WEBVTT - Jack Graham - Oct 22 - 9:30 pm

0:00:00.810 --> 0:00:04.820
<v Speaker 1>My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths,

0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:07.860
<v Speaker 1>that they have not hurt me. For as much as

0:00:07.920 --> 0:00:12.520
<v Speaker 1>before him innocency was found in me, and also before thee,

0:00:12.619 --> 0:00:20.060
<v Speaker 1>O king, I have done no hurt. Daniel 6.22 Thank you, Lord,

0:00:20.100 --> 0:00:24.080
<v Speaker 1>for giving me divine favor. Thank you for increasing my

0:00:24.140 --> 0:00:29.280
<v Speaker 1>favor amongst men and women. when others plot my downfall

0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.919
<v Speaker 1>because of my divine favor and blessing, I thank you

0:00:32.960 --> 0:00:37.360
<v Speaker 1>that you've already prepared a way for me. In the

0:00:37.400 --> 0:00:40.080
<v Speaker 1>moments I find myself in the pit with the lions

0:00:40.140 --> 0:00:44.419
<v Speaker 1>of fear, doubt, and uncertainty, like Daniel in today's reading,

0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:49.900
<v Speaker 1>I will pray and then watch as you shut their mouths.

0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:55.260
<v Speaker 1>Because of your goodness, whoever desired to see my downfall

0:00:56.170 --> 0:00:59.620
<v Speaker 1>will instead be introduced to your saving grace and protection

0:00:59.840 --> 0:01:05.060
<v Speaker 1>toward your children. Because I'm yours, I will use my

0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:09.440
<v Speaker 1>redemption and elevation to bring praise, honor, and glory to

0:01:09.480 --> 0:01:14.800
<v Speaker 1>your name. You are the God that protects, and this

0:01:14.860 --> 0:01:23.300
<v Speaker 1>truth will never change. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you

0:01:23.380 --> 0:01:26.619
<v Speaker 1>for praying with us today. Continue your time with God

0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:32.180
<v Speaker 1>by listening to today's Bible story, brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.

0:01:40.690 --> 0:01:45.170
<v Speaker 2>Daniel and the Lion's Den In our last story, we

0:01:45.190 --> 0:01:49.490
<v Speaker 2>were introduced to King Belshazzar, the son of King Nebuchadnezzar,

0:01:50.180 --> 0:01:52.520
<v Speaker 2>He carried the pride of a prince that did not

0:01:52.660 --> 0:01:56.040
<v Speaker 2>earn his throne. He threw lavish parties for the nobles

0:01:56.080 --> 0:01:59.340
<v Speaker 2>of Babylon and defiled the vessels taken from the temple

0:01:59.380 --> 0:02:02.550
<v Speaker 2>of God. He trifled with the maker of heaven and

0:02:02.630 --> 0:02:07.670
<v Speaker 2>earth and was not left unpunished. As Daniel foretold, his

0:02:07.770 --> 0:02:11.750
<v Speaker 2>kingdom was stripped from him, and the Persians seized Babylon

0:02:11.770 --> 0:02:16.350
<v Speaker 2>for themselves. Now we are introduced to King Darius, king

0:02:16.389 --> 0:02:20.660
<v Speaker 2>of Persia. He elevates Daniel to a high position. However,

0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:25.280
<v Speaker 2>Daniel becomes the object of other leaders' jealousy. Daniel's favor

0:02:25.340 --> 0:02:28.700
<v Speaker 2>will be shown before the whole nation as God protects

0:02:28.740 --> 0:02:32.280
<v Speaker 2>him from the lion's den, inspired by the.

0:02:32.220 --> 0:02:37.810
<v Speaker 3>Book of Daniel. I'm so glad you joined us on

0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:41.109
<v Speaker 3>the Bible in a Year podcast today. But before we

0:02:41.190 --> 0:02:43.829
<v Speaker 3>get to today's episode, I want you to know that

0:02:43.970 --> 0:02:47.250
<v Speaker 3>I would absolutely love to send you my daily devotional

0:02:47.870 --> 0:02:52.100
<v Speaker 3>that will give you fresh encouragement every single morning and day.

0:02:52.820 --> 0:02:55.280
<v Speaker 3>From the moment we wake up to the moment our

0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:58.500
<v Speaker 3>head finally hits the pillow, there are thousands of things

0:02:59.080 --> 0:03:02.459
<v Speaker 3>demanding our attention. But it's in the midst of all

0:03:02.540 --> 0:03:05.080
<v Speaker 3>this crush and hustle and bustle that you and I

0:03:05.180 --> 0:03:08.590
<v Speaker 3>need peace and truth in God's Word. That's why I

0:03:08.620 --> 0:03:11.870
<v Speaker 3>want to help you spend time each day growing in

0:03:11.930 --> 0:03:16.799
<v Speaker 3>God's life-giving, life-changing Word, by sending you my free daily

0:03:17.020 --> 0:03:22.840
<v Speaker 3>email devotional, PowerPoint Today. So visit JackGraham.org to sign up

0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:32.200
<v Speaker 3>for your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's JackGraham.org. JackGraham.org. In our

0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:35.000
<v Speaker 3>last episode, we heard how God sent a message to

0:03:35.060 --> 0:03:38.700
<v Speaker 3>King Belshazzar. It was a message of judgment and death.

0:03:39.820 --> 0:03:43.320
<v Speaker 3>Because he failed to humble himself before the Lord, Babylon

0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:47.240
<v Speaker 3>fell to an outside enemy and Belshazzar's life was ended.

0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:53.200
<v Speaker 3>Daniel maintained a position of power. Righteous Daniel's influence, even

0:03:53.300 --> 0:03:55.840
<v Speaker 3>in the midst of all of this, would continue as

0:03:55.940 --> 0:03:58.880
<v Speaker 3>God would make his own name known to the nations.

0:03:59.540 --> 0:04:02.600
<v Speaker 3>Today we'll hear how Daniel served King Darius and earned

0:04:02.650 --> 0:04:05.910
<v Speaker 3>his trust. Yet Darius would listen to the counsel of

0:04:05.970 --> 0:04:09.400
<v Speaker 3>wicked men seeking to get rid of Daniel. He therefore

0:04:09.500 --> 0:04:13.400
<v Speaker 3>foolishly issues a decree that places Daniel in danger of death.

0:04:14.060 --> 0:04:17.460
<v Speaker 3>But God's hand of protection will be upon Daniel. It's

0:04:17.520 --> 0:04:21.520
<v Speaker 3>a powerful story of God's power before an entire nation.

0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:24.440
<v Speaker 3>It's one of the most famous stories in the Bible,

0:04:24.880 --> 0:04:28.610
<v Speaker 3>Daniel and the lion's den. Let's listen to that story

0:04:28.810 --> 0:04:29.930
<v Speaker 3>in God's Word today.

0:04:31.810 --> 0:04:35.410
<v Speaker 2>The Persian Empire stretched its wide arms over the land

0:04:35.450 --> 0:04:39.640
<v Speaker 2>of Babylon. Its rule was like the sun, covering the

0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:44.480
<v Speaker 2>entire nation with intensity. King Darius, the lesser king of

0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:48.630
<v Speaker 2>the Medes, assumed the throne of Babylon. Darius was not

0:04:48.710 --> 0:04:52.130
<v Speaker 2>like King Belshazzar. He was wise and open to the

0:04:52.170 --> 0:04:56.020
<v Speaker 2>knowledge of Daniel and other Jewish scholars. He leaned on

0:04:56.060 --> 0:05:00.539
<v Speaker 2>Daniel's experience with governing the exiles, and elevated him as

0:05:00.660 --> 0:05:04.780
<v Speaker 2>one of the 120 satraps to rule over Babylon. Of

0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:08.770
<v Speaker 2>these satraps, three were appointed to rule over them. Daniel

0:05:08.830 --> 0:05:11.469
<v Speaker 2>quickly gained enough favor to be one of these three.

0:05:12.089 --> 0:05:15.109
<v Speaker 2>He was distinguished above them, and the Spirit of God

0:05:15.250 --> 0:05:18.470
<v Speaker 2>shone on him. It was not long before King Darius

0:05:18.510 --> 0:05:21.560
<v Speaker 2>was willing to set Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom.

0:05:22.510 --> 0:05:25.630
<v Speaker 2>As Daniel grew in favor and wisdom, the other high

0:05:25.690 --> 0:05:30.370
<v Speaker 2>officials grew in jealous rage. They teemed with anger against Daniel.

0:05:30.830 --> 0:05:33.090
<v Speaker 2>They sought to undermine him in front of the king.

0:05:33.630 --> 0:05:36.810
<v Speaker 2>They watched him carefully and set men to spy on him.

0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:40.060
<v Speaker 2>They looked for any form of corruption in him, but

0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:44.100
<v Speaker 2>could find none. Daniel was blameless in all his dealings.

0:05:44.580 --> 0:05:47.500
<v Speaker 2>There were no secrets to be exploited or lies to

0:05:47.540 --> 0:05:51.500
<v Speaker 2>be exposed. Late at night the leaders conspired against him.

0:05:52.270 --> 0:05:55.489
<v Speaker 2>There are no grounds for complaints against him, one yelled.

0:05:55.870 --> 0:05:58.030
<v Speaker 2>What if we made up a reason? What if we

0:05:58.130 --> 0:06:01.230
<v Speaker 2>created a law that we knew he would break, the

0:06:01.310 --> 0:06:05.070
<v Speaker 2>other whispered. They thought carefully about how to trap Daniel.

0:06:05.670 --> 0:06:08.410
<v Speaker 2>The only thing they could think to exploit was his

0:06:08.490 --> 0:06:13.240
<v Speaker 2>faithfulness to God. It was dawn, and King Darius was

0:06:13.310 --> 0:06:16.800
<v Speaker 2>enjoying his morning in the gardens of the palace. Darius

0:06:16.839 --> 0:06:19.520
<v Speaker 2>was a better king than most, but he still lacked

0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:23.330
<v Speaker 2>in knowledge and reverence for the Lord. Therefore he was

0:06:23.410 --> 0:06:27.690
<v Speaker 2>vulnerable to self-worship and pride. His men knew this and

0:06:27.730 --> 0:06:31.050
<v Speaker 2>approached him with a plan to use Darius against Daniel.

0:06:31.670 --> 0:06:33.450
<v Speaker 2>The two of them met the king in the garden

0:06:33.630 --> 0:06:38.200
<v Speaker 2>and bowed before him. Our king, live forever. You are

0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:43.120
<v Speaker 2>truly worthy of our praise and affection. Their words pleased Darius.

0:06:43.779 --> 0:06:46.520
<v Speaker 2>All of the high officials have been speaking of your greatness.

0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:49.589
<v Speaker 2>We believe it should be admonished before all the people

0:06:49.610 --> 0:06:53.800
<v Speaker 2>of Babylon. Let us create a holiday. For thirty days

0:06:53.860 --> 0:06:57.489
<v Speaker 2>we are to worship no god except for you. The

0:06:57.520 --> 0:07:00.750
<v Speaker 2>king was interested. How would we enforce such a law,

0:07:00.810 --> 0:07:05.150
<v Speaker 2>he asked. Simple, they replied. If anyone is caught praying

0:07:05.230 --> 0:07:08.940
<v Speaker 2>to or worshiping any god besides you, then they will

0:07:08.980 --> 0:07:12.140
<v Speaker 2>be sent into the lion's den. We will order our

0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:14.660
<v Speaker 2>guards to keep a close watch on the whole nation.

0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.480
<v Speaker 2>This idea thrilled the king. So he made an official

0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:21.060
<v Speaker 2>decree that for the next thirty days no other god

0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:24.850
<v Speaker 2>shall be worshipped but him. A few days passed, and

0:07:24.870 --> 0:07:28.010
<v Speaker 2>the same leaders came to Darius in his palace. They

0:07:28.050 --> 0:07:32.310
<v Speaker 2>wore grim faces and feigned dread. Our king, we have

0:07:32.430 --> 0:07:37.060
<v Speaker 2>terrible news, they said, trying to hold back their smiles. Daniel,

0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:40.600
<v Speaker 2>the exile from Judah, continues to pray to his god

0:07:40.700 --> 0:07:44.400
<v Speaker 2>three times a day. When the king heard these words,

0:07:44.460 --> 0:07:48.350
<v Speaker 2>he was greatly troubled. Daniel was his most trusted servant

0:07:48.450 --> 0:07:51.950
<v Speaker 2>and the wisest governor under his rule. He purposed in

0:07:52.010 --> 0:07:54.400
<v Speaker 2>his heart to find a way to relieve Daniel of

0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:58.820
<v Speaker 2>his punishment, but there were no loopholes in his decree. Plus,

0:07:58.860 --> 0:08:01.520
<v Speaker 2>he could not look weak in front of the other satraps.

0:08:02.180 --> 0:08:05.580
<v Speaker 2>Darius did not sleep that night. He grieved what he

0:08:05.660 --> 0:08:08.710
<v Speaker 2>had to do to Daniel, and he deep down knew

0:08:08.910 --> 0:08:11.510
<v Speaker 2>that it was his own pride that would kill his friend.

0:08:12.210 --> 0:08:14.730
<v Speaker 2>The next day looked as though the sun never rose.

0:08:15.390 --> 0:08:18.530
<v Speaker 2>Dark clouds covered the sky and the king's heart ached

0:08:18.630 --> 0:08:22.810
<v Speaker 2>with regret. Daniel, the leaders of Babylon, and the guards

0:08:22.970 --> 0:08:26.890
<v Speaker 2>escorted Daniel to the lion's den. Daniel did not struggle

0:08:27.150 --> 0:08:30.330
<v Speaker 2>and he did not protest. He walked with them with

0:08:30.370 --> 0:08:33.350
<v Speaker 2>his head held high. A rumbling could be heard from

0:08:33.370 --> 0:08:36.970
<v Speaker 2>the lion's den. Their roars shook the earth below him.

0:08:37.630 --> 0:08:40.740
<v Speaker 2>The color had left the king's face. He looked more

0:08:40.820 --> 0:08:44.400
<v Speaker 2>worried than Daniel did. Before Daniel was sent in, the

0:08:44.420 --> 0:08:48.020
<v Speaker 2>king embraced him and said, May your God protect you.

0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:51.800
<v Speaker 2>The two men looked at one another. Daniel could see

0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:55.660
<v Speaker 2>the pain in Darius' eyes. He smiled and allowed himself

0:08:55.700 --> 0:08:59.210
<v Speaker 2>to be thrown deep into the lion's den. The lions

0:08:59.250 --> 0:09:01.829
<v Speaker 2>were deep within the den, and Daniel could see the

0:09:01.870 --> 0:09:05.569
<v Speaker 2>light reflecting against their eyes. Then, as the stone of

0:09:05.590 --> 0:09:08.610
<v Speaker 2>the den was rolled over the entrance, all went black.

0:09:09.650 --> 0:09:13.090
<v Speaker 2>Daniel's eyes had not yet adjusted to the darkness. He

0:09:13.150 --> 0:09:15.819
<v Speaker 2>bent his knees to gain better footing. He was prepared

0:09:15.860 --> 0:09:19.780
<v Speaker 2>to fight, or to submit, or to pray. He did

0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:22.800
<v Speaker 2>not know which would be called for first. The low

0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:25.420
<v Speaker 2>growls of the lions echoed off the walls of the den.

0:09:26.059 --> 0:09:29.500
<v Speaker 2>The sound rumbled the earth. He could feel their roars

0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:32.880
<v Speaker 2>in his chest. Daniel began to see shapes against the

0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:36.850
<v Speaker 2>walls around him. Finally, his eyes were adjusting to the light.

0:09:37.610 --> 0:09:40.890
<v Speaker 2>The shadows moved around him. Daniel shifted to the left

0:09:41.110 --> 0:09:43.800
<v Speaker 2>and then to the right. The lions were surrounding him.

0:09:44.400 --> 0:09:47.220
<v Speaker 2>Daniel prayed to the Lord in his mind. He knew

0:09:47.260 --> 0:09:50.480
<v Speaker 2>that any word could set the lions pouncing. He looked

0:09:50.559 --> 0:09:52.660
<v Speaker 2>to his left and saw the largest of the lions

0:09:52.740 --> 0:09:55.610
<v Speaker 2>crouching next to him. It was getting ready to pounce.

0:09:56.429 --> 0:09:58.910
<v Speaker 2>As its hind legs bent back like a spring, a

0:09:59.470 --> 0:10:03.320
<v Speaker 2>bright light... broke through the darkness. It was blinding, and

0:10:03.340 --> 0:10:06.000
<v Speaker 2>Daniel could hear the painful roars of the lions scraping

0:10:06.040 --> 0:10:09.680
<v Speaker 2>back against the wall. Daniel fell to his knees, barely

0:10:09.780 --> 0:10:12.620
<v Speaker 2>able to see what was happening. The darkness was cut

0:10:12.660 --> 0:10:15.590
<v Speaker 2>in half with light like a sword through flesh, and

0:10:15.630 --> 0:10:20.110
<v Speaker 2>Daniel saw each lion cowering in fear. The lions hissed

0:10:20.170 --> 0:10:22.770
<v Speaker 2>and roared at the light, but were soon quieted as

0:10:22.809 --> 0:10:26.960
<v Speaker 2>their jaws were forced shut. Then, in an instant, the

0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:31.439
<v Speaker 2>light vanished. All returned to darkness, and Daniel sat in

0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:35.020
<v Speaker 2>the middle of the den, praying to the Lord. It

0:10:35.059 --> 0:10:37.500
<v Speaker 2>was still night, and the sun was a few hours

0:10:37.540 --> 0:10:41.510
<v Speaker 2>from rising. King Darius paced his room, worrying over Daniel.

0:10:42.270 --> 0:10:45.530
<v Speaker 2>He did not eat or sleep all night. Instead, he

0:10:45.590 --> 0:10:48.600
<v Speaker 2>set his mind on the welfare of his friend. He

0:10:48.660 --> 0:10:50.850
<v Speaker 2>waited for the light to break so he could roll

0:10:50.900 --> 0:10:53.329
<v Speaker 2>away the stone of the den. As soon as the

0:10:53.370 --> 0:10:56.390
<v Speaker 2>light touched the bottom of the horizon, Darius put on

0:10:56.450 --> 0:10:59.710
<v Speaker 2>his clothes and rushed to the den. He and all

0:10:59.770 --> 0:11:03.130
<v Speaker 2>the men raced together and pulled away the stone. All

0:11:03.170 --> 0:11:07.340
<v Speaker 2>was silent. Darius approached the entrance to the den. He

0:11:07.380 --> 0:11:11.400
<v Speaker 2>looked down and listened for any sound. He could hear nothing.

0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:16.780
<v Speaker 2>He became worried and shouted, Daniel, servant of the living God,

0:11:17.380 --> 0:11:21.000
<v Speaker 2>has your God delivered you from the lions? There was

0:11:21.020 --> 0:11:25.390
<v Speaker 2>a long pause. Darius's heart was beating fast. Then a

0:11:25.630 --> 0:11:30.230
<v Speaker 2>small voice echoed up to the entrance. Oh, king, live forever.

0:11:30.830 --> 0:11:34.150
<v Speaker 2>Of course I am safe, for I was blameless. My

0:11:34.210 --> 0:11:38.860
<v Speaker 2>lord upheld me and shut the mouths of lions. Darius

0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:41.220
<v Speaker 2>let out a sigh of relief and ordered his men

0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:43.449
<v Speaker 2>to send a rope to bring him up from the den.

0:11:44.210 --> 0:11:47.370
<v Speaker 2>Daniel was brought back into the light. The king embraced

0:11:47.410 --> 0:11:49.510
<v Speaker 2>him and then looked back at the men who had

0:11:49.530 --> 0:11:54.500
<v Speaker 2>accused Daniel. The king's rage burned against them. Immediately they

0:11:54.530 --> 0:11:57.800
<v Speaker 2>were taken. The guards grabbed them and threw them into

0:11:57.840 --> 0:12:00.480
<v Speaker 2>the lion's den. It took no time at all for

0:12:00.500 --> 0:12:03.400
<v Speaker 2>the lions to pounce and tear the men in from them.

0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:07.010
<v Speaker 2>Their cries burst through the whole of the den. The

0:12:07.030 --> 0:12:10.390
<v Speaker 2>sound of ripping flesh and bloody screams filled the air

0:12:10.429 --> 0:12:14.809
<v Speaker 2>for a moment, and all was silent again. Darius praised

0:12:14.950 --> 0:12:18.670
<v Speaker 2>Daniel and his God. He was another king that was

0:12:18.730 --> 0:12:22.069
<v Speaker 2>humbled by the favor of God on a faithful servant.

0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:28.860
<v Speaker 3>We begin today's reading with King Darius as ruler in

0:12:28.900 --> 0:12:33.479
<v Speaker 3>the land. Unlike Belshazzar, he is thirsty for knowledge and understanding.

0:12:33.990 --> 0:12:36.510
<v Speaker 3>and he's willing to lean on others for help in

0:12:36.570 --> 0:12:41.090
<v Speaker 3>ruling the people. God's great favor was upon Daniel, and

0:12:41.130 --> 0:12:44.170
<v Speaker 3>he is soon elevated to a very prominent position, so

0:12:44.270 --> 0:12:49.220
<v Speaker 3>prominent that he was among three of King Darius's closest advisors,

0:12:50.160 --> 0:12:53.980
<v Speaker 3>and he was a standout among those. God's spirit, an

0:12:54.059 --> 0:12:58.240
<v Speaker 3>excellent spirit, rested upon Daniel. Of course, when God is

0:12:58.280 --> 0:13:01.720
<v Speaker 3>at work, the enemy does not rest. It's been said

0:13:01.780 --> 0:13:04.420
<v Speaker 3>when God opens the windows of heaven to bless us,

0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:08.310
<v Speaker 3>then the devil opens the doors of hell to blast us.

0:13:09.050 --> 0:13:14.090
<v Speaker 3>Daniel's success provoked jealousy among other powerful officials. And while

0:13:14.190 --> 0:13:16.949
<v Speaker 3>Daniel acted in the interest of the king and ultimately

0:13:17.429 --> 0:13:21.120
<v Speaker 3>the king of glory, God's glory, others were interested in

0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:26.520
<v Speaker 3>exalting themselves. And that would require taking Daniel out. But

0:13:26.580 --> 0:13:30.190
<v Speaker 3>try as they might, he was above reproach. It is

0:13:30.230 --> 0:13:33.490
<v Speaker 3>a powerful reminder that when we are doing God's will,

0:13:33.850 --> 0:13:37.480
<v Speaker 3>there will be attacks. When we live in integrity, we

0:13:37.520 --> 0:13:40.660
<v Speaker 3>must be vigilant not to give the enemy a place.

0:13:41.980 --> 0:13:45.660
<v Speaker 3>The Bible says, don't give the devil a foothold. The

0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:48.540
<v Speaker 3>only thing the other officials could imagine as a weakness

0:13:48.580 --> 0:13:52.620
<v Speaker 3>was Daniel's devotion to God. Can you imagine that? They

0:13:52.660 --> 0:13:56.290
<v Speaker 3>thought his weakness is his love and devotion to God.

0:13:56.750 --> 0:13:59.610
<v Speaker 3>He was a man of deep faith and conviction. And

0:13:59.870 --> 0:14:02.670
<v Speaker 3>they knew he would not bow to any false god,

0:14:02.950 --> 0:14:07.010
<v Speaker 3>not even a king. So they concocted a plan. It

0:14:07.090 --> 0:14:11.809
<v Speaker 3>was devious as it was clever. They appealed to Darius

0:14:12.030 --> 0:14:15.199
<v Speaker 3>on pride and filled his head with flattery. He was

0:14:15.270 --> 0:14:18.360
<v Speaker 3>king after all, and kings were to be worshipped like gods.

0:14:19.060 --> 0:14:23.460
<v Speaker 3>So they proposed a 30-day celebration of his majesty. And

0:14:23.500 --> 0:14:26.160
<v Speaker 3>during that time, no other god was to be worshipped

0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:31.150
<v Speaker 3>but Darius. He fell for it. So the decree was

0:14:31.230 --> 0:14:34.310
<v Speaker 3>signed that anyone caught worshiping a god other than Darius

0:14:34.370 --> 0:14:36.670
<v Speaker 3>for the next 30 days would be thrown into a

0:14:36.770 --> 0:14:40.510
<v Speaker 3>den of ravenous lions. It was a death penalty with

0:14:40.650 --> 0:14:46.100
<v Speaker 3>no hope of escape. Now Daniel had some choices. He

0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:49.340
<v Speaker 3>could have just yielded to the pressure and appeased the

0:14:49.380 --> 0:14:51.660
<v Speaker 3>king for a month. Who would know? Who would care?

0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:55.740
<v Speaker 3>But this was no choice at all. He resolved long

0:14:55.800 --> 0:14:59.410
<v Speaker 3>ago to have no other gods between himself and the

0:14:59.450 --> 0:15:03.110
<v Speaker 3>Lord God. He could just worship God in private, hiding

0:15:03.190 --> 0:15:07.480
<v Speaker 3>away for safety. That was another alternative method. But that

0:15:07.530 --> 0:15:10.460
<v Speaker 3>was not good either. He was not a coward. He

0:15:10.500 --> 0:15:14.720
<v Speaker 3>was courageous and feared no one. So Daniel did exactly

0:15:14.780 --> 0:15:19.000
<v Speaker 3>what he always did. Not for show, but for prayer,

0:15:19.420 --> 0:15:24.740
<v Speaker 3>he opened his windows upstairs, kneeling facing Jerusalem, worshiping God

0:15:25.040 --> 0:15:28.630
<v Speaker 3>for all to see who desired to see. I wonder

0:15:28.690 --> 0:15:31.010
<v Speaker 3>how many of us would have had this kind of courage,

0:15:31.510 --> 0:15:33.930
<v Speaker 3>that we would dare to be a Daniel, just like

0:15:33.990 --> 0:15:37.230
<v Speaker 3>this great man, praising God even if it might cost

0:15:37.330 --> 0:15:42.530
<v Speaker 3>us our life. There are countless Christians who face persecution

0:15:42.550 --> 0:15:46.490
<v Speaker 3>in the world today, and some even have to worship

0:15:46.530 --> 0:15:50.550
<v Speaker 3>God in secret. But Daniel's calling was different and unique.

0:15:51.050 --> 0:15:54.170
<v Speaker 3>He obeyed and remained faithful and fervent in his faith.

0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:58.640
<v Speaker 3>These evil officials got just what they wanted and quickly

0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:01.860
<v Speaker 3>turned him in to Darius, who realized too late the

0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:04.980
<v Speaker 3>big mistake that he had made. He knew very well

0:16:05.020 --> 0:16:08.300
<v Speaker 3>that Daniel worshiped only God, but he was blinded by

0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:13.010
<v Speaker 3>his own desire for fame and fortune and adoration. A

0:16:13.110 --> 0:16:16.770
<v Speaker 3>Persian law forbid even a king from changing his decree.

0:16:16.830 --> 0:16:20.550
<v Speaker 3>Perhaps you've heard of the law of the Medes and

0:16:20.590 --> 0:16:24.820
<v Speaker 3>the Persians. So there was no escape. Darius gave the

0:16:24.900 --> 0:16:27.240
<v Speaker 3>order for Daniel to be thrown into the lion's den.

0:16:27.840 --> 0:16:30.720
<v Speaker 3>But we see his heart, already hopeful that God would

0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:34.520
<v Speaker 3>save this innocent man. He says this to Daniel in

0:16:34.580 --> 0:16:39.070
<v Speaker 3>chapter 6, verse 16. May your God, whom you serve continually,

0:16:39.450 --> 0:16:46.310
<v Speaker 3>rescue you. The king knew that only God could rescue Daniel. So,

0:16:46.390 --> 0:16:49.280
<v Speaker 3>the next morning, when he checked on Daniel, the response

0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:52.220
<v Speaker 3>came from below. God had sent an angel to shut

0:16:52.260 --> 0:16:55.729
<v Speaker 3>the lion's mouth. Just as his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and

0:16:55.770 --> 0:16:58.750
<v Speaker 3>Abednego had been saved in the fiery furnace years ago,

0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:03.820
<v Speaker 3>God rescued Daniel. What a miracle. So the king glorified

0:17:03.880 --> 0:17:07.859
<v Speaker 3>God and sang the praises of Yahweh. The officials who

0:17:07.900 --> 0:17:11.540
<v Speaker 3>conspired to kill Daniel were thrown into the den of lions.

0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:16.120
<v Speaker 3>Once again, God is not mocked. What a person sows,

0:17:16.420 --> 0:17:20.800
<v Speaker 3>that person reaps. These evil men sowed lies, and so

0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:24.230
<v Speaker 3>they lived and died by their lie. And God's greatness

0:17:24.270 --> 0:17:27.300
<v Speaker 3>was once again shown to his people and everyone in

0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:30.419
<v Speaker 3>all of the land. Surely God has the power to

0:17:30.500 --> 0:17:34.619
<v Speaker 3>save his own. We live in God's protection always. And

0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:37.619
<v Speaker 3>in our next reading, we'll hear how he begins to

0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:42.190
<v Speaker 3>restore the exiled Israelites to their land. Dear God, we

0:17:42.230 --> 0:17:45.090
<v Speaker 3>thank you that your word says no weapon formed against

0:17:45.190 --> 0:17:48.550
<v Speaker 3>us will prosper. We praise you for your goodness and

0:17:48.590 --> 0:17:51.320
<v Speaker 3>grace in our lives to keep us alive until our

0:17:51.380 --> 0:17:54.660
<v Speaker 3>time comes to be with you. Help us to courageously,

0:17:55.020 --> 0:17:58.540
<v Speaker 3>boldly pray and serve you and commit our lives to

0:17:58.580 --> 0:18:02.280
<v Speaker 3>do everything in your will, regardless of the cost or

0:18:02.300 --> 0:18:07.820
<v Speaker 3>the consequences. May we obey you and leave the consequences there.

0:18:08.580 --> 0:18:12.639
<v Speaker 3>Help us to trust you completely. Amen. Thank you for

0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:16.270
<v Speaker 3>listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack

0:18:16.310 --> 0:18:19.330
<v Speaker 3>Graham from Dallas, Texas. And before we go, I want

0:18:19.350 --> 0:18:21.149
<v Speaker 3>you to know that I would love to send you

0:18:21.190 --> 0:18:25.840
<v Speaker 3>my daily devotional, to give you fresh encouragement every single day.

0:18:26.340 --> 0:18:31.149
<v Speaker 3>So visit JackGraham.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.

0:18:31.490 --> 0:18:33.159
<v Speaker 3>That's JackGraham.org.