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Series Code: DAA
Program Code: DAA000006A
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00:02 Music...
00:24 Hello and once again we welcome you to Daniel All Access, 00:29 our chapter by chapter walk through the book of Daniel 00:33 in an effort to see what Daniel has to say to us 00:37 in these latter days 00:39 and I think we've been finding that 00:42 though Daniel is a prophetic book, 00:44 it has much to tell us about our lives today... 00:48 about practical living and practical Godliness. 00:52 Daniel allows us to go as deep as our shovel will take us. 00:56 There are many, many, many layers to the book of Daniel 01:01 and we will also see this 01:03 in our upcoming series with Pastor Lomacang 01:05 as we deal with the book of Revelation 01:07 that these books are prophetic, yes, they are, 01:10 Revelation is prophetic and apocalyptic 01:12 but more than that, these books have much to say 01:16 to our walk every day with Jesus Christ. 01:18 There are lessons to be learned and paths to be walked in 01:23 that, if we would but open our eyes, 01:26 we will see them very, very clearly 01:28 and so, tonight, we want to enter into a study 01:31 of Daniel chapter 6. 01:33 The title of our message is: Shlemiel Schlimazel. 01:37 Shlemiel Schlimazel... 01:40 and if you're a New Yorker or you live some place 01:44 where there is a heavy Jewish influence, 01:46 you are familiar with those words. 01:49 Shlemiel Schlimazel... 01:50 you will all know what they mean ere our night has concluded 01:55 because God has much to say to us in Schlemiel and Schlimazel. 01:59 Shall we pray? 02:01 "Father God, how we praise you and thank you 02:05 for your love... your mercy... your goodness... 02:09 and your grace. 02:11 We thank you for the Bible which is a lamp unto our feet 02:16 and a light unto our path 02:19 and that if we will but walk in that light, 02:23 we will see the way that leads from earth to glory 02:29 and so, bless us tonight, dear Father, 02:31 as we look at your Word, 02:32 as we see you anew 02:34 and again, teach us those things that you'll have us to know, 02:38 help us to do them 02:40 because it is in the doing that we are made like Christ Jesus 02:44 and we thank you dear Father, in Jesus' name, amen. " 02:49 Our discussion of the book of Daniel chapter 6 02:55 begins in the book of Isaiah 02:57 and so I would ask you to turn 03:00 to Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 1. 03:03 You may ask why do we begin a discussion of Daniel chapter 6 03:13 in the book of Isaiah 03:15 and what is there to learn from Daniel chapter 6 03:19 in the book of Isaiah. 03:21 The answer is much. 03:24 There was much to learn because we learn of the Messiah 03:30 and a Messiah in the book of Isaiah. 03:35 We see the state of play spiritually in Israel, 03:39 we also see much about God's people 03:43 and why they landed in captivity. 03:46 So, let's look at the book of Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 1. 03:53 We get an idea of the state of play in Israel 03:56 right, as we say, "Out of the Gate" 03:58 here in Isaiah 1. 04:00 The Bible says, "The ox knows its owner; 04:04 The donkey its master's crib; 04:07 But Israel does not know, 04:11 My people do not consider... " 04:14 so, right off, we see the state of play in Israel. 04:18 God has a complaint against His own people. 04:21 Dumb animals know who their owners are 04:25 but God's people seemingly don't know who their God is. 04:30 So we see at the very outset, 04:33 God has a controversy with His people. 04:36 We see God telling them about the deplorable and detestable 04:41 conditions that His people are living in. 04:45 His people have become alienated from their God. 04:50 Pause. 04:52 They have walked away from their God 04:55 and yet God offers them in the book of Isaiah 05:01 an unmistakable olive branch of peace. 05:04 In exchange for their infidelity, 05:07 God offers His people hope 05:10 and peace and love. 05:12 You know, we serve a God who is very limited 05:15 in the weapons that He can use. 05:17 Satan is almost unlimited. 05:19 Satan can use lies, treachery, force, coercion... 05:24 God only has a couple of weapons: 05:28 love, peace and justice 05:30 that's all He's got 05:33 and that's all He ever uses. 05:35 It's love, peace and justice. 05:38 So, we see in the book of Isaiah, 05:41 long before we get to Daniel, 05:43 a vision of God that is without parallel or equal 05:48 in the Old Testament. 05:49 We see God in... in Isaiah as "stripped down" 05:54 and as pure as any place in the Bible. 05:59 Our view of God in the book of Isaiah 06:03 is an exalted one, 06:04 in fact, it is the most exalted in the entire Old Testament. 06:08 God's holiness is the salient theme in the book of Isaiah... 06:15 the unsurpassing love and holiness of God 06:18 but it is not... it is not a transcended holiness 06:22 we see a God who is high and holy 06:24 and yet intimate and loving in the book of Isaiah... 06:27 like nowhere else 06:29 and that's why Isaiah is such an important book for study 06:32 because you see... you see a picture of God 06:35 as pure and unvarnished as anywhere in the Bible. 06:39 Pause. 06:42 God's holiness is underscored in the book of Isaiah 06:47 more than anywhere in the Old Testament. 06:49 The portrait of the depth and the height of the love of God 06:54 is a vast deal beyond impressive. 06:58 Pause. 07:00 The term, "The Holy One" 07:04 is used in Isaiah 26 times. 07:07 Pause. 07:09 In the entire Old Testament, 07:11 it is only used six additional times 07:14 so, the idea that there is a God there who is high and holy 07:20 and yet intimate and loving is... 07:22 is proffered in Isaiah like nowhere else in the Bible, 07:26 it's... it's an intimate look at the God that we serve. 07:30 God's sovereignty is also a significant motif 07:36 in the book of... of Isaiah. 07:38 In Isaiah, we see a high and holy and lofty God 07:42 who is desperate for an intimate relationship with His people. 07:47 We see as nowhere else in the Bible, 07:49 that though He's high and lifted up, 07:52 He wants to be right by your side. 07:55 He wants to put His arm around you. 07:57 He wants to comfort you and walk with you 08:01 and He wants to be your personal friend 08:05 and He's determined to hold on to a people 08:09 who are just as determined to turn their back on Him. 08:12 It is an interesting picture of God that we see 08:17 in the book of Isaiah 08:18 and I say again, the only weapons that God has 08:23 at His disposal 08:25 are righteousness, justice and love. 08:30 So, one of the things God does in Isaiah 08:35 is to reveal Christ... the coming Messiah. 08:40 One of the things that He does is to reveal to us 08:45 Christ the suffering servant. 08:48 Look at what God says here in the book of Isaiah. 08:52 He says, "Bring no more futile sacrifices; 08:56 Incense is an abomination to Me. 08:58 The New Moons, the Sabbaths, 09:00 the calling of assemblies... 09:02 I cannot endure iniquity in the sacred meeting. " 09:06 God is asking for purity... purity. 09:09 Your New Moons... 09:10 your appointed feasts my soul hates; 09:13 They are a trouble to Me, 09:16 I am weary of bearing them. " 09:18 God is saying, "I don't want form... 09:20 I don't want faction, I don't want 'Play Worship' 09:22 what I want is heart. 09:23 So don't come to me with sacrifices and incense 09:27 and prayers 09:28 if your heart is not with me. " 09:30 "When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; 09:34 Even though you make many prayers... " 09:37 He says, "I'm not going to hear. 09:39 Your hearts are full of blood. 09:41 Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; 09:44 Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. 09:48 Cease to do evil, 09:50 Learn to do good; Seek justice, 09:54 Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless" 09:57 He says, "Plead for the widow, 10:00 Come now, let us reason together... " 10:04 Amen. 10:05 "Says the Lord, 10:07 'Though your sins are like scarlet, 10:09 They shall be white as snow; 10:11 Though they are red like crimson, 10:14 They shall be as wool. 10:16 If you are willing and obedient... '" 10:22 You see how desperate God is? 10:24 He starts out by saying, 10:25 "When you pray, I'm not listening... 10:26 when you raise your hands, I'm going to turn my back. " 10:29 But before He's done, He says, 10:31 "Okay, let's reason together, come on... come on... come on, 10:37 pause 10:38 I can make your red sins like wool, 10:42 if you are willing and obedient... " 10:45 you know, when... when you read the book of Isaiah 10:47 you want to jump up in praise. 10:48 Audience: Amen. 10:50 Because God is saying, "As bad as you are, 10:52 that's how good I can be. " 10:54 Audience: Amen. 10:55 "Yeah, I'm upset with you, I am upset... 10:57 don't come to me with that 'praying in your heart' 10:59 but if you're willing, 11:01 pause... 11:04 if you're obedient, I will change my mind. 11:07 You shall eat of the good of the land... 11:11 as bad as you are... you know you need a spanking, 11:13 but if you behave yourself... " 11:16 like my parents used to say, 11:19 good Barbadian father... you know West Indian dad... 11:22 "Yeah, I give you a good caning, boy... " 11:25 "... but if you behave yourself, if you just behave yourself, 11:29 you'll eat of the good of the land. 11:32 But if you refuse and rebel, 11:36 you shall be devoured by the sword. " 11:39 You see how desperate God is to love His people 11:43 and to have a loving relationship with His people... 11:45 he's... he's... he's pulling out his hair... 11:47 "I'm blessing you... I'm cursing you... 11:49 I'm trying to... to help you... 11:50 what can I do to get you to accept me?" 11:55 And that's what we see throughout the book of Isaiah, 11:57 throughout the book of Isaiah... 11:59 this... this God who is desperate to love this people, 12:03 and desperate to have them love Him. 12:07 "For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. " 12:10 That's... that's the seal of approval... 12:14 that's the... the notary public... 12:17 that's God saying, "It's guaranteed... 12:20 what I said is going to happen is going to happen... 12:23 the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. " 12:25 We see this Holy One of Israel over and over again 12:29 so many times in the Old Testament. 12:33 I say again, "God's tools... " 12:37 we... we serve a God who is kind of limited. 12:40 He's got Justice, He's got Righteousness 12:43 and He's got love. 12:45 That's all He's got. 12:46 Satan's got a bag of tricks 12:49 but God's got Justice, Righteousness and Love. 12:54 It just so happens that Justice, Righteousness and Love 13:00 are the most powerful tools in the universe 13:04 amen 13:05 and that's all God has for you and for me. 13:10 So, one of the things God does in Isaiah 13:15 is reveal Christ the coming Messiah. 13:20 and He structures Him as the suffering servant 13:24 in Isaiah chapter 53. 13:26 I... I like this, I truly do... it's humbling... 13:30 I just came across this again in the middle of the night... 13:33 the other night... couldn't sleep... got up... 13:35 opened the book of Isaiah and ran into the suffering servant. 13:38 What is God's antidote for His ailing people? 13:44 A Jesus who's going to suffer for them. 13:48 That ought to break your heart, 13:50 He's not going to get mad, He's not going to get even, 13:54 He's going to send you a suffering servant 13:57 to help you through your sins. 14:00 So, God shows now His people the suffering servant 14:04 who is Jesus Christ... 14:05 who is the cosmic confluence 14:10 if you let me use those terms of justice and love. 14:12 God is showing Israel His own faithfulness 14:17 in return for their faithlessness. 14:21 There are many magnificent promises 14:25 of His unfailing love in the book of Isaiah. 14:29 Can a mother forget her suckling child? 14:32 They may forget but God will not. 14:37 It's a powerful promise. 14:39 God is saying, "I will never forget you" 14:42 and this is so very, very evident in the book of Daniel. 14:46 They're... they're in... they're in captivity... 14:49 but God is doing some marvelous things 14:52 for His people in captivity. 14:54 They are suffering because they turned their backs on God, 14:58 that's what Daniel is all about 15:00 but we've seen in... in Daniel 1 through 4 15:04 that even though they're in Babylon... a heathen kingdom... 15:09 that is synonymous with anti-God activity... 15:13 what does God do? 15:14 He reaches down and saves Nebuchadnezzar 15:16 and once Nebuchadnezzar stands up 15:20 and acts like a Christian, 15:22 things go pretty good for God's people... 15:25 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are exalted, 15:28 Daniel is exalted... 15:29 things are going well... 15:31 so, even though they're suffering for their own sins, 15:33 God has not forgotten them 15:35 even though they've tried their best to forget Him. 15:39 Moreover, God expresses His intention in the book of Isaiah 15:45 to explain to the world 15:48 His majesty and Lordship. 15:52 If you look up... in the book of Isaiah chapter 66 15:54 Isaiah shows us what we could call His divine commission... 16:01 it's kind of equal to Matthew 28 16:03 but that... that commission... 16:06 that great commission in Isaiah 66 16:09 God is saying, "I want all people to know about my love, 16:12 I want all people to know about my goodness" 16:14 so, God's great commission is also in the Old Testament 16:18 it's right there in Isaiah 66 verse 18. 16:21 So, the truth is... and I'm spending a little time here, 16:26 when you get a handle on Isaiah, 16:28 you get a handle on the intimate, extravagant 16:33 unvarnished reality of who and what and why 16:37 the Messiah is the answer to the problems of the world 16:43 and in the midst of unparalleled treason and evil, 16:49 we see God's answer to evil and His name is Jesus 16:55 and He is prefigured in the book of Isaiah. 16:59 "Who hath believed our report? 17:02 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. " 17:09 The Great Commission there in Isaiah 66 17:12 is just as powerful 17:14 as the Great Commission in Matthew chapter 28 17:18 but the truth is... and you know this well... 17:22 there cannot be sin without recompense 17:27 and we discussed this last night that when sin... 17:32 when the punishment for sin is... is delayed... 17:36 somehow man just gets worse 17:39 and Isaiah along with Jeremiah 17:43 ratified the fact that sooner or later... 17:46 sooner or later... they were going to go into captivity. 17:52 Isaiah chapter 28 begins several messages of woe... 17:58 six messages to be exact, 18:03 six sermons of doom and judgment 18:06 but they are counter-balanced by six promises of salvation. 18:13 So the woe is... the list of invectives 18:17 starts with Ephraim... Ephraim... 18:21 Ephraim is a symbol of Israel's northern ten tribes. 18:29 So, when the Bible says, "Ephraim" in the book of Isaiah, 18:34 it's a symbol of the ten northern tribes. 18:38 It's a another series of predictions 18:41 that one day the northern tribes would be no more. 18:46 That happens within just years of this prophecy. 18:50 720... the Syrians came in 18:52 and totally erased the ten northern tribes as a nation 18:57 but as remarkable as that almost-immediate fulfillment is 19:01 there is a second footfall of prophecy in Isaiah 44 19:06 where God speaks now to the southern kingdom... 19:11 the kingdom of Judah 19:13 and He tells them 19:15 that something is going to happen there also 19:19 but rather than just explaining the doom, 19:23 God gives them a little hope, 19:25 He says, "Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, 19:31 and he shall perform all My pleasure... '" 19:35 500 years before Cyrus was born, 19:39 God identifies him as a servant 19:42 that He will use to chastise His people. 19:47 Pause. 19:51 The promise is... that they will go into captivity, 19:55 that they will come out. 19:59 For those who think God is a... a... a mean God, 20:04 you got to look a little deeper. 20:07 God says, "You're going to go into captivity" 20:11 but then the same God says, "You're going to come out" 20:15 that's a blessed promise... 20:17 pause 20:19 yeah, "You're going to suffer for your sins, 20:21 I'm not going to leave you, I'm not going to forsake you" 20:25 and the Bible shows that even in captivity, 20:28 the blessing hand of God was on His people. 20:31 "Yeah, you're going to go in, but you're going to come out. " 20:34 same way that God promised them in the wilderness, 20:37 "You're going to go in the wilderness, 20:38 but you're going to come out. " 20:39 God says that to us today. 20:42 There will be troubles in our lives, 20:44 you're going to go into some things 20:46 but stay by God's side 20:48 because you're going to come out, amen... 20:50 and God is faithful. 20:52 Pause. 20:53 God has always had a remnant... 20:57 always... 20:58 there has been a remnant. 20:59 Always there have been people 21:01 who would stand and speak for God. 21:04 God has always had a people 21:05 and He has a people in these last days. 21:07 He had a people in the Middle Ages, 21:08 He had a people in the Dark Ages, 21:10 He had a people in the... the New Testament period, 21:13 God has always had a people 21:14 and I am so glad, we're part of the people of God 21:17 in these last days, what do you say? 21:18 So it pleased God to name the name of His chastiser 21:24 500 years before he was even born. 21:27 Isaiah chapter 45, the Bible says 21:30 that Cyrus would be a... an anointed one... 21:35 Cyrus would be one who God would use. 21:38 Little side bar, 21:41 "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, 21:45 and He will lift you up. " 21:47 Even when you are... suffering for your sins, 21:54 God likes a humble spirit. 21:57 Amen. 21:58 When you acknowledge your sin, that's when God can help you, 22:02 when... you see, it's hard to get "found" 22:04 when you don't admit you're lost. 22:06 Pause. 22:08 Yeah, you got to admit you're lost 22:09 then you can work on getting found. 22:11 Peter adds in 1st Peter 5:6 22:14 that He will life you up "in due time" 22:17 you may spend a little time in the wilderness... 22:19 God's going to bring you back 22:22 and that's what this story of... 22:24 this sojourn in captivity is all about 22:28 so, Isaiah 44, we just looked at it, 22:32 "Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, 22:35 he shall perform all my pleasure... '" 22:39 so even in captivity, God is designating kings and rulers 22:43 to look out for His people. 22:44 Pause. 22:49 There are three words for "Shepherd" in the Old Testament 22:52 all of them have to do with keeping and directing 22:56 and serving. 22:58 "Shepherd" in the Old Testament was a servant of the sheep 23:02 not a Master... 23:03 very, very interesting. 23:05 Cyrus now is going to serve God's people 23:09 not master them... there's a very subtle difference. 23:12 Yeah they're in captivity, but Cyrus will be my servant 23:17 over my people 23:19 and in a real sense, 23:21 the relationship began 100 years 23:24 before that king ever made his exit from his mother's womb. 23:28 Now, having said that, 23:30 we don't meet Cyrus until the end of the chapter 23:34 in chapter 6, 23:35 and then only tangentially. 23:38 Chapter 6 is dominated by the Median King, Darius or Darius 23:45 who, the Bible states, was 62 when he took office... 23:50 or when the kingdom was handed to him, 23:52 he conquers Babylon at age 62. 23:56 Though stated as inferior, the Medo-Persian Empire, 24:00 as we said last night, really was quite a bit larger 24:03 than the Babylonian Empire, 24:05 about two or three times bigger. 24:06 Babylon was the smallest of the world empires 24:09 but by far the richest. 24:10 The Medo-Persian Empire was quite a bit larger 24:14 covered quite a bit more territory 24:17 and the movements of God versus His people 24:20 are subtle there... but they become very, very nuanced, 24:23 and very, very obvious in just a little bit. 24:26 You see that Christ is moving in history 24:29 even though His people are in captivity, 24:31 they are still under the watch-care 24:33 and control and love of God. 24:37 Suffering is their own fault but God loves them still 24:42 and that... that's the subtle message of chapter 6. 24:48 In fact, it's the subtle message of the entire book of Daniel. 24:50 People were suffering because 24:52 they chose not to recognize God as their Lord 24:56 and yet God is still there taking care of them. 24:59 One of the things that we will see, 25:00 Ladies and Gentlemen, when we get to heaven 25:02 is the fact that 25:05 even in those times when we weren't doing our best 25:10 and walking as we should, 25:13 God never abandoned us, 25:16 yeah, we will only see that clearly... 25:18 you'll only see that clearly in heaven... looking back 25:21 you can't see it now... you really can't, 25:24 you should get glimpses but you see the whole picture 25:26 that even times when you weren't doing all you should have done, 25:30 though you were faithless... God was still faithful. 25:35 You'll see times when, had you gotten on that plane 25:41 or stepped on that wire or gotten on that bus 25:46 or were in that place, 25:48 the outcome could have been different. 25:52 You will see, very clearly, 25:54 those subtle times when God inserted Himself 25:57 in your life 25:58 and said, "No, don't go here... go there" 26:01 and you didn't know why, you just went there 26:04 or "don't take that... take that... " 26:07 or "save that little bit of money, don't spend it now, 26:10 just hold on to it" 26:12 and you wonder why you get these little curves in your life 26:15 and God is giving you a subtle little nudge, 26:17 "Don't do this... do that" 26:19 and in heaven, you'll see the big picture 26:22 and you'll understand why God did what He did 26:25 and said what He said and acted the way He acted 26:29 and why your life turned out the way it did 26:31 and, by-the-way, let me say this, 26:33 Ellen White says, 26:34 "When we get to heaven and look back... 26:36 at the way God brought us, 26:38 you will have wanted to come no other way 26:41 than the way God has brought you. " 26:43 You will know and understand 26:45 that God's way was indeed the best way... 26:48 not always the easiest... not always the most pleasant... 26:52 but indeed the best... 26:54 and when you get to heaven... 26:55 heaven will be cheap enough, praise God 26:59 and you would not give one day in glory 27:02 for all the money in the world. 27:05 So, we see now, God giving His people a platform 27:12 to magnify the Lord. 27:15 Before a minimum of five world empires, 27:19 and countless tens of thousands of people. 27:23 It's... it's wonderful that when you humble yourself 27:24 before the Lord, 27:26 God is able to lift us up and do great things for us 27:30 to us and through us. 27:32 All right, 27:35 so Darius is the king 27:38 and right away, the Bible says, 27:42 he begins to reorganize the kingdom. 27:45 He divides the kingdom into provinces, 27:48 he divides the empire into manageable, administrative units 27:55 and he puts Daniel in a position to be in-charge of these units 28:02 in fact Ellen White says, "It was in his mind 28:04 because he saw this excellent spirit in Daniel 28:06 to put him in-charge of the whole kingdom 28:08 pause 28:11 but immediately, things begin to happen. 28:14 Pause. 28:17 120 Satraps... they're regional leaders... 28:19 three governors... and Daniel is the Head of the 3 governors. 28:23 Now, this is done so that... 28:26 the Bible says, "So that nothing is lost" 28:28 in order words, Daniel had administrative jurisdiction 28:32 over these people, 28:33 he was their... oh, how do we say it? 28:36 Chancellor of the ex-Checker, 28:38 he was the one who made sure that nothing got stolen, 28:40 nobody took anything they weren't supposed to take, 28:43 no one put something in their pocket 28:44 and took it home at night, 28:45 it was Daniel's job to check to make sure 28:47 everything was as it was supposed to be 28:49 no embezzling... so that the Bible says, 28:52 "The king would suffer no loss" 28:53 so, Daniel is checking books, he is auditing, 28:58 he's looking at things so that the king suffers no loss 29:01 and these governors are among those 29:04 who are the eyes and the ears of the king 29:07 and one of the big things was that this foreigner 29:15 is asked to oversee the work of the local guys 29:22 and he is honest and he is thorough 29:29 and he is exacting and he eats differently 29:34 and he thinks differently and he talks differently 29:37 and he worships differently 29:38 and it is precisely these differences 29:41 that aggravate... aggravate the local guys. 29:45 Daniel chapter 6 verse 3, 29:47 the Bible says... and I mentioned this... 29:50 the king thought... 29:51 "You know, I should just give him 29:52 just reign over everything. " 29:54 So, the Governors and Satraps 29:56 are trying to find something to pin on Daniel 29:59 and one of the things I want to show you 30:01 when we get to Daniel chapter 9, 30:02 this is really interesting... this is really good. 30:04 Daniel chapter 9... 30:06 when you reference back to Daniel chapter 6, 30:08 this was actually the worst time in the life of Daniel 30:13 to try to find something to pin on him, 30:16 when we get to Daniel chapter 9, 30:17 I'm going to show you interplay here... 30:19 it's... it's... really, really interesting, 30:21 just ran across this one night, 30:22 but they couldn't have found a worse time 30:24 to try to do something against Daniel and his God. 30:28 They couldn't find anything on his politics 30:31 so they said, "Let's find something 30:34 about him and his God" 30:38 and so the cabal is, 30:41 "We can't get him on his job... 30:42 we can't get him on his performance... 30:44 we can't get him on his loyalty to the king 30:48 let's get him on his relationship with God. " 30:51 So, now they've got to try to massage this 62-year-old man 30:59 who was ruling for his relative and is in-charge 31:04 and at 62, he ought to kind of know better. 31:07 You're only 62-years-old, you ought to know better. 31:10 Most of the scholarship says 31:13 that Darius lived only two more years 31:16 so, evidently, this... this... this... 31:19 what can I call it? This trickery... this plot 31:23 took place right on the heels 31:25 of his coming in and taking over from the Babylonian Empire, 31:29 so, the reorganization of Government 31:32 took place immediately... 31:33 and immediately, the devil begins to work. 31:36 It didn't take long... the devil began to insinuate jealousy. 31:41 You know, Ladies and Gentlemen, 31:42 I think jealousy is almost the original sin. 31:46 Jealousy in heaven, jealousy on earth... 31:49 there is more... can I use the word, "mess" 31:53 stirred up because of jealousy 31:56 than I think in anything in the world. 31:59 Somebody gets something nice, others are going to be jealous. 32:03 Somebody gets their name mentioned... 32:05 others are going to be jealous. 32:07 Somebody gets a nice car, somebody's going to be jealous. 32:10 Somebody gets a nice wife, somebody's going to be jealous. 32:13 Somebody gets a nice house, somebody's going to be jealous. 32:16 Somebody gets a nice job, somebody's going to be jealous. 32:19 Somebody gets an education, somebody's going to be jealous. 32:22 Somebody graduates cum laude, somebody's going to be jealous. 32:25 It's... it's almost the original sin 32:28 and Daniel is... is made Prime Minister of the country 32:33 and somebody is jealous 32:36 and their plot is to destroy him. 32:39 So, they go to the king and they get him to pass a law 32:46 that is irrevocable and unalterable. 32:50 Once this law is passed, you can't amend it, 32:54 you can't add to it, you can't take from it, 32:57 you cannot change it and the law is good for 30 days. 33:02 Make no mistake, it is born of jealousy. 33:08 "Therefore King Darius... " 33:12 a 62-year-old man who ought to know better, 33:18 "signed the decree. " 33:19 Pause. 33:22 Now, let's go ahead to look back. 33:24 Pause. 33:27 I'm in Daniel chapter 6 verse 14, 33:29 pause 33:32 "And the king, when he heard these words, 33:35 was greatly displeased with himself... " 33:38 he's mad at himself... 33:40 because he knew he got... 33:41 in modern-day language we'd say, Pastor, "played" 33:44 he got "played" 33:47 he was mad at himself 33:50 "and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; 33:53 and he labored till the going down of the sun 33:56 to deliver him. " 33:58 The problem was, there's nothing he could do. 34:00 He signed a decree... he put the ink on the paper... 34:05 and the decree was irrevocable, unalterable... 34:09 the decree said, "If anybody prays to any God, 34:13 and asks anything of any God except the king, 34:16 he's going to be thrown in the den of lions. " 34:20 There's no way to get around that, 34:22 it's signed... it's sealed... 34:24 it is ratified... 34:26 does Daniel change his activity? 34:29 No... 34:30 hmmm... hmmm... 34:32 and when we get to Daniel chapter 9, 34:34 and I'll bring it back to Daniel 6, 34:35 you'll... you'll... you'll see why 34:37 because this is... this is... 34:38 there's a fabulous interplay and interweaving 34:41 of the message of God and the power of God 34:44 and the timing of God 34:46 and the faithfulness and fidelity of Daniel. 34:50 Pause. 34:54 So, the king now is upset with himself. 34:57 He works all day... up until night 35:01 to get Daniel free... there's nothing he can do 35:06 because he's a prisoner of his own ego and pride 35:11 and there's nothing that he can do. 35:14 So, the king signs the decree 35:18 and he has Daniel put into prison... 35:23 now, I want to take you to Yiddish School. 35:25 You're going to go to Yiddish School. 35:27 When I was in New York, 35:29 every doctor I had was... was Jewish. 35:36 My Eye Doctor was Jewish, my Eye Surgeon was Jewish, 35:42 my Internist was Jewish, 35:45 all the people they referred me to... were Jewish 35:49 but I had some of the best discussions 35:52 with my... my Jewish Eye Doctor, Dr. Michael Lieberman. 35:55 I met him in 1981 and I kept him 35:57 till I left New York several years ago. 36:00 We had great discussions because my eyes are hard to dilate 36:03 so he put the drops in my eyes 36:05 and while my eyes were dilating, we'd sit and discuss the Bible 36:08 because he was a student of the Bible, 36:10 his father was an Ashkenazi Jew, Pastor Lomacang, 36:13 he was... he was a conservative Jewish Rabbi 36:16 and we would... we would talk about Old Testament things 36:20 and it was just very, very exciting 36:22 and so, when I was looking at this, 36:24 I... looking at Darius here, 36:27 I... I called him back and I said, 36:29 "What do you think... Mike... 36:31 was he a schlemiel or a schlimazel?" 36:35 Because he's a Jewish expert and he's a Yiddish expert. 36:40 Yiddish, as I said, is... is a combination of 36:42 German... East-European language and classic Judaism 36:45 and there's all kinds of words 36:47 that have slipped into the American vocabulary 36:50 for people in New York. 36:53 Words like "nosh" there are so many... 36:57 "Yentl" and "Yenta" and all... all kinds of words. 37:02 "Schelp" and if you're from New York, 37:04 you know all these words because they're part of the... 37:06 part of the vocabulary, 37:08 you got to "schlep" to Carbondale... 37:09 you know, those kinds of things, 37:11 it was part of the... the Jewish... 37:12 so, I asked him, "Was the king a shlemiel or a schemazel? 37:18 so, now I'm going to tell you what those are. 37:20 A Schlemiel is one who suffers from his own bad decisions. 37:24 You make a decision... that's a schlemiel... 37:26 always making bad decisions, you know, 37:28 always doing the wrong thing, 37:30 go outside on the beach with fair skin and don't put any... 37:33 don't put any sunblock on... 37:35 you're a schlemiel... 37:36 so that night, you're red like a lobster 37:38 and you're burning... that's... that's a schlemiel... 37:40 you're fault because you should have put sunblock on. 37:42 A "Klutz... " 37:44 now "Klutz" is another Yiddish term 37:45 a "Klutz" is a clumsy person 37:47 who's always stumbling and falling. 37:48 That's a... that's a klutz. 37:50 Someone who is taken advantage of... 37:52 so, Schlemiel is the person 37:54 who other people take advantage of 37:56 because they're not always thinking... 37:58 they're making bad decisions. 37:59 That's a Schlemiel. 38:01 The next word is a Schlimazel. 38:04 Schlimazel... 38:05 a Schlimazel suffers from the bad malevolent decisions of others. 38:10 He is chronically unlucky. 38:12 That's a Schlimazel. 38:14 They say in Yiddish... 38:16 a Schlemiel is the one who spills his cup of hot soup... 38:21 the Schlimazel is the one who the hot soup lands on. 38:26 That's a Schlemiel and a Schlimazel. 38:29 So I asked Mike, I asked, "Was... was... 38:32 was Darius the king... was he a schlemiel or a schlimazel? 38:36 I said, "I think he's a schlimazel 38:38 because he let those... those leaders talk him into something 38:43 that he should not have done. " 38:45 But my Eye Doctor said, "No, he's a schlemiel 38:49 because he made a bad decision. " 38:51 So, we disagreed on that so, I made the title of... 38:55 of the presentation, "Schlemeil and Schlimazel" 38:58 because he's both. 39:00 He made a bad decision but he listened to others 39:03 who pushed him into that bad decision, 39:06 so, he's a schlemiel and he's a schlimazel. 39:09 But suffice it to say... he made a decision, 39:13 he was stuck with the decision, 39:16 he had no opportunity to change the decision 39:20 and at age 62, he should have known better... 39:25 he should have known better, 39:26 he's old enough to know... to know better. 39:30 So, jealousy is amplified and intensified 39:35 and he makes this decision and he's paying for it. 39:41 Now, here's what's interesting, 39:43 Ellen White, Prophets and Kings, page 540 39:51 pause 39:53 "In the conspiracy thus formed, 39:56 Satan played an important role. " 39:59 So, it doesn't matter... 40:01 it does not matter whether he was a schlemiel or a schlimazel, 40:05 he was a dupe of the devil. 40:07 Pause. 40:09 This plot was a Satanic-inspired plot. 40:14 This was an attempt by the devil 40:18 to once again destroy God's servant. 40:22 Satan played an important role. 40:25 He got into the hearts of the Satraps 40:28 they got into the head of the king 40:31 and Daniel ended up in jail 40:35 or in... rather... the lions' den. 40:37 He played an important role. 40:39 This is important, 40:41 "In all cases where the king had a right to command, 40:47 Daniel would obey; 40:49 but neither the king nor his decree 40:53 could make him swerve 40:55 from allegiance to the King of kings. " Amen. 40:57 Audience: Amen. 40:59 So, it is important. 41:00 Our number one allegiance is to God 41:05 it is better rather to obey God rather than man. 41:10 So, the king has some rights, 41:12 the king has some prerogatives 41:15 but the king cannot come between you and your God. 41:19 Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's... " 41:25 you got to pay your taxes, 41:27 amen 41:28 your got to pay your mortgage... amen 41:31 you got to do all those things 41:33 but nothing and no one is to come between you and your God 41:37 and so, Daniel was a faithful servant... 41:40 he was a... a good citizen 41:43 but no command of any king 41:46 could come between Daniel and his God. 41:49 Daniel understood what was being done. 41:52 Ellen White says... even before the king understood 41:57 Daniel understood the purposes 41:59 of those men who were trying to trap him. 42:01 Daniel knew the deal... he understood the plot... 42:06 but he also knew that his God could be trusted 42:09 and I say again, I've said this every night, 42:12 I want to say it yet again, 42:14 at some point in your Christian experience, 42:17 you are going to have to answer the question, 42:20 "How much is Jesus worth to me. " 42:24 Everybody's got to wrestle with that. 42:27 In word and in deed, you will answer that question. 42:32 "How much am I willing to give Jesus?" 42:34 "Will I give him some... will I give him half... 42:37 will I give him all?" 42:39 You will find... 42:40 you only get all... when you give all. 42:44 Amen. 42:45 You got to answer that question, could be your job... 42:49 could be Sabbath work... 42:50 could be any number of things, 42:52 but each of us will be faced with a question, 42:56 "Am I willing to rest everything on Jesus... " 43:00 and you will answer that question 43:02 sooner or later in your Christian experience 43:06 and, dare I say, your Christian experience 43:10 will only grow as far and as fast 43:12 as you answer that question in favor of Jesus... 43:14 cannot stay on the fence. 43:16 You got to answer that question. 43:18 So, the king had a right to make some demands 43:23 but nobody had a right to come between Daniel and his God 43:27 so, Daniel opens the doors, he doesn't go into his closet, 43:32 he doesn't sneak around, 43:33 he opens his doors... he faces west to Jerusalem... 43:39 and he prays out loud 43:41 so that everybody can hear and that everybody knows. 43:47 Three times a day... he prays 43:50 three times... 43:53 and Ellen White gives indication and we'll touch on this again 43:56 when we get to Daniel chapter 9 43:57 that those tricksters were watching... 44:01 they saw him open the door three times to pray 44:06 but what they didn't know 44:08 that there was somebody in the room right beside him. 44:11 When we get to Daniel chapter 9, 44:13 we'll walk through the same experience again. 44:14 It's really kind of exciting 44:16 pause 44:18 and the king spends a sleepless night. 44:23 He's worried... 44:27 Ellen White says this, 44:28 "Daniel stands before the world today 44:32 a worthy example of Christian fearlessness and fidelity. " 44:39 Amen. 44:40 He's not afraid... he knows what the punishment is, 44:44 he knows what his lot is going to be 44:48 but he stands before the world today... a worthy example 44:55 of Christian fearlessness and fidelity. 44:59 How many of us when we know that paycheck 45:04 may be interrupted... we kind of step back a little bit 45:08 or if we know that a member of the family 45:12 is going to be displeased, 45:13 we kind of downplay our love for God 45:16 but Daniel was fearless 45:19 and it was true then and it is true now 45:24 that when you stand up for Jesus, 45:27 Jesus stands up for you. 45:30 How many know that to be true? 45:32 How many can look back over their lives and say, 45:34 "You know, there was a time 45:36 when I kind of put it out there for the Lord 45:38 and the Lord kind of put it out there for me. " 45:41 It happened in my life. 45:43 Pause. 45:47 So, he's an example to all of us. 45:50 "King gave the command, 45:53 they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions... " 45:56 pause 46:01 this... this... you know, this... this is... this... 46:04 this is the same thing that happened with Nebuchadnezzar. 46:05 I thought... I put it in here. 46:07 Daniel chapter 6 verse 16, you remember when... when... 46:12 when Nebuchadnezzar was going to give... 46:14 sorry... when Daniel was going to give Belshazzar the bad news 46:18 about the end of the kingdom, 46:19 Belshazzar said to him, "Don't... don't be upset... 46:22 don't... don't be upset... " you know, 46:24 "say what you got to say... " this is... this is... 46:27 this is showing you that... how God is working, 46:30 now, the king speaks, he's comforting Daniel saying, 46:37 "Your God, whom you serve continually, 46:41 will deliver you. " 46:43 You think that was a... an affirmative statement 46:46 or a prayer.. or a hope... 46:49 or a wish... 46:50 "I'm... I'm praying... " 46:52 he liked Daniel... he knew that Daniel was God's man 46:55 you know... when... when... when the Lord is in your life 46:58 even though people may not appreciate it because 47:02 righteousness always shines the light on unrighteousness. 47:06 They got to respect you. 47:09 Amen. 47:10 When... when you're standing for Jesus, 47:12 they... they may not like it but they got to respect you 47:16 and if you press them, they'll say, 47:17 "You know what? Yeah, he's an honest person, 47:19 yes, she's an honest person" 47:21 they... they got to respect you, 47:23 so, the king saw the goodness in Daniel, 47:26 he knew about Daniel's God, 47:28 so he's saying, 47:30 "Please, your God whom you serve continually... 47:36 He's going to deliver you" 47:37 He's got his fingers crossed. 47:39 "He's going to do it for you, 47:41 I know He's going to do it for you" 47:43 and, of course, the king spent a sleepless night, 47:45 can't sleep, can't eat because his friend is in prison. 47:48 He's down there with a bunch of lions 47:50 in that Lions' Den. 47:51 He knows who God is... as the king... 47:54 but he hasn't really trusted in God 47:57 and he's hoping that Daniel's trust in God 48:00 will see Daniel through. 48:02 Your... your... your God can do it for you. 48:04 He didn't say, "Our God" he said, "Your God... 48:06 your God can... He can do it for you 48:08 you'll be all right... 48:10 you're going to be fine... " 48:14 he spends a sleepless night worrying about his friend. 48:19 Pause. 48:23 In a relatively short time, 48:24 Daniel had become a most trusted advisor and friend. 48:29 Just like Joseph in the days of Potiphar, 48:32 just like the maiden in the household of Naaman, 48:36 just like Esther and Mordecai in the days of this same empire, 48:41 God has always 48:43 and will always have a voice and a representative 48:48 and that's why Daniel stands as a worthy example 48:52 of fearless devotion to the Lord. 48:54 Remember I told you... when Daniel started this journey, 48:58 he was a young man sub-20, 49:00 we figure about 18 years of age. 49:01 Daniel has been serving the Lord for 50 years now 49:05 and you develop a lot of cache with God after 50 years. 49:09 Daniel knew his God and God knew Daniel, amen. 49:15 So he could trust Him. 49:17 He, God, could trust Daniel and he, Daniel, could trust God. 49:22 So the king is worried but I don't think Daniel was. 49:26 The king spent the night awake but Daniel went to sleep, 49:31 I suspect, a nice fluffy lion 49:34 will be a nice pillow to lie down on. 49:36 Audience: Agreeing. 49:37 Warm... heart beating... 49:40 little fat on the bones... 49:43 just crawl up and lie down and go to sleep. 49:46 So, poor Mr. King is worried... Daniel is not. 49:51 Poor Mr. King can't eat... Daniel is fine 49:57 because he trusts in his God 50:01 and the trap that was sprung did not work 50:05 because when you stand up for God, 50:08 God stands up for you. 50:11 He labors till sundown 50:13 and Daniel ends up in the Lions' den. 50:16 Pause. 50:23 Command is given... Daniel's in... 50:27 and the king is worrying. 50:29 Pause. 50:34 He goes to the palace... he spends the night... 50:37 and I like verse 18... 50:40 no food... 50:42 no musicians... 50:45 no sleep... 50:48 he's worried about his friend 50:52 and even music couldn't comfort him, 50:55 so he's worried about his friend 50:59 but his friend is under the control of... of God. 51:03 Pause. 51:06 That's not a picture of a confident man, is it? 51:08 Doesn't look confident... 51:11 and the Bible says, "Very early the next morning" 51:18 very early the next morning... 51:20 he didn't wait for the alarm clock to go off 51:22 before the sun to come up... 51:24 very early the next morning, he goes to the lions' den 51:32 and... and the words... 51:35 and I wish we had time to read the whole chapter 51:38 so you can get the context 51:39 but it will take too much time to read everything, 51:41 but if you... if you look at how he structures his... his plea... 51:44 "Daniel, servant of the Most High God... " 51:48 pause 51:52 this is a man who's worried... 51:54 but he knows that Daniel serves a high and holy God 51:58 and so, he puts it all in context, 52:00 "Daniel, you servant of God... " 52:02 pause 52:08 he sees Daniel and he wants to know... 52:13 "Has your God been able to deliver you?" 52:19 Because he knows that if Daniel is delivered 52:24 it had to be God who did it. 52:26 Amen. 52:27 So, he's admitting the sovereignty of God. 52:31 "Daniel, you servant of the living God, 52:34 has your God been able to deliver you?" 52:38 I wish he could have said, "Has our God... " 52:40 but he didn't know God just yet... 52:44 not as he should... 52:46 and from the words... from the darkness of that den... 52:51 came... and I'll put it in my words... 52:55 "I'm fine... " 52:58 Amen. 53:00 "I'm fine... " 53:02 and I think the king was ecstatic 53:06 and now, the third king honors Daniel... 53:12 the third king. 53:15 You know, we do not serve a vengeful God 53:20 the king did some vengeful stuff 53:24 on the heels of this 53:27 but I'm glad that we don't serve a vengeful God. 53:30 Audience: Amen. 53:32 When someone does you wrong, 53:34 you don't have to lie awake nights 53:36 thinking of ways to get back at them, 53:38 we don't serve a vengeful God. 53:40 Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse 35, Romans 12:19 53:45 both say the same thing, 53:47 one... Old Testament... one... New Testament... 53:48 they say, "Vengeance is the Lord's... " 53:50 now that's not saying God delights in vengeance, 53:53 what the context is... when something bad happens to you 53:56 at the hands of somebody else, 53:58 don't you seek vengeance, put them in the hand of God. 54:01 "Let me take care of vengeance... 54:04 vengeance is mine... let... let me sort it out... " 54:07 one: you may not know the... the whole story... 54:11 I'll tell you a quick story. 54:12 When I was in college, I had a roommate, 54:15 bless his heart, I won't call his name, 54:18 he used to chew with his mouth open 54:20 and when I was in school, 54:23 there was a big thing about eating granola, 54:25 everybody wanted to be healthy. 54:27 You know granola's crunchy, you got to chew it a lot, 54:29 and my... my roommate use to... used to... 54:31 you know, we... when I was... at Oakwood particularly, 54:34 we would keep our milk on the... 54:36 on the windowsill outside in the winter... when it was cold 54:38 and he'd have a granola and we'd be studying in the room 54:40 and, of course, when you're... 54:41 you're in a small dorm room, 54:43 you and your roommate are very intimate, 54:44 you know... you just... you can't get away from us, 54:46 if he does something, you will be... end up doing it 54:48 because you're very intimate, 54:49 well, he would chew with his mouth open 54:51 and... just... his family just did that, 54:54 he'd take a spoonful of granola and just aowmph... 54:57 aowmph... aowmph... aowmph... aowmph... aowmph... 55:00 and that would just drive me crazy, 55:02 it would just drive me up the wall, 55:04 and I said, "You know, he's doing that on purpose... 55:06 there's nobody that would chew with their mouth open like that" 55:08 and he... he'd be so loud... 55:10 aowmph... aowmph... aowmph... aowmph... aowmph... aowmph 55:13 and it would just... I would just put my fingers in my ears 55:16 and I... I couldn't drown it... 55:18 I was just like, "He is doing that on purpose" 55:20 I really got kind of mad at him 55:21 and come to find out when graduation came and... 55:25 and my family and his family all went out to dinner 55:29 at the restaurant, 55:31 his whole family did that, 55:32 it was just a family thing 55:34 they sat and they oumph... owmph... owmph... owmph... 55:36 owmph... owmph... everybody chewing like that 55:38 and I said, "You know, all this time, 55:39 I've... I've been kind of hating him... 55:41 kind of hating him 55:44 because I thought he was just trying to do that 55:45 to get on my nerves" but the whole family did it 55:47 and my mother said... when we went back to the room, 55:49 she said, "You ever met anybody who chewed like that? 55:52 The whole family chews like that. " 55:53 Laughter... 55:55 And I really was thinking of ways to try to get back at him 55:59 tell the truth... 56:02 I said, "You know what? This... this is ridiculous... " 56:04 every day I got to listen to the owmph... owmph... owmph... owmph 56:08 oumph... 56:09 but... but it wasn't... it was just a family thing... 56:11 the whole family had this way of chewing 56:13 and enjoying their food 56:14 and that's kind of how they did it 56:16 and... and I'm thinking of ways to get back at him 56:18 and... and didn't know that it was innocent, 56:22 my point is, sometimes 56:24 you think that people are doing things on purpose, 56:26 it may not be... 56:27 or even if it is... the Bible says, 56:30 "Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. " 56:32 Daniel could have said, 56:35 "All right, these guys tried to get me, 56:38 now let me get them" 56:39 but he didn't... 56:41 he just gave praise to the Lord. 56:43 Ellen White says, "Satan had an important role. " 56:47 You see, the person next to you... 56:50 even though they do you wrong is not your enemy. 56:52 Pause. 56:54 Satan is the enemy... 56:55 Satan is the enemy, 56:56 we spend a lot of time looking around... 56:58 head kind of... on a swivel looking at other people, 57:00 Satan's not... I mean... they are not your enemy, 57:03 the person you see is not your enemy, 57:04 Satan is the enemy. 57:06 Now, does sometimes Satan get into people? 57:08 Hmmm... hmmm... 57:09 yeah... 57:11 he got into those Satraps who were jealous of Daniel 57:13 and he does get into people, 57:15 but Satan is the real enemy. 57:18 So, pray for the people 57:20 and let the Lord take care of Satan. 57:23 Amen. Audience: Amen. 57:25 So, Daniel didn't say, "King, put them in jail, 57:27 put them in the Lions' Den" 57:28 they ended up there but it wasn't at Daniel's request 57:31 because vengeance belongs to the Lord. 57:34 That's pretty frightening... 57:35 that's pretty frightening but Daniel escaped. 57:41 Daniel was honored by God as an ambassador. 57:46 This is a long reading 57:50 but I'm going to tell you what it says, 57:54 It says that in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, 57:57 Daniel prospered... 57:59 in the reign of Darius, Daniel prospered... 58:03 why? 58:04 because as long as you serve God, 58:07 God will bless you. 58:08 When you stand up for Jesus, 58:12 Jesus will stand up for you. |
Revised 2018-08-06