Retaliation, self-vindication or hasty judgment without sufficient evidence demonstrates the reaction of the "old man" to any supposed "injustice". What shameful unbelief is often manifested in our response to some pricking of "the flesh"! or even to some caring attempt of a brother to "wash our feet", by means of, lovingly, pointing out something in our lives or teachings that tends toward the corruption of God's order and the ruin of our own lives!
    Moses was shocked to discover his own brethren, whose cause he loved more than the treasures of Egypt, failing to appreciate his concern for justice, and his desire to deliver them from bondage, (Ex. 2:11-14). Asaph was deeply perplexed by the prosperity of the wicked, (Psa. 73); Habakkuk, that God would use the wicked Chaldeans as an instrument of discipline against His covenant people, (Hab. 1-2). Yet, neither of them charged God foolishly, or set out to prove Him a "bloody bully"!
    The Word of God provides beautiful illustrations of men who suffered unjustly, and without provocation. Yet, their attitudes were commendable. They belonged to God; thus, the defence of life and character was His business!
    One wonders how many Christian

    At the time of this lesson Daniel is nearing 90 years of age. It has been some 69 years since he was brought to Babylon as a youth. There is still a spirit about him that sets him apart. It is a "spirit of godliness"! He is utterly trustworthy. But, in every age, "All that will live godly .. shall suffer persecution".
    When Cyrus conquered Babylon he left Darius as king over that territory, but subject to himself as head of the Medo-Persian Empire. He had not yet finished his conquests; nor was he afraid to delegate authority.
    Darius had descended from a royal family. According to Daniel 9:1, he was "the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes". But "son", as used here, may mean no more than "descendant". About 80 years before this episode in Babylon, King Ahasuems has been pleased to take as his Queen a young Jewess named Esther. Her cousin, Mordecai, was a man much like Daniel and held a similar position in Shushan, the palace. He was despised by Haman, an Amalakite, who sought his destruction - along with that of the entire Jewish population. However, through the loving loyalty of Esther, and their trust in "the God of heaven", they triumphed gloriously over the wicked Haman. He was

hanged on the very gallows he had erected in anticipation of swinging Mordecai from it.
    Ahasuerus is said to have ruled over 127 provinces. So, Darius came from a kingly line - though that by no means assures such wisdom and understanding as will enable one to rule well.
    Concerned about possible deceit and graft, Darius set 120 princes (governors or satrups) over the provinces under his rule. They would look out for his interests - giving their reports to three presidents, whose business it was to keep them honest. Daniel is said to have been "first" president. Darius trusted him above all the others and purposed to make him Administrator over the whole realm. But, his other appointees would work against this purpose of the king.
    Here is another world-ruler who discovers that the only man he can really trust is one who serves the God of the Jews! (comp. Gen. 39:4-6; 1 Cor. 4:2). Though the other princes implied that Daniel could not be trusted lest, being a Jew, he would lead an insurrection, Darius knew that he could trust

Daniel more than himself! In the midst of appalling graft and corruption, Daniel stood out as a man governed by a sense of loyalty and integrity which sprang from a right relationship to the God he so joyfully served!
    Thus, we are reminded of the perpetual conflict between the kingdoms of darkness and light. And remember that Daniel stands in the midst of this world kingdom as both a reminder and representative of God's absolute sovereignty!

    Knowing how highly Daniel was respected by the king, his enemies were filled with envy and jealousy. As with the brethren of Joseph, this led to a conspiracy against his life, (Gen. 37:4, 17-20; Matt. 27:17-18). In vain they sought some fault in his administration of governmental affairs. Yet, the more they looked, the more obvious was the absolute loyalty and integrity of this Man of God, (vs. 4-5). He despised any form of bribery or deceit, and they knew it. So, 120 princes and two presidents concluded that they must bring about a clash between him and the king on religious grounds. He will never compromise his religious principles; they mean more to him than life itself! And those who walk in darkness will not hesitate to put aside their own differences to unite their attack on one who walks in the light of the Lord!
    With shameless flattery, these men urge Darius to make a decree that, for 30 days, no man should petition any god or man but the king alone. It would be an unrevokable decree according to the custom of the Medes and Persians. Anyone who violated this decree would be cast into a den of lions! Unaware that his counsellors had lied to him, Darius

signed the decree - unaware that his most trusted servant had no part in it, nor that its basic design was NOT to honor the king, but to destroy his most valuable counsellor!


    Though fuily aware of what his associates had done, Daniel was to busy serving God, and the king, to fret over the foolish games played by little men. His actions demonstrate such steadfastness of faith as ever characterized his life. It would soon be found that He had been attacked at his strongest point! (Comp. I Kings 8:47-53).
    Here is a man whose life is pre-occu-pied with righteousness! As usual, he went home, opened his windows toward Jerusalem and knelt there three times each day - praying, giving thanks to the God of Heaven, confessing the sins of his people and steadfastly serving the Lord, (vs. 10-11). By a look at Chapter 9, one may easily discern what was uppermost in Daniel's mind and prayers during this time. He was concerned with the welfare of his brethren (God's covenant people) and the progressive unfolding of God glorious purpose. What did it matter whether he lived or died? His life was in God's hands!

    When king Darius realized that he had been tricked and deceived, by the very men to whom he had committed the trust of his personal interests, he was awed and ashamed! (vs. 14-18). It was with concern for the well-being of the kingdom that he had chosen these men - the most capable he could find. Though largely abandoned to women and wine, and destitute of character, Darius had the deepest respect for Daniel.

    Ashamed of his previous timidity, and aware of the deception employed against him, the king now endeavored to spare Daniel from the den of lions. Like Pilate, many years later, he knew that the one being accused before him was innocent of any wrong-doing. He saw in Daniel an extraordinary statesman who was intricately acquainted with the manners and customs of the Babylonians and whose service had proved highly loyal and trustworthy. Necessity alone would force him to abandon such an one into the jaws of the hungry beasts! He would postpone a decision; perhaps, by evening, he could devise some way to avert such a calamity.
    Recognizing the king's determination to deliver Daniel, the princes appeared before him again - pressuring him for hasty action and arguing the unchangeableness of the law of the Medes and Persians! How foolish the thoughts of men in failing to recognize the un-changeable nature of GOD'S LAW which is the same for men of all nations, times and circumstances. All who ignore it, in time, will find themselves facing severe consequences in eternity!

      When the plotters reminded the king that his own honor was involved (since he signed and ratified the decree), he saw that the trap was sprung tight and, regretfully, committed Daniel to the den of lions and to the delivering God whom he served so faithfully! What a touching word of farewell! "Thy God, whom thou servest continually, DELIVER THEE"! Having been fruitless in his own efforts to deliver him, the king commits his beloved confidant into the hands of the Living God! Surely the God that could make a man so unique as this one was ABLE

TO DELIVER HIM from the lions' den.

    With a sense of jubilant triumph, Daniel's enemies hastened away to celebrate their victory. The scheme had been highly successful; against his own wishes and better judgment, the weak king had caved in. Now they could he sure of a more lucrative income. That despised Jew, with his foreign religion, his strict principles, his holy scruples, his keen eyes, his incorruptible heart, his unimpeachable character and stinging reprimands; that lock on the king's treasure which has henceforth stayed their thieving hands, is now out of the way! Hurray!! Still, one wonders if their consciences were not stirred by the knowledge of their crime.

    In the palace of Babylon there was no music or sleeping that night: Darius fasted for Daniel's safety. There was in his heart a sense of sadness and self-reproach because of his own vanity that had made this possible. He now saw how terribly weak he had been in the presence of his conniving princes. Loneliness, sadness, shame and grief kept sleep from his eyes. Nor was there any solace for his heart. The sound of music, the taste of food, the smell of incense, the enticement of wife or concubine; nothing could take his mind off the terrible trap into which he had fallen and the terrible thing he had done to his most faithful servant! How much more pleasant to he a child of faith in a den of lions than a king in his palace without such faith!

    At the break of day King Darius made his way toward the lions' den - fear and hope

mingling in his soul. With a lamentable voice he cried: "0 Daniel, servant of the Living God, Is your God, whom you serve continually, ABLE to deliver you from the lions' den"? Nor can one help but feel sorry for the weakling king; he had been caused so much heartache by the deceptiveness of his trusted servants. And he dearly loved the Man of God! What a compliment he paid Daniel for "serving his God continually!" And what a vast difference it would make in the world today if those around us could see and bear witness to such fidelity in our lives - yours and mine!
    The God of heaven surely had intervened in behalf of his faithful servant. Who can doubt that he spent a far more peaceful night than the king? Though terror would have paralyzed the rational processes of most men, there can be no doubt that Daniel rested securely in the strong arms and sweet fellowship of his Heavenly Father. What a time of prayer and communion he must have enjoyed!
    Though God permits His children to be cast into perilous and perplexing situations, the Lord never abandons them there. Rather, he grants such grace as enables them to "take pleasure in their infirmities!" The night of the king had been disturbed by self-reproach, a gnawing regret, a guilty conscience and fear of losing his most valuable executive. But Daniel delighted in the comforts of the Lord. With a pure heart, and a consciousness that the Lord was watching over him, he enjoyed a blessed and imperturbable quietness. Nor did he show the slightest anxiety.
    With a calm and steady voice, Daniel manifest a continuing respect for his king: "0 King, live forever!" The lions did not make him lose his sense of propriety. Though the king had permitted him to suffer unjust

humiliation, there is not a single word of reproach, or the slightest evidence of offence. Daniel demonstrates that, for the trusting soul, inward peace and tranquility are not determined by outward circumstances. A conscious and joyful walk in fellowship with God makes one triumphant over circumstances! He does not always deliver his people from tribulation, but through it.
    Hear Daniel's words: "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, 0 king, have I done no hurt".
    What joy to know that, with a special care, God watches over His own. "His banner over us is love!" Here is a beautiful illustration of God's direct intervention in vindication of His own righteousness.
    Just as, some 50 years earlier, an angel had been sent to deliver Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah from the burning, fiery furnace; so, and angel has now shut the mouths of these ferocious beasts.
    Happy to know that Daniel still lived, the king commanded that he be taken from the den of lions. Careful examination showed that he had not suffered a scratch. He had "believed in his God". A God of wonders; He is still strong in behalf of those who trust in Him.

     It is always sinful to plot the downfall or destruction of one's fellow-man. Never did Daniel's enemies suspect, while digging a pit for him, that they would fall into it themselves; or that by all this wickedness they were assuring their own destruction. But, God wants it known that He is deeply committed to

the welfare of those who serve Him with loving, loyal and faithful hearts.
    No longer cowered by fear of his scheming princes, King Darius commands that they, their wives and children, be cast into the same den from which Daniel was delivered. The command was executed in haste. The beasts that would not open their mouths against the Man of God "had the mastery over them" - crushing their bones before they ever touched the bottom of the den!
    Here is a vivid illustration of the fact that no one can sin without injuring others. The drunkard, the addict, the thief, the profligate or the murderer not only destroys himself, he wrecks the lives of those who are nearest to him!
    It should not be surprising that the early church viewed this incident as a foretaste of our Lord's resurrection. Daniel clearly demonstrated, in Old Testament terms, the meaning of faith in the promised Messiah. He experienced something of "the powers of the age to come", (Heb. 6:5). In the "regeneration ", when the Messianic Son of Man sits upon the restored throne of His father David, and reigns gloriously from Jerusalem, the curse and chaos will be so lifted from the material creation that all living creatures will dwell together in peace and harmony, (Isa. 11:6-7).

    Having rid himself of those who betrayed his trust, King Darius issued a new decree urging reverence and praise for Daniel's God, (vs. 25-28). Here is eloquent witness that ONE MAN - faithful, humble, loyal and true to his God - can make a real difference in this world of darkness.

So, Daniel continued to prosper in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

    Since publishing last, Louise and I have become a bit car-weary - having driven over 4,400 miles. First we drove to Lakeland, Florida, to join my brother and two sisters in the celebration of Dad's 96th birthday. Enroute we stopped with relatives in Memphis, and Pensacola. Though Dad is not always alert, or fully conscious of what is going on around him, we were thankful for one more opportunty to be with him, and with what is left of our immediate family.
    On the weekend of March 1, we enjoyed a brief visit with the Matt Tauscher's and the Calvary Baptist Church of Fernandina Beach, Florida. Bro. Tauscher graciously asked me to speak at both services while we were there. Fellowship was good. It was a special blessing to see Sister Byrd (wife of the former pastor) again, and to enjoy the beautiful music that she provided for the services.

    On our return trip we spent a night with the Richard Kamerman's (Searcy, AR) and the Lynden Kamerman's (Fredericktown, MO) - two of Louise's brothers.
    After only a week at home, we left (March 12) for Garnett, Kansas where we enjoyed the splendid fellowship of the Trinity Baptist Church, where Bro. Melvin Gray is the beloved pastor. I spoke there on both Thursday and Friday evenings, while Louise spoke twice for their ladies, who spent the whole day together (Friday) in study, devotion, prayer, praise and singing - the men of the church serving all their meals that day. What a blessing it must be for a pastor to have all his members present for every service! But, that ought to be the case in EVERY New Testament church.
    We returned to Rockford on Saturday. Much as we enjoy the fellowship with other churches, it is always good to get back home. E.G.

DEALING WITH .... Continued
men (including pastors and missionaries) today could walk in the shoes of Hosea without bitterness. Had YOU been in David's place, in the cave where his pursuing enemy came in to "cover his feet"; would your actions have shown you to be a "man after God's own heart"? (I Sam. 24:1-12) or would you have been out for "sweet revenge"? Where is the man who, unjustly forced to endure suffering, shame, ridicule and death, would manifest a genuine Christ-like spirit: "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do!" "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge!" (Lk. 24:34; Acts 7:60).
    May God grant such grace as will enable each of us to be pre-occupied with the honor of His name - leaving the destiny of our own with Him E.G.