The Lions Sleep Tonight Daniel 6:1-28 Sermon 08 August 22nd, 2010     When I say the word, “politician” – what words cross your mind? What do you think of when you think of a politician?   Unless you’re the Geico Caveman, you know that this past week the trial of former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, ended up in a mistrial on all but one count in the wide-ranging corruption case. Estimates about the total cost of the just concluded trial range wildly from several million to $30 million. The 24 counts included charges of racketeering, conspiracy, mail fraud and attempted extortion.   So after weeks of a trial that cost millions, more weeks of jury deliberation…even though the FBI thought that there was enough evidence to indict him; even though the Illinois Legislature believed that he was guilty enough to impeach him and also disqualify him from ever holding a public office in Illinois – one juror thought that he was innocent of all charges with the exception that he lied to the FBI. So now our tax money will be wasted again as he is re-tried. I might note that this juror’s husband had previously contributed money to Rod Blagojevich’s campaign fund.   Is it any wonder that this past week someone emailed me this joke: “Limit all U.S. politicians to two terms…One in office. One in prison...Detroit and Chicago already do this.” So when you hear the word, “politician” – what words cross your mind? I can tell you one word that probably didn’t – INTEGRITY.   This morning we want to talk about a politician with integrity. We’re looking at one of the best-known and best-loved stories in all of the Bible; the story of Daniel in the lion’s den…or as Chuck Swindoll refers to it, “The story of the lions in Daniel’s den.” Little children love this story and Sunday school teachers love to tell it. In the days of slavery this story became the basis of many Negro spirituals. It’s encouraged the people of God for thousands of years. And why shouldn’t it? It’s a story filled with unexpected twists and turns and the good guy wins big and the bad guys…well, the bad guys are torn to pieces. Along the way we learn the secret of Daniel’s success. Somehow he managed to survive and thrive in a spiritually hostile environment.   That’s a good place to begin because Christians live in a world of spiritual hostility where the temptation to compromise our faith is with us every day. The world doesn’t want its conscience pricked, nor does it reward those who dare to stand up for what they believe. In some parts of the world, standing up for Christ means suffering, even death. In America it can mean ostracism, ridicule, scorn, being left out and perhaps being passed over. It often leads to tension at home and on the job. The book of Daniel tells us how to live for God in a hostile environment. His example shows us that it can be done but not without discomfort. If you don’t compromise, you’re sure to face trouble sooner or later.   The story of Daniel and the lion’s den reminds us that there’s a spiritual battle raging all around us. Satan himself is like a roaring lion who would devour us if he could (1 Peter 5:8). Therefore, it should not surprise us if the devil has an army of supporters whose major call in life is to harass us, trick us, and trip us up if they can. Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 6 (p. 630). The message this morning is The Lions Sleep Tonight.   Before we jump in, remember these two facts: 1) Daniel is now a very old man. He came to Babylon as a teenager. His entire adult life has been spent serving in the courts of various pagan rulers. He’s now over 80 years old. 2) Now he’s serving under a new king named Darius who rules over a new kingdom, the Medo-Persian Empire. The names have changed but the spiritual challenge is the same. Will he remain faithful when the pressure is on? Will he be a person of integrity?   Most of us don’t think of politicians as being people of integrity. Sadly, that’s true throughout the American work culture. There’s a reason we have so many lawyers in this country; we don’t trust each other. Ben and Aaron are both currently looking for cars. Guess who gets to accompany them on this quest? We tend to be skeptical of used car dealers.   While most of us despise government bureaucracy, we overlook “why” have so much government bureaucracy. Would you want to buy meat at the local deli if you knew that there were no health inspectors? Would you trust a contractor to build a safe building if there were no Building Inspectors? Do you read food labels? If there were no laws forcing them to do what they are supposed to do, would you trust them to do it?   Brux Austin, editor of Texas Business magazine, writes that “Our high-tech society has given us everything - everything but a conscience.” Integrity is too often the mangled casualty of our times.   So what is integrity? Integrity is more than just telling the truth. Integrity is doing what you said you’d do. Integrity means keeping your promises. Integrity means that your words and your actions are the same. In other words, you practice what you preach. Your walk matches your talk. Daniel was a man of integrity when nobody else was. He was a man of integrity in a corrupt political situation. He was a man of integrity on his job. Luther said that “Everyone should conduct his trade, craft and business in such a way that he overcharges no one, cheats no one with false wares, is satisfied with a fair profit, and gives people something worthwhile for their penny.” Daniel was that man. He was a person of integrity both on the job and off. The Daniel in the Lions’ Den Story: Daniel was the Henry Kissinger of his generation. He’d faithfully served Nebuchadnezzar and the empire of Babylon. Babylon has now been defeated by the Medes and Persians, and once again, though now an octanogerian, Daniel is again called to serve the government and has once again about to be promoted to high office. Evidently, King Darius recognized him as a man of integrity and wanted to make him second in command over the entire kingdom. Darius may have been new at the task of ruling an empire, but he’s far from naive. To establish himself and his rule over the territory formerly ruled by Babylon, he appoints 120 governors, each responsible for a certain geographical region. The king’s major concern was corruption. He knew political power afforded the opportunity not only for oppression but for corruption. Darius feared he would not be able to adequately supervise these 120 governors with such a large kingdom and they’d pad their own bank accounts at his expense, so he appoints three administrators over the 120 governors, creating a system of accountability which would prevent him from suffering loss. That’s when the intrigue begins. Darius decided to put Daniel over all the other administrators and governors. He was to be a leader of leaders. God’s hand is definitely here. Darius had just overthrown the Babylonian Kingdom and now he is choosing a former leader in Babylon’s government to lead his. There is no explanation other than that is a God-thing, God gave Daniel favor in the sight of this king. Darius recognized Daniel's wisdom, as well as his integrity and faithfulness. Here was a man he could trust with leadership. Recognizing his unique abilities, Darius planned to promote Daniel, placing him over all of the other leaders. Apparently, the king's plan to promote Daniel had become public knowledge; at least the other administrators and governors knew. The thought of this foreign geriatric in prominent leadership caused hysterics in the barracks. Why? What bugged them so much about his promotion? After all, he’s an old man. He’s not going to be around that long in this new position. Most think that Daniel's peers were jealous. The context seems to indicate that it was more than that. What really threatened them was Daniel’s honesty. While Darius was delighted to find a man of ability and honesty, to the corrupt leaders of the kingdom, Daniel's ability and honesty seriously threatened their corruption. They could neither corrupt Daniel nor deceive him. If he were to rise above them, they couldn’t continue taking graft. What a testimony Daniel has! His testimony is impeccable, his character and ability unsurpassed. His work is such that not even his enemies can bring a charge against him. His flawless faithfulness to the king and his obedience to the laws of the land forces his enemies to pass a new law aimed directly at him and his destruction. The only fault to be found with Daniel is that he is too godly. What Christian wouldn’t want to be regarded as highly as Daniel? Somewhere a conspiracy is hatched. His enemies begin to talk about Daniel and came up with a plan to take him out and prevent him from securing this promotion. Although Daniel's enemies are united in taking him out, they have a very difficult task ahead of them. As hard as they tried to find some basis for accusing Daniel to the king, they couldn’t find anything. What a wonderful problem! Your enemies scrutinize your life and can’t find anything to accuse you with. Do you have enemies? What if they decided to check you out the way these corrupt politicians came after Daniel? What if someone hired private investigators to look into every aspect of your life, public and private, past and present? What would they uncover? Suppose they checked out your high school and college records,  how you treat your spouse, your children, your phone calls, shopping habits, Internet surfing, financial records, favorite TV programs, what you do on vacation, what you do when you’re alone, video rentals, every relationship you’ve ever had, tax returns, business deals, police record, work record, how you act on the job, at home, with your friends, how you deal with the opposite sex, your vocabulary at home, jokes you tell, places you visit, your attitude. Could any of us survive that kind of scrutiny? Daniel did. The investigation revealed that he had no obvious moral weaknesses. Try as they might, his enemies found zilch, they found nothing wrong in his life. He lived so consciously in God’s presence that he was a man “above reproach.” But Daniel did have one “flaw.” He was utterly predictable in his daily prayers. He prayed every day at the same time in the same way so that his enemies realized this was where they could catch him. I’m sure you’ve heard this question: “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” When they arrested Daniel for being a man of prayer, the evidence against him was overwhelming. These corrupt leaders then went to King Darius and asked him to pass a 30-day law forbidding anyone to pray except to Darius himself. Basically, they said, “O king, how would you like to be God for a month?” Sure, why not? It appealed to his pride. Why not be God for a month? It might be fun. So Darius signed the law, knowing that it could not be repealed, not even by himself but he doesn’t have a clue that Daniel is the intended target. The deal signed, they set up some type of prayer stakeout. They knew Daniel would break the law. They knew he’d keep on praying just as he’d always done. Daniel was a victim of his own integrity. He was predictably faithful to God. If he’d been a flaky believer, this evil plot would never have worked. His troubles came not from his weakness, but from his strength. What would you do if you discovered your enemies have passed a law aimed at one person, and you’re that person? It’s like walking around with a bull’s eye on your back. How you respond at that point tells a great deal about your character. Verse 10 says, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”  Note the last phrase, "just as he had done before.” For eighty years Daniel had prayed three times a day. Perhaps it was 7:00 AM, 12 noon, and 5:00 PM. Each day was always the same. Wherever he was, he stopped to pray at 7 AM, 12 noon, and 5 PM. Like clockwork, his daily routine revolved around three times of prayer: 7, Noon, and 5; 7, Noon, and 5; 7, Noon, and 5; 7, Noon, and 5. If he was on a business trip to some remote province, he never varied: 7, Noon, and 5. If he had a few days of vacation, it was the same: 7, Noon, and 5. You could set your watch by his prayer times. Do the math. Do you know how many times would Daniel have prayed if he prayed three times a day for 85 years?” Over 93,000 prayers. An 85-year habit is hard to break. For him, prayer was like breathing. He wasn’t about to stop praying just because some scoundrels had set a trap for him, threatening his life. He’s 85, he wasn’t going to live forever and he wasn’t afraid to die. So when they tricked Darius into signing the 30-day law, Daniel just went ahead with his daily routine. No big deal. He went home, knelt down, faced toward Jerusalem, and offered his prayers to God. He did it knowing that his adversaries would catch him. And Daniel is a busy man. His plate is full of tremendous responsibilities, yet he still had time to pray three times a day. I’m sure the reason he prayed that way was because he knew if he didn’t live by a schedule, prayer would soon be squeezed out. Prayer was so important to him that he was willing to die rather than give up his right to pray to God. I’m ashamed to admit it but I can think of dozens of ways that he could have not gotten caught. He could have simply closed his curtains and they wouldn’t have seen him pray. Or he could have said, “I’ll pray in my heart. No one will know.” After all, he was being forced to do this against his will and it was only for 30 days. He might have reasoned that by going along with the law, he could use his influence to help others. Certainly he must have known that if he didn’t go along with the law, the lions would eat him alive. None of those rationalizations were needed because long ago Daniel had made up his mind to serve God no matter what. His prior obedience made it easy for him. He had no decision to make. He just kept on doing what he had been doing all along. And I can almost see the conspirators deciding how they’ll catch Daniel breaking their law. His prayer life was so consistent they could literally pick the time to gather outside his window to catch him in prayer. Although it was no great accomplishment to catch Daniel in prayer, the conspirators approached Darius very carefully with this news. Accusing a man in the king's favor was dangerous. They began by asking the king about the law that had just gone into effect. He reiterated that he’d indeed passed the law forbidding any petition be made except to him and he further acknowledged that the penalty for breaking this law was to be cast into the lion's den. Only at this point did the conspirators shock the king with the announcement that Daniel has been found violating this very law. Their accusation was meant to impress upon the king that Daniel had not merely broken the law once, he was persisting in violating this law, showing in their minds complete disregard for the king and his authority. Darius knows he’s been had. He spent the remaining daylight hours trying to find a way to deliver Daniel from the lion's den. The conspirators refused to be put off by the king's resistance. After Darius spent the day seeking to find a loophole for Daniel's release, they returned and reminded the king the law Daniel had broken was a "law of the Medes and the Persians" and thus irrevocable. Essentially, they told the king he had no choice. He was bound by the law he had signed and subject to the plot of the conspirators who had convinced him to sign it. So reluctantly Darius gives the order for Daniel to be thrown into the lion's den, but Darius is rooting for the old man. In verse 16 he wishes Daniel well with these words, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” What a testimony to the reality of Daniel’s faith. Even unbelievers recognize true faith in God and they respect it. Having spoken words of faith and hope to Daniel, he had Daniel lowered into the lion's den, the stone cover put in place and sealed. No one dared tamper with the stone to deliver Daniel. It was a crude and very effective form of capital punishment. No one ever got out alive. Certainly not an old man over 80. Daniel was as good as dead the moment they threw him in, or so they thought. That night the king didn't sleep well, apparently Daniel slept like a baby. The king tossed and turned, paced the floor, refused all offers of entertainment, and even refused to eat. Early in the morning he rushed to the lion's den, hoping against hope that Daniel had somehow survived. When all is said and done, it’s better to be a child of faith in a lion's den than to be a king without God in a palace. I don't doubt that Daniel slept well, using one lion for a soft pillow and the long flowing mane of another lion for a blanket. It's true that God didn't prevent him from being thrown in the den, but the Lord went in with him. That's why, when morning came, Daniel was still alive, unharmed in any way. When they pulled him out, he had no wounds. No one had to apply any first aid. They didn't call 911. Daniel didn't have to go the hospital for observation. Though an old man, he came out at least as healthy as when he went in. God always takes care of His own. God shut the mouths of the lions so they couldn’t harm his servant. But back to King Darius for a moment, when he came rushing to check on things early in the morning, he cried out, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" (vs. 26). The pagan ruler is cheering for Daniel's God to come through. He recognized the genuineness of Daniel's faith and though he did not believe himself, he hoped that Daniel's God would deliver him. Verse 23 tells us why the miracle happened, Daniel “trusted in his God." Nothing fancy there. For over 80 years Daniel's faith had rested in the God of Israel. That wasn't about to change at this late date. Daniel simply kept on trusting in God and as a result, the lions couldn't touch him. Faith believes God, even when belief is unbelievable. The end of the story comes quickly. First, the enemies who plotted against Daniel are thrown to the lions. Then, Darius offers public praise to "the God of Daniel" Who is the living God who endures forever. He rescues and saves. He’s the One who delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. He acknowledges the God of Daniel as sovereign and Darius declares that Daniel's God is a far greater king than he, and that God's kingdom is much greater than his earthly kingdom. He’s the one who delivered Daniel. By inference, He’s also the One to whom men should rightly address their petitions. Since God had done what the king could not do in delivering Daniel, God is the One whom men should worship and the One to whom their petitions in prayer should be made. What amazing words coming from the lips of a pagan king, or perhaps he is a pagan no more. Perhaps like Nebuchadnezzar, Darius became a believer in the one true God. We won't know for sure until we get to heaven, but I would not be surprised to see King Darius there. There are some powerful lessons for us in this story: Daniel’s deliverance is a powerful story which wears well, even with repetition. Let's wrap up our study by considering seven lessons for modern-day Daniels who find themselves facing some lions.   1. It’s possible to live a pure life in the midst of a thoroughly pagan world. Daniel's story demonstrates that if you make up your mind to serve God, you can do it even in the very center of pagan government. Sometimes I talk with believers who complain about the difficulty of being a Christian in a wicked environment. They’ll relate stories of how they suffer ridicule and humiliation because of their faith. I don’t doubt the truth of what they say, but at some point we have to say to each other: Stop complaining. You're absolutely right. Working on a construction crew or in a factory isn't like working at a church camp. So be it. We have to face the fact that not everyone shares our faith, and then we have to go on from there. You can live for Christ on the job, in your office, in your classroom, in your family and in your neighborhood. There is always a way to compromise for those who want to compromise…and there is always a way to obey God for those who want to obey God.   2. Christians who live holy lives should expect persecution. Daniel was persecuted by his peers because he was godly. His godliness posed a serious threat to his peers. Whenever holy living threatens the sinful lifestyle of others, persecution may be expected. If you set out to live for the Lord, sooner or later (probably sooner) trouble will come your way. Ironically, the more honest you are, the sooner they will attack. 3. God is able to deliver His people from any danger they face. If God can deliver Daniel from the lion's den, He can deliver you from whatever you’re facing. Generations of Christians have taken strength from this story because in the end, the hero isn't Daniel, it's Daniel's God. Daniel’s God is sovereign over those who plot against you. He’s sovereign over the lions that surround you, so take heart and trust in God. He can deliver you from whatever is troubling you this very moment. 4. God always delivers in His own time and in His own way. This is the necessary balance. Does God always deliver his people? Yes, but not always in the way we expect. Not all our prayers are answered in the way we pray them. And in the end, we must confess that it is good that God has veto power over our fervent petitions. Sometimes God overrules because He sees the bigger picture and knows that He can glorify Himself in some way other than by delivering us from a difficult situation. This story ought to be a great encouragement to us because from it we learn that God can and sometimes does deliver in amazing and miraculous ways. Therefore, let us pray with confidence to a God who can stop the mouths of any lions we may face. And if God should choose to answer in some other way, we may rest secure that God makes no mistakes. His deliverance may be taking us Home to never suffer again.   5. Daniel is a model for dealing with the crises of life. We typically fail to concentrate on the important things when confronted by the crises which appear urgent. The "urgent" matters of life keep us from the "important" things. Daniel is an example of a man who knew the difference between the "urgent" and the "important." When times of "crisis" confronted him, he refused to panic or change his priorities and practices. He persisted in seeking first God's kingdom, trusting Him to provide the rest. The king and the conspirators could agree on one thing: Daniel was consistent and persistent. The way to deal with the inevitable crises of life is to establish godly disciplines in the routine times of life, and then to refuse to depart from them in times of crisis. We know too little of the godly discipline evident in the life of Daniel. It takes as little as a touch of fatigue or a football game on TV to cause us to set aside our spiritual disciplines. Daniel would not forsake his regimen even when a law had been passed against it. Some believe men do extraordinary things at times of crises. There may be some truth in this perspective, but I suggest times of crisis are those times when great Christians continue to persist in the good things they have practiced all along, when it was easier to do so. 6. Daniel's prayer life is both a rebuke and an encouragement to Christians today. Daniel had a life-long pattern of prayer. Anyone who knew anything about Daniel knew this. How many of us could claim to be as faithful in our prayer life as Daniel was? What a rebuke! Daniel saw himself as continually dependent upon God for his every need. He saw himself as powerless, without the provisions God gave to him daily. He saw himself as unable to please God and his earthly superiors, apart from God's grace. He prayed because he was aware of how great his needs were, and because he knew that only God could meet them. And that’s why our prayer life (mine included) is so weak, so anemic, so sporadic and undisciplined. We really do not sense the desperate need to pray. We fail to grasp our daily dependence on God and His provisions. All too often we forget it is only God who can meet our fundamental needs. And when we do sense the need for help, we usually begin by going to others first and God last. Daniel knew he had needs; he knew only God could meet them, and so he made daily prayer a priority in his life. 7. God can use us to touch the most unlikely people when we are faithful to Him. This account emphasizes the powerful effect that Daniel's personal integrity had on King Darius. While it’s true that many of his colleagues envied Daniel and plotted to kill him, it's also true that he made a huge impact for good on the mightiest man in the world. We never know who’s watching us or what they are looking for, but this story teaches us that not every unbeliever hates Christians. For every enemy out there planning our downfall, there’s a Darius keeping an eye on us, hoping that our faith may prove to be genuine. Such people have little or no faith and deep inside, they want what we have. Even though they may never say so, they’re cheering for us because they hope that what we believe will turn out to be true. Some Darius has his eyes on you right now. Be careful about what you do and say. Your example may be leading someone to heaven, or through carelessness you may be leading them in an entirely different direction. Conclusion: Daniel was willing to suffer and even die for his faith. How about you? How about me? In the days of the Roman Emperor Nero, a band of soldiers known as the “Emperor's Wrestlers” served him. They were picked from the best and the bravest of the land, recruited from the great athletes of the Roman amphitheater. In the great amphitheater they upheld the arms of the Emperor against all challengers. Before each contest they stood before the Emperor's throne. Then through the courts of Rome rang the cry: "We, the wrestlers, wrestling for thee, O Emperor, to win for thee the victory and for thee, the victor's crown." When the great Roman army was sent to fight in Gaul, no soldiers were braver or more loyal than this band of wrestlers led by their Centurion, Vespasian. But news reached Nero that many Roman soldiers had accepted the Christian faith. Therefore, this decree was dispatched to the centurion Vespasian; "If there be any among your soldiers who cling to the faith of the Christian, they must die!" The decree was received in the dead of winter. The soldiers were camped on the shore of a frozen inland lake. It was with sinking heart that Vespasian, the Centurion, read the emperor's message. Vespasian called the soldiers together and asked: "Are there any among you who cling to the faith of the Christian? If so, let him step forward!" Forty wrestlers instantly stepped forward two paces, respectfully saluted, and stood at attention. Vespasian paused. He’d not expected so many, nor such select ones. "Until sundown I shall await your answer," said Vespasian. Sundown came. Again the question was asked. Again the forty wrestlers stepped forward. Vespasian pleaded with them long and earnestly without prevailing upon a single one of them to deny his Lord. Finally he said, "The decree of the emperor must be obeyed, but I am not willing that your comrades should shed your blood. I order you to march out upon the lake of ice, and I shall leave you there to the mercy of the elements." The forty wrestlers were stripped and then, falling into columns of four, marched toward the center of the lake of ice. As they marched they broke into the chant of the arena: "Forty wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the victor's crown!" Through the night Vespasian stood by his campfire and watched. As he waited through the long night, there came to him fainter and fainter the wrestlers' song. As morning drew near one figure, overcome by exposure, crept quietly toward the fire; in the extremity of his suffering he had renounced his Lord. Faintly but clearly from the darkness came the song: "Thirty-nine wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the victor's crown!" It’s said that Vespasian looked at the figure drawing close to the fire. Perhaps he saw eternal light shining there toward the center of the lake. Who can say? But off came his helmet and clothing, and he sprang out upon the ice, crying, "Forty wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the victor's crown!"