Dare To Stand Alone!

6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed 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. 8 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put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing”.

• Success of any kind often breeds resentment;

• Daniel soon experienced envy & resentment from the administrators and satraps.

Ill:

• There is a distinction between jealousy and envy.

• To envy is to want something which belongs to another person.

• In contrast, jealousy is the fear that something which we possess;

• Will be taken away by another person.

Quotes:

• Greek proverb:

• “As rust corrupts iron, so envy corrupts man”.

• Essayist and short story writer, Joseph Epstein:

• "Of all the 7 deadly sins, envy's the only one that's 'no fun at all'"

• A famous philosopher once said

• “Envy leads to jealousy, jealousy leads to hate, hate leads to anger, anger leads to the dark side”

• The philosopher was Yoda from Star Wars.

Success of any kind often breeds resentment;

• Daniel soon experienced envy & resentment from the administrators and satraps.

• And when his enemies could find no fault in his work or in his life;

• They are soon able to manufacture a fault with his faith.

• They knew that they could never tempt Daniel to do anything illegal;

• But they were wise enough and shrewd enough to come up with a cunning plan;

• They would attempt to make his faithful religious practices illegal.

• His enemies had been watching him closely trying to find fault with him,

• They knew that Daniel prayed three times every day;

• And he did this at home with his windows open towards Jerusalem;

Ill:

• I think one of my lasting memories from my last trip to Israel;

• Was the fact that both Jew and Arab quite unashamedly prayed wherever they were.

• I saw them praying in a shop, in a café and even on the street.

• They were disciplined and at certain times of the day everything stopped for prayers!

• Daniel’s enemies knew this to be true of him;

• Three times a day he prayed.

• And they knew if they could only pass a law preventing prayer to Daniel’s God;

• Then Daniel was as good as finished!

Note:

• These evil enemies of Daniel knew how to play the king;

• Simply ‘puff up’ his ego and watch him grant their requests.

• So when 122 government officials assemble in his throne room;

• With a plan to unite the people and pay him homage;