Participants: Ty Gibson & James Rafferty
Series Code: DBOTB
Program Code: DBOTB00007A
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00:20 Hello friends!
00:22 Welcome to Books of the Book. 00:24 We are presently engaged in an 00:26 exciting study of the book of 00:28 Daniel and my name is Ty Gibson. 00:30 And I'm James Rafferty and right now we are transitioning 00:33 to a different power in Daniel 00:36 Chapter 6 and we are 00:37 transitioning from the power 00:39 of Babylon to the power of Media Persia. 00:41 We see in Daniel 2 these four kingdoms that are revealed to 00:46 King Nebuchadnezzar and we have moved from the head of gold 00:49 to the chest of silver. 00:51 Media Persia was a kingdom that was to follow Babylon 00:54 in this secession and Darius is the ruler. 00:56 He is establishing his kingdom in place of the Babylonian 01:00 kingdom and as he establishes his kingdom here in 01:03 verse 1 in and onward. 01:04 He decides that he is going to set as one of the 01:08 principal rulers, presidents in his kingdom. 01:10 One of those rulers was part of the kingdom of Babylon. 01:14 Who do you think that is? 01:15 Daniel of course. 01:16 Daniel and let's read here in verse 1, Daniel Chapter 6. 01:19 "It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 princes," 01:23 "which should be over the whole kingdom. " 01:25 "And over these," verse 2, "three presidents; of whom" 01:29 "Daniel was first; that the princes might give an account" 01:33 "unto them, and the king should have no damage. " 01:35 And it says in verse 3, "then this Daniel was preferred" 01:39 "above the presidents and princes, because an excellent" 01:42 "Spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him" 01:45 "over the whole realm. " 01:47 This is amazing, Daniel again emerges in this story as one 01:53 who distinguishes himself by virtue of his integrity. 01:58 He has purposed in his heart to serve God. 02:00 He has been faithful in his commitment to the Lord. 02:04 He has been faithful in his service to this foreign power, 02:08 even though he is a captive, a slave in a foreign land. 02:12 He serves with all his might and talent as though he were 02:16 in his own homeland. 02:18 Daniel is a person of incredible character and integrity. 02:24 This works itself out in the king, King Darius, of the 02:30 Medes and the Persians. 02:31 He recognizes Daniel and he determined in verse 3, 02:35 to sit Daniel over the entire realm, only second to the 02:39 king himself and this of course begins to arouse jealousy 02:43 in the hearts of those other presidents and princes that 02:48 are in the kingdom but don't have the same character and 02:52 integrity as Daniel. 02:53 So they begin to contrive and to lay a trap for Daniel. 02:57 What is so incredible about this is Darius recognizes in 03:02 Daniel this excellent Spirit. 03:03 He has already seen that he is capable and the whole 03:07 point is that we are in a political environment here. 03:10 Everyone is on the take. 03:12 Everyone has a price and Daniel doesn't. 03:15 Daniel is different from everyone else. 03:18 He has an excellent spirit and I would venture to say 03:21 that he has the Spirit of God. 03:23 He has an other centered, selfless Spirit. 03:26 So he is not into any of this for himself. 03:30 He is not thinking about himself. 03:31 When Darius looks at Daniel, he says there is a man I 03:36 can trust because there is nothing about him that is 03:39 going to make a decision that will benefit himself. 03:42 It is all going to be other centered decision-making. 03:45 I think that even though he is one of the 3 03:48 presidents, I think that I will set him above 03:50 all of the presidents. 03:51 I see that I can trust this man. 03:55 This is the essence basically of why these 03:58 presidents are upset. 03:59 These other presidents and princes are upset because 04:02 in the political environment everyone has a price, 04:05 everyone is on the take, and they are out to get 04:08 something for themselves. 04:10 As long as Daniel is head over them, 04:12 that is not going to happen. 04:14 Daniel doesn't even aspire to a higher position. 04:17 He is just doing his best. 04:19 He is being faithful. 04:21 He is being honest and 04:23 serving the king in what 04:25 ever capacity he has placed in, 04:26 and it is his integrity 04:28 that begins to elevate him in the estimation of the king. 04:33 These individuals who begin to conspire against Daniel James, 04:38 they begin to look at him and examine him, and even as his 04:42 enemies, it says down in verse 4, that he was faithful and 04:47 there was no fault that they could find in him. 04:50 He was other centered, selfless service, and he had 04:54 honor and integrity, he had obedience, he had purity. 04:58 All these characteristics of who Daniel was. 05:01 His person, appealed to Darius. 05:04 Darius saw these because 05:05 Darius himself, I think, was 05:07 developing these characters 05:08 in his own heart and mind. 05:09 We will see that as the story progresses. 05:11 So it is amazing when you think about it, it is amazing 05:14 that some one could stand in a political realm, a 05:18 political environment and enemies can't find fault. 05:21 There is a lot of mudslinging that goes on 05:23 in a political environment. 05:24 As soon as someone is aspired to a certain position, 05:27 the other opponent is going to get the garbage on 05:31 that person and get it out in the public. 05:33 So here we see the presidents and princes trying to 05:37 find something on Daniel. 05:38 They are trying to get something on him and they 05:40 can't find anything. 05:42 He is standing before his enemies without fault. 05:44 So in verse 5 they come to 05:46 the only conclusion they can 05:48 and that is that they are 05:50 going to seek to find fault in Daniel. 05:52 It says in verse 5 "to find fault in Daniel" 05:55 "concerning the law of his God. " 05:59 They know that Daniel is faithful, that Daniel is 06:03 filled with integrity and if they are going to trip 06:06 him up, if they are going to trap him, they are going 06:09 to have to somehow capitalize on his strengths, 06:12 not on his weaknesses. 06:14 They cannot see any weaknesses. 06:15 It is amazing so they come before the king, 06:18 they assemble before the king and they praise him, 06:21 they flatter him, O Darius live for ever. 06:24 Then they speak a lie, and in every political situation 06:28 you have about a 90% truth and just a little bit 06:31 of a lie, that is taking place here, verse 7. 06:34 "All the Presidents of the kingdom, the governors," 06:36 "and the princes, the counselors, and the captains," 06:38 "have consulted together to establish a royal statute," 06:41 "and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a" 06:44 "petition of any God or man for 30 days, save of thee," 06:47 "O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. " 06:49 Now that is not true. 06:50 All of the princes and governors have not consulted 06:54 together, they left one person out. 06:56 Daniel has not been included in this consultation for 07:00 a deliberate purpose. 07:01 But the president believes, the king I should say, 07:04 believes them. 07:05 He trusts them and thinks that they have his well-being. 07:09 He is flattered, this is a great idea the king is thinking, 07:14 you mean 30 days? 07:16 Everyone will be focused on me and nobody will be able 07:19 to recognize any gods authority or any other human beings 07:23 authority except for me, that's a great idea. 07:25 Pride is intoxicating, pride can cause us to do things, or to 07:29 be deceived into doing things we wouldn't normally do. 07:32 So that is what they are using, they are using the 07:34 intoxicating influence of pride. 07:36 This is the influence that Satan, our enemy used to gain 07:40 our obedience and allegiance. 07:42 It is the same influence they are using 07:43 here towards Darius. 07:45 And yet we know that the king, in this instance, 07:49 just like Nebuchadnezzar, is one upon whom the Lord 07:53 has taken an interest. 07:55 The Lord wants the heart of king Darius. 07:58 He wants to bring him to himself for eternal salvation. 08:02 You see in the king that he is inclined to the Lord. 08:06 Yes, in fact maybe more so than Nebuchadnezzar was. 08:10 We will see these principles later on. 08:12 It behooves us to recognize how that even good people, 08:15 people who are inclined in the right way, and when I say 08:19 good I use that term loosely. 08:21 How much they, we can, can be influenced deceptively. 08:27 How pride can be used to intoxicate us and mislead us in 08:32 a way that causes us to make decisions to make choices 08:38 that are not in harmony with God's will. 08:40 It can be hurtful to other people. 08:41 The king was a smart guy, but you can see here that 08:43 appealing to his pride, his arrogance and their flattery 08:48 skewed his reasoning power and he doesn't even see 08:52 what they are up to. 08:53 Somehow he is blind to their plan because we learn, 08:56 as the story goes on, that the king of course favors 08:59 Daniel, he doesn't want any harm to come to Daniel. 09:02 That's why he placed him above his kingdom. 09:03 The moment that he realizes what is taking place, 09:08 it says there in verse 14 that the king "was greatly" 09:13 "displeased with himself. " 09:15 This is an indication that here is a man with a true heart, 09:22 who has sensitivity to the moving of 09:25 God's Spirit upon him. 09:26 He is displeased with himself. 09:28 This is the king, he doesn't need to be displeased with 09:31 himself, but Daniel's life is of value to the king and he 09:34 realizes that he has been tricked, he has been deceived. 09:38 He doesn't want Daniel to be subjected to this deception 09:42 and this harm, he wants Daniel to be delivered. 09:45 Absolutely and what is powerful about this story, 09:48 as you are looking at the 09:49 king you see in many 09:51 instances a type of Christ. 09:53 You see the Spirit of Christ 09:54 and His attitude the way he 09:56 responds and you know God's spirit is working on his heart. 09:58 He is responding to that. 10:00 You also see in Daniel something that is interesting. 10:02 I don't know if you have ever experienced this Ty. 10:05 I have been in situations, as a Christian, as a believer, 10:09 where I have been uncomfortable, perhaps, praying publicly. 10:13 I travel a lot, I'm in an airport and getting some lunch. 10:17 There are people all around me and I am not sure if people 10:21 are going to look at me funny, or think funny things 10:23 if I pause and pray. 10:25 Daniel here is a powerful testimony of the necessity 10:30 to connect with God in prayer. 10:32 In all times and in all situations. 10:33 He is not sitting in an airport, it is not a little 10:37 thing for Daniel, this is huge. 10:38 This decree goes forth, it is signed and it goes forth. 10:42 No man can ask a petition of any gods save of Darius. 10:46 When it goes forth it says in verse 10, "when Daniel knew 10:50 that the writing was signed," he knew it was signed. 10:52 "He went to his house," his windows were open, 10:56 he didn't close them. 10:58 "His chamber windows were opened towards Jerusalem," 11:01 "he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed," 11:04 "and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. " 11:07 Now what is incredible about this, it is not just that he 11:10 prayed, not that he just prayed even though his life was 11:13 at stake, here I am wondering if I should pray 11:16 for my lunch in an airport. 11:17 His life is at stake, if he prays he is dead. 11:20 But he does it openly, just like he did before time. 11:24 He does not close his windows and shut the doors. 11:27 He doesn't openly and when he prays he says, 11:30 thank you Lord, thank you. 11:32 You know what he is saying, he is saying, thank you Lord 11:34 because I know that You have a plan in all of this. 11:37 As bad as this looks, as difficult as this seems, 11:41 as great of a trial, friends that may be coming 11:45 upon you in your life. 11:46 As dark as your circumstances may be, you can praise 11:49 the Lord because that is no time for you to sever your 11:52 connection with God. 11:54 That is no time for you not to pray. 11:55 When you are most needy, when you are most overwhelmed, 11:57 when you are most discouraged, that is the time to 11:59 maintain that connection with God and to thank God 12:01 because He is going to do something powerful 12:04 through you to His glory. 12:07 So James, Daniel knows that 12:09 the decree has gone forth. 12:11 He knows his life is in 12:13 danger and he understands 12:15 his situation, but he is unwavering in his faithfulness. 12:20 He is free from fear. 12:23 He absolutely is unwavering and he is not concerned with 12:29 the outcome, he is not himself engaging in counter 12:33 manipulation maneuvers in order to save himself. 12:37 As you pointed out earlier, Daniel is governed by a 12:41 deep-seated other centeredness. 12:44 He is genuinely concerned for the king, and he is as 12:48 evidenced, in previous chapters, he is even concerned 12:53 for his enemies, those who are contriving against him. 12:57 Daniels heart is set upon faithfulness to his God and 13:00 a genuine concern and love for his fellow human beings, 13:04 even his enemies. 13:06 He just precedes as is his daily habit to kneel down and 13:10 pray, he is not concerned with the outcome for himself. 13:14 He is confident that God has a whole matter in hand. 13:17 This is powerful Ty, because basically what Daniel is 13:20 doing he is saying, I don't trust in earthly powers. 13:24 I don't trust in the favor of kings. 13:26 I don't trust in my situation or circumstances. 13:29 Daniel could think will I could figure this out. 13:31 I have been made number one ruler even though I came from 13:34 Babylon, I have a lot of pull and influence with the king. 13:37 He doesn't trust any of that because that can perish in 13:40 a moment, it can perish in a day. 13:41 His complete trust and loyalty is with God. 13:45 I think it is a powerful testimony. 13:47 I think that is what God is wanting for you and me friends. 13:49 I think God wants us to put our complete trust in Him 13:53 and not in the circumstances of life. 13:55 Not in the favor of kings, or princes, or presidents. 13:59 He wants us to put our complete trust in Him. 14:02 Then we can have joy and peace and we can know that 14:04 the outcome is going to be good and positive 14:06 for Him and for us. 14:08 Don't go away we will be right back! |
Revised 2014-12-17