The God of Daniel

Daniel

6:16   Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king responded and said to Daniel, Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.

 6:25   Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in the whole land: May your peace abound!
 6:26   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 enduring forever; / And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, / And His dominion will be unto the end.
 6:27   He delivers and rescues, / And He does signs and wonders / In heaven and on earth; / It is He who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
 6:28   And this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Excerpt from the Life-study of Daniel, Message Eight:

V. DANIEL'S SUFFERING OF THE PERSECUTION

Knowing that the edict could not be changed, the king commanded, and the opposers threw Daniel into the lions' den (v. 16a). The king responded and said to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you" (v. 16b). A stone was brought and set over the mouth of the den, and with signet rings it was sealed by the king and his lords that nothing might be changed regarding Daniel (v. 17). Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and his sleep fled from him (v. 18).

VI. GOD'S DELIVERANCE OF DANIEL

In verses 19 through 24 we see God's deliverance of Daniel. The king arose at the first light and went in haste to the lions' den. When he had come near the den, he shouted to Daniel with a sad voice, saying, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" (v. 20). Daniel replied, "My God has sent His angel and has shut the lions' mouth, and they have not hurt me, inasmuch as before Him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm" (v. 22). Just as the Lord did not quench the fire for Daniel's three companions, He also did not slay the lions for Daniel's sake. Instead, He shut the lions' mouth, making their teeth of no effect. The king was very pleased concerning Daniel, and he commanded that Daniel be taken out of the den. Thus, Daniel was removed from the den, and he was found completely unhurt, because he had trusted in his God (v. 23).

A. Darius the King Writing to All the Peoples, Nations, and Languages concerning the God of Daniel

Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in the whole earth, making a decree that in all the dominion of his kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. "For He is the living God / And enduring forever; / And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, / And His dominion will be unto the end. / He delivers and rescues, / And He does signs and wonders / In heaven and on earth; / It is He who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions" (vv. 26-27)

God, to Daniel was very personal and intimate. He had a wonderful fellowship with Him in a very specific way to the extend that even a Gentile king had to comment, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you." The God of Daniel is not a mere generic God somewhere in heaven, but very near and dear and real. When a decree was made against Daniel to be thrown into the Lions' den for his prayer life and worship of God, he did not bow down to man-made laws. He stood firm and faithfully trusted in his God. As his faith, so was his reaction to the threat to thwart his worship of God. He went ahead to continue to pray and was ready to face whatever the consequence might be. And the ensuing incident was marvelous.

The enemy of God tried to destroy Daniel, a man of God and a man of prayer, by raising up wicked opposers. But God turned all wicked schemes of the Devil into His wise designs through Daniel, to prove Himself as the unique true and living God, and even to decree a new law that honors and worships the God of Daniel! 

As I was enjoying this portion of the word, a light dawned on me afresh of the faithfulness of the God that I worship. To Daniel and the kings it was the God of Daniel, and the same God is my God, and others must see this God as my God and worship Him too. When opposition arises against our worship of God we must never back-down, instead  face it in faith, for this is an opportunity for the Lord to manifest Himself as the true and living God, not merely as a God, but the God of "so and so."

It wold be a folly to fight against the schemes of the Devil when he tries to shame the believers. In India, it has happened elsewhere where Christians tries to fight back the opposition they have been facing. In the light of the word, spiritual battle must be fought spiritually, as Daniel did. He did not strive with his opposer, much less, had a any say even, as it was needless. He simply continued to worship his God and faced the consequence of it. The true and living God manifested Himself as God indeed, in fact, very particularly as the God of Daniel. Not merely verbally, but even in writing. "Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in the whole land: May your peace abound! 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..."

The God of Daniel through Daniel's living faith and testimony had caused the Gentile kings to decree to all the peoples, nations and languages that dwell in the whole land to fear the God of Daniel for He is the living God!

Today, the God of Daniel is our God, more particularly, my God. So I must trust my God and manifest Him in such a way as Daniel did.

Lord, Your are my God!