201: Trust: Lived and Experienced: Daniel 6

Wrap up Trust series. One of the things I’ve appreciated most about this series is it isn’t about a person, we’ve looked at Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. We’ve looked at prisoners, politicians, and kings. The one consistent has been need and reward of trusting God. Trust isn’t optional. You will never find salvation without trust. You will never lead the Christian life without trust. You’ll never have hope or peace without trust. Daniel is true to life - God is the here, our task is to trust him. So far we’ve seen:

A big part of trusting God means my responses to life's difficulties are determined less by how I feel and more by who He is.

We trust his word and his work. We learn to trust be seeing how he has provided before.

Today we will get a final look at a picture of trust lived and salvation experienced.

Text

Daniel 6:1–9 NIV

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. 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put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”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.

I thought about calling this the greatest miracle of all - a squeaky clean politician. That was before this past week! A more appropriate title may be: a life of trust leads to a life of holiness.

Daniel has experienced this sort of jealousy his entire life. People want him to fail but that can’t find anything in his life to bring him down with.

If you’re a Christian, the world is watching, expecting you to fail.

Holiness or legalism?

You simply cannot read the Bible and miss that fact that God desires for you and me live holy lives. The problems begin when we place salvation as a result of what we do or don’t do. Our salvation is tied up in what someone else did. His name is Jesus.

Our desire for holiness should be rooted in our thankfulness, not trying to earn his favor. The more we understand grace, the more we will pursue holiness.

If we were in Daniel’s spot here, what could be said about our character? What would they use to take you down?

He’s got a mouth on him

She’s a control freak

He’s a hot-head

She’s always gossiping

He’s always negative

She’s a hypocrite

We could go on and on but I think you get the point. Holiness in the simple things of our lives is a big deal.

There is another two pronged side-note in this section that we shouldn’t miss :

First, God can use you even in the worst of situations. Remember Daniel’s story. His life started off like a country song! Here he is being used by God in incredible ways. Whatever your scenario, God can use you there. Trust God.

Second, don’t make an idol out of human favor. It turns quickly. It can be very difficult to remain faithful when you are favored. Trust God.

Dan

Daniel 6:10–15 NIV

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. 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.”

A life that trusts God, is always a life of prayer.

Notice Daniel’s focus on prayer - communication with God. He opens his windows to Jerusalem. He is praying according to Scripture. I’m not saying he doesn’t throw a bit in there about the lions possibly being vegetarians, but that isn’t the overwhelming nature of his prayer. He is praying for welfare and repentance of God’s people.

Notice Daniel’s defiance in prayer - the decree was already signed. He knows the law.

What would we have done? Well…I won’t do anybody any good if I’m dead.

Daniel trusted God more than he feared people. This is where the real battle was won. This is the apex of this account.

A theologian named Veldkamp puts it this way:

“This shows us that the dangers we don’t see are generally much greater than the dangers we do see. When we watch Daniel being lowered into the lions’ den, we hold our breath in fear and anticipation. Yet, by that point the danger has already been overcome and the the great fight has been fought. It is indeed a wondrous miracle that God preserves one of his children in the lions’ den, but it is no less a miracle that God’s gracious hand saved Daniel when all of Babylon - goaded on by Satan - attempted to pry apart those two aged hands tightly clasped in prayer.”

Daniel grew up hearing that he was to have no other gods before YHWH. That means no one has the ability to over-write God’s law. Prayer is idol-busting business. Prayer reorients our lives.

Notice s consistency in prayer - three times a day - as he always did.

He doesn’t just pray occasionally, he has made prayer a priority in his life. So much so, that his enemies, don’t expect him to flinch. They know he’s going to pray.

Notice his posture in prayer - on his knees.

His posture in prayer says - You are God and I am not.

I hear people say those things aren’t important - it’s really a matter of the heart.

I’d like to see you try that in your marriage. If you say you love her in your heart but never do anything to express that in your actions, you deserve a frying pan to the noggin.

The king realizes he is caught in a trap, so he agrees. Into the lion’s den! Where has Daniel’s trust gotten him?

The battle was over at this point!

Daniel 6:19–28 NIV

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.

Salvation belongs to the Lord

There’s a funny irony here - the king is so upset that he fasts and so do the lions!

says don’t put your trust in princes, or in people, in whom there is no salvation.

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Daniel has put his trust in the one who can save him. God is the hero of every chapter.

But we don’t face lions! Are you so sure?

We face the lion of a busy schedule that get us to believe we don’t have time to read our Bibles or pray.

We face the lion of pragmatism that get us to believe that its alright to bend on what we know is right, as long as it pushes the right agenda.

We face lions on a regular basis. The real question is, do you trust God.

More directly, what are those areas where you struggle to trust?

Gospel=prayer

Finances - I’d love to give but I just don’t have any left over.

Forgiveness - you don’t know where I’ve been or what I’ve done.

Health - hope - future.

Can we draw two unlikely remedies from the text today?

Get serious about the sin in your life.

How does this help build trust?

When we live with sin, our senses are dulled to the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. We don’t see his work and our trust lessens.

Pray for his people

Not simply for you but for his people. We should be praying for the spiritual welfare for God’s people.

It’s often difficult to see God’s work clearly in our own lives. God has graciously put others around us, when we pray for them and look for God’s work in their lives. We see his work and grow in trust.