(Click here to read the passage)
With everything being turned into some sort of political issue, I think most of us are tired of politics. Polarization is draining at least, and destroys entire cultures at it’s worst. So, when I started preaching a series of sermons on the book of Daniel, I found myself in all-too-familiar territory. The ancient Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires were far more hazardous places to play politics than our current world. The “games” were played for keeps, often ending in the death of the losers. It was a very final solution to the question of term limits…
Daniel was a shining light of integrity in this dangerous world. One of his most well-known experiences (at least in our Judeo-Christian heritage) is his night spent in the lion’s den. Recorded in Daniel 6, it is a fairly graphic description of the Medo-Persian legal system and the political plots that were apparently common in that part of history. It makes our current political machinations look tame by comparison.
Daniel was probably in his early eighties by this time. He had served/survived six emperors in the Babylonian Empire, and was now serving Darius the Mede after Babylon was conquered by the Medo-Persian empire led by Cyrus. He had probably forgotten more than his political opponents ever knew about enduring courtly plots and intrigue.
His political opponents could not find anything to hang over his head; his integrity, discipline, and energy, even at his advanced age, were superlative. So, they resorted to a direct attack on his main source of strength: prayer. From the beginning of the book when he was a youth, Daniel demonstrated a dependence on his prayer life and the object of his prayers – the Hebrew “God Most High” (as he is titled throughout the book).
The schemers manipulated Darius into making a law that made praying to anyone other than him a capital offense, with death by lion-mauling the automatic sentence. Daniel knew the legal system – that Darius, once having made the law, could not go against it without undermining his own authority and possibly jeopardizing his position. He recognized the plot. He knew the consequences of his actions. So, what did Daniel do?
He did what he always did, three times a day. He went to his room, opened wide his windows to the world, and got down on his knees and prayed. He respected Darius. He respected the laws of the empire. We know this because of the high reputation he enjoyed as described in the beginning of this part of his story. But he respected his God more. He knew who would protect him, and he asked for help.
It is extremely important to note some of the things he didn’t do. He didn’t defend himself. He didn’t attempt to counter-manipulate the political scene. He didn’t whine and wring his hands (at least that we know of). He didn’t even tell God how to fix it.
He simply asked for help. And he trusted the God who had upheld him and his friends through so many other dire circumstances. He also knew that this wasn’t about him. Oh, he was in the middle of it, but he wasn’t the focal point. The whole messy situation was ultimately aimed at Darius and his awareness of God Most High. It was all about God’s glory.
Ultimately, through terrible trial, Daniel’s God showed his power by simply closing the mouths of the lions. Darius praised God Most High, and carried out a horrendous sentence on the plotters.
Daniel’s example is perfectly appropriate for our current age. Our God knows exactly what is going on in our world. He knows about the division and compromised morals, the greed and the power plays. He knows who are the innocent and who are the oppressors. He knows better than any human about these things, and knows what is “right” and “fair.” I am sure that we do not. Oh, we have our opinions and preferences, but when it comes to true justice, I believe only God knows what that is for any given situation.
I want to offer Daniel as an example of how to survive in this lion-filled world. Keep praying. Ask for help. Then, trust God to answer in His own way. If we want to fight a political battle, let’s do it first from our knees, and then rise to whatever action we choose to take thereafter. The answer God gives may not be what we would prefer, but it’s not about us. It’s about the God we love and serve. It’s about the witness of God’s power and faithfulness in our lives that will change the lives of others.
It’s time we all become Daniels.