Sermon Tone Analysis

Following God faithfully may be costly

He is Lord over all and is able to deliver his people

Joel Belz a Christian publisher has said about this chapter “Daniel … set the standard for Christians who would hold public office.

He was serious about the work of statecraft, but he was even more serious about being known as a servant of God, determined to follow God’s precepts no matter the cost.…

Our society could use a few more political leaders like Daniel.

(“Dare to Be a Daniel”)

The top officials in the new Persian government plotted Daniel’s downfall.

Remember that the Medes and Persians had just conquered the Babylonian Empire.

After the fall of Babylon, one of the first things the new ruler had to do was to organize a new government.

When Darius named Daniel to the highest position in the new government, trouble began to brew for the prophet, for other officials became jealous of him.

The drama began to unfold as Daniel’s enemies secretly plotted to have him executed.

Faithful Servant

Daniel had been given the title “satrap”, a governor or official placed over provinces in the newly formed Persian government after they captured the Babylonian empire.

This official represented the authority of the king in both civil and military matters, and supplied the means for maintaining the king’s sovereignty over the whole empire.

He was one of 120 officials, and if we remember back to the beginning of this book, we find Daniel was one of the Hebrew boys that was taken in by the king, fed, educated, and rose in the ranks, climbing through the ranks to one of three high officials who ruled over all the satraps.

One of three high rulers.

In a newly formed Babylon.

As a Hebrew.

It makes me wonder if part of the jealousy we see is because he was not “one of them”?

Can you imagine, looking at this “outsider” who has come in, made a name for him, and now you have to answer to him???

From the beginning of Daniel’s story, it becomes apparent his main goal is to please God.

Because of his faith, God blessed him, and the king realized there was something different about Daniel.

There was a respect that was earned, and it remained throughout his service to Darius.

Scripture says, because of Daniels obedience and God’s blessings, he “became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps”.

It was the king’s plan to put Daniel over the whole kingdom.

As a Hebrew.

An outsider.

He didn’t deserve it.

The other leaders looked for something Daniel was doing wrong.

Something that they could hold against him, and use as leverage to the king.

Because of Daniels integrity, they found nothing.

Why?

Because he was faithful to God.

This drove his opposers to look deeply at Daniel, and realize the only way they could find anything against him would be to trick him and use his God against him.

One thing we must remember, as believers, we are to stay true to the commands of God.

With that, we will find favor in His sight.

However, it does not mean that those around us will find that same favor in us.

We will struggle with those of this world.

There will be those who will call us unworthy.

There will be others that intentionally try to trip us up.

There may even be those who try to use our beliefs against us.

Plotting the Fall

Notice how the other officials come to the King.

“O King Darius, live forever!”

Well, when you can’t find something wrong with the one you are accusing, butter up the King so you can stroke his ego.

Plainly put, Satan is using these other officials to come against Daniel and ultimately God and His goodness towards Daniel.

This was full blown persecution of God’s man in God’s place doing God’s will.

How they planned to get revenge on Daniel was to use his faith in God against him.

They plotted to get the king to establish a law and sign it - place it in the official records.

By law, once a Medo-Persian law had been put into effect, it could not be changed…even by the king.

We see this reference of a binding law in Esther 8:8:

They knew the law well enough to know once they buttered up the king, he would be willing to listen to anything.

Then, playing on his pride again, they asked him to consider one small, itsy bitsy, one tiny insignificant law that would bring the king in the spotlight.

King, make a law that will focus on you, and “whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.”

King, you are so great and wonderful, so mighty and true, so smart and deserving…make a law where everyone must worship you for the next 30 days.

Oh, and if they don’t…then you can punish them just a little, by throwing them in a den of lions.

It worked.

The king signed the law, placing it in a binding state for anyone who would break this command.

They knew Daniel would never worship anyone other than his God.

They knew Daniel would not change his ways.

And they used it to their advantage.

They would be rid of Daniel, their foreign nuisance, once and for all.

Don’t think we are exempt from attacks on us because we hold strong to our faith.

But we too can take comfort like Daniel, if we remain true to God, He will see us through the tough times we face in life.

Daniel’s life should show us just how God can reward a faithful servant.

Faithful Servant

What was the first thing Daniel did when he heard of the new law?

He went to pray to God.

Notice, the other leaders did not tell the king that Daniel could not worship his God.

No doubt, Daniel had told the king about God, about how his worship impacted his ability to discern and be faithful to the king.

No doubt, the king would be unwilling to make worship of Daniel’s God a crime.

But they hid that small, insignificant detail from the king when he signed this proclamation into law.

The leaders knew this, and conspired to have someone conveniently close to Daniel when he went to pray.

Same place as always, facing the same direction as always, and and the same time as always.

Daniel did not compromise his worship and prayer to God, even knowing he would violate the kings law.

Three times a day, and at the same time each day, Daniel prayed to God.

Then, the officials came running to the king.

Little snitches.

Oh KIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!

You remember that little bit of business we conducted with you, you know, the one where we encouraged you to enact a 30 day prayer to you and you alone?

And that, if anyone prayed to anyone else but you, that they would be thrown into the lions den?

I can see the king now, uh huh…and??? Well, your boy Daniel done did a “thaaaaang”…“Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the law you signed into effect, but makes his petition three times a day to HIS God.”

I can imagine the things going through the kings mind.

These tattle tails…snitches…why have they come to bother me on something so insignificant.

They know Daniel prays to his God every day…uh oh, I’m going to be sick.

For the rest of the day, he tried to find a way to right his wrong.

He was duped!

He was tricked into this.

But it didn’t matter.

He was the king.

He had signed a law.

It could not be rescinded.

Even by himself.

When the evening drew near, the other officials dropped by just to “remind” him of the penalty of breaking the law.

“Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

He had no choice.

Though it was tearing him apart on the inside, he knew he had no other option.

Conclusion

Daniel’s faith was tested.

He passed the heavenly test.