“No Decree nor Statute may be Changed”....the Wayfarer 4/26/14

“No Decree nor Statute may be Changed”
4/26/14

“Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, o king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.”

(Daniel 6:15)

The laws and teachings of mankind as in opposition to the laws and teachings of God is quite often the subject of many of my dissertations. Today is no different, and once again it is pertinent that we revisit that old prophet Daniel, and what was probably his most famous experience spoken of to those few still growing up to hear the histories found in the Old testament Scriptures.

American comedian, and humorist, Andy Griffith once told this story as a portion of his stand-up comedy routine. Naturally this was long before the days when stand-up comedy necessitated the use of vulgarity, hedonism and sexually explicit material, and a general rant that had to include perversion to be popular around the circuit now dedicated to all things anti-morality, anti-ethical and antichristian.

The tag line, or laugh line at the end of the joke Andy told, was and is, still, a good lesson to be learned, far deeper than the joke that was told.

It went something along the lines of: “when Ol’ Daniel came out of that den of lions safely they wondered how he managed not to get eaten up. What them boys forgot was that Daniel was a good man. Everybody, even them lions knowed you can’t keep a good man down.”

Daniel was indeed a good man, not to be kept down by any one, or anything, that would deny his God, or in any way separate his people from God.

 Although this is the most known story concerning this particular leader of the Jewish people, there is a good bit more to this history, a much deeper lesson to be learned from this single chapter  that so defined that old prophet.

To glean any intelligent points of edification, one must first understand how Daniel managed to find himself in that lion’s den to begin with.

This came about because of his unique abilities that were far above and better than others within the kingdom that had been given governance over both that nation and over its riches.

Darius, the king, chose to set Daniel over all those to whom he had given charge of the affairs of his kingdom.

This created harsh feelings and jealousy among those who hated Daniel, first because of the fact that he was a foreigner, not of the same people he was given charge over, and secondly because he was better at the job than they were!

After searching for any reason whatsoever to find fault and get him removed from authority, these princes and presidents that were established saw that there could be no way to trap him without using his worship, (also foreign and hated among them) against him, and tricked the king into making a decree that they knew Daniel would have no choice but to violate in order to continue that worship.

Their craftiness and subversion led to the arrest, incarceration and eventual judgment that Daniel would be given to the lions.

Daniel survived that judgment, having no harm done to him, which in turn led to those who forced this judgment on the king facing the same judgment and worse, with no mercy to be shown as the lions devoured both them and their families.

“OK preacher, what is your point?  It is a good story, but what has it got to do with me?”

On examination, what Daniel was imprisoned for, and the attempt made to kill him for, was simply his faith.

Laws were passed, set in motion by those with the motive of no less than the destruction of this man of faith, and his faith as well, having gone unrecognized for what they were because of the way in which they were cloaked to make them pleasant and palatable to the king, and even to the people he ruled.

The defiance of that law was not only his right, but his duty, when that law, or any other, would have diminished or in any way negated that faith that defined and still defines God’s people, particularly the leaders of that people.

Just as Darius, was eventually forced to once more recognize the power of God, and proclaim it to all, so too must those now in power, who are in denial of God, and willingly, intentionally pass laws to persecute those of faith and attempt to eliminate that faith eventually acknowledge both him and that very power they deny.

Just as the comedian gave voice to the fact that Daniel was a good man, and that a good man can’t be kept down, The word of God cannot and will not be kept down, cannot be destroyed, and the faith of God’s people will continue beyond the temporary interdiction of those who would have us forget both creator and judge, as do they themselves, damning themselves to the fate reserved for them by the God they deny.

No new laws can replace nor ever deny the laws given by God himself, no matter how many men would wish it so, or attempt to make it so.

Jesus fulfilled mosaic law so that we have a new covenant with God, a direct approach to God, a means of redress for wrongs, both by us and on us by others, provided the faith is given in that very covenant now given us.

Just as Daniel was cast into the lion’s den and survived,  just as Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego were thrown into a furnace and survived, there is nothing that cannot be endured through faith in God and His Son.

It is now the duty of those who come long after Daniel to give evidence of that same faith he gave, in the same way that he gave evidence.

No power, no principality, no force of mankind can deny faith. Faith if real will endure in contravention and defiance of all attempts to quash it.

I close in prayer for that faith to exist in the hearts and souls of those calling themselves Christian, and to be evidenced in the way their lives are led, and in the ways they teach others to live each day.

I remain that same simple sinner saved by grace through faith in my God and His Son acknowledging  no law that would stand in denial of them, nor any that stands in contravention to those teachings given me by them through the scriptures.

I remain also that soldier, still standing on that bloody battlefield, in full knowledge of the defeat that awaits the enemies of my Lord, defending the same things Daniel defended by continuing to practice his faith in defiance of any who would have taken it from him.

2 Timothy 1:12-14 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

¹³ Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

Amen and Amen. 

the Wayfarer