Kingdoms in Conflict

Does it surprise you when Christian’s are attacked for being godly or doing godly things?  It shouldn’t surprise us. Did it surprise you when a Christian baker in Colorado was taken to court for refusing to bake a cake that celebrated a gay wedding? That baker, Jack Philips, won his case before the Supreme Court in 2018. But now he’s being sued by a transgender woman, after refusing to make a pink cake with blue frosting to celebrate her gender transition.

Or does it surprise you to hear of what happened to Isabel Vaughan-Spruce? On March 6, 2023, she was arrested for a second time for silently praying outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham, England. The first time she was arrested was outside this same clinic in December of 2022, when she was silently praying while it was closed.

Or are you surprised to hear that in January of this year, Paul Vaughn and five others were convicted of a felony for praying, peacefully singing, and reading Scripture in the hallway of an abortion facility in Mount Juliet, Tennessee?  Does it surprise you when Christian’s are being attacked, arrested, bullied or condemned for being godly or doing godly things?  I hope not. But if you are, then what we’re going to look at today from the life of Daniel is meant to remind us of one of life’s unfortunate realities for God’s people.

And that reality is this: There have always been two kingdoms in conflict with each other: The kingdom of man and the kingdom of God.  As such, the driving force behind the kingdom of man, Satan; has always had it out for God’s people. In the case of Daniel, we have seen this since chapter one, when King Nebuchadnezzar tried to eliminate all ties between Daniel and Yahweh. We saw it in chapter 2, with the king’s dream mankind’s kingdoms that will not be able to stand against the kingdom of God.  We saw it in chapter 3, when Nebuchadnezzar threw Daniel’s friends into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow to his idol.  We saw it in chapter 4, when God stripped Nebuchadnezzar of his power and glory by turning him into a grass eating beast. And we saw it last week, when the arrogant Belshazzar openly mocked God, but then God judged him, taking his life and kingdom that very night.

So, today, let me encourage you to open your Bibles to Daniel 6, where we’re going to learn from Daniel’s conflict with the kingdom of man, how faithful living will enable you stand firm in your faith when evil tries to take you down.  And to do that, we are going to look at four truths from his conflict with those who were trying to take him down, that if we can apply, we will help us to stand firm in our faith when evil tries to take us down. So, let’s begin by looking at the first truth in verses 1-9.  And that truth is this:

The Battle Never Ends: Now, as you remember, there is a new king on the throne. The events of this story took place in the days of “Darius the Mede.”  And he is now in the process of establishing his rule over Babylon.  And so, we read: It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss.  Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit, so the king planned to set him over the whole realm. Daniel 6:1-3 Darius quickly set up his government with “120 satraps” or administrative districts covering the whole kingdom. Over these districts he appointed three superior rulers to whom “these satraps would be accountable… so that the kingdom would not be defrauded” Government corruption, it seems, is not a modern invention. Here we see that Daniel was one of these appointed rulers, and to no one’s surprise, he “distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps” so that the king is actually planning to make Daniel his “prime minister.” In other words, Daniel as such an extraordinary leader, he stood head and shoulders above the others.

Daniel is now between 80 or 90 years old.  And once again, we are told of the quality Darius saw in Daniel: “he had an extraordinary spirit.” Daniel’s extraordinary Spirit was the Spirit of God living in and through him.  One scholar describes this spirit as the power, wisdom, and goodness in him, that came from his faithful walk with God. This is the spirit that made Daniel stand head and shoulders above all others. However, Daniel’s goodness did not win him friends on all sides. Instead, his faithfulness to God made him some powerful enemies. And so, we read: At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against 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. Finally, 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.” Daniel 6:4-5

Jealous of Daniel’s success, the administrators and the satraps began looking for some flaw in Daniel’s life or work that could disqualify him from this supreme office.  But the more they tried to find something against him, the more they realized how truly good and trustworthy he was. So, since they could find nothing to smear him with, they hatched a plan to use Daniel’s faith against him. So, these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all consulted together 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. Now, 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.” So, King Darius put the decree in writing.  Daniel 6:6-9 So now, these supposed leaders sought to deceive their king. They went as a group before the king, hoping to impress him with their numbers rather than their integrity… Listen now to how their scheme unfolds:  First, they lie to the king: They say they have all consulted together.  But this was not true.  Sinclair Ferguson describes their evil scheme this way, “They were fully conscious that the most significant person had been absent from their discussions. The foolish Darius should have had the courage and sense to say: “Wait a minute, what does Daniel have to say about this? Instead, he was swept off his feet by their second ploy. They knew that there was a price that Daniel would not pay for loyalty to the king; he would not set aside his devotion to his God.  They knew Daniel, but they also knew Darius. The knew how to manipulate him. They told him to 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.” They flattered him, but all the time they were using him as a puppet to fulfill their own wishes.

This was their evil power play. As far as they were concerned, Daniel was a threat to them, so they made up a law that would use his faith against him and ensure that the king could not save him.  What an insidious example of the powers of evil.  But did this take Daniel by surprise?  I think not.

Daniel had lived almost his entire life battling opposition. He’d witnessed the fall of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar. He’d been taken from his home and family as a teenager to live as an exile in an idolatrous nation. He’d entered a culture that tried to indoctrinate him in everything opposed to his faith and his God. He endured a culture that wanted him to bow to their idols. And he remained faithful all his days.  And now at the end of his days, he’s sees this as just another attack on his faithfulness to God.

So here, Daniel’s story serves as a reminder to us that: Temptations to compromise our faith are never isolated incidents but are part of the larger strategy of Satan against God’s people. He will battle us to the end. It doesn’t matter how faithful we’ve been in the past.  Every day is a new opportunity to him to test your faith, to get you to compromise, to wear you down. He tried to wear down Daniel.  He’ll do the same to you and to me. That’s why Paul reminded us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty strength.  And to put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of devil. Ephesians 6:10-11 So, don’t be surprised when your faith is attacked. Daniel wasn’t. He stood his ground. He remained faithful.  Which leads to the next truth we need to unpack today from our passage.  And that is this:

There’s Always a Choice: Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.  Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. Daniel 6:10-11 In his wisdom and courage, Daniel saw through the schemes of his adversaries. He knew he had a choice to make: He could compromise his faith and just lay low for thirty days, and the decree would pass.  Or he could stand his ground on the day of evil.  We see the choice he made. Daniel would not compromise. Daniel had honored God all of his life, and he would not stop now.  Daniel would continue to pray as He had always done.

And it is this choice that gives us insight into how his praying shaped his faithfulness:  First, It was his custom to pray with his windows open to Jerusalem. I love Sinclair Ferguson’s insight to this description. He says, Daniel may have looked to Jerusalem as a way of reminding him of God’s covenant promises. Jerusalem was also the visible symbol of the kingdom of God that ultimately would never be destroyed.  Daniel’s kneeling in the direction of Jerusalem was not a required ritual, it was an attempt on Daniel’s part to focus his attention on God’s covenant Word, which is the foundation of all true prayer.  It reminded him that he was a stranger and an exile in Babylon. His citizenship and loyalties lay elsewhere.

Second, Daniel had a disciplined prayer life.  Daniel had a lifelong custom to pray three times a day. This was not a religious ritual for him. It was his way of being disciplined in prayer.  Today, many of us only pray when we feel like it. I learned this lesson a long time ago, that prayer can be hard.  Developing a good relationship with God is also hard. It takes commitment. It takes investment.  And most of the time it means disciplining yourself to spend uninterrupted time alone with God. That’s also what Jesus did. When you look at his life, he made it a habit to regularly find a solitary place to be alone in prayer with His Father. Jesus had a disciplined prayer life.  And having a disciplined prayer life may just be one of the greatest assets to help you stay faithful to God in a world that’s constantly trying to get you to compromise your faith.

Third, Daniel’s praying included both thanksgiving and intercession. His thanksgiving kept his heart focused on the goodness of God.  His intercession kept his mind focused on the mercy of God, on the God whose ears are always attuned to our cry.  This may have been why Daniel was so disciplined in prayer.  He’d lived his entire life in a world that wanted him to not just compromise his faith, but to abandon it entirely. So that now, when he is facing another attack on his faith, he is not destroyed by this attack, but encouraged in his faith through prayer. For in prayer, he remembers the One who was always been faithful to him in the past.

Are you beginning to see why choosing to pray wasn’t a hard choice for Daniel?  Whenever we face opposition to our faith, it is a choice to stay faithful or a choice to compromise. There’s always a choice. Daniel chose to stay faithful. And staying faithful leads to the next truth we see in the midst of Daniel’s crisis, and that is this:

Trust that God is Able to Deliver You: Daniel knew the consequences of his choice.  He knew that his commitment to prayer could cost him everything. His adversaries knew this too. For no sooner did they see Daniel continuing to pray, that they made a beeline to the king and ratted him out. Verse 12: So, 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.” Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 6:12-13

Notice now how the conspirators pile it on. They call Daniel, “one of the exiles from Judah” reminding the king, “He’s not one of us!” Then they play into his pride: “This foreigner pays no attention to you, or to the decree “You” put into writing. He ignores you. He’s defying you. He still prays three times a day. He needs to be dealt with!

However, When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.  The King thinks so highly of Daniel, he looks for a way to get around his decree and save Daniel. But word of the King’s efforts to free Daniel doesn’t sit well with these conspirators. So, once again, they come before the king with an intimidating show of force: Then 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 conspirators play the law card. They know they have the king where they want him. So, they remind the king his law cannot be changed. He must play by the rules of their kingdom, not Daniel’s kingdom. At this, the king caves to their power play. So, 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, rescue you!” Daniel 6:14-16

A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. Daniel 6:17-18

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.  When 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?”  Daniel 6:19-20

Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!  My 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.”  The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. Daniel 6:21-23 There is so much going on here.  First, after the king gives the order to throw Daniel into the lion’s den, and then the pit is secured by the placing of a stone that is sealed with the king’s own signet ring.  Daniel’s adversaries are leaving nothing to chance. They are determined to seal his fate. What an uncanny resemblance to an event that took place centuries later when an even greater conspiracy took place against another innocent who was declared guilty and condemned to death.  Jesus’ tomb was secured in the same way as Pilate ordered the sealing of the stone and the setting of a guard.

Secondly, notice the contrasting experiences of Daniel and Darius during the night. King Darius had at his disposal every pleasure that the ancient world had to offer, yet he could not enjoy any of them, nor could he sleep; while Daniel had nothing except the presence of God and enjoyed a peaceful night’s rest. What was meant to be a terrifying and deadly ordeal for Daniel with the lions instead became a strengthening encounter with the angel.

Thirdly, Daniel gives witness to God’s saving power: My 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.”

Fourthly, we are told that Daniel was spared because he had trusted in God.  Seems like a quick add on to the end of his story. But this phrase sums up Daniel’s relationship with God for his 80 plus years.  Daniel had an unwavering, uncompromising faith in God. He had trusted God when he was taken from his family.  He had trusted God when he refused to eat Nebuchadnezzar’s delicacies. He trusted had God in interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams. He had trusted God in confronting and exposing Belshazzar’s sin. And here he had trusted God in the midst of this political power play.  Why?

After a lifetime of faithfulness, he wasn’t afraid of evil men or their corrupt ways.  His faith in God gave him the courage and the hope to stare death in the face. And God saved him because he trusted in Him.  A long time before this event occurred, Daniel understood something about his relationship with God that gave him the faith to stand firm with God.  And that is this:  Daniel knew that his life didn’t belong to him.  He knew that his life belonged to God.  And with that understanding, Daniel also knew that his problems didn’t just belong to him either, they also belonged to God.  So, he had simply learned to trust God with anything that came his way.  He believed that God was not just his Savior, but his provider, his protector, and his helper.  He believed that God’s steadfast love for him would never fail. So, he trusted in God always.

So, if there’s one thing we can take from this passage today, is to trust in God like Daniel:  Believe that your life is not your own, but that you belong to God.  That you are indeed His treasured possession. Believe that your problems don’t just belong to you, they also belong to God. And believe His steadfast love will follow you all the days of your life. This is the kind of faith that will sustain you when trouble comes.  For as Jesus said, In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

So, trouble had come to Daniel, and God had delivered.  But what about those who had tried to trick their king and destroy God’s man.  What happened to them?  Did they simply get a pass from the king? No. Now we see the dark side of this evil conflict: At 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. Daniel 6:24 Sometimes we wonder why evil seems to be winning the day.  Sometimes we wonder if God’s going to do anything to bring about justice.  And what we see here is that sometimes God allows evil to run its course, so that God is glorified.  And that’s what’s happened here.  For there’s one final truth that emerges from the conclusion of this encounter that is meant to encourage us all. And that is this:

Remember God Reigns:  Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: “May you prosper greatly!  “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For

He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed; His dominion will never end. He 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.”

So, Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.   Daniel 6:25-28

I began this message today reminding us that we live in a world where two kingdoms are at odds with each other: The kingdom of man and the kingdom of God.  And that means if you follow Jesus today, you can expect opposition to be the norm, not the exception. If you want to live a godly life, there will be those who despise you, and even some who will conspire against you. But take heart…

For if you belong to God, then your problems belong to Him. And He will fight for you. He will save you. For there is no one like our God. He is the living God who endures forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed. Our God reigns!  Remember that! Remember that when life is hard. Remember that when you’re facing opposition.  Remember that nothing you are facing today or may face tomorrow will ever escape His attention. For His steadfast love is always focused on the one’s He loves. And all He asks of you, is to trust in Him.