Babylonian Curve Ball - God's Grand Slam

We are going to wrap up our Babylonian Curveball series this morning as we look at Daniel 6. We might say that the bases are loaded and God enters the game as pinch hitter and hits a grand slam. Let’s start reading at v. 1.

1 Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, 2 and over them three administrators, including Daniel. These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded. 3 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. 4 The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”

There are three things in Daniel chapter six that I want to notice this morning. The first thing I want to notice is the Daniel was predictable. Not just predictable but he was predictable in his faith.

Daniel Was Predictable In His Faith

4 The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”… 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.

His predictability was a testimony to God. They tried to find a charge against according him to verse 4 but they couldn’t because he was “trustworthy”, “no charge or corruption”. If someone went digging into your life would they be able to say the same thing about you? Maybe the thought makes you shutter a little and you’re glad no one is trying. But let’s remember that God is looking. Psalm 44:21 asks,

“…wouldn't God have found this out, since He knows the secrets of the heart?”

Because of Daniel’s predictability there was no doubt which God Daniel served. There was no doubt that he would serve his God. There was no doubt he would remain faithful to his God. It did not matter if they were his friends, his enemies, or his coworkers Daniel was the same. They new he was predictable in his faith.

Now, it should go without saying that predictability in our faith is something that you and I would do well to achieve. When your friends or coworkers or family look at the actions and the attitudes of your life will they see a consistency?

What does predictability of faith look like? Well for one it should be predictable that you are going to be in church on Sunday. Friends and family should know this and plan around it. The predictability of faith should also be revealed in the way we interact with the circumstances of life. People should know that when you are faced with a decision you will place God first in that decision. The predictability of faith should cause your friends and acquaintances to think twice about inviting or encouraging you to engage in something that might compromise your faith.

Daniel was so predictable that his enemies knew exactly what to do in order to trap him.

6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever. 7 All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.” 9 So King Darius signed the document.

We need be aware that a predictability of faith can also be a tool of entrapment. Because Daniel was so predictable they knew he would continue to honor God even if it meant breaking the law. They knew they could set a trap for him. He would either fall in line and go with the flow by compromising, thereby demonstrating a lack of commitment to his faith, or he would be killed which they probably preferred.

People you know will do the same thing to you. It probably won’t be a direct attack of your faith. But sometimes when things in your life begin to change for the better, when they see your character is changing for the better, believe it or not, they won’t always be happy for you. They may have liked the old you better. They may try to interfere with the very thing they think is causing the change…suggest things that would cause you to compromise the commitments you’ve made to the Lord.