Shutting The Lions' Mouths

INTRODUCTION:

The Story of Tattletale Johnny- In Sunday School, little Johnny was told that they all needed to keep their eyes closed during the prayer. But when he discovered that a classmate wasn’t following the rules, he took it upon himself to inform the teacher. For a brief moment, Johnny expected to be praised for enforcing God’s will. He felt Godly. All that came crashing down as his teacher pointed out the obvious: The only way Johnny could tell on his classmate, was if he’d violated the same rule… the one he accused his classmate of breaking. To which Johnny protested: “But how can I tell on the other kids if I can’t open my eyes?”

How many of you have ever been tattled on by another? Do we like tattle-tales? I’ve worked with people over the years who think it is their entire purpose to tell on others and be the official informer. I think maybe those people believe that if they tell on others by pointing out other people’s mistakes, their mistakes might be overlooked. And so we nitpick at others to minimize our own faults and failures. But people always talk.

This month we’ve been studying on the topic of standing strong and standing together. My question to you this morning is how can we stand strong when others are against us, when others speak evil against us, when others tell on us to get us in trouble, or when others persecute us?

How can we stand strong when we feel all alone?

Can I have faith when people are out to get me?

Today we are going to learn the story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den!

Please turn in your Bibles today to the book of Daniel chapter six.

BODY:

The kingdoms of Israel and Judah have done evil in the sight of God by serving other gods and bowing down to idols. Therefore, God allowed them to be taken into captivity by foreign nations.

Daniel lived in captivity the entire 70 years of the exile, from the time King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem destroying the temple to the time of King Cyrus of Persia allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the temple. He served under 4 different rulers and two Empires.

He was known for his incredible wisdom, integrity, and faithfulness to God; in fact Daniel is one of the few people in the Bible that has nothing negative to say about him. Not to say that he was sinless or perfect, but just that he lived a very righteous life and was faithful to God. Think of just how many people in a foreign land that Daniel was able to witness to and influence by his faith during the course of his life. Most likely he was in his late teens when taken from his home as a slave. That would make him an old man, probably in his eighties by the time of today’s story.

In Daniel chapter six we learn that Daniel is serving under a ruler known as Darius the Mede. Now Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps (or governors) to oversee the different provinces of his kingdom. Daniel was one of those chosen to be governor; in fact Daniel was so trusted and well thought of by King Darius, that Darius wanted to promote him make him his head administrator over the entire kingdom… second in command. But certain people didn’t like the attention that Daniel was getting, so they plotted against him.

[Daniel 6:4-5 NLT] 4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, "Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion." [NASB – “unless we find it against him regarding the law of his God.”]

They decided to use his faith against him.

[Daniel 6:6-9 NLT] 6 So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, "Long live King Darius! 7 We are all in agreement--we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors--that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced.”

Was this the truth or a lie? Some of them had been consulted. Some of them had gotten together. But Daniel, obviously, wasn’t consulted. Nobody asked his opinion. So, they lie to the king and say, “OH King, we are all in agreement that you should do this!”

Here’s what they told him to do: “Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human--except to you, Your Majesty--will be thrown into the den of lions. 8 And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked." 9 So King Darius signed the law.