Address—D. Bothwell
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Daniel chapter 6 and verse one.
It pleased the riots to set over the Kingdom and 120 Princess which should be over the whole Kingdom.
And over these 3 presidents, of whom Daniel was first, that the Princess might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and Princess, because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
And then the presidents and Princess ought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the Kingdom. 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. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against their spaniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. And these presidents and Princess assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Derrius.
Live forever, or the presidents of the Kingdom, the governors and the Princess, the counselors 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 30 days.
Favor thee, O King, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O King, established the decree and signed the writing. That it be not changed according to the law of the Medes and Persians. Which ought to if not Wherefore? King Doria signed the writing and the decree.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, 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 of four time. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then they came near and spake before the king. Concerning the King's decree, Hast thou not signed a decree that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within 30 days save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the land of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which ought to it not?
Then answered they, and sat before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased within himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him, and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, No, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is.
That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake, and said unto Daniel, Thy God, whom thou service continually he will deliver thee. And the stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, And the king sealed it with his own sickness, and with the sickness of his Lords, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
Then the king went to his palace and passed the knife fasting.
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 unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel. And the king spake, and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou service 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 lion's mouth that they have not hurt me.
For as much as before him innocence, he was found in me, and also before thee, O king, I have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him.
Because he believed in his. And the king commanded, And they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, then their children and their wives, and the lions had the mastery of them, and break all their bones in pieces, or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
Then King Dorias 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, for he is the living God.
And steadfast forever. And his Kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end, He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
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Before we look at the at this chapter, I just want to make a couple of points.
The I'm not. I don't propose to look at this.
In his prophetic setting.
But I have no doubt that not only in what we read in in the book of Daniel in his prophecies, but also in the the very incidents which take place in this book, we do have in themselves a little of a prophetic nature in it. And by that I mean this Daniel in one respect in this book.
His little picture of Israel in that coming day.
And those of you who have an interest.
In prophecy, and particularly those who are younger, it's the most wonderful topic. Take it up and study it. God gives in Revelation a distinct promise to those who do. But there will be a little remnant in the coming day who will trust in God, and they're like Daniel, and they will pass through what is called the time of Jacob's trouble, the day of great tribulation.
And justice, like the annual cost into the den of lions.
They will hear, they will know of God's protection, and God will bring them through that great tribulation.
And he will bring them out into blessing. I will have to suffer for it.
Thy will indeed pass through that awful time, but the Lord Jesus will make Himself known to them. Whence are these wounds in my hands, those with which I was wounded in the House of my friends, and that verse which the children have learned this week, and they said this morning, that will be their language in a coming day. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our inequities.
And the Lord Jesus, whom they now reject and consider to be a despot, and.
And a hated man, one day the children of Israel, they will look upon him and they will realize that war that he suffered was for them. But that will be the they will have had to pass, as it were, through the den of lions in order to get there. And so in not only in this incident, but if you go through the book of Daniel, the many other incidents which take place, you have a very similar story. And so I just passed that.
Thought on to you, but the other thing I want to say is this.
What are the one the wonders to me of the word of God? Is that in the words of the Lord Jesus himself?
He began at Moses and in all the prophets, and He expounded unto those two on the road to Damascus the things concerning himself. And because of that, I'll just say to everyone here, look for Christ in all the Scriptures. Look for Him everywhere, and I don't mean to force it, but everywhere you will find little things here and there which.
Honor him and speak of his, the preciousness of his person.
Bring before us the glory of his great work on Calvary's cross. And to me, it's that which from a very young, yeah, very young age has given me the the conviction that this precious book is indeed divinely inspired. It isn't an ordinary book. What we have in our hands is what God has given to us.
And it's filled with things of the Lord Jesus.
And my purpose in this little time to this afternoon is in this lovely chapter.
To bring out, even in what happened to Daniel, some very precious parallels to have what Jesus Christ. And that is really just the the purpose that I have before me, because there can be nothing better than exhausting him.
He is at the center of everything. You know, I've met many Christians, and while I don't want to decry what we pass through here, there's so many people who seem to get wrapped up in their own feelings as Christians. And it's true. God works in us, the willing and the doing of His will, and there is a great work that goes on our souls. I don't want to do that down in any way, but you know, we're not the center of everything.
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The Lord Jesus is, and that's what we need to do, get our eyes.
Upon him have our eyes occupied with him, and then everything else fits better into its order. And nothing can be better than to magnify Him and give Him the honor. And that's what we have here.
Daniel is a picture of the Lord Jesus, and that's what I want to see here in this chapter. And what we saw was that there were these in this Kingdom, There were these 3 presidents. Daniel was one of them. But we learned that he was preferred above the presidents and Princess because an excellent spirit was in him and the king thought to set him over the whole room.
An excellent spirit was in him and he was preferred above the presence. It reminds you of that time when the Lord Jesus was here, and there were those on the Mount of Transfiguration you remember, and Peter there, he's just like us all. He loved the Lord despite all his failings, and he was so overwhelmed with what he saw. He wanted to do something about it. And he said, Lord, it's good for us to be here.
Sure it is. Whenever we're in the presence of the Lord Jesus. Let us make 3 tabernacles.
One for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias. And no doubt there was full good intention with Peter. But a voice cuts across it all from heaven. This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.
Who can stand alongside the Lord Jesus? Heaven will give the Lord Jesus.
That place it says in the Scriptures, in all things he must have the preeminence, and Moses and Elias were all the privileged place that they have. They cannot be there with the Lord Jesus. They may be privileged to speak of his deceased, which he will accomplish.
But the Lord Jesus alone must be exalted in all things. He must have the preeminence. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him. And that's what we have here. He is preferred above the president and Princess because an excellent spirit was in him. And wherever you go through the four Gospels, isn't that just what we see, an excellent spirit?
That was in him.
In every way, whether we look at his life here, whether we look at his person, his work, his words, his great work on Calvary's cross, everything. An excellent spirit if we look at him. A brother referred to that most precious song this morning, Psalm 16.
For the real deepest joy, read that Psalm as spoken by the Lord Jesus.
It's ought to be a prayer for us. Yes, it's true. But read it as being himself an excellent spirit. I have set the Lord always before him. I have said the Lord always before me.
And this is the Spirit which marked the Lord Jesus when he was here and nowhere.
Was there any fault in him?
The fine flower we find him as in the offerings, evenness, sweetness, no nothing, which just pleased the flesh, but before God.
An excellent spirit, that fine flower which rose up to heaven, a sweet savour to God in every way. And those who were here when they went to take him, why have you not brought him? No man ever spake like this man.
An excellent spirit in him and the whole of the scriptures give testimony to the glory of this most precious person who has become our savior. And that's all I want to go and I'm just leaving a few little thoughts here because there are so many other scriptures where I'm sure some have probably come to you which I can't even won't even come into my mind which.
Tell us of the glory, and the preciousness, and the worthiness, this excellent spirit which is in him, and it says the King.
Thought to set him over the whole realm and it's just like God's great purposes he frees in chapter one of be referring to that several times this afternoon, but there we have in Ephesians chapter one God's great purposes that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ the King thought to set Daniel over the Kingdom.
And God, one day he's going to set the Lord Jesus.
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Over all things and what a wonderful thing that is much over here in in the States is in England, everything is just falling apart and wherever you go, things just seem to be fitting themselves into the most awful times which are going to come.
And it seems to be getting worse. And as it were, where is God in it all? He seems to be quiet. He not doesn't seem to be taking part, but he's behind it all. And one day it is all going to be put to rights. And that precious name of Jesus which so often we only hear in blasphemy. One day God has decreed.
That He will have that preeminence. And in Revelation we have that most precious announcement right at the end. The world Kingdom of our God and of His Christ is coming.
And he shall reign forever and ever. And even in this lovely prophecy of Daniel, Daniel later seized that everlasting Kingdom, a Kingdom which can never be moved. Yes, it's a wonderful thing to know that one day, the roar Jesus, who is now rejected, he will have.
That place which God has given to him, the king thought, to set him over the whole realm.
Well, these men, they sought to, they didn't like that, no more than this world does. And while you and I in our souls may seek to honor the Lord Jesus, we live in a world where generally that isn't what is wanted. And the presidents and the king and Princess we read sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the Kingdom.
And and so Pilot says to him, Art thou then a king?
Art thou then a king?
Yes, indeed the Lord Jesus was, but he says my Kingdom is not.
Yet of this world.
But it will be one day, and what is so commonly known as the Lord's Prayer. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That prayer will be answered, and His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. But meanwhile the Princess is.
They will try to do away with it, but it says here they could find none occasion nor nor fault. For as much as he was faithful, neither was there any error or thought found in him.
And the Lord Jesus, when he was here, he said to those around, which of you convinced me of sin?
As it were, he challenged them.
Where can you find in me that which is wrong?
No error nor fault. And that is, and you might say, what? So what is so wonderful about that? It is a vital truth.
It is a vital truth, the sinless nature of our Lord Jesus.
Because the minute we find we could find something that was wrong in him, your salvation and mine would be immediately called in question.
That we have everywhere this testimony in Scripture as to the perfection of His person, the one who did no sin.
In whom was number sin, and who knew no sin, this perfect one?
The sinless, spotless Lamb of God. No error in him.
And in the last century in England, some of you know these things, there was a man who had so who had been a believer, and he began teaching wrong doctrine and he taught that the Lord Jesus could have sinned.
And somebody said.
This the doctrine this man was teaching, was such that Mister Newton's Savior, Jesus requires a savior.
Yes, he was teaching these things that the Lord Jesus could have sinned.
But what we have here, there was number error or fault found in him. And there, wherever we go through the scriptures, through the Gospels, keep this truth before us because it's that which gives peace to our souls. Without it, we have nothing. But we look back to Calvary and we see the Lord Jesus giving his life there for us, and we see all that he passed through. And as I look back to that cross, I can.
I can look back and say I have peace with God. Why? Because there the Savior in all his perfection.
Offered himself without spot to God. There was number Fort in Daniel. It's a little reflection of your Saviour and mine.
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Well, these men, they they come together and what we find in verse 7, just pick out a little thought there. It says all the presidents of the Kingdom.
All the presidents.
Daniel was one of the presidents and they say all the presidents.
And what has characterized the history of this world is the lie.
And the Lord Jesus said when he was here, year of your father the devil, and he was a liar from the beginning. He was a liar from the beginning. And the very first thing that that Satan said to Adam and Eve in the garden hath God said he implanted into their minds and thoughts a lie. And so that is, that is how it was and everything to do with the crucifixion of.
Jesus, it was all a lie, but there it is.
And we're reminded of these things because the Lord Jesus is truth.
And grace and truth came through him.
And so they say, they make this request of the king.
That anybody who was asked a petition of any God or man for 30 days save of the O King, he shall be cast into the den of lion. 30 days. It was a time of a time when people's intentions in their hearts, as you, if you like, were my were laid bare. Just as when the precious Savior was sold for 30 pieces of silver. What was it? Judas's heart was laid bare.
All he was interested in was the money.
And here what we would have was in this 30 days, men's heart laid bare. And that's what we find. These men. We find what is in their heart. But what we will find in a minute. We see the heart of the Lord Jesus, as it were, laid bare in what Daniel does.
Yes, how wonderful these things are.
And so we go down when that when these things are made known. Verse 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being opened in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did before time. Daniel was in the habit of.
Praying and.
Just as the Lord Jesus was rising very early, he went out into the mountain to pray.
What an example for us. And it's something which chastens and should chasten us all. It chastens me so often, how easy it is for us to neglect prayer. But there's something about this. These people knew what Daniel's character was.
They knew that.
And just as the Spirit of God here reminds us of it, He prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did a four time. And Judas knew as well because we read in John 18 there was a garden and we read concerning it. Jesus off times resorted bitter. It was his custom to be a prayer and this one. These are the glories of our Lord Jesus, the one who.
Son of God, we see him here, this great mystery, the perfectly obedient, dependent man. And again, to go back to that lovely Psalm 16, many years ago a brother in the meeting got up in a meeting and he read Psalm 16. And he said, he said, there are two things I want to bring out. And he said, if it's all that we get from this Psalm this afternoon, it will have been worth being here.
Psalm 16 Preserve me, O God, for in need do I put my trust, dependence, and confidence.
Dependence and confidence. He said we need those two things and that's just what the Lord Jesus was here. This great mystery, this man who could stand in a boat and when all others were afraid of losing their lives. Care us thou not that we perish. This one who can stand forth and say peace be still. When there was a need to fight feed 5000 he would do it.
But as to himself, preserve me, O God, the perfectly dependent man, why would he need to go out into the mountains?
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Early in the morning to pray this mystery of this person, the Lord Jesus.
Very God and very man. They are dependent upon God at every moment.
He prayed. It was his custom to go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.
Daniel prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did of four time. How wonderful this is. And as I said, these people knew it. These men assembled and found Diane Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. And So what a wonderful picture.
To us.
What a wonderful picture the scripture.
Tells us in the words of the Lord Jesus that men ought always to pray and not to find.
There's never a time when we can give up praying.
And it is by prayer and supplication that we are to make known our needs before God.
And God has not promised because of that he's going to take us out of them.
I was only thinking of that lovely verse. I think it's Isaiah 43.
What God does promise is this. He says when thou passes through the waters I will be with thee, and through the floods they shall not overflow thee. He doesn't say I'll take you out of the waters or the floods, but he does say I will be with thee, and it's that which.
Prayer brings it's this wonderful comfort and this help whatever the tries. And it's nice to meet you brethren, but I don't really know much of all your circumstances, and it may be that some here are passing through just such a situation.
When thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the floods they shall not overflow thee. And here was Daniel knowing the consequences of what would happen, the law of the Medes and Persians which could not be changed.
He goes to God. It was his custom.
To be before God and his eye was open toward Jerusalem, the place of God's plant, promise and blessing, the place where God had put his name. And we have now in heaven a great high priest, touched with the feelings of our infirmities, the man who is indeed the author and finisher of faith, who's passed through the whole life.
In any situation which your life passed through, he's been there we all through and finished your faith.
Touched with the feelings of our infirmities.
Don't be afraid to go to God in prayer. Don't be afraid to think of the Lord. Jesus doesn't understand. There might be not one person in this room this afternoon that understands.
But he does. Daniel knew of that. It was his custom and might be ours and the Lord Jesus. He resorted to prayer. And when Judas came to take him, he knew that that is where he would be.
For Jesus often resorted thither.
And so they came and we go down verse 13 then answered they and said before the king that Daniel.
Which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not the O King.
This is no longer not the president.
This is.
Daniel of the Children of the Captivity.
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph the Carpenter. That's how they knew him.
And.
And what difference did it make?
And if you and I, if we love the Lord Jesus.
If you get insulted and people say all kinds of things about you and me, it's hard to take. It's one thing I don't like at all.
But the Lord Jesus, that's what he had to hear. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph, the Carpenter, He is the one before whom the kings and the great men of the earth one day will bow, and before him they will do reverence.
He was here, Jesus the son of Joseph the Carpenter. Don't be afraid. Don't be ashamed.
It was a joy when they when those apostles were being persecuted, they counted a joy to be privileged to share that rejection with the Lord Jesus and Daniel here. These are the words which are spoken concerning Him.
Well, the king, he hears what goes on, and it says he was so displeased with himself.
And set his heart on Daniel to deliver him. And he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him in some ways.
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A bit like pilot.
Many things have been said about Pilot and all we have to go on is what is recorded in the Word of God, where the tradition is right that.
He saw something in the Lord Jesus and later got saved. I don't know.
Whether the whole thing to him was just a complete enigma, whether he just couldn't be bothered and wanted and washed his hands of it as a result, I don't know. But what I do know is this. Three times he says I find no fault in this man. Three times Pilot himself says those words.
And this what we have here, the king saw what was in Daniel, and he set his heart.
To deliver him. And this was the whole problem with that crucifixion. There was nothing, there was nothing found in him that was worthy of death. And that is what Peter says, doesn't he, when he preaches on Pentecost?
Pilot would have released him because he could find nothing.
The king here sets his heart on delivering Daniel from death.
But the Lord Jesus says to Pilate, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it will give me from above. And there we see on one hand the responsibility of Pilate. But there we have this most precious scene.
The Son of God, as He says, goeth, as it were, determined of Him. In other words, the Lord Jesus there treading that perfect pathway to the cross of Calvary, the One who in ages passed before there was time in the Godhead with God. And the Holy Spirit had counseled for these great things, and as part of those eternal councils. It was that He would be a man, and that He would walk.
This earth and that he would go to the cross and die and give his life and suffer in that way. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, the things concerning me have an end.
How then, he says, shall the scriptures be fulfilled?
Yes, the king may seek to to to deliver Daniel, but the Medes of the law and the law of the Medes and Persians cannot be changed. And there, above all that Pilot might do, above all that Judas might do, above all that Peter might do, there were these eternal councils that the Lord Jesus should suffer. And so he goes on.
To the cross. And so in verse 16 we read.
Then the king commanded and cast him into the den of lions.
May cast him into the den of lions.
And.
Maybe some thoughts have already gone to the 22nd time. We don't have time, and I just refer to these scriptures, the 22nd farm. There we have, as it were, together with several other thorns, Psalms 69, Psalm 88, Psalm 102, and so many other pictures, types and shadows from the Old Testament. We have what is here called the den of riots.
The sufferings of Christ.
The sufferings of Christ.
And if there's something that we really do need to dwell on.
It's what Christ has suffered for our sake, the den of lions. Save me from the lion's mouth, for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. And when we think of what the Lord Jesus went through.
I may tell all my bones.
They look and stare upon me. Thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
He hath poured out his soul unto death.
War, thy waves and billows have rolled over me.
And then we have this question, and it comes to each one of us this afternoon. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?
The den of lions. A picture of what the Lord Jesus suffered.
And I just want to say this thinking of that lovely verse in Jeremiah.
There was a young sister in our meeting. She.
She took a place sometime back and she was asked what was it that had affected her white, what had made her asked to remember the Lord Jesus? And she referred to that verse. She said she'd been at a children's meeting, a young people's meeting, and somebody had read that verse. Is it nothing to you or to either pass by? And this person had said it's just like on the Lord's Day morning.
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When the cup and the bread are passed by.
That question is being asked, is it nothing to you? And as it were reached towards thighs, it had gone past her and she was really, not deliberately, but really in spirit saying it doesn't mean that much to me. And if there's someone here, one of you younger people this afternoon, I just leave that same question with you. Is it nothing to you or he that passed by? If you haven't yet asked to remember the Lord Jesus in his death. I don't want you next Sunday to go on.
The brethren here. But I would ask you to pray about it.
I would ask you to pray about that, that what the Lord Jesus suffered for you, it might really go in here, and that you might want to give thanks to Him for what He has done for you. I cast the Lord Jesus in the den of lions. And if only we had time, and only if only I felt, felt in my soul.
That I could really give expression to what that means, what the Lord Jesus endured on the cross of Calvary.
For you and for me. Well, when we get home to heaven, we're going to see it. We will see the Lamb. We won't see, as John was expected to see the lion of the tribe of Judah.
He saw a lamb as it had been slain, and that's what you and I are going to see.
How wonderful it is. What a precious savior. And to think he did all this for you and for me. So they cast him into the den of lions. Away with him. We will not have this man to reign over us.
And so the justice when the Lord Jesus was then taken down from the cross and put into the grave.
We read that the stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den and the king sealed it with his own signet. Isn't that just what they did with the Lord Jesus? Why a big problem? Why did they need to do that?
Yes, they didn't realize what they were doing when they crucified the King of Glory.
They thought they'd got rid of him, but they really still needed to see that. They weren't really sure, were they?
But you know, nothing could keep the Lord Jesus into that grave and their God.
We know show what was his exceeding great and mighty power. And so the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. Yes, for all that this king had to do, there was something there which he respected in Daniel.
And what a wonderful thing it was for those who, in the early hours of the first day of the week, they came.
To the sepulchre.
And what a wonderful little study that is in itself, Mary.
Yes, there were those who came and they went back, but what we find in Mary is that affection for the Lord.
And she's there, and she's so wrapped up with Him, expecting him to be there when the Lord is there, and she doesn't recognize him. She's so wrapped up that she refers to the Lord as Him, not by His name. In other words, she's so intense on the royal Jesus.
What love for him.
How wonderful it is. And is that how it is with us? Is that the love that the Lord has from each one of us? He deserves it. But you know how it is with us. How often we have to hang our heads. Yet gracious Lord, when we reflect, how apartment to turn the eye from me. But nevertheless, these things are here to encourage us and draw our souls.
To the Lord Jesus. And so he cries, Is thy God, whom thou servest, continually able to deliver thee from the lions?
And Daniel's replies, My God hath sent his Angel, and hath shut the lion's mouth, that they have not hurt me for as much as before him. Innocence, he was found in me, and also before the O King have I done Thou heard how precious here is the Lord Jesus now.
In, as it were, in this glorious resurrection, O King, live forever. Yes, the mouth of the lion had been shut, but it was as we have in Hebrews, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, and deliver them who through fear of death for all their lifetime subject to money. What's that? That's you and that's me. That's where we were.
And he says that.
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The door has shot the mouth of the lines and everything that was against you and me, everything that will prevent an eternity in heaven with the Lord Jesus, everything that would stop us being in that place of holiness and righteousness.
The mouth of the lion has been stopped, and God has dealt with it all through the Lord Jesus and all that should have come upon you. It came down upon him. And there is a scripture which really never ceases to really.
Amazed me it's in again Isaiah 53.
It pleased the Lord to bruise him.
It pleased the Lord to bruise him.
And I often think about that verse. How can it be?
The Lord Jesus who is here, the only perfect man who?
Whoever walked on this earth when it was a question of you and me and our sins and our lost eternal condition.
We have those words, but in some way it wasn't pleasure in the way in which we know it, but in some way that is what the Spirit of God has recorded. It pleased the Lord to Bruce him.
They say God doesn't love me. Just think of a verse like that and you'll soon begin to realize just how much God does love you.
But the Lord Jesus, he had to go into death, and so great was what he did.
And so satisfied and honored and glorified is God that he's raised him out from that, from that awful place.
The King, the God, has sent his Angel, and has shut the lion's mouth. Thou wilt not suffer my soul to seek corruption. Thou D not leave my soul in Hades.
And he brings him up out of the den. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded they should take Daniel up out of the den, And as I keep referring to that verse in Ephesians 1, by his exceeding great and mighty power.
He's raised him up from the dead and given him a name which is above every name, far above all principality and power and might, and above every name that is named both in this world and in that which is to come. That is what God has done for His Son who was once there on that cross.
The one who was looked at as a common criminal, numbered with the transgressors, given him that place of highest exhortation, brought him up from the dungeon out of the den. How wonderful. And this is what God has done. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no man of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God. I just want to turn to.
A verse in Psalm 57.
Because it really, it's this perfection of the path of the Lord Jesus.
No man of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God.
And those lovely words we have in Genesis 22, they went both of them together. It's that pathway of the Son of God with his Father right through this world, right through the cross. Just want to read a few verses in Psalm 57.
It's be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me.
For my soul trusteth in thee. Ye in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge. Until these calamities be overpassed. I will cry unto God most High, unto God that performeth all things from me He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Cela, God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. My soul is among lions, and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men whose teeth are Spears and arrows.
And their tongue are sharp. Sword be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let thy glory be above the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down. They have digged a pit before me into the midst whereof they are falling themselves. Cedar, my heart is fixed. O God, my heart is fixed. I will sing and give praise. I wake up my glory.
Awake, sortery in heart. I myself will awake early. I will praise the old Lord among the people.
I will sing unto thee among the nations, for thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exhorted, O God, above the heavens, let thy glory be above the earth.
And here it seems to me in some way we have encapsulated just these things, the lions, that dependence, that confidence brought up, and the exhortation which comes to God. Why? Because he believed in his God. How wonderful. What a precious Savior, what a precious person. And so verse 24.
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We have now the king commanding and bringing those who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions.
Them, their children and their lives.
And then what we know is that God now says that he has ordained one day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man and the Lord Jesus it will be in righteousness. And here these people who had accused Daniel, it cost into the den of Lawrence and and so it is.
And there are you children here today.
This story I'm sure you all night very so very well. Just remember what happened to these people, these who had hated and they tried to get rid of Daniel.
Just remember what happened to them, the consequences, and one day God is going to have to punish all who reject and refuse to accept that all Jesus as their Savior and anyone of you young children here today.
Who've come to the meeting of Countess Thunderstorm, Who've learned verses. Remember this, that if you don't accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior because of your sins, God is going to have to do the same. He must punish. He hates sin.
And he must punish it.
Or let us not be like these people here. They were cast into the den of lions. And there is that coming day. And at the end of Revelation, John says, I saw that he saw the great white throne, and he saw the the small and the great stand before God. And the books were open and the book of of life was open. And it says those whose names were not written therein, they were cast into the.
Five for all eternity to be away from the presence of God, cast out of his presence. How awful it will be.
But Daniel had been brought out alive, and so we have here.
The last few verses to finish Dark King Darius writes and he says in verse 26.
I make a decree that in every dominion of my kindred Kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and steadfast forever, and his Kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
How wonderful it is, and this is God's great purposes.
He is the living God.
And steadfast forever. And his Kingdom shall not be destroyed. And it's a wonderful thing to know that all things are going to be put right here. It doesn't seem possible, does it, when we see what's happening in this world, to think that there's going to be 1000 years of peace and prosperity.
And 1000 years in which a king will reign in righteousness.
And where the lions should lie down with the lamb, and the little child shall eat them, and they will not teach, as it says in Hebrews, and in the prophets in those days know the Lord, for every man shall know him from the smallest to the greatest.
And in that day every mouth shall be stopped, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. How wonderful.
And as we read these words, he delivereth and rescueth and worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth.
In that coming day, you and I, by the riches of the grace of God, those who have been delivered, those who have been rescued, because this is where we come in the Lord Jesus, indeed, he went into death.
But we are the fruit of the travail of his soul. He is rescued and he's delivered us. And in that coming day, when this great Kingdom is established, we shall reign with him.
And there in heaven, around that throne, 24 seats are found on the elders sitting on it. Who are they? I believe there are.
No one so near to the person of the Lord Jesus as you and me. What a precious.
00:50:01
Privilege. What a favoured people we are, everyone of us here this afternoon. A brand plucked from the burning, Every one of us here, just as we have in the first book of Samuel, a beggar who has been picked up from the dunghill and made to inherit the throne of glory. That's you and that's me. And it's not presumption to take those things. The only reason I can say that's where I will be and that's what I will.
Is because of this most precious Person, the Sinner Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me, and because of what he is and what he has done, all his promises I may take.
And his love, the prayer that he made at the end of his life. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.
Rescuers and he Delivereth, and he's the broadest. He's going to bring us into his own eternal glory. What a precious Savior this is.
Who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions? And it seems to me just a fitting way to end.
This lovely story.
There's a little him in our humble We don't sing it very often. It says forever through endless ages. Thy cross and thy sorrow shall be the glory, the joy and the sweetness that makes heaven heaven to me that is it there forever to be around the Lord Jesus. Only one song, only one theme, only one person. Thou art worthy for thou art slain, and hast redeemed us to God.
By their plan, may we not forget with the Lord Jesus did for ourselves and my my constrain our hearts to cleave to him. Well, I just bring this lovely chapter for him. May I draw my heart to him. May we not forget his great love, his sufferings on Calvary's cross, the place of favor into which he's brought us. He's rescued us and he's delivered us and by his grace.
May we seek to give back our lives to Him.
He indeed is worthy. May, may they be constrained by His grace just to do so.