Remaining Cool in the Fire

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Short Summary
The discourse explores key episodes from the Book of Daniel, emphasizing faithfulness and steadfastness under trials, illustrated by Daniel and his companions who remained loyal to God despite captivity, temptation, and threats of death. It highlights how their unwavering trust in God enabled them to withstand challenges such as refusing to defile themselves with pagan food, rejecting idolatry, surviving the fiery furnace, and being protected in the lion’s den, serving as enduring examples of spiritual resilience. The message encourages believers to remain faithful through their own trials, trusting that God will provide strength and deliverance according to His will.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on “Remaining Cool in the Fire” Based on the Book of Daniel

Introduction to the Book of Daniel and Scope of Discussion
– The discourse references key events from the Book of Daniel, focusing primarily on chapters 1, 2, 3, and 6 due to time constraints.
– Noted sections include King Belshazzar’s overthrow of Babylon (chapter 5), Daniel in the lions’ den (chapter 6), and Daniel’s visions (chapters 7-12).
– The overall theme is about maintaining faith and composure (“remaining cool”) during trials or “fiery” tests.

The Reality and Expectation of Trials
– Trials and fiery tests are to be expected by believers, as emphasized in 1 Peter 4:12:
*“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.”*
– Such trials serve as a proving ground for faith and character, testing whether individuals will deny themselves and accept God’s will or give in to easier paths.
– The apostle’s reminder encourages viewing trials as normal rather than unusual.

Biblical Examples of Faithfulness and Failure
– Jesus Christ’s wilderness experience is highlighted as the first recorded example of resisting temptation successfully.
– The Israelites often failed in trials, turning to idolatry despite God’s commandments, particularly the first and second commandments (Exodus 20:3-6):
– *“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”*
– *“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image… Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them.”*
– They grumbled about provisions (Numbers 11:5), craving foods from Egypt, showing ingratitude for God’s provision (manna).

Daniel’s Faithfulness in Captivity (Daniel Chapter 1)
– Daniel and three companions—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—were taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:1-6).
– Despite being placed in the king’s service and given Babylonian names (Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego), their hearts remained steadfast to God.
– They refused the king’s rich food and wine, likely to avoid defilement by food sacrificed to idols and to obey dietary laws (Daniel 1:8).
– Romans 14:23 underscores acting according to conscience:
*“But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it…”*
– Their willingness to stand firm is summarized by the hymn “Dare to be a Daniel,” emphasizing courage and purpose.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream and God’s Sovereignty (Daniel Chapter 2)
– Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream involved a statue made of various materials representing kingdoms (gold head = Babylon).
– The king’s magicians could not interpret it; Daniel sought God through prayer and revealed the meaning, showing God’s power to reveal mysteries.
– The dream foretells the succession of kingdoms ending with God’s eternal kingdom.
– Daniel and his friends were rewarded with high positions for their faith and God-given wisdom.

The Fiery Furnace Trial (Daniel Chapter 3)
– Nebuchadnezzar demanded worship of a golden image under penalty of death by fiery furnace.
– Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow, citing faithfulness to God despite the threat (Daniel 3:13-18).
– The second commandment (Exodus 20:4-6) forbids idolatry.
– Proverbs 19:16 emphasizes obedience to God’s law preserving life, reinforcing their stand.
– Their refusal was not mere rebellion but sincere faith; they trusted God to deliver them but accepted death if it was His will (Daniel 3:17).
– God miraculously preserved them unharmed in the fire; a fourth figure (often understood as Christ’s presence) was seen with them (Daniel 3:25).
– Isaiah 43:2 reassures believers:
*“When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned…”*
– This event symbolizes steadfastness amid persecution, a model for believers facing contemporary pressures to compromise.

Belshazzar’s Feast and the Writing on the Wall (Daniel Chapter 5)
– Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, desecrated temple vessels at a banquet.
– A mysterious hand wrote on the wall, interpreted by Daniel as God’s judgment ending Belshazzar’s reign (Daniel 5:25-28).
– The kingdom was taken by the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:31).

Daniel in the Lions’ Den (Daniel Chapter 6)
– Under King Darius, Daniel was promoted but envied by other officials.
– They tricked the king into issuing a decree forbidding prayer to anyone except the king on penalty of death by lions.
– Daniel continued praying to God openly and was subsequently thrown into the den (Daniel 6:10-16).
– God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths; Daniel was unharmed (Daniel 6:22).
– Daniel’s calm faith exemplifies trusting God regardless of consequences, embodying “remaining cool in the fire.”

Lessons and Applications
– God values faithfulness in both great trials and small matters (Luke 16:10; 1 Timothy 4:12).
– The faith of Daniel and his friends, though tested severely, demonstrates the power of trust in God to overcome adversity.
– Hebrews 11:33-34 honors those who “through faith quenched the violence of fire,” implicitly including Daniel’s companions.
– The “fiery trials” believers face today may not be literal fires but tests of loyalty, integrity, and obedience.
– 1 Corinthians 10:13 encourages believers that God provides a way to endure temptations and trials:
*“God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able…”*
– The discourse exhorts believers to rely on Jesus as helper and remain steadfast.
– God permits trials to refine character like gold purified by fire, never allowing destruction beyond what can be borne.
– The ultimate reward for faithfulness is exaltation as princes in God’s kingdom (Psalm 45:16, Daniel 12:3).
– Believers are encouraged to glorify God through their trials and rest assured of His continual presence (Matthew 28:20).

Key Bible Verses Mentioned:

– 1 Peter 4:12
– Exodus 20:3-6
– Numbers 11:5
– Daniel 1:1-8
– Romans 14:23
– Luke 16:10
– Daniel 2 (interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream)
– Daniel 3:1-6, 13-18, 25
– Proverbs 19:16
– Isaiah 43:2
– Daniel 5:25-31
– Daniel 6:10-22
– John 1:47
– Hebrews 11:33-34
– 1 Timothy 4:12
– 1 Corinthians 10:13
– Psalm 45:16
– Daniel 12:3
– Matthew 28:20

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Summary Conclusion:
The discourse uses the experiences of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to illustrate how believers can remain faithful and composed under severe tests of loyalty and faith. Through prayer, trust in God’s sovereignty, and obedience to His commandments, even in hostile environments, believers can overcome trials (“fiery furnaces”) without compromise. God’s faithfulness and presence sustain them, and such trials serve to purify character and prepare for eternal rewards. The exhortation is to emulate their steadfastness in today’s challenges, trusting God to provide strength and deliverance according to His will.

Transcript

Brethren, the Book of Daniel contains many verses of Scripture which you know well. As such, there’s wall for King Belshazzar which described the overthrow of the Babylonian empire in chapter five. Number six relates to lessons from Daniel in the den of lions in chapter six and then in chapter seven the visions what we’ll call of Daniel, which are largely covered in chapters seven through 12. Now, because it’s literally impossible to cover all these broad divisions within our allotted time and how they fit into our title, Remaining Cool in the Fire our remarks will mostly be limited to certain portions of chapters 1, 2, 3 and 6.

Remaining cool in the Fire this is a transition, of course. This is a photo of Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest serving first lady in United States history, and this is that the resilience and strength of individuals may not be readily apparent until they face difficulties and challenging circumstances. To this we would agree. We’re also aware that the apostle reminds us that such extreme trials should be expected by us according to 1st Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you.

Stated another way, we think Peter is telling us that we should actually consider it to be strange if we go through this life with absolutely no trials or temptations at all. Because for those who are, his trials are not only expected, but are proving ground to God insofar as how we will react when the next one falls upon us. Does our disposition in response to fiery trials reflect individual victories in self denial and accepting the Lord’s will, or do we cave in and accept the less restrictive way? Brethren, the choice is ours. No one else’s but ours alone.

Our elder brother provides us with many wonderful examples of this through his ministry, including the very first one recorded in his wilderness experience, not caving into any of the temptations of the adversary until he finally left him alone. In considering God’s covenanted people, the Israelites, they mostly didn’t fare well when confronted with trials and temptations. According to the scriptural record, God warned them to stop turning to idols and false gods, but the people of Israel continued to do this time and time again. This was of course, contrary to the very first and perhaps most important law that God gave to the Israelites. We Read from Exodus 23 Thou shalt have no other gods before me Now.

God was faithful to the Israelites and provided for them immediately after he gave them his law. But they showed little gratitude or obedience while in the wilderness. God gave a manner, but they grumbled about many things, notably in numbers 11 5. They expressed their cravings for other foods like they had in Egypt, such as meat, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But despite their desires for a different menu, they also were not rightly exercised by the law and worship other gods in the form of idols.

But what about the main character in the book of Daniel, the prophet himself? How obedient and gracious was he? Let’s take a look. Starting with Daniel, chapter one. In the Old Testament, it’s not hard to find individuals that proved to be faithful and yet at times had character flaws.

Noah, Samson, David, and even Moses are just a few that fall into this category. But in the case of Daniel, there are none that the Scriptures reveal about him, from the time he is first identified to us, when he was probably a young teenager, until his later years of life, when he may have lived up to around the age 100 under four different kingly administrations, and through it all, he was entirely devoted to God, as he did not willingly divert from the law. He, along with his three young companions, are introduced to us in Daniel 1. Let’s read verses 1 to 6.

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it, and the Lord delivered Jehoia, king of Judah, into his hand, along with some articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his God in Babylonia and put the treasure put in the treasure house of his God. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, king of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelite from the royal family and the nobility, young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach him the language and literature of the Babylonians.

The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years. After that they were to enter the king’s service. Among those who were chosen were some from Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Now, through these verses, we can see how God used Nebuchadnezzar as his deputy to take certain ones with him out of Judah to Babylon.

Notice how Daniel 1:2 puts it, and the Lord delivered Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand, which would be the first of three vassal kings taken out, followed by Jaheim. However, it was 11 years later, after Jehoiakim in verse one, along with Daniel and other preferred men were taken captive. That Nebuchadnezzar, the last of Judah’s kings, was removed, thus leaving the land desolate and without an inhabitant for 70 years. Therefore, our heavenly Father was permitting the process of having a godless man in charge of a godless nation take various ones out of Judah, some of whom also worship false gods from what was supposed to be a godly nation into captivity, where the Babylonians also worshiped a vast pantheon of gods.

So what Nebuchadnezzar wanted was for all the Jews to abandon their faith and embrace the pagan Babylonian religion and culture. Every vestige of identification between the Israelites and their God, while at the same time, According to Daniel 1:4, looking for Israel’s bright invest to come into their court so that they could be indoctrinated into the ways of Babylon, excuse me and build up his empire. Now in verse 6 we are given first given the names of Daniel’s companions who are among Israel’s brightest. This verse reads, now among these were the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. We don’t have the exact ages of them, but as children they seemingly would have been young teenagers, around 13 to 15 years old.

As to their names, these were not merely Hebrew names, but religious from the standpoint that they represented an attribute of the true God of Israel. Hananiah means God is gracious. Mishael means God, like Azariah means God is a helper, and of course the name Daniel means God is my judge, and indeed we get to see some wonderful judgment that he and his three companions exercise by only allowing our heavenly Father guide and direct their paths while now living in a tempestuous foreign land.

Now going Back to Daniel 1:5, the four were to be nourished with the best meat and wine to supposedly be in a high degree of physical and mental condition to help the king make Babylon prosper. Moreover, per verse 7, the names of the four were changed by the prince of the eunuchs from Daniel, Hezaniah, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah to the Babylonian names of Belteshar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, respectively, each a name related to a Babylonian God. First on the name changes. While Nebuchadnezzar may have directed this, what he could not change was their heart condition. Even after the four left what was intended to be a simple God fearing culture to a decadent one of luxury while living in the king’s palace.

You know Babylon from a worldly standpoint was an amazing city. So much so that one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The with its remarkable feats of engineering, highlighted by an ascending series of tiered gardens containing a wide variety of trees and other plant life, was a tempting place of comfort and opulence for those that love the allure of the world, and this is no different than the places of Babylon which surround us today, which can also challenge us in being sacrificing saints. So we too need to be careful in this respect.

As to the nourishment the king sought to seduce them with, he obviously had no idea of the strength of their character to resist his buffet so as not to defile themselves. According to verse 8, and while this may not seem to be a big deal, it was the first recorded instance that we have of the foreign taking a stand for righteousness. Yes, the dietetic laws that God gave Israel may have been part of the reason why they resisted, but perhaps even more significant, the meat may have been sacrificed to false gods. So if this is true, we can see why they want to have no part of it.

Whether we find ourselves similarly situated remains to be seen. But if we do, Romans 14:23 is a good text to bear in mind. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it, for you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. Now perhaps the food issue might not seem to be a big deal by some, for the four had to be concerned about.

But as Luke 16:10 reminds us, he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. Perhaps whenever we are challenged by others to do anything contrary to God’s law, it might help if we remember the refrain to the hymn written by Philip Paul Bliss in 1873 dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose firm, dare to make it known. So, brethren, let that be in us for our next memorable story about Daniel. It relates to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2. Yes, we call it a dream, but to Nebuchadnezzar it was more of a nightmare that troubled him so much he sought the meaning of it from his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and despite their alleged superpowers, they were unable to do so because they were phony imposters, and hence he then wanted them and all the wise men in Babylon put to death including Daniel and his three companions.

Now, this would be another fiery experience for the four being subjected to a death decree, something that perhaps all of us have never experienced, but consistent with our title, remaining cool in the fire. Daniel, concerned but not panicky, calmly went to the king, asking for a bit of time so that he could interpret this dream for him. However, that did not stop Daniel from also urging his companions to plead to God for mercy concerning this mystery, so that they might not be executed. Sure enough, and by his grace, the mystery was revealed to Daniel during the night in the vision to which he praised God. For ultimately, Daniel was brought back to the king to let him know what?

To let him know that while no man, wise man, could possibly interpret the dream, there is a God who is the only one capable of revealing mysteries, and thus he was now prepared to share what the Heavenly Father disclosed to him. You know the account, but in short, there was a large image, the head of which was made of pure gold, representing the king, and its other body parts were made of other elements representing other kingdoms, which followed until ultimately a rock struck the image on its feet, causing it to be broken into pieces, only to be followed by the God of Heaven, setting up another kingdom that was never to be destroyed. Needless to say, the king was so overwhelmed in getting this interpretation that he fell prostrate before Daniel, paid him honor, offered him gifts, and placed him in the high position of ruler over the entire province of Babylon in the royal court with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, per Daniel’s request to the king to serve as administrators over the province of Babylon as well. Now we share this account not solely as a review, but in recognition of the fact that when we truly put all of our faith, trust and faith in God with prayer and supplication, even when, and in the case of Daniel and his three companions, death sentences were placed upon them for doing nothing wrong.

Regardless of outcome, all things work together for good for them that love God and called according to his purpose. We want to move ahead. Next episode comes from Daniel, chapter three, reminding us what it really means to stay cool in the heat of the moment, or should we say literally in the fire. After having interpreted the king’s dream that greatly troubled him, one would think that Nebuchadnezzar believed in the wisdom, might and power of our Heavenly Father to show reverence toward him. But no.

Out of pride he went from bad to worse. Let’s see how we put all of self and none of the into action through the reading of Daniel 3:1 and 2 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dur in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other providential provincial, excuse me, officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. Now, this was not merely an invitation to attend and thus giving the option to be there or not. No, it was a summons like one would receive to be in court at a fixed day in time.

No one was to have any excuses for not coming. We move on Verses four to six. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, nations and peoples of every language, and this is what you are commanded to do. As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down in worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace.

Now we would like to look at these verses from two standpoints. First, going back to the law that God gave to the Israelites in Exodus 20, verses 4 to 6 are the second commandment which tell us, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of them, of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generations of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. So absent the fear of being thrown into the fire to hence lose their lives for not bowing down to the king, the Babylonians were not a conflicted people because they were under no law to abide by it. However, in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, if they were to succumb to the pressure of not adhering to the edict to rather obey God, the seemingly net result would be an immediate cessation of life through the fiery furnace in Proverbs 19.

Much like most of the book itself, it was written by King Solomon and records a larger body of wisdom attributed to him. Specifically, Proverbs 19 explores various aspects of life, including the value of integrity over wealth, the consequences of foolishness, the importance of wisdom, and the impact of relationships. It emphasizes truth and warns against liars and false witnesses and encourages seeking advice and demonstrating discipline. Believing that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were familiar with Solomon’s writings, perhaps their decision making on how they should act in response to Nebuchadnezzar’s edict was strengthened upon reflecting upon Proverbs 19:16 which tells us whoever obeys the law preserves his life, but whoever despises the the Lord’s ways will be put to death. Therefore, and despite their dilemma, these three young Hebrew men had to be more concerned with despising the way of the Lord God than any punishment that could be meted out by the king.

And in keeping with the second commandment, they refused to bow down to the image of gold. Now we think there is still a second lesson on how we can make personal application to this heralded command for the people to fall down before the Image In Daniel 3, 46 when we look at typical Babylon, it reminds us of various so called civilized nations such as we find on this continent. While such nations like Canada and the U.S. may not officially define themselves as Christianity nations due to the laws which grant religious freedom, those that call themselves Christians are the largest religious groups in these countries we live in which thus may have many in our respective nations think that we are the kingdoms of Christ. Moreover, there are growing movements of Christian nationalism in our nations today that focus on promoting so called Christian views for its followers in order to achieve prominence in politics, culture and social life.

Therefore, as these movements continue to grow, one has to wonder if they picture the image of Go to assert power and control over the masses with retribution to follow if any fail to fall in line. Might this be a sign of our feeling compelled to to fall down and worship such images or symbolic beasts that might soon limit our ability to meet with the liberty we still possess? Might this be our test or trial as to who we will actually obey through our own fiery furnace experiences during this present time of trouble? During Daniel’s day, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold in Babylon. But will we worship its symbolic images?

Perhaps that is something for us to think about. Let’s move on with our review of Daniel 3. Reading verses 8 and 12 there are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O King, have not regarded thee. They serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up.

The King’s response Daniel 3:13 15 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I set up. Now if ye be ready that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sapa, sultry, and document all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made well but if you worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of the burning fiery furnace, and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? So let’s stop there.

The character superstructures of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was no different from Daniel. These three men preferred to die even the dreadful death. Had that been the Lord God’s will rather than to disobey him. However, seeing how their faith was rewarded by God in caring for them in an enemy land, they expressed to the king that their faith was in his ability to deliver them, should that be his will. Daniel 3:17 if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King.

These three remind us of what Jesus expressed of Nathaniel in John 1:47 behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not merely Israelites according to the flesh, but were, as we should be, Israelites indeed, pure in heart, motive, and without hypocrisy. As we know, Hebrews 11 identifies many of the heroes of faith by name, which please God. Now if we review this entire chapter, we will fail to find their names listed. However, there is a verse which we think fits their faith and hence makes them worthy of the blessing to be ancient worthies, that being Hebrews 11:33 34 who through faith quenched the violence of fires.

Thus we think that these three represent the new creature class that goes through its own furnace of affliction experiences. Yes, they were extremely remarkable, yet yet very mature young men insofar as their devotedness to God. Even the apostle Paul reminds us not to denigrate any insofar as not being capable of properly serving God solely based upon one’s formative years in writing to the Youthful Timothy in First Timothy 4:12, Paul writes, Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in love, spirit, faith, and purity. So with the king still in still full of fury and rage, because they would not bow down to the image, he commanded the three to be thrown into the furnace and even heated it seven more times than it typically would be. Rather than cower, the three accepted their sentence and remained cool during the fire of the moment because they trusted our heavenly Father, as we should through every experience, both pleasant and particularly bitter, according to the flesh.

Such reminds us of what Isaiah 43:2 tells us, when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, and this promise from Isaiah addressed to the people of Israel during a time of great hardship, and certainly applies to us as well. All are precious promises which we should try to keep in mind when we find ourselves similarly situated. Sure enough, after being thrown in the furnace, the king saw that neither the three nor their clothes were ignited to any degree, thus causing him to not only have them released, but giving perfunctory praise to God for having rescued them and promoting them to positions in his province. We would add that the fourth walking around unharmed in the furnace in verse 25 may very well represent our Lord’s presence with us while we go through our own fiery experiences.

Matthew 28:20 Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Before addressing our final fiery experience portion in Daniel 6, we want to briefly touch upon chapters 4 and 5. 5 In chapter 4, Daniel interprets another dream for Nebuchadnezzar, this this time involving a tree being cut down, which prophetically referred to a time that the king would be driven away from the people like an animal, eat grass like oxen, drenched in the dew from heaven, and remain in this condition for at least seven years before being given the opportunity to acknowledge the most High God is sovereign over all nations on earth, and this all started 12 months post this interpretation, along with the king growing feathers like an eagle and nails like a claw of a bird. However, after seven years the now contrite king was restored and finally praised, honored and glorified our Heavenly Father.

And Moving to Daniel 5, we see that now the now out of commission, Nebuchadnezzar was replaced from the throne by his son Belshazzar, who the account shows, gave a great banquet which included drinking of wine from the gold and silver goblets that his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, and we know what happened next, namely that the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote something on the wall which frightened Belshazzar, and ultimately Daniel was summoned once again, who interpreted the Aramaic writing, telling Belshazzar that because he too had not humbled himself by taking the goblets and praising the gods of silver, gold and bronze and so forth, God numbered the days of his reign and would bring it to an end by permitting it to be given to the Medes and Persians who killed them, and to close Daniel, chapter 5, verse 31 says, and Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about three score and two years. So for our final chapter.

Excuse me, character development lesson on Daniel. We want to go to Daniel chapter six concerning another story. You’re familiar with the account of the lion’s den. The structure of the administration is revealed in verses 1 to 3. It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satrips to to rule throughout the kingdom with three administrations over them, one of whom was Daniel.

The satrips were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satrips with his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Now the satrips was troubled over the way Daniel conducted government affairs, but could not find any fault in him, as verse four tells us, that he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. As such, they sought to devise a plot that would have to reflect Daniel’s untoward behavior against the law of God, and that plot was to tell Darius the Mede that he should issue an edict stating that anyone prays to another except him over the next 30 days they would be thrown in the the lion’s den.

And sure enough, Darius did sign the edict. So what a remarkable. What’s remarkable is what Daniel 6:10 tells us now. When Daniel learned of the decree that had been published, he went home to his upstairs room, where the windows opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

So while Daniel learned about this potential threat to entrap him, incredibly he neither quivered nor fought against communing with our Heavenly Father, but continued believing what we often say, faith can firmly trust him, come yet come what may. So yes, Daniel, despite facing the symbolic fires, once again remained cool. Because by this point it appeals to us that if God would not again deliver him after the experiences that both he and his three companions went through before, he was content in not worrying about tomorrow, but was comforted in recognizing that in God’s own due time, grant him a wonderful deliverance according to his will, and since there’s no surprise to the end of the account, Darius, who was greatly distressed over having been trapped to abide by the edict once he learned that Daniel continued to pray, had him put in the lion’s day. But at the break of day, Darius hurried back and there was a call out to Daniel in an anguished voice to find out if God was able to rescue him.

And to his utter relief and joy, Daniel respond, responded, acknowledging that God sent his angel to shut the lion’s mouths and did not hurt him. So we must ask why did Daniel and his companions have to endure all these threats? And we would conclude that as much as God appreciates faithfulness when under severe test of loyalty, most of which each of us may never go through of this sort as a lesson to us, he much more appreciates faithfulness in the smallest of things and and this is the greater lesson that should be a constant reminder to us, brethren, we are going on some 2,000 years since the death of Jesus, and the little flock class of 144,000 still has not been completed. We can only assume that among the top reasons for such is that the majority that have consecrated have not been rightly exercised by their faith. We know that Hebrews 11 tells us of all that obtain a good report through their faith.

And again, while Daniel is not specifically named, verse 33 reminds us of the faith of the various unnamed others, including those who by faith stop the mouths of lions, which we think that’s being referred to Daniel in this instance. How faithful are we brethren in showing our love and steadfastness for God at any cost, as we recognize that the full trial of our faith is a deciding factor in our worthiness.

Through the clear light of the gospel age harvest, we can identify the blessed reward of not just Daniel, but of the ancient worthies that will be appointed with what Psalms 45:16 tells us, during the soon coming kingdom, instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou make us mayest make princes in all the earth. So yes, that will be their earthly reward, as perfect men and women resurrected to be exalted with great honor, power and glory, and we find this to be our Heavenly Father’s purpose in permitting them to suffer mightily so that they will not be exalted, not only exalted in due time, but will be recognized throughout the globe through what Daniel 12:3 describes for us as well. So in conclusion, brethren, though Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, through them we see how God is able to make even disasters in our lives work out blessings for all that are truly loyal to him. As these four were blessed and prospered in enemy land, Let us not succumb to the pressure as the unbelieving nation did, for we can actually learn a lesson from their shortcomings, which Paul reminds us of in 1st Corinthians 10:13 there have no temptation taking you, but such as is common to man.

But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape escape that ye may be able to to bear it. Brethren, God is faithful. Let us do our part unto him too, using the Lord Jesus as our helper, and seeing that how he overcame God did not does not intend to crush out the new creation, but measures how much effort we put forth to resist the world, the flesh, and the adversary, and such faith also doesn’t mean that we won’t go through tribulation. But he knows how much we can stand recognizing that the heat up from the furnaces we face will never be so intense that the precious gold from our characters would ever be destroyed through a fiery trial.

For whatever we experience, let’s glory in it, because he will never leave nor forsake us as we do our part to remain close to our Father who art in heaven. Amen.

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