Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Monday, November 10, Daniel 6

Chapter 6: Daniel is in a big FIX! MIXES with Lions.

I use this title because "Fix" and "Mix" rhymes with six. This way you will be able to quickly link this title to chapter six. You can now add this to the first five chapters as we begin this week. I hope you are able to take a few minutes each night as you lie down to rehearse these titles. If you do this, you will not forget them, and will know the skeletal outline of the first half of the Book of Daniel.

Darius has now been granted to rule with Cyrus in the kingdom. Historically it is believed that the lesser Medes were engulfed and absorbed by the greater Persian kingdom, and their army played a great part in Persia becoming the next world power. This is also symbolized in the prophecies that were given to Daniel. And Darius the Mede was the one who was giving Daniel chief authority over all the other "high officials and satraps".

Here we see a classic example of envy. The leaders are angry that this "Jew" from Babylon has been granted such a high honor, and collude to destroy him. They cannot find anything immoral or treasonous, so they determine to get rid of him by his own faith:

"We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of God." (5)

This has always been the case for a true believer. There should be no reason to condemn a believer for wrongdoing, for if they are serving God with all their heart, they will be taught to be disciplined, compassionate, moral, and ethical in all they do.

Peter wrote: "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." (2:12)

And: "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. (2:13-15)

We see that Daniel was the epitome of this quality.

They had to find something that would conflict with his faith in God, and were able to trick the king by massaging his ego. Here was their bootlicking advice:

"O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked." (6b-8)

Well, the king was flattered: "Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction."

The officials were probably jumping with glee, because they knew that the old saint would not change his prayer toward Jerusalem, a prayer he probably had prayed since his captivity for the past nearly seven decades. "He went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." (10b)

Now Daniel didn't do this unwittingly: for "When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house…" (10a)

We'll see the result tomorrow. But before we close, it is important to see a little more of what Peter wrote centuries later in the midst of Christian persecution. The Christians were law-abiding, respectful citizens of a cruel kingdom, and it was hard to find fault with them. But they were serving emperors who thought they were "divine", so it was easy to spot them. If these "atheists" did not call Caesar "Lord", they could be imprisoned, tortured or put to death, depending on the area in which they were living.

And: "But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." (1 Peter 4:15-16)

We must maintain an eternal perspective at all times. This world will vanish, and "the day of visitation" will come to every man and woman. All will answer before God, yet God has made a way to escape and turn to Him through Jesus Christ. Turn to Him today and be saved from the wrath to come!

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*ESV used unless noted*

Memory Helps:
Chapter 6: Daniel is in a big FIX! MIXES with Lions.

We can add our first subtitle: