And…How?
Notes
Transcript
We’ve been walking through Daniel, seeing how amazing God is as he proves his character to the kings of Babylon, to the people of Israel, and to Daniel and his friends.
We have seen the pride of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, and how God cut them down to size, one to repentance and the other to destruction.
As we have studied God and his ways, we have hinted at how his followers are supposed to live. We talked about stepping off the throne of our lives, letting God lead us, swallowing our pride and pointing people to him.
But what does this look like in every day life? We saw Daniel and his friends privately putting God to the test through what they ate, to know that God was in fact sovereign, and then following through. We saw the three friends refusing to bow to the statue that Nebuchadnezzar built. We saw Daniel pleading with his king to repent before judgment fell. We saw Daniel, again, bringing news of judgment to Belshazzar, boldly confessing that it was the one true God that wrote on the wall and that was bringing the judgment.
Great scenes. But what does this look like everyday? Especially in a culture that is partly becoming religious again and that is becoming partly even more secular, where even the “religious” ones are accepting that which is an affront to a holy God.
We who are followers of Jesus Christ are charged with showing the identity of our God through our lives.
Today, as we study Daniel 6, we will answer the how question. We will see Holiness in life, Separation from the world, and Glory to God, as we find that the sovereign God proves his identity through his holy servants.
Before we dive in, will you pray with me?
1. Holiness in Life
1. Holiness in Life
The sovereign God proves his identity through his holy servants as we pursue holy lives.
What does this mean? Well, simply, holiness is being set apart for a purpose.
As the old King James says:
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
We are to be peculiar, different, than the people around. This is hard, but before we jump into that, let’s look at 3 ways that Daniel was living a holy life.
A. Blamelessness
A. Blamelessness
Daniel was blameless. Many times, we can get caught up in this word, thinking that it is synonymous with perfect.
But, it’s not. It’s the same word that is used in elder qualities.
An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.
No human is perfect. It means that no accusation sticks because everything is already known. He seeks to live a godly life, but when he realizes his sin, he doesn’t keep it hidden. It is know, so no one can come and say: ahha! He is above reproach.
Let’s see how Daniel emulates this:
It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.
For some reason, even though Daniel was third in command at the fall of the Babylonian empire, the Medes put Daniel in charge of the province and the other officials are jealous. So, they try to find things to accuse him of. They look throughout all his conduct of government affairs, and they could find nothing to bring against him. He was above reproach.
We could talk about politicians these days. But, I actually want to talk about us.
Can this be said of us? Looking at the thing we spend most of our time on, whether it is farming, ranching, business, family relationships, marriage relationships, internet use, social media.
If someone wanted to bring charges against us, and they searched everywhere for something, would they be unable to find something. Could they say that we were trustworthy, neither corrupt or negligent. That we were above reproach?
This is not a natural way to live. It’s only through the work of the Holy Spirit that we can live this way.
Daniel was blameless. He was holy.
B. Blatant Lifestyle
B. Blatant Lifestyle
Daniel also lived a blatant lifestyle. His colleagues knew where his priorities lay, what his life revolved around.
Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So King Darius put the decree in writing.
They said that the only thing they could catch him on was if his faith came against the laws of the state. Then, they would be able to throw the book at him.
How did they know that this would be the only way to get him? Well, they would have to know Daniel’s active faith first. They knew that he was a Jew. They knew the God he worshiped. They knew what he did in worshiping that God. They knew that he was committed to worshipping and serving his God.
So, they weave a fool-proof plan to catch him.
Holiness, being set-apart for a purpose, requires a blatant lifestyle. There are many fair-weather Christians. They go to church when they want to. They pray or read the Bible when they want to. They live a moral life when they want to.
But, it is all wrapped around what they want to do. They are still on the throne.
As one person notes: they are not all-in.
If we are convinced that Jesus died for our sins, this truth is for us:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
We are called to be all in. Not one foot with Jesus and one foot out. Not a Christian on Sundays and someone else the other days of the week. No. Blatant lifestyle, so that everyone knows the one we serve by how we live and what we say.
Can people say of us: the only way we are going to be able to throw them in prison is if we make some part of the Christian faith illegal, because I know they are going to do it no matter what. That’s just who they are.
Daniel had a blameless lifestyle. He was holy.
C. Constant Worship
C. Constant Worship
Daniel lived a life of constant worship.
His life was not about himself, but about the God he served. The God who had been faithful to him these past 70 years in Babylon. The God who proved himself worthy of being worshiped.
Which brings us to the pivotal part of the story. How is Daniel going to respond to what the jealous leaders did?
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.
Daniel does what he always does. He prays in a specific direction.
When Solomon dedicates the temple to God, he asks God for some specific blessings, one of which is found in.
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
When the people of Israel were in trouble, God promised to hear them if they prayed toward the temple mount. Now, there is nothing special or mystical about the temple mount, but the posture was a symbol, showing that one’s trust was on God and his promise to keep his word.
Just like there is nothing special about being on one’s knees when praying, but the posture is a symbol, a way of showing our heart that God is worthy of all honor and we are nothing.
Daniel showed his heart of constant worship, acknowledging who God is and pleading with God to act in this time of trouble.
Is this us? Many Christians allow a month to slide without doing devotions. We are too busy to take time to do this.
But, Daniel set aside three times a day to pray, and kept it up during the time when we might say: you could probably let it slide today: God would understand.
Do we have a life of constant worship?
Charles Spurgeon said:
“A true Christian would rather go without a meal than without a sermon. He would sooner miss a meal than loose his daily portion of Scripture or his daily resort to the house of prayer.”
Martin Luther famously said:
“I have so much to do I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
It is only through constant worship that we can live a blatant lifestyle and pursue blamelessness.
Daniel lived a holy life and God’s identity was proven through him.
2. Separation from the World
2. Separation from the World
The sovereign God proves his identity through his holy servants as we live separate from the world.
You might say: well, didn’t we just talk about that with the holy living: being set apart for a purpose.
Yes, you would be right. But, I want to drill down on Daniel’s reaction to the sentence put on him.
So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
Because of Daniel’s holiness, the world separated themselves from him. He was not actively taking himself away from the world. He was working for the good of his society, living a holy life, and the world said that they didn’t want him. Persecution.
The world against one man. And what does he do?
He prays and then stands silent.
“When Daniel heard about the law forbidding his prayer, he did not rally the troops for a strike or armed resistance, he prepared himself for death. The same may be said concerning the three friends in Daniel 3. Christians do not fight for their beliefs by assaulting or killing, but by dying.”
And the king takes notice. Daniel doesn’t say a word, but the king tries to save Daniel from this fate, but he cannot.
Finally, the king does what Daniel has already chosen to do. He places Daniel in the hands of God, entrusting Daniel to God’s care, stating that this world cannot save him. Only God can. Sealing the tomb, just like Jesus’ tomb was sealed, so that proof would be clear when God acted.
When we get it through our heads that this life is not about us, but about the Glory of God and advancement of his kingdom, we respond differently when the world comes against us. Instead of asking how we can prove ourselves or defend ourselves, how we can stand up for our rights, we say: how can we show God’s glory through this.
Daniel lived a life separate from the world and God’s identity was proven through him.
3. Glory to God
3. Glory to God
The sovereign God proves his identity through his holy servants as we life for His glory.
Let’s read the rest of the narrative
At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:
“May you prosper greatly!
“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the 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.
What made Darius change his tune? Daniel’s willingness to die for his God.
As one person noted:
“Our willingness to risk even our lives is what will turn the heads of the secular culture that surrounds us. Our complaints, our legislative efforts, our attempts to compel people to live according to our standards of morality will only close their ears. The power of quiet faithfulness is impressed upon us in the closing words of Darius.”
Paul exhorted the Christians of his day:
and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Faithfulness, living a holy life, will cause people to notice. Sometimes, as in the case of Daniel, that notice will propel us to be leaders in our communities. Sometimes, as in the case of Daniel, that notice will cause us to be thrown into the lion’s den.
But, we still live in quiet faithfulness, because life isn’t about us. Life is about the glory of God.
And as we live for the glory of God, God’s identity will be seen through us.
Paul writes:
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Is that your prayer? How are you living in your everyday life?
