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DISCOVERY SERIES

BILL CROWDER

Spiritual Livingin a Secular Culture

Lessons From the Life of Daniel

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Q0724 Spiritual Living.indd 1 3/26/12 10:39 AM

DANIEL:Spiritual LivingIn A SecularCulture

EEvery generation needs to see the timelessness of the Bible. Even a story

like Daniel in the lions’ den can become food for thoughtthroughout the rest of our lives.

The Bible isn’t just abouttelling us what we should do. It’sfar more enlightening than that.Each chapter tells us enoughabout God and ourselves toshow us how to line up withwhat He is doing in our world.

This is the conviction of Bill Crowder, RBC Director of Church Ministries. In thefollowing pages, he helps us tosee that what God reveals aboutHimself in the unfolding dramaof Daniel can put us in touchwith the great timeless purposesof life.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Design: Terry BidgoodScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.© 2006 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

The Conflict Of Cultures. . . . . . . . . . . 2

A Life Of Distinction(Dan. 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A Life Of Confidence(Dan. 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

A Life Of Courage(Dan. 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A Life Of Devotion(Dan. 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

The Need OfThe Hour . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

CULTURE INCONFLICT

IIn the 1960s, Americancitizens were fightingbattles on a number

of fronts. In Vietnam, oursoldiers were dying in anunpopular war. At home, wewere engaged in a series ofconflicts, each of whichwrote new chapters ofAmerican history:• Generational conflict,

with young peoplechallenging the authority,institutions, and hard-earned wealth that theirparents’ generation wasbequeathing to them.

• Racial conflict, with an emerging African-American communitywho were finally standing up to claim the equal rights grantedto them by their nationalconstitution.

• Religious conflict, withthe historic traditions ofmainstream churches

being challenged by anenthusiastic youth-basedmovement calling itselfThe Jesus People.The social upheaval

of the 60s foreshadowed aseries of social conflicts thatwould seriously threaten the unity of the nation. The “Culture Wars,” as they came to be known,divided society over a series of moral issues often linked to religiousconvictions.

THE IMPACT OF FAITH-BASEDDIFFERENCESThe role of personal faith in a divided culture isunavoidable. As Os Guinness wrote in his book The Call:

In today’s world,differences can be seen to make adifference. Beliefs haveconsequences (p.59).What begin as

theoretically different 2



views of God, the world,justice, humanness, andfreedom, end in radicallydivergent ways of living and dying.

In the past, some peopleof faith have withdrawnfrom society into insulatedcommunities separatedfrom the cultural fray.Others have organizedthemselves into politicalaction groups. Still othershave found themselvesdestined to show that, inthe hand of God, one lifecan make a difference—even without the guaranteeof civil rights, and even inthe middle of a foreignculture.

THE INFLUENCE OF ONE LIFEAbout 600 years before thebirth of Christ, Daniel sawhis nation overrun and hislife uprooted. Together witha group of other Jewishhostages, he was led as acaptive to a place called

Babylon—a foreign culturehundreds of miles and light-years away from the relativestability of Jerusalem. In aregion we now call Iraq,Daniel experienced thechallenge of living out hisfaith in a culture devoted toa vastly different set ofvalues and priorities.

As Daniel and his friendsentered this new world, theywould live out convictionsthat were destined to putthem out of step with theirpowerful captors. Yet, in themiddle of a pagan world,Daniel became:• a governmental leader,

serving in appointedpositions under threekings;

• a historian, recordingwhat God did in his day;

• a prophet, engaged inpredicting the future andspeaking truth to leaders.In the unfolding drama

of the Bible, Daniel is acase-study of personal faithin a hostile culture.

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A LIFE OFDISTINCTION (Daniel 1)

AAs Daniel’s story opens, Judah is

being invaded and business as usual has stopped. The prophetJeremiah knew why. Forover 20 years he had pledwith the citizens of Judah to return to their God. Hewarned them that if theyrefused, they would becaptured by the Babyloniansand taken captive for 70years (Jer. 25:1-11). BecauseJudah had turned a deaf ear, Daniel now writes as awitness to the invasion anddescribes what happened in its wake.

THE KING’S PLAN (1:1-7)

In the third year of thereign of Jehoiakim king ofJudah, Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon came toJerusalem and besieged

it. And the Lord gaveJehoiakim king of Judahinto his hand, with someof the articles of the houseof God, which he carriedinto the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought thearticles into the treasurehouse of his god (vv.1-2).King Nebuchadnezzar

of Babylon decided to takethe best and brightest of thecaptive nation of Judah anduse them to advance hisnation. Unlike Ahasuerus in the book of Esther, whotook women captive for his own personal pleasure,Nebuchadnezzar chose thefinest young men to betterhis nation.

Then the king instructedAshpenaz, the master ofhis eunuchs, to bringsome of the children ofIsrael and some of theking’s descendants andsome of the nobles, youngmen . . . (vv.3-4a).He pooled the best

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minds and abilities to make Babylon stronger. This selection processdemanded that they meethigh standards. Notice that he chose:

. . . young men in whomthere was no blemish, butgood-looking, gifted in allwisdom, possessingknowledge and quick tounderstand, who hadability to serve in theking’s palace (v.4a)That’s an impressive list!

They had to be good-lookingand without physical defect,skilled in wisdom and ableto learn, and capable in thearea of discernment.

These young men weregoing to be turned into wisemen. Notice verses 4b-7:

. . . whom they mightteach the language and literature of theChaldeans. And the kingappointed for them a dailyprovision of the king’sdelicacies and of the winewhich he drank, and three

years of training for them,so that at the end of thattime they might servebefore the king. Now fromamong those of the sons of Judah were Daniel,Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them thechief of the eunuchs gavenames: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach;to Mishael, Meshach; andto Azariah, Abed-Nego.This strategy presented

some subtle challenges. Yes, they would be better offthan the slaves in Babylon,but their situation producedchallenges others would notface. They came in severalforms:

Environment. These are the problems that eithershape our character orreveal it. The key here isthat having been taken to a strange, pagan land at animpressionable age, Danielwill maintain his purity.

Lifestyle. “The king’s5



delicacies” were notnecessarily bad dietarily. It was food that had beenoffered and dedicated toBabylon’s false gods. To eat that food was to endorse those idols.

Allegiance. The king’splan was a subtle attack onthe young men’s center ofgravity. First, he sought tochange their thinking byrequiring that they studyunder the astrologers ofBabylon. The second goalwas to change their worshipby changing their names.They all had names thatpointed to the God ofIsrael. The name changeswere to indicate a shift in allegiance to theBabylonian gods.

What wasNebuchadnezzar’s goal? By changing their way of thinking, eating, andworshiping, he hoped tochange their way of living.How would they respond tothis character test?

DANIEL’S RESPONSE (1:8-14)

But Daniel purposed inhis heart that he wouldnot defile himself with the portion of the king’sdelicacies, nor with thewine which he drank;therefore he requested ofthe chief of the eunuchsthat he might not defilehimself (v.8).Daniel recognized that

eating the king’s food raisedan issue of principle. He sawsomething about the foodthat prompted a responsesimilar to what we find KingDavid saying in Psalm 119:“Your Word I have hiddenin my heart, that I might not sin against You” (v.11).

What did Daniel see?First of all, the king’s foodwasn’t kosher—not preparedaccording to the dietaryprinciples of Israel. Life in exile, however, made itimpossible for the Jewishyoung men to keep many of the Torah- and temple-

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based laws of Israel. Butwhat was probably a greaterissue for Daniel was apattern that shows up inother places of his life. Hedidn’t want to do anythingthat would honor the gods of Babylon. Eating anddrinking food and wineoffered to idols was probably what Daniel sawas a violation of the Wordand the honor of his God.

The easy route wouldhave been to go with theflow: “When in Babylon, do as the Babylonians do.”But Daniel’s objective wasobedience, in spite of hisenvironment.

Daniel and friends took a stand the other captivesapparently did not take.Notice that Daniel“purposed in his heart.” This is the key attitude. Ifthe priority is purity, youmust have a desire to obeyGod and the commitment to act on that desire. Danielhad a variety of options,

but he was determined to be true to his God. A lifecommitted to God beginswith purpose of heart, andfrom the very beginning ofthe 3-year training period,he was tested on this issue.

Now God had broughtDaniel into the favor andgoodwill of the chief of theeunuchs. And the chief of the eunuchs said toDaniel, “I fear my lord theking, who has appointedyour food and drink. Forwhy should he see yourfaces looking worse thanthe young men who areyour age? Then you wouldendanger my head beforethe king” (vv.9-10).Faced with this dilemma,

Daniel used diplomacy andshowed a proper conscience.Even here, we see the workof God in preparation forthis moment. Daniel tookhis stand—and God gavehim favor with the chief of the eunuchs.

Then Daniel said to the 7



steward who had been putin charge of him:

“Please test your servantsfor ten days, and let themgive us vegetables to eatand water to drink. Thenlet our appearance beexamined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eatthe portion of the king’sdelicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with yourservants.” So he consentedwith them in this matter,and tested them ten days(vv.12-14).Daniel went to the

warden and asked for a 10-day trial diet of vegetables.I’m a meat-and-potatoeskind of guy, so this isn’t very attractive to me. Tendays of vegetables? Not forme. Beyond that, however,this test required a kind ofsuspension of the laws ofnutrition. How could therebe a noticeable difference in only 10 days? It was asmall test of faith that

would prepare Daniel for thegreater tests of faith to come.

GOD’S DELIVERANCE(1:15-20)The test worked and showedthat Daniel and his friendsknew what Israel forgot—God blesses obedience.

At the end of ten daystheir features appearedbetter and fatter in fleshthan all the young menwho ate the portion of theking’s delicacies. Thus thesteward took away theirportion of delicacies andthe wine that they were todrink, and gave themvegetables (vv.15-16).Daniel and his friends

came out better than theothers because God workedon their behalf. As a result,the diet was allowed tocontinue (though, to me,that would be more of apunishment than a reward).Daniel’s life had stayed firmbecause he was committedto a purity that flows from

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obedience to the Word, andit gave him a foundation forliving in a difficult culture.

As for these four youngmen, God gave themknowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in allvisions and dreams. Nowat the end of the days,when the king had saidthat they should bebrought in, the chief of theeunuchs brought them inbefore Nebuchadnezzar.Then the king interviewedthem, and among them all none was found likeDaniel, Hananiah,Mishael, and Azariah;therefore they servedbefore the king (vv.17-19).In verse 20, God’s

blessing is confirmed asDaniel and his friends weredeclared to be “ten timesbetter” than all the scholarsof Babylon.

At the end of theirtraining, Daniel was

probably no more than 20years old. This means hewas only 16 or 17 when heand the other young menwere initially put to the test.At that young age, Danielwas set apart for service andlived a life of distinction in apowerful pagan governmentof the ancient world.

A LIFE OFCONFIDENCE(Daniel 2)

CConsider the followingsituations. What do they all have in

common?• a goalkeeper for a World

Cup soccer team in apenalty kick shootout;

• a surgeon in the midst ofa difficult heart-bypassprocedure;

• an airline pilot trying toland a jet with two of theengines out.All of these challenging

situations demand that anindividual perform at the

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highest level of skill inmoments of great pressureand scrutiny. And this iswhere we find Daniel andhis friends as the storycontinues. They will riseabove the pressure with adeep confidence in God.

THE STAGE IS SET(2:1-13)

Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’sreign, Nebuchadnezzarhad dreams; and his spiritwas so troubled that hissleep left him (v.1).This verse epitomizes

Shakespeare’s line in Henry IV: “Uneasy lies thehead that wears a crown.”Nebuchadnezzar’s sleep was disturbed by dreams.But it was one particulardream that concerned him.As one writer put it, thecares of the day became thecares of the night, and theking awoke in turmoil andsummoned his advisors.(Daniel and friends were

not called, which impliesthat they were still intraining at the time.) Whomdid the king call? Verse 2tells us: “the magicians, theastrologers, the sorcerers,and the Chaldeans.”

“The magicians” were the sacred writers orscholars. “The astrologers”were enchanters and sacredpriests. “The sorcerers” wereinvolved in the occult andsold herbs and potions. And“the Chaldeans” were theking’s wise men.

Once they were allassembled before the king, adialogue ensued that wouldshow these alleged wise menjust how much trouble theywere in. Watch the dialogueunfold in verses 3-9:

And the king said to them,“I have had a dream, andmy spirit is anxious toknow the dream.” Thenthe Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tellyour servants the dream,

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and we will give theinterpretation.” The kinganswered and said to theChaldeans, “My decisionis firm: if you do not makeknown the dream to me,and its interpretation, youshall be cut in pieces, andyour houses shall be madean ash heap. However, ifyou tell the dream and itsinterpretation, you shallreceive from me gifts,rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and itsinterpretation.” Theyanswered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream,and we will give itsinterpretation.” The kinganswered and said, “Iknow for certain that youwould gain time, becauseyou see that my decision isfirm: if you do not makeknown the dream to me,there is only one decree foryou! For you have agreedto speak lying and corrupt

words before me till the time has changed.Therefore tell me thedream, and I shall knowthat you can give me itsinterpretation.” Their plea for mercy in

verses 10-13 revealed theseriousness of the dangerthey were in:

The Chaldeans answeredthe king, and said, “Thereis not a man on earth whocan tell the king’s matter;therefore no king, lord, orruler has ever asked suchthings of any magician,astrologer, or Chaldean. Itis a difficult thing that theking requests, and there isno other who can tell it tothe king except the gods,whose dwelling is not withflesh.” For this reason theking was angry and veryfurious, and gave thecommand to destroy allthe wise men of Babylon.So the decree went out, and they begankilling the wise men;

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and they sought Danieland his companions, to kill them.When the Chaldeans

told the king that his requestto interpret his dream wasunfair because only the godscould do such a thing, theyunwittingly set the stage forDaniel’s God to do just that!

Once they admitted theirinability, Nebuchadnezzarexploded. He was soenraged that he ordered all the wise men—includingDaniel and the youths intraining—to be executed. As a result, Daniel and hisfriends were arrested.

THE SUBMISSIVEHEARTS (2:14-23)Arioch, the captain of theking’s guard, was sent out to kill all the wise men ofBabylon. But when heapproached Daniel, Danielwas able to speak to him“with counsel and wisdom”(v.14). Daniel asked for anexplanation and Arioch told

him the entire sad story.Making the most of theopportunity,

Daniel went in and askedthe king to give him time,that he might tell the kingthe interpretation (v.16).Essentially, Daniel

said, “Give me time, and I guarantee the king ananswer.” This was a hugepromise in the face of thefailure of the others.

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known toHananiah, Mishael, andAzariah, his companions,that they might seekmercies from the God ofheaven concerning thissecret, so that Daniel andhis companions might notperish with the rest of thewise men of Babylon(vv.17-18).Daniel shared his heart’s

burden with his friends, andtogether they began praying.They began to “seek merciesfrom the God of heaven.”

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This was a powerfulexpression of their spiritualconfidence. They desiredthat God in His mercywould intervene and rescuethem from the executionthat had been planned.

Then the secret wasrevealed to Daniel in anight vision. So Danielblessed the God of heaven.Daniel answered and said:“Blessed be the name ofGod forever and ever, forwisdom and might areHis. And He changes thetimes and the seasons; Heremoves kings and raisesup kings; He gives wisdomto the wise and knowledgeto those who haveunderstanding. He revealsdeep and secret things; Heknows what is in thedarkness, and light dwellswith Him. I thank Youand praise You, O God of my fathers; You havegiven me wisdom andmight, and have nowmade known to me what

we asked of You, for Youhave made known to usthe king’s demand”(vv.19-23).As they prayed, God

unveiled the secret of theking’s dream to Daniel.Notice in verse 19 thematter-of-fact statement ofthis answer to prayer. Thiswas not a big surprise! Withthe proverbial noose stillaround Daniel’s neck, hisfirst response was not togain relief or to use hisknowledge to his ownadvantage. Rather, it was toworship. And the focus ofthat worship was the God ofpower and provision. Whatgreat praise was given:• “Blessed be the name

of God,” which is anemblem of His character;

• “Wisdom and might areHis,” not Daniel’s;

• “He changes the times and the seasons,”implying total controlover all of life;

• “He removes kings and 13



raises up kings,” for God is sovereign over the nations;

• “He gives wisdom . . .and knowledge,” as ispromised in James 1:5;

• “He reveals deep andsecret things,” includingthis dream;

• “He knows what is in the darkness, and lightdwells with Him.”Daniel gave God all

the praise for answering his prayer (v.23). What a marvelous display ofworship! Would it have been inappropriate forDaniel to thank God forsaving his life? Of coursenot. But it seems that eventhis miraculous rescue wassecondary in Daniel’s mindto the wonder of the Godwho performed it.

Daniel’s response shouldcause all of us to examineour heart to see where ourown focus would have been:• on the Blesser, or on

the blessings?

• on the Lord of the work,or on the work?

• on the God who answersprayer, or on the answer?It’s all about focus.

And when we fail to put our confidence in God, it’s easy to lose our focus. Our perspectives becomeblurred, and we see the treesrather than the forest. YetDaniel’s focus stayed clearduring a time of life-and-death pressure. His heartwas locked in on his God,and God enabled him toperform rather than wiltunder pressure.

THE SECRETREVEALED (2:24-30)Daniel moved ahead inconfidence that God wouldprepare the way.

Therefore Daniel went toArioch, whom the kinghad appointed to destroythe wise men of Babylon.He went and said thus tohim: “Do not destroy thewise men of Babylon; take

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me before the king, and I will tell the king theinterpretation.” ThenArioch quickly broughtDaniel before the king,and said thus to him, “Ihave found a man of thecaptives of Judah, whowill make known to theking the interpretation”(vv.24-25).Daniel went to Arioch,

who announced to the kingthat the answer had beenfound. When Daniel stoodbefore the king (apparentlyfor the first time, and still inhis teens), the king asked acompelling question:

Are you able to makeknown to me the dreamwhich I have seen, and itsinterpretation? (v.26).In other words, was

Daniel able to succeedwhere the other wise menhad failed? As the followingverses show, the answer was a definitive yes. Danielanswered the king, and said:

The secret which the king

has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and thesoothsayers cannot declare to the king. Butthere is a God in heavenwho reveals secrets, andHe has made known toKing Nebuchadnezzarwhat will be in the latterdays. . . . He who revealssecrets has made knownto you what will be. Butas for me, this secret hasnot been revealed to mebecause I have morewisdom than anyoneliving, but for our sakeswho make known theinterpretation to the king, and that you mayknow the thoughts of your heart (vv.27-30). This was not false

humility. It was a sincereunderstanding of his role in the event. To this youth,the issue was clear—it wasabout God, not Daniel. And his actions revealed the trust he felt.

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APPLICATIONDaniel would recite thedream and its interpretationaccurately in verses 31-45,but the key result is inverses 46-47—a declarationof the glory of Daniel’s God.

In life, as with weather,there are times of highpressure or low pressure—but there are never times of no pressure. Our choicesduring these changing timestell a lot about us.

Where is our focus in times of pressure? Are we scrambling to protectourselves at all costs? Arewe doing desperate thingsthat harm others in theprocess? Or are we moreconcerned about how ouractions will reflect on ourGod?

In your thoughtfulmoments, ask God toshowcase His presence in your life. Use thesemoments to line up with the eternal purposes andhonor of God.

A LIFE OFCOURAGE (Daniel 5)

OOs Guinness writes inThe Call that comingof age in the 60s was

“a bracing privilege.” No one could take anything forgranted. For thinking people,everything was challengedand taken back to squareone. Guinness continues:

Nowhere was thischallenge more plainthan in knowing what we believed and why. . . . And the ABC (or“anything butChristianity”) mood ofthe decade often meantthat any religion wasfresh, relevant, andexciting as long as it wasnot Christian, orthodox,or traditional (p.145).

A NEW KING (5:1-4)As we approach Daniel 5,we see a man whochallenged everything—

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especially the God whomNebuchadnezzar had turnedto years before (4:34-37).The year is 538 BC, 23 yearsafter Nebuchadnezzar’sdeath. The new king isNebuchadnezzar’s grandsonBelshazzar—a man devotedto any god but the true God.It’s a devotion that wouldbring his own downfall andthat of his kingdom. The cityof Babylon was under siegeby the armies of the Medo-Persian empire. And Daniel,now between 80 and 85years old, had to confronthim.

Like Nero fiddling whileRome burned, Belshazzarordered a national holiday—in spite of the siege thatthreatened the city.

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for athousand of his lords, anddrank wine in the presenceof the thousand (v.1).Why would he do that?

Several reasons are possible.First, it was to put the

people at ease. Likesomeone who nervouslywhistles his way through agraveyard, he invited 1,000city leaders to portray anatmosphere of confidence inspite of the danger. Second,Belshazzar may havewanted to show theauthority of his kingdom.Third, he wanted tocelebrate the Babyloniangods. These gods weredisplayed on the walls of the banquet hall, andBelshazzar led in toastingeach of them in turn. Wheneveryone was drunk, theking made his fatal mistake.

While he tasted the wine,Belshazzar gave thecommand to bring thegold and silver vesselswhich his fatherNebuchadnezzar hadtaken from the templewhich had been inJerusalem, that the kingand his lords, his wives,and his concubines mightdrink from them. Then

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they brought the goldvessels that had beentaken from the temple ofthe house of God whichhad been in Jerusalem;and the king and hislords, his wives, and hisconcubines drank fromthem. They drank wine,and praised the gods ofgold and silver, bronzeand iron, wood and stone (vv.2-4).Remember, the kingdom

is under siege and the kingis trying to somehow propup his shaky realm. So, in a drunken stupor, he calls for the temple vessels thatwere taken from Jerusalemyears before. Why would he do this? Perhaps . . .• he wished to defy God;• he wanted to prove that

the old prophecy (fromDaniel to Belshazzar’sgrandfather) of Babylon’sdemise was false;

• he remembered howDaniel had humbled Nebuchadnezzar and

may have decided toshow his superiority. Whatever the reason,

in a time when Belshazzarshould have been fastinginstead of feasting, heshowed his utter contemptfor the Most High God. Hetoasted his idols with vesselsintended for the worship ofGod.

A NEW CHALLENGE (5:5-12)God declared judgment with His handwriting on thewall—and the king saw it!

In the same hour thefingers of a man’s handappeared and wroteopposite the lampstand onthe plaster of the wall ofthe king’s palace; and theking saw the part of thehand that wrote. Then the king’s countenancechanged, and his thoughtstroubled him, so that thejoints of his hips wereloosened and his kneesknocked against each

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other. The king cried aloudto bring in the astrologers,the Chaldeans, and thesoothsayers. The kingspoke, saying to the wisemen of Babylon, “Whoeverreads this writing, and tellsme its interpretation, shallbe clothed with purple andhave a chain of goldaround his neck; and heshall be the third ruler inthe kingdom” (vv.5-7).Belshazzar suddenly

sobered up. He became paleand weak, and his kneesknocked together. Earlier, he had been too drunk tostand. Now he was toofrightened to!

He immediately offered areward to anyone who couldinterpret the writing (v.7).When all his wise menfailed (v.8), he “was greatlytroubled, his countenancewas changed, and his lordswere astonished” (v.9).

The king completely losthis cool because he faced asituation that he couldn’t

control. The solution would come from anunlikely place.

The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to thebanquet hall. The queenspoke, saying, “O king,live forever! Do not letyour thoughts trouble you,nor let your countenancechange. There is a man in your kingdom in whomis the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding andwisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and KingNebuchadnezzar yourfather—your father theking—made him chief ofthe magicians, astrologers,Chaldeans, andsoothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit,knowledge, understanding,interpreting dreams,solving riddles, andexplaining enigmas

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were found in this Daniel,whom the king namedBelteshazzar, now letDaniel be called, and hewill give the interpretation”(vv.10-12).

A NEWOPPORTUNITY(5:13-31)Daniel, now an old man,arrived and was brought to the king (v.13). What ascene! When Daniel saw the banquet hall with itsidolatry, immorality, anddefiance of God, imaginewhat was in the heart of thisgodly man who had soughtto live a life of purity.

Belshazzar offered Danielthe reward for interpretingthe dream, but Daniel wouldnot be bought. The king said:

I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding andexcellent wisdom arefound in you. Now thewise men, the astrologers,

have been brought inbefore me, that theyshould read this writingand make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give theinterpretation of the thing.And I have heard of you,that you can giveinterpretations andexplain enigmas. Now ifyou can read the writingand make known to me itsinterpretation, you shallbe clothed with purpleand have a chain of goldaround your neck, andshall be the third ruler inthe kingdom (vv.14-16).Notice that Daniel did

not display the same level of compassion for this kingthat he had once shown toNebuchadnezzar. He flatlyrefused the king’s gifts andexposed his sin. Previously,he had counseled withcompassion. But now hepreached with fury.

Daniel told the king to keep his gifts. Then he

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proceeded to give him ahistory lesson. This historylesson went back to the daysof Nebuchadnezzar (vv.18-19) and once again broughtto the surface the problemthe king had with pride(vv.20-21)—a problemshared by Belshazzar.

Before Daniel gave theinterpretation, he declaredGod’s judgment onBelshazzar and confirmedthat his sin was not a sin ofignorance: “You . . . havenot humbled your heart,although you knew all this”(v.22). If not ignorance, whatwas it?• It was arrogance (v.23),

seen in the king’s defiantspirit.

• It was blasphemy (v.23),displayed in the defilingof the temple vessels.

• It was idolatry (v.23).Notice Daniel’s sarcasmas he described the idolsthey were worshiping.

• It was rebellion (v.23),because the king refused

to let God be God.• It deserved the

judgment of God. Thehandwritten message onthe wall indicated thatjudgment was coming(v.24).Belshazzar had failed to

consider the power of theMost High God and Hissovereign intervention.

The inscription on thewall is revealed in verse 25:

“MENE, MENE, TEKEL,UPHARSIN.”

Daniel gave theinterpretation of the message in verses 26-28:

This is the interpretationof each word. MENE: God has numbered yourkingdom, and finished it;TEKEL: You have beenweighed in the balances,and found wanting;PERES: Your kingdomhas been divided, andgiven to the Medes andPersians.Judgment was coming.

How could it not? It was a 21



classic case of Proverbs29:1, “He who is oftenrebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly bedestroyed, and that withoutremedy.” There was no offerof relief or remedy; therewas no way out, noloophole, no technicality—just the consequences offoolish choices.

Then Belshazzar gave the command, and theyclothed Daniel with purpleand put a chain of goldaround his neck, andmade a proclamationconcerning him that heshould be the third rulerin the kingdom. That verynight Belshazzar, king ofthe Chaldeans, was slain.And Darius the Medereceived the kingdom,being about sixty-twoyears old (vv.29-31).“That very night” it all

happened. The seeminglyimpenetrable walls ofBabylon were penetrated by the Medo-Persian

armies and the city fell. The historian Xenophon tells us that Cyrus’ general,Ugbaru, conquered Babylonby damming the river thatflowed through the heart of the city. Then the armymarched under the walls and conquered the city.

Notice, however, thatbefore Belshazzar was killedand his kingdom conquered,he ordered the rewards to begiven to Daniel, includingthat he be made the thirdhighest ruler in the kingdom.

APPLICATIONBelshazzar, who wasconsumed by the same kind of pride that nearlydestroyed his grandfather,tried to defy God. But hefailed. The result was that he was “weighed in thebalances, and foundwanting.” This raises a keyquestion that each of usneeds to answer: How do I measure up?

How do I measure up—22



not in the eyes of the crowdbut in the eyes of God, theAudience of One?

What we must neverforget is that we are first andforemost called to live beforethe Audience of One—notother people. The issuebefore us is clear. May we so live that we measure upto God’s design for our lives.To live, as Daniel did, to bemeasured only by the Lord.

A LIFE OFDEVOTION (Daniel 6)

WWhat do you reallyneed?” the TV

commercial asksas you are swimming fromthe depths of the ocean tothe surface. What do youneed most? Shark repellent?Swim fins? Muscle power?The answer? What you needmost is oxygen. It is the onething you cannot survivewithout.

What is it that you

cannot live without? Daniel will face that critical question next.

It is now about 538 BC,and Daniel, having spentalmost his entire life incaptivity, is an old manserving under his thirdruler—Darius the Mede.

As chapter 6 opens,Darius has set up hisgovernment in Babylon.Daniel was made one of the king’s three governorsover the entire realm (vv.1-2). Everything in this newgovernment was complexbecause of the weakness ofa split kingdom (Cyrus ofPersia; Darius of Media),and dual bureaucracies.

When Darius decided to elevate Daniel and put himin charge of the entire realm(v.3), Daniel again foundhimself under scrutiny.

THE PROBLEM OFJEALOUSY (6:4-9)

So the governors andsatraps sought to find

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some charge againstDaniel concerning thekingdom; but they couldfind no charge or fault,because he was faithful;nor was there any error or fault found in him.Then these men said, “Weshall not find any chargeagainst this Daniel unlesswe find it against himconcerning the law of hisGod.” So these governorsand satraps throngedbefore the king, and saidthus to him: “King Darius,live forever! All thegovernors of the kingdom,the administrators andsatraps, the counselorsand advisors, haveconsulted together toestablish a royal statuteand to make a firm decree,that whoever petitions any god or man for thirtydays, except you, O king,shall be cast into the denof lions. Now, O king,establish the decree andsign the writing, so that

it cannot be changed,according to the law of the Medes and Persians,which does not alter.”Therefore King Dariussigned the written decree.These lower-level

officials despised the factthat Daniel was in authorityover them—and theywanted him removed. Prideis competitive, and envy isthe result of wounded pride.C. S. Lewis wrote:

Pride is essentiallycompetitive. . . . Pride getsno pleasure out of havingsomething, only out ofhaving more of it thanthe next man. We saypeople are proud of beingrich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not.They are proud of beingricher, or cleverer, orbetter-looking than others(Mere Christianity, p.122). These proud men were

wounded by the elevation ofa man of integrity—and theywanted to destroy him for it.

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How would they attack?They looked for grounds toaccuse him, but couldn’tfind any fault in him. Why?Because “he was faithful”(v.4). This is quite atestimony—particularlycoming from his enemies. In spite of living in anenvironment that was amoral cesspool, Daniel had stayed pure.

Attacking someone of impeccable character is a problem, so Daniel was attacked at his onlyperceivable point ofweakness—his devotion to God. What a testimony!The only way to attackDaniel was to attack hisrelationship with God.

The officials conspiredtogether and petitionedDarius with a united front(vv.6-7), using deception toplay on Darius’ pride. Theyasked him to create a lawthat would make it illegal for the next 30 days to make a petition to any god

or man—except to Dariushimself. Since Darius wasplaying second fiddle toCyrus the Persian, thisdecree elevated him to the position of a god andenhanced the sense of his power that Cyrus hadlimited.

Notice the penalty forviolating this decree: getting“cast into the den of lions”(v.7). The jealousy of theofficials knew no bounds.They wanted Daniel dead.

Darius affirmed theirdecree (v.9), and since thiswas “the law of the Medesand Persians,” it couldn’t berevoked. This explains whythe decree was limited to 30days. After Daniel was dead,they could get back to theirnormal lives.

Apparently, Darius was agood man. But, like all of us,he had weaknesses. In theheat of the moment, with hisego stroked, he made a rashdecision and approved theirlaw banning prayer.

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THE POWER OFTESTIMONY (6:10-11)Daniel was so devoted toGod that obedience to Himwas more important thanobedience to unjust laws.This illustrates the biblicalprinciple of obedientdisobedience in which we must choose betweenobeying God’s Word or man.In the New Testament, wesee this principle practicedby the apostles when theywere commanded to stoppreaching. They said, “Weought to obey God ratherthan men” (Acts 5:29).

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he wenthome. And in his upperroom, with his windowsopen toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on hisknees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before hisGod, as was his customsince early days (v.10).

Daniel disobeyed theunjust law by praying. Thisis the secret of a pure life in the midst of an impureenvironment. He went about his regular business,unwilling to change or evenappear to change to satisfythe crowd.

Then these men assembledand found Daniel prayingand making supplicationbefore his God (v.11).Daniel broke their law

because it violated God’slaw—and he was caught.But the fear of being caughtdid not deter him. Danielwas willing to accept theconsequences of beingobedient to God. This is ahard but vital lesson. Keep in mind two things:• We must be willing to

accept the consequencesfor doing the right thing.The apostle Peter said,“But even if you shouldsuffer for righteousness’sake, you are blessed” (1 Pet. 3:14).

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• God is still in control,even when life unfairlybanishes us to theproverbial lions’ den.Daniel was caught

praying to God, and he would suffer forrighteousness’ sake. But he was prepared to glorify God.

THE PEACE OF GOD (6:12-17)

And they went before the king, and spokeconcerning the king’sdecree: “Have you notsigned a decree that everyman who petitions anygod or man within thirtydays, except you, O king,shall be cast into the den of lions?” The kinganswered and said, “Thething is true, according tothe law of the Medes andPersians, which does notalter.” So they answeredand said before the king,“That Daniel, who is one of the captives from

Judah, does not show due regard for you, Oking, or for the decree that you have signed, butmakes his petition threetimes a day” (vv.12-13).These men were

certainly sly. First, theyreminded Darius of hisirrevocable decree. Thenthey leveled their attack with an accusation that wasa mix of truth and slander.Daniel had not disregardedthe king, but he did refuse to disregard his God.

And the king, when heheard these words, wasgreatly displeased withhimself, and set his hearton Daniel to deliver him;and he labored till thegoing down of the sun todeliver him. Then thesemen approached the king,and said to the king,“Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medesand Persians that nodecree or statute which the king establishes may

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be changed” (vv.14-15).Darius’ response shows

that he finally understoodwhat was going on, for hewas “greatly displeased withhimself.” He had exercisedpoor judgment, and was grieved. It seems he was not displeased with Daniel or with Daniel’s behaviorbut with his own pride.

Darius pursued Daniel’srelease because he didn’twant him to suffer theconsequences of the foolishdecree (v.14). He looked fora legal loophole, but therewas none. He saw theimpact of his actions andrealized that he was too late.In effect, Darius was trappedby his own law (v.15). Therewas no way out—Danielhad to be executed.

So the king gave thecommand, and theybrought Daniel and casthim into the den of lions.But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “YourGod, whom you serve

continually, He will deliveryou.” Then a stone wasbrought and laid on themouth of the den, and theking sealed it with his ownsignet ring and with thesignets of his lords, thatthe purpose concerningDaniel might not bechanged (vv.16-17).Having been found guilty

of the crime of serving Godcontinually (v.16), Danielwas cast into the lions’ den.These lions were there forthe purpose of torturingprisoners. They were usuallystarved, mistreated, andtaunted so they would rip a man to pieces.

In desperation, Dariustried to offer consolation to Daniel at his execution(v.16). The den was thencovered with a stone andsealed (v.17).

Have you ever wonderedwhat happened inside thelions’ den once the stonewas sealed? One Biblescholar suggests that

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Daniel slid to the cave floorand was approached bylions—only to have them liearound him to give warmthand comfort for the coldnight ahead!

THE PROTECTIONOF GOD (6:18-23)As Daniel slept peacefullywith the lions, Darius had a very different kind ofnight. This highlights thedifference between a clearconscience (Daniel’s) and aheart full of guilt (Darius’).

Now the king went to hispalace and spent the nightfasting; and no musicianswere brought before him.Also his sleep went fromhim (v.18).Worry, guilt, loss of sleep,

loss of appetite—all were theeffects of Darius’ failure todiscern the evil conspiracy ofhis officials. So, the king roseand went to the den of lions.

When he came to the den, he cried out with alamenting voice to Daniel.

The king spoke, saying toDaniel, “Daniel, servant ofthe living God, has yourGod, whom you servecontinually, been able to deliver you from thelions?” Then Daniel saidto the king, “O king, liveforever! My God sent Hisangel and shut the lions’mouths, so that they havenot hurt me, because Iwas found innocent beforeHim; and also, O king, I have done no wrongbefore you.” Now the kingwas exceedingly glad forhim, and commanded thatthey should take Danielup out of the den. SoDaniel was taken up outof the den, and no injurywhatever was found onhim, because he believedin his God (vv.20-23).After a sleepless night,

Darius went to see what had happened. He wasalmost pathetic as he calledinto the den that should holdno human life. Even in the

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words of Darius, we see theprofound impact of Daniel’slife on him: “Has your God,whom you serve continually,been able to deliver you fromthe lions?” It’s amazing thatDarius even considered thepossibility that God protectedDaniel from the lions. Then,from out of the darkness,came Daniel’s calm,confident reply that God, in fact, had protected him.

Daniel was not hurt,“because he believed in hisGod” (6:23). Hebrews 11:33also tells us that it wasDaniel’s faith that “stoppedthe mouths of lions.” Ofcourse, as Hebrews 11:35-40indicates, it’s not alwaysGod’s will to deliver Hischildren. In the earlychurch, untold thousands of martyrs were fed to lionsand ushered into eternity.But whether or not Goddelivers at any particularmoment, His ability todeliver is never diminished.He is always able.

EDICTS OF DARIUS(6:24-28)

And the king gave thecommand, and theybrought those men whohad accused Daniel, andthey cast them into theden of lions—them, theirchildren, and their wives;and the lions overpoweredthem, and broke all theirbones in pieces before theyever came to the bottom ofthe den (v.24).Just as Haman in the

book of Esther was hangedon his own gallows, so theaccusers were cast into the lions’ den where theysuffered the fate they hadintended for Daniel.

Then King Darius wrote:To all peoples, nations,and languages that dwellin all the earth: Peace bemultiplied to you. I makea decree that in everydominion of my kingdommen must tremble and fearbefore the God of Daniel.For He is the living God,

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and steadfast forever; Hiskingdom is the one whichshall not be destroyed, andHis dominion shall endureto the end. He delivers andrescues, and He workssigns and wonders inheaven and on earth, whohas delivered Daniel fromthe power of the lions(vv.25-27).This is a much stronger

statement of faith than theone Nebuchadnezzar gave(4:34-35,37).

The story ends with anacknowledgment of Daniel’sprosperity:

So this Daniel prosperedin the reign of Darius andin the reign of Cyrus thePersian (v.28).Daniel was the

embodiment of Psalm 1:3, “He shall be like a treeplanted by the rivers of water,that brings forth its fruit in itsseason, whose leaf also shallnot wither; and whatever hedoes shall prosper.” God hadtruly blessed Daniel.

APPLICATIONWhen we read the storyhundreds of years later, weknow the outcome—butDaniel didn’t. He knewGod’s ability, but he didn’tknow God’s plan. He onlyknew that he wanted to live to honor his God. That meant making adecision to obey God rather than submit to themost powerful government of his day.

Daniel also knew that hecouldn’t survive withoutexpressing his heart to God.It’s been said that God’sWord is the milk, meat, andbread of life. But prayer is itsbreath. You can live for along period of time withoutfood, but you can’t survivemore than a few minuteswithout breath. That’s howimportant prayer is. But dowe give prayer that kind ofpriority in our lives? This isthe essence of spiritual livingin the midst of a secularculture.

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THE NEED OFTHE HOUR

PPreacher E. M. Boundswrote, “The church

is looking for bettermethods; God is looking forbetter men” (Power ThroughPrayer, p.9).

The unfolding drama of Daniel shouts that samemessage to us. We are livingin a Babylonian-like world.We are surrounded by anever-changing, constantlydeteriorating culture. Yet, it is to this kind of a worldthat we are called to be the Daniels of our owngeneration. We can either be poured into the mold ofour culture, or like Daniel,we can use the darkness asan opportunity to reflect thelight of our God.

The choice is ours. How will we, as men andwomen of God, serve God in our generation? Daniel’sgracious courage to live his life to honor God is a

wonderful example andlegacy for us.

It’s possible, however,that you have not yet begun to live in the spirit of Daniel’s God. If not, youcan meet the Savior in thepages of the New Testament.According to the Gospelwriters, Daniel’s God cameto us in the person of HisSon. After 3 years of publiclife, Jesus voluntarily diedon an executioner’s cross topay for our sins. Three dayslater He rose from the dead.Now He offers the free gift of forgiveness to all who will acknowledge theirhopeless condition and trust Him and His gift. Ifyou believe in this Christ but have never personallyopened your heart to Him,then claim the promise ofthe apostle John, who wrote:

As many as received Him,to them He gave the rightto become children ofGod, to those who believein His name (Jn. 1:12).

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