Saturday, January 13, 2024

PT-1 "Believing Verses Scheming" (Daniel 6:5-9)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/4/2013 10:19 PM

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  Believing Verses Scheming PT-1

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Daniel 6:5-9

            Message of the verses:  “5 Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.”6 Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: "King Darius, live forever! 7  "All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. 8  "Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked." 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction.”

            As we began to look at this 6th chapter of Daniel we wrote that we would often see the same forces at work that are found in this chapter in families, churches or corporations or even in governments.  Dr. Wiersbe entitles the first sub-point under this second main point “The kings response,” and that is what we will look at in this SD.

            I once heard a story about one of the presidents of the Moody Bible Institute who for some reason or other was being followed by a private investigator to see what things he would do that was wrong.  I don’t remember why he was being trailed by this man, but when the private investigator reported to the man who hired him he told him that he could find nothing wrong with him.  That is what happened to Daniel, for these men could find nothing wrong with him and so they devised a plan that would make it against a new law for Daniel to worship his God. 

            These men would use some smooth sounding words to the king in order for him to sign this new law as they did not want anyone in the kingdom to worship anyone for the next thirty days except the king.  It is good for us to remember that these men had formerly worked in the Babylonian kingdom and now Darius was testing them to see how they would fit in with the Medes and Persian Empire.  They must have thought that Darius would really like them after coming up with this plan to have him worshiped, but in the end they will get what they deserve. 

            We believe that Darius really liked Daniel, but in the midst of all this flattery he forgot all about Daniel, and this is something that would haunt him for a whole night in a little while.  Psalm 5:9 says “There is nothing reliable in what they say; Their inward part is destruction itself. Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue.”  This describes these men very well.  These men only were looking out for themselves, and cared nothing about who they were working for. 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I want to have the same thing said about me that was said about Daniel, but that is a difficult thing to follow with all of the problems that one faces in this life. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Dare to be a Daniel.

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 46:1-9

            1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

    6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible Question:  “A bishop” (1 Timothy 3:2).

Today’s Bible Question:  “What did Jesus teach regarding entering the gate?”

Answer in tomorrow’s SD.

8/4/2013 10:42 PM

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