The God to Fear (Daniel 6)

Introduction

Please take out your Bibles and turn with me to Daniel 6. If you do not have your own Bible, there is a Red Bible there in your seats, and we would encourage you to take it out and turn with us to Daniel 6 in it, which can be found beginning on page #882.

I want to start off our time this morning by taking a poll, So please answer by simply raising your hand when I ask the question if your answer is yes and simply do nothing if your answer is no. But listen carefully to get the whole of the question.

Here is the question, how many of you heard the story of Daniel and the Lion’s den before you even became a Christian? (Repeat and then Pause). You can put your hands down. Let’s try it a different way now. How many of you heard or knew of the story of Daniel and the Lion’s den even before you attended a church? (Repeat & pause).

(Presumably) As you can see from our survey answers, Daniel and the lion’s den is a fairly well known story from the Bible. A story that we come to this morning in Daniel 6.

But this story from Daniel 6 is not merely a story just about a man named Daniel and these lions. It is about the Living God who delivers. For the entirety of the book of Daniel is about this God who has revealed himself in the pages of the Bible. A God who here in the book of Daniel has particularly been revealing himself as the one who rules the heavens and the earth, who has an eternal dominion that stretches to the ends of the earth.

We have seen this in the last two chapters of how God has humbled two arrogant kings. We have seen how God is the one who therefore has set kings up and then removed them (Dan 2), even in giving his own people into the hands of a former king in Babylon, that of Nebuchadnezzar. We also have seen how in Daniel 3, God delivered three of his people from the burning fiery furnace. That of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah who are to most better known by their Babylonian names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And this comes back again here in Daniel 6. That this is the God who delivers.

We see this now as we read the word of the LORD from Daniel 6…

Main Idea: Because his dominion has no end, the living God is able to deliver his people, therefore we should both fear him and trust him.

Faithfulness Unto Death

Deliverance From Death

Point #1: Faithfulness Unto Death

Faithful in all Matters

In the last night of the Chaldean reign in Babylon, as recorded in Daniel 5, it was drawn out that Daniel had a most excellent spirit. This first came about by the Queen, King Belshazzar’s mother or maybe grandmother. And then even Belshazzar had affirmed this from Daniel’s ability to read and interpret the writing on the wall. This same theme now continues in Daniel 6, even under the reign of a new king.

This new king, Darius, sought to set up 120 men with authority throughout his kingdom. These were called satraps there in v.1. And over these satraps stood 3 high officials, with Daniel not only being one of these high officials, but the highest of these officials. And the reason for this, was because Daniel had an excellent spirit in him. An excellent spirit that lead him to be distinguished above all others.

And this excellent spirit in Daniel, Darius knew would serve him and the kingdom well as he hoped to suffer no loss in his kingdom. Whether this be no loss of loyalty from the people or no loss concerning the kingdom’s treasury or no loss of productivity and rule. King Darius wanted one with an excellent spirit to lead and care for his kingdom. And because Daniel had this excellent spirit in him, Darius saught to elevate Daniel over the whole kingdom, likely just under Darius. Daniel was to become just like that of Joseph in Egypt. All he would say, the people would soon be expected to do.

But even before Daniel was able to be elevated to this high position, jealousy filled his contemporaries. Others in this group of satraps and officials. Dan 6:4...

Those jealous of Daniel could not find any fault in him. They could not find any grounds for their complaint. For this Daniel was faithful in all matters. There was no fault or error found in him. And instead of stopping them from seeking complaint or fault against Daniel, it only intensified their pursuit against Daniel. Dan 6:5…

The only hope those who were jealous of Daniel had to find a complaint against him must be found in the law of Daniel’s God. For they knew Daniel was devoted to the Hebrew God, יהוה.

For those who are Christian, part of our following Christ is to walk in this same Spirit. For the same Spirit that was at work in Daniel is now at work in us. For the Spirit of God has been sent to us from God the Father and Jesus, the Son of God. The Spirit then worked in us in tandem with the gospel to bring us to faith. And this Spirit is now at work in us, enabling us to hold fast to God’s word as we are being sanctified in the ways of Christ.

Therefore, the Spirit is quickening us to be those who do all for the glory of God, enabling us to be good employees. In fact, because of the Spirit’s aide, we like Daniel should be the best employees. As we seek to do all well and according to God’s glory and not our own. We should be those who are able to be honorable in all that we do, and even when flaw arises within us, we should be quickened to humility in acknowledging our flaw and correcting it.

The workplace is but one example of how the Spirit should be working in our lives. The Spirit should be helping us to be helping us grow as Fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, neighbors, friends, and employers.

Christian, this is the mature life we are to seek, to seek the Spirit’s leading in our daily lives to walk in obedience to the word of God. An example we see here from Daniel.

Like Daniel, let us pursue to live faithfully as those who belong to the LORD, who have bowed to King Jesus in our allegiance to him and him alone. Let us be faithful in all matters of our daily lives.

Faithful Despite Opposition

Daniel was faithful even in the midst of opposition and threat. For when Daniel’s jealous opponents could not find fault with Daniel in his character, they schemed against Daniel to find a way that his devotion to his God could lead to his downfall. A scheme that is full of wickedness.

We see this scheme unfolded in verses 6-9. A scheme that seeks to appeal to Darius’s own sinful heart and then entrap Daniel.

A group of high officials and satraps come to Darius, agreeing in both their desire to see Daniel fall and the plan to bring it about. They here first appeal to the king. They stroke his ego by a common phrase to those in authority, “O King Darius, live forever (Dan 6:6)!” And then they appeal to the King to make a decree, a written law. A law declaring that for 30 days, no one is to make any petition to any god or man except the king. A law that over and over again they reaffirm, once written and signed cannot be changed according to the law of the Medes and the Persians.

This idea of the law of the Medes and the Persians is not something that is only mentioned here in Daniel. It is mentioned often in historical documents from Babylon and from the kingdoms of the Medes and the Persians. What is not however known is the purpose for this. So we know not the why, but we know the historical truth of this fact. This giving further credibility to the Bible. In this case, this truth is part of a wicked scheme of Daniel’s jealous opponents. And so, we read in Dan 6:9…

The injunction and document has been signed. The two being one and the same, for it is not to be thought as two separate things, but one legal and binding document. And this means that the king cannot go back and change the law now that it has been signed once the plot continues to unfold.

Yet in the meantime of this legally binding document being signed and now effective, any who break it were to be thrown into the den of lions. Any who make petition, that is pray, to any except the king for the next 30 days were to be feed to the lions.

Daniel who has been faithful in all matters, with no error or fault knows the law of the land that has been put into decree. He knows that for any who make a petition to any except Dairus for the next 30 days will be cast into the lion’s den. And yet, what does he do? Daniel 6:10…

Just as Daniel has been regularly praying, 3 times a day towards Jerusalem, he continues to do so, despite this new decree from King Darius. But why?

For one, Daniel’ knows God’s promises and is hoping deeply in them. Promises that God will deliver his people from their exile. In fact, this is why Daniel is facing towards Jerusalem when he prays.

We aren’t going to turn and read there, but let me encourage you to write this reference down, 1 Kings 8: 46-53. 1 Kings 8:46-53. In that passage, Solomon pleads with the Lord that if his people sin against him and he casts them into exile, that he will hear them if they repent from their sin and with a humble heart cry out to him as they look towards Jerusalem.

This is what we see Daniel doing here in Daniel 6:10, and in fact has been doing, likely from the very beginning of his exile into Babylon. Daniel continually prays to his God, both in continued repentance as we will see in Daniel 9, but here in Daniel 6 we see it is too full of thanksgiving to the LORD, his God.

All of this while knowing what is at stake. Knowing that his devotion to God could land him in the lion’s den. But here is where Daniel’s faithfulness shines. His faithfulness to the LORD does not only happen when it is safe. His devotion to God endures even when great opposition arises, putting the laws of men at odds with the laws of God.

You see, part of God’s giving of government authority is to not be a terror to good conduct, but bad (Rom 13:3). Governments are to carry out wrath on the wrong doer (Rom 13:4). But when those governments overstep their authority and put their laws in contrast with God’s laws for his people, it is God’s laws that are to win out in our lives, just as we see with Daniel.

Daniel continues to show devotion and dependence on his God throughout. The temptation wasn’t for Daniel, he knew where his heart must lie, it must continue to lie with God. But our hearts will struggle with temptation here.

We are tempted to think, its only 30 days Daniel, shouldn’t you just not pray or pray silently in the quietness of your own heart in a more private place with windows closed until the time passes? Wouldn’t it be more advantageous to continue to appease these men until you are in your high position and can do far greater for the LORD?

These are things are hearts are often bent towards when opposition presses against our faith. In fact, we are often tempted by far less pressures when it comes to carrying out faithfulness in our Christian lives. For instead of legally binding documents stopping us from times of prayer, we allow far less to stop us from prayer and the regular disciplines of the Christian life.

Consider how often we are tempted to allow other things to fill our schedules and time, and without a blink of the eye, the first thing dropped off the schedule is our Bible Reading, prayer time, or the Sunday Morning gathering of the saints. We run ourselves ragged with busyness, yet are unwilling to guard these things in our pursuit of faithfulness.

Parents, let me make a strong plea to you for the sake of your children. Make these things the priority in your life and in your family’s life, showing that they truly matter. For if you don’t, you communicate these disciplines in the Christian life are of less importance. Of less value. Showing that you find other things in your life and schedule of more value than you do the LORD. Teach your children from an early age, that your devotion to the LORD is of greater value than sports, hobbies, business, and anything else. For how can we remain faithful in opposition, if we cannot even be faithful in the midst of relative ease?

Beloved, let us then start pursuing such faithfulness now. Faithfulness to all that Christ our King has commanded us. But how? How do we pursue such faithfulness? Faithfulness in ease and in the midst of opposition?

We again look to Daniel here in Dan 6:10. For as he is praying towards Jerusalem and giving thanks, he reveals to us what helps Daniel walk in faithfulness. It is not that Daniel is some elite follower of God. Daniel’s faithfulness comes from his deep trust in the LORD and his faithfulness to his promises.

Daniel believes that God indeed will hear his prayer as he sets his eyes towards Jerusalem. He believes God will keep his promise to deliver his people from exile.

Faithfulness is not something that we muster up. Faithfulness is the overflow of our trust in God and his faithfulness to all that he has promised. Little faithfulness is the result of a lacking trust, where faithfulness comes when we truly believe God and all his promises are far better than all that this world may offer.

Faithful Unto Death

And so, for Daniel, he would rather die than to turn from faithfully pursuing his God, יהוה. And it is this kind of faithful devotion that his opponents have hoped for and counted on. As now they have found the grounds for a fault and complaint against Daniel. Grounds tied to his devoted faithfulness to his God. They have set the trap and it is now closing in on Daniel.

The men spied on Daniel and found him breaking the decree that Darius had signed. And so they now are able to again come to Darius here in verses 11-13. They first verify that indeed Darius has signed this into law, a law that cannot be changed. And once this is affirmed, they then proceed to tell him that Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah pays no attention to this law (Dan 6:13).

The trap is now closed, and Darius now realizes it. In verses 14-15, we see Darius try and find a way himself to deliver Daniel, but he fails. And so, now the jealous opponents are not only holding Daniel’s feet to the fire, but Darius’s, again reminding him that there is no changing of this signed decree.

And so, Daniel is called by Darius to be brought and cast into the den of lions. And he is cast into that deadly tomb and a stone is rolled in front of the mouth of Daniel’s tomb in the lion’s den. Daniel was as good as dead, though he had remained faithful unto death itself. For Daniel trusted in his God. For he knew the LORD, יהוה, would deliver him.

Point #2: Deliverance From Death

A Tomb of Death

While Daniel was not dead upon entering the lion’s den, it was a tomb of death. For he was to be a meal for the lions. And they surely would eat and devour him, tearing him limb from limb. A stone was even put over the mouth of the lion’s den, sealing him inside so that no one could come and take him out of this deadly tomb. Yet, even as Darius was forced by the wicked plot of the satraps and officials to cast Daniel into the lion’s den, into this tomb of death, he cried out to Daniel there in verse 16 (Dan 6:16), “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”

Daniel now in the lion’s den, night has come, and Darius was overwhelmed. He spent the night fasting, no diversions were even brought to him. Diversions being a distraction, averting ones attention from one thing to another; a type of amusement or entertainment. For Darius, this was likely a diversion of his concubines being brought in to entertain him. That night, nothing was brought to the king to distract him. Sleep evaded him as he fretted over Daniel in the lion’s den until morning came.

A Deliverance from Death

The dawn of morning was arising and Darius hoped that Daniel’s God had delivered him. And so he ran quickly to the lion’s den. Dan 6:19-20…

And what should Darius find at this tomb of death? Did he find Daniel devoured from the lions? No, Daniel was alive. Dan 6:21-22…

This caused the king to rejoice. For he was forced by law to cast Daniel in, but now that this failed, that Daniel’s God had delivered him, the decree was made void since it had been carried out. And so, Daniel was quickly removed from the lion’s den where no trace of harm was found upon him.

Daniel’s God, the God of the Bible, יהוה, had delivered him from death by sending one of his angels to shut the mouths of these lions. Again, the LORD shows himself, just like in Daniel 3 to be the God who delivers his people.

Yet as Daniel is delivered, his jealous opponents now are brought to justice. Their wicked plot has failed and now instead of the lion’s den being for Daniel, it is now for them. They, their wives, and their children are all thrown into the lion’s den. And before they even touch the floor, the lions overpower them and break them.

Justice is brought, but we also see that it was truly the hand of the LORD who spared Daniel. It was not as if something were wrong with these lions. For when God’s hand was removed from shutting their mouths, they did what lions do, they hunt and destroy their prey.

Then following this remarkable deliverance of the LORD, Darius gives a new pronouncement. Instead of calling the people to make a decree to only him, Darius makes a decree declaring that the people are to tremble and fear before Daniel’s God. We read this there in Dan 6:25-27…

The God of Daniel at the beginning of this chapter was opposed by many, now it is declared that he indeed alone has dominion to the ends of the earth and that he delivers and rescues, that he works signs and wonders, just as now been seen in his rescue of Daniel from the lion’s den, from the tomb of death.

A Similar Death

Just as God delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego in Daniel 3 from the fiery furnace, so he delivered Daniel. God is truly a God who rescues and delivers. But an even greater rescue mission was to come. A greater deliverance by this same God.

A deliverance that would come through another without fault or complaint. But this one would be greater. For his faultlessness would not only be before the eyes of men, but the eyes of the LORD. For he would not simply be faithful to the law of God, but he would fulfill it as he carried it out in complete perfection.

This faithful one would be so faithful that he would be faithful unto death, death on a cross as he laid down his own life as the perfect sacrifice in our place.

The greatest rescue came as this perfect Son of God came to make the great exchange. His sinless life exchanged for ours. For we who were full of guilt. We had fallen short of God’s standards as our creator and King. We had failed to live according to his ways. And therefore we were deserving of death.

And yet, this Son of God, this Jesus came to dwell among us. To live the life we failed to live and to give his life as a ransom on our behalf. And to die the death we deserved as he was pierced to a tree on the cross.

Having breathed his last, he was then laid into a tomb that was sealed by another stone so no one could take his body. Yet, on the third day, that morning so gloriously bright, when others came to his tomb, he was found alive, having risen from the dead.

This Jesus came to bring about God’s rescue of you and I, so that he could deliver us from the curse of sin and death. To bring about the gift of eternal life for all who would repent of their sins and come and trust in this Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.

There are some here this morning who have been like those opponents of Daniel. You to this point have resisted God and his people. You have resisted them because you deny that God is to be feared, that you are to tremble before him because of your sin.

Friends, see this morning the greatness of your sin and your guilt while also seeing that their is a God who desires to deliver you from that guilt. See that Jesus stands ready to rescue you if you would but turn from your allegiance to sin and come by faith to Jesus! Friends, repent and believe today!

And beloved, my brothers and sisters in Christ. See that this same God has not only rescued you in your coming to faith, he continues to rescue you. He continues to work in you, just as he did Daniel. Look at that final verse here in Dan 6, Dan 6:28…

Daniel was brought into exile as a young man. He was likely 13 or 14 years of age give or take a bit. And he has now spent roughly 70 years in exile. And the LORD has continued to bless him and care for him in the midst of that exile. He has been with him through multiple rulers in Babylon, from Nebuchadnezzar to Belshazzar to Darius and Cyrus.

Daniel’s God is a delivering God who continually delivers his people. And this is the same God we have placed our hope and faith in, Christian. And we then can trust that even as we continue in our own lives lived in exile, away from God’s forever kingdom, we can trust that our God will continue to deliver us from the evil one. That he will continue to deliver us in the midst of our struggles and temptations. That he will even deliver us through death itself and bring us into gloryland where we will dwell with him forever in an eternal Sabbath that will never break up.

In knowing this, then let us continue to fear our God and trust him whatever may come.

Let’s pray…