Closets, Windows Open

Daniel 6:10-22

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. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

Here, Daniel purposed in his heart to serve God. Might I suggest that this is where the Muslims borrowed their tradition to pray towards Mecca. Daniel prayed towards Jerusalem, his hometown, from which he now found himself apart. There is nothing more special about one city than another anymore than something good could come from Nazareth in that day of John 1:46. Nazareth was like the West Virginia or Jersey Shore of our time. Washington D.C. is not much different. Sure, they put on different clothing and sound more educated but is it not just more of the same nonsense. This is why Jesus had to tell the woman at the well that none will worship at that mountain or the other, but she should worship there in her heart and in her life. This is why I go to bed to pray. I close my eyes and I go to sleep. My spirit is free to return to him for from him it came. In the night watches and asleep on my bed, I pray to God. I do not say all this to sound a trumpet of what I do in your ears as do some hypocrites of Matthew 6:5. Rather, there is a spiritual principle here to be learned. The window is open not to let God in, but to let Daniel out. Behind him peeking through the door, the clothes, the stuff, and the mess are all the leaders of that time who apparently had nothing better to do. King Nebuchadnezzar once called these sort wicked and misleading councilors who were always conspiring to hatch a plot. Remember, they did just leave off ruling the people so the king would not suffer loss just to chase Daniel from his duties to the closet and back again. Among these men were some distant cousins, half-brothers, and uncles. To me, it is clear that Daniel missed home. More than that, he missed good king Nebuchadnezzar with whom he had found such a friend and confidant.

Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

These men are so caught up on a decree this and decree that they missed the whole point of the prayer. In fact, these councilors probably felt they were doing God, Daniel, and themselves a favor by their hit and run tactics as in John 16:2. Daniel regarded the king and his order not. If you remember in times long ago, King Nebuchadnezzar decreed that all must worship the God of Daniel only. Boy did Daniel ever miss home. Nothing was as it used to be. Nothing seemed to be quite the same. How many of you know that when the situation seems hopeless, God is there. Even the king acknowledged that all his accusers had said of him was true. Notice the faith of this king. There is not a thought given for himself nor even the consequences of revealing himself to these men who had once plotted his hurt. God understands we are very human. He faults no one for this. Rather, he sees such things as an opportunity to fill in with himself. Notice also that Daniel prayed three times a day. Those who heard of everything that happened doubtless took him for an example of what they should follow. Thus, the religion of Islam is based on the traditions of men rather than the righteousness of Christ. Daniel could have prayed fifty times a day had he so chosen, or he could have prayed within himself as unto God. However, what got these men in trouble is the fact they should not have been in his closet to begin with.

Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

See this thing here. The king is laboring till the going down of the sun to deliver Daniel. The king only just met Daniel and already he occupies a special place in his heart. More than any of the other councilors and rulers, the king loved Daniel. The text is not clear whether the king began to deliver Daniel once the sun went down or whether he labored on doing so until the sun went down. Maybe he worked on something else first; the text is not entirely clear. Although, his rulers and top officials are now proven to be lacking in their duties in favor of new prayer, position, and posture rules. Therefore, the king more than likely would have been forced to assume their responsibilities. What is clear is that these men had a mind to blackmail the king with the rules, regulations, and customs of the new culture which had taken over the Babylonians. According to them, such a law could not be changed. These men were very wise and very learned of that time. They were not ignorant hillbillies somewhere without a clue of what was happening. Their facts and conclusions are undeniably correct. Is that not just how Satan does. He might come with all the facts straight but there is a load of nonsense behind them. Could it not be that these men had several motivations behind such actions. One was jealousy for Daniel once interpreted the king's dream when no one else could and got promoted. Now, here Daniel is about to be promoted again over them all. Second, these councilors likely were up to things that they would not get away with had they proper oversight.

This situation is nonsense. Why would the king be forced to put to feed the one that loves and serves him to the lions. These satraps and administrators were despised. These men were not busy all day doing kingdom work. If they had, they would have noticed the king going behind them all day. It is clear from this text these men wanted the situation just to have preeminence. Is this not just like the situation of Isaac bound on the altar by God's command at Genesis 22:1-19. Now, God allowed this for what happened with Hagar and Ishmael abandoned and left to die in the desert of Genesis 21:14-16. I believe it had two purposes, to finally teach Abraham how God provides and so he could feel as Hagar once felt whom he had mistreated. Instead of these men teaching a Godly lesson, here they are persecuting those who believe out of jealous and ill feelings. I am not saying that vengeance and retribution are right. Had these men remembered how Daniel saved them years ago, they might have had more gratitude now. Instead, there is none. It seems everyone has forgotten a lot of things they should have known and done. Being out of the will of God with wrong heart attitudes will do that for you. Such is the nature of someone that is carried away of their own lusts and enticed as in James 1:14-15. It is like a cat with a string. By the time, kitty has pounced once, it now serves the string and the one holding it. Soon the cat will be all over the house after that string.

And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

Daniel was cast into a den of lions. Now, some scholars have wondered exactly how hungry these lions were. Others believe that the lions were only fed prisoners and therefore, were half starved indeed. Anyone that knows anything about lions can tell you this is not going to be a feasible plan to keep these creatures in a den together well fed or not. Regardless of how hungry, a couple of notable things are happening. See, the king has no appetite, sleep, or taste for entertainment. He has become more creature than king in this moment. I would like to say that Daniel was the only one there who truly made him feel at home. The king had a certainty that God would deliver him before he was ever thrown into the lion's den. Notice this outrageous faith. There are some events that disturb both kings and creatures alike. This disorder in the kingdom event is one of them. The stone upon the den shows just as God sealed up Daniel, so he would also seal up Christ, him who had done no wrong in Matthew 28:2. Both were falsely accused of things they had not done by high places in the kingdom who themselves were doing wrong.

There is a song, Lord of the Dance by Sydney Carter, that is sometimes sung in the Christian churches around Easter time. It goes something like this: "I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black – It's hard to dance with the devil on your back – They buried my body & they thought I'd gone – But I am the Dance & I still go on!" The king sealed the decree on the stone concerning Daniel. He used his own signature and that of his lord's chosen for himself. The king was very gracious by giving them additional chances. Even though the king had made some bad choices in appointing them, these people only drew their own ropes and hanged themselves. How like the Lord is this. How often he gives each of us additional chances to do the right thing. His mercies are new every morning because that is how faithful he is according to Lamentation 3:22-23. His grace is not an opportunity to do whatever we want, however. One day, the judgement is coming. It may be now or twenty years later, but however long, rest assured it will come. One day with the Lord is as a thousand years and vice versa as in 2 Peter 3:8. Time means nothing to him. He will do as he pleases so his purposes may stand at Isaiah 46:10.

Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

We have seen the same phrase "your God whom you serve continually" before, have we not. At this point you might be tempted to say to yourself, 'I have never seen God being personally served by Daniel.' God is ruling in the affairs of men in Daniel 4:17. Service to others is service to himself; as we "have done it to the least of these" his brethren we "have done it unto" him according to Matthew 25:40. The king is there outside the den first thing in the morning growling at Daniel while it is still dark. He sounds like he is displaying some lion-like behaviors to me. 1 Peter 5:8 says that the devil roams the earth seeking whom he may devour. May I suggest King Darius, unlike the devil, did not want to devour Daniel much less harm him. So great was his anxiety for his servant that the king no longer cared about what anyone else thought. The king acknowledges here that God is living. His glory cannot be contained by any living thing. Even the stone in front of the supposed grave could not keep his power contained.

Now, whether God is living among men is another matter of debate according to King Nebuchadnezzar's wise men. After seeing everything we have seen so far, anything is possible. The king is so concerned about Daniel's rescue that he no longer cares about his own. The king is in a bad situation here. His own advisors and rulers have trapped him here outside a sealed tomb with no assurance of life thereafter beyond that of a figurehead government. The king is hoping beyond all hope that this situation will turn out for the rescue of both. Notice here, how King Nebuchadnezzar's prophecy of these wise men's houses being turned into dunghills has come true in this passage today. Sometimes God has to work the situation. He will make it so that those evil doers who created the situation will fall by their own pits and nets dug for others. Then he makes it so that only he gets the glory for what he has done.

Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

Is it not interesting that "God sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths." I do not know about you, but lions are not very talkative. I can hear these all-night chattering about how cruel it is to be locked up and used as pawns by man whenever it pleases them. Yet here comes Daniel set in front of them in a similar situation. Daniel is not terrified; he is in perfect faith with nowhere to go. I would imagine these lions were saying, 'wow, here is someone being kept in a den and at the mercy of men just as we are. He is in the same situation.' Speaking of people in bad situations, the text says the king had a lamentable voice. Perhaps Daniel even recognized his voice for he certainly wishes that the speaker of such would live forever. There is a testimony of many sorts here, for God delivered each one. Daniel, King Darius, and the lions must have felt so relieved. They all got to see the visitation of the angel of God.

The Scripture says the little one's angels "always behold the face of" their Father in Heaven. Even Daniel, as one of these babies, was innocent in his sight having done no wrong. The creature and the creator agreed on one thing. Daniel was not to be harmed. I cannot help but hear of all the recent animal attacks worldwide that seemed unprovoked. I wonder if the animals knew something that those people bitten did not say to the tv crews. How many of you know that because God is faithful, he cannot deny himself. Because Daniel served the king and the king served God, this became as unto God. Thus, because of his name's sake he was obligated to protect Daniel. Have you ever heard the praise song that says, "this won't be your story no more." If you have not, it is worth a listen. The king came calling Daniel's name. God came calling for them both. God can turn your situation around so that it never happened for all involved.