Horatio Spafford, the writer of the hymn, “It is well with my soul.” In 1873 he waved goodbye to his wife, Anna, and their four children as they were bound for France aboard the ocean liner, Ville du Havre. Spafford had some business affairs in the United States to tend to before he could join his family in Europe. The trip went along smoothly until sometime in the middle of the
night on November 22 the ship was rammed broadside by another vessel. The rushing waters separated Mrs. Spafford from the three oldest children. She still clutched her youngest child, Tannetta, as they were swept into the cold Atlantic. Suddenly, the child was torn from her grasp. Mrs. Spafford was later pulled unconscious from the water by sailors from the other vessel. All four children drowned. A few days later, Horatio received a telegram saying that only his wife survived. Suffering with grief he boarded a ship to meet his wife in Europe. At a certain point in the voyage, the captain announced that they were passing the site of the wreck. Spafford went to his cabin and wrote the following poem.
When peace live a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrow like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should
come, Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin—O the bliss of this glorious thought—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
"Even so," it is well with my soul.[1]
As we find ourselves looking at with Daniel today. Daniel the wise man of Babylon. A man faithful to God in every part of his life who knew taking the time to pray was a key and who was not exempt from the struggles, challenges troubles of life. Today we see in Daniel’s life how God comforts us in the face of hardship even when others plot to do us harm. As we read in verse 4
4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."
Throughout the life of Daniel he is the faithful exile who continues to rise to the top. Daniel is now an old man again, in a position of power and responsibility. He had moved up through the ranks of the Babylonia civil service, being made a sage under King Nebuchadnezzar and promoted to chief of the magicians, enchanters astrologers and diviners of Babylon. Now under Darius the Mede there was one more step to go. Darius wanted to decentralize the government (the machinery of government was too unwieldy for this vast empire to be ruled by just by one man). Daniel was made premier over the kingdom, one of 3 administrators, he was unimpeachable. He did everything without corruption or nepotism, he neither sort favour nor reward. Do you think he was thanked for that? We are not surprised to see the resentment against him hadn’t subsided either, as the years had passed
Daniel and his friends had lived through many attempts to take their lives. Remember he fiery furnace, the murderous plots, being the messenger of the madness about to overtake a King, along with the invasion about to sweep against Babylon. Daniel lived continually with threats without and threats within. Just as with us, we might know how hard it is to let go when someone hurts us; or how easy it is to carry a grudge even years after the event. Daniels’ colleagues try to uncover the dirt on him, they want to bring him down. The trouble is they will find out that God is in control. Daniel’s enemies think they have found his greatest weakness, we all know it’s his greatest strength. So the officials say to Darius verses 6-9
6 So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. 8 Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered--in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
The proposal was obvious, appeal to the King’s vanity. This was especially for a king keen to keep a tight grip over an empire, that was too vast to rule over, just by himself. This was another test of loyalty. For Daniel the edict was an impossible situation, if he stopped praying to God he would simply be betraying everything he believed in. So on hearing the news what does Daniel do? He goes up to his room and he prays, as it was his custom to pray 3 times a day. The windows left open, and on his knees before God he entrusts himself to God’s will, as he had done so many times in the years that had passed. For Daniel it’s business as usual. For those set out their scheme to remove Daniel the trap is sprung on Darius, verse 11-12
11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?"
Even though the king Darius is aware of their plot, he is powerless to do anything about it. His punishment must be carried out. It is a cause for dismay, so Darius meets Daniel with a sense of admiration. This would be punishment by trial, a den filled with hungry lioness’. As t’s the lionesses who do the hunting and eating in the pack, only these ones were waiting for their supper to arrive. With Daniel lowered in, a stone’s rolled over the top and sealed, the King can only hope. "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" The King returning to the palace his appetites gone. Darius just can’t get out of his mind how he has just sealed Daniels fate. This is where we are challenged by how deep our faith goes. Like do you ever find yourself surprised by suffering? How sufferers tend to feel alone and isolated. How easy it is to think that God is very far from us. As someone put it like this
“…See how God penetrates this isolation and prods us to put our painful experiences into speech. Not just any speech, of course. Not faithless bitterness. Not pagan laments in a world that is meaningless. God encourages us to direct our speech to Himself.”[2] As Romans 8:28-29, reminds us
“For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.”
There is no greater way that God can show us His love for us. As Jesus said following him is a call to put God above all else. Jesus calls us to radical obedience Luke 14:26-27
26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Daniel was seeking to be faithful to God, it didn’t stop him being tested. He knew he needed to be prayerful. So with the break of the dawn the king rushes down to the den to hear if Daniel has survived the night. What he soon learns is that Daniel’s had a better night than he has, as he shouts out "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" Daniel shouts back that God had sent an angel to shut the lions mouths. God had spared Daniel’s life yet again in a dramatic way. God had vindicated his servant
having declared him innocent of the charges falsely brought against him. As for these plotters, their schemes come at a high price with condemning them and their families to their deaths. As someone once said, Daniel would rather be eaten by lions than stop praying to God[3] This is the decree Darius sent throughout the empire
26 "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."
Daniel urges us to endure. To be obedient to who we are as disciples of Christ
No matter the cost. Looking to him to be the one who vindicates us.
Let’s pray…
David Hassan @ Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 15-10-17
[1] Ed Welsch “Exalting pain? Ignoring Pain? What do we do with suffering” The Journal of Biblical Counseling • Volume XII • Number 3 • Spring 1994 p.16
[2] Ed Welsch “Exalting pain? Ignoring Pain? What do we do with suffering” The Journal of Biblical Counseling • Volume XII • Number 3 • Spring 1994 p.9.
[3] Tremper Longman III NIVAC Daniel p 167