Introduction
The year is 2022, and our faith is under attack. It should not surprise us because all throughout the Bible men and woman of faith have come under attack.
Noah as he worked on building the Ark probably his
faith in God suffered great ridicule by those around him. The Bible describes Noah as a preacher of righteousness but yet not one convert as he labored on the Ark. But I am sure, he had a lot of mockers telling him that he is crazy building an Ark. I can hear them now. Noah, why are you building an Ark when it has never rained, and a flood is not something we have ever seen?
Then there is Job. When Job’s life was being taken apart piece by piece by the devil, his friends arrive on the scene and in their conversations with Job, they called into question Job’s faith.
And now, onto the Book of Daniel. The government has been changed- out with the Babylonians and in the with the Medo-Persians. The new government had three governors of which Daniel was one of them. These governors were responsible to supervise the 120 satraps that were spread out through the land. The governors and straps knew that King Darius had taken a liking to Daniel and was planning on putting Daniel over them all. Guess what, this faith is going to come under attack.
Both the two other governors and all the satraps were jealous of Daniel and so they devised a plan to get rid of Daniel. They could not find any skeletons in his closet by which to attack him. So, they devised a plan to attack his faith. Let me tell you this world is always devising plans to attack our faith.
The plan went something like this. King Darius, you
are such a good king, all the administrators of your kingdom feel like you should be god for a month. No one should pray to any other god but you during this month and if they don’t comply then they will be thrown into the lion’s den. The king signed that action into law, and the Medo-Persian structure of government does not allow a law to be revoked or changed once it has been signed by the king. And so now, everything is in place to attack Daniel’s faith.
So, let’s see what we can learn from the attack on Daniel’s faith.
Scripture
Daniel 6:10–18 (NKJV)
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12 And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”
The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”
13 So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14 And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”
16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” 17 Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
18 Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also, his sleep went from him.
Point #1
The devil is in politics, and he frequently uses laws to hinder our freedom to worship God like we want.
Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Those governors and satraps were being used by the devil to attack the faith of Daniel. The devil used jealousy on the part of these officials to get them to go after Daniel. King Darius, who signed the decree into law, he liked Daniel and had thoughts of making Daniel head over the whole territory. But the devil appealed to Darius’ sense of pride. King for a month- that sounds good.
And the end result, the law was placed on the books that said no man can pray or make petition to any god but to King Darius for the period of 30 days. The end result the devil wanted to restrict Daniel’s ability to pray to his God.
I hope you understand that the devil still uses laws even to this very day to hinder the freedom of Christians to worship and serve God.
Didn’t the devil use law to take prayer out of school? Didn’t the devil appeal the blue laws which now allows all businesses to open on Sunday preventing many from attending church because of their work schedules? Didn’t the devil through the use of laws take down the ten commandments in the court houses and court rooms across American?
Christian, you better keep an eye what is going on in Washington and make your voice heard. This reminds me of that old movie, Mr. Smith goes to Washington. But I got news that when he got there, the devil was already there to greet him.
Point 2
Daniel shows us that when our faith comes under attack, we should keep doing what we always have been doing.
Daniel 6:10 (NKJV)
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
When this law was placed on the books and Daniel knew it was on the books, Daniel had several options he could have taken.
One, he could have turned in his resignation to King Darius and went back home and probably that would be enough to get these politicians off my case.
Two, he could have backslid for 30 days. In other words, he is not going to pray to Darius, but he is going to comply with the law and not pray to his God either. After all, it is only thirty days. The trouble with that thinking there is no guarantee that you will turn back to God after the thirty days. If you backslide you don’t know how far you will slide. I hate it when people tell me that I am going to take some time off from God.
Thirdly, he could have gone into his prayer closet with windows shut and blinds pulled down and prayed and nobody would have known about it. The problem with that is: it is almost like you are ashamed of your faith and your God and so you keep your relationship to God where no one can see it.
Daniel did not choose any of those option. The Scripture tells us that he did what he always did: his windows open he knelt down facing Jerusalem, the future birthplace of his Savior and prayed three times.
And I like what the Scripture says. This was his custom since early days. He had a disciplined pray life. Three times a day, every day praying to God. I wonder how many in here can say that they have a disciplined prayer life.
Point #3
Daniel shows us that when our faith comes under attack, the place we appeal is to God and Him alone.
Daniel 6:16 (NKJV)
16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”
The silence of Daniel in these verses amazes me. I can imagine some of us in this room yelling and screaming telling the king, don’t do this to me.
And if you are yelling and screaming to the king, your pleas are misplaced. King Darius in verse 14 said that he set his heart to try to deliver Daniel and that he labored to the going down of the sun, but King Darius failed. The king could do nothing.
But Jesus can and so I believe Daniel was silent to the King because he was busy talking to God. Now that is the right place to go to change a situation that is attacking our faith.
I believe it was Daniel’s prayers that brought an angel down heaven to shut the mouths of the lions as Daniel describes in Daniel 6:22 (NKJV)
22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”
Conclusion
You know what this sermon has taught me. I am certain, my faith is going to get tested. And there will some point that the test will be so great, the outcome is unchangeable from a human viewpoint. I have better be prepared for those tests by having a disciplined prayer life because the only one that can change the unchangeable is God.
