27/12/10

Sealing the Truth in a den

Daniel 6:17 - And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.


Daniel was the most loved of King Darius. Through Daniel the King had experience the glory of God and seeing this Darius had made Daniel the chief among his men. There was a special bonding between the King and Daniel.

But we see when all the other leaders of his court had grouped together against Daniel; the King was helpless and had to put Daniel to the death sentence - being thrown to the wild beast (lions). When Darius did this, he covered the den with a large tomb stone and put his seal and the seals of those who prominent among his staff.

We behave like Darius when we put the Truth in us to death. We love the Truth and have a great relation with It. We also spend our lives speaking about it, proclaiming it and making it the top priority in our lives. But when the people of the world especially those around us who hate the Truth gang together against it, we land up being helpless and become the chief killer of the Truth in us. Along with others we put the Truth in a dark den at the mercy of the wild beasts. Along with the approvals of others to this, is also our approval.

Behind all this is one reason ourselves. We have given great importance to ourselves. Like Darius we have made a golden statue of ourselves and want people to admire and give respect to us. We all want to be somebody unlike others. It was self importance which caused Darius to put a great golden statue of him in the middle of the city, which in turn caused him to put his most loved one to death in a den and it is this self importance which causes us to put the Truth within us to death.

Like Darius we will fast and repent deep inside us, but this repentance is useless if it is not put to action outwards.

As we know that Daniel, even though was put to death among wild beasts (lions) was unharmed and came out alive. So also the Truth will not die for the Truth is of God. We need to give a call to this Truth like Darius did the next day and get the seals broken including our own and get the stone of traditions rolled away so that the Truth within us shines to the world.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, forgive us for the many times we have put the Truth within us to death by rolling the stone of traditions over it. Lord, help us to remember all that we do is to glorify the Father and not to glorify ourselves. Our hearts desire to be acknowledged by other, to be known in this world, to be respected at the gate. To do this we sometimes sentence the most loved thing within us your Word.

Help us Lord to put this repentance to action, to break our approvals to the wrongs, to roll away the bolder of traditions and to stand up against all odds so that the Truth within us shines. Help us remember when we glorify You alone, we too will one day be glorified through You and in You...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripture ]
Daniel 6:11-26
11 Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.
12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him.
15 Then these men assembled together unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
16 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 servest continually, he will deliver thee.
17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him.
19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
20 And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
23 Then was the king exceeding glad, 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 had trusted in his God.
24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men that had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.
25 Then king Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.
26 I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)