Daniel In The Lion's Den Series

Today, we begin a new short series, entitled, Fearless: Possessing a Lionhearted Righteousness. This is a series designed give you a cup of courage. This is a series for people whose courage tank has sprung a leak. I have been asking some of you when and where you need courage. Zane needs courage to live for he lost his mother recently to ovarian cancer. Johnnie needs courage for he is caring for his wife who is dying with Dementia. And Kevin needs courage to do right in a work environment that threatens his job for simply doing right. I think about a high school senior visiting their future university for the first time. Over the course of the next three weeks, I want to look at three profiles of fearless people: Daniel, Esther, and David. We will look at three people from different backgrounds: an elderly man approaching 90 as well as two teenagers. We’ll see bold courage in both women and men. Where does real courage come from? How do you get courage when you need it?

Today’s Scripture

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.”

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” (Daniel 6:1-10)

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. (Daniel 6:16-23)

This is one of the most enduring and well-known stories in all the Bible and all of literature. Daniel teaches us how to live when you believe in the one true God in a world where the morality compass is broken. For the next few moments, I want you to see how God gives your courage to live out your convictions. Like Daniel, we have been placed in a world of worry and fear. A world very different from the one we grew up in and a world that is evolving quickly.