HEROES OF THE FAITH SERMON SERIES

 

Daniel

Daniel 3:16-18; 6:25-27

 

   Rev. David Teeter                              July 21, 2013              Skyline Presbyterian Church

 

In the last two weeks, we discussed the prophets Amos and Jonah. Both Amos and Jonah prophesied during the time when the Assyrians were the dominant superpower in the region, around 750 B.C. Today, we move forward in time about 150 years, to the year 605 B.C.

In 605 BC the Babylonians defeated both the Egyptian army and what was left of the Assyrian army. Babylon became the dominant superpower in the region. The small kingdom of Judah came under the control of this new Babylonian Empire, headed up by King Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel was a young aristocratic Jew, probably a cousin of the King of Judah. Daniel and his three friends were taken to Babylon. They were taken there as hostages, to ensure the loyalty of the Jewish king back in Jerusalem. Daniel was probably a teenager at the time.

Daniel and his friends were very bright young men. So Nebuchadnezzar decided to train them in the Babylonian language, laws, and customs, and use them to help administer his vast new empire.

That’s how the book of Daniel starts out. The book covers two periods of time. The first six chapters covers Daniel’s life in Babylon, from 605 BC to about 530 BC. As a young man, Daniel interprets the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. The king does the dreaming, and Daniel interprets the dream.  

In the last 6 chapters of the book, the elderly Daniel himself does the dreaming, and an angel interprets his dreams for him. These dreams point to a future crisis for the Jewish people. A time when another wicked foreign ruler would try to stamp out the Jewish religion. This crisis actually occurred around 165 BC, and is described in the Book of 1 Maccabees. (Catholic Bibles have this book; most protestant Bibles do not). The stories of Daniel encouraged these later Jews to stand fast in their faith in those days.

Today, we are going to quickly review two popular stories in Daniel. The first is about the fiery furnace, in chapter 3. The second is the best known story, Daniel and the Lion’s Den, in chapter 6. Next, we’ll explore what these stories have meant for the Jewish people.  And then, how these stories carry over into the New Testament and our Christian walk with Christ.

Now for the story of the fiery furnace. In this story, King Nebuchadnezzar had erected a giant golden statue. Daniel’s three friends were invited to the dedication of this statue. (We are not told where Daniel was on this occasion.) The king demanded that all the officials under his rule bow down to this golden statue. Anyone who refused to bow down to the statue would be thrown into a blazing furnace. 

Daniel’s three friends refused to bow down. You can read in Daniel 3:16-18 what they told the king. Needless to say the king was outraged. He had these three young men thrown into the superheated fiery furnace. But to his amazement, he saw the three friends standing unharmed in the midst of the flames. He also saw a fourth person with them. This person looked to the king like “a son of gods.” The King was so amazed at this miraculous deliverance that he issued a decree: That that all peoples everywhere respect and honor the name of the Jewish God. For, he said, “no other god can save like this.” AMEN

Our second story is the famous story of “Daniel in the Lion’s Den,” found in chapter 6. This story takes place much later, after the Persians capture Babylon, in 539 BC. Babylon is now merely a provincial capital in the Persian Empire and Daniel is now a very old man, maybe in his 80’s.

Meanwhile, Daniel again has risen to a high position in the new Persian government. But he has made some powerful enemies. They trick the new king into throwing Daniel into a den of hungry lions. But an angel comes to Daniel’s rescue and stops the mouths of the lions. King Darius, amazed at Daniel’s deliverance, throws Daniel’s enemies into the same lion pit. The hungry lions have them before they even hit the ground!

The Persian king then issues the testimony, which can be found in Daniel 6: verses 25-27.

These stories in Daniel illustrate one of the most important values in Judaism.” In Hebrew it is called, KIDDUSH Ha SHEM. Meaning “to sanctify God’s name.” Or to “make God’s name holy.”  In Judaism, a Jew sanctifies God’s name in two ways: First, by living such a godly life that Gentiles come to honor and respect the Name of God and secondly, a Jew can sanctify God’s name by remaining true in the face of a martyr’s death. In his dying breath he will try to recite: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” In reciting these last words, he has “sanctified, or made holy the Name of God.

 

The opposite of “sanctifying God’s name,” is to “desecrate, or to bring shame on” God’s name. In Hebrew, it’s called Khilul ha Shem.” That is, to live in such an ungodly way that brings disrespect to God’s name among the Gentiles. This is considered in Judaism to be the worst sin a Jew can commit. According to the Rabbis, it is the only sin for which a Jew will be sent to hell.

 

Daniel and his friends “sanctified God’s name” by the way they lived, and by remaining faithful even in the face of death.

This is a Jewish concept, but it is present also in the New Testament. The Lord’s Prayer begins with the words: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” The word “Hallowed” is an old English word meaning, “To make holy,” or “to sanctify.” When we pray this prayer, we are asking God to help us to live in such a way that our lives will “make holy,” or “sanctify” God’s name. And with God’s help we will do this, for as Paul wrote, “It is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose.

The Lord’s Prayer is not just empty words to recite by rote. It is a way of life. As we read in 1 Peter 2:12, “Live such lives among the pagans… that they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”

LET’S WRAP UP WITH WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THESE STORIES:

1.      Empires rise and fall, Rulers are born, they live, and they die. But God’s truth endures forever. I cannot predict will happen to our nation in the future. But I know the living God, who lives and reigns forever. Our lives are hidden with God in Christ. Christ will be with us, and guide us through whatever the coming years may bring.

2.      WE DO HAVE A LOT MORE INFLUENCE on the people around us than we realize. People do notice how we live. We don’t have to stand on the street corners and shout, “I’m a Christian; Listen to me.” People just seem to know. As the apostle Paul wrote, “You are living epistles, seen and read by everyone.” It’s true that we are not “saved by works.” But our lives do matter.” May we live our daily lives in a way that respects and honors God’s name.

3.      DEATH DOES NOT HAVE THE LAST WORD. Daniel and friends faced death in a foreign land, with faith and courage. The apostle Paul faced death many times. He endured beatings, highway robberies, shipwreck, imprisonment, and finally – execution.  But before he died, he left us with this testimony. (Rom. 8:38, 39) Paul writes:

I am convinced” that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.”

 The apostle Paul was convinced of this. Daniel and friends were convinced of this. And I am convinced of this. If you are convinced, say Amen. If you’re not so sure, well, there is still hope for you. For God’s love is greater than all our doubts and fears. And God’s love is stronger even than death. Let’s live for Him. AMEN.