Vindication

Daniel 6:12–28 NLT

So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?” “Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.” Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.” So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night. Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den. Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you! “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end. He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Introduction: You are faced with a dilemma - The right thing to do vs. the more profitable thing to do.

19: Does God Promise to Rescue Every Daniel?

Daniel chose integrity - but all signs from a human view is that choice would mean death, Yet God rescues him. Can we expect that every time?

Guy who sued the classis - Jim telling him when pressed, "Aren't you worried, and Jim saying, No, I believe in the Sovereignty of God." The court dismissed the case.

- That is an example of God’s rescue even when we went through, I would say a very painful “Ordeal.”

- On the other hand, as my old boss used to say, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

- All of the Apostle’s were killed or at least brutally torchered for preaching the Gospel, Jesus was killed on trumped up charges, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers - He was annoying, but he spoke the truth.

The Point of the story is not all will be rescued in the same way as Daniel, but that....

20: God Vindicates the Righteous.

A major theme throughout the book of Daniel is the Nations and their political leaders often operate like beasts. They do not operate according to God’s will. There way as it appears to be the winning way, the more profitable way, is actually the foolish way. And God will vindicate his way, and those who follow his way.

1. Daniel courageously obeyed God in spite of being different and being persecuted for it. When Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den as a punishment for continuing to pray to the God of Israel, the Darius expressed his sincere hope that Daniel’s God would save him since Daniel had been faithful (vs. 16). After many years of seeing Daniel consistently live out his beliefs, the pagan king was starting to soften toward the idea that Daniel’s God was the “living God” (vs. 20).

Daniel goes through an Ancient Ordeal - Monty Python Search for the Holy Grail - Ordeal to test if the woman is a witch.

Trial by ordeal was an ancient judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused (called a "proband") was determined by subjecting them to a painful, or at least an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience.

Ordeal by fire

The accused would carry a red-hot iron or walk barefoot through red-hot coals. If they emerged unhurt or their wounds healed within three days, they were innocent.

Ordeal by cold water

The accused was thrown into a pond or river while bound. If they sank, they were innocent, but if they floated, they were guilty.

Ordeal by accursed morsel

The accused was required to eat a piece of meat with a feather or other foreign body in it. If they choked, they were guilty.

Trial by blessed bread

A test for priests, where it was assumed that guilty clergy would choke on hallowed food.

Daniel passes the Ordeal -

Daniel 6:22 NLT

My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”

So, the question remains - If Daniel was in the right, what about the conspirators - They now go through the ordeal - and guess what it becomes very painfully obvious that they were in the wrong.

Jesus dying on the Cross as an Ordeal - A testing of whether or not he is the Messiah, he is who he says he is - Blasphemer or The Son of God, Son of Man in Daniel.

- Jesus’ Resurrection is his Vindication that he is who he said he was - Acts 2 - Peter brings this out on Pentecost.

We can think of Vindication in two ways - Vindication in this life because we live in integrity. Like this story....

In a small town, a woman named Sarah faced persecution for her faith. Each Sunday, she would walk to church, drawing taunts from her neighbors. One winter, a devastating snowstorm struck, trapping many families in their homes. Yet, Sarah's home was miraculously spared. The townsfolk later found themselves at her door, seeking warmth and help. Sarah used this opportunity to share her faith and show how God had protected her. Ultimately, the mockers turned to her for guidance, revealing that God truly vindicates the righteous in unexpected ways.

- Or ultimate vindication - This is the type of vindication that all who die in Christ will experience. - They are vindicated on their allegience to Christ and his righteousness. They are rescued from sin/death/hell because they receive Christ’s righteousness on their behalf and align themselves with Him.

Paul - To live is to Christ, to Die is Gain - All of the Apostles are being vindicated by being raised from the dead, though they may have been eaten by the Lions. - Many Maryter's as well. - They will pass the test of their Ordeal, because their Ordeal is in Christ’s Ordeal.

So the question is…

21: Do We Trust God to Vindicate Us?

Life as an Ordeal - To test whether we are in allegience with Christ or the enemy?

And can we trust that the Ordeals we go through, God will use to vindicate His will in Christ?

Look at the results of God’s work through Daniel. Daniel does not seem to fight his Ordeal, he does not seem to scream and protest, and say “Unfair.” At least that is not presented in the text.

- What he simply seems to do is Trust God with is life. He puts himself in the hands of the Ultimate judge to vindicate his allegience to Him.

All Daniel had to do to evangelize was trust God and remain faithful. He didn’t need a long or articulate speech. He just needed obedience. Some of us may believe sharing our faith is a big and scary task, but God will never leave us without empowerment. He can take our trust and turn it into a testimony

People may not like our beliefs or our different lifestyles, but they are still drawn to watch. If we walk with courage and integrity, we will be walking miracles, testimonies of the reality of God, because those qualities are truly rare in our pagan society. We don’t have to seek out positions of influence in order to evangelize; we just live our lives faithfully day in and day out as citizens of another Kingdom, and people will notice. They may even come to know our God as their own.

Boy Scouts are known for being prepared for whatever situation they might encounter. They carry the appropriate tools and supplies to help them be ready for wilderness survival. If we are living as citizens of heaven in this world, we are going to run in to pain. It’s a guarantee. The only thing not guaranteed is how we will respond to it. We need to prepare by determining beforehand to persevere and remain faithful through persecution or trial, knowing that others’ coming to faith might hinge on our own faithfulness. Daniel’s courage amid persecution led to the transformation of a nation.

Conclusion:

As you are going through your ordeal of life. Are you aligning yourself Jesus and God’s Will or giving into the pressures and promises of this world’s systems way of thinking. Do you Trust God’s Soveriegnty to vindicate you?