Friday, May 8, 2009

Facing the Lions

Just Who Are They?

“Then the king commanded, and they [just who are they?] brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions” Dan. 6:16a.

The lions were the executioners; it was they who were to carry out the sentence; to swiftly bring the demise, a final end, to Daniel. But the real threat was another ‘den of lions’, those who stalked, those who lay in wait, those who schemed, who watched the feeding habits of their prey, that they might take him, rip him asunder, tear him to shreds. “My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue is a sharp sword” Psalm 57:4.

“Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom. . .Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it concerning the law of his God” Dan. 6:4a,5. “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” I Peter 4:14. “he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him” vs. 4b. Who among us can qualify for such a testimony afforded Daniel?

Think you that history is not yet going to repeat itself; that it is happening even now, in our generation? Can it be that presidents and princes, dens of lions, are seeking to find occasion against the Daniels of our day?

Men think to set aside, to ignore the laws of God; to impose their own laws of unrighteousness upon those who would hold to and embrace God’s Divine Precepts.

If you’re going to face lions - first face Jerusalem!

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” Dan. 6:10.

And we know what has just happened, don‘t we? “All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains [the Babylonian Supreme Court, the Congress, the Senate, (the Pharisees, the priests) and all in lesser authority] have consulted together to establish a royal statute. . .a firm decree, that whosoever [Daniel] shall ask a petition [prayer] of any God [no, not just any god, but God] for thirty days [Oh, well and good! Daniel need only wait for thirty days to pray unto his God, and everything will be all right, Right?!] he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing. . .” Dan. 6:6-8.

The day will come when the true follower of Christ will find himself in defiance of the law of the land as he possesses a Bible, reads and follows its precepts, when he prays to the God of heaven, when he dares speak the name of Jehovah God both within and without his house.

Now when Daniel knew the decree was signed, he fled into his house, locked and secured the shutters, double bolted every door, hid himself is a corner, and mourned woefully unto his God: Lord, why hast thou forsaken me? Why has this evil persecution come upon me that these would conspire to take my life?” NO! When he knew the writing was signed, he prayed [ asked petition] and gave thanks before his God! Are there any Daniels in the room? Lift your hand! Daniel, who shall be able to separate you from the love of Christ? “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. . .shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” Rom. 8.

“and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem. . .” May we not understand that the windows of Daniel’s heart were continually opened unto Jesusalem: (no, it’s not an error in spelling; I meant to write Jesus Salem, who was Himself the God of Peace to the heart of Daniel as he faced the lions who hated him; who would not rest, who would never know “peace” until he was dead.)

When the shutters over the windows of our heart are opened, the Sonlight may shine, enter in, flooding our chamber. Therefore, when we step out into the darkness of this world, let us open the shutters of our hearts that the Sonlight which aforetime entered in, may from within, shine forth unto the darkened hearts of men.

What’s on your menu?

“and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God. . .” vs. 10. At the onset of the Jewish captivity in Babylon, there were four Hebrew children of which Daniel became the spokesman: “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank” Dan. 1:8.

The prince of the eunuchs feared for his life in that his king would see saddened faces (a fallen countenance) of these men upon partaking only of pulse and water. Daniel’s reply: Put us to the test; after ten days compare our countenance with those who ate the king’s meat and drank his wine. Apparently God was pleased; His face shown upon them; their hearts were filled with the Joy of the Lord - and it radiated on their faces! (The countenance of Cain was fallen. But did not the face of Abel glow as he obeyed the Lord and received His blessing?) Consider the reward of God upon these four Hebrew believers: “God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom. . .the king found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm” vs. 17,20. (Do you ever wonder why students who are home schooled or attend Christians schools seem to excel beyond those who attend other schools of learning?) Daniel was now as he was then: the Lord was his portion: he would continue to eat of the Bread of Life; to drink of Living Water. Three meals a day, if you please! He would receive nourishment from the King’s Table!

“Then these men assembled [the Babylonian House of Representatives, the Senate, the Supreme Court] and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God” vs.11. The assembly was called into session before the king - That Daniel which is of the children of the captivity of Judah regardeth thee not nor the decree which thou hast signed” vs.13.

But in the eyes of the king, “Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit [Spirit?] was in him” vs.3. The Lie: he regardeth thee not, nor your decree. NO! The king knew in his heart that Daniel ‘regarded him’, but he must have known also, that Daniel regarded his God - and His decrees, far above that of the king. . .

Shutting the mouths of the lions.

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” Rom. 3:19.

The mouths of the lions in the lion’s den were stopped: “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lion’s mouths, that they have not hurt me. . .” Dan. 6:22. The mouths of the lions were stopped: “And the king commanded, and they brought those men [as raging lions they were] which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions. . .the lions had mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den” Dan. 6:24. “they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah” Psalm 57:6. The law of God prevailed over men’s wicked laws of unrighteousness; their mouths were stopped. . .The mouth of Satan, that roaring lion, shall be stopped! “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. . .and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” Rev. 20:10. What a “lion’s den” that will be!

Devoured? or Delivered?

“your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” I Peter 5:8. “so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them. . “ Ezek. 34:12.

Satan walks about, seeking whom he may devour. . .Jesus, both Shepherd and the Lion of the tribe of Judah, goeth about seeking whom He may deliver.

We must not close without a hint of “Another” like Daniel: Daniel was preferred over all. . .the king thought to set him over the whole realm of the kingdom. Those who sought to find fault could not; he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. He prayed and made supplication before his God. He was falsely accused; he was made out to be an insurrectionist against the king and his kingdom. He was cast into the den of lions, a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den. The king set a seal with his own signet. In another place the den of lions or sepulchre was ‘made sure’; the stone was sealed. The king arose very early in the morning and went in haste unto the den of lions (or which should have been by now Daniel’s sepulchure.) Innocency was found in him; the mouths of the lions [ Death and the Grave?] were shut. The king commanded and Daniel was taken up out of the den. No manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. The king made another decree: that in every dominion of MY kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: For HE is the living God, and stedfast for ever and HIS kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and HIS dominion shall be even unto the end” Dan. 6:26.

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