or doing good things. You will have to show that he is your Savior, he is your Lord and and is your Redeemer and you have given up your life for his. If you are IN JESUS, he will deleiver you from the Den. Is your name written in the Book of Life?
Let’s Pray.