2. God Is Alive, and He is Able to Save Those who Trust in Him! Daniel 6

3. I.Daniel is favored by the king (Dan 6:1-3)

4. Dan. 6:1 Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, 2 and over them 3 administrators, including Daniel. These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded. 3 Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit, so the king planned to set him over the whole realm.

5. “Darius” = not his name, but a title meaning“royal one”. “Darius” = a kingly title like “Pharaoh” or “Herod”

6. In Dan. 6, we see 2 earth-shattering changes to global politics: 1. The new Persian Empire was the largest empire the world had ever seen.

8. 2. Babylon had been an absolute monarchy or dictatorship. In Persia, the law was absolute.

9. Dan. 6:1 Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, 2 and over them 3 administrators, including Daniel. These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded. 3 Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit, so the king planned to set him over the whole realm.

10. Lk 16:10 Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also un- righteous in much. 11 So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine? … 13 No household slave can be the slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can ’ t be slaves to both God and money. ”

11. II.Daniel is framed by his enemies (Dan 6:4-9)

12. Dan 6:4 The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “ We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God. ”

13. Dan. 6:6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “ May King Darius live forever. 7 All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions ’ den. 8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed. ” 9 So King Darius signed the document.

14. III. Daniel remains faithful to God (Dan 6:10-11)

15. Dan. 6:10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and 3 times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.

16. Why did Daniel pray toward Jerusalem?

17. 1Kgs 8:44 When Your people go out to fight against their enemies, wherever You send them, and they pray to the L ORD in the direction of the city You have chosen and the temple I have built for Your name, 45 may You hear their prayer and petition in heaven and uphold their cause.

18. “ Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the NT. We look on prayer as a means of getting something for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we get to know God Himself. ” Oswald Chambers

19. Prayer does not fit us for the greater work. Prayer is the greater work. Oswald Chambers

20. IV.The king fails to rescue Daniel (Dan 6:12-15)

21. Dan 6:12 So they approached the king and asked about his edict: “ Didn ’ t you sign an edict that for 30 days any man who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions ’ den? ” The king answered, “ As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable. ”

22. 13 Then they replied to the king, “ Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays 3 times a day. ” 14 As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel and made every effort until sundown to deliver him. 15 Then these men went to the king and said to him, “ You as king know it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed. ”

23. V.Daniel is fed to the lions (Dan 6:16-18)

24. Dan 6:16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions ’ den. The king said to Daniel, “ May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you! ” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed.

29. Dan 6:18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and he could not sleep.

30. VI. Daniel is freed by the Lord ’ s Angel (Dan 6:19-23)

31. Dan. 6:19 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions ’ den. 20 When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “ Daniel, servant of the living God, ” the king said, “ has your God whom you serve continually been able to res-cue you from the lions? ” 21 Then Daniel spoke with the king: “ May the king live forever. 22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions ’ mouths. They haven ’ t hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king. ” 23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God.

32. Is. 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fatling will be together, and a child will lead them. 7 The cow and the bear will graze, their young ones will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like an ox. 8 An infant will play beside the cobra ’ s pit, and a toddler will put his hand into a snake ’ s den. 9 No one will harm or destroy on My entire holy mountain, for the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the L ORD as the sea is filled with water.

33. VII.Daniel ’ s God is feared and famous! (Dan 6:24-28)

34. Dan 6:24 The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions ’ den — they, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

35. Dan. 6:25 Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live in all the earth: “ May your prosperity abound. 26 I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion has no end. 27 He rescues and delivers; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions. ” 28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

36. Heb. 11:6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

37. Daniel // Christ: Enemies plot to kill Daniel (Dan 6:4) // Same for Christ (Jn 11:47-53) Accused for his relationship with God (Dan 6:5) // Accused of blasphemy (Mk 14:60-64) Arrested after praying (Dan 6:10-16) // Same for Christ (Mt 26:39-50) King tries to acquit Daniel (Dan 6:14) // Governor tries to acquit Christ (Jn 19:12)

38. Daniel // Christ: Daniel to be killed by lions (Dan 6:16) //Christ ’ s enemies like lions (Ps 22:13, 21) Lions ’ den sealed with a stone (Dan 6:17) // Christ ’ s tomb sealed w/ a stone (Mt 27:59- 66) King visits den early morning (Dan 6:19) // Women visit tomb early morning (Mt 28:1) An angel in lions ’ den (Dan 6:22) //An angel in Christ ’ s tomb (Mt 28:1-6)

39. Daniel // Christ: Enemies ’ bones broken (Dan 6:24) // Legs broken of others crucified (Jn 19:31- 36) Daniel suffers full penalty of the law (Dan 6:15) // Christ suffers full penalty of the Law (Gal 3:13) Daniel lives by God ’ s power (Dan 6:21-22) // Christ raised by God ’ s power (1 Cor 15:3-4)

40. Jn 15:20 Remember the word I spoke to you: A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.

41. Phil. 3:10 |My goal| is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

42. 2 Cor. 5:18 Now everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ ’ s behalf, “ Be reconciled to God. ”

43. 2Tim. 2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with Him;

44. Rom. 3:26 God presented Jesus to demonstrate God ’ s righteousness at the present time, so that God would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.