Reflection on Daniel 6:14-28

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Scripture

Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

Observation

The king tries to find a way to circumvent his own law in order to save Daniel, but he cannot At the demands of the officials, Daniel is thrown into the lions’ den and the entry is sealed.

The king spends an anxious night before going to the lions den and calling to Daniel. Daniel responds that the Lord sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths, The king orders Daniel to be lifted from the den.

The man who had maliciously accused Daniel, along with their wives and children, are thrown into the lions den where they are instantly torn apart by the lions.

King Darius then sends a message throughout the kingdom ordering all the people to fear the Lord.

Application

Daniel was greatly blessed by the Lord because of his faithfulness to God.

Despite being at the mercy of a number of lions, Daniel emerged without even a scratch, because he trusted the Lord.

Earlier, in the book of Daniel, his three friends were thrown into a furnace because they refused to bow down to a statue. Their response was, “Our God is able to save us, but even if he doesn’t, we will never bow down to a statue.

Daniel’s attitude was the same. He knew that God could save him but even if God did not intervene, he would remain faithful.

From the earliest days of the church, followers of Christ have been tortured and killed for their faith, sometimes literally thrown to the lions like Daniel was. This continues today in many parts of the world. We must not assume that these people are less in faith or stature than Daniel. They are to be honoured for their courage in suffering.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to be faithful in times of suffering for the name of Jesus. Amen.

Reflection on Daniel 6:1-13

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Scripture

“That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”

Observation

King Darius decides to divide his empire into 120 provinces and he appoints a high officer to rule over each one. To rule over these officers and to protect the king’s interests, he appoints Daniel and two others. Because Daniel rules with great ability, King Darius, plans to place him over the entire empire.

The high officers and other administrators concoct a plan. They go to the king and ask him to sign a law that for the next 30 days, nobody is to pray to anyone other than the king under penalty of being thrown to the lions.

Daniel, however, continues his practice of praying in front of his windows in an upstairs room. The officials then go to the king with the accusation that Daniel has broken the law.

Application

Jealousy is a terrible sin. It is a form of coveting in that we think we should be entitled to get the same treatment as another person. The officials were jealous of Daniel because of his favour with the king, and so they plotted to get rid of him unjustly.

People can be jealous of all kinds of things- money, careers, a promotion at work, a spouse of a friend, a family, and much more.

When we see somebody with a lifestyle, or a thing that we wish we could have, do we rejoice that they are blessed? Or do we get angry that we don’t have it ourselves?

Being jealous of others, can release all kinds of negative spiritual power. It can result in soulish prayers or curses giving satan authority to harm the person we are jealous of.

It should go without saying that jealousy should have no part in any Christian’s life.

Prayer

Lord, examine my heart and see if there is any jealousy or envy in my heart. Amen.

Tasmania Day 11

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We got up this morning with no other plan than to wander around the city. Then we came across the Red Explorer bus, and sitting on a bus tour seemed more appealing than walking. This is one of those buses where you can hop off at any point and then hop on the next bus. We just stayed with this one, though. We saw sights such as the Cascade Brewery, the Female Factory and the Wharf. Well worth the money.

All over the country people took part in the March for Australia today. Hobart’s was in Salamanca Place just down the road from our hotel. The lefties, of course, organised a counter protest, hoping to provoke violence, and it was also just down the road from the hotel.

After the speeches and songs, they moved on to do the actual marching, which (surprise, surprise) took them towards the counter-protest, as they headed towards Parliament House.

We heard part of the speeches at the counter-protest. It was the usual leftist talking points about “fascism”, the evil landlords and capitalists and supporting the workers, all delivered in a private school/ university accent. Meanwhile the real workers were the ones carrying the flags at the March for Australia. That disconnect is what is driving the marches.

After the excitement died down, all the marchers dispersed, and after we had a nap, we went to a different park for a short walk before it got too cold. In the soft cool climate grass there are masses of alpine daisies.

Our Tassie holiday has come to an end. We fly out of Hobart at 11.35 tomorrow morning, arriving at Sydney about 1.35. From there we leave about 3.30, arriving in Tamworth about 4.30. Then it’s just a short 2 hour drive home.