Going Against the Grain

In the sixteenth century, there was a protestant reformer in England by the name of Hugh Latimer. He was known as a great preacher of his day and as a result he had many opportunities to speak.

Once he found that he was to preach before the King Henry VIII of England. As he thought about his great responsibility to bring a message before the king he realized that the message that God laid on his heart was not the message that the king would want to hear.

As he began his sermon he said, “Latimer! Latimer! Do you remember that you are speaking before the high and mighty King Henry VIII; who has power to command you to be sent to prison, and who can have your head cut off, if it please him? Will you not take care to say nothing that will offend royal ears?”

He then paused and continued, “Latimer! Latimer! Do you not remember that you are speaking before the King of kings and Lord of lords; before Him, at whose throne Henry VIII will stand; before Him, to whom one day you will have to give account yourself? Latimer! Latimer! Be faithful to your Master, and declare all of God’s Word.”

Latimer faced the choice: would he preach what man wanted to hear or would he preach what Christ would have him preach. Latimer did take his stand for truth and preached boldly. Eventually, he was martyred by Henry’s daughter Queen Mary.

Today’s sermon is about another man who followed God, even when it was inconvenient. His name is Daniel. He has a book named after him in the Old Testament.

Daniel was a man who served God under difficult circumstances.

First of all, he is an exiled Jew. Which means that he believes in one God, revealed to the forefathers like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and David.

He believes whole heartedly in the Ten Commandments. Of which, Deuteronomy 5:7 and

Exodus 20:3 ESV

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

He is up for a promotion. The reason for this is given to us in Daniel 6:3-4 :

Daniel 6:3–4 ESV

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.

Daniel lived in the 6th century B.C., during what is known as the Babylonian exile. His ministry shows up during the reign of King Darius, or otherwise known as Cyrus, King of Persia.

Sinclair Ferguson notes that Daniel is most likely between 70 and 80 years old at the time of this event.

Lots of things have gotten us here. Daniel has impressed his superiors to the point that he is recognized as someone who can interpret dreams. He is of exceptional character. And he has been promoted- on his way to be the Prime Minister.

But there is a new king. His name is Darius the Mede. And Darius wants to establish his authority. It is important that he command respect.

And, if they cannot attack his character, they will surely attack his religion.

Daniel 6:5 ESV

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.”

So now these understudies are going to have to frame Daniel, so they institute a plan. For 30 days, no one is to pray or worship to his god, but only to Darius the King.

And so Daniel, even after hearing of this new regulation, set out to continue his devotion to God, “...just as he had been accustomed to do.” It is who he was.

Daniel 6:10 ESV

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.

Once he did this, he was open to the criticism of the satraps. And, as expected, they went right to the king and reminded Darius of the regulation. What’s more, they embellished Daniel’s frame of mind to the king. Daniel 6:13

Daniel 6:13 ESV

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.”

Christians believe in prayer.

It is more than just asking God for things. It is worshipping Him, asking for forgiveness, petitioning for others; and wholeheartedly depending on God.

Jesus, when he taught on prayer, did not say, “...if you pray.” Rather, he said: “When you pray… .”

The words to Sweet Hour of Prayer are especially poignant.

William Walford wrote this hymn that highlights and emphasizes the blessing that prayer is.

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father’s throne

Make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief,

And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

The joys I feel, the bliss I share,

Of those whose anxious spirits burn

With strong desires for thy return!

With such I hasten to the place

Where God my Savior shows His face,

And gladly take my station there,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since He bids me seek His face,

Believe His Word and trust His grace,

I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! May I thy consolation share,

Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home and take my flight.

This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise

To seize the everlasting prize,

And shout, while passing through the air,

“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”

What the satraps did not count on is the king’s love for Daniel. Although bound by law, Darius sought to deliver Daniel. But in the end, it was out of his hands.

And so, Daniel is put in harm’s way. Daniel 6:16

Daniel 6:16 ESV

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!”

What would have the lions’ den looked like? We can tell by what happened later.

How did Daniel know that an angel was sent? We are not told. Only that the mouths of the Lions were shut.

The next morning, something extraordinary took place. The king called out to Daniel and he was fine. Notice Daniel’s testimony:

Daniel 6:21–23 ESV

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.

And those who sought Daniel’s harm were in turn, fed to the lions. These hungry animals feasted on them men, women and children, as a sign of punishment to all those who vindictively sought Daniel’s death. God avenged him.

Daniel is a testimony of those who “go against the grain,” of culture for the sake of following God at any cost.

Ironically, Daniel 3 and Daniel 6 share many parallels. Daniel 3, of course, is the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three Jewish exiles who were also sold out to God.

What are the parallels?

Both kings desired to be worshipped. Nebuchadnezzar and Darius are like most kings.

Both stories involve men of exceptional character and devotion. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are just three mentioned in the book of Daniel. But the Bible is replete with others, Jesus being the penultimate.

Both are thrown in a “put,” for their almost certain death. One was a furnace; the other was a den of ferocious beasts.

Both were willing to die for their faith. I love the quote from Daniel 3:16-18

Daniel 3:16–18 ESV

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Both are miraculously saved by God. For Shadrach and his friends, it was a fourth in the furnace with them, one like the Son of Man. For Daniel, it was an angel. How else would hungry lions avoid eating Daniel?

Both kings, in the end, acknowledged God’s rule and God’s kingdom over their own.

What can we learn from such an event?

Daniel’s is a testimony to the fact the world is against believers, in all ages, in all eras.

Daniel’s is a story of devotion and exceptional character.

Daniel’s is a story of God’s protection that life is not always fair, especially for God’s children.

Daniel’s is a story about one who was willing to be used, regardless of the pain or inconvenience or shame.

Conclusion

Recently, I was privileged to visit the National Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

It was a sobering story of how an individual and a government came against a defenseless people and made them the national scapegoat for their troubles.

There have been many stories of those who saved Jews during those days: Corrie Ten Boom, Schindler’s List, etc.

But one Christian who was willing to sacrifice it all was Bishop Chrysostomos, who died in 1958.

The story goes, “When the Germans occupied the Greek island of Zante in early 1944, the German commander demanded a list of the island’s Jews. Bishop Chrysostomos of the Greek Orthodox church refused to fulfill the request.

Instead, he wrote his own name in large letters on a sheet of paper and handed it to the Nazi commander, saying: “Here, this is your list of Jews on the island of Zante!”

Chrysostomos then warned the Jews to flee into the hills, thus saving them from deportation.

At the end of the war, all 275 of the islands Jewish people were still alive.

They world needs more who take their Christian faith seriously.