[1] STAND when persecuted
Daniel 6
page 1381

Over the past several weeks we’ve been taking a look at some of the stories from the book of Daniel. Daniel and his friends were taken to Babylon as prisoners of war after King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem. Through it all Daniel was able to thrive.

Daniel outlived King Nebuchadnezzar, Neb’s son and grandson, even the Babylonian empire. Now Darius, king of the Persian Mede Empire, is in control. We pick up the story in Daniel 6:1-3.

It pleased Dariusto appoint 120 satrapsto rule throughout the kingdom,2with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel.The satraps were made accountableto them so that the king might not suffer loss.3Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

[2] Imagine, Daniel is so good at what he does that he rises to the top, continues to thrive and the new administration recognizes it. King Darius is so impressed by Daniel that he wants to make him in charge of the whole kingdom. Daniel was exceptional.

There is something interesting about exceptional people. They generally get two kinds of responses. If someone is amazing they have 2 kinds of followers – those who love them and those who hate them. There are always people who admire, respect, and love what they do and there are always people who despise them because of their success. Daniel is no different. Have you ever experienced envy like that?[i]

There’s a story of two shop owners who owned shops right next door to each other. They were in such competition with each other that it lead to contempt and scorn. When they weren’t dealing with customers they would stand outside their stores, arms crossed and seethe at each other. Well, one evening, one of the shop owners was dusting bottles in his store when a genie appeared. The genie said “I’ll give you anything you ask for on one condition, I’ll give your neighbor twice as much.” If you want to be rich, I’ll give you riches beyond your imagination, but I’ll give your neighbor twice as much. Whatever you want. The man thought for a while and then out of the spite in his heart he said “My wish is that you strike me blind in one eye.”

Twisted isn’t it. Instead of great blessing, the spite and envy had so twisted his mind he took a curse just so his neighbor wouldn’t get twice as much.

[3] Envy is like so many of the other things in our lives. It starts as a small impulse and then it grows and becomes a behavior and then an attitude. Our world is filled with so much struggle and pain that’s the product of envy.

But you know what envy is –it goes back to the Garden of Eden - it is that terrible sin that makes us long for what someone else has. It is the seed that grows into a bitterness that poisons our lives.

If you have that seed of envy, the first step is to admit it, acknowledge it and the second is to stop, to decide that’s not who I want to be. It is a constant battle with our sinful nature. The way we battle it is by making a point to find reasons to rejoice and celebrate in the blessings of other’s lives. Instead of “I wish it was me”, we think “I’m so grateful it was you”. What’s amazing about it, is that the more we practice that, the more that becomes a habit. The more we practice grace and gratitude, the more we celebrate blessings in other people’s lives, the more we become like Jesus. You will be astonished at the freedom that gives you.

Let’s get back to Daniel. Daniel is successful and he has people who hate him for it. Let’s pick it back up at v. 4.

[4]4At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for chargesagainst Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.

They are following Daniel around, watching his every move and the more they dig into his life the more they discover this guy is squeaky clean – he is trustworthy, industrious, and faithful. Daniel isn’t just serving the king. Daniel is serving his God while he is serving the king. They realize there is only one way to take Daniel down –v. 5.

5Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

[5] 6So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!7The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governorshave all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.8Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”9So King Darius put the decree in writing.

These guys won’t be stopped. They were so determined to take Daniel down that they set a trap. They see that Daniel is faithful. Day in and day out they see he is trustworthy and the only way to take him down is to force him to go against his faith, his God.

Q: Could the same be said of you? If someone wanted to take you down, how would they do it? Would they find you squeaky clean? Would they find you honorable, trustworthy, and industrious? Would they have to come after your faith? What is your reputation?

[6] 1 Peter 1:15 “Since the One who called you is holy, be holy in all you do.”(VOICE) We are called to be holy as our God is holy, to be faithful. When we live our lives with faithfulness, integrity and truthfulness then the only thing left is for people to attack our faith.

That’s where Daniel is, that’s where I pray we are – that as we allow God’s Word to seep into us daily, as we gather here around word and sacrament allowing our lives to be strengthened, as we listen to the Spirit, as we hold each other accountable – you and I should be getting stronger, getting more faithful each and every day as God’s Spirit works in us and through us. We ought to have a reputation like Daniel.

[7] V. 10: 10Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towardJerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his kneesand prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Just as he had done before. Daniel finds out about the king’s decree, yet he goes home and does what he has always done – he prays and he continues to pray just as he had done before. Prayer is a habit for Daniel. He didn’t start praying just because there was a crisis, prayer was a way of life for Daniel. Rick Warren says “the key to standing strong is to kneel often.[ii]” Daniel does just that – he had been praying to God three times a day for 80 years and it is what gave him the strength to stand strong even in the face of persecution. Imagine what might happen in your life, in your relationship with God if you were on your knees praying 3 times a day.

Now, why would Daniel do this knowing it was a trap? You know the answer don’t you? Daniel like ever follower of God is not just a believer, he is a witness. Daniel knows the people are watching and the question before the community is “will he continue to be faithful?” So Daniel goes home and prays just like he has always done. He doesn’t hide it. He doesn’t let a decree stop him from being faithful. He continues to do what he has always done, he trusts in his God and by continuing to do so visibly witnesses to others.

That’s why we are obedient to our God because when we demonstrate we are faithful it is a witness. It not only gives us strength to stand but it brings glory to our God. Continuing at v. 11.

[8] 11Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.12So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
13Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,pays no attentionto you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.”14When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed;he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
15Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”

The king realizes he’s been duped but he is forced to follow thru.

[9] 16So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescueyou!”
17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealedit with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.18Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eatingand without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.20When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

[11] 21Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!22My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

I remember seeing a painting of Daniel sitting in the lion’s den sitting against the wall with a lion in his lap like it was his best friend, peaceful as can be. That’s how I imagine this scene.

You see, for our God, shutting the mouths of lions is not a big deal. Our God is the creator of the heavens and the earth, the one who parted the red sea, the one who rescued Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace and the God who rescues you and me by raising his own son from the dead. You see Daniel’s God came through in extraordinary fashion.

But sometimes it doesn’t work that way, sometimes persecution results in consequences that are painful, even deadly.

[12] 23The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no woundwas found on him, because he had trustedin his God.
24At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den,along with their wives and children.And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

This little detail proves that Daniel wasn’t saved because the lions just weren’t hungry, Daniel was saved because he trusted in his God and his God chose to rescue him to prove to this king and the whole kingdom that God is the God of all the earth.

And it worked. Listen to the rest of the story:

[13] 25Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every languagein all the earth:
“May you prosper greatly!
26“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverencethe God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
27He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrusthe Persian.

There are three things I hope you will take away from this story.

[14] 1) Be like Daniel. In all that you do be authentic, be faithful, be industrious, be above board, be exceptional. Have such a great reputation for your faithfulness that people know you are a man or woman of God.

Q: Do your co-workers, your classmates, your neighbors know you are a Christian or do you hide your faith? I’m not suggesting you need to ask every customer or client if they believe in Jesus, but I am suggesting that you authentically live out your faith in a way that others will be able to say there is something good, something exceptional about this person.

[15] We hear these words at every baptism: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matt 5:16 (NIV) Live in such a way that others know you are faithful and use it as a witness to our God.

[16] 2) Celebrate and rejoice over your neighbor’s blessings. It is so easy for envy to develop in our lives that we have to battle it by finding and celebrating the good in life.

On Thursday I was at the Global Leadership Conference and had the opportunity to hear Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook speak. One of the things she shared really grabbed my attention. A couple years ago she lost her husband unexpectedly and found the grief was so overwhelming. After a few months she turned to a friend who is a psychologist and asked for help. Her friend asked to her to take a moment every night and write down three moments of joy from the day. Sheryl said that at first it was really hard but soon she began to notice things during the day and she would say to herself “oh that was a moment of joy I can write down tonight”. And the simple exercise began to reframe how she saw each day.

Notice the moments of joy, the moments of blessing we have in our lives but not only in our lives,notice the blessings in the lives of others and celebrate them. I encourage you to try that simple exercise – look for 3 moments of joy, 3 moments of blessing each day. Rejoice and be glad (Ps 118:24) for all the goodness in the world.

[17] 3) Trust in God in all things. As we have seen in the life of Daniel over the past 5 weeks, Daniel was a man who trusted God – even when everything in his life changed, even when given impossible tasks, even when he was being persecuted – Daniel trusted in God.

Another speaker at the GLS was Immaculée Ilibagiza. I heard her speak a couple years ago, but her story was just as powerful to hear again. Immaculée is a survivor of the 1994 Rwanda genocide that took the lives of nearly one million people of the Tutsi tribe, including her entire family. She survived by huddling silently with seven other women in a 3 by 4 foot bathroom for 91 days. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like.[iii]

[18] As Immaculée concluded her story on Friday, her final words were so powerful! She said “I came to learn that I had to “Hold on to God in everything I do” and “there is always hope.”

Her words remind me of a song I’ve been listening to a lot this week called “It is well” by Kristene DiMarco.[iv]

[19[ Through it all, through it all, My eyes are on You Lord
Through it all, through it all, It is well with me…
So let go my soul and trust in Him It is well with me.

That was true of Daniel. May it also be true of us. Amen

1

[i]Tucker, Bill. “When You Are Persecuted.”

[ii] Warren, Rick. “Will You Stand For God Publicly”

[iii] Immaculée Ilibagiza tells her story in “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust”.

[iv] Dimarco, Kristene. “It is Well”