This is one of my favorite chapter.
So I think I'm going to just dispense with the sermon that I
had planned. And speak on this chapter, this
evening. There are so many, many
wonderful teachings in this chapter till I just think we
would benefit from just a study verse by verse study of this
beautiful and wonderful chapter. Daniel, of course, is from the
Holy Land. He's from the land of Israel
land of Judah. And he had Um, companion,
Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. That's the firm name.
We might say the name that's been given to them over in the
land of Babylon. And so, these fellows are quite
distinguished. They were Noble young men.
They had royal blood in their veins and are they were
outstanding beside that they had the blessings and inspiration of
God, and are very made quite a name for themselves in this
foreign country. Now, Daniel has Under two
administrations are more already and just previous to this
chapter, you know, the Chaldeans had been subdued and their King
had been slain and a new king had come in but somehow or other
Daniel was preserved in. Daniel was known and Daniel was
recognized probably this new king.
Had gained some intelligence about him and without a doubt
this great deed That he did on this previous night.
A few nights previous to this when he interpreted the
handwriting on the wall. That was certainly a feet are
outstanding merits, indeed. So we see, Daniel male still
being used under this new Administration.
One of you, King comes and sets up.
The Bible says it pleased the rious to sit over the kingdom
and 120 princes, which should be over the whole Kingdom where it
says business now to reconstruct the king.
He's going to set it up in his passion, a new Administration
comes in now and so he's got 120 princes that he's going to set
out over the kingdom and over these three prayer at over these
three presidents. Now, this is a three men that's
going to be over. 120 you see. But that's not all of it of whom
Daniel was first. Now he's the top man on the pole
and the As a reason for that, one of the reasons of course is
because God has given him some powers and some strengths.
But another reason is because of his own personal Purity and his
own personal goodness within himself.
Now, you know the inspiration of God doesn't make people live
Christian lives, some folks have a very strange position about
the apostles that think because they were inspired by the holy
ghost that they were protected and shielded from seeing them.
Nothing father from the truth and that they had to leave just
like you and I have to do and they have no more strength and
and protection from God then we have except God preserve them to
preach his word. Now then Paul even said you know
that I bring my body under and I have to keep it updated from
time to time and so on and so forth.
Let's not be a Castaway so that goes to show us.
That Daniel is personally a good man.
You remembered Like you under these other fellas, Shadrach,
and Meshach, and Abednego, when they brought into Kings meat
from his table, or the King's food, the finest by ends, it
could possibly be found in his kingdom or anywhere else.
They said it before these young men because they wanted them to
eat this and and prosper on it, and thrive on it and become
intelligent become handsome, become beneficial to the
kingdom. But they happen to be things in
this food that these young men just didn't believe in In.
And thank God for people who just will take a stand and tell
people, they don't stand for things like that.
They said, we will not eat the Kings meat.
Well, never mean that, both just flew into him, that was his
responsibility to see that these fellows were kept in good shape
as will say. So it's a responsibility of his
now, what am I going to do? If you come up your lean and
thin and look like you've been taking great doses of a defect
when time comes for you to go before the king for your
Apartments and he says, well don't you worry about that you
just give us pulse one of that's vegetables.
I can go for vegetables. Any day, you know?
Oh green peas, and better beans and tomatoes, who couldn't.
So you just bring this pulse and at the end of it we will see
well at the end of the thing. Of course they were Fair than
all the others but now that's the way.
Daniel was Daniel's own personal.
Goodness was one thing that made him what he was because of Goes
on to say, then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents
and princes. Because an excellent Spirit was
in him and the King thought to set him over the whole realm.
Well now the reason for this was because he saw in him a great
potential for his kingdom. You know, well man goes to set
up some assistance in his kingdom.
You know he wants the best because their production and
there's a progress reflects on him and he won't some men.
Who can really do the job because it reflects well upon
his administration. So that's the reason why he
wanted Daniel and besides that. He was a man on whom he could
depend, he had already checked him out.
I don't doctor what. Maybe he'd put him through the
FBI CIO and all of it. They put a background check on
him and found him to be just exactly.
Alright. So the record says, then the
president's and preach this sought to find occasion with
Occasion against Daniel all. Yes.
Oh yeah. We see politics at its highest
yield in this chapter. If you ever saw a work of
politics that year, you know, politics is a pretty, is a
pretty damaging thing. And it's a place where God's
children have no business if you will know the truth about it and
politics was going to work. You see, this man here has been
promoted and promoted and promoted and besides that he's
not one of their ear. Originals.
He's not a native anyway. He was a foreigner and they
resented. The fact I think that's the
reason why they keep saying this.
Daniel, you know, he's sort of pointed out this.
Daniel, I don't like the way they speak.
I'll be right here. He's Daniel, the great Daniel,
you know, from the holy land. And here he is.
But the Bible says, and then the presidents and princes
self-defined occasion against Daniel.
Why? Because they're jealous solving.
Because they won't his position and isn't that politics?
Are you? It doesn't matter how good a man
is, if he starts running for an office, people are going to
Trump up something whether it's true or not to bring against him
but bring him down so they can be promoted that we see that
every day the newspapers fall out.
If the Republicans getting offers to Democrats think the
Republicans are awful alright Versa or whatever and so here it
is. Now that is Speak to find
occasion against Daniel. What were they going to go?
Look, I submit to you. They tried three Avenues right
here. And whether when you're put
under this scrutiny, if you got any carcasses in your creek,
they're going to be found out right here.
Listen now while I read them to presidents and princes, sought
to find occasion against Daniel. Listen, first concerning the
kingdom. All right.
Maybe he's Miss applied some fun somewhere.
Maybe we can find a bug under a chip some words, maybe there's
something wrong with his honesty.
Maybe he's not made the right kind of decisions in some
matters. Checking out, they checked him
out and lo and behold, he claimed came up just as clean as
a hounds tooth, he came right up and absolutely that was no fault
to be found dating. They had to try another one,
hard on the heels of that here. R, we come, but they could find
none. Occasion, not fault far as much
as he was faithful. Listen next.
Neither, was there any era of thought found in him?
All right, well, The Ledger books were all in order.
His accounts were all balanced neither, could they find any
fault in him? What?
According to the kingdom. So, he stands up He stands up
against it, they put him under scrutiny and they can't find
anything against him. Now, surely, there's something
we can find out against a man and I reckon, you know, if you
find to get on with your magnifying glass and look
forward up, you're going to find somebody with some files.
We've all got thoughts. But the try one more and these
men are desperate. Now look, look at this man look
where he is while we're not doing anything.
We're not getting anyplace with this with this search that we're
on here. There are striving.
Excellent. There said these men, we shall
not find any occasion against this Daniel.
Listen. Except we find it against him
concerning the law of his God. now, they've tried him that
against the kingdom, their tried his personal life and now
they're going to decide the only fault we can find with him is
his religion And of course, Daniel doesn't mind that Daniel
would admit to every bit of that, if, if I'm accused of
being wrong, because I'm religious then.
So be it. That's the way they'll have to
be. It would be wonderful to have a
reputation like that. I'll tell you, that's wonderful
to have a reputation like that. So that's where they pitch their
tents. Right here is concerning his,
the law of his gods. They looked under They left on
the cupboards, I looked in sellers, they look in attics,
they look behind doors, they checked everywhere, they could
check, they checked all the business Affairs of the Kingdom,
but there was nothing to be found.
Now, listen boys, we're not going to get anywhere unless we
just come down on him because that, that weird religion.
He's got now that's what we're going to have to do.
So that's what they did. Then the presidents and princes
assembled together to the king. Well, this indicates a plot, you
know, they've made a plot right here and they get together and
they figure it out and said thus unto him King derives live
forever. In other words, we've got our
little plan, hatched out now for you all the presidents of the
Kingdom, the governors, and the princes.
Has the counselors and the captains have consulted
together. Now they're lying because they
hadn't checked with Daniel. Here's a falsehood.
They made already here is one but mainly, but excluded and
left out already. But the presidents of the
Kingdom, the governors and the princes, the counselors and the
captains have consulted together to establish a royal statue.
And to make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition
of any God. Now, notice that any God or man,
for 30 days, save of the Old King, shall be cast into the Den
of Lions. Well, now, I guess older rice
was a pretty Intelligent man, I would think but he sits there
and listens at them while they fallen on him but they have
flattery. And why are they pretending this
politics while they just tell him how great he is?
And we think you're so great to. We want this decree established
in your honor That the 30 days, nobody can ask a petition of God
or man, except you if a man falls in a ditch Down, Yonder,
he can't pray to God, he can't ask another man.
He left a of King come down and pull him out.
If a man has a problem he can't go to anybody else except the
king. Can't you see?
This is just a plot. It's a plot.
It's just a one-man. They're doing it.
Just for one man. They're setting a trap for
Putting a snare in his path for one man.
And you know, I think the old King set then he thought.
Well now, you know, I've always thought my subject scared quite
a bit about me, but I never did know that I was.
So highly altered as this. This is quite complimentary.
I'll have to admit. So, they just slipped the bridle
on him. They just went up on his Blind
Side and slip the bridle on him now, King established the
decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed,
according to The law of the medes and Persians which alter?
If not, now, they want that done, they weren't done
posthaste. They want it done, quick, and
Daniel won't know anything about it.
We're forward the king. Daraya signed the writing and
the decree Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, oh
yeah, Daniel was aware of it. Somebody told Daniel it was made
known to him. Now they got the deed done, they
went on their way because they think they've got the Trap set
set and they know he's not going to vary from it.
That's the reason why they did it.
Well, they'd have been the most disappointed man in the world.
If he had complied with the Kings decree, it would afford
all their efforts, you see. But they knew Daniel well enough
to know that he's not going to falter in anything, concerning
the Commandments of his God. Then when Daniel knew the
writing was signed, he went into his house and his windows being
opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem.
That's the way they did. And this is such a this is such
a beautiful and rather touching practice at these exiled said
until it almost feels you with a chill when you think about it,
here they are thousands of miles away from home.
Never will go home again, but their faith in Jehovah.
God was so strong to when they went to pray.
They opened up that window toward Jerusalem and turned
their face in that direction because that's where the lord's
name was recorded. Added and that's the only home
church back at home and that's where they pray.
They knew God was there and that's where they prayed.
You know, we talked yesterday morning about when you can't be
a church to be in the spirit and be as near there as you can get
at least by mental transport, in other words, in spirit, be
there. Anyway, well, that's what these
fellas were doing. They was near there as they
could get mental transport. They saw the old Temple back at
home and so they turned their faces in that.
That direction, we turn our minds back in that direction of
the church, his windows being opened in his chamber toward
Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day.
I don't know that he had ever been commanded needle through
times a day. I don't know if I've ever read
about or not. But I guess this was a voluntary
thing with him because he was that devout early in the morning
about noontime. And when the Shadows lengthened,
he always went to his chamber and he opened up his rooms
toward this. Well, we under toward the holy
city and there he prayed to his God, what a touching incident
that is. But there's something else is
strikes me. He opened his window He didn't
go up and closes window now, it's hazardous to be seen, but
he opens his window not to exhibit.
His Pious - not necessary to parade is religion.
And he was doing that to be seen.
But the Bible says, as he had a Ford time, here's the idea.
It would have been wrong for Daniel to have not done that
because that meant he would have been denying the practice.
He had always performed toward God and today he's not going to
let any Kings decree, stop him. As he did Before Time.
Now, sometimes I think we just expose ourselves to dangers, you
know, well, Daniel Raza that way, he was doing that just to
be persecuted. He didn't have persecution
complex and think. Well, I'm going to be a martyr
know. He was a brave, strong dad
devout, man. And he just went up there.
Like he always did and opened his windows, and if they want to
see him, they can see him. That's their problem.
I'm going to do what I've always done, and I'm going to play to
my God. And that's what he was doing as
he had a four time. But number verse number 11,
gives us something with to think about.
Then these men assembled assembled, they all got
together. They were waiting down the hall.
They all got together, you know, and found Daniel Prayed and
making supplications before his God.
They went in his room and I'm satisfied when he went to his
chamber, he shut his door. Most people do well, heart of a
see. How did they see?
I called his people the keyhole game.
And I think there were peeping peeping Toms the whole bunch of
them. One man gets down.
He looks in and he says he's at it, he's at it and there Glee
knows no bounds because exactly He's done what they hoped it
would do, because they want to get him out of the way in an
innocent way, that won't reflect on them.
They want to get him out of the way and whoever suspect them for
that, after all, we are the king.
We can't, we can't help it. If Daniel, doesn't go along with
it. That's his problem and will be
the chief men in the Kingdom. That's the whole idea.
Yes, sir. They checked on him and they
found that he had been praying. Yes, sir.
They came and found him there symbol and found Daniel Prayed.
Praying and making supplications before his god?
Well, that's just what they wanted.
Down the street, they go to the king's Palace and they come
rushing in before him. The Bible says, then they came
near and spake before the king concerning the Kings decree.
And this listen how they slip up on him here house that, I'm not
saying that decree that every man shall ask that shall ask her
petitioner any God or man within 30 days.
Save thee, O, King should be Next into the den of lions and
they wait for his answer, the king answered and said the thing
is so according to the law of the medes and Persians which
altar with Dot and of course we know that that was the practice
of this stringent government. That wants a thing was written
and sealed. It could not be changed and we
still say it today. You know what I said, like a law
of the medes and Persians at means that all true or not.
It cannot be changed and the King admitted Did he said yes I
so according to the law of the medes and Persians which cannot
be changed, then they drop it on him.
You see the king's been completely gullible about all
this and this goes to show you what flattery will get you where
priori will lead you. There is a sin that either.
He's disgusting. If you don't mean it don't say
it. It's a sin.
If you do say what you mean? Be honest about it.
And then the king heard it, then answered there.
And said before the king that Daniel, which is of the children
of the Captivity are, they don't want him to forget, just who
they're talking about, regardeth, not the old King.
Now that's a lie. There's nobody to be any more
loyal to the king. The Daniel had nobody more
respectful than Daniel head. They're slamming him right here.
Not the decree that though his sign but make it this petition
three times a day. Well now what happened?
It was then the king saw. He had been had the king saw, he
had had the bridal slipped on him and he was tired out.
And it's rather pitiful. The Bible says, then the King,
when he heard, these words was sore displeased with with whom,
With with the men know, did say that with Daniel for breaking up
know, the Bible says, then the King when he heard these words
were sore. Displeased with himself.
He had been done acting the silly one is displeased with
himself. He sits there and says, I have
sat right here and let them do this to me and the best man in
my kingdom is going to be executed right here.
What a fool I've been. But look at the next verse.
Then the king are says, and he labored till the going, he says
and said his heart on Daniel to deliver him.
Well, what's going on here? Now, the law of the medes and
Persians can't be changed. Oh, boy.
You've signed it. And you've admitted it.
So you just will take your medicine.
It can't be sign. It can't be changed. goes on to
say though and he labored till the going down of the sun to
deliver him, And, you know, these men got word of that, and
they saw that the King was weakening the King was faltering
and they became very, very frightened.
I think, then these men assembled unto the king and said
unto the king, no woking. That the law of the medes and
Persians. Is that nobody create a statute,
which the king establishes, maybe change in other words.
Now, you just wanna stop this business.
You know what? We've got to him to up here now
and you just as well take it We've got you after all who's
running the government, did you know, that's the way some of our
presidents are? We find sometimes that a group
of evil men are running the government that have pulled the
world over the rules, and they're running the government.
Sometimes. Good.
Men are ruined by politics and by evil workers.
That's what happened right here. These men assemble themselves
into the king and said unto the king, no King, that that law of
the medes and Persians is and so on well there's nothing else I
can do. He labor till the going down of
the Sun and that Sunset. Now, with a very, very heavy
heart, he gives up then the king commanded and they brought
Daniel and cast him into the Den of Lions.
Now, the king spake and said unto Daniel and I want you to
listen to this. God.
God whom thou servest continually will deliver thee.
What did he know about his God? He had had an experience with
God that we do anything about go grab nude.
Arise fact, he named him before he was ever born.
God sure knew him. But I think this is an idea
right here, Daniel, I don't know much about you God and I don't
know about drought. You religion, but if your God
whom you serve takes care of good me and I know you haven't
got anything to worry about, that's the whole idea right
here. So, Daniel trust, trust, you
God, just depend on your God. And a stone was brought and laid
upon the mouth of the den and the King sealed with Zone
Cygnet. Now, of course, you know what a
sigma T is that was his ring and had his seal in it and they put
wax on it while it was solved and took that ring and he stuck
it down there when he did that just like taking your your stamp
putting you don't it was sealed that made with all the authority
that I have and the power of the medes and Persians go behind
that. It can't be broken.
That's what it meant. That the purpose might not be
changed concerning Daniel. Well, it's night now.
The sun, he said he's labor till the going down of the sun and
the Bible has this very significant thing to say, then
the king went into his Palace. Well, ordinarily in the king's
Palace, they have all sorts of entertainment.
They have feasting for one thing.
But that was fasting tonight. Not feasting.
I think they usually have music and performances, but there's
not of this, the Bible says, and passed the night fasting and
there's going to be no for shows going on around here tonight.
No gestures will be up, putting on programs to not in my Palace
and boy I'll imagine that the servants and the attendants had
better tip around easy because the Kings nervous tonight.
And the Kings has been dealt badly with already and he's not
any humor to be messed with tonight.
Then the king went into his Palace and passed the night
fasting, neither were instruments of Music brought
before him and his sleep went from, you know, he didn't go to
sleep, he lay there on to those down.
He covers like he was being entwined with serpents, he lay
there. You know and I think every time
the wind howled around the corner, he thought it was a lion
roaring. He heard lines all night in his
in his meditations, and in his sleep.
Well, tonight, you've spent long nights when you were bothered,
when you were worried, when you're deep in problems, deep in
troubles, deep in all sorts of mental anguish, the night would
never pass. It seems like Gandhi that little
hint of Dawn would come creeping through the window and how glad
you were. Well, let me tell you one thing,
the body says, then the king Rose, very early.
In the He didn't stay there while clock.
He didn't stay there and have a towel alarm clock to wake him
up. No sir.
He came out of that burning and where you going King?
Aren't you going to go down to the Royal to the Royal dining
hall and have your breakfast body into you before you get on
about your duties? It'll perk you up, make you feel
better little king after all. You should practice the fired up
about king-making around your Nursery, then the king Rose,
very early in the Then we hastened to The Den of Lions
ready. Going down at Florida rise.
Don't you know that he's been a banquet for lines that you know
that he's just a memory now with a few bones lying up there and
Corner who ever heard of a man. Being put in the den of lions
that survived it, what are you going to the den for the Wrath?
That was something in that man's conscience.
That made him think, just maybe. Maybe.
It's possible. Do you reckon?
Yeah, and when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable.
Voice unto Daniel. Yeah.
Cried to Daniel. And the King spake and said to
Daniel, all Daniel servant of the Living, God is our God.
Whom thou servest continually able to deliver thee from the
Lions. And is that voice reverberated
back into that Den? He heard a voice like an echo
coming. Back up out of there.
Daniel said unto the king. Oh, King live forever.
My God has sent his Angel and shut the Lions mouths.
And they have not hurt me. Far as much as before.
For me innocency was found in me.
And also before thee, O, King are done.
No hurt. Yes, sir is that affecting.
I'll tell you, it is. When Daniel got in that Den, he
was safer in there with those lines and he was on the outside
with those wicked men. You talk about the worst case of
long Jarvis, ever been heard and all the world that angel came
down and lock the jaws of those lives and they were as tame as
Pussycats that night, not our hair on his head was hurt.
And God up in heaven, was looking down upon every bit of
it and saw that it took place. I'm the king was exceeding glad
for him. Hey, manifested and commanded
that they should take Daniel up out of the den.
So, Daniel was taken up out of the day and no manner of hurt,
was found upon him because he believed in his God.
And there's a statement that we need to keep in our mind because
he believed in his God, and the King commanded.
And they brought those men, which accused Daniel and they
cast them into the Den of Lions them, their children, and their
wives, and their arms, have the Mastery, over them Mastery of
them and break. All that bombs in pieces or
every day, They came at the bottom of the den.
Well, in our country, fried way of saying it, you know, he just
sent me saying it before. They hit bottom, these lines, a
datum up, the whole business. These kings were a little
extreme. In some of their views.
But the King was so excited about this and so thankful.
He wrote unto all the people Nations and languages that dwell
in all the Earth. Peace, be multiplied, unto you.
I make a decree that in every Dominion of my kingdom and
Trenton men, tremble and fear before the god of Daniel, I
guess he sent curious throughout the kingdom carrying these
documents and Messengers. So these little distant towns in
these cities and so on and so forth.
For he is the Living God and here's one of the greatest
testimonies it's ever come out of the mouth of a potentate that
ever sat on the throne. There are such what there and
acknowledges, the existence of a God, we love and the god, Daniel
served, and they're destined Daniel off over here.
A just as humble as a man can be, has been obedient to God all
the way through for. He is the Living, God and
steadfast forever, and his kingdom that, which shall not be
destroyed in his Dominion shall be even unto the end and listen
to this first 176 Administration, he was still
there. Well, I think that's a good
lesson. Probably better than I could
have preached. So I'm just going to leave it
with you. You know, we sing a song that
says, dare to be a Daniel dhers Standalone, dare have a purpose
truth, dad make it known and if there's anything the world needs
today, it's some Daniels across the land.
Some Daniels who will face the circumstances of life and
regardless of how many baby on the opposing side, they will
stand up for Daniel's God young people.
Who in the Thorns of Temptations in your schools and in your
schoolwork and wherever you are amongst your peers, when they go
to taking that a dose that that's that's deadly and harmful
what they start doing that ask that's wrong and a violation of
God's law, God demands that you be a Daniel and stand up and one
of the reasons why this is recorded in God's book, is to
give courage to people today. Paul said, two things that were
written aforetime were written for our admonition.
That means that we could be admonished by and how patients
in doing this? I wonder, is there one in the
audience tonight? Who has never obeyed Daniels,
God. Now we live in a different
Administration today and the different area of time.
Jesus Christ. Our Savior came down from
Daniels, God, Daniels, God, sent Jesus into this world to save us
and he died upon the cross, and he gave us a law.
He gave us a gospel. Paul says, in Romans 1:16, I'm
not ashamed of the Gospel. Apple of Christ which the power
of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the
Jew first and also, to the Greek for therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from Faith to Faith.
Now, Jesus said, why call you me?
Lord Lord and do not the things which I say.
Now, the things that he said concerning you in your sinful
state, is that you must believe on.
Jesus Christ his son. You must repent of your sins.
Luke 13:3 confess your faith in Jesus.
Matthew, 10:32. And then submit to the ordinance
of baptism. Mark 16:16 that LED you to the
church and it will cleanse you of your sins.
Your sins will be remitted, your sins will be gone forever as far
away from you as the East is from the West.
They would be drowned in the sea of God's forgetfulness and he'll
never remember them against you anymore.
He'll throw them behind his back.
The Old Testament writer says, and you'll never see them again.
It's like the song. What seems are you talking
about? They're gone.
They're gone forever. Is there one here?
Who's not a Christian tonight? Come why are we standing?
Why are we seeing? We thank you for listening to
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