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God is faithful.

I like to listen to sermons. I was listening to a well known and well respected preacher the other day preach a sermon that focused on …

Pandora’s Box.

As he preached on this it occurred to me that life is so very finite, and so very precious. Time is fleeting. Pandora’s Box is a myth, a story of false gods and pagan teachings. Pandora’s Box teaches that the source of all evil in the world comes about because a woman opened a box she should not have opened. That is not the source of evil.

Evil comes about because we think that “Man is faithful”.

Man Is Not Faithful. God Is Faithful.

What caused the fall of mankind? Not the myth of Pandora’s Box, but humanity making itself to be God. God told Adam in

Genesis 2:17 … of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Only God has the right to define good and evil. Didn’t Jesus say “there is none good but one, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18). God knows what is best. God is faithful. The serpent came to Adam and Eve with a simple falsehood. The serpent said “God is NOT good, but man is good”. The serpent told Adam what he tells us today:

“Taking what God forbade is not going to kill you. God is NOT faithful, nor is He good. He is trying to hold you down, to keep you from becoming a god yourself.” (paraphrase of Genesis 3:4-5)

God is NOT good. God does NOT know best. When humanity bought into this apparent lie, all of creation fell fell under the weight of sin. Human history began with us telling God “We know what is best. YOU are NOT good. You are NOT faithful. We know better.” The Apostle summarized this fall by saying:

Romans 5:12 … by one man {Adam} sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

It was not a mythical box that a woman opened that caused death and destruction, sin and godlessness to reign over mankind. No. It is the concept that man knows best, that man is faithful, and that God is faithless. But God is not faithless. God is faithful. He cannot be otherwise. The Apostle said:

2 Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

The Bible tells us that humanity is headed toward a horrible time where man, not God, is worshiped. The devil will raise up a servant called merely the “Beast” or the “anti-Christ”. Humanity will worship this human leader, saying:

Revelation 13:4 … worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

All of those who worship the anti-Christ will be the ones who have rejected the faithfulness of God, and have instead believed in the faithfulness of man. “All that dwell on the earth shall worship the anti-Christ. Their names are NOT WRITTEN in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 13:8). Those who are unsaved by faith in Christ will worship the anti-Christ. To help facilitate worship of this false god, faithless humanity will be governed …

Revelation 13:16-17 … to receive a mark IN their right hand, or IN their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Some Bible scholars have often suggested that the “mark of the beast” would be a distinctive mark like a tattoo, or more recently a “Radio Frequency Identification” or “RFID chip”. The word translated “mark” is the Greek χάραγμα cháragma, (pronounced khar’-ag-mah), which literally means “a stamp, a thing carved”. Those who follow the “beast” are quite literally branded IN their right hands or IN their foreheads. If this is not literal but figurative language then it can refer to the works and the mentality of the lost world. God is faithful, but mankind is not. Since the beginning of humanity in Eden to our final fall at the end of days, the world that does not know Christ lives in darkness and in evil.

The Bible tells us that there is a battle going on. The Apostle said:

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

From Adam till now, and through now and until anti-Christ come, there will be daily battles between good and evil, right and wrong, the Word of God and the word of man.

But Beloved of God, never forget that our God is faithful.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the FAITHFUL God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations …

Psalms 36:5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy FAITHFULNESS reacheth unto the clouds.

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is FAITHFUL, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is FAITHFUL…

Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are FAITHFULNESS and truth.

Even as we go through this Coronavirus Pandemic we can declare with the Psalmist:

Psalms 119:75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that THOU IN FAITHFULNESS HAST AFFLICTED ME.

An Excellent Spirit Was in Daniel

Daniel was in Babylonian Captivity, the righteous with the unrighteous, yet he never doubted the faithfulness of God. We read:

Daniel 6:1-3 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

What gave Daniel the blessing of God? We are told it is because “an excellent Spirit was IN him”. I CAPITALIZED the word “Spirit” because I believe it is a reference not to the nature or soul of Daniel, but it is a reference to God the Holy Spirit inhabiting His saved Saints. A few weeks ago we studied the dream that King Nebuchadnezzar, and how Daniel was given the interpretation of that dream. In chapter 4 King Nebuchadnezzar said:

Daniel 4:8-9 … at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, 9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

King Nebuchadnezzar is speaking in Aramaic, and says that “in Daniel is רוּחַ rûwach, (pronounced roo’-akh) קַדִּישׁ qaddîysh, (pronounced kad-deesh’), אֱלָהּ ʼĕlâhh, (pronounced el-aw’). In Daniel is the Spirit of God. Though Nebuchadnezzar was not a saved man, he nonetheless noticed that Daniel was not working by himself. God is faithful. God does not leave His people. That great old warrior Joshua told Israel before he retired:

Joshua 1:9 … Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

God is faithful. God saves His people when they receive Him as He is. God has promised,

Hebrews 13:5-6 … I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

God saved us by the wondrous sacrifice of His Son on Calvary. Jesus Christ gave His life for us. The Bible promises that if we confess with our mouths Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the grave, we shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10). Our God is faithful. Our God keeps His Words. He stays with His people. Did not God tell Jacob, for Abraham’s sake:

Genesis 28:15 … I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Daniel entered Babylonian captivity as a slave, but his heart was on God our Savior. In Daniel chapter 1 Daniel trusted God for his sustenance. God provided. In Daniel chapter 2 Daniel trusted God for an interpretation of a dream. God is faithful. In Daniel chapter 3 Daniel’s friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo trusted God for preservation. God did not leave them. In Daniel chapter 4 Daniel had to give King Nebuchadnezzar some bad news. God came through, preserving and prospering His child by faith. In Daniel chapter 5 another King named Belshazzar defiled the things of God, and saw the handwriting on the wall. Daniel explained to King Belshazzar that his reign was at an end.

Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo outlasted every enemy that came his way. Why? Because they kept their eyes on God. Because they heeded the Holy Spirit Who indwelt them.

Daniel 6:3 … Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent Spirit was in him; and the king {Darius} thought to set him over the whole realm.

An “excellent Spirit” was in Daniel. Not a “common” or “ordinary” Spirit, but an “EXCELLENT Spirit”. When pagan kings looked at Daniel they did not see Daniel, but this “excellent Spirit”. Nebuchadnezzar saw in Daniel (4:18) “the Spirit of the Holy God” (Daniel 4:18). Belshazzar’s wife testified of Daniel, the “man in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God” (Daniel 5:11-12). If you are a child of God by faith in Christ this same God the Holy Spirit lives inside of Y-O-U! The Apostle Paul said:

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The Holy Spirit of God inhabits the people of God. “The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). What has God promised?

Galatians 4:6 … And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

God is with you, Christian. God is in you, Daniel. The Spirit of the anti-Christ is not in you, nor is the spirit of this age.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 19-20 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. … 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Daniel is bought with a price. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Daniel believed on the Coming Messiah, we believe in the Messiah Who has already come. Both we, and Daniel are saved by faith. We who are God’s are indwelt of God’s Excellent Spirit.

Though All The World Hate You, God Is Faithful

King Darius would put Daniel in charge of all the Kingdom of Medo-Persia. Would you be blessed? Would you have sustenance while others do not? Would you be at peace? Would you be cared for? Then you must remember what Jesus told us:

Matthew 6:33 … But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Put God first, and He will meet your needs. Compromise with the godless and find God far away. Seek His Kingdom. Love God first. Love God! God is closer to you that any kin. Did not Jesus say:

Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

To follow the Lord comes at a cost. You will be misunderstood – yes, even hated by those closest to you when you put the Lord first. But you MUST put God first, for God put YOU first. When you put God first then you will exhibit the Excellent Spirit of God in you. God will shined through you. But the lost, the dark world, the gods and goddesses of this false life will hate you.

Daniel 6:4-5 … Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

The darkness looks to the Christian to see if there is hypocrisy, self righteousness, or any shade of gray in us. Jesus said:

John 16:33 In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

God is faithful. Be faithful, Daniel. Daniel was faithful, even though it was not in vogue to do so. The world will hate you, Christian. Expect it. Expect it. Jesus said:

John 15:18 … If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Marvel not, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you (1 John 3:13). If it hated Jesus it will hate you. The world hates Daniel. It looks for fault in Daniel. “Ah”, says the world, “we can find fault in Daniel through his faith”. But Daniel was faithful. So the world set a trap.

Daniel 6:6-9 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counselors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

For thirty days King Darius was to be honored as a god in the land of Medo-Persia. No one is to be prayed to but Darius. What arrogance this is! Yet is this not so much like our world today? In America today we give the state the power of god. We slowly give ground, normalizing sin and things that God has said is an abomination, in order to placate the darkness. How could Daniel handle this? Look at our text:

Daniel 6:10-11 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

Daniel knew that the majority got this bill signed into Law.

Daniel knew that the Law would have to run its course 3o days.

Daniel knew that his relationship with God was mocked by others.

Daniel knew that he could lose his life if he kept following God.

Daniel kept his eyes on God. Some of you are so frightened of the Coronavirus that you are willing for the government to take on the power of a god. You are willing to let Uncle Sam become greater than Jesus Christ. If your faith is on anything or anyone outside of God, then you are playing a foolish game. I am not God. You are not God. The government is not God. Neither the Governor nor our President is God. Only God is God. And God is faithful!

Daniel kept serving the Lord just as he did before the decree was passed. He did not hide his faith, but opened the window and let others see him praying. The darkness saw this, and went to King Darius.

Daniel 6:13 … That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

These men did not stumble upon Daniel praying. They were watching him – and now they had him! The Bible says:

Daniel 6:14 Then the king (Darius), when he heard these words, was SORE DISPLEASED WITH HIMSELF, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

King Darius realized that he had allowed his pride to set a trap for one of his most faithful advisers. Darius tried his best to avoid punishing Daniel, but to no avail. As King, Darius was obligated to maintain the laws of his Kingdom. So Daniel was trapped.

But God Is Faithful!

Daniel 6:16 … 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.

King Darius was not a believer in Daniel’s God (for he said “THY God will deliver thee”, not “OUR God will deliver thee”. Nonetheless Darius had seen Daniel’s devotion to our God. Throughout this entire ordeal up to this moment Daniel did not speak a word.

Daniel did not plead for leniency.
Daniel did not excuse his behavior.
Daniel did not rebuke the darkness.
Daniel just kept his eyes on the light of God.

Daniel 6:18-20 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and 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?

For the first time Daniel speaks.

Daniel 6:22-23 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that 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 for him, 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 believed in his God.

The world watches the Children of God. What testimony does it see in us? Does it see hypocrisy, or love for God? Do we appear to be as fearful as the lost, or are our eyes on God. Daniel’s eyes were on God. The chapter ends with these wonderful words:

Daniel 6:25-28 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast {faithful} for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. 27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. 28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Our God is faithful. Our God is in control. Let us follow Him boldly, knowing that He is true to His people. May God touch your hearts and minds with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen!