Daniel 6 - 2.10.26
Scripture: Daniel 6: 3-5, 13, 23-27
Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 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.”
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.”
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. 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. 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”
Observation:
Daniel was a man full of integrity and God’s hand was upon him. His character and devotion to God allowed him to be seen as trustworthy, yet these other men attempted to destroy him. They knew Daniel’s character so they knew they couldn’t tempt him with evil. Instead they chose to use his relationship with God to trap him. When they went to the king, they didn’t even acknowledge Daniel as an administrator. They identified him as “one of those exiles from Judah” which seems to be dismissive and almost to belittle his position. But Daniel trusts God and his daily prayer life left him unshaken. Full of integrity and reverence for God, he was prepared to accept the consequences of breaking man’s law, and he walked into the lions den without fear. Once found, this faithful witness testified of what God had done, which caused the king to exalt God’s name joyfully. King Darius was full of joy when he heard Daniel’s voice. The Bible says he couldn’t sleep because he was afraid of what might happen to him. That speaks volumes about the character Daniel had. Even in a time of exile, he remained faithful to God.
Application:
Proverbs 22:29 says “Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank” When we are skilled in the work the Lord has placed before us, we have opportunities to step into rooms and situations we never thought possible to bring Glory to God. This will come with opposition. We have a very real enemy in the devil. When he sees us prospering for the kingdom of God, he will come against us. If we remain faithful and reverence God, there is nothing to fear. God himself gives us this influence as we serve Him so He will be glorified. 1 Peter 2:12 says “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of wrong doing, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” We should live according to the Word, which means we should study it enough to know it, and let it help us grow into Christlikeness more and more. When we live that way, though many trials will come, people can never say of us that we were wicked; only that we served God well, with our whole lives, and sought His counsel in all that we did. Lastly, Proverbs 26:27 says, “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.” Time and time again we see throughout life that it’s often easier, in a worldly sense, to trap someone by being a stumbling block or just setting a trap. As Christians, people will set traps for us as we see in this scripture; though the lack of integrity led to destruction for the ones who set it. We have to remember, and be aware not only of those around us who may seek to ensnare us, but also be aware of times we may be the ones setting the trap for someone else. As humans, our duality often leads us to see no wrong in the things we do. In as much importance to watch for enemy snares, we should see to it that we do not lose our integrity and dig pits for other people, as well by not forgiving, gossiping, slandering or causing others to stumble.
Prayer
Dear Lord, I am your servant and I want to serve you well with full integrity. In 2 Corinthians 8:21 it says “For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.” Help me to do what is honorable always even when its not easy. Help me to be a faithful witness that brings glory to your name everywhere I go and regardless of the circumstance. Help me to face down adversity in the name of Jesus and lean not on my own understanding. Help me to stand firm on your word and not back down from false accusations. The bible says Jesus never launched a defense for himself. Heavenly father, help me to not seek to defend myself but stand firm on your word, knowing you will provide and protect those who are founded in you. Lord help me to be like Daniel, a woman of influence where your name needs to be revered and exalted and faithful until the end. Amen
- Shanese Hamilton
