At the Corner of Broadway and Babylon - 7

At the Corner of Broadway and Babylon – 7

Daniel 6:1-28

Introduction

In his book, The Making of a Leader, Dr. J. Robert Clinton presents that 70% of all leaders, both in the bible, and in contemporary settings, have some sort of moral failure or collapse before they cross the finish line of faith. This is devastating information. The majority of Christian leaders will fumble in some way before the finish line. And not only that, but the older a leader gets, the more seasoned they become, the more vulnerable they are to such a fall. How could that be? Wouldn’t you think that it is the younger, more arrogant, brash leaders that are more likely to fall? Nope. Here is why…the older leaders tend to let down their guard. They’ve been doing this a long time. It’s time to relax and enjoy the perks that come with being so successful. They begin to think that, because of their track record, the rules don’t apply to them anymore. So, the closer they get to the finish line, the more likely they are to falter.

When we open Daniel 6, Daniel is now an old man. He arrived in Babylon at 16 years old…he is now in his early 80’s. For the last 65 years, he has led successfully in Babylon. He has been a source of help to three kings in Babylon. He has been sought out for his wisdom. Because he is competent in his leadership, he has been continually promoted, and kept in high-ranking positions even during and after transfers of power. And on top of all that leadership success, Daniel has not compromised his faith. He has been faithful to his God his entire life, in the midst of a really tough and tempting context.

Now, there has been another transfer of power. This time, from one empire to another. The Babylonian Empire is gone, defeated by the Persians. Once again, we find Daniel at the top of his game, and at the top of the org chart.

Daniel 6:1-3 - It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 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.

Persia is going to rule differently, and better, than Babylon. Darius puts 120 leaders over the empire, with three higher officials over those 120. Those three high officials are the ones running the empire. They answer directly to the king and they oversee government, education, infrastructure, military…you name it, they run it. Not only is Daniel one of the three (which shows his wisdom, competence, and trust placed in him), Darius is so impressed by him that he plans to place Daniel over all of the entire kingdom.

As you can imagine, not everyone is going to be happy about such a promotion. Specifically, the other 122 officials. So, the other leaders plot together to find some flaw in his leadership. Just one problem…Daniel doesn’t really have any leadership flaws for them to take advantage of. He is just too good at what he does. Verse 4 - 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. Well there is just one option left. If they can’t find anything against him professionally, maybe they can find something against him personally. Verse 5 - 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.”

They hatch an ingenious and devious plan. They knew there was one area where someone like Daniel would be vulnerable in a pagan place like Persia…in his worship of his God. So, they would convince the king to make the worship of any god or praying to anyone but the king (thinks he is a god) illegal for 30 days. If anyone violates the edict, they will be fed to the lions. They bring their plan before King Darius, and he unwittingly plays into their hands by signing the declaration into law.

Place yourself in Daniel’s shoes for a minute. A royal decree has gone out that outlaws praying to anyone but the king. If you break the law, you are a dead man. What do you do? I’m sure there would at least be an attempt to justify obeying the new law:

- We have to follow the laws of the land.

- It’s only one month, God will understand.

- Ignore the decree but be quiet about it. Last time I checked, you can pray silently. Keep praying like always but board up the windows and lock the doors.

- For some, they wouldn’t even notice. 30 days without praying…they already do that!

What will Daniel do? He’s seasoned, he’s close to the finish line. He’s spent all these years doing what he was supposed to do. Does he really need to bother with this one? Is it really that big of a deal? It is for Daniel.

Daniel 6:10 - 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.

You can easily picture a calm, collected Daniel, shaking his head in disappointment over such a grievous law, but strolling home to his well-worn prayer spot, and bowing before the Lord, just as he’d always done. We love Daniel, don’t we? So faithful. So courageous. This is why this story in particular is so well known. From Sunday school flannel graph to VBS, this story has been placed before God’s people for millennia. And rightly so. He is predictably caught and thrown into the lion’s den. But God comes through and protects him, shutting the mouths of the lions and sparing Daniel’s life. The men who had orchestrated this plot against Daniel are thrown instead into the lion’s den (along with their families) at the king’s commands, ending the final plot against Daniel.

TS – for the next few minutes, I want us to focus in on verse 10. In it we find the key decisions that must be made if we are going to be faithful to the Lord. Daniel was so faithful…he made three clear decisions that set the model for us to follow. If we make these same three decisions, no matter the context and no matter the consequence, we will be found faithful to the Lord.

1. COURAGE OVER COMFORT

Look back at verse 10 - 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.

Notice the detail of how it begins… “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house…and prayed.” From the very beginning here, this verse is clear on one thing…Daniel knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t accidentally praying against the law. He knew what the king had done. And he chose to pray anyway.

Before you dismiss how easy this was for Daniel, or declare that you’d have done the same thing, consider all that Daniel stood to lose. He was one of the top administrators over the reigning superpower of the world. One of King Darius’s right hand men. He was about to be promoted, given even more power, ruling the entire kingdom. He’s at retirement age (and beyond) by our standards. He has spent his entire life faithful to God, and faithful to pagan kings. His reputation is beyond spotless.

He actively chose to give all that up. Courage is not something that comes naturally for us. Sometimes, courage is the hardest option to choose. Comfort typically wins the day and is much easier to choose. Here is why: courage will cost you something. Courage will make you uncomfortable. It will force you to trust God more. Doing what God wants you to do will push you out of your comfort zone.

Maybe you’ve heard someone throw out one of those Christian cliché’s before…the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will. In most Christian environments, that’ll get an amen. It shouldn’t, because it isn’t true. We want it to be…if we are really doing God’s will, then our lives will be great and comfortable. We want to believe that trusting God has no risks, only rewards. Daniel didn’t believe that. Neither did Jesus. In fact, being in the center of God’s will may cost you your very life.

If you are going to be faithful, it will require courage. It is going to cost you something.

- Time, as you sacrifice it to serve others.

- Money, as you sacrifice it to give to others.

- Relationships, as you sacrifice a friendship or dating relationship, because it pulls you away from God.

- Anonymity, as you sacrifice it and go public with your faith.

No matter the cost, it is worth the price. Learn from Daniel. Choose courage over comfort.

2. DISCIPLINE OVER DISORDER

Back to verse 10 - 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.

Notice that last phrase…”as he had done previously.” While Daniel was courageous in choosing to pray, he didn’t start praying that day. This was not new to him. He went home and prayed because that is what he always did. Three times a day. Everyday. Without fail. In fact, it seems that Daniel was so disciplined in his prayer life that the satraps and high officials knew exactly when and where to find him praying. How did they know they could trap him with such a scheme? Because they already knew Daniel prayed all the time.

Daniel chose discipline over disorder. If we are going to be found faithful, and especially if we are going to be faithful over the long-term, then we must ruthlessly eliminate the disorder that so often characterizes our spiritual lives. Reading your bible for a few days in a row, but then missing it for months. Praying regularly for a season, but then ignore Heaven for weeks. Attending church for a bit, but then allowing anything and everything else to crowd it out. That is disorder, and it doesn’t help anyone.

Which is better for you: running 2 miles a day, 3 days a week, or not running for 6 months and then running for 125 miles to make up for the ones you missed? Which is better: to lift 100 pounds 100 times, or to lift 10,000 pounds once? See what I mean? To treat our spiritual lives in a haphazard manner does not work well. We need the consistency of discipline if we are going to grow and mature in our faith.

- Get on a Bible reading plan and stick to it. Once a week or once a month isn’t enough.

- Set specific times to pray…over morning coffee, at lunch break, before bed, etc.

- Make corporate worship a priority…build in the consistency of what the Lord can accomplish in an hour a week over years and years.

In 1522, Martin Luther, the great German Reformer, gave a short but potent eulogy at the funeral for a pastor named Nicholas Haussmann. Luther said, “What we preach, he lived.” I’m not sure there is a better compliment one could give. What we preach, he lived. He was consistent. He was dedicated. He was disciplined. What about you?

3. FAITH OVER FEAR

Listen to verse 10 one more time - 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.

What do you think was Daniel’s motivation to do what he did? Was it merely to defy his government? No. Was it to take a political stance? No. What motivated Daniel in this moment is what motivated him his entire life…faith in his God. Yes, there was much that could have caused Daniel to fear. Did you know you are only born with two natural fears? The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All the other ones you acquire over time. Daniel is in his 80’s…that’s a lot of time to acquire a lot of fears. Instead, he chose (emphasis: chose) faith over fear.

Faith in what? Faith that God wasn’t done with his people. Faith that God would not abandon his people in a foreign land. Faith that God heard his prayers. Faith that God would restore his nation. Where would he get such an idea? He got it from his bible. In 1 Kings 8 we are told of a grand ceremony…King Solomon, the son of David, has finally finished building the great Temple in Jerusalem. At the dedication service of the temple, which would’ve been the most grand and glorious event of their lifetime, this is part of what King Solomon prayed:

1 Kings 8:46-50 - 46 “If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near, 47 yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 48 if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them…”

Did you notice the detail in Daniel 6:10? He prayed facing Jerusalem. Why? Because that is exactly what King Solomon said to do! Every day, three times a day, Daniel opened up those windows and faced Jerusalem. He faced the temple that Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed, and asked God to forgive the nation of its sins and restore them to their land. And God answered that prayer. Within five years of this event in Daniel 6, King Cyrus of Persia issues a decree for all the Israelites to go home to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls and build a new temple.

Daniel chose faith over fear. We talk much about Daniel’s faithfulness, and we should. Again, we are to look at these Old Testament accounts and learn from the examples set before us (1 Corinthians 10). But ultimately, we look not to Daniel’s faithfulness, but to the faithfulness of his God. God listened to the prayer of Daniel, remembering the prayer of King Solomon 500 years prior. And at the end of this account in Daniel 6, we see God’s faithfulness put on display yet again.

Daniel 6:19-27 - 19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 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. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

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