Daniel 6

Experience working at Lowes

Main Idea: Though following God faithfully may be costly, he is Lord over all and is able to deliver his people. His final victory is accomplished in Jesus.

At the time of Chapter 6 Daniel is around 80 years old. This serves as message that your age is never a barrier to serving Christ.

Who is Darius? - Darius the Mede may be referring to a man named Gubaru, who served as governor of Babylon under Cyrus the Great. Or it could be, as I think, another designation for Cyrus himself, king over the Medo-Persian Empire.

One thing to notice is that Daniel never played the VICTIM.

How does the idea of Daniel not playing the victim relate to our understanding of suffering as Christians?

This past week me Wes and Gabe were talking about how teachers were trying to get them to write about evolution.

1. Dedication Despite Danger Daniel 6:1–9

Exalting Jesus in Daniel Honor God, and Let Him Exalt You (Daniel 6:1–4)

Joel Belz has well said,

Daniel … set the standard for Christians who would hold public office. He was serious about the work of statecraft, but he was even more serious about being known as a servant of God, determined to follow God’s precepts no matter the cost.… Our society could use a few more political leaders like Daniel. (“Dare to Be a Daniel”)

The promotion of Daniel is proof that a Christian does not have to compromise to succeed. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”

They hated him—not because he was evil—but because he was good. This is often the response of the wicked toward the righteous. Why did Cain murder Abel? 1 John 3:12 “unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.”

It can get lonely at the top. The blessings of the righteous cans stir up the jealousy of the wicked.

If all your enemies can say is that you are too faithful to God then consider yourself blessed. If everyone at school judges you because you don't partake in the things that they do be joyful because you are being a faithful witness of Jesus Christ.

What can we learn from Daniel about how to live faithfully in the midst of a culture that does not honor God?

Not all were in agreement to basically make Darius god for a month! Daniel certainly wasn’t, but his enemies were not going to let the truth get in the way of their wicked agenda. Their goal was not to see Daniel demoted. Their goal was to see Daniel dead.

Not only is this text showing the jealousy of the satraps, but is also revealing the reliability of Scripture. Before Daniel 6, Babylon was under Babylonian rule, therefore it reflected the Babylonian way of execution which was fire-based, now since the Persians have taken over, the executions are lion-based. Both of these punishments were known as there capital punishments.

2. Prayerful Persistence Daniel 6:10–15

“Daniel’s relationship with the Lord was not crisis-oriented” (Swindoll, Daniel, 53). It was a consistent walk with God that people saw daily. And when emergencies or crises presented themselves, Daniel was already prepared to meet them and handle them. His daily communion with God had so shaped his character that he was ready no matter what.

What does it mean for one’s faith to be crisis oriented, and how does it contrast with Daniel’s faith?

This section in the passage points out a reality that many Christians miss the mark in.

Christian character is not forged in the moment of adversity. Christian character is revealed in the moment of adversity.

King Darius doesn't realize what he has done. Once again a king is taken advantage of because of their pride. King Darius most likely didn’t have ill intentions about the law, he thought that he could serve as a mediator between the gods and his people.

Esther 1:19 ““If it meets the king’s approval, he should personally issue a royal decree. Let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be revoked: “

Could he not be more useful to the Lord alive than dead? No. Daniel refused to compromise. He chose rather to be eaten by lions than to miss one prayer meeting.

How can you prepare now for when opposition will come? What instruction does Jesus give about persecution?

3. Divine Deliverance Daniel 6:16–23

Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament Chapter 6

God did not want to save Daniel from the lions’ den; He wanted to deliver him out of it.

Notice the difference between Daniel and Darius. Darius had no peace, yet Daniel was perfectly at peace with himself, the Lord, and the lions.

No doubt Darius’s lords were out partying. Not so for the king. No food. No partying. No music. He knew he had been played, and it had cost him the life of his loyal friend.

Esther 8:8 “Write in the king’s name whatever pleases you concerning the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. A document written in the king’s name and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.””

How do Daniel’s situation and character remind you of Jesus?

Just as Daniel was sealed in the lion’s den, so also Christ was sealed in the tomb, and this was the petty human ruler’s way to seal the fate of both of these great servants of the Lord. And in both cases, that human sealing led to greater glory for God, when He brought Daniel up out of the pit and He raised Christ up out of the tomb.

Like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary in Matthew 28:1, Darius went “at the first light of dawn” (v. 19) to the tomb holding what might remain of Daniel’s body.

Daniel is not claiming to be sinless, Daniel is not claiming to never have done anything wrong, but Daniel is saying, in the heat of the moment, I chose God, and I’m innocent before Him. I didn’t do anything wrong in this circumstance before God. And furthermore, O King, I didn’t do anything wrong to you.

4. Impactful Influence Daniel 6:24–28

Those who “maliciously accused Daniel,” along with their families, were thrown into the lions’ den and killed even before they “reached the bottom of the den.”

The dark side to Daniel’s deliverance is the judgment that falls on those who had sought to destroy the kingdom of God. Christ delivers those who were subject to a lifelong fear of death by destroying the one who had the power of death.

Because of the deliverance of Daniel, King Darius decides to write a theological doxology. A doxology is a declaration of praise to God or a brief hymn expressing His power and glory.

It is a theological doxology that takes note of God’s greatness universally (v. 26) and personally (v. 27). As to his nature, he is the living and eternal God. As to his sovereignty, his kingdom will not be destroyed or brought to an end (v. 26). He is universally unparalleled and without rival.

On the personal level he is a delivering and rescuing God. He is not limited spatially, for he works his signs and wonders, his mighty and supernatural acts, “in the heavens and on the earth.”

Conclusion

You may be sitting here and wondering how this story relates to the story of Christ. Let me read a quote by Tim Keller:

Exalting Jesus in Daniel Conclusion: How Does the Text Point to Christ?

Jesus is the true and better Adam, who passed the test in the garden, His garden—a much tougher garden—and whose obedience is imputed to us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel, who though innocently slain, has blood that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for our acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham, who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go into the void not knowing whither He went.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac, who was not just offered up by His Father on the mount, but was truly sacrificed for us all while God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love Me because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from Me.” Now we at the foot of the cross can say to God, “Now we know that You love me because You did not withhold Your Son, Your only Son whom You love, from me.”

Jesus is the true and better Jacob, who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserve so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace that wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph, who is at the right hand of the king and forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his power to save them.

Jesus is the true and better Moses, who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job—He’s the truly innocent sufferer who then intercedes for and saves His stupid friends.…

Jesus is the true and better David, whose victory becomes His people’s victory though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther, who didn’t just risk losing an earthly palace, but lost the ultimate heavenly one, who didn’t just risk His life, but gave His life, who didn’t say, “If I perish, I perish,” but said, “When I perish, I will perish for them to save My people.”

Jesus is the true and better Jonah, who was cast out into the storm so we could be brought in.

He’s the real Passover Lamb. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread. (“What Is Gospel-Centered Ministry?”)

And to them we may rightly add, Jesus is the true and better Daniel, who having been lowered into a lion’s den of death, emerges early the next morning alive and vindicated by his God.