Daniel_6

Scripture   Daniel 6:6-7 

 Then these commissioners and satraps 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 satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Observation-What does it say?    Daniel, now in his eighties, is in service of a third Babylonian king, Darius.  Nebuchadnezer has died, as was foretold by the interpretation of his own dream in chapter two, and the kingdom has moved through two subsequent reigns that were weaker than that of his.  Throughout the reign of these different rulers, Daniel has maintained his commitment to God and held onto his Jewish heritage.  Aware of his commitment to the Lord, Darius’ advisors devise a plan that should eliminate him forever.  They lied to Darius, knowing Daniel’s faith, he was not consulted in this matter.  Aware of the decree, Daniel did not waver in his commitment knowing there could be consequences.   Understanding-What does it mean?   I rode the bus to school during my elementary years.  I have both fond and horrible memories of riding the bus.  All the kids in school were mixed, so there were times when I had to sit across from the scary big kids.  I remember being fairly young when my mom started letting us walk down to the bus stop without any supervision, which felt like a great adventure before every school day.  Granted, it was only a half block down from our house.When we lined up for the bus home in the afternoon, we had to wait by the parking lot.  Unbeknownst to me, the principal’s assigned spot was the one right by the bus line.  One day, I was seated on the curb, near the tire of this car, playing with a stick, when some older kids approached.  “I dare you to let some air out of that tire,” called out one of the boys.  Not thinking anything of it, I put the stick on the valve and let out a short burst of air.  Like a lightning bolt, the two boys ran off yelling, “He just let air out of that tire, he just let air out of that tire!!”  They ran right to the principal.  I knew then that I was set up.  I was taken directly to the principal’s office and berated for my action and the possibility of causing a tragic car accident.When this happened, I was shocked that there are people who would treat me so unfairly without just cause.  At the ripe old age of eight, my innocence was gone.  Unlike Daniel, my action wasn’t done in commitment to what I knew was right, I was just being a dumb kid who probably should’ve known better.  I imagine Daniel saw this coming from miles away.  But, there is no mention in the text of him worrying about the consequences of his actions.  His resolve was to honor his God above all else.  Jesus warned us of similar behavior from the world.  In the beatitudes, Jesus said, ““Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).  The gospel message, though it brings us into a relationship with God the father, is contrary to the “wisdom” of the world. Later in Matthew, Jesus tells us of the division he brings.  “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to ‘set[a] a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39)  In today's world, it is clear that the message is hated by the world, and we are going to see persecution because of this.   Life Application  Holy Spirit, help me to be strong and courageous like Daniel.  When the world presses around me, don’t let me be crushed (2 Corinthians 4:7-12).  Even when I feel like I may drown, I know you will keep my head above water (Isaiah 43:1-3).  Even though I may be facing trial, I know you use these times to make me better (James 1:2-4)(oldie, but a goodie)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1cv1tzzgbk-Tyler Galloway