We’re in an election year again. In the midst of the Pandemic, the Democratic National Convention occurred virtually this week and dominated all the major TV networks. As expected, the speakers at the Democratic Convention relentlessly attacked the incumbent president, and true to form, he returned the favor. Both parties are suggesting that to allow the other party to win will permanently damage our nation. In various ways, both have suggested they will not accept the result if they lose. You’ve got to wonder, no matter who wins in November, what will happen in such a divided country.
And for each of us this morning, as believers, we’ve got to be wondering how we should respond if the wrong people, or the wrong party wins. What if our political hopes and dreams are turned upside down. How should we respond?
That’s why we’re in the book of Daniel at this moment in our history. Because for Daniel, the wrong people had won. The pagans defeated the people of God, the idolaters defeated the worshipers of the one true living God, the unrighteous and ungodly defeated, not in an election, but in a war, the people that at least laid a claim to godliness, even if most of them did not practice it. And as we noted last week, Daniel, as a teenager, was exiled to the land of Babylon, 500 miles away from the Promised Land of Israel, and the temple of His God, and Jewish culture, and was trained to serve an arbitrary, ungodly, capricious pagan king, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
And in Daniel 2 just how serious the consequences of this change of power was for Daniel and his friends became obvious. It became a matter of life and death. They were put in an absolutely impossible situation for circumstances that they were not responsible for. But how they, and especially Daniel responded provides for us a model if things go wrong in November—if the wrong guys—whoever you deem them to be--end up in power. Daniel’s example teaches us that if the political world goes south on us, we should stand in the gap for the Lord, pray, obey & trust God will exalt Himself anyway. Yes, that’s a lot to swallow. I know. Stand in the Gap for the Lord—pray, obey & trust God will exalt Himself anyway.
If you remember last week, Daniel and his Jewish friends had just completed their training for the King’s service in the King’s Academy in Babylon. Because of their faithful devotion to God and their resolution to refuse to be defiled by the King’s food, God had blessed them so that as the King examined them they were found to be 10 times wiser and more suited for the King’s services than any of their fellow students in the academy. So they embarked on what seemed to be promising careers in the King’s Service when almost immediately an impossible crisis threatened not only their careers but their very lives.
Now it’s important to notice here that this crisis was entirely initiated by the Almighty God of the Jews. It was absolutely no accident. It was part of the plan of the Sovereign God. I’m sure it stretched the faith of these four young men to the absolute limit. But God’s plan was a good plan—a plan that would very quickly accomplish four amazing results:
1. It would establish in this pagan kingdom that the God of the Jews as the Almighty God, a God greater than all the gods of the pagan Babylonians, especially in the mind of Nebuchadnezzar the King.
2. It would decisively and quickly exalt God’s faithful servants, these four young men, and place them into the positions of power and authority in ruling over the Kingdom and city of Babylon.
3. It would expose the false gods of the Babylonians as vastly inferior to the true God.
4. It would humiliate and expose the wise men, conjurers, magicians and astrologers of
Babylon as frauds.
In other words, this crisis would begin to transform substantial parts of Babylonian culture.
As we’ve read, it all began with a dream that puzzled and tormented King Nebuchadnezzar. The dream so upset him that he was unable to sleep. And so he decided to turn to his wise men—a group of men who had been trained to be magicians, conjurers, enchanters, astrologers and in all the wisdom and rites of the occult. These men were all experts at dealing with the spirit world. The King’s Cabinet consisted of the kind of people who read Palms, put out astrological forecasts, practice dark arts and magic, and would lay claim to psychic powers today. They dealt with demons. Yes, there was a supernatural power evident in their practices. There were contacts with knowledge and beings beyond the natural world. However, these spirits were fallen angels, deceptive spirits, whose aim was the spiritual destruction of the human race. These men were pagans, and so they were deceived. And by the way, idolatry and contact with demons go hand in hand. Scripture tells us I Corinthians 10:20 as well as Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 106 that those who practice idolatry actually worship demons. In other words, when there is a supernatural power behind idolatry, it is demonic as demons do their best to pretend to be a god or gods.
So it was only natural that Nebuchadnezzar turned to his wise men—these experts in the occult for answers. But he was suspicious of them. He had been around long enough to see how these men operated. He had a feeling that they absolutely did not know everything they claimed to know. He saw that they were in the habit of telling the king and others exactly what they wanted to hear anyway. And he wanted to know for sure whether they really knew what they were talking about when he sought an interpretation for his dream. He was clearly afraid that they would simply make up some interpretation for the dream. And so to prove that their interpretation was not just simply some flattering imagination of their own minds, he decided to require them to also tell them the dream that he had had.
Now there are some Bible teachers who believe that Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten his dream and wanted to be reminded of it. However, I personally am quite sure this was not the case. Nebuchadnezzar simply didn’t trust the wise men were all that wise, so this was simply his way of ascertaining whether they really knew what they claimed to know.
So the king had resolved even before he consulted the wise men that they would receive the severest of penalties if they were unable to declare the dream to him, and the greatest of rewards if they were successful in doing the same. The King and the wise men went back and forth on this until the king in a rage ordered the demise of all the wise men of Babylon. Though Daniel and his friends had not been involved in these high-level negotiations and were not in any way responsible for what was happening, their fate had also been determined.
The first thing we learn here is this: Don’t be taken captive by exalted human philosophies or deceptive spirits. Don’t be taken captive by exalted human philosophies or deceptive spirits. The king’s first mistake was that that’s exactly what he had done. He was a pagan. He didn’t know the one true living God. He did not know His Word. He was depending on the respected human philosophers of his day, and the deceiving spirits which they consulted.
If we’re not careful, rather than putting out trust in God’s Word, we can begin to depend on human philosophies or even demonic spirits for our spiritual and even political guidance. We can even begin to ultimately depend on human government and what it can provide rather than or instead of Almighty God. Colossians 2 talks about Christ being the source of all true knowledge and holding fast to Him and 2:8 tells us: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” At a time of great uncertainty and division as we experience today, it would be easy for us to begin to think that our future depends on the extension of a certain political philosophy rather than Almighty God.
Well, our hero, Daniel doesn’t get wind of what’s going on until it’s almost too late. In verse 14, He encounters Arioch, the captain of the King’s bodyguard as he was looking for Daniel and his friends in order to kill them. In other words, the crisis has already reached its boiling point. Daniel’s life is at stake the moment he encounters Arioch, and yet in his godliness somehow he is prepared for the moment. He doesn’t lose his cool. He doesn’t run for the hills, but incredibly, verse 14 tells us that he replied, “with discretion and discernment” to Arioch and asked, “for what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?” And then Daniel took godly action. He knew that God had given him the ability to interpret dreams and visions, a fact we were informed of back in chapter one. His trust was in God. His life was at stake. It was an impossible situation apart from the supernatural, miraculous intervention of God on his behalf. And that’s exactly what He determined to seek.
What Daniel did here was to become the stand in the gap man—the man who stood in the gap between God and man and brought men into conformity with God’s plan. A contemporary of Daniel’s in the exile, the prophet Ezekiel had talked about the importance of God finding a man who would stand in the gap between him and his sinful people as a sort of mediator. One who would call the people to follow God and depend on Him. In Ezekiel 22:30, with respect to Judah’s defeat and exile, God had said through Ezekiel that “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” But now, once in exile, that man, a very young man had been revealed, and it was Daniel. He would stand in the gap for God, between God, Nebuchadnezzar and the wise men in Babylon. And he would do so by obeying God, praying and seeking God’s answer to the king’s demand.
Now what I want you to see here is that if you are going to be the stand in the gap man or woman for God in your day, you can’t be passive. You can’t just go along to get along. You’ve got to be courageous. You’ve got to do something based on your knowledge of your faithful God. And what Daniel then did was to ask to be given an audience before the king, who was about to kill him, to ask for time, so that he could interpret the dream. In other words, Daniel took immediate and bold action based on his knowledge of what God would want him to do. He sought an audience with the king, asked for time, and then trusted God would provide the answer in this otherwise impossible situation.
Are you prepared for this? Are we? When things become impossible, will we stand in the gap for God by standing for Him at decisive moments. You can’t be passive. You must have an active obedient faith that trusts God in the moment of crisis.
Are you willing to be the stand in the gap man or woman for your family if we experience crisis in our nation? Will you direct them to seek God and obey Him for His glory, no matter what?
Now the next thing Daniel does is precious. He makes prayer his first resort. Make prayer your first resort. Verse 17: “Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Of course, we know that these were the same young men who were of the same heart and spirit as Daniel, the same young men who had refused to defile themselves with the king’s food. They had become close spiritual companions during their time in the King’s Academy. No doubt praying together and being in God’s Word together were a part of their fellowship. Now, Daniel reveals the crisis to this precious little prayer circle of just four young men—think of it—this is not a big prayer meeting. This is exactly the typical size of our Sunday night prayer meeting, but God would change the Babylonian world and reveal eternal spiritual truths as a result of the prayers this group would pray that night. And notice how Daniel instructs them to pray in verse 18—that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery. Daniel knew they did not deserve anything from God. They were not praying for an answer as though they were more worthy than anyone else. They were going to throw themselves on the compassion and mercy of a God who repeatedly revealed himself in the Old Testament, especially in Exodus 34 with Moses in the cleft of the rock, as being a God full of compassion and mercy and abundant in lovingkindness. And on the basis of that kind of prayer, appealing to God’s nature, God heard their prayer, and according to verse 19, then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision.
Now there was another aspect to Daniel’s prayer life that should not be missed. It was characteristic of the Great King David’s prayer life as well. It is characteristic of great men of prayer, and that is praise and thanksgiving. Now I imagine any of us having received a supernatural life-saving revelation like Daniel did would have praised God. But this is so characteristic of the most powerful men and women of prayer and Scripture—remember the Virgin Mary’s magnificat in Luke. Verse 20: Then Daniel said, ‘Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes Kings and establishes kings; he gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. It is he who reveals the profound and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with Him. To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for You have given me wisdom and power; even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, For You have made known to us the king’s matter.”
So Daniel not only made prayer a first result, praise came right along with it when God answered. Make prayer your first resort, and don’t forget to praise and thank God for His answers.
Now in verses 21-22, Daniel reveals an important and eternal truth that we should never forget, especially here at election time. It is likely the theme of the Book of Daniel, that God is sovereign over kings and nations. Remember this, regarding what has happened already in 2020, and no matter what happens with the November elections: “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes Kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding.” God is sovereign over what happen to the kingdoms of men. He alone gives wisdom regarding those things.
Regarding this matter of the crucial importance of prayer in dangerous times like these. Don’t forget what’s happening in Washington D.C. September 18-28th, and especially September 26th. It’s called The Return. A group of evangelical Christians is gathering in the National Mall on Saturday 26th to confess the nations sins, the seek God’s face, to seek healing for our land after a disastrous moral and spiritual slide into impurity these last 60 years. We’re seeking healing and revival. And our church will be participating via simulcast beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday the 26th of September at our office, and you’re all invited to come for whatever part of that day or all that day to seek to return our nation to God, and seek his blessings in a time of great difficulty.
That day of prayer comes 40 days before the election. I think it could be crucial to our nation’s future, and that God might be gracious and bring revival, if we return to Him.
So, then, as we’ve read, Daniel went into Arioch the king’s commander in verse 26 and asks to be taken into the King’s presence. Arioch hurriedly takes him before the king, announcing that he had found a man among the exiles of Judah who had solved the mystery—eager to take credit for a revelation that could only be credited to God.
But Daniel, in contrast to Arioch, when asked by the King for the interpretation, takes no credit for it whatsoever, but gives all glory to God. Verse 27: “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.” First, David makes clear that these charlatans of the king’s court who dabble with spirits should have no credibility whatsoever, thus achieving God’s purpose in discrediting them. Then He makes clear that such an answer could only be given by the God of Heaven, the God whom Daniel worships. Verse 28: “However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. So as with any stand in the gap man for God, he gives all glory to God, rather than taking any for himself, and he points Nebuchadnezzar toward the worship of the one true God. Then he declared the dream to the king. Now we don’t have time to go into the dream and its interpretation this morning in great detail. We will get to that next week. But the important thing to note here is that Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar both occupy an important turning point in history. Israel, by its disobedience, had failed to be the nation that would lead the nations in worship of God. As a consequence, it was judged. The rule of the of world was turned over to Gentile nations in the process, and Gentile or pagan kingdoms of men would result. The great dazzling, spectacular statue with the head of gold which Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream represented these four great dominant kingdoms of men which would dominate at various times in history, each of them succeeding one another, and each of them becoming apparently less glorious than the former. However, ultimately a stone would be cut out without hands, in other words, one would come apart from human involvement, and that would strike at the base of that great statue and destroy it and would become a mountain that would cover the whole earth. That stone represented the Kingdom of God, and probably the King of that Kingdom, the Son of God. And God is revealing at the outset of the times of the Gentiles, when Gentiles would trample upon the city of Jerusalem and Israel would fail to have a Son of David on the throne, that a day would come when all the kingdoms of men would fall and fail and come to nothing. That ultimately the victorious kingdom would be God’s Kingdom that would be established throughout the earth.
Now of course, we know in verse 46, when King Nebuchadnezzar hears his dream repeated to him and its interpretation, he is astonished, and he prostrates himself before Daniel—nearly worshiping Daniel with worship intended for Daniel’s God. He praises Daniel’s God in verse 47 as the God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries. And he promotes Daniel immediately as ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and also made Daniel’s friends administrators over the province of Babylon.
Note what God accomplishes here again. He plants a seed for the salvation/conversion of Nebuchadnezzar. He reveals that no kingdom of man will prevail only God’s kingdom in the end. That He is the God of Gods. That Daniel is His servant. And He has exalted in one fell swoop and put his own servants in charge of Babylon. Wow! What a God!
The moral of the story is this. Even when the wrong guys win, trust God that He’s big enough to take care of Himself and us.
So what if things Go wrong in November? What if our world is turned upside down in ways we can’t imagine? It seems like some of these sorts of things have already taken place. It happened to Daniel and His friends. And they came out on top. So do what Daniel did. Stand in the Gap for God—pray, obey and trust God will be exalted anyway.
Let’s pray.
