DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN

[Margaret Wright]

DANIEL IN THE LIONS’ DEN – Daniel chapter 6                           

God gave me this topic early on Monday morning (9.12.2013) so I have been reading the book of Daniel to see what the Spirit of God wanted us to know.

We are going to notice the out-workings of God through Sovereign Acts in the life of Daniel to bring about the eternal purposes of God in his generation and during his span of life!

 

Two aspects in Daniel’s life enabled God to work through him -

I) Sometime in his young life he became GOD CONSCIOUS that, the GOD OF ISRAEL WAS THE LIVING GOD!  We are not told of how this came about in particular but their fathers taught their children about the God of Israel and His mighty doings on their behalf. Now that he became God-conscious he decided to follow this God from young.

2) He also learned how to keep contact and communicate with this living God through PRAYER.

Later, due to circumstances he and three of his friends were among the captives taken from Jerusalem into the enemy’s camp in Babylon. There he and his 3 young friends were chosen to be trained for 3 years in the ways of Babylon.

It began with change of names and then special food – what the king ate and drank was to be given to them so they could be among the king’s men.

However these 4 young men though their circumstances changed, they determined to be faithful to their commitment to follow their God. (Dan.1:9)  Because of their decision not to contaminate themselves with the heathen king’s food, GOD SOVEREINGLY gave them favor with the man in charge of them and he proved them for 10 days on just lentils and water instead of the king’s food and found them 10 times better than the others – Dan. 1: 17-20

Daniel’s first test came when the King had forgotten his dream and he wanted his wise men to tell him his dream and to give the interpretation. When all the wise men could not do this they were to die.  Daniel asked for time to ask His God and told the king, BUT THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN THAT REVEALETH SECRETS… Dan. 2: 28.   Then, he and his 3 friends prayed as in Dan. 2: 17-18.  God revealed to Daniel in the night a vision and now read Daniel’s prayer of thanksgiving unto the Lord in Dan. 2: 19-23.  Hallelujah to the God in heaven!

Many years passed and kings also changed and we come to our message of Daniel in the lion’s den.  Since Daniel was to be promoted to be over all the presidents, envy and jealously planned a conspiracy against Daniel to prevent it by getting the king to sign a decree by deceit – reading from Dan.6: 10-11.  Now Daniel is much older but his commitment remains the same and he is more confident of God in prayer.   Therefore God Sovereignly displays His power and the results of the of the conspiracy are reversed, from – V 14 to 29.  Daniel becomes one of the Prophets of God revealing things that are still to come to pass in our generations to come.

 

Relating this message to us in our day the two aspects in Daniel’s life are still relevant –

a) Teach children about the greatness of our living God and His power that they too will become God conscious and follow Him one day.  When we live God consciously daily, we will be enabled to be committed to God no matter where we are and in spite of all contrary circumstances for children and others are being influenced by us.  God will Sovereignly work for us as God is committed to us and watches over His Word to fulfill His purposes in the life span given to us we  as remain faithful to Him.

c) We need to keep our communications with God by obeying His Word and fellowshipping with Him through prayer.

By doing these basics things in our daily lives we are offering yourselves as living sacrifices unto God to work out His eternal purposes for us individually in your life’s span.  The time element belongs to God alone!

The days are evil and perilous times are upon us so let us be careful that we do not make ship-wreck of your faith or be side-tracked from doing His will.  

Let us not neglect our prayer time for we will be weakened spiritually and will not be strong in the Lord to fight the fight of faith as required of us as good soldiers of Christ.

 THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEIR GOD SHALL BE STRONG AND DO EXPLOITS….. (Dan.11: 32) to glorify God and allow God’s eternal purposes be worked out through us in our generation through our life’s span.  Amen! Hallelujah!!

Margaret Wright