Consistent Faithfulness
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Introduction
Introduction
What comes to your mind when you think of when you hear the word, consistent? Maybe the words reliable, steady, dependable, Constant, Unswerving, Unfailing, or Stable might come to your mind. What if asked you if you had a consistent faithfulness to God? When I ask myself that I know I fail, yet today as we begin this very familiar account in the book of Daniel it is an example of consistent faithfulness, a lifetime of consistent faithfulness to God. As we go through this chapter the next few weeks ask yourself as I ask myself, how can I be more consistent in my faithfulness to God and my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Regime change
Regime change
Last week the handwriting on the wall was told to Belshazzar by Daniel.
“And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN This is the interpretation of each word. Mene: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; Peres: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
The Kingdom of Babylon’s days were numbered and it is done. Belshazzar your days are done as well and the Kingdom is going to be split and divided by the Medes and Persians.
Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Daniel is made third ruler of the Kingdom of Babylon…for a few hours we learned in the next verses.
That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
The power had shifted. The regime had changed. Normally if you were “third ruler of Babylon” you might be arrested or killed as well, but God was with Daniel as He had been from the beginning. Remember Daniel 1:9 “Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.”
God was going before Daniel and was going to continue to use him. Now Daniel is getting up there in years. As we will learn from a later chapter (Daniel 9) that it was in Darius first year that Daniel realizes it has been 70 years. Daniel 9:1-2 “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.” So if Daniel was say 13-15 years old when he left Jerusalem in exile and it has been 70 years Daniel is around 83-85 years old when this event takes place in Daniel 6. He has remained consistently faithful to God for decades! This the context for what is going to transpire in chapter 6.
Promotion
Promotion
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.
So a wise thing to do when you become a ruler of a new territory, delegate tasks.
So Darius sets up 120 satraps one for each of the 120 territories or regions. So basically governors of 120 states.
Not only that he put 3 rulers above the 120. These administrators would make sure that the 120 reported taxes, and made sure everything was running smoothly. So those 3 would come to Darius with the information.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 6
Refers to both financial loss and loss incurred by security breaches—such as forfeiture of territory or personnel.
Daniel was one of these three high officials.
So we have this structure. King —> 3 Admins —> 120 Satraps or Governors. Then the King starts to ponder a promotion.
Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.
English Standard Version Chapter 6
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.
Because God was with him, Daniel once again stood out in a good way to the King, just as before.
Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying: “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.
So even though Daniel had been in Babylon and made the third ruler of Babylon, he was about to become the second in command under Darius. So it would be King —> Daniel —> 2 other admins —> 120 governors.
But the others in power didn’t like this idea.
Jealous Hearts vs. Integrity
Jealous Hearts vs. Integrity
So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
Plotting
Plotting
So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 6
A written legal decree was considered permanent or unalterable (see Esth 1:19; 8:8).
The extent and meaning of this saying is unknown. Persian kings—and the kings of most other nations—could simply add escape clauses or issue counter laws if they pleased (e.g., Esth 8–9). Ultimately, the author of Daniel recognizes the irrevocable status of Medo-Persian law and the bleak fate that awaits Daniel for his disobedience.
Signed Under False Knowledge
Signed Under False Knowledge
Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
Application / Conclusion
Application / Conclusion