THE LIVING GOD

Daniel 6:1-28
Key Verse 6:10

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

In this passage we can learn from Daniel’s life of prayer which enabled him to prosper despite his enemies’ attempts to destroy him. Let us think about this passage in four parts:

I. Daniel, a man of exceptional performance (1-5)

Look at vs. 1-5. “It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." 

Even a casual reading of this passage tells us that Daniel is a man of exceptional performance. How well did he perform? The passage tells us that he is the best of the best. When I was in a high school the school master thought that I was one of the best in doing math. So together with a few other students in the same school they selected a delegation of students including me, and sent us to a national math competition. So we left a small town called Kimcheon, and went to Seoul, the capital city of S. Korea, to sit for an exam for a national competition. What was the result? We performed so poorly that the teacher who led the team did not want to take a look at the report card even a second time. We realized that we were a bunch of frogs in a pond; outside of the pond there were a lot of big fish like whales or sharks. So if you want to call yourself one of the best, you better compare yourself with people who are considered the best on an international level, not on a national or local level.  But look at Daniel. The King Darius found Daniel to be the best among the 120. The Babylonian empire which the King Darius, the new emperor of Medes had just taken over was vast in territory covering present day Iran, Iraq, Turkey, the entire Bible land including Israel, and Egypt. These 120 were considered to be the best on an international level. But Daniel was the best of the best. The word “qualities” in the expression “exceptional qualities” is plural indicating that Daniel was the best not in one small area like math, but in all different areas, particularly in terms of integrity as a human being. Most strikingly even all of his enemies/competitors recognized Daniel’s exceptional qualities, so they said all together: “WE WILL NEVER FIND ANY BASIS FOR CHARGES AGAINST HIM.”They all agreed that Daniel deserved an A plus in all areas of performance. 

The question then becomes, “What made him to perform so well?” Or “Who helped him to perform so well?” “What is the secret?” Was it because he was born smarter than any others? Certainly Daniel 1:3-4 tell us that Daniel was already one of the finest, for this passage says that Daniel was one of “the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace.” But still the question remains the same. Yes. He is from a royal family or the nobility. But what made him perform so well? Was it because the Israelites were cut out to be of special species? The answer to this question is of course no, because the Bible says that they were stiff-necked people (meaning a people who were as stubborn as a donkey) (Deutronomy9:6), and a donkey is never considered to be an animal standing tall way above all other animals in performance. Why then was he so distinguished? What was the secret? Surprisingly what Daniel’s enemies said in v. 6 offers a brilliant answer. Look at v. 5 again. “Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” The expression “something to do” suggests that they were not clear about this, but still they were certain that it [i.e., the basis for charges] had something to do with the law of God. They already determined that they could find no basis for charges against him. So we can read the word “it” to mean “the reason for Daniel’s performing so well”. The excellent qualities demonstrated by Daniel had something to do with the law of God. In fact the word “something” is a misnomer, for it must read “everything” rather than “something”: Daniel’s excellence has everything to do with the law of Daniel’s God! It was the law of Daniel’s God which enabled Daniel to perform so well. Because Daniel followed through with the law of His God, he could perform so well. What shot Daniel’s popularity through the roof among all peoples on earth in the entire world of Daniel’s day was the law of His God! This conclusion agrees with what the Scriptures say in a number of places. I would like to quote just two: Psalm 19:7-11 and Daniel 2:19-23. Psalm 19:7-11 read, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Then Daniel 2:19-23 read, “"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: 
You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, [and] you have made known to us the dream of the king." 

Yesterday I attended a wedding between Shepherd Joshua Dewitt and Missionary Mary Yoon. What surprised me the most was the popularity of Shepherd Joshua among the second generations in Chicago UBF. They liked him so much that at the reception they surprised everyone by presenting a movie featuring Joshua Dewitt the Shepherd for the Second Gens! Indeed Shepherd Joshua was an excellent shepherd for many. He graduated from Northwestern University majoring in music. He composed a symphony. He is handsome, kind and gentle. He could have found a well-paying job in the music industry. But out of his love for Jesus, he found a job as a music teacher in one of the most rundown areas in Chicago, at a Charter High school on a Noble Street, Kook County Chicago. There he taught high school students not just music but the Bible. He loved the high school kids in his class and school with Christ’s love. Then he invited 48 students to the JBF (Junior High School Students Bible Fellowship) in Chicago every Friday. While shepherding over them, he spent time with the second generations in Chicago UBF. As a shepherd for them he listened to all of their stories. And he lived as a father for them. They were so moved by his love. In appreciation for his shepherd’s love, they made a movie and dedicated it to him. What surprised me the most however was his parents’ service for Shepherd Joshua. From his birth till he got married yesterday they shepherded over him by praying for him and teaching the Bible to him. I thought that Joshua performed so well because of his training in UBF. But I recognized that there was a lot more than his spiritual discipline in UBF: His parents’ prayer. Actually at the wedding reception his father also presented a slide show about how they prayed for him. I recognized that his father is a righteous man. Throughout his marriage with his wife, he never missed giving his wife a gift on every important day. He gave a gift on a wedding anniversary, on a new year’s day, on Easter, on her birthday, on the President’s day and of course on a Valentine’s Day. And he lived a life that gives to his neighbors not just materials like flowers but the word of God! Because he raised up his children with God’s word, his children including Joshua performed so well! Surely Daniel’s excellent performance had everything to do 
  with the law of Daniel’s God!

II. The administrators and satraps who tried to destroy Daniel (6-9)

Unlike Daniel the administrators and satraps did not know the God of Daniel. What then did they believe in? What made them go? By what principle did they live? The next four verses offer an answer to this question. Look at vs. 6-9. “So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered-in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." So King Darius put the decree in writing.” The clue is in the phrase, “as a group”. Interestingly this phrase is found repeatedly in Daniel 6. It repeats itself three time (6,11,15). V. 6 says, “So the administrators and the satraps went ‘as a group’”. V. 11 reads, “Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.” Normally peeping Toms operate individually, but strangely they operated as a bunch of “peeping Tom” even “as a group”! Then v. 15 reads, “Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him…” God is the God of economy. He never wastes anything, including his word. Each time we see him repeating something, he does so for a reason. In this case the Lord gave us this expression repeatedly to tell us about their problem. What was their problem? Their problem was that they believed in the power of people. They believed in the power of numbers. Of course numbers are important. But the real problem was that they did not believe in the value of each individual. Before a group exists, an individual exists first. After all, a group consists of each individual. So a group without an individual is nothing. And God never puts a group above an individual. And God is the God of each person. He helps each person one by one. This idea is built even in the name of God that is, “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” 

Recognizing this personal God who created each person according to his image with his or her unique beauty and value is the key to overcoming all kinds of ugly problems like jealousy and envy. It is the key to overcome such complex issues as inferiority complex or superiority complex. In God all are valuable. The one at the top of a society like the political society in Washington D.C. or the one at the bottom of the same society are all the same in value. In God’s eyes, they are all equal. Simply speaking, each person is created to be too great to add to or subtract from his or her own inherent value. You are born to be perfectly great. So why do you add to your greatness with anything else like title, job, or the kind of car you are driving? Why do you want to boost up your image with plastic surgery? 

Again look at vs. 6-7, “So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed…” When you further analyze their move as a group, we can say that they were “humanists” in that they believed in the power of men, rather than, the power of the living God. Traditionally, humanists who believe in this humanism (humanism in the sense of men putting men above the Creator God) works always as enemies of God and enemies of those who live by faith in God. They do not live before God or in God, they live before men. They believe more in themselves than God. In all human conflicts throughout human history there are always humanists who try to push their own agenda against the will of God and thereby turn an otherwise peaceful world into a living hell. Communists like Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse-Tung, or Il-Sung Kim, all believed in the power of people. So they formed a group called the “Communist Party”, and destroyed millions of innocent people. On many occasions these humanists who believe in the power-politics are the root cause of domestic fights or church divisions. 

Their identity as humanists is revealed most clearly in the edict they came up with, that is, a decree to set forth a total ban of prayer to God, and instead establish a new religion that prays to a king, Mr. Darius, a mere human being. 

The recent daily bread Bible passages reveal the harms and dangers of humanism. For example, Jeremiah 25:7 reads, “But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD, "and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves."” Here, “what your hands have made” refers to the products of humanists’ ideology. It represents the lifestyle which is inconsistent with the law of the living God. Just as Cain brought harm to himself rather than to Abel, so also we shall see soon that the administrators and satraps invented their own idea which brought ultimate harm to themselves. So the Bible has this to say: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

III. Daniel, a man of prayer (10-11)

But Daniel was different from the administrators and satraps. These administrators and satraps lived in a humanistic dimension. The Lord God created the world according to His creation order: God first, man second and the world third. So we can say that we are living in a three dimensional world – the dimension of God, the dimension of man, and the dimension of material.  But the administrators and satraps did not know God. So they were condemned to live in only two dimensions. They were two dimensional men. But unlike these 2 dimensional men, Daniel was a three dimensional man. He had God’s dimension. 

There are a lot of people, however, who look like a three dimensional man, but in fact they are a two dimensional man. They go to church diligently. They have no problem to recite Bible verses. But still mostly they operate merely on a humanistic level; they rarely rise above a man’s level, and reach God’s level. 

There is however one way to tell whether or not he or she is a three dimensional man – prayer. See how often he prays or what he thinks of prayer. Ask him what his understanding of prayer is, or how much he believes in the power of prayer. When I asked the same questions to myself, I was also very ashamed of myself, for I am very inferior to Daniel particularly in his life of prayer! Because of the lack of the understanding of prayer, on many occasions I operated like an animal, or like a mere human being, but not as a man of God. I was not a servant of God “full” time! 

But it was not so with Daniel. His life of prayer tells us that he lived as a man of God “all the time” – Monday through Sunday, and morning till evening, day and night. He was a full time servant of God. 

What shows that he is a full time servant of God? What tells us that he operated on a God’s level all the time? A powerful proof of this is found in vs. 10 and 11. Let us read altogether this blessed Bible passage. 

“10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.” Numerous people wrote tons of books about “prayer.” And the Bible abounds with all kinds of instructions and exhortations about prayer, and most of them are quite overwhelming. Here in this passage, particularly in v. 10, however, can we find in a nutshell what prayer is all about. This passage gives us a pictorial view of how each of us as a child of God must operate.  

Let us read this Bible passage again. “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” We would like to think about Daniel’s prayer life described here in seven points:

First, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room…” This part indicates that Daniel prayed in good times and in bad times. When bad news hits us we are tempted to resort to other means than prayer. For example, we grab people around us and complain to them. Or we are tempted to go to a restaurant and eat more than we should. Some kill time playing a video game endlessly. Some even do drugs. And the list goes on and on. But Daniel did not do that. He was living in a foreign land, far away from his home land. And no one knows what happened to his parents. And according to one woman missionary’s keen observation, by that time, although Daniel might have well advanced in years, he still remained single. And as had always been the case with him the “peer pressure” was more than he could handle. Yet, he had ways to not only survive but also rise from it victoriously: that is, he established a small corner – his upstairs room. It was his hiding place. Each time he felt stressed, he visited this place where he spent time with His Lord, the truest friend of all of his friends. 

Second, “Where the windows were opened toward Jerusalem.” This little part of the verse gives us a glimpse into the inner world of Daniel. The Bible calls each believer the Lord’s sanctuary (Lev 19:30; Lev 20:3; 1Co 6:19). “The windows” here refer to not just the physical windows but the spiritual windows which the Lord God opened up inside of Daniel. Interestingly the way the Lord designed the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem is divided into two parts: the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. In the Holy Place are placed two items: menorah and the showbread. The showbread consists of 12 pieces of bread, and they represent each believer. The light on the menorah refers to the Spirit of God. And this light faces the tables where they put 12 pieces of bread so we can see that it is this light of the Spirit that illuminates our body! These arrangements are foreshadowing of the reality to come, that is, the indwelling Spirit of God! For everyone who believes in Jesus and accepts him as His personal Lord and Savior, the Lord God blesses that person with the gift called the Holy Spirit. This Spirit enables his children to open their spiritual eyes which again serve as spiritual windows through which God’s light can come into them! And Daniel had his windows open, not Windows 98 designed by Bill Gates, but the spiritual windows designed by the Lord God!

Third, “Three times a day…” This indicates that he prayed before, during and after daily challenges (or battles if you will), like morning, noon, and evening (Psalm 55:17). 

Fourth, “He got down on his knees and prayed.” This part is the essence of prayer. Yet it is the hardest point for anyone to practice what true prayer is all about, that is, complete self-denial. In the true sense of the word “prayer”, as a man of prayer comes to the seat of prayer, one must empty oneself of himself. 

Fifth, “Giving thanks…”  This is again one of the hardest point for us to practice. He knew that his enemies were sharpening a knife to stab him to death. The smell of the ink of the newspaper which carried the news about the new edict was still fresh, and yet Daniel gave thanks to God for even what had just happened! How could he do that? Where does he then come from? Again what he did, that is, giving thanks to God, itself gives out the answer: He believed in God’s goodness. He saw that behind this seemingly bad news was the real good news hidden. For those who put faith in God, then, every trouble or hardship is nothing but God’s blessing in disguise. 

Sixth, “[Daniel prayed and gave thanks] to his God.” Here the word “his” suggests that he did not believe in any god, but his personal God whom he knew just as a friend knows a friend. 

Seventh, “[Daniel prayed] just as he had done before.” This suggests that Daniel established a long period of friendship with the Lord, His God. This reminds us of a hymn entitled, “What a friend we have in Jesus” (#123 Worship In Song). Verse 2 of this song says, “Have you trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful? Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer.” 

IV. The Living God (12-28)

Vs. 12-28 is an epilogue of the passage for today. Here we see that those who tried to destroy Daniel ended up destroying themselves, just as the Prophet Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 25:7. They brought harm to themselves and their family members by what their hands had made! 

Most surprisingly however their rebellion against Daniel and the God of Daniel turned out to be the Lord’s opportunity for the Lord God to reveal Himself as the Living God. And he revealed himself as such through the mouth of a heathen king named Darius! What he said in Daniel 6:25-27 are remarkable. Let us all read this passage. “Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: "May you prosper greatly! 26 "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.”For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." 

This God always blesses those who put complete trust in Him, thus Daniel 6:28 says, “So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” One word: the Living God.