When The Light Makes You A Target

Here at the beginning of chapter 6 we’re looking at probably a very short time from where chapter 5 left us. Belshazzar was just murdered by the invading armies of the Medes and Persians, and the great head of gold, Babylon, comes to and end is replaced with the Medo-Persian empire.

v31 of chapter 5 says “and Darius the Mede recieved the Kingdom, being sixty-two years old.”

There’s been some conversation about this figure because there’s no extra biblical record of a man named Darius in ancient Babylonian times.

So, some scholars believe this is actually king Cyrus, others would say this is an official named Gubaru, because there is documentation of Cyrus appointing a man by that name as ruler over the empire shortly after the Medo-Persian invasion. Any of these are possible really, because Darius means “holder of the scepter.”

Remember, though, that God’s word is not dependent upon other sources. We hold God’s word to be truth, and in and of itself to be an authentic source of historical record. It doesn’t bother me that historians are struggling with this text, and trying to find loopholes.

It is enough for me that Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, the one who was dead and is now alive, refers to Daniel as a prophet of God. That is completely sufficient, wouldn’t you say? Good!

let’s move on...

I want to break this sermon into three parts, and we will take them one at a time.

in verses 1 to 3 we see

1. Daniel was distinguished above the others

In v4-9

2. Daniel was blameless before God, but target for the enemy.

v10-15

3. Daniel disciplined himself beforehand for the day of his trial.

so...

1. Daniel was distinguished above the others

There’s a brand new government in place consisting of 120 satraps. The word satrap means “protector of the kingdom”. So these were delegates chosen by Darius for the sake of protecting that empire.

v2. “over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might not suffer loss.”

So what’s happening here is a systems of checks and balances are being put in place, with delegated authority, and oversight, evidently so that no corruption would occur in the collection of taxes. Darius didn’t want to suffer loss, therefore, this structure was put into place.

But here’s what I want us to notice…v3. 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.

Daniel is up for a raise and a promotion.

Daniel is still respected and admired, even after all the bad news he’s been called upon to deliver. Even though these are kings that have not shared his faith and world view, it should be said that Daniel still respected the office, and the sovereignty of God who placed these kings in power.

The Word says, he was distinguished above the others.

How did Daniel get there?

I mean this is worth asking, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with desiring to be distinguished in the places in which God has placed you.

There is nothing sinful about desiring success in your life, and desiring influence, and platform.

What becomes a danger to us is when the desire for success, or influence, or a platform is not for the ultimate purpose of magnifying Jesus Christ and glorifying Him through all the endeavors of our lives.

Daniel’s was distinguished and stood out ABOVE the high officials because a spirit of excellence was in him.

Our New Testament minds think immediately of the Holy Spirit of God. But what this is literally referring to is not the indwelling Spirit of God, like we have today because of the Risen Christ, but literally, the mindset, and character, and qualities of Daniel.

When Daniel faced adversity, he was calm and at peace. When nobody knew the answers, he did, and he spoke the truth. When his friends were under fiery trials, he remained faithful and at his post. This, no doubt, was because of the strength of God and the wisdom of God.

Church,

It is good to be distinguished if Christ is made known, and Christ gets the glory.

Proverbs 3:3-4 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

Matthew 5:16 let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

This brings us to the next point. Daniel was distinguished, and his light was shining, and his reputation was great, and God’s hand was upon him, and his influence was about to increase, but all of this made him a target for the enemy.

Please hear this, church...

2. Daniel was blameless in character, but a target for the enemy.

Daniel 6:4 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. 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.”

This is not saying that Daniel was sinless. What it IS saying is that he was a man of integrity. They could not catch him in a lie, cheating on his taxes, dishonoring the king, wasting time on the job… why? Because he was faithful...

Are you faithful? Are we? Am I?

What blame could the world find in your life in regards to your conduct if they examined you today? Let that convict you if it must, but in Daniel’s case, the fact that his character was so pure, and no corruption was found surrounding his duties, and that attracted him to some, it created envy and murderous rage in others.

Daniel 6:6-9 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

Because an excellent spirit was in him, and because Daniel was being used by God, and being faithful to God, there are people who want him gone. Ever experienced this in any way?

Why is there so much hatred against Christians in our world? TOP ANSWER? Because they hate Christ, and they hate his righteousness. Why? Because compared to holiness, our sins are ugly.

Why was Jesus crucified, I mean in terms of the religious leaders perspective? Because he was perfect and said that righteousness is not something earned, but imputed by faith in Him alone.

Satan hates the success of Christians, and the advancement of the Kingdom of God. He in no way can truly stop the plan of God in your life, but he certainly will disrupt, frustrate, cause harm, tempt, press down, persecute you however he can. God will allow this for your good, for your testing, to show the world that faith in the Gospel of God is stronger than any opposition Satan can bring.

They could not find anything regarding his conduct, but what they did see clearly is that Daniel loved God, and if there’s any way they were going to trip him up it would be in connection with the worship of His God.

Can that be said of you?

I won’t catch him being unfaithful to his family, but I’ll catch him in the word every day...

I won’t catch her gossiping and lying, but I know I can catch her counseling people with the scriptures.

We can’t catch them being jerks on the street corner, but we can find them saying that Jesus is the only way to find eternal life.

So they butter up the king, and appeal to his pride, and lie to him saying that all the officials have agreed to make a new rule that the only person to be petitioned over the next thirty days should be Darius.

The consequence for breaking this irrevocable law would be the den of lions.

What happens? He signs the document.

Now, Darius didn’t know the truth, but he did know Daniel. But remember, Satan is a liar, and he knows that to influence the world to destroy as much Christian influence as he can he needs only to appeal to their pride. Additionally, aren’t people easily persuaded by the popular opinion?

How quickly someone can loose integrity in any position by simply being a people please. Don’t do it.

So the law is signed, and it cannot be changed…What is Daniel going to do?

3. Daniel disciplined himself beforehand for the day of his trial.

Daniel 6:10-15 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. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.  Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”  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. Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

A lot can be said about all of this. The evil, the plotting, the envy, the manipulation of the king, the kings regret when he realized his pride got the better of him, how people will twist your intentions and say things about you that are not true, like…Christians hate women. Churches only want your money. or like they did in v13 “Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king..” That was not true at all...

…but what was true, and what I think is so important for you and I to hear today is that Daniel loved God more, and lived a consistent life of worship to God long before this moment ever came.

There wasn’t a law on earth, no matter the consequence, that would interrupt his unashamed devotion to the one who had been so faithful to him.

v10. “When Daniel knew that the document was 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.”

The point is not to live pessimistically as though a trial like this is looming around the corner. But do not be unaware. If you’ve counted the cost to follow Christ, then you know that part of bearing the cross of His dying, is to love God even more than keeping your own life, or your job, or your influences. Daniel could have ran and explained the whole thing to Darius, but instead, he ran to God and humbly, openly, with thanksgiving, prayed, as he had done since he was boy.

How does this point us to Christ today?

Well, though we are called to live obediently before God, none of us are truly blameless? No one can be. We have all sinned, and all of us have sins for which we are ashamed. Like these officials, satan is our ultimate accuser, and he accuses us night and day, and we truly are all guilty before God, and yet Christ Jesus distinguished himself above all humanity as the God-man in whom there was no iniquity. He came as our savior, suffered for our sins, and is risen today as our high priest, pleading our righteousness before the Father.

Even as Daniel knew the consequences for his actions after the decree was signed, so did Jesus fully KNOW what it would mean to come to this earth, be rejected, and that he would be accused and killed for our sins, in order to save us, and give to YOU AND ME, and all who repent and trust in the work of the cross, his blameless record.

IF you need to repent today in light of hearing this gospel, I pray you will hear the Lord and respond to his grace with faith. And church, let’s unashamedly live for his glory, shine our lights before others, and discipline our lives every day i in the word and in prayer before God so that we’re ready on the day of trial.