"Standing Firm" (Daniel 6)

Sometimes when we reflect on the events of Daniel chapter 6, we might simply focus on the miraculous deliverance towards the end of the chapter and miss a very important element of the story earlier on. This is the part that most excites me ... what we read in verse 10:

Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.

Daniel was standing firm in his faith no matter what he would have to face. But he wasn’t doing so passively, for prayer isn’t passive – prayer is an active response to the complexity of life. As we shall see, this habit of prayer was something strong in Daniel’s background that he brought into his present challenges. When difficulties came, Daniel had the necessary survival tools at hand!

Let’s look at some of the events surrounding Daniel’s commitment to prayer and worship.

Things were going okay for Daniel. In verse 3 we read of Daniel that, “an excellent spirit was in him”, and he been given a high position in the government. We also read that those who opposed Daniel for their own reasons, “could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful ...” (v.4). Daniel had made that stand back in chapter one, where he had refused to partake of the “royal rations” on offer because this would have tended to suggest that he approved of all of the palace’s agenda, rather than standing somewhat separate from its excesses and violations. Subsequently, King Nebuchadnezzar had grown in his respect for Daniel and for Daniel’s God.

Yet, to many within the officialdom of Babylon or Persia (as this area later became known), Daniel was still a vanquished foreigner who had no place in the king’s court. There was jealousy towards Daniel’s position, which led to murderous intent. There might have been thoughts as well, that Daniel, with his impressive character, was showing all the other leaders up.

These leaders manipulated the current king Darius into legislating against anyone praying to any god apart from the king himself. Anyone who could not restrain themselves from praying to their own God for at least thirty days would be thrown to the lions. These leaders stroked the king’s ego by lifting him even higher on his pedestal and thereby got their way.

Having been initially oblivious to the scheming that had gone on, King Darius would now regret all of this, when it was Daniel who was the one in the firing line ... we read that King Darius was “very much distressed” (v.14), and he tried to find a way out for Daniel. But it was too late, too late for a leader who had been caught up in his own ego and been manipulated by those with evil intent. Darius was left hoping that Daniel’s God might act on Daniel’s behalf (v.16), and then Darius spent a sleepless night fasting (v.18). This seems very like the no-win situation that Pontius Pilate was left in.

But there was a choice, there is always a choice. Yet here in King Darius it seems that we have a political leader who couldn’t publicly admit that he was wrong and then change his mind (not until he witnessed the miraculous anyway). This would be too much of a back-down, way too personally embarrassing, too politically damaging it seemed. Darius had become tied up in knots by his own rules and regulations, rather than doing what was right and just and good. When this happens in any type of community, it’s likely that it will be the most vulnerable or innocent, or the minority or the voiceless that gets hurt. And so Daniel must be thrown to the lions. And Jesus must be nailed to a cross.

As we see the complexity of community and political leadership, people trying to balance a whole lot of agendas at the same time as maintaining their position, this should motivate us to pray for all those who hold such responsible positions – that they might seek (as Micah would have it) to act justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.

Now Daniel knew about the threat against him (“the document had been signed” – v.10), and likely knew that this was a concerted conspiracy against him, but could do no other than maintain his pattern of prayer. Thirty days without prayer ... unthinkable ... that would be a disaster!! More than one third of a single day without prayer would have been too long! We read that Daniel hit his knees “three times a day”, which was likely to have been his traditional habit. For us we might interpret this to be a constant attitude of prayer or connectedness with God, with regular more formalised and focussed times of direct thanksgiving and intercession.

And we sense that Daniel did not try to cover his ongoing worshipful activity, just went about this as if it was oh so normal. Thus his prayerful witness to God was both open to observation and completely unashamed.

Daniel, with windows open, faced Jerusalem, the place from where he had drawn his unshakable trust in God – the Creator, the Redeemer, the Sustainer. Daniel did this, “just as he had previously”, indicating, as we have said, that this indeed is his pattern, what his life was about, where his central focus was. For Daniel, not to pray would have been a betrayal of himself and who he was. It was so natural for Daniel to worship God, that there apparently was not even the briefest second thought (about whether this was what he should be doing).

One wonders what Daniel prayed about? Simply about personal survival ... his personal needs ... I really doubt it ... based on what we already know about him. More likely, having dealt with a previous king Nebuchadnezzar, and knowing the complexity of community life, Daniel was praying with the big picture in mind, that things could turn around (to the good), that hearts would change, and that he himself could make whatever contribution God would have him make. Daniel, like Jeremiah, sought the welfare of the city.

This is where the relevance is for me in my future journey ... praying, then acting, toward the welfare of the city of Wyndham (and all of its residents). For this is not a place of isolated quarter-acre blocks with private houses on them, or at least it shouldn’t be. This is a place of interactive relational community, where people may just come together to understand (and then celebrate) the spiritual component of their lives.

One wonders what Daniel got out of his prayer-time? Refreshment, inspiration, clarification; maybe just the thrill of being caught up in the reality of the Divine presence with him (R S Wallace). Certainly there could have been new insight on the problems he faced. One could add that, certain unsettling experiences, like what Daniel was facing, are often helpful in getting our attention and changing our attitudes where we have been stubbornly wrong in the past (idea from David McCasland in “Our Daily Bread” Thurs 22/9/11). We can learn afresh what it really means to follow Jesus (in terms of the life of Jesus we discover in the Gospels).

Definitely Daniel’s resolve was confirmed and he thus became stronger. Even if God seemed silent for a period, there was enough reason to return in a few hours time. With the windows to the outside world being wide open, surely this prayer would touch real life situations.

With this attitude, and with this behaviour, Daniel was certainly prepared for God to act miraculously in his life ... to offset in some way the danger he was facing and to allow for some real impact. Daniel had come to know God well. With Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in chapter 3, Daniel would have been expectant of God’s deliverance while at the same time accepting of God’s will either way. Daniel could enter the lion’s den knowing that God entered with him. The result was so impressive to King Darius that he was liberated from his political straight jacket and changed his approach.

This gives great hope to the modern day Jesus-followers who act according to their God-given conscience and their Spirit-led wisdom, in the face of selfishness and injustice, difficulty and despair. We can’t just bemoan what we don’t like, because we have been given the capacity to facilitate change for the good. Daniel, I reckon, grew to love the opportunity of serving in Babylon, even though it was not his first or favoured option. How many of us have exactly the job we’d desire, or precisely the life situation we’d prefer! Yet we can grow to see the opportunities anyway, and then grow even more in embracing those opportunities. Daniel’s great asset to bring to Babylon was his faith in the true God Yahweh, with the caring human-honouring and creation-respecting attitudes that this meant.

In my upcoming work in wider Wyndham, I can only pray that I can make a difference in people’s lives through the blessed hope I carry in Jesus. I will seek with God’s help to unleash the potential for good that lies within many, which may currently be repressed by many things including discouragement or fear or lack of opportunity. As I leave my formal role as pastor with you [at Point Cook Community Baptist Church], I commit to seeking the welfare of Wyndham by bringing the love of God to the neighbourhoods and streets and homes that I become able to connect with.

If there is to be success in this mission, I and Raelene, and others who join us, will need to continue to pray and praise God with the windows open. My particular open windows, rather than facing to Jerusalem, will first face to my parents, and then to those others who have taught me, pastored me, mentored me and supported me; and then those windows will always at least partly face Point Cook, where I have been given a great opportunity and been deeply encouraged for these seven years.

God will then lead us into God’s own future, where previously closed doors will suddenly open, and connections will be made with people who have already been prepared by the Holy Spirit to hear the good news of Jesus, and participate together in a variety of community building activities.