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Good Monday to you my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Have you ever been faced with the evidence which convicted you of something and resulted in consequences? In that situation, did you try to negotiate or argue or deny the evidence?
Come with me back to Babylon in 539bc as Daniel is praying in his private home, as is his normal pattern, with his window open facing west toward Jerusalem, his hometown. Why is Daniel praying and why facing Jerusalem?
Daniel had been taken, as a boy, as a POW captive from his hometown Jerusalem, by King Nebuchadnezzar’s army, more than 60 years before, and brought here to Babylon. During those 60 years, Daniel had multiple encounters with Babylonian Kings which provided the opportunity for Daniel’s God to prove Himself all powerful and the only true and living God. But also, during those 60 years God had removed His hand of protection from Jerusalem and allowed its invasion, capture and eventual destruction by King Nebuchadnezzar.
So why would Daniel pray toward the demolished ruins of Jerusalem and the Temple? It’s because almost 5 centuries before, at the dedication of that great Temple in Jerusalem, God had promised King Solomon: “Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this Temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will always be there...” (2 Chronicles 7:15,16)
God’s promise was not conditional. Daniel knew God could hear his prayers sent up from Babylon, but Daniel also knew God’s heart of love for Israel was then, and is now, drawn to Jerusalem, the city to which God has drawn His people so many times over the centuries.
May I ask my friends, do you sometimes get a little impatient when you feel God is not responding to your prayers, or perhaps not responding as quickly as you’d like or in the manner in which you expect God to respond? I’m confident Daniel had long before learned “active waiting” with God.
What is active waiting? Continuing to faithfully nurture the love relationship God has designed us for with Him; while also faithfully staying the course of activity God has last entrusted to you; AND also preparing ourselves to participate well with God in whatever response He brings to our prayers.
In Daniel’s case, while he faithfully prayed, three times daily, we can also assume he was faithfully fulfilling his duties as defined by King Darius the Mede, his new boss.
Sadly, Daniel records that some of those unscrupulous officials were carefully monitoring Daniel and caught him red-handed, in the act of praying, as was his normal habit. “These men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So, they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree.” (Daniel 6:11,12)
Daniel had made no attempt to hide or change his lifestyle in response to the king’s decree outlawing prayer to any god or person other than King Darius. When reminded of his new law, King Darius responded “The decree stands – in accordance with the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be repealed.” (Daniel 6:12)
In that moment jealousy and pride rose up in those unscrupulous leaders and they turned against Daniel: “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays [to His God] three times a day.“ (Daniel 6:13)
We don’t know exactly how much of a relationship the king and Daniel had developed, but clearly king Darius trusted Daniel a great deal, for he had intended to promote Daniel to a position over the entire kingdom. (Daniel 6:3) This accusation caused the king great distress for not only was he caught by his own decree, he could see the corruption in these other leaders, at a time when he desperately needed good leadership in the kingdom.
The corrupt leaders pressured king Darius to take action: “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.” (Daniel 6:13)
Daniel was guilty as charged! Daniel’s life centered around contact with God at least three times daily, seeking God’s guidance. For more than 60 years Daniel’s prayer habit had served him well and the guidance Daniel had received had been very helpful to the kings of Babylon. But now, it was Daniel’s prayers that convicted him as a law breaker and king Darius had no options other than to sentence Daniel to the lion’s den and certain death.
I’ve never been very close to a roaring lion, how about you? My lion encounters have been in the safety of a zoo with iron fences or glass walls separating us. Occasionally I think about different ways people have died through history and the thought of being mauled and eaten alive by a pack of ravenous lions is one of the most terrifying to me, how about you? Daniel’s record indicates king Darius was greatly distressed and did everything in his power to prevent Daniel’s execution, but in the end, Daniel was marched to the lion’s den.
Similar to Daniel’s three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as they were bound and hauled to the fiery furnace, (Daniel 3:13-23) there is no record that Daniel cried out for help or appealed to the king, nor did he curse or call out for God’s judgment on those responsible for his death. He evidently went quietly, still submissive to the God whom he had served all his life and the new king who ordered his execution.
The record says: “The king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lion’s den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.’ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the lion’s den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring… so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.” (Daniel 6:16,17)
We need to pause right here my friends, and I urge us all to take some time reflecting on this perilous situation. Depending on where you live in the world, such things may be happening now or soon to happen to Christians in your part of the world. It’s important we consider how important prayer and the relationship we have with God is to us and our families.
Tomorrow we’ll return to see what happened in Babylon with Daniel. I leave you today with this worship song which is filled with the words Daniel may have been praying to God from that lion’s den.
Today’s Scripture: Daniel 6:10-17.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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