72 please, 672.
Am I a soldier of the cross, a
follower of the Lamb, and shall I fear
to own his cause, or blush to speak
his name?
672 please.
Am I a soldier of the cross, a
follower of the Lamb, and shall I fear
to own his cause, or blush to speak
his name?
He's a man, like a flame, a miracle
died for me.
The great heart and wisdom of the cross,
forever I will believe.
The great heart and wisdom of the cross,
forever I will
believe.
He's a man, like a flame, a miracle
died for me.
The great heart and wisdom of the cross,
forever I will believe.
He's a man, like a flame, a miracle
died for me.
The great heart and wisdom of the cross,
forever I will believe.
He's a man, like a flame, a miracle
died for me.
The great heart and wisdom of the cross,
forever I will believe.
He's a man, like a flame, a miracle
died for me.
He's a man, like a flame, a miracle
died for me.
The great heart and wisdom of the cross,
forever I will believe.
And if you allow me a minute for
every verse, that's twenty-eight minutes.
And if you allow me two, that's two
twenty-eights, and it might take three twenty
-eights.
For to promise the class that I'll try
and let you out each evening now about
a quarter past nine, if possible, I can't
just keep to the second.
This is a great story this evening.
The whole chapter is history, and it is
well-known history.
You know, we've got a little granddaughter in
our family now, and sometimes she comes and
hangs over my knee while I turn over
the pages of a great pictorial bible she
has.
And she knows a whole lot of these
stories, she's only two.
And she'll hang over my knee and watch
the pages going over, but there's one thing
sure, when I turn to Daniel in the
lion's den, she'll smile.
She knows that.
Daniel.
Lion.
Scouts out, you know.
And it is really amazing how many of
us, from our very earliest babyhood days, somehow
got the hold of the story of Daniel.
In the lion's den, you try the kids
out and you'll see, they did get the
hold of this, and they do still.
And it's perfectly true that there are many
circuses on the rounds, and many lion timers
who have cast in on this.
There's nothing thrilled the kids at the circus,
like the lion timer rattling the gate, before
he goes into the lions.
And it's all connected with what they've taken
in early on.
Daniel in the lion's den.
But it's not just the thrill and wonder
of that old story that this great class
is concerned with this evening.
There are deeper things here.
There are truths here, that need to be
taught.
And there are lessons here, great spiritual lessons,
that need to be learned.
And so that's what we're after this evening.
And I want to bring the whole story
before you under these very simple headings, looking
firstly at the prosperity of Daniel.
You know, God really prospered this young slave.
We must take time to look at the
compilacy of his stellar precedence.
And then we shall look at the subtlety
of the plan.
The great part of the story, of course,
is the fidelity of the servant who was
steadfast and unwavering.
Of course we shall look at the sincerity
of the king.
And there's real spiritual depth as we look
at the reality of the den.
And the great lesson is the victory of
the Lord.
I just wonder, those headings, we're going back
to an old familiar story.
And we look at the prosperity of Daniel
for a moment, verse 1.
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom
a hundred and twenty princes.
Like you to get the figure into your
mind, a hundred and twenty princes, over this
great empire of Medo-Persia.
And for anyone to be chosen or selected
or elected to be one of these princes,
it was a very high honour indeed.
And it pleased Darius to set over the
kingdom a hundred and twenty princes, which should
be over the whole kingdom.
And over these three presidents.
There were three presidents, over and above the
princes, of whom Daniel was first.
My, this was a great honour indeed.
You know, immediately there comes to a spiritual
mind the great text from 1 Samuel.
Then God said, then that honour me, I
will honour.
And I think that's true in every dispensation
of life.
Then that honour God, God will honour.
No doubts at all about that, that will
work out.
You remember, Daniel honoured God when he was
just a boy.
Let's go back to the first chapter, do
you remember that?
And as we went down the first chapter
I pointed out to you that he was
taken as a capsule when he was just
fourteen or fifteen or sixteen years of age.
All the scholars claim that he was either
fourteen or fifteen or sixteen, he was quite
a young boy.
And although he was brought to Babylon as
a young captive lad.
And then you could measure that very wicked
king, who eventually got saved.
He meant to brainwash Daniel.
This is something I think that we should
learn, that brainwashing didn't begin with the Russians.
It began way back there in Babylon, and
they set about to make these young princes,
because Daniel was a young prince belonging to
the tribe of Judah, which was the royal
tribe.
And Nebuchadnezzar meant to make these young princes
real for Babylonia.
But immediately this young man took his stand
for God, you see verse 8.
But Daniel, and he's just a lad, don't
forget that bit.
Daniel purposed in his heart, and that's the
place to purpose.
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would
not defile himself with the portion of the
king's men.
You know he was taking his stand for
God, in a real dedicated way.
And through his dedication he honoured God.
I think you remember in chapter 2, when
the king had this great dream.
You remember Daniel got the secret of the
dream, and then the king was all pleased.
And at verse 30, this is what Daniel
said.
Looking into the king's face he said, that's
ours for me.
This secret is not revealed to me for
any wisdom that I have more than any
living.
You can see how humble this character was.
And remember his humility, honoured God.
He wasn't taking any glory to himself.
Didn't think that I'm a wonderful fellow.
He says, ours for me, there's nothing special
about me.
And this humility honoured God.
His dedication honoured God.
His humility honoured God.
And last week we were at chapter 5.
And you remember how he was brought into
the feast.
And how he spoke to Belshazzar, who was
then king.
Remember verse 23, how he looked into this
king's face and said.
But thou hast lifted up thyself against the
Lord of Heaven.
And they have brought the vessels that is
hushed before thee.
And thou and thy lords, thy wives and
thy concubines, thou drunken men.
And thou hast prayed the gods of silver
and gold, of brass, iron, wood and stone.
Which see not, nor hear, nor know.
And the God in whose hand thy breath
is.
And whose are all thy ways.
Hast thou not glorified.
You know he was a fearless character.
He could speak to either pauper or prince.
And he would speak the truth for God.
And in his dedication.
And in his humiliation.
And in his proclamation.
He glorified God.
He honoured God.
And I can tell you the time has
come now when God is going to honour
him.
And God gave him honour.
God has given him this honour.
Of being the first president in the kingdom.
And I think it's good for all of
us to learn this.
Let's have a look at Psalm 1 just
for the moment.
The first Psalm.
Psalm 1.
And verse 1.
Watch it carefully.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in
the counsel of the ungodly.
Nor standeth in the way of sinners.
Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
And I think if you look at Daniel's
life you'll find that he never walked once.
In the counsel of the ungodly.
Nor did you find him hanging around with
sinners.
And most definitely he never sat in the
seat of the scornful.
But you'll find this about him.
Not only was there separation from the world.
But you'll find that his delight.
Is in the law of the Lord.
In one of the chapters soon to come
you'll find when he's an old man of
83 years of age.
That he's pondering night and day the writings
of Jeremiah.
And you'll find that this man who had
separation in his very soul.
Had meditation in his heart.
You'll find that he meditated in God's law
day and night.
And the psalmist says blessed is the man
that walketh not but is delighted in the
law of the Lord.
And in his law that he meditated day
and night.
And then he said this.
He shall be.
This is the promise you know.
It shall be like a tree planted by
the rivers of water.
That bringeth forth its fruit in its season.
His leaf also shall not wither.
And here's the bit that really matters.
Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
My dear friends this will be carried out.
The man that honors God.
God will honor him.
The man who walks in separation.
The man whose delight is in the law
of the Lord.
The man who meditates day and night.
Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
And you can see prosperity coming to Daniel.
Now let's follow the truth.
We're back at Daniel.
Chapter 6 again.
It says it pleased Darius to set over
the kingdom and a hundred and twenty princes
which should be over the whole kingdom.
And over these three presidents of whom Daniel
was first.
That the princes might give accounts unto them.
And the king should have no damage.
Then this Daniel was preferred.
That's a great word.
Above the presidents and princes.
Because an excellent spirit was in him.
I think that's a great phrase.
Because in these verses you not only see
Daniel's position.
But you see Daniel's disposition.
And the dictionary I have the word disposition
means his natural tendency.
You know his natural tendency was uneasy to
get on with mess.
And I won't be going there on Sunday
morning either.
But that would be one of the good
illustrations that I could take quite easily.
But there are plenty more.
This moderation in all things.
This is an excellent spirit.
This is his natural tendency.
You know he's a great character.
Not only is he a humble man.
Not only is he a man whom God
hath greatly honoured.
But in this honoured position he carries this
excellent spirit.
This easy to get on with mess.
This was his disposition.
This was his natural tendency.
And it says at the end of verse
3 And the king fought to set him
over the whole elements.
You know he's about to be handed over
the reins of the whole province.
Yes this is the prosperity of Daniel.
And then there comes the conspiracy.
Because there's one thing that's absolutely sure.
And it's more sure in our day than
in Daniel's day.
And it's this.
That if you're going to live godly in
Christ Jesus.
You shall suffer persecution.
You can make up your mind about that.
Some people would love to be really spiritual
you know.
And they'd love to occupy the position that
some of the saintified saints have.
But they wouldn't want the persecution that comes
with it.
Because you've got to be a real tough
character if you're going to live for God.
Because folks will say things about you.
Yes there came this conspiracy.
Look at it very closely now.
Verse 4 Then the presidents and princes.
That's the hundred and twenty two of them.
Then the presidents and princes fought to find
occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom.
That was his public life isn't it?
And these men are searching into his public
life.
Of course he had a lot of things
to do for the kingdom.
There must have been all kinds of documents
to sign and many things to be done.
In his exalted public position.
And of course the first thing we think
about we'll find a fault with him concerning
the kingdom.
It says they fought to find occasion against
Daniel concerning the kingdom.
But they could find none occasion.
No fault.
That's a pretty good testimony isn't it?
When a hundred and twenty two of them
start going through the books.
And they can't find anything wrong with your
business life.
You're doing pretty well.
Wonder how we would all stand this test
now.
If our public life was to be examined
by boys who were looking for flaws.
How many of us would come out?
On Scotland.
And remember this.
This was in Babylon.
This wasn't in Lurgan this was in Babylon.
This was in a day when the Holy
Ghost had not come.
We're living in the dispensation of grace and
the Holy Ghost is within you.
And Daniel wasn't.
And yet he was faultless.
And they went a little bit further with
Daniel.
They went this far.
It says that but they could find none
occasion nor fault.
For as much as he was faithful neither
was there any error or fault found in
him.
Because that's different now.
They were looking at the kingdom before but
they're looking at him now.
In plain statements they searched into Daniel's public
life.
And then they examined very carefully his private
life.
And they couldn't find any error or fault
in his private life either.
I asked a lady coming in it was
only fun.
I hope that some of the things I
say in this meeting are taken as fun.
Because I was having fun about our friend
Mr Carson the other day.
Mr Carson and I are the dearest friends
in this world.
And always have been and always will be.
In fact in my whole life he's one
of the outstanding characters that I've ever known.
But sometimes I have fun.
And somebody seemed to have the idea that
him and I had fallen out.
Not on your life.
And I asked a lady coming in tonight
we were having fun again.
Her husband was behind her.
I said oh how's he getting on.
Oh she says I don't need to tell
you.
I don't need to tell you.
I said that he'd be here some time.
Oh she went on you know.
Ah yes you know.
It's only fun.
But I wonder how our public life would
stand up to an examination.
We get out of bed on the wrong
side sometimes.
I can't get out on the wrong side
I lie at the wall.
Well you'll find this.
That when they examined his public life.
And they examined his private life.
They could find no fault.
He was a faultless.
Faithful.
Lovable.
Easy to get on with gentleman.
Come on.
That's a pretty good testimony isn't it.
He was a great character.
You can say that over again.
He was a great character.
Course these conspirators they said verse 5.
Then said these men we shall not find
any occasion against this Daniel.
Except we find it against him concerning the
Lord his God.
And when they were talking about the Lord
his God they were talking about him praying
to God.
I wonder if men set out to find
faults and flaws in us.
I wonder would they switch to this.
They would say we can only find it
towards his prayer life.
Have you got the prayer life at all?
You know these boys knew that this man
prayed.
He had the prayer testimony all over the
realm.
He had the prayer time.
They knew the time he went to pray.
You know when old General Gordon was the
field marshal of the British Army and he
was a great character.
There were times when he put a white
hanky outside his tent.
And every major and every captain and every
soldier knew.
That when that white hanky was there he
was praying to God and you are not
allowed to disturb him.
They all knew you know.
Old General talked to God.
And there are times when you need to
shut the door on the family.
And I shut the door on them I
assure you.
And everything can wait.
I must get time with God.
Do you have time?
Do you just fiddle the day through?
So if I can fault with you would
you go to your prayer life?
Somebody couldn't even find it.
But then you were to go for Daniel.
It's almost strange that you should go to
your mom's prayer life to find fault.
They would have trouble with some of us.
Yes but this is what they did.
They remembered Daniel's prayer life and saw the
conspiracy was set about there.
Now I want you to see the subtlety
of the plan that was presented.
Verse 6.
Then these presidents and princes, a hundred and
twenty two of them, assembled together to the
king and said thus unto him.
King Darius live forever.
All the presidents of the kingdom.
Now that was a lie to begin with.
Because all the presidents of the kingdom were
not in on this at all.
There were only two of them in.
They were deceiving the king.
This was a subtle plan to deceive the
king.
They came then and said all the presidents
of the kingdom, the governors and the princes,
the councilors and the captains have consulted together
to establish a royal statute.
And to make a firm decree that whosoever
shall ask a petition of any god or
man for thirty days he must be, O
king, he shall be cast into the den
of lions.
You know this is an indictment on their
own idols.
Because there were quite a number of idols.
God set up at Babylon.
The Babylonian gods were numerous.
But they didn't matter that much.
You can leave them off for thirty days.
Well I couldn't leave my god for thirty
days.
Just now.
I would need to see the Lord's face
the night before I sleep.
So this is an indictment on idolatry.
When it's fruitful.
They can let these gods go.
But it's also deifying the king.
They deceived him and then they deified him.
They said we're not asking anything of anyone
save of thee.
You will be able to meet all our
needs for thirty days.
They exalted him to that position.
Of course it was all such a plan
that the king didn't see.
And they said this.
All the presidents of the kingdom have consulted
together to establish a royal statute and to
make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask
the petition of any god or man for
thirty days save of thee O king shall
be cast into the den of lions.
Now O king establish the decree.
And sign the writing that it be not
changed according to the law of the Medes
and Persians which altereth not.
You see they deceived the king.
And then they deified the king.
And then they dared the king to sign
it with this law for Medes and Persians.
You can see that this new kingdom is
really inferior to the great Babylonian kingdom.
This is Darius the king of the Medes
you know.
You see when the Babylonian empire was there
and Nebuchadnezzar was there he could do what
he liked, he put down whom he would,
he exalted whom he would and nobody could
say anything to him.
But here is a new kingdom, it's inferior
because Babylon was represented by gold and Medes
and Persians was represented by silver and that
is inferior.
Now they have a law that even the
king cannot alter.
He is not absolute sovereign.
If he signs this, it cannot be altered,
even he cannot alter it.
And they dared him to do it.
And he did it.
And that's the subtlety of the plan.
Now look at the fidelity of the seven
for a moment verse 10.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was
signed.
He knew all that was going on.
He went into his house and his windows
being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem he
kneeled upon his knees three times a day
and prayed and gave thanks before his God.
As he did the four times.
You notice in the notes he went to
his usual place of prayer.
He had the place of prayer.
Our Lord usually either went to the mountain
or to the garden of Gethsemane.
Do you have a place where you go
to pray?
Remember our Lord saying and thou when thou
prayest enter into thy closet and shut thy
door and pray to thy father which is
in secret.
Many times a day.
Do you mean?
Because this man went to his usual place
and got into his usual position on his
knees and his usual plan three times a
day as a full time.
He was tied up.
This is a faithful man.
This is a fearless man.
This was the prayer testimony that this man
had.
Everybody knew he went three times a day.
Everybody knew that he opened his windows toward
Jerusalem.
Everybody knew that he prayed and thanked God
three times a day.
He didn't mind who saw him pray.
It's a bittersweet.
You know some of us if we went
to a cafe we'd be nearly afraid to
bow our heads and give thanks.
In case somebody would see me.
Ah shame on you.
There's not much of a Daniel about us.
I was ragged you know.
Going round the country in my early days
with jock troops.
Boy I can tell you the training was
terrible.
You talk about a royal recruit getting knocked
into shape.
On one occasion old Lord MacLean took jock
troop and I to the great hotel the
Grand Central in Belfast.
Royal Avenue.
Just fantastic.
Three boys like us in the Grand Central.
Old Lord MacLean the stiff old Victorian.
Great old character he was.
And this place was filled with all the
snobs of the day.
And jock said to me the devil is
saying to me that I'm afraid to sing
in this place.
I said the devil's a bigger fool than
I took him for.
And in two ticks you see he shifted
the chair back and said would you like
me to sing to you.
This is enough to get you thrown out
you know.
And before anybody could say no he sang.
You see he was trained as an opera
singer and he was one of the best
in the country.
And when he started everybody liked it.
And he just sang about the Lord Jesus.
I don't think it was ever done before
now.
It will never be done again.
And this was the sort of character when
we went along in the train.
We went away up the east coast of
Scotland having meetings and he said if the
train stops at that side.
At that side in there.
At your window.
You open it and you preach over that
window.
Until it leaves the station.
I said you're very curious.
So you just have to get the window
down and put your head up and say.
For God so loved the world that he
just got into it you know.
And the other character was with us.
He said to him now that's your window.
And when it stops at that side.
Get it open quick and get out and
give them the word.
And this is how he got on you
know.
Some of us are too shy for the
Lord aren't we?
And Daniel opened the windows.
And Daniel knelt before his God.
God only sees.
And Daniel knew all the time that the
right thing was coming.
It's time that we were faithful to God
you know.
A whole lot of we think.
Faithful even unto death as need be.
And you can see this identity of the
faithful can't you?
And here's what happened.
Verse 11.
Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying.
I think that's a great phrase.
Found Daniel praying.
You know they couldn't find fault.
And they couldn't find error.
They looked and looked and looked for every
conceivable thing they could put their finger on.
And they couldn't find it.
Ah but you could easily find them praying.
When would the son of Aaron have the
time to pray?
Tell me the time now.
When would it come?
He had the time.
Three times a day.
And that's not a label on a medicine
bottle you know.
I know that's what it says often.
But it was three times a day.
And they found him praying.
Making supplication before his God.
Verse 12.
Then they came near and speak before the
king concerning the king's decree.
Thou hast thou not signed the decree that
every man that shall ask a petition of
any man or any God or man within
thirty days, save a real king, shall be
cast into the den of lions.
The king answered and said the thing is
true according to the law of the meads
and persons which answereth not.
Then answered they and said before the king.
That's Daniel.
You can almost feel the sting in the
way they said it.
That's Daniel.
Which is of the children of the captivity
of Judah.
They're rubbing it in now he's a Jew.
Regardeth not the real king.
Nor the decree that thou hast signed but
maketh his petition three times a day.
I want you to see the sincerity of
the king.
Then the king.
He just woke up then.
He'd been deceived.
When he heard these words was so displeased
with himself.
He loathed himself.
He knew he had been fooled.
And he knew the law of the kingdom
didn't allow him to alter it.
It says he was so displeased with himself
and set his heart on Daniel to deliver
him.
You know he loathed himself and he loved
Daniel.
And he labored.
He labored to save him.
He labored till the going down of the
sun to deliver him.
And I can tell you this.
That there are little experiences in life where
even the king on the throne.
Should he labor to the going down of
the sun he couldn't deliver you.
Because God means to do something else.
And this is a great thing to learn
in life.
People say if so and so had been
there.
If this had happened.
If only John had been there.
Friend don't talk like that.
Because there are times when even the king
was there.
He couldn't deliver you.
Because God meant to let Daniel go into
the den of lions.
Make no mistake about that.
And although he allowed these wicked men to
get this subtle plan signed.
Yet he was directing Daniel.
This is a mighty thing because he was
going to glorify his name here.
And it's a great thing for you to
learn early in life.
That even if the king was there he
couldn't save you from that experience.
Because God meant you to go through it.
Nevertheless we must say this about the king.
That he loathed himself.
He loved Daniel.
He labored to the going down of the
sun.
Verse 15.
Then these men assembled unto the king and
said unto the king.
Know O king that the law of the
Medes and Persians is that no decree nor
statute which the king established hath made the
change.
They're talking now alright.
Then the king commanded and they brought Daniel.
And cast them into the den of lions.
Now the king spake and said unto Daniel
just as he was going in.
Thy God whom thy service continueth.
He will deliver thee.
What a statement it is from the king.
Thy God.
That's complimentary isn't it.
He says I know all but my God
but Daniel is different.
Thy God.
That was complimentary to all.
He says whom thy service continueth.
That is testimonial.
That's because this fellow had a great testimony.
Everybody knew who he served.
And I'll tell you this.
Not only is it complimental and testimonial.
But as he went and he said this.
He will deliver thee.
And that's exceptional isn't it.
Coming from a heathen king.
Ah yes you know.
Now we want to get into the depths
of this den.
Verse 17.
And a stone was brought.
And laid upon the mouth of the dead.
I think you know that sometimes when we
look at these paintings.
These pictorial bibles that I was talking about.
While I have the greatest delight in learning
lots of things from the little one.
As I saw things.
I can see that some of the pictures
are all wrong.
Because it's the sort of cage that the
man has painted in his pictorial bible.
And Daniel is lying in the corner.
Well that was not so.
You see the Dane of Lyons.
The Danes were sensing that the kingdom of
the Medes and Persians had asked capital punishment.
We used to hang them.
The Americans.
Electrocute.
But the Medes and Persians had a great
den on the ground.
And they kept lions in there.
And they had a hole at the top.
And they just dropped the man and brought
him down and put the lid on.
And he's in the dark.
And he should be ate.
And that's why it says very plainly here.
And a stone was brought and laid upon.
Not up against.
Laid upon the mouth of the dead.
And the king sealed it with his own
signet.
And with the signet of his lord.
That the purpose might not be changed concerning
Daniel.
You know I try to think this through.
The moment that this man has dropped through
this hole and the lid is on.
Well he's alone isn't he.
I don't know where he leaned against the
wall.
In the dark.
Waiting for the lions to jump.
Or what he did.
I don't know where he dropped on his
knees.
And I know he wasn't altogether frightened.
Because Hebrews chapter 11 told me that by
faith.
The mouth of the lions was stopped.
And I know he was exercising faith.
But there's a loneliness there.
And there's a darkness there.
That we would need to get into our
imagination.
Of course I can see immediately the problem
for the painter.
You can't get the picture properly if it's
going to be dark and underground.
But we must get it properly.
We must see the loneliness.
And we must see the darkness.
And we must understand the fierceness.
These lions were fierce you know.
This was real.
This was a terrible moment.
Of course the angel of the Lord came
near.
We'll learn that in a moment.
I'll get to that.
And of course the greatness of the power
of God was seen.
You know it's almost like Calvary.
But there's one great point left out.
When our Lord went down into the depths
of Calvary.
He was alone.
And even the sun refused to shine.
There was a darkness that we can't explain.
And I can tell you there was a
fierceness down there.
Because every weave and billow of God's holy
righteous wrath went over his holy head.
Because he was bearing my sin.
But there was no one here near for
the Lord.
Even his father turned his face away.
And out of the depths comes a cry,
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?
And Daniel never experienced that.
He was not forsaken of God.
And I'm just touching that because I had
someone trying to preach Calvary from this and
missing it completely.
But I want you to notice this.
Verse 18.
Then the king went to his palace and
passed the night fasting.
You can see how much he was touched.
Neither were instruments of music brought before him
and his sleep went from him.
Then the king arose very early in the
morning and went in haste on to the
den of lions.
And when he came to the den he
cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel.
Beautiful words used here.
He's lamenting.
And the king spake and said to Daniel,
O Daniel, servant of the living God.
Is thy God, whom thou hast serviced continually,
able to deliver thee from the lions?
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king,
live forever.
My God hath sent his angel and hath
shut the lions' mouths.
Oh, that's a tremendous little touch there, you
know.
Yes, Daniel went into the deep depths and
I believe his faith was in God.
I believe that he believed that God would
deliver him.
And yet he could see the angel closing
the lions' mouths.
You know, it's tremendous to go through the
scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.
This is for the preachers now.
And take every animal you can find and
see what God did with the mouth.
Certainly on the field now.
He shut the lions' mouths.
And the longer they keep Daniel down there,
the greater danger these lions are in.
They'll be scarce to death if they keep
him there too long.
But God can shut the lions' mouths.
Are you thinking now?
Do you remember that God opened the ass's
mouth and spake?
Because God spake by an ass's mouth before
tonight.
I know there's an ass on the platform
now, but it doesn't matter.
This ass is slow anyway.
And I can tell you this, that God
used the lions' mouths to bring bread and
flesh in the morning.
Bread and flesh in the evening.
And I can tell you that God used
the great fish's mouth to swallow Jonah.
And I can tell you that when Peter
was talking about money to pay the tax,
the Lord set away and threw the hook
in.
And the first fish he gets, open it's
mouth, and in it's mouth was a piece
of silver.
Ah yes, you know I thought a lot
about that bit of silver.
Because the Lord was going to take that
bit of silver and pay it for his
tax.
And I just want to know whose it
is.
Because even if a bit of silver falls
into the river, it's not yours.
And I have a feeling, you know, that
my Lord dropped it in and gave it
to fish.
And it held it there, just in it's
mouth.
And he says to Peter, if you want
money, I'll tell you what to do, go
in and catch fish.
And that's one way you do it in
the church.
It's not pea soup suppers, you know.
Oh, no.
They have these glad rag days and all
that sort of thing.
And they sell little hats and slips, ah
blathers.
No, there's just one way to get money
for the Lord.
Go and catch fish till you see how
it works.
Because that's how it's done.
But I'm starting you preachers on a line.
He can suck the lion's mouth.
He can use the ass's mouth.
He can employ the raven's mouth.
He can take the fish's mouth and go
ahead now, there's a whole lot more for
you.
But I'm only starting you along.
Yes, I want you to get the hold
of this, you know.
God really delivered Daniel.
And I want you to see this.
Verse 24.
And the king commanded.
And they brought those men which had accused
Daniel.
And they cast them into the Dane of
Lyons.
Then their children and their wives.
It's a bit tough, isn't it?
Some people say, well, their wives didn't do
anything.
No, their children.
Well, that may well be so.
But I'll tell you this.
There's a law with God.
That the sins of the fathers can dine
on to the children at times.
You know, I went to a hospital to
see a wee louse who had a baby.
And the father had run away.
And the baby was born blind.
And she said to me.
It's a mouth.
It is godly.
I said, what are you talking about?
She said, look at the wee thing, it's
blind.
And I didn't want to talk to her,
you know.
And she pushed me.
And when I pushed, I gave.
And I said, tell me this.
Have you got venereal disease?
She said, I haven't, so have you.
I said, well, it appears you're to blame
for the child being blind.
Oh, there's a whole lot of wee things
they blame God on.
I wish they would say it's man and
woman that's to blame.
Not God at all, you know.
You push me any time and I'll tell
you the truth, you know.
And the living will like it when it
comes.
Yes, here's the sins of the fathers now.
Oh, they thought they were clever, didn't they?
They hoodwinked the king.
They were going to do away with a
man of God.
Ah, God will tell you.
Man of God doesn't need to fight for
himself.
God will tell me subtle sinners.
The whole families were destroyed.
Verse 25.
Then King Darius wrote unto all people, nations,
and languages that dwell in all the earth.
Peace be multiplied unto you.
I make a decree that in every dominion
of my kingdom, men tremble and fear before
the God of Daniel.
My, this is the victory that comes out
of this thing, you know.
Daniel's God is reverenced.
You know, when you take your stand for
God, you might get pushed around for a
moment or two.
Somebody might spit in your face and they
might tear your character up behind your back,
you know.
I'll tell you this, you'll come out all
right.
Don't get too fussed up about it.
Leave your whole being in the hands of
God till you see how it goes.
You know what Jesus did?
Sometimes, you know, I preach sermons here and
I preach the truth and then I would
miss it, you know, sometimes.
I'm just a man.
And I preached here not so long ago
that when he was reviled, he reviled Moss
again.
When he suffered he threatened Moss.
He had a character that came to the
church door on a Sunday night, you know,
throwing his weight around.
Well, I don't get too worried about boys
that throw their weight around.
And he fussed me just too much and
he was never as near getting a crack.
And I meant it.
And had I really tackled him, I would
have given him more than he had bargained
for.
I assure you, he wasn't covering me at
all.
I was just looking at the spot where
it would land him, that was all.
And to the credit of one of our
deacons, Harry Holden sitting there, he just came
down the steps, he said to me, remember
you this, that when he was reviled, he
reviled Moss again.
And I needed that.
And I gracefully took it.
And I'm giving him all the credit for
it now.
Because I shouldn't affect a man at all,
but I would have done so.
So that you have to learn over and
over again.
And it was when Daniel let them through
him around, and God let them through, that
Daniel's God was glorified.
He's now called the God of Daniel.
That's what he's called.
All that we could live, that man would
talk about our God and not about us.
God of Daniel.
Watch this.
He says, for he is the living God.
You see, Daniel's God was not only reverence
at the end of this, Daniel's God was
real.
He is the living God, and steadfast forever.
And his kingdom, that which shall not be
destroyed, and his dominion shall be unto the
end.
He delivereth and rescueth.
He worketh signs and wonders in heaven and
in earth.
To have delivered Daniel from the power of
the lion.
For this Daniel prospered.
Isn't it a great story?
Ah yes, you haven't seen it like that
maybe before.
And next week we're starting into the prophetical
again.
Because there are great prophetical bits in this
wonderful chapter.
I've lost the place, what's the number on
the page?
Eight hundred and forty-eight.
Just the first verse please.
Eight hundred and forty-eight.
She's the grandest theme through the ages wrung.
She's the grandest theme for a mortal tongue.
She's the grandest theme that the world e
'er sung.
Our God is able to deliver thee.
Just the first verse please.
She's the grandest theme through the ages wrung.
She's the grandest theme for a mortal tongue.
She's the grandest theme that the world e
'er sung.
Our God is able to deliver thee.
He is able to deliver thee.
For thy sins are forgiven forevermore.
You may go to heaven.
Dear Lord, part us in thy fear.
And with thy blessing, for thy holy name's
sake.
Amen.