The Lion's Den

is the Lion's Den. The Lion's
Den. Now, I do this for several reasons. Our subject is the Lion's Den. Our scripture is Daniel 6, the
sixth chapter of Daniel. Now, I do this for several reasons. First of all, it'll be easy for
you to remember the title of this message, the Lion's Den,
in the event that you want to order it, to listen to it again,
and to share it with someone else. Secondly, The scripture
from which this is taken is familiar to all of you. I don't know of
anybody listening to this program that hasn't heard or read about
Daniel in the Lion's Den. Everybody has. So I want you
to turn to Daniel chapter 6, and let's look at the Lion's
Den. Now, this entire chapter, I looked
at this carefully again this morning, this entire chapter
of 28 verses, The whole chapter, 28 verses, is given over to the
story of God's servant Daniel's experience regarding the den
of lions. From verse 1 through verse 28
is all about Daniel and the lion's den. Now why do you suppose that
so much of the scripture, the Bible's not that big a book,
And why do you suppose that so much of the Scripture is devoted
to this experience, Daniel in the lion's den? It could be told
in three verses. Daniel offended the king, and
the king cast Daniel in the lion's den, and God delivered him. It
could be told in two or three sentences. Why did it take 28
verses? Why is so much Scripture dedicated
to this story of Daniel in the lion's den? Well, one thing. This chapter reveals the faithfulness
of God's servant Daniel. He was a faithful servant of
God. He believed God and he would
not worship idols even if it cost his life. Daniel was faithful
to God. He believed God and he would
not bow to an idol even if it cost him his life. Now that is
told in this scripture. This chapter also shows how a
true believer can occupy a place of leadership. Daniel was a prominent
leader in this country of Babylon, in a world of business, in a
world of unbelievers, in a world of idolaters. And yet Daniel,
Daniel in the midst of all this darkness, did not compromise
his faith and did not compromise his convictions and his principles.
It can be done. It can be done. Somebody said,
well, if a man's not a, not a crook before he goes into office, he
will be after he goes into office. That's not, that doesn't have
to be so. Not if he really knows God. Daniel
held the highest office in the land under the king and remained
firm and true to his convictions. He walked among people that didn't
know God, and yet he believed. Thirdly, this chapter reveals
the power of God. the power of God to deliver his
people from the most difficult trial, the most difficult, impossible
situation. God can literally stop the mouth
of lions. He's able. I like what the three
Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that's another
story with which you're familiar. I like what they said to the
king who cast them into the furnace of fire. He said, is your God
able to deliver you? They said, He's able. He's able. But if He doesn't, He's still
God. And we're not going to worship
your idols. He's able to deliver us, but if He doesn't, He's still
God. But you know the main reason
that all 28 verses in this chapter, Daniel chapter 6, the main reason
for this story's prominent place in the Scriptures is to reveal,
listen, not just Daniel's faithfulness,
and not just his principles and conviction in the face of compromise,
and not just God's power to deliver us out of trials and troubles,
but this Scripture, is in the Bible to reveal how God Almighty
can be a just God, a holy God, and justify you and me, who are
guilty sinners. How God can be just and justify
you and me. In other words, this scripture
is all about the Lord Jesus Christ, our substitute. You mean you
can preach Christ from Daniel 6? Oh yeah, yes sir, yes sir,
I intend to. In the book of Acts, it says
to him, give all the prophets witness. Our Lord told the Pharisees,
he said, you search the scriptures, because in them you think you
have life, but they are they which testify of me. This is
all about Christ. I'm going to show you this very
day the gospel of Christ in this story of Daniel's deliverance
from the lion's den. Now, here's the story. We've
got to have the whole story. Got to have the whole story.
See, Daniel was a man of God. who was in captivity in Babylon. And Daniel, by the power of God,
had interpreted dreams for several kings. You remember Daniel chapter
4? He interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar
and told him how that God would turn him out to pasture, like
an animal, and his hair would grow long, like feathers on a
bird, and his claws would grow long, and he'd lose his senses
and his reasoning. And seven times would pass over
until he knew that God reigned in heaven among the inhabitants
of the earth and the armies of heaven and giveth it to whomsoever
he will. See, Nebuchadnezzar had bragged about how he built
great Babylon, how powerful he was. And God said, I'll put you
out to pasture till you learn that I'm God and everything you
have depends on me and my will. And Daniel interpreted the dream
and it came to pass. And then after Nebuchadnezzar
was dead, Another king arose in Babylon called Belshazzar.
And you remember how he was having that feast and party and drunken
brawl and he sent somebody down to get the vessels from the temple
of God. And he and his cohorts drank
wine out of the holy vessels, and the fingers of a man's hand
appeared over on the wall, rising, and the king's knees smoked together,
and he was afraid. And he cried for all of his astrologers
and soothsayers and wise men, and they couldn't figure out
what it was, and he called for Daniel. And Daniel came, and
he said, I'll read it. I'll read it. Mene, mene, tekel,
upharsin, O king, You're weighed in the balances and found walking,
and this night your kingdom will be taken from you and given over
to the Medes and Persians." And that night he died. And another
king took over. His name was Darius, King Darius. And Daniel was well thought of. He was a man this king admired
greatly, respected and admired greatly. Daniel was held in high
esteem. So, Darius the king, he selected
120 senators, princes, to reign over his kingdom. 120 prominent
men. And over these 120 men, he put
three presidents. There were 120 rulers and three
presidents. And over the presidents, he made
Daniel number one. Number one president, over all
of them. He was, Daniel was second to
the king in all of Babylon. This man of God, this child of
God, this servant of the Lord, in captivity. Well, these other
fellows, these 120, they became envious and jealous of Daniel.
You read it there in chapter 6. Because of the king's preference,
he preferred Daniel. And because of Daniel's ability,
wisdom. So they tried to find a way that
they could discredit him. They tried to find a way that
they could discredit Daniel before the king. But they couldn't find
a flaw in his character. They couldn't find a flaw in
any way he did business or conducted himself. They couldn't find a
single flaw. So in verse 5, now watch this, Daniel 6 verse 5,
they got together and they said, we're not going to find anything
wrong with this fella. We're not going to find any way
to discredit him before the king unless we find it. Against him
concerning his God Concerning his God you see Babylon
was a pagan country and the people from the king on down were idolatrous
people and Daniel was a believer Daniel was different We used
to talk as kids they used to tell us dare to be a Daniel dare
to be different. He was different And they said,
now if we're going to find any flaw, anything wrong with this
fellow, if we're going to discredit him, it's going to have to be
concerning his God. So they look at verse 6 through
9 of Daniel 6 and read it. These fellows got together, all
of them, 120 princes and two presidents, and they came to
the king, and this is what they said. They said, O king, King
Darius, we want to honor you. Now what they're trying to do
is get Daniel. They're envious and jealous of Daniel. They want
to discredit him. They want him out of the kingdom,
out of the way. So they're using the king. They said, O king,
we wish to honor you. So we have established a royal
decree. We've come up with this idea.
We want you to sign it into law, a royal decree, a statute. We
want you to sign into law that for 30 days, 30 days, no person
in the entire kingdom No person, man or woman, shall ask a petition
of any God or of any man except you. Now if he does, if anybody prays
to our God or asks a petition of any man or God except you,
he's to be cast into the den of lions. He's to go into the
lion's den. The hungry lions can devour him.
Did you know that? That's the way that came about.
The king was flattered, a very foolish man, he was very flattered.
Not suspecting what these fellows were doing, not suspecting that
they were after Daniel, so he signed the decree, he signed
this into law, that for 30 days, if anybody in the kingdom asked
a petition of any man or any god, except the king, the king
derives. He'd be cast in the lion's den.
And this law was the law of the Medes and Persians that could
not be changed. Could not be altered. Well, look
at verse 10. These fellas knew they had Daniel.
They knew they had him. Because Daniel, the scripture
says in verse 10, he kneeled upon his knees three times a
day with his windows open towards Jerusalem. And he prayed. Scripture says he kneeled three
times a day. He prayed, he worshiped God.
With the windows open, he gave thanks to God. Well, these fellows
were waiting. And when they found him praying,
they came running to the king. And they said, O king, Daniel,
it's breaking the law. You signed in the law, a law
that cannot be altered, that if any man prayed, or ask a petition
of any god or man for 30 days, he'd be cast into the lion's
den. Didn't you say that? And it's a law that cannot be
changed. We say Daniel goes to the lion's den. Well, verse 14
says the king was so displeased with himself, he realized what
he had done. And the king set his heart on
Daniel to deliver him. He wanted, he didn't want to
put him in the lion's den. It says that he labored to the
going down of the sun to set Daniel free. He walked the floor. The law says Daniel must die. The law is the law that cannot
be changed. The law was signed by the king's
own hands. If he doesn't carry out his law,
he'll lose his kingdom. He'll lose all his support. He'll
lose all the people because he's made a law. His other laws won't
be worth anything. And he labored to the going down
of the sun. He stayed awake all night, the scripture says. He
wouldn't listen to his musicians. But he found no way, no way,
to deliver Daniel. So he sent Daniel to the lion's
den. And we know that God sent an
angel down and closed the mouth of the lions, and they didn't
harm Daniel. And when the king came down to
the lion's den the next morning, Daniel was still walking around
in there, and the lions were lying around like shepherd dogs
at his feet. And the old king took all these
wicked fellows and cast them into the den of lions with all
their families. But what you see here is the
gospel of substitution. This is the gospel of Christ
in this story. Now let me show it to you. Listen
to it. Almighty God is king, and Almighty
God has a law. which he has put into effect
over his universe, over his kingdom. And his law cannot be changed.
God's law is a revelation of much of God's character, at least
his justice and holiness and righteousness. And he has a law.
It says this, thou shalt have no other God before me. And we
have. Unfortunately, through our lives
we've been subject to a lot of different gods. That's right. Idols. He says, Thou shalt not
make unto thee any graven image of any likeness of anything in
heaven or earth, nor bow down to them. But we have. Some of
us love our children more than we love God. Love our luxuries
and riches more than they love God. Me and lovers of themselves
more than lovers of God. That's an idol. Thou shalt not
take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, but we have." That's
a law. That's God's law. You'll not
use my name in any way that's not respectful and reverent and
ascribing to me all holiness, but we have. Honor thy father
and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Christ said to hate in your hearts
to be guilty of murder already. You hated anybody in your life?
We've broken God's law. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Christ said the very look of lust is to commit adultery in
your heart. The desire in the sight of God
is as bad as that. Thou shalt not steal, taking
anything that's not ours or doesn't belong to us or rightfully ours
or even desiring things that are not ours. Thou shalt not
lie, bear false witness, exaggerate. We have. Thou shalt not covet. What the law saith, it saith
to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped,
and all the world become guilty, guilty, guilty before God. What
was it that our vice president years ago, Spiro Agnew, said? No low contender. They found
him guilty, and he said no contest. No contest. And I'll tell you,
when we look at God's law, God has established the law, the
law of heaven and earth, not the law of the Medes and Persians
which cannot be altered, the law of heaven and earth that
cannot be altered. And I'll tell you this, here's
the lion's den. Cursed is everyone that continueth
not in all things written in the book of the law to do it.
We're under the curse. Daniel broke the king's law.
It was a bad law. It was a foolish law. But it
was His law. And He promised to put the man
in the lion's den that broke His law, and it has to be done.
And God Almighty has a law, a good law, a holy law, a righteous
law, a godly law, and we've broken it. We've sinned deliberately
and willfully, broken God's law, and do break them. And He said,
the soul that sinneth, it'll die. God will by no means clear
the guilty. Sin, when it's finished, bringeth
forth death. But the only difference is old
King Darius labored till the going down of the sun to deliver
Daniel and couldn't do it. But God can deliver us. King
Darius found no way to save his friend, but God Almighty knows
a way to save His friend. He can save us, He can deliver
us, and at the same time honor His law, satisfy His justice,
and fulfill every requirement. Because the scripture says, deliver
him from going down into the pit, into the den of lions. I've
found a ransom. I've found a ransom. Wouldn't
old Darius have liked to come out of the palace after laboring
to the going down of the sun and say, hold it, hold it, don't
throw Daniel in the lion's den. I've found a ransom. Couldn't
do it. Daniel sinned and Daniel had
to pay. You and I have sinned and we've
got to pay. But we pay in the person of our
substitute. The Lord Jesus became one with
us. He was numbered with the transgressors.
Listen, Galatians 4, verse 4 and 5. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law. By the disobedience of Adam,
we were made sinners. That's representation. By the
obedience of Christ, we were made righteous. God, it says
in Romans 3, set forth His Son to be a substitute, to be a representative,
to be a surety, to be a propitiation, a substitute, a redeemer through
faith in His blood, faith in His sacrifice to declare God's
righteousness. King Darius must fulfill his
law. He's got to punish the offender
if he's going to stay king. They'd ride him out on a rail.
He signed the law. He's got to put Daniel on the
limestip. There's no way around it. God is God. God is King. God is just. God's got to punish
sin. And what he did, is he sent Christ
down here to take our place, and to take our guilt, and take
our sin, and he did punish him. Christ died on the cross, not
as a picture, But he died as a substitute. He didn't die as
a reformer, he died as a substitute. He didn't die as an example,
he died as a substitute. He bore our sins in his body
on the tree and paid for them, all the debt we owe. He paid
the debt. Now, God can set you and me free
because our sin debt is paid. We have a righteousness. So if
a man were to ask me, Am I delivered from condemnation?
Am I a child of God? Do I have a hope of eternal life?
Well, I'll let you answer that. Why don't I just let you answer?
You're asking me what I think. Do I think that you're saved
or somebody else who Claims to be a Christian, claims to be
a child of God, claims to have a home in heaven. Am I saved? Am I a child of God? Do I have
a hope in heaven? Well, let me ask you. Are you
perfect? No, I'm not perfect. But God
requires perfection. He can be satisfied with nothing
less. To be accepted, it must be perfect. If you're not perfect,
I ask you this. Then do you have one who is perfect
who will stand for you? Huh? If you're not perfect, if
you have one who will stand for you, Scripture says there's one
God and one mediator between God and me and the man Christ
Jesus. If you have an advocate, if any man sin, we have an advocate,
Jesus Christ the righteous. If you have one to stand for
you, who is perfect, then you've got a good hope. God will receive
you on the basis of His perfection, His righteousness. See that?
If you and Him are one. I'll ask you a second question.
You say you're not perfect. All right. Do you have one who
is to stand for you? Secondly, do you have a perfect
righteousness before the law? Have you kept the law? Well,
put your no. Then do you have someone who
has kept the law who will stand for you? Someone who has a perfect
righteousness? Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believeth. I have a hope
of eternal life because He stands for me as my mediator. He stands
for me as my righteousness. They asked old John Jasper, said,
you going to heaven? He said, yes. They said, what
if you get up there and they ask you what right have you got
to be here? What are you going to say? He's going to say, I've
got no right at all to be here. I'm not here on my rights. I'm
here on the righteousness of Christ. He's my representative. Thirdly, let me ask you this
question. Will God hear you when you present your case? Scripture
says that those who sin were speechless. Are you going to
do the talking? You think you've got God's ear?
Really? The God of glory, you believe He'll hear you? No. Then
do you have one whom He will hear, who will intercede for
you? Paul said, who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather
He's risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
ever lives to make intercession for us. And Christ said, the
Father always hears me. I got a hope. I don't hope God
will hear me, but I hope God will hear Christ. And He intercedes
for me. Let me ask you again. You say,
do I have a hope? Well, I ask you this, do you
have a suitable sacrifice for sin? with which God is pleased. The scripture says, without the
shedding of blood, there's no remission. Where's your blood?
It's the blood that makes the atonement for the soul. If you're
going to intercede for yourself, and if you're going to represent
yourself, and you're going to come before God as your own priest,
where's your offering? Where's your sacrifice? Even
Christ, the man, had to have somewhat to offer. And the scripture
says, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first
that he may establish the second, and by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. He laid down his life, he shed
his blood. I have a hope of eternal life
because there's a high priest at the right hand of God who
gives his blood, who has his blood as a sacrifice for sin.
Now the fifth question, this is the last one. Psalm 24 says,
who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? That's what we're
asking. Am I going to heaven? Who shall ascend into the hill
of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath
clean hands. Is that you? Nope. He that hath
a pure heart. Is that you? Nope. He that's
never lifted his soul to vanity. That me and you? Nope. One who's
never spoken a lie. Never spoken a lie. Is that you
and me? Nope. Well, I tell you, it's
Jesus Christ, though. That's who it is. He has clean
hands and a pure heart, never lifted his soul to vanity, and
never sworn deceit. He's the perfect one. So, a man
who's in Christ got a good hope. A man who has a mediator, Jesus
Christ is a good hope. And the King's law can't touch
him. The lion's den can't hold him,
because Christ goes there in his place, and he's set free.

The Lion's Den

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The Lion's Den

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