DWDP: Daniel's Unshakeable Faith and Integrity – Lessons from the Lion's Den and a Life of Spiritual Conviction

Discover how an extraordinary spirit can set you apart from the rest, as we explore the life of Daniel under King Darius in a gripping new study. With me, Dr. Robert Jackson, delve into Daniel's incredible journey, where his unyielding faith and integrity under pressure provide a powerful blueprint for our own lives. We'll uncover the traits that distinguished Daniel as a leader, and challenge you with thought-provoking questions about the nature of your spirit and the true depth of your spiritual commitment. This episode isn't just a history lesson; it's a mirror asking if we truly live the "I surrender all" we often sing about.

Walk through the corridors of ancient conspiracies and witness the steadfastness of a man whose devotion to his faith could not be shaken by decree or danger. We unpack the envy-fueled plot against Daniel, King Darius's manipulations, and the lessons we can learn about making hasty decisions. As we ponder Daniel's time in the lion's den and his unwavering trust in God, I offer insights into the courage required to stand for biblical justice in a society that may not understand or accept it. Prepare to be inspired and equipped to face your own lions with the same fearless faith that defined Daniel's extraordinary spirit.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, dr Robert Jackson.

Speaker 2: 0:16

Papa, can you tell me a story? Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr Papa. Gather around, grab your bibles and let's look into the written word, which reveals to us the living word, which is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Speaker 2: 0:42

Well, today's lesson brings us to Daniel, chapter 6, where Daniel is now serving a new king, a king named Darius, and today we're going to look at eight different points and we're going to ponder ten different questions. It's going to take us two podcasts to cover all of these points and all of these questions. I'm going to enumerate up front all of the points and then we'll begin to talk about them one at a time. The points are a distinguished commissioner, a dastardly conspiracy, a determined commissioner, a duped king, a desperate king, a disgraced public official, a disgruntled royal official, a delivered servant of God, a delighted king, a vindictive king and a humble and honest king. Those are the points that we're going to cover, and as we go through these points, then we're going to ponder ten different questions, some of which we will answer and some of which we will offer to you simply to consider for yourselves. Well, let's start with verses one through six in Daniel, chapter six, it seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 sat-wraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom and over them three commissioners, of whom Daniel was one, that these sat-wraps might be accountable to them and that the king might not suffer loss. Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and sat-wraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. So the first point that we see is a distinguished commissioner. Why, why in the world, did Daniel become such a distinguished commissioner? Well, the Bible tells us he possessed an extraordinary spirit and, in fact, multiple times in the book of Daniel, daniel is described as possessing an extraordinary spirit and by the queen, in chapter five, when he was called to interpret the handwriting on the wall, she said called Daniel, in whom is an extraordinary spirit?

Speaker 2: 3:21

Now, before we go further, here's the first question I want us to ponder what kind of spirit do you possess and does it set you apart from all of the madding crowd around you? You see, the Bible makes it plain that we, as Christians, possess Holy Spirit, or should I say that Holy Spirit possesses us. The Bible tells us that he indwells us as believers. First Corinthians 6, verses 19 to 20,. Paul exclaims to the Corinthian church in astonishment what Do you not know? That you are temples of the Holy Ghost, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own because you have been bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your mind and in your body. You see, he was astonished that they would not comprehend this fact, that they were a temple, that their body itself was indwelled by Holy Spirit and was a holy sanctuary of Holy Spirit, because they had been purchased with the price of the blood of Jesus Christ. And because of this, they should glorify God in their minds, in the way they think, and in the body, in the way they live. So there's the question what kind of spirit do you possess and does it set you apart from all the rest, in the way that Daniel was set apart from all of the rest? The question for each of us is this how much of my life does Holy Spirit possess a mere portion, or does he possess all of it? We sing in church I surrender all, all to Jesus. I surrender, I surrender all. Is that just a song, brothers and sisters, that we sing, or is it the true confession of my heart? Now, that is a question, triponder. The answer to that question determines whether or not you and I are distinguished, whether or not we are different, whether or not we possess an extraordinary spirit, whether or not we have the aroma of Christ all about us. Or are we just self-controlled Christians living average, mediocre lives with nothing to set us apart from the lost crowd around us? You see, that's a take up your cross daily and follow me question, isn't it? Well, you ponder that question and let's move on.

Speaker 2: 6:15

In verse 4 through 9, we see a dastardly conspiracy. Then the commissioners and sat-wraps 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 in as much as he was faithful and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 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. Then these commissioners and sat-wraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows King Darius, live forever. All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the sat-wraps, 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 lion's den. Now, o King, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked. Therefore, king Darius signed the document. That is the injunction.

Speaker 2: 7:42

Now the other commissioners were desperate and suddenly Jerry Falwell of the moral majority was about to be appointed to the top position in Darius's government. Oh no, it wasn't Jerry Falwell, it was Pat Robertson of the 700 Club. Now some of you who are my age, you understand the implication of Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson being appointed by a president to the highest cabinet position in their government and how that would have stood the liberals and the leftist on their left eyebrow. Well, that's what was happening in this position at this time, and these sat-wraps and commissioners were about to have a hissy fit because they understood that Daniel was going to be appointed over all of them and they were tied up in knots. Oh me, oh my, would that be a bad thing? Well, if you're crooked to the core, then yes, of course. Why do the leftist fear Christians and constitutionalists in government so much? I'll tell you why. They're deathly afraid that God fearing, right, living, constitution honoring people in government will restrict their ability to pursue their sinful, corrupt lifestyles, both privately and in government affairs.

Speaker 2: 9:21

These commissioners and sat-wraps knew intuitively that Daniel would not tolerate corruption, nor allow the king to quote suffer loss as they lined their pockets. We already saw that Daniel was not enticed by financial gain. A man like Daniel was a threat to corrupt politicians both then and now. These men knew they couldn't accuse Daniel on the basis of personal corruption, since he was faithful and no unrighteousness or evidence of corruption could be found in him. Oh that that could be true of you and me. Oh that we had that kind of integrity in our lives. So these men conspired and devised a trap in regards to his religious practices and they said to the king no one can worship any God except you for 30 days. This no doubt appealed to the king's vanity and pride. And that brings us to the next point. A determined commissioner. It'll be verse 8. Sorry, verse 10. Let me, let me just say verse 10.

Speaker 2: 10:48

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. We see here a very determined commissioner. What did Daniel do? He didn't cry foul. He didn't throw himself at the king's feet or organize a boycott or a letter writing campaign. Rather, he, quietly and with determined discipline, did what he always did. And what was that? He left the windows open when he prayed. There was no fear in his heart and, more importantly, there was no compromise in his heart. And the Bible says he continued kneeling publicly, as he had always done, praying and giving thanks. And it says as previously as his custom was. His custom was not changed by adverse circumstances.

Speaker 2: 12:03

So that leads me to our next question that we should ponder how about you? Do you still worship God when trouble or difficulty comes in your life, when it's cold outside or raining, when your joint's ache and your back hurts, or when the government says that all the churches have to lock down? You see, hebrews chapter 10 tells us that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but we should consider how to stimulate one another to love and to good works. Daniel knew the consequences of continued obedience to God and by faith he chose obedience. Our second question is do you still worship God when trouble or difficulty comes in your life?

Speaker 2: 12:57

Next point is a duped king, verse 11 through 13. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king's injunction. Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any God or man beside you, o king, for thirty days is to be cast into the lion's den? The king replied the statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked. Then they answered and spoke before the king. Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, o king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.

Speaker 2: 13:47

All of a sudden, king Darius realized that he had been duped. You see, this injunction had been pushed through quickly. Daniel had not been consulted, and that was by design In order to deceive the king and destroy Daniel. This injunction had been pushed through quickly and without consulting the highest ranking commissioner in the kingdom. That leads me to our third question. When you see legislation being pushed through the house and the senate quickly, you can write it down. Someone has a hidden agenda. There is a reason for the legislative process in America to be slow and deliberative, so that all sides can be heard and considered. That's the purpose of hearings to hear from the people and to avoid unintentional consequences and hidden agendas. This king should have known something was up when his most trusted advisor, daniel, was excluded.

Speaker 2: 15:11

Now we're to our next point, which is a desperate king. Verse 14 through 17,. Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. Then these men, these conspirators, came by agreement to the king and said to the king recognize, oh king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed. Then the king gave orders and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lion's den. The king spoke and said to Daniel your God, whom you constantly serve will himself deliver you. 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. Deeply distressed, this king set his mind on delivering Daniel. He had been outfoxed, he had been deceived by his advisors and he was trapped by his own laws. Try umphantly, these men returned at sunset to insist that even he abide by the laws of the Medes and Persians. So Daniel, his favorite and most trusted advisor, is cast into the lion's den with these words your God, whom you constantly serve, will himself deliver you Now.

Speaker 2: 16:55

No doubt Darius had heard the stories of the fourth man in the fire with Daniel's three friends. No doubt he had heard the story of how Daniel interpreted visions that saved the lives of all the Chaldean wise men, and on two separate occasions he had interpreted these dreams and visions. He knew about Nebuchadnezzar's seven-year psychosis and Baal Shazar's untimely death, both predicted in detail by Daniel's God and the dreams that Daniel interpreted. His confidence in Daniel's God was actually second hand, but still very well founded. Here's my fourth question Is your confidence in God second hand or is it personal? Is your confidence in God second hand or is it based on your own personal experience with the true and living God? Ponder that, my friend. That leads us to verse 16 and 17,.

Speaker 2: 18:13

A disgraced royal official.

Speaker 2: 18:17

Verse 16 and 17, the king gave the orders.

Speaker 2: 18:20

Daniel was brought in and cast into the lion's den.

Speaker 2: 18:24

You see, daniel is arrested, he's put in handcuffs and he's carried to the lion's den. And he's cast into the lion's den. Darius' most trusted royal official is arrested, humiliated before the royal court. And Daniel's adversaries are standing there with their hands behind their back and smiling like a mule, eating briars and rejoicing as Daniel is carried off in handcuffs. And he's arrested for what? For worshiping his God, the God the true and living God.

Speaker 2: 19:08

Recall that Nebuchadnezzar tried to prohibit the worship of the true God and restrict worship to the 90-foot-tall golden replica of himself, and you remember that didn't go too well. God, the true God, delivered and vindicated his faithful worshippers, shadrach, meshach and Abednego, and now the king's advisors are attempting to do the very same thing to restrict the worship of the true and living God. You see, some people just never learn. That leads me to our fifth question. When you live in Babylon, when you live in a pagan culture, when you live in a predominantly secular culture, are you willing to be punished, ridiculed, scorned or even arrested for doing good, for doing right, for fighting for biblical justice not social justice, for biblical justice? Ponder that question.

Speaker 2: 20:22

You see, I personally know of Christians in South Asia who are in prison for many years simply for preaching the gospel, whose homes and businesses have been burned simply for being Christian and not Hindu or Muslim. I know of people in America who are in prison for standing up for the rights of unborn children and are in prison on falsified charges as whimsical as the charges that were brought against Daniel. Do not fear what man can do to you, but rather fear God. You see, you and I must decide in advance that we will obey God and do right, no matter the cost, like Daniel, god's man in Babylon.

Speaker 2: 21:11

Now we're running out of time and we've only covered five of the questions that I'm hoping for you to ponder, but we're going to stop there. Next week we're going to take up with our lesson and we'll talk about a disgruntled royal official, a delivered servant of God, a delighted king, a vindictive king and a humble and honest king, and we will ponder our next five questions. So you're listening to More Than Medicine. I'm your host, dr Robert Jackson, and I hope you'll be back with me next week. May the Lord bless you real good.

Speaker 1: 21:55

Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry, dr Jackson's books or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, instagram or their webpage at JacksonFamilyMinistrycom. This podcast is produced by Bobslung Audio Production at Bobslungcom.