Sermon Tone Analysis

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

Last week the handwriting on the wall was told to Belshazzar by Daniel.

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.

Daniel is made third ruler of the Kingdom of Babylon…for a few hours we learned in the next verses.

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

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.

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 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.

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

Plotting

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

Application / Conclusion