AUGUST
17, 2014
“There is the story about the man who
got a job at a zoo, and he was asked to go into the lions' cage to feed the
lions. When he refused, the keeper said, "Look, those lions are
toothless!" The man replied, "Yes, I noticed that, but they could gum
me to death."
Thru
The Bible with J. Vernon McGee
WHEN BIG
CHALLENGES ARISE (DANIEL 6:3-5)
6:3 Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself
among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary
spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.
6:4 Then the commissioners and satraps began trying
to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs;
but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no
negligence or corruption was to be
found in him.
6:5 Then these men said, "We will not find any
ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God." NASB
VERSE
3:
“…a spirit of knowledge of civil
affairs, and of prudence in managing them, and of integrity throughout the
whole of his conduct:”
John
Gill’s Exposition of the Bible
“1. We must take notice of it to the
praise of Darius that he would prefer a man thus purely for his personal merit,
and his fitness for business; and those sovereigns that would be well served
must go by that rule. Daniel had been a great man in the kingdom that was
conquered, and for that reason, one would think, should have been looked upon
as an enemy, and as such imprisoned or banished. He was a native of a foreign
kingdom, and a ruined one, and upon that account might have been despised as a
stranger and captive. But, Darius, it seems, was very quick-sighted in judging
of men's capacities, and was soon aware that this Daniel had something
extraordinary in him,…
2. We must take notice of it, to the glory
of God, that, though Daniel was now very old (it was above seventy years since
he was brought a captive to Babylon), yet he was as able as ever for business
both in body and mind,”
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the whole Bible
VERSE
4:
“What ill-will was borne him, both for
his greatness and for his goodness. The presidents and princes envied him
because he was advanced above them, and probably hated him because he had a
watchful eye upon them and took care they should not wrong the government to
enrich themselves.”
Matthew
Henry’s Commentary on the whole Bible
Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a
flood, But who can stand before jealousy? NASB
VERSE
5:
·
What
a reputation Daniel had; they knew that he could be relied on to convict
himself touching his faith and worship of God!
·
If
someone accused us of being Christians, would there be enough evidence to
convict us?
WHEN FAITH AND
CULTURE CLASH (DANIEL 6:6-7, 10)
6:6 Then these commissioners and satraps came by
agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: "King Darius, live
forever!
6:7 "All the commissioners of the kingdom, the
prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted
together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction
that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for
thirty days, shall be cast into the lions' den. NASB
****
6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was
signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open
toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day,
praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. NASB
VERSE
6:
·
It
looks impressive for a delegation to approach in a show of solidarity.
·
It
implies that others not present are also in agreement.
·
It
is intimidating to those who are under the authority of such a delegation.
VERSE
7:
·
To
add to the impression, they even claim that “all” are in agreement.
·
This
is obviously a lie since Daniel knew nothing of this until the king had signed
it into law.
VERSE
10:
·
Idolatry
was not commanded; one could easily comply by not praying for thirty days.
“We may well ask ourselves in this
context if it would make any substantial difference in our lives or the lives
of our church fellowship if prayer were banned for the next thirty days.”
The
Preacher’s Commentary
·
How
much are we committed to praying daily?
·
Everyone
who has ever been used by God to accomplish much was diligently committed to
prayer.
·
Three
times a day was established by David.
16 As for me, I shall call upon God, And the
LORD will save me.
17 Evening
and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice.
NASB
WHEN PERSONAL
DANGER LOOMS (DANIEL 6:16-18)
“Their denunciations produced an effect
very different from what they had intended. They had hoped to raise the king’s
wrath and jealousy against Daniel, as one who lightly esteemed his divine
autocracy. But so far from having any such ignoble feeling, the king only sees
that he has been an utter fool, the dupe of the worthlessness of his designing
courtiers.”
Expositor’s
Bible Commentary
6:16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was
brought in and cast into the lions' den. The king spoke and said to Daniel,
"Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you."
6:17 A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of
the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet
rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel.
6:18 Then the king went off to his palace and spent
the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep
fled from him. NASB
VERSE
16:
“Zedekiah could consent to the
imprisonment of Jeremiah, but said he had not power to deliver him out of the
hands of the nobles, his enemies. Herod had power to deliver John the Baptist
to the executioner, but no power to save him from the result of his rash vow.
Pilate seemed to have no power to save Jesus from his malicious enemies, but
had power to deliver Him to the cross.”
The Biblical Illustrator
·
The
plot had been so carefully planned that the king was powerless to save Daniel.
·
The
king had removed himself from any possibility of being his rescuer and set the
stage for Daniel’s rescue is solely in the hand of God.
VERSE
17-18:
“The same precaution was taken by the
Jews, in the case of the burial of our blessed Lord; and this very thing has
served as one of the strongest proofs of the certainty of his resurrection and
their unmixed wickedness.”
Adam
Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible
WHEN GOD’S HELP
IS ALL THAT WILL DO (DANIEL 6:19-23)
6:19 Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of
day, and went in haste to the lions' den.
6:20 When he had come near the den to Daniel, he
cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel,
"Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly
serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?"
6:21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, "O king,
live forever!
6:22 "My God sent His angel and shut the lions'
mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before
Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime."
6:23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders
for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den
and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. NASB
VERSE
19-23:
“innocence by ordeal. “Ordeal”
describes a judicial situation in which the accused is placed in the hand of
God using some mechanism, generally one that will put the accused in jeopardy.
If the deity intervenes to protect the accused from harm, the verdict is
innocent. Most trials by ordeal in the ancient Near East involved dangers such
as water, fire or poison. When the accused was exposed to these threats, he or
she was in effect being assumed guilty until the deity declared otherwise.”
IVP
Bible Background Commentary
Proverbs 11:8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, But
the wicked takes his place. NASB
Daniel 6:24 The king then gave orders, and
they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them,
their children and their wives into the lions' den; and they had not reached
the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their
bones. NASB
·
The main point of this lesson is to convict
us to be more committed to prayer.
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