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Daniel 6:1-28 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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  We're in CFC, we're going to be in Daniel chapter 6, starting verse 1 this morning.
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  !
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  And so we're going to begin in verse 1, picking up where we left off last week.
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  Daniel 6, 1 reads,
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  It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps to be throughout the whole kingdom,
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  and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one,
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  to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.
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  Then this Daniel became distinguished above all other presidents and satraps,
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  because an excellent spirit was in him.
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  And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
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  Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel
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  with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault,
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  because he was faithful.
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  And no error or fault was found in him.
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  Then these men said,
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  We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel,
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  unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.
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  Then these presidents and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him,
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  O King Darius, live forever.
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  All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors,
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  are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction,
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  that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days,
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  except to you, O King, shall be cast into the den of lions.
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  Now, O King, establish the injunction and sign the document,
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  so that it cannot be changed according to the law of the Medes and the Persians,
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  which cannot be revoked.
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  Therefore, King Darius signed the document and injunction.
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  When Daniel knew that the document had been signed,
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  he went to his house,
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  where he had windows in his upper chamber,
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  open toward Jerusalem.
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  He got down on his knees three times a day
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  and prayed and gave thanks before his God,
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  as he had done previously.
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  Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.
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  Then they came near and said before the king concerning the injunction,
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  O King, did you not sign an injunction that anyone who makes petition to any god or man
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  within thirty days, except to you, O King,
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  shall be cast into the den of lions?
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  The king answered and said,
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  The thing stands fast according to the law of the Medes and Persians,
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  which cannot be revoked.
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  Then they answered and said before the king,
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  Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,
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  pays no attention to you, O King,
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  or the injunction you have signed,
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  but makes his petition three times a day.
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  Then the king, when he heard these words,
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  was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel.
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  And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.
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  Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king,
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  Know, O King, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians
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  that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.
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  Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions.
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  The king declared to Daniel,
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  May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you.
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  And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den,
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  and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lord's,
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  that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
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  Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting.
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  No diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
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  Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.
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  As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish.
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  The king declared to Daniel,
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  O Daniel, servant of the living God,
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  has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?
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  And then Daniel said to the king,
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  O king, live forever.
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  My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths,
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  and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him.
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  And also before you, O king, I have done no harm.
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  Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den.
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  So Daniel was taken up out of the den,
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  and no kind of harm was found on him,
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  because he had trusted in his God.
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  And the king commanded,
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  and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel
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  were brought and cast into the den of lions,
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  their children and their wives.
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  And before they reached the bottom of the den,
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  the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
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  Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages
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  that dwell in all the earth,
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  Peace be multiplied to you.
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  I make a decree that in all my royal dominion,
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  people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
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  For he is the living God, enduring forever.
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  His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
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  and his dominion shall be to the end.
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  He delivers and rescues.
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  He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth.
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  He who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.
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  So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius
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  and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
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  So, first point,
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  God is still working to fulfill his covenants.
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  I made this point last time I preached,
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  and I think it's worth making again,
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  because we see that all throughout Daniel
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  and really, truly all throughout the entire Bible.
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  But at the beginning, we're introduced to Darius.
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  He's taken over the kingdom, as I mentioned.
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  And many scholars have concluded that Darius in Daniel 6
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  is the same person as Cyrus.
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  Darius can simply mean Lord.
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  It can be a title.
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  Verse 28 makes it clear that Cyrus and Darius
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  were ruling the Meadow Persian Empire at the same time.
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  So it's for these reasons and others
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  that I think this is the same person.
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  And in verses 1 through 3,
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  we see Daniel prospering significantly.
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  He is climbing power, stature, respect, and authority
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  for the second time.
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  He already did it in Babylon.
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  Now he's doing it in the Meadow Persian Empire.
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  And because Darius sees Daniel's worth.
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  Verse 3, this is because an excellent spirit was within Daniel.
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  And I think this is the Holy Spirit empowering,
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  enabling Daniel to perform all the wise, sound,
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  and miraculous things that we've seen him do
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  throughout the book of Daniel.
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  So what does this have to do with the covenants?
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  And for that, you kind of have to look at the historical context.
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  So Cyrus is the king who allows the Hebrew people
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  to return to Israel and build the temple.
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  Ezra chapter 1 and chapter 6
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  show Cyrus paying for the rebuilt temple.
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  It shows Cyrus sending Jews back to Israel
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  to inhabit the land and to remain there.
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  And it also shows that the gold and silver
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  that Nebuchadnezzar stole was to be returned to the temple.
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  Significantly, Cyrus returned many of the Jews
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  and did all these things in his first year of ruling Babylon,
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  roughly 539 to 537 BC.
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  So this means he did this right around the time
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  that the lion's den occurs.
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  What we just read is happening amidst this work.
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  And it is highly likely that Daniel was the voice
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  and perhaps even the writer
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  who produced the legislation that Cyrus signed into decree
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  to allow Israel to do these things.
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  So notice God is using Daniel in this position of authority,
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  this position that he has with Cyrus, with Darius,
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  to provide safe passage for God's people
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  to the promised land.
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  And this is screaming of the Abrahamic covenant,
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  which again, I talked about this last time,
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  but three things comprise that covenant.
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  The people are secure in their offspring and are continuing.
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  They have land,
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  and they are a universal blessing to the nations.
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  So catch this.
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  Even though God directly used Babylon and Meadow Persia
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  to punish Israel for their wickedness in the exile,
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  God never intended to turn his back
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  on his covenants with them.
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  Turn with me real quickly to Isaiah 45.
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  I'm going to read the whole chapter,
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  so you're going to want to turn there.
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  And we're going there because you're going to see
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  that God has always intended to fulfill his covenants,
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  even in the midst of proclaiming his judgment
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  on Israel and Judah.
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  Isaiah 45.
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  Isaiah 45.
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  Thus says the Lord to his anointed,
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  to Cyrus,
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  whose right hand I have grasped,
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  to subdue nations, including Babylon,
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  before him and to loose the belts of kings,
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  including Nebuchadnezzar,
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  to open doors before him
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  that gates may not be closed,
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  and recall, this is interesting,
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  but recall what Clay said last week
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  about Herodotus, the Greek historian.
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  He recorded that the Persians took over Babylon quickly.
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  They snuck in through some open gates
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  near the water well
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  and were able to emerge right up in the palace.
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  So this verse is fascinating,
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  that gates may not be closed.
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  In other words, God opened those gates.
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  He made those gates left open
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  so that Babylon would be taken overnight.
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  And back in verse 2,
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  I will go before you
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  and level the exalted places.
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  This is God talking to Cyrus.
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  I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
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  and cut through the bars of iron.
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  I will give you the treasures of darkness
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  and the hordes and secret places
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  that you may know that it is I,
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  the Lord, the God of Israel,
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  who call you by your name.
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  Verse 4.
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  For the sake of my servant Jacob
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  and Israel my chosen,
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  I call you by your name.
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  I name you though you do not know me.
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  So again, recall Isaiah is recording this prophecy
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  long before Cyrus exists.
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  This is before the Babylonian captivity even.
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  Picking back up in verse 5.
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  I am the Lord and there is no other.
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  Besides me there is no God.
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  I equip you though you do not know me
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  that people may know
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  from the rising of the sun from the west
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  that there is none besides me.
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  I am the Lord and there is no other.
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  I form light and create darkness.
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  I make well-being and create calamity.
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  I am the Lord who does all these things.
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  Shower, O heavens, from above
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  and let the clouds rain down righteousness.
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  Let the earth open that salvation
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  and righteousness may bear fruit.
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  Let the earth cause them both to sprout.
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  I, the Lord, have created it.
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  And woe to him who strives with him
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  who formed him a pot among earthen pots.
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  Does the clay say to him who forms it,
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  what are you making?
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  Or your work has no handles.
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  Woe to him who says to a father,
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  what are you begetting?
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  Or to a woman, with what are you in labor?
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  Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel
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  and the one who formed him.
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  Ask me of things to come.
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  Will you command me concerning my children
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  and the work of my hands?
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  I made the earth and created man on it.
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  It was my hands that stretched out the heavens
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  and I commanded all their hosts.
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  I have stirred him up in righteousness
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  and I will make all his ways level.
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  He, Cyrus, shall build my city
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  and set my exiles free,
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  not for price or reward,
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  says the Lord of hosts.
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  Thus says the Lord,
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  the wealth of Egypt
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  and the merchandise of Cush
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  and the Sabaeans,
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  men of stature,
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  shall come over to you and be yours.
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  They shall follow you.
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  They shall come over in chains
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  and bow down to you.
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  They will plead with you saying,
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  surely God is in you
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  and there is no other.
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  No God besides him.
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  Truly you are a God who hides himself,
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  O God of Israel, the Savior.
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  All of them are put to shame and confounded.
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  The makers of idols go in confusion together.
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  But Israel is saved by the Lord
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  with everlasting salvation.
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  You shall not be put to shame
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  or confounded to all eternity.
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  For thus says the Lord
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  who created the heavens,
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  He is God,
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  who formed the earth and made it.
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  He established it
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  and He did not create it empty.
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  He formed it to be inhabited.
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  I am the Lord
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  and there is no other.
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  I did not speak in secret
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  in a land of darkness.
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  I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
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  seek me in vain.
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  I, the Lord, speak the truth.
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  I declare what is right.
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  Assemble yourselves and come.
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  Draw near together,
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  you survivors of the nations.
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  They have no knowledge
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  who carry about their wooden idols
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  and keep on praying to a God
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  that cannot save.
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  Declare and present your case.
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  Let them take counsel together.
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  Who told this long ago?
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  Who declared it of old?
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  Was it not I, the Lord?
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  And there is no other God besides me,
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  a righteous God and a Savior.
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  There is none besides me.
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  Turn to me and be saved,
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  all the ends of the earth.
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  For I am God and there is no other.
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  By myself I have sworn,
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  from my mouth has gone out
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  in righteousness,
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  a word that shall not return.
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  To me, every knee shall bow,
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  every tongue shall swear allegiance.
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  Only in the Lord it shall be said of me,
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  a righteousness and strength.
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  To him shall come and be ashamed
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  all who were incensed against him.
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  And the Lord,
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  all the offspring of Israel,
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  shall be justified and shall glory.
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  That's a lot.
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  But notice as you read that,
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  God calls out Cyrus long before Cyrus exists.
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  And God's declaring what he's going to do.
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  He's going to use Cyrus to bring about his covenants.
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  In Isaiah 45,
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  we see him prophesy the temple being rebuilt
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  in verse 13,
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  which implies a return to the land.
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  In verse 22,
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  we see God calling out for the salvation
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  of people around the world.
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  There's that universal blessing piece.
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  And in verses 4, 17 and 25,
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  we see God preserving his people
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  who will be numbered as stars in heaven.
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  Now, all of this in Isaiah 45
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  is centered on the idea of salvation
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  or deliverance,
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  and that God is the deliverer,
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  the savior.
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  God will deliver his people.
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  And we are going to see this in Daniel 6,
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  which you can now return to.
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  But he has set the stage.
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  He's,
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  God's already declared what's to come.
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  In Daniel's lifetime,
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  he could have heard Isaiah 45
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  and known what's to come.
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  But before we see deliverance in Daniel 6,
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  we have to give our attention
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  to something else in our main text.
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  In all of God's redemptive history
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  of working to save his people,
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  there has always been opposition.
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  And that opposition pops its head in Daniel 6,
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  which leads us to the next point,
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  point number two.
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  God's people will be persecuted
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  for their righteousness.
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  God's people will be persecuted
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  for their righteousness.
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  In Matthew 5, verses 10 through 11,
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  the Sermon on the Mount,
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  Jesus said,
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  Blessed are those who are persecuted
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  for righteousness' sake,
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  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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  Blessed are you when others revile you
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  and persecute you
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  and utter all kinds of evil
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  against you falsely on my account.
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  So persecution is a promise
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  to anyone who is truly following God.
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  And although persecution can mean
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  a variety of things,
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  not just death,
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  it is promised.
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  But nonetheless,
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  there is also a promise of blessing
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  or makarios,
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  the Greek word meaning
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  blessed, happy, or flourishing.
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  And that is not material flourishing,
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  but spiritual flourishing,
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  because the righteous have life in Christ.
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  The kingdom of heaven is theirs.
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  So looking back at Daniel,
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  we see that the satraps and presidents
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  all conspire to destroy Daniel.
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  Looking at verse 4,
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  it reads,
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  Then the presidents and the satraps
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  sought to find a ground of complaint
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  against Daniel with regard to the kingdom.
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  But they could find no ground for complaint
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  or any fault
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  because he was faithful.
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  So what do they do now?
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  They maliciously devise a scheme
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  to trick the king
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  into a position that will cost Daniel his life.
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  They are so determined to bring Daniel down
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  that these 122 men
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  find a way to get together
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  to conspire to plan against Daniel three times.
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  Verses 6, 11, 15, each time.
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  They came to agreement.
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  They came to agreement.
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  They came to agreement.
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  They are relentless to kill Daniel
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  and that is the measure of their resolve.
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  They hate him
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  for righteousness sake.
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  You see, the satraps and presidents
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  knew that the king would be swept away
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  by such a flattering document.
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  They enticed him to evil
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  by appealing to the idol of self,
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  to his pride.
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  But more importantly,
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  they knew Daniel would never worship the king.
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  And as a result of their scheme
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  and Daniel's faithfulness,
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  he would die in the lion's den.
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  That was their plan.
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  Now I've got to tell you,
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  none of this should surprise any of us,
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  the least bit,
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  especially if you've even just casually read the Bible
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  without much study.
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  It is full of this kind of language.
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  It's clear that the world hates Yahweh.
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  And his worshipers.
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  It is as old as Cain killing Abel
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  because of his righteousness.
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  And that continues all throughout the Bible.
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  Zachariah was stoned to death
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  for righteousness sake.
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  2 Chronicles chapter 24.
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  John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod
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  for righteousness sake.
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  Matthew 14, 1 through 12.
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  Stephen was stoned to death
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  for righteousness sake.
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  Acts 6 and 7.
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  And James was cut down by the sword
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  for righteousness sake.
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  Acts chapter 12, verse 1.
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  Now Antiochus,
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  this one's a little tricky,
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  but church history testifies
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  that he was burned in a boiling cup.
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  And we know from Revelation 2, 12 through 13
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  that he was martyred.
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  And of course,
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  all the apostles were executed
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  in various forms
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  and at various times.
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  But the reason was always the same.
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  Righteousness sake.
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  And there are plenty more examples,
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  by the way,
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  not just in the Bible,
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  but throughout church history.
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  We have a whole book
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  that covers only a fraction of the names
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  called Fox's Book of the Martyrs.
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  And again,
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  they all died
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  for righteousness sake.
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  Jesus said in John 15,
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  verses 18 through 19,
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  if the world hates you,
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  know that it has hated me
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  before it hated you.
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  If you were of the world,
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  the world would love you as its own.
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  That's a promise.
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  If you're of the world,
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  the world will love you.
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  But because you are not of the world,
• 19:47
  but I chose you out of the world,
• 19:50
  therefore,
• 19:51
  the world hates you.
• 19:52
  That's a promise too.
• 19:53
  But regardless of what the world may say or do,
• 19:58
  we are called to righteousness.
• 20:01
  Faith,
• 20:01
  obedience,
• 20:02
  worship,
• 20:03
  into and toward God alone.
• 20:06
  And we see that righteousness practice,
• 20:08
  the faithfulness of Daniel,
• 20:10
  as he prays three times to God in verse 10.
• 20:13
  Notice the beginning of verse 10,
• 20:15
  when Daniel knew that the document had been signed.
• 20:19
  So clearly,
• 20:20
  Daniel wanted everyone to know,
• 20:21
  unmistakably,
• 20:22
  that he worshiped God alone.
• 20:25
  This is why he faces Jerusalem.
• 20:27
  This is why he prays three times,
• 20:30
  which was the custom at the time for Jews,
• 20:32
  so that it is crystal clear.
• 20:36
  More significantly,
• 20:38
  he does this because this is who he is,
• 20:41
  a worshiper of God.
• 20:44
  The end of verse 10 tells us
• 20:45
  that his way of praying was done
• 20:47
  as he had done previously.
• 20:50
  This was a way of life for Daniel.
• 20:53
  He was simply going out
• 20:54
  and living his life as a God follower
• 20:56
  that he has always lived,
• 20:58
  going back to Daniel 1.
• 21:01
  So like me,
• 21:02
  some of you may be reading all this
• 21:04
  and seeing the persecution of the saints
• 21:06
  and wondering,
• 21:07
  where is all the justice in this?
• 21:10
  How is this right that so many innocents
• 21:12
  should suffer at the hands of wicked
• 21:13
  and lawless men,
• 21:14
  especially Daniel?
• 21:17
  Perhaps you find yourself
• 21:19
  thinking about the words of the martyrs
• 21:20
  recorded in Revelation 6, 9 through 10.
• 21:24
  John writes,
• 21:24
  When he opened the fifth seal,
• 21:27
  I saw under the altar
• 21:28
  the souls of those who had been slain
• 21:31
  for the word of God
• 21:32
  and for the witness they had borne.
• 21:34
  And they, those souls, the martyrs,
• 21:37
  they cried out with a loud voice,
• 21:39
  O sovereign Lord,
• 21:41
  holy and true,
• 21:42
  how long before you will avenge
• 21:45
  and judge our blood
• 21:46
  on those who dwell on the earth?
• 21:48
  It is not a question of if,
• 21:51
  it is the question of when.
• 21:54
  God will judge all of those
• 21:56
  who dwell on the earth.
• 21:58
  And this leads me to the next point,
• 22:00
  point number three.
• 22:01
  And this is the big one.
• 22:04
  Daniel 6 is a picture
• 22:05
  of God's deliverance
• 22:07
  for all true believers
• 22:09
  and judgment of all others.
• 22:11
  So I'll repeat that.
• 22:13
  Daniel 6 is a picture
• 22:15
  of God's deliverance
• 22:17
  for all true believers.
• 22:18
  and judgment of all others.
• 22:22
  We see the king
• 22:23
  is in genuine turmoil
• 22:25
  when his men find Daniel
• 22:27
  guilty of violating the injunction.
• 22:30
  Verse 14,
• 22:31
  the king is distressed
• 22:33
  and desired to deliver Daniel.
• 22:35
  He labored all night
• 22:37
  to rescue Daniel,
• 22:38
  but to no avail.
• 22:39
  And why?
• 22:41
  Because it was the law.
• 22:42
  And ironically,
• 22:43
  the king had no power
• 22:44
  to do anything about it.
• 22:46
  He was weak.
• 22:46
  He was manipulated.
• 22:47
  He could not save Daniel.
• 22:51
  The good thing about this king
• 22:52
  is that he was
• 22:53
  humble enough
• 22:54
  to recognize
• 22:54
  his own inability
• 22:55
  to save Daniel.
• 22:57
  Verse 16,
• 22:58
  the king prays to Daniel's God,
• 23:00
  our God,
• 23:01
  and asks him
• 23:02
  to deliver Daniel.
• 23:04
  And the king fasted
• 23:05
  all night
• 23:06
  while Daniel
• 23:06
  was in the lion's den
• 23:07
  in verse 18.
• 23:08
  And there's no response
• 23:10
  that speaks to a man's sense
• 23:11
  of inability
• 23:12
  and insufficiency
• 23:13
  as much as fasting.
• 23:15
  It is literally
• 23:16
  the crying out
• 23:17
  of God to help
• 23:18
  and deliver
• 23:18
  and do everything
• 23:19
  because I am helpless.
• 23:21
  That's what fasting
• 23:22
  is saying.
• 23:24
  Verses 14 through 18,
• 23:26
  we see the law
• 23:27
  is going to condemn
• 23:28
  Daniel to death
• 23:29
  and the king
• 23:30
  can do nothing about it.
• 23:31
  Now, if this is a picture
• 23:34
  of God's deliverance
• 23:35
  and judgment,
• 23:37
  there has to be
• 23:38
  a figure
• 23:38
  or a type
• 23:39
  of Christ.
• 23:41
  So looking at
• 23:42
  verse 17,
• 23:44
  we get a glimpse
• 23:44
  of this.
• 23:45
  A stone,
• 23:46
  verse 17 writes,
• 23:47
  a stone
• 23:47
  was brought
• 23:48
  and laid
• 23:49
  on the mouth
• 23:50
  of the den.
• 23:51
  So Daniel
• 23:52
  is sealed
• 23:52
  in this hole
• 23:53
  in the ground.
• 23:54
  The stone covers
• 23:54
  his only exit.
• 23:56
  He's alone
• 23:56
  with hungry lions
• 23:57
  surrounding him
• 23:58
  that could devour
• 23:59
  him in seconds.
• 24:01
  But verse 19,
• 24:02
  then at the break
• 24:04
  of day,
• 24:05
  the king arose
• 24:05
  and went in haste
• 24:06
  to the den of lions.
• 24:08
  As he came near
• 24:08
  to the den
• 24:09
  where Daniel was,
• 24:10
  he cried out
• 24:10
  in a tongue of anguish.
• 24:11
  The king declared
• 24:12
  to Daniel,
• 24:12
  O Daniel,
• 24:14
  servant of the living God,
• 24:16
  has your God,
• 24:17
  whom you serve
• 24:17
  continually,
• 24:19
  been able to deliver
• 24:20
  you from the lions?
• 24:22
  Then Daniel
• 24:23
  said to the king,
• 24:24
  O king,
• 24:25
  live forever.
• 24:26
  My God
• 24:27
  sent his angel
• 24:28
  and shut
• 24:28
  the lions' mouths,
• 24:30
  and they have
• 24:31
  not harmed me
• 24:31
  because I was
• 24:32
  found blameless
• 24:33
  before him.
• 24:35
  And also,
• 24:35
  before you,
• 24:36
  O king,
• 24:36
  I have done
• 24:37
  no harm.
• 24:39
  So second half
• 24:40
  of verse 23,
• 24:41
  so Daniel
• 24:42
  was taken up
• 24:43
  out of the den
• 24:43
  and no kind
• 24:45
  of harm
• 24:45
  was found
• 24:45
  on him
• 24:46
  because he
• 24:47
  had trusted
• 24:48
  in his God.
• 24:51
  And that
• 24:52
  should sound
• 24:52
  very familiar
• 24:53
  to us all.
• 24:56
  It should
• 24:56
  remind us
• 24:57
  of Jesus,
• 24:58
  of Christ.
• 24:59
  If you recall,
• 25:00
  Pilate,
• 25:01
  the governor,
• 25:02
  the Roman governor
• 25:02
  who was in charge
• 25:04
  during Christ's
• 25:05
  lifetime,
• 25:05
  Pilate
• 25:06
  desired to
• 25:07
  set Jesus
• 25:08
  free the way
• 25:09
  Cyrus desired
• 25:10
  to set Daniel
• 25:11
  free,
• 25:12
  yet both
• 25:12
  were powerless.
• 25:14
  You see that
• 25:14
  in Matthew 27,
• 25:15
  verses 15-23.
• 25:18
  Daniel
• 25:19
  prays in the
• 25:20
  upper room
• 25:21
  while waiting
• 25:21
  for his captors.
• 25:23
  Likewise,
• 25:24
  Jesus prayed
• 25:25
  in the garden
• 25:25
  waiting for
• 25:26
  his captors.
• 25:27
  Matthew 26,
• 25:28
  36-46.
• 25:31
  Cyrus rolled
• 25:32
  a stone
• 25:33
  over to
• 25:33
  seal Daniel
• 25:34
  in what
• 25:34
  would become
• 25:35
  his tomb.
• 25:36
  And likewise,
• 25:37
  Joseph rolled
• 25:38
  the stone
• 25:39
  over Jesus'
• 25:39
  tomb
• 25:40
  and Pilate
• 25:41
  sealed it.
• 25:42
  Matthew 26,
• 25:43
  verses 60-66.
• 25:46
  Daniel's
• 25:47
  deliverance
• 25:47
  from the
• 25:48
  lion's den
• 25:48
  becomes a
• 25:49
  legal issue.
• 25:50
  So in the
• 25:51
  Meadow
• 25:55
  Persians,
• 25:55
  I was about
• 25:56
  to say
• 25:56
  Babylonians,
• 25:57
  in their
• 25:57
  empire,
• 25:58
  if an
• 25:59
  execution
• 25:59
  didn't work
• 26:00
  overnight,
• 26:01
  they were
• 26:01
  set free.
• 26:02
  They viewed
• 26:02
  that as
• 26:03
  divine judgment
• 26:03
  of sparing
• 26:04
  the individual.
• 26:05
  So because
• 26:06
  Daniel survived
• 26:07
  the night,
• 26:08
  it was law
• 26:08
  that he had
• 26:09
  to be spared.
• 26:10
  That's why
• 26:10
  they don't
• 26:11
  keep him
• 26:11
  down there.
• 26:13
  So in
• 26:13
  other words,
• 26:14
  his deliverance
• 26:15
  from the
• 26:15
  lion's den
• 26:16
  overcame
• 26:16
  the law.
• 26:17
  Likewise,
• 26:19
  Christ's
• 26:20
  resurrection
• 26:20
  was a
• 26:21
  legal matter
• 26:21
  that overcame
• 26:22
  the power
• 26:23
  of the law.
• 26:24
  Colossians 2,
• 26:25
  11-15.
• 26:27
  I could go
• 26:28
  on,
• 26:28
  but I think
• 26:28
  you get the
• 26:29
  point.
• 26:29
  Daniel is
• 26:30
  a type
• 26:30
  of Christ.
• 26:32
  Daniel is
• 26:32
  foreshadowing
• 26:33
  the work
• 26:33
  of Christ,
• 26:34
  namely,
• 26:35
  his death,
• 26:36
  resurrection,
• 26:37
  and ascension.
• 26:39
  Daniel ascends
• 26:39
  out of
• 26:40
  lion's den
• 26:40
  and then
• 26:41
  prospers
• 26:42
  as a ruler
• 26:42
  at the end
• 26:43
  of chapter
• 26:44
  6,
• 26:44
  verse 28.
• 26:45
  Just as
• 26:47
  Christ ascended
• 26:48
  to be seated
• 26:48
  at the right
• 26:49
  hand of the
• 26:50
  Father.
• 26:50
  Mark 16,
• 26:51
  verse 9.
• 26:54
  I mean,
• 26:54
  sweet Moses,
• 26:55
  the irony
• 26:55
  of the king's
• 26:56
  question,
• 26:56
  has your
• 26:57
  God been
• 26:57
  able to
• 26:58
  deliver you?
• 26:59
  And the
• 27:00
  answer is
• 27:00
  yes,
• 27:01
  a thousand
• 27:01
  times yes.
• 27:02
  He was
• 27:02
  able to
• 27:03
  deliver him
• 27:03
  and prosper
• 27:05
  him abundantly.
• 27:07
  And that
• 27:07
  picture of
• 27:07
  deliverance is
• 27:08
  all throughout
• 27:09
  Daniel 6,
• 27:10
  and it was
• 27:10
  prophesied in
• 27:11
  Isaiah 45,
• 27:12
  as we saw.
• 27:13
  But so
• 27:16
  is judgment
• 27:16
  prevalent in
• 27:18
  this chapter.
• 27:19
  The opposers,
• 27:21
  the satraps,
• 27:22
  and presidents
• 27:22
  were wicked
• 27:23
  in their
• 27:24
  schemes.
• 27:25
  They manipulated
• 27:26
  this entire
• 27:27
  ordeal,
• 27:28
  thinking it
• 27:28
  was by their
• 27:28
  hand that
• 27:29
  these things
• 27:30
  were to be.
• 27:32
  But look at
• 27:32
  verse 24.
• 27:33
  And the king
• 27:33
  commanded,
• 27:35
  and those men
• 27:35
  who had
• 27:36
  maliciously
• 27:37
  accused Daniel
• 27:38
  were brought
• 27:39
  and cast
• 27:39
  into the
• 27:39
  den of lions,
• 27:41
  they,
• 27:41
  their children,
• 27:42
  and their
• 27:43
  wives.
• 27:44
  And before
• 27:44
  they reached
• 27:45
  the bottom
• 27:45
  of the den,
• 27:46
  the lions
• 27:47
  overpowered
• 27:48
  them and
• 27:48
  broke all
• 27:49
  their bones
• 27:49
  in pieces.
• 27:52
  This image
• 27:52
  is shocking,
• 27:53
  terrifying,
• 27:54
  and even
• 27:54
  hard to digest
• 27:55
  at first
• 27:56
  when you
• 27:56
  picture the
• 27:56
  families included.
• 27:58
  On the one
• 27:59
  hand,
• 28:00
  you might be
• 28:01
  relieved to
• 28:01
  read this
• 28:03
  and think
• 28:03
  justice has
• 28:05
  been paid.
• 28:06
  They got
• 28:06
  what they
• 28:07
  deserve.
• 28:07
  There's a
• 28:08
  sense in
• 28:08
  which this
• 28:08
  is right.
• 28:10
  On the other
• 28:11
  hand,
• 28:11
  you might
• 28:11
  be
• 28:11
  heartbroken
• 28:12
  for them,
• 28:13
  knowing that
• 28:14
  you deserve
• 28:14
  the same
• 28:15
  because you
• 28:15
  too have
• 28:16
  lied and
• 28:16
  manipulated and
• 28:18
  all other
• 28:18
  kinds of
• 28:18
  sins have
• 28:19
  been committed
• 28:19
  by you,
• 28:20
  by me.
• 28:22
  And I
• 28:23
  want to
• 28:23
  suggest to
• 28:23
  you that
• 28:24
  on the one
• 28:24
  hand,
• 28:24
  you should
• 28:25
  feel 100%
• 28:26
  sorrow for
• 28:28
  these people,
• 28:28
  that you
• 28:29
  should be
• 28:29
  mourning their
• 28:30
  suffering since
• 28:31
  you know you
• 28:31
  deserve the
• 28:32
  same.
• 28:34
  But even
• 28:35
  so,
• 28:36
  you should
• 28:36
  also feel
• 28:37
  100%
• 28:37
  thankful that
• 28:38
  God is
• 28:39
  just.
• 28:40
  We worship
• 28:41
  God for
• 28:42
  all that
• 28:42
  he is and
• 28:43
  all that
• 28:43
  he does,
• 28:44
  no exceptions.
• 28:47
  And it is
• 28:47
  as simple as
• 28:48
  this,
• 28:48
  if you do
• 28:49
  not want
• 28:49
  there to
• 28:50
  be justice,
• 28:50
  then you
• 28:51
  do not
• 28:51
  want God
• 28:52
  because God
• 28:53
  is just.
• 28:56
  And recall
• 28:56
  that we
• 28:57
  come to
• 28:57
  God only
• 28:58
  because his
• 28:58
  justice was
• 28:59
  carried out
• 29:00
  on our
• 29:00
  sins which
• 29:01
  Christ bore
• 29:01
  on our
• 29:02
  behalf.
• 29:04
  And remember
• 29:05
  the words of
• 29:06
  the martyrs in
• 29:06
  Revelation 6.10,
• 29:08
  they were
• 29:09
  martyred for
• 29:09
  being a
• 29:09
  witness to
• 29:10
  the word.
• 29:10
  In other
• 29:10
  words,
• 29:11
  these were
• 29:11
  evangelists,
• 29:12
  these were
• 29:12
  missionaries,
• 29:13
  these were
• 29:13
  people who
• 29:13
  sought to
• 29:15
  see the
• 29:15
  world saved.
• 29:17
  And yet
• 29:17
  these people
• 29:18
  say,
• 29:19
  O sovereign
• 29:20
  Lord,
• 29:20
  holy and
• 29:20
  true,
• 29:21
  how long
• 29:22
  before you
• 29:22
  will judge
• 29:23
  and avenge
• 29:24
  our blood
• 29:24
  on those
• 29:25
  who dwell
• 29:25
  on the
• 29:25
  earth?
• 29:29
  God will
• 29:30
  judge and
• 29:30
  condemn every
• 29:31
  person who
• 29:32
  does not
• 29:32
  repent and
• 29:33
  place their
• 29:33
  faith in
• 29:34
  Jesus Christ
• 29:34
  and then
• 29:35
  obey him.
• 29:36
  And that
• 29:37
  judgment will
• 29:37
  come quickly
• 29:38
  and swiftly
• 29:39
  like a
• 29:39
  thief in
• 29:40
  the night.
• 29:41
  Do not
• 29:42
  delay.
• 29:43
  And this
• 29:44
  leads me to
• 29:44
  our final
• 29:45
  point this
• 29:45
  morning,
• 29:46
  point number
• 29:46
  four.
• 29:48
  Our
• 29:48
  response to
• 29:49
  God's
• 29:49
  deliverance
• 29:50
  and judgment
• 29:50
  is worship.
• 29:53
  Our
• 29:53
  response to
• 29:54
  God's
• 29:54
  deliverance
• 29:54
  and judgment
• 29:55
  is worship.
• 29:57
  Looking at
• 29:58
  verse 25,
• 29:59
  in response to
• 30:00
  seeing God
• 30:01
  deliver Daniel
• 30:01
  from the
• 30:02
  lion's den,
• 30:03
  this Darius
• 30:04
  Cyrus guy
• 30:05
  wrote to
• 30:05
  all the
• 30:06
  peoples,
• 30:06
  nations,
• 30:07
  and languages
• 30:07
  that dwell on
• 30:08
  the earth.
• 30:09
  There's that
• 30:09
  universal blessing
• 30:10
  language again.
• 30:12
  And he said,
• 30:13
  peace be
• 30:13
  multiplied to
• 30:14
  you.
• 30:15
  I make a
• 30:15
  decree that
• 30:16
  in all my
• 30:17
  royal dominion
• 30:17
  people are
• 30:18
  to tremble
• 30:19
  and fear
• 30:19
  before the
• 30:20
  God of
• 30:20
  Daniel.
• 30:21
  For he
• 30:21
  is the
• 30:22
  living God
• 30:22
  enduring
• 30:23
  forever.
• 30:23
  His
• 30:24
  kingdom
• 30:24
  shall never
• 30:24
  be destroyed
• 30:25
  and his
• 30:26
  dominion
• 30:26
  shall be
• 30:27
  to the
• 30:27
  end.
• 30:28
  He
• 30:28
  delivers
• 30:29
  and
• 30:29
  rescues.
• 30:30
  He
• 30:30
  works
• 30:30
  signs and
• 30:31
  wonders
• 30:31
  in heaven
• 30:32
  and on
• 30:33
  earth.
• 30:33
  He
• 30:34
  who
• 30:34
  has
• 30:34
  saved
• 30:34
  Daniel
• 30:35
  from the
• 30:35
  power
• 30:35
  of the
• 30:36
  lions.
• 30:37
  This
• 30:38
  language
• 30:38
  is all
• 30:39
  worship,
• 30:40
  praise,
• 30:40
  and adoration.
• 30:41
  And we
• 30:42
  see this
• 30:42
  kind of
• 30:42
  worship
• 30:43
  in the
• 30:43
  final days
• 30:44
  of God's
• 30:44
  final
• 30:45
  deliverance
• 30:45
  and judgment
• 30:46
  as well.
• 30:48
  Revelation
• 30:48
  19.1
• 30:49
  reads,
• 30:50
  and the
• 30:50
  context of
• 30:50
  this is
• 30:51
  right after
• 30:51
  that final
• 30:52
  judgment
• 30:52
  and that
• 30:53
  final
• 30:53
  deliverance.
• 30:54
  And
• 30:54
  Revelation
• 30:55
  19.1
• 30:55
  reads,
• 30:56
  After
• 30:56
  this,
• 30:57
  I heard
• 30:58
  what seemed
• 30:58
  to be a
• 30:58
  loud voice
• 30:59
  of a
• 30:59
  great
• 30:59
  multitude
• 31:00
  in
• 31:00
  heaven
• 31:01
  crying
• 31:01
  out,
• 31:02
  Hallelujah,
• 31:03
  salvation
• 31:04
  and glory
• 31:05
  and power
• 31:05
  belong to
• 31:06
  our God.
• 31:08
  For his
• 31:08
  judgments
• 31:08
  are true
• 31:09
  and just.
• 31:11
  For he
• 31:11
  has judged
• 31:12
  the great
• 31:12
  prostitute
• 31:13
  who corrupted
• 31:13
  the earth
• 31:14
  with her
• 31:14
  immorality
• 31:15
  and has
• 31:15
  avenged
• 31:16
  on her
• 31:16
  the blood
• 31:17
  of his
• 31:17
  servants.
• 31:18
  Once
• 31:19
  more they
• 31:19
  cried
• 31:19
  out,
• 31:20
  Hallelujah,
• 31:20
  the smoke,
• 31:21
  meaning the
• 31:21
  tormenting
• 31:22
  fires,
• 31:22
  the smoke
• 31:23
  from her
• 31:23
  goes up
• 31:24
  forever
• 31:24
  and ever.
• 31:26
  And this
• 31:28
  is one
• 31:28
  of the
• 31:28
  reasons,
• 31:28
  by the way,
• 31:29
  that I
• 31:29
  think Cyrus
• 31:30
  was regenerate
• 31:31
  because he
• 31:31
  sounds an
• 31:32
  awfully lot
• 31:33
  like the
• 31:33
  saints in
• 31:34
  Revelation
• 31:34
  19 when
• 31:35
  he praises
• 31:36
  God in
• 31:37
  Daniel 6.
• 31:38
  When people
• 31:39
  see God's
• 31:40
  deliverance
• 31:41
  and judgment,
• 31:41
  they cannot
• 31:42
  help but
• 31:43
  worship him
• 31:43
  and that is
• 31:44
  the pattern
• 31:44
  throughout
• 31:44
  all of
• 31:45
  scripture.
• 31:47
  And that
• 31:47
  is why
• 31:48
  every knee
• 31:48
  shall bow
• 31:49
  and every
• 31:50
  tongue
• 31:50
  confess that
• 31:51
  Jesus Christ
• 31:52
  is Lord
• 31:53
  because he
• 31:54
  will make
• 31:54
  it so
• 31:55
  because he
• 31:57
  is Lord.
• 32:02
  And I
• 32:03
  think it's
• 32:03
  important to
• 32:03
  note,
• 32:04
  though,
• 32:04
  the deliverance.
• 32:05
  It's easy
• 32:06
  to get
• 32:06
  caught up
• 32:06
  in judgment.
• 32:07
  It's easy
• 32:08
  to question
• 32:10
  it.
• 32:10
  It's easy
• 32:10
  to wonder
• 32:11
  about God's
• 32:13
  love,
• 32:14
  his character.
• 32:15
  Sometimes we
• 32:15
  don't always
• 32:16
  see how the
• 32:16
  scales balance
• 32:18
  out,
• 32:18
  but the
• 32:18
  comfort in
• 32:19
  Revelation
• 32:19
  19 is that
• 32:20
  that is a
• 32:21
  prophecy of
• 32:22
  us praising
• 32:23
  God and
• 32:24
  saying that
• 32:24
  he is
• 32:24
  just.
• 32:25
  That's a
• 32:25
  prophecy of
• 32:26
  us saying
• 32:27
  the scales
• 32:27
  are balanced
• 32:28
  and now
• 32:28
  we see
• 32:29
  that you
• 32:30
  are just,
• 32:30
  you are
• 32:31
  holy,
• 32:31
  you are
• 32:32
  love.
• 32:34
  And we
• 32:34
  see that
• 32:34
  in Daniel
• 32:35
  being risen
• 32:36
  from the
• 32:37
  lion stone,
• 32:37
  being spared.
• 32:40
  So I want
• 32:40
  to close
• 32:41
  with some
• 32:41
  application.
• 32:43
  The first
• 32:43
  one being
• 32:44
  fill yourself
• 32:45
  with knowledge
• 32:45
  of God's
• 32:46
  covenants,
• 32:46
  his promises.
• 32:47
  If you
• 32:49
  are faithful
• 32:49
  to God,
• 32:50
  then you
• 32:50
  will face
• 32:51
  persecution.
• 32:53
  And if you
• 32:53
  want to stand
• 32:54
  strong as
• 32:55
  Daniel did,
• 32:55
  or better
• 32:55
  yet,
• 32:56
  as Christ
• 32:56
  did perfectly,
• 32:58
  then you
• 32:58
  must have
• 32:58
  something to
• 32:59
  place your
• 32:59
  hope in.
• 33:01
  And that
• 33:01
  is God
• 33:01
  and his
• 33:02
  promises.
• 33:04
  The other
• 33:05
  application is
• 33:05
  rid yourself
• 33:06
  of anxiety.
• 33:08
  I mentioned
• 33:09
  this one last
• 33:09
  time, but I
• 33:10
  thought it was
• 33:10
  even more
• 33:11
  fitting for
• 33:12
  this text as
• 33:12
  well, and I
• 33:13
  couldn't help
• 33:13
  but include
• 33:14
  it.
• 33:16
  Notice how
• 33:16
  Daniel is
• 33:17
  prospering in
• 33:18
  the beginning
• 33:18
  of chapter
• 33:19
  6.
• 33:19
  He's on the
• 33:20
  rise, he's
• 33:20
  about to be
• 33:21
  set over the
• 33:21
  whole kingdom,
• 33:23
  then all that
• 33:23
  stuff happens
• 33:24
  which makes it
• 33:25
  look like he's
• 33:25
  going downhill
• 33:26
  quickly, looks
• 33:27
  like he's
• 33:27
  going to die.
• 33:29
  But by the
• 33:30
  end of it all,
• 33:31
  he is saved,
• 33:31
  and in verse
• 33:32
  28, we see
• 33:33
  that he
• 33:33
  prospered once
• 33:35
  again.
• 33:37
  As Christians,
• 33:37
  we have the
• 33:38
  unique benefit of
• 33:39
  knowing where
• 33:39
  everything began
• 33:40
  and where it
• 33:40
  all is going.
• 33:42
  There's absolutely
• 33:43
  no need to
• 33:43
  fret over the
• 33:44
  details of the
• 33:45
  here and now.
• 33:46
  These moments
• 33:47
  are fleeting,
• 33:48
  and we know
• 33:49
  that heaven
• 33:49
  awaits us
• 33:50
  where God
• 33:50
  will comfort
• 33:51
  us as we
• 33:52
  worship him
• 33:52
  for all
• 33:53
  eternity.
• 33:55
  So anxiety
• 33:56
  is needless,
• 33:56
  and it is a
• 33:57
  sin, and the
• 33:58
  antidote to
• 33:59
  that is to
• 33:59
  place our
• 34:00
  trust fully
• 34:01
  in Christ.
• 34:03
  Third application
• 34:04
  is to prepare
• 34:05
  yourself for
• 34:06
  persecution from
• 34:07
  a hostile
• 34:08
  culture.
• 34:09
  In other
• 34:10
  words, count
• 34:10
  the cost.
• 34:11
  Jesus tells
• 34:13
  us that if
• 34:13
  we are to
• 34:13
  follow him,
• 34:14
  we must
• 34:14
  first deny
• 34:15
  ourselves,
• 34:16
  take up
• 34:16
  his cross,
• 34:17
  and then
• 34:17
  follow him
• 34:18
  after 1624.
• 34:21
  We have
• 34:21
  to be willing
• 34:22
  to die for
• 34:22
  Christ, and
• 34:24
  we should
• 34:24
  expect persecution
• 34:25
  because Christ
• 34:26
  promises we,
• 34:27
  the blessed,
• 34:28
  will be
• 34:28
  persecuted.
• 34:30
  And if you've
• 34:31
  never been
• 34:31
  persecuted, perhaps
• 34:32
  it's because you
• 34:33
  are not practicing
• 34:34
  righteousness.
• 34:36
  And to be
• 34:36
  clear, we are
• 34:37
  not going into
• 34:37
  the world and
• 34:38
  trying to get
• 34:38
  killed for being
• 34:39
  annoying.
• 34:39
  We are
• 34:40
  trying to be
• 34:41
  faithful, which
• 34:42
  the world
• 34:42
  hates.
• 34:44
  So we want
• 34:45
  to practice
• 34:46
  righteousness.
• 34:48
  And the
• 34:49
  final application
• 34:49
  is this, we
• 34:51
  obey God, not
• 34:52
  man.
• 34:53
  I think it is
• 34:54
  significant that
• 34:55
  at no point in
• 34:56
  Daniel 6 do we
• 34:57
  see Daniel speak
• 34:58
  lowly of the
• 34:59
  king.
• 35:00
  He never called
• 35:01
  him weak or a
• 35:02
  puppet, though
• 35:02
  there were clearly
• 35:03
  grounds to do
• 35:04
  so.
• 35:05
  Rather, Daniel
• 35:06
  expressed respect
• 35:07
  for this God-given
• 35:08
  position.
• 35:09
  He said in
• 35:10
  verse 21,
• 35:11
  O king, live
• 35:12
  forever.
• 35:13
  And we too
• 35:14
  should respect
• 35:15
  our authorities,
• 35:16
  whether they be
• 35:16
  government officials,
• 35:18
  parents, employers,
• 35:19
  coaches, or what
• 35:20
  have you.
• 35:22
  However, at the
• 35:23
  end of the day,
• 35:24
  when you get a
• 35:24
  command from man
• 35:25
  that conflicts
• 35:26
  with a command
• 35:27
  from the Lord
• 35:28
  of the universe,
• 35:29
  the one you
• 35:30
  should obey is
• 35:30
  obvious.
• 35:31
  The chain of
• 35:31
  command is clear.
• 35:34
  Yes, render to
• 35:34
  Caesar that which
• 35:35
  is Caesar's, but
• 35:36
  never squander or
• 35:37
  forget to render
• 35:37
  to God that
• 35:38
  which is God's.
• 35:41
  We are citizens
• 35:41
  of the kingdom
• 35:42
  of heaven before
• 35:43
  anything else.
• 35:44
  We're not
• 35:45
  Americans, Mexicans,
• 35:46
  Germans, or what
• 35:46
  have you.
• 35:47
  We are followers
• 35:48
  of Christ.
• 35:50
  Let's follow him
• 35:51
  now through prayer.
• 35:52
  Let's go.