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THE KING’S BUSINESS
these words, was sore displeased with him self (omit, with himself), and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him : and he labored to the going down of the sun to deliver (rescue) him." Well might the king be sore displeased with himself. In his impious pride he had walked into a trap. By his folly he seemed about to lose his wisest and most trusted counsellor. Any man who puts himself in the place of God, as Nebuchadnezzar had put himself, will have occasion to be displeased with himself before he gets through, and many a man today is putting himself in the place of God. The king tried hard to extricate him self from the snare which he had set for his own feet, but all in vain: king though he was, he was subject to his own laws. Though the king labored to the going down of the sun to get out of the trap that had been set for him, and that he in reality set for himself, he could find no way to deliver Daniel. But God will find a way without any difficulty: what utterly baffles human kings presents no problem at all to God. vs. 15-17. “Then these men assembled (add, together) unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is (it is a law of the Medes and Persians), That (that) no decree (interdict) nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and sdid unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually shall deliver thee. 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 the pur pose might no t, (that nothing might) be changed concerning Daniel." Thé king sought hard to find some way out of his predicament, but could not. The enemies of Daniel pressed him hard, and they had the law on their side. At last the king yielded and they “brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions.” The fear of men kept Darius back from doing what
was in fellowship with the saints of all ages (Ps. 55:17; Acts 2:1, 2, 15; 3:1; 10:9). Daniel’s prayer was accompanied with thanksgiving to God. In asking God for new blessings we should always be care ful to return thanks for blessings already received (Phil. 4:6; 1 Th'ess. 5:17, 18). Those who forget to return thanks when they pray need not expect their prayers to reach the ear of God. vs. 11-13. “Then these men assembled (add, together ) and found Daniel praying and making (making petition and) sup plication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree (interdict); Hast thou not signed a decree (interdict), that every man that shall ask a (make) petition of any God (god) or man within thirty days, save of (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. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree (interdict) that thou hast signed, but maketh his petitions ,three times a day." Daniel’s godless enemies were watching for every opportunity. When they saw Daniel praying three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem they thought they had found it, but it only proved an oppor tunity for God to display his power and grace, and resulted in Daniel’s promotion and not in his ruin. They found Daniel in intense earnestness in prayer, “praying and making supplication” (cf. Eph. 6:18). They would have done well to have listened to the prayer instead of hurrying to the king. In trying to blast Daniel they bore testimony to all ages to his devotion. They had laid their plans Well, but they too had left God out of account in their plans and so their well laid plans were all aglee. No matter how cunningly and shrewdly we lay our plans, if we do not take God into account, our plans will come to nothing, v. 14. "Then the king, when he heard
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