Daniel Chapter 6

Brethren, we want to turn our attention today to Daniel 6. We're going to continue on in the series in the book of Daniel. As we finish today, going through Daniel 6, we'll have completed the first half of the book. As I've commented to you in the past, the first half of the book, the first six chapters, are fairly heavy with Christian living material. Today is no exception. There are some comments and some reflections I want to go through after I've actually gone through the chapter. We've spent a long time going through the chapter since we kind of covered some of it last time I was here. But one of the things that, as I was reflecting upon what we see in Daniel 6, is the tremendous power, the tremendous power, that a yielded believer in God has. Notice I said a yielded believer in God has. And certainly Daniel was such a man. Now, after today, the next time we get together and we talk about the book of Daniel, we're going to skip chapter 7. I covered chapter 7 in large measure when we went through chapter 2. Chapter 2 and chapter 7 are kindred spirits in terms of what is written in both of those two chapters, the subject matter. So we'll go right to chapter 8. Next time I'm here, we'll talk about characteristics of the Antichrist and what we need to be looking for. Today, Mr. Gillespie was talking about things we need to be looking for. Certainly, in prophecy, that is one of the things we need to pay attention about. So let's turn over to Daniel chapter 6.

And we will start our discussion.

Daniel chapter 6, starting here in verse 1, it pleased Arias to set over the kingdom 120 satraps to be where the whole kingdom and over these three governors, of whom Daniel was one, and that the satraps might give account to them, so the king would suffer no loss. So obviously, the kingdom has just now come under the rulership of the Persians. They want things to go well. They want things to be prosperous in the kingdom. And so they appoint people to take care of the kingdom's business in this part of the kingdom in the Babylonian Empire area, the former Babylonian Empire area. And of course, Daniel was key.

He was one, as we said before, that saw his own nation go into captivity. He came into Babylon and thrived. Now he's seen Babylon come and go, and he's going to thrive in Persia. That's not a mistake. That's not a matter of just good timing or circumstance. What we have in Daniel is a man who's yielded to God. And as he's yielded to God, God has given him tremendous insight, wisdom, and if we could use the word, power. And of course, that power comes from God himself. Verse 3, then as Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king gave thought that said to him over the whole realm.

So in other words, what we're looking at here is, here's a man who has tremendous talent and ability. Let's take a look at chapter 1 for a moment. Let's go back to chapter 1. Book of Daniel. Let's take a look at Daniel as a young man. Now in chapter 6, Daniel is an older man.

He's in his 80s. Let's take a look at him when he may be as young as 15, probably no more than 20. Daniel chapter 1 verse 3. Then the king instructed Ashmanaz, the master of the eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles. Now we don't know where Daniel fits into all of that, but he's somewhere in there, may have royal blood coursing through his veins. And obviously, he was able to learn the laws and the statutes and the judgments of God.

He was able to have a tremendous education to that point. So he's an educated young man. Verse 4. Young men in whom there was no blemish, good-looking, gifted in all wisdom. Who gave him that? God did. Gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand. He was a very bright individual who had ability to serve in the king's palace and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Caledaeans. So here's a young man who had a lot of advantages but also took advantage of those advantages.

Here is a young man that God gave natural ability but also the use of a spirit because he saw something in Daniel. We go back now to chapter 6, verse 3. He's got this excellent spirit, the spirit of the living God, that enhances all the natural talents and abilities. Because of that, he was able to thrive in this new setting in Persia, thinking about even making him prime minister in that area. So we move forward in the story. Verse 4. The governors in the satrap sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or fault because he was faithful.

Not only was he faithful to the Persian government, more importantly, he was faithful to God. He was a yielded believer. They could find no fault in him because he was faithful, nor was there any error found in him. He was a man who was, he had character. He was an upstanding individual. He lived by the precepts of God. Verse 5. Then he's been said, we shall not find any charge against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God. So again, we see where his strength, where his power is coming from because he is a yielded believer in the great God.

So these governors, verse 6, and satraps, throng before the king, and said, thus to him, King Darius, live forever, long live the king. In all the governors of the kingdom, the administrators of satraps have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree that Hoover petitions any god or man for 30 days. And please notice, this was not to last forever. This was a short petition, a law that was only going to last for a short time. That whosoever petitions any god or man for 30 days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

So in one sense, I think they're writing this off, these people, these governors, and all these administrators. They're writing this off, and they're coming before the king and saying, look, we've just established, we've just conquered Babylon. We need to make sure there's loyalty here in the empire. We want things to go well. And so let's have kind of a loyalty oath here. We want to make sure they're loyal to you. Now we're only going to do this for 30 days. After 30 days, we'll let people go back to whatever they were doing before.

But for 30 days, this is what we think should be done. Matter of loyalty, matter of fealty. Verse 8, Now a king established the decree and signed the writing, so that it cannot be changed according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which does not alter. Therefore, King Darius signed the written decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home and in his upper room with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom sense the early days.

So here we see that this is a man that from a time of his youth, his early days, was a yielded believer to the great God. And he didn't change anything here. He was used to praying. He was going to continue to pray. Some scholars believe the reason he was praying three times a day was because before he was taken captive in the nation of Judah, they had the morning and the evening sacrifices. So he may well have been praying in the morning and evening.

Anyway, he adds the center portion of the day because he saw where David prayed three times a day. And so here we've got this discussion here going on about this young man. And he's going to be, you know, God could allow his nation to go into captivity. Daniel thrived because he was at one with God. He was not about to find himself buckling under the pressure here from this new empire. He was going to be loyal to the great God. Loyal, faithful, committed.

I think a secondary reason Daniel may have been doing this, brethren. He was not the only one that was taken captive and now in Persia. He may well have felt a responsibility as a man of God to the other people of God who were taken captive. The other people from Judah that were taken captive.

Verse 11. Then he's been assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. And they went before the king and spoke concerning the king's decree. Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any God or man within thirty days except you, a king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, this thing is true according to the law of the Medes and Persians which does not alter. So they answered and said before the king, that Daniel, who was one of the captives from Judah, that Jew, little anti-Semitism there, does not show due regard to you, O king. Now, brethren, could it be that these fellows were jealous? Could there be a little office backstabbing here? Does that happen where you work? Does it not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree which you have signed but makes his petition three times a day? And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself. You don't get to this level of government by not knowing people. Now, people act, and he realized he had been duped, and he was upset with himself for being duped. And he said his heart on Daniel to deliver him. And he labored to the going down to the sun to deliver him. Is there any way? Is there any legal precedent for us to use to get this man away from what they're trying to do? To secure his safety? Is there any way? You know something, brethren? I don't think it was just because Daniel was a valued advisor. I don't think it's just because he was a valued administrator. I think this king really enjoyed friendship with Daniel. He saw this was a man of standing. This is a man of substance. This is a man that he, you know, the king may not have been able to even put it into words, but there was something about Daniel that really got his attention, and he admired him. Verse 15. Then these men approached the king and said to the king, Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed. So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, Your God, whom you serve continually, he will deliver you. Your God, who you serve continually, he will deliver you. The king wanted to do it. He couldn't do it. And I think there's a lesson for us. We, as men, we, as women, we may want to be able to do certain things, but we've got our limitations. God doesn't have any limitations. Daniel will be delivered, but he will be delivered not by the hand of man. He'll be delivered by the hand of God. Brethren, are you going through something in your life right now where you need deliverance? Are you a yielded believer? How yielded are we? 50%, 90%, 95%? Only you or I can answer that in our own hearts and minds. But again, I think this is a touching moment here where the king goes to Daniel, looking to him face to face, and says, Your God, who you serve continually, I will add as a yielded believer, He will deliver you. Then a stone was brought and laid in the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

Now, I don't know when the last time you were at a zoo and you saw a lion. I did a little bit of research this morning, every morning. One of the nice things about having afternoon services, it gives me a chance to review my notes. I was reviewing my notes and thought, put myself in Daniel's situation, what would be like to be thrown in there with a bunch of hungry lions? Male lions can grow to be 500 pounds. They'll stand four foot high at the shoulder, seven feet long, agile creatures. They're not known for running long distances, but in short bursts, they've been clocked at over 80 miles an hour. They're fast. You wouldn't think that from an animal that large. They're fast. Their claws are retractable so that when they're walking on the ground, they can walk stealthily. They walk quietly. But then when those things come out, they're like razor blades. And they're as long as my, the claws are as long as my index finger. Three inches from the tip of my finger to where my finger joins my hand. Three inches. Little steak knives coming out, you know, at will. Teeth. Add an inch onto that. Four inch long steak knives, those canines that can rip into a portion of anything and just tear it to shreds. And when a lion bites down, he bites down with 1,000 pounds of pressure, half a ton.

Daniel's thrown into a pit with these guys. He probably used them as pillows. You know, they didn't hurt him. Lions don't purr. One of the big cats does. I forget now which one is, but it's not the lion. They do roar, and their roar is going to be hurt for five miles.

But he's thrown into that lion's den, and nothing happens. Because he is a yielded believer in God, and God is intervening on his behalf. Verse 18. Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. Again, this is much more than the king looking at Daniel and saying, he's good business. There's a real feeling from this king to Daniel here because of who he is.

And who he is is a man of God. His light is shining. And the king sees that. The king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No musicians were brought before him.

Also, his sleep went from him. Then the king rose very early in the morning. He was concerned about Daniel and went in haste to the den of lions. When he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice. Notice the phraseology, with a lamenting voice. My margin says, a grieved voice. He cared about this man. The king spoke saying to Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to deliver you from the lions? Notice the way the king phrased that. Then Daniel said to the king, and notice Daniel's immediate response here. I'm alive!

No, he says, long live the king. Long live the king. My God sent his angel and shut the lion's mouth so that they have not hurt me because I was found innocent before him, and also a king I have done no wrong before you, innocent before God and man along these lines.

Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury was found on him because he believed in his God. He was a yielded believer in the great God. And the king gave command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel and cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives. Back in these days, in a lot of empires, you know, if you watched the movie Godfather, of course, no one here watched that but me.

You can't blame an Italian for watching the Godfather. But, you know, you want to get rid of all of your enemies. And that means getting rid of their family so they don't want revenge later. You do that. And this may be what's taking place here. So these people, the instigators, their families, are thrown into this den.

It says, And the lions overpowered them. Each one weighed maybe 500 pounds, you know, with the teeth, with the claws, and broke all their bones and pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den. Ouch! This is what happens when you are not a believer in a great God and you seek to hurt the people of the great God. Then Darius wrote, To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell on all the earth. Now, we saw something like this before, didn't we?

Nebuchadnezzar wrote something like this, the great Babylonian king. Now you've got the great Persian king, giving glory to the great God. Why? Because of a yielded believer. To all peoples, this is an Egypt that goes out to the whole empire, to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell on all the earth, peace be multiplied to you. I make it decree that in every dominion of my kingdom, men must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel.

For he is the living God, and steadfast forever. His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed. His domain shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues. He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions? So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Tyros, the Persian.

So here we see a tremendous story, the story that you and I heard when we were just kids. Daniel and the lions, then. But I want to reflect a little bit on what I see here. You may see other things.

I'm sure that there are many layers of understanding here, many layers of truth, in terms of how we can look at this from different angles, different perspectives. But there are a couple of overarching principles I see here that I want to reflect on and discuss with you. Number one, any power we exercise comes from God and flows through the believer.

Any power we exercise comes from God and flows through the believer. And, brethren, this is a humbling, not an exalting experience. If God gives any of us power, we should be humbled at the fact that He has seen fit to give us any power at all. We must have the proper orientation. Daniel had it. We must have the proper spiritual bearings. Daniel had it. We must realize we are nothing. I'm going to read a few verses here. You don't need to turn to these. In Isaiah 40, verse 15, I'll read this for you. Isaiah 40, 15, Behold, the nations are as a drop in the bucket, and are accounted as a small dust of the balances. If that is true of the nations, what about you and I as individuals? If the nations are as a drop in a bucket.

Before this was written in the book of Hebrews, it was written in Psalm 8 by David. Psalm 8, verse 4. What is man that you are mindful of him, and the Son of man that you visit him? What is man? What are nations? They are nothing before the great God. What is man? Nothing before the great God. So any power we exercise as a believer, as a yielded believer, comes from God and flows through us because God is using us as a tool. And as you see God using you as a tool, let us not be exalted, let us be humbled by what God is doing in our lives. Humility here is a great key. I'm going to turn to another one here. Acts 17, verse 28. Acts 17, verse 28, where it says, For in him we live and move and have our being. In him we live and move and have our being. Let's take a look at, let's go back to Daniel chapter 1 again. I read some of the verses I didn't read some of the others. Daniel chapter 1.

Daniel chapter 1, verse 8. Remember, this is a very young man at this point. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now we can read through that so quickly, but remember, brethren, where we're at here, his nation has just been conquered. Thousands upon thousands of people have been murdered, other thousands taken captive. And here he is standing up in defiance of what the king would like to have. He may be only 15 years old. But notice verse 9. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. That power was coming from God, and it was going to flow through Daniel to do the various things that was in God's will for him. Verse 17. Verse 17, chapter 1. As for these four young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, plus Daniel, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom. And Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days when the king had said that they should be brought in, you know, three years worth of training, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Now, I don't know what you were like in school. I did well in school, but it wasn't because I was just so blazingly fast and smart. I'm a plotter. I've got to work hard. It always bugged me at college when I would study for three hours for an exam and get my A or B and somebody else would study like 15 minutes and get an A or B. That used to really bother me. But that's just the way I'm built. That's the way I'm wired. I wasn't wired like this. Some of you are. Some of you just, you know, one time passing through those gray matter cells of yours and you've got it. Many, so many times I've got it. Well, what did you say again? How was that? But Daniel really had had it here. Then the king interviewed me. You know, the point I was going to make, I'm interrupting myself, the point I was going to make is that I think it was like several years after I got out of college. I would have nightmares about failing an exam. I thought, Dela Sandro, get a grip. You know, you've got your degree. I could take you to my home and show it to you on the wall. I've got an real nice picture of me shaking hands with Herbert Armstrong with one hand and grabbing my diploma and the other. I don't need to worry about flunking a test. I passed them all. I passed them all pretty well, as a matter of fact. But here, these four fellows are going to be quizzed by Nebuchadnezzar.

I don't know if that ranks with giving a prayer in front of 15,000 people or not. I think I'd be shaking my boots. But they weren't because they knew God was behind them. Then the king interviewed them. And among them, none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in the realm. Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.

Ten times better, the power of God flowing through and empowering a yielded believer. I want to comment here on this section of Scripture from the UCG Online Bible commentary.

Besides the fact that God surely aided their intellectual development, we should consider that these young, godly men of Judah's court were surely well studied in Scripture, including the brilliance of the civil law system God gave Moses, as well as the unparalleled wisdom of the book of Proverbs. So God gave them all sorts of advantages because they were yielded believers. So point number one, as I reflect point number one of the two, any power we exercise comes from God and flows through the believer. And this is a humbling, not an exalting, experience. Point number two, lastly, God is no respecter of persons. God is no respecter of persons. All of us, every one of us, as we yield to God, as we yield to Jesus Christ, can be mighty in the Lord, in the Lord. And of course, grace here is the key. Why was it the Apostle Paul spoke so much about grace? Why is it sometimes we speak so little about grace? Is grace a Protestant subject? Paul didn't seem to think it was. I remember a number of years ago speaking, I think it was on the last great day, I had the morning service, Mr. Fay had the afternoon service, and I was bringing up the subject of grace and talking about grace and so on and so forth. And as he is so eloquent to do, in a few words, Mr. Fay summarized what I had to say, and said, well, grace touches everything in our life. It's not just a salvation issue. We live and move and have our being because of the grace of the great God. Let's take a look at 1 Peter 5. 1 Peter 5.

In verse 5, Likewise, you younger people submit yourselves to your elders, yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and notice this next phrase, and be clothed with humility. There is a word picture there of us putting on a garment.

Now, this morning, in getting ready for church, I put on my garments. They're not what you see here. I've been on a diet since May 1st. I'm being accountable here. I've lost 40 pounds since May 1st. Need to lose another 30. I've said it. You're going to hold me accountable to it. But the suit I put on, which I wore last week, which seemed to fit okay, looked too loose and baggy today. So I've not worn this one for several years.

That's because I've been asking God to help me with this diet. I don't want to be fat the rest of my life because I will have a very short life. But I had to take off one suit of clothes, and I had to put on another suit of clothes. And that is an apt analogy. It's scriptural. We want to put on, be clothed with humility. And notice what it says there in the rest of the verse. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. God gives grace to the humble. We want the grace of God. We want to be energized by it. We want God to work powerfully in our lives.

Romans 5, one of my favorite scriptures. You'll probably get tired of me quoting this as the years go along. Romans 5, verse 1.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our past sins have been forgiven, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are at one because we have a new relationship because of Christ being our Savior, through whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. Now, brethren, what point am I trying to make here? Am I trying to say that all of us are going to be just like Daniel? No. Not a whole lot of lions and dens here in Illinois. I'm not saying that at all. But I am saying that as people of God, people who are yielded believers, and we want to grow on our yieldedness as yielded believers in God, we can have a tremendous impact on those around us. Tremendous impact. Now, let's remember a couple of biblical principles. Let's go over to Matthew, chapter 25. Matthew, chapter 25. And, verse 15. Matthew 25 and verse 15.

And to one he gave five talents unto another two unto another one. And this is it here. To each according to his own ability. Brethren, you are given God-given gifts. You are given God-given abilities. And when you add the Spirit of God to those natural abilities, those natural abilities become enhanced.

I don't know what it is God has in mind for you. That's something that you have got to determine as to how God is leading you, where God is leading you, what good you can do, what light you can be to others. But you have been given God-given talents. And if you're a baptized member of this church, you have been given the gift of his Spirit. Ephesians, chapter 4. Another principle, Ephesians, chapter 4.

Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 7.

But to each one of us grace was given. To each one of us. Grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Got natural talents and abilities. We've been given the Spirit of God through grace, through grace.

Daniel was a blessing to those around him. He was a blessing to the kings he served. He was a blessing even to some of his peers. When they began in chapter 2 to kill off various ones of the soothsayers and what have you who couldn't understand or couldn't tell what the dream was about and given interpretation, they began to kill people. Daniel said, wait, give me some time. Of course, he went back, discussed the matter of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, began to pray, answered the king, and the lives of those other soothsayers were spared. In the scriptures, brethren, we've got the example of the high priest in Leviticus, chapter 16, where he would go and take a censer full of burning coals, and in his hands he had sweet incense, beaten fine. Sweet incense, beaten fine. We've come to understand when you take that scripture there in Leviticus, chapter 16, with what we see in Revelation, chapter 5 and verse 8. Revelation 5, verse 8 says, the incense which are the prayers of the saints. So incense, beaten small, means very detailed prayers. As we have these detailed prayers, as we pray without ceasing, as it says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 17, God empowers you as a yielded believer. Does it make a difference whether it's something great, like what a Daniel would do? There are plenty of little things that are very wonderful that God can do in your life and mine. Let's take a look at something over here in 2 Kings. I remember the very first time I read through this section of scripture. 2 Kings chapter 6, I've never forgotten it. You probably have read it. Maybe you have forgotten it. I don't know. Maybe you think about this quite often. It's a very interesting little story talked away here in 2 Kings. 2 Kings chapter 6. 2 Kings chapter 6 verse 1, And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, see now the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. So this is probably one of the schools of the prophets. You know, it's their version of Ambassador College or their version of ABC. They're talking about the places where they're living, their dormitories or whatever. They're outgrowing their facilities. Verse 2, Please let us go to the Jordan. So the geography here may well be this is Jericho. Let us go to the Jordan and let every man take a beam from there. Let us make a place where we may dwell. So they didn't say, Let's call some contractors. They said, Let's go out and we'll do the work. Let's go out and get some wood. Let's build more living facilities here. Then one said, Please consent to go with your servants. And Elisha said, Okay, I'll go with you. Verse 4. So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down the trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. And he cried out and said, Alas, master for it is borrowed. Elisha, I borrowed this. I'm poor. That iron that that that axe head is a metal which is hard for us to come by. It's expensive. And it's gone. It's in the water. So the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed in a place. So he cut off a stick, threw it in there, and he made the iron float. I'm sure this young man was surrendering prayers. I'm sure Elisha was praying as well. How many times do we see an iron axe head float? Therefore, verse 7, he said, Pick it up for yourself. So he reached out with his hand and took it. Is this a giant issue? No. Is this an issue that was concerning that young man? Yeah. Did God listen to a prayer about something that seemed so minor? Absolutely.

Is this, in one sense, very powerful? Absolutely. It's in the scriptures. We're reading it here thousands of years later. We're reading this example in terms of what the great God will do through your everyday joke or everyday jone. We can be a blessing to those around us if we are a yielded believer. There is tremendous power. We talked about Daniel. Let's talk about some of the other Bible heroes, and let's take a look at what they did. We won't spend long on this. I know my time is fleeting, but you owe me some minutes. We started late. And I'm sparing you from hiking back to your car, you know, five miles down the road, wherever you parked. What was Barnabas known as? Barnabas was known. As a matter of fact, that wasn't even really his name. It was a title. He was an encourager. Can you be an encourager? Can I? Sure, we can. Barnabas stood by Saul of Tarsus when nobody else would. And for good reason. He had persecuted the Christians. He had tortured them. He had caused them the blessing. He had them thrown into jail. They lost livelihoods. They lost their homes. He's converted. But people were concerned. Was it a true conversion? Was he just play-acting? Was he faking it? And yet, Barnabas, and again, this to be an encourager requires a lot. Barnabas had to have discernment. Was this the real deal?

An encourager has to be able to speak a word, as the Bible says, fitly spoken.

So Barnabas stood by Paul when nobody else would. Barnabas also stood by a family member by the name of John Mark. We read his Gospel. John Mark. At one point, when they were going out and doing the ministry, John Mark probably thought to himself, you know, this is dangerous work. I'm not cut out for this. And so he left the group and went back home. There came a time when Barnabas says, let's go back and see the brethren. Paul said, let's go see the brethren. And there was a dispute between Barnabas and Paul as to whether they should take John Mark or not. John Mark wanted a second chance. At that point, Paul said, no go. Now, when you follow the story, later on, Paul came to see how valuable John Mark was, requested his presence. That was healed. And also notice, brethren, as a sidelight, when Paul and Barnabas had a falling out on that one issue, neither one went and said, well, let's go start another church. They didn't do that.

So here you've got Barnabas, the encourager, standing by John Mark. Now, he was a relative when he needed a second chance. Brethren, can we do that? As a yielded believer, do we have the power to be an encourager? We sure do. Is that a powerful thing? You better believe it. We've had any number of people over the years who've stopped coming to services because they were discouraged. And maybe a word from one of us or somebody else in some other congregation could have prevented that with some encouragement. It's a powerful thing. Cornelius, what was his claim to biblical fame? Cornelius was a devout, God-fearing individual. He was generous, and it says he prayed always. Can we do that? Can we be generous? Can we pray always? Can we be devout and God-fearing? Absolutely! And because he was those things, he became the first Gentile convert we've got record of in the Scriptures. God worked powerfully in the life of that yielded believer. So, brother, we're not talking about climbing Mount Everest. We're not talking about swimming the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. We're talking about being an encourager. We're talking about being devout and God-fearing. There is a woman in the Scripture by the name of Dorcas or Tabitha. Dorcas, the Bible says, was full of good works and charitable deeds. She made garments for various and sundry ones. When she died, the people who knew her said, we don't want this to stand. We want her alive again. Send for the man of God that he may pray, and that she would live again. And they did that, and it happened. What was her claim to biblical fame, if you want to use that expression? She was full of good works. She made garments for people. She was a servant.

Priscilla and Aquila. I just have three more examples here for you. Priscilla and Aquila.

What was it that set them apart, that Scripture takes note of them? What were they? They were a friend to the Apostle Paul. They were a helper to the Apostle Paul. A friend and helper. Can we do that? Can we be friends and helpers? They helped him in his ministry. At one point, they were willing to give their lives for him. They moved with him. A church was in their home. So you see a growth in them as friends and helpers of the Apostle Paul. Now, again, we can be friends. We can be helpers, especially when there are difficult times.

This next person, we don't even have a name for. We simply call her the widow. The widow. What did she do? She was a giver. She gave her widow's mites. And she is a part of Scripture for all of us to appreciate. Jesus Christ himself pointed out her example as she gave her last two coins as an example of true devotion to God. She was a yielded individual. This next and last example is maybe one I could have started with, one we don't talk much about. Her name is Mary. She raised Jesus the Christ. Mary. When you look at her life, a number of things stand out. But one of the things that stands out so very strongly is her faith in the great God. Her faith in the great God. We see that in her humility. We see that in her obedience. We see that in the praise that she offered. We see that in her familiarity with the Old Testament Scriptures. What was Mary? Mary was a mom. Mary was a mom. So, brethren, we don't have to be Daniel. We don't have to be thrown in lions' dens. We don't have to advise kings or presidents or prime ministers. We can be an encourager. We can be a servant, like Dorkus. We can be a friend, like Priscilla and Aquila. We can be a giver, like the widow. Or we can be moms and dads, as we yield to the great God. One final scripture is over here in 1 Kings, chapter 19. 1 Kings, chapter 19.

A little bit of background here. In 1 Kings, chapter 18, we see Elijah on Mount Carmel, and he's going up against 850 prophets and prophetesses of Baal and Ashtoreh. 850 against one. Well, that's not really the case, as it wasn't. It was 850 against God. God wins that one every time. So, here we see a believer, a yielded one, having great victory. And then in chapter 19, verse 1, And Aab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a message to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more so, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.

Jezebel says, You are a dead man. Verse 3, And when he saw that he rose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. The long story of the Shorri is, after one of the greatest victories in biblical history, he's threatened, he's a human being, he gets depressed, he gets discouraged. And then God comes and does something very interesting, starting here in verse 11.

Then he said, Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, and behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountain, and broke the rocks and pieces before the Lord.

Now, I don't know about you, I've lived through a tornado. Maybe some of you have as well. I've lived through earthquakes, I've lived through tornadoes, or one tornado. Something you don't want to do every day. But the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after an earthquake of fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still, small voice.

And so it was when Elijah heard it, he wrapped up his face in his mantle, went out and stood in the entrance of the cave, and suddenly a voice came to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? The point being, God can manifest Himself in tornadic winds, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, a smoldering mountain, so much so that the children of Israel had to ask Moses to intercede between God and them. But there are other times, brethren, when God works through a still, small voice, through a word of encouragement, through the prayers of a devout individual, through a servant who makes garments for the brethren and sisters in the faith, through a friend and a helper, a small voice in terms of a giver, a small voice in terms of being a faithful mom or dad. Daniel 6 has a powerful message for us, and that powerful message is that there is tremendous power in a yielded believer. Brethren, let's use that power God gives us in the way God would have us use that power.