Daniel 6:25-27 – Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
When you are suffering, always remember that lost people are watching. Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den as punishment for praying to his God openly and publicly. God miraculously delivered him.
The mighty King Darius, ruler of the Medo-Persian empire, was watching the whole time and learning about the real God. In an ironic reversal, the king’s first decree was that he was the only God. His second decree what that Daniel’s God was the only God. Watching Daniel, he learned eight things about God:
God is…
- Global – “all the peoples, nations, and languages…in all the earth”
- Personal – “the living God”
- Eternal – “enduring forever”
- King – “his kingdom shall never be destroyed”
- Good – “he delivers and rescues”
- Transcendent & Immanent– “he works signs and wonders in heaven and earth”
- Savior – “saved Daniel”
- Generous – “Daniel prospered”
To summarize the story of Daniel in the lion’s den and how it relates to Jesus Christ, the following might be helpful:
Jesus is the Greater Daniel
- Daniel and Jesus had jealous political leaders drum up false charges to arrest and kill them.
- Daniel and Jesus had the senior political leader declare them innocent & faultless.
- Daniel and Jesus had the senior political leader try and spare their death sentence.
- Daniel and Jesus were thrown into a pit and left for dead.
- Daniel and Jesus had their pit covered with a large stone.
- Daniel and Jesus had their pit stone protected with a government seal.
- Daniel and Jesus had loving friends run to their tomb early in the morning.
- Daniel and Jesus defeated death and walked away from their tomb early in the morning.
- Daniel and Jesus were both raised up as second in command over a kingdom (Medo-Persia & Heaven, respectively).
- Daniel eventually died, but Jesus defeated death and will raise Daniel from the dead (Daniel 12:2).
Who is watching when you are suffering? What are they learning about your God?
In addition to this introduction to and overview of Daniel, you can find the corresponding sermons, daily devotions, men’s ministry resources, and hundreds of additional sermons and Bible teaching resources for free at markdriscoll.org or on the Mark Driscoll Ministries app.
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