Where are All the Daniels?

Intro:

From time to time I like to think about some of my favorite characters in the Bible.

Sometimes I think about the Bible’s greatest heroes — the list is long, but people like Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and David, to name just a few.

Of course the ultimate “Hero” is Jesus Christ because He is our Savior.

Other times, I think about the Bible’s worst villains — Ahab, Jezebel, Jeroboam, Pharoah, Herod, Judas Iscariot, and of course, the devil himself.

One person that definitely makes the “heroes” list would have to be the young Hebrew in Nebuchadnezzar’s and in Darius’ courts — Daniel.

I want us to go to the account of Daniel’s life tonight, and I want to ask a simple question — Where are All the Daniel’s at Today?

DANIEL 6:

Vs. 1-3 - DANIEL SETS HIMSELF APART:

What are we asking tonight? “Where are All the Daniel’s at?”

Thus, in thinking about this first section — Daniel set himself apart from his peers.

Are we teaching young people to do the same?

I think especially about teenagers — What are expectations for Christian teenagers?

“Well, you know how teenagers can be — She’s going through her rebellious phase.”

“Well, you know how teenagers can be — He sleeps all day and doesn’t get up till past noon. He doesn’t help much with the chores around the house.”

“Well, you know how teenagers can be — He won’t get a summer job. He’s not doing well in school. He just comes home and plays video games all night.”

What?! Surely Christian families wouldn’t be content to allow teenagers to act like this would they? (And yet, many do).

Are we teaching our young people to be different than the world? Talk differently than the world? Act differently than the world? Dress differently than the world? DO differently than the world?

OR … Or are we yielding case after case after case after case of Christian young people who end up looking and dressing and acting and speaking and doing … just about the same sinful stuff as their non-Christian friends?

Daniel was different!

Daniel distinguished himself (in a good way) — “because Daniel had an excellent spirit in Him!”

Vs. 4-9 - THE PLOT AGAINST DANIEL:

Notice, v. 4 - They tried to find a charge against Daniel, but could not!

You know what that’s called?

That’s called being blameless!

And the N.T. speaks of the same thing:

1 Tim. 3:2 (“a bishop must be blameless”); Col. 1:22 (we are to be “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in (God’s) sight”); and Php. 2:15 (we are to be “blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom (we) shine as lights in the world”).

Christians have to dare to be DIFFERENT, don’t we?!

In far too many cases, with Christian young people, you can hardly tell them apart from the world!

V. 5 - Daniel was so blameless, in fact, that they knew his reputation was such that the ONLY way they could trip him up was to use his God against him — Now let that sink in!

Again, I ask you tonight — Where are all the Daniel’s at?!

V. 6-9 — They try to butter up King Darius, and essentially trick him into decreeing something to the harm of his most loyal and best subject, that being Daniel!

Vs. 10-17 — DANIEL REFUSES TO DISOBEY GOD:

V. 10 - He kept his windows open so that all could hear!

Vs. 11-16 - The events transpire, and notice that faith is inspired in Darius because of Daniel (v. 16)!

Again, where are all the Daniels who might inspire such faith in others?!

Vs. 18-23 - THE LORD DELIVERS DANIEL:

Vs. 18-20 - A sleepless night for the king, and then early in the morning he wants to go see what happened to Daniel!

V. 21-23 — Why was no injury found on him? “BECAUSE HE BELIEVED HIS GOD!”

Where are all the Daniels at who will never suffer the ultimate harm that Satan wants to cause us … because they believe in their God?!

Vs. 18-28 - KING DARIUS PROCLAIMS GLORY TO GOD:

V. 26 - Notice Darius legislates morality a bit, which I find interesting.

V. 28 - Daniel prospered in the kingdom of Persia under Darius and Cyrus the Great.

APPLICATION:

I have often wondered if we would pass the test like Daniel did?

If we could travel back in a time machine and if we were confronted with this decree that we could not pray to anyone but the Persian king, would we have had the guts and the fortitude to pray to God anyway?!

I would like to think that we would, but then …

I get to thinking about how the church reacted during Covid a few years ago, and I can’t help but wonder … Hindsight is 20/20 right? (Which has a whole new meaning for me now).

Remember when bars, liquor stores, Walmart, and restaurants were allowed to remain open, but don’t you dare keep churches open!

Did the church have our Daniel chapter 6 moment?

And if so, how did we do?

Let me remind us all that there’s another very similar situation that takes place with Daniel’s three friends earlier in the book as well - Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael — They refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s image, and it resulted in their being thrown into a fiery furnace.

… But not a hair on their heads was singed!

Why?

Remember Daniel 3:17–18 - “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up!”

Where are all the Daniels at?

And for that matter, where are all the Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael’s at as well?!

Church, we’ve got to have fortitude if we can expect to stand in the day of trial next time it comes.

Let me close with something I read about when I was looking up Justin Martyr, which I briefly mentioned this morning:

This is from the trial of Justin Martyr and other Christians tried alongside him:

“The Prefect Rusticus said: Approach and sacrifice, all of you, to the gods. Justin replied: No one in his right mind gives up piety for impiety. The Prefect Rusticus said: If you do not obey, you will be tortured without mercy. Justin replied: That is our desire, to be tortured for Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and so to be saved, for that will give us salvation and firm confidence at the more terrible universal tribunal of Our Lord and Saviour. And all the martyrs said: Do as you wish; for we are Christians, and we do not sacrifice to idols. The Prefect Rusticus read the sentence: Those who do not wish to sacrifice to the gods and to obey the emperor will be scourged and beheaded according to the laws. The holy martyrs glorifying God betook themselves to the customary place, where they were beheaded and consummated their martyrdom confessing their Saviour.

Would we pass a test like that???

Where are all the Daniel’s at?!

(Give invitation).