The Courage to Bow or to Stand: Making Disciples with the Character & Conviction of Daniel

A Chapter a Day

• Sunday, November 22, Psalm 51
• Monday, November 23, Psalm 52           
• Tuesday, November 24, Psalm 53
• Wednesday, November 25, Psalm 54
• Thursday, November 26, Psalm 55
• Friday, November 27, Psalm 56
• Saturday, November 28, Psalm 57

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Daniel had been deported from Jerusalem to Babylon when he was just a teenager.  Now he is more than 80 years old and yet another king is on the throne (Darius the Mede), but the pressure on Daniel to compromise his commitment to God remains unchanged.

6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; ² and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. ³ Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. (Daniel 6:1-3, ESV)

1. We should follow Daniel’s example of professional .

• “his exceptional qualities” (v.3, NIV84)
• “proved himself more capable . . . great ability” (NLT)
• “brimming with spirit and intelligence, so completely outclassed the other vice-regents and governors” (MSG)

 ⁴ Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. (Daniel 6:4, ESV)

2. We should follow Daniel’s example of personal .

The vice-regents and governors got together to find some old scandal or skeleton in Daniel’s life that they could use against him, but they couldn’t dig up anything. He was totally exemplary and trustworthy. They could find no evidence of negligence or misconduct. (v. 4, MSG)

 ⁵ Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

⁶ Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! ⁷ All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸ Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” ⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. (Daniel 6:5-9, ESV)

3. We should not be surprised when not everyone our commitment to God.

4. The enemies of God’s people have frequently attempted to use the of the law to intimidate and to God’s people.

SOGI Ordinance Update

The sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) ordinance was approved by the Macon-Bibb County Commission by a vote of 5-4 on Tuesday, November 17.   Commissioners Bivins, Lucas, Schlesinger, Tillman, and Watkins voted in favor, while Commissioners Allen, Jones, Shepherd, and Wynn voted against.

According to our Macon-Bibb County charter, the Mayor may veto the legislation “within ten calendar days of receipt of an ordinance.”  Otherwise, with or without his signature, the ordinance will become law.  If he does veto the ordinance, it would take six votes from the Commission to override his veto.

So, I have contacted our Mayor, Robert Reichert, again to respectfully urge him to veto the ordinance.  I encourage you to do the same.  The Mayor’s email is:  reichert@maconbibb.us.

¹⁰ When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. (Daniel 6:10, ESV)

5. As was the case for Daniel, it will be the spiritual that we have already put in place that will sustain us when crunch time comes.

¹⁰ But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. (Daniel 6:10, NLT)

²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! ²²My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, . . . .” (Daniel 6:21-22a, ESV)

²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. ²⁶ I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

for he is the living God,
   enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
   and his dominion shall be to the end.
²⁷He delivers and rescues;
   he works signs and wonders
   in heaven and on earth,
he who has saved Daniel
   from the power of the lions.”

²⁸ So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (Daniel 6:25-28, ESV)

6. As was the case with Daniel, God intends for our to result in many people

acknowledging God’s sovereignty and giving to his great name! 

When threatened with the fiery furnace because they would not bow down before the golden image Nebuchadnezzar had set up, Daniel’s three friends stood up and spoke up:

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. ¹⁸ But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18, NLT)