Woodpecker on my house this morning
    - I literally walked outside and said, “Hey, stop that!”

• He kept pecking!

 
Amos (The New Living)
Chapter 4
Israel’s Failure to Learn
1 Listen to me, you fat cows
living in Samaria,
you women who oppress the poor
and crush the needy,
and who are always calling to your husbands,
“Bring us another drink!”
2 The Sovereign Lord has sworn this by his holiness:
“The time will come when you will be led away
with hooks in your noses.
Every last one of you will be dragged away
like a fish on a hook!
3 You will be led out through the ruins of the wall;
you will be thrown from your fortresses,”
says the Lord.
4 “Go ahead and offer sacrifices to the idols at Bethel.
Keep on disobeying at Gilgal.
Offer sacrifices each morning,
and bring your tithes every three days.
5 Present your bread made with yeast
as an offering of thanksgiving.
Then give your extra voluntary offerings
so you can brag about it everywhere!
This is the kind of thing you Israelites love to do,”
says the Sovereign Lord.
6 “I brought hunger to every city
and famine to every town.
But still you would not return to me,”
says the Lord.
7 “I kept the rain from falling
when your crops needed it the most.
I sent rain on one town
but withheld it from another.
Rain fell on one field,
while another field withered away.
8 People staggered from town to town looking for water,
but there was never enough.
But still you would not return to me,”
says the Lord.
9 “I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew.
Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees.
But still you would not return to me,”
says the Lord.
10 “I sent plagues on you
like the plagues I sent on Egypt long ago.
I killed your young men in war
and led all your horses away.
The stench of death filled the air!
But still you would not return to me,”
says the Lord.
11 “I destroyed some of your cities,
as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Those of you who survived
were like charred sticks pulled from a fire.
But still you would not return to me,”
says the Lord.
12 “Therefore, I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced.
Prepare to meet your God in judgment, you people of Israel!”
13 For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains,
stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind.
He turns the light of dawn into darkness
and treads on the heights of the earth.
The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies is his name! [1]
 
Hosea 1 (The New Living)
The Lord gave this message to Hosea son of Beeri during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

• Prophesied for at least 38 years through these different reigns.
• Hosea lived in the tragic final day of the Northern Kingdom
• 6 kings in 25 years were murdered by their successors.

Hosea’s Wife and Children
2 When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute (a promiscuous woman), so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”
3 So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. 4 And the Lord said, “Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence. 5 I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley.”
6 Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. 7 But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God.”
8 After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. 9 And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’—for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.
10 *“Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’ 11 Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together. They will choose one leader for themselves, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be—the day of Jezreel—when God will again plant his people in his land. [2]
 
Micah 6
The Lord’s Case against Israel
Listen to what the Lord is saying:
“Stand up and state your case against me.
Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.
2 And now, O mountains,
listen to the Lord’s complaint!
He has a case against his people.
He will bring charges against Israel.
3 “O my people, what have I done to you?
What have I done to make you tired of me?
Answer me!
4 For I brought you out of Egypt
and redeemed you from slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
5 Don’t you remember, my people,
how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed
and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?
And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
when I, the Lord, did everything I could
to teach you about my faithfulness.”
6 What can we bring to the Lord?
Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
to pay for our sins?
8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
9 Fear the Lord if you are wise!
His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem:
“The armies of destruction are coming;
the Lord is sending them.
10 What shall I say about the homes of the wicked
filled with treasures gained by cheating?
What about the disgusting practice
of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?
11 How can I tolerate your merchants
who use dishonest scales and weights?
12 The rich among you have become wealthy
through extortion and violence.
Your citizens are so used to lying
that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.
13 “Therefore, I will wound you!
I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.
14 You will eat but never have enough.
Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.
And though you try to save your money,
it will come to nothing in the end.
You will save a little,
but I will give it to those who conquer you.
15 You will plant crops
but not harvest them.
You will press your olives
but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.
You will trample the grapes
but get no juice to make your wine.
16 You keep only the laws of evil King Omri;
you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab!
Therefore, I will make an example of you,
bringing you to complete ruin.
You will be treated with contempt,
mocked by all who see you.” [3]
 
Micah 7
Misery Turned to Hope
1 How miserable I am!
I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest
who can find nothing to eat.
Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig
can be found to satisfy my hunger.
2 The godly people have all disappeared;
not one honest person is left on the earth.
They are all murderers,
setting traps even for their own brothers.
3 Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil!
Officials and judges alike demand bribes.
The people with influence get what they want,
and together they scheme to twist justice.
4 Even the best of them is like a brier;
the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns.
But your judgment day is coming swiftly now.
Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.
5 Don’t trust anyone--
not your best friend or even your wife!
6 For the son despises his father.
The daughter defies her mother.
The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law.
Your enemies are right in your own household!
7 As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me,
and my God will certainly hear me. [4]
 
Micah 7
The Lord’s Compassion on Israel
14 O Lord, protect your people with your shepherd’s staff;
lead your flock, your special possession.
Though they live alone in a thicket
on the heights of Mount Carmel,
let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead
as they did long ago.
15 “Yes,” says the Lord,
“I will do mighty miracles for you,
like those I did when I rescued you
from slavery in Egypt.”
16 All the nations of the world will stand amazed
at what the Lord will do for you.
They will be embarrassed
at their feeble power.
They will cover their mouths in silent awe,
deaf to everything around them.
17 Like snakes crawling from their holes,
they will come out to meet the Lord our God.
They will fear him greatly,
trembling in terror at his presence.
18 Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
19 Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
20 You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.[5]
 
I had this conversation with Brent yesterday walking into the stadium.

• “You can teach the same message over and over every Sunday. Some people don’t have the ears to hear.”
• “You can’t make people change their behavior.”
• “You hurt with them as they suffer through their decisions.”
• “You just keep doing what the Lord has called you to do.”

I just know that my God is a loving and just God. I trust Him in ALL that occurs in my life.

[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Am 4). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ho 1). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mic 6). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mic 7:1–7). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mic 7:14–20). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

786-747 BC – 39 years

• Jonah ministered during the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel (793–753 BC; 2 Kgs 14:23–25)[1]

 
Jonah 1:1–4:11 (HCSB)
Jonah’s Flight
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.”

• Nineveh was situated on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, opposite the modern city of Mosul, north of the city of Zab.
• It was an old city, dating back to approximately 4500 BC, and one of the principal cities of ancient Assyria.
• According to Gen 10:11, the city was built by the “great hunter” Nimrod.[2]

3 However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish.

• Probably Tartessus in southern Spain, perhaps the most distant city known to Israel.[3]

He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the Lord’s presence.

• To begin with, he had a wrong attitude toward the will of God.
• Obeying the will of God is as important to God’s servant as it is to the people His servants minister to.
• It’s in obeying the will of God that we find our spiritual nourishment (John 4:34), enlightenment (7:17), and enablement (Heb. 13:21).
• To Jesus, the will of God was food that satisfied Him.
• To Jonah, the will of God was medicine that choked him.[4]

4 Then the Lord hurled a violent wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. 5 The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep.
6 The captain approached him and said, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god. Maybe this god will consider us, and we won’t perish.”
7 “Come on!” the sailors said to each other. “Let’s cast lots. Then we’ll know who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.” So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we’re in. What is your business and where are you from? What is your country and what people are you from?”
9 He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”
10 Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What is this you’ve done?” The men knew he was fleeing from the Lord’s presence, because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we do to you to calm this sea that’s against us?” For the sea was getting worse and worse.
12 He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so it may quiet down for you, for I know that I’m to blame for this violent storm that is against you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they couldn’t because the sea was raging against them more and more.

• They did more for Jonah than Jonah had been willing to do for them.
• When they saw that the cause was hopeless, they asked Jonah’s God for His forgiveness for throwing Jonah into the stormy sea.[5]

14 So they called out to the Lord: “Please, Yahweh, don’t let us perish because of this man’s life, and don’t charge us with innocent blood! For You, Yahweh, have done just as You pleased.” 15 Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. 16 The men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
17 Now the Lord had appointed a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights.

• What actually occurred between Chapter 1 and 2?
• The prayer which follows (vers. 2–9) is not a petition for deliverance, but thanksgiving and praise for deliverance already received.
• It by no means follows from this however, that Jonah did not utter this prayer till after he had been vomited upon the land, and that ver. 10 ought to be inserted before ver. 2[6]

 
Jonah’s Prayer
2 Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish:
2 I called to the Lord in my distress,
and He answered me.
I cried out for help in the belly of Sheol;
You heard my voice.
3 You threw me into the depths,
into the heart of the seas,
and the current overcame me.
All Your breakers and Your billows swept over me.
4 But I said: I have been banished
from Your sight,
yet I will look once more
toward Your holy temple.
5 The waters engulfed me up to the neck;
the watery depths overcame me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 I sank to the foundations of the mountains;
the earth with its prison bars closed behind me forever!
But You raised my life from the Pit, Lord my God!
7 As my life was fading away,
I remembered Yahweh.
My prayer came to You,
to Your holy temple.
8 Those who cling to worthless idols
forsake faithful love,
9 but as for me, I will sacrifice to You
    - (includes confession & repentance)
with a voice of thanksgiving.
I will fulfill what I have vowed.
Salvation is from the Lord!

• This is a prayer of thanksgiving and trust.[7]

10 Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

• The only way to reach Sheol is through death.
• Matthew 12:38-42 - 38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
• 39 But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look—something greater than Jonah is here! 42 The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look—something greater than Solomon is here! [8]

 
Jonah’s Preaching
3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the Lord’s command.
Now Nineveh was an extremely large city, a three-day walk.

• 15 miles/day X 3 Days = 45 miles

4 Jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, “In 40 days Nineveh will be demolished!” 5 The men of Nineveh believed in God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth—from the greatest of them to the least.
6 When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he issued a decree in Nineveh:
By order of the king and his nobles: No man or beast, herd or flock, is to taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink water. 8 Furthermore, both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth, and everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from the violence he is doing. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish.
10 Then God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways —so God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.

• Did God change His mind?
• Or was He consistent as He has always been?
• If this book had ended at the last verse of chapter 3, history would have portrayed Jonah as the greatest of the prophets.
• After all, preaching one message that motivated thousands of people to repent and turn to God was no mean accomplishment.
• But the Lord doesn’t look on the outward things; He looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7) and weighs the motives (1 Cor. 4:5).
• That’s why Chapter 4 was included in the book, for it reveals “the thoughts and intents” of Jonah’s heart and exposes his sins.[9]

 
Jonah’s Anger
4 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious.

• Jonah probably knew from Amos and Hosea that Assyria would be Israel’s destroyer.[10]
• Prophets Club Newsletter

2 He prayed to the Lord: “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from sending disaster. 3 And now, Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

•  He prayed his best prayer in the worst place, the fish’s belly, and he prayed his worst prayer in the best place, at Nineveh where God was working.
• His first prayer came from a broken heart, but his second prayer came from an angry heart.
• In his first prayer, he asked God to save him, but in his second prayer, he asked God to take his life!
• Once again, Jonah would rather die than not have his own way.[11]

4 The Lord asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made himself a shelter there and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city.

• He walked away from the opportunity to see God work in Nineveh.

6 Then the Lord God appointed a plant, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort. Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant. 7 When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered.
8 As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind. The sun beat down so much on Jonah’s head that he almost fainted, and he wanted to die. He said, “It’s better for me to die than to live.”
9 Then God asked Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“Yes,” he replied. “It is right. I’m angry enough to die!”

•  He called the city to repentance, but he wouldn’t repent himself!
• He was more concerned about creature comforts than he was about winning the lost.
• The Ninevites, the vine, the worm, and the wind have all obeyed God, but Jonah still refuses to obey, and he has the most to gain.[12]

10 So the Lord said, “You cared about the plant, which you did not labor over and did not grow. It appeared in a night and perished in a night. 11 Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?”

• God speaks of Nineveh’s immaturity.
• Jonah needed to learn the lesson of God’s pity and have a heart of compassion for lost souls.[13]
• DON’T LOSE FOCUS
  
• BIGGER PICTURE!!!!

[1] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Jon 1:1). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[2] Smith, B. K., & Page, F. S. (1995). Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Vol. 19B, p. 224). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Jon 1:3). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 72). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 75). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[6] Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., Kleinert, P., & Elliott, C. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Jonah (p. 25). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[7] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Jon 2:1). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[8] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Mt 12:38–42). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 88). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[10] Hannah, J. D. (1985). Jonah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1470). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[11] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 89). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[12] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (pp. 90–91). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[13] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 92). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Now we come to the best known chapter in Daniel.

• In fact, the story of Daniel in the lion's den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego or the two most popular children's stories in the Bible.
• Darius, the 62-year-old king of Medo-Persia, is on the throne. However, he is sick.
• Daniel was still about 80 years old.

 
Daniel 6
1 Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm,

• Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm,
• Darius was in the process of setting up his government
• He divided his newly-conquered kingdom into 120 divisions or provinces
• Satrap= prince or person of authority

2 and over them three administrators, including Daniel.  These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded.

• They were probably told to watch the satraps for things like corruption, disloyalty, theft, and poor administration
• Cyrus crucified three thousand Babylonian political enemies
• Although Belshazzar's party was eliminated, Daniel was spared
• He was made one of three presidents of the empire

3 Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit, so the king planned to set him over the whole realm.

• Daniel was second in command only to Darius

4 The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.

• The idea of making Daniel second in command found opposition among the other two administrators and all 120 satraps
• Daniel's conduct was blameless and they had no basis for a charge. He was trustworthy, honest, and always did what was right
• Jealousy is a normal reaction in people who are passed over for promotions
• Daniel's role may have seemed unfair because he was advanced in years, a holdover from the enemy’s administration and a Jew
• He may have been thwarting other officials' corrupt schemes for enriching themselves

5 Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”

• They tried to find something wrong with Daniel's service to the king and his character

6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.  7 All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den. 

• They lied by acting like Daniel was included in the decision

8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.”

• The king himself could not change what he had written, because that would be admitting his fallibility

9 So King Darius signed the document.

• The king was deceived. He did not see the diabolical plan behind the decree

 
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

• When there is a law, a civil law, that diametrically opposes a law of God, guess which one you choose?
• Daniel did practice civil disobedience because there was a ridiculous law that said he couldn't pray to his God

11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.

• Some of these men knew how many times a day Daniel prayed

12 So they approached the king and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for 30 days any man who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable.”

• They are the ones who got the king to publish the fiendish decree, but they asked...

13 Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.”

• What was Daniel's crime? He was still praying three times a day. That is almost as bad as praying at school

14 As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel and made every effort until sundown to deliver him.

• Darius was distressed with himself for being duped into creating this dilemma

15 Then these men went to the king and said to him, “You as king know it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.”

• Most ancient laws stipulated execution of sentence within a matter of hours, usually the same day
• Daniel had to be thrown into a den of angry, hungry lions.
• As the sun went down, the conspirators appeared before the king to again remind him that it was time for the sentence against Daniel to be carried out

16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.  The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

• The King loved Daniel and went along, so he could be with Daniel

17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den.  The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed.

• A Layer of warm wax was poured between the stone and the den wall to make sure it was sealed
• Then the king used his signet ring to make an impression into the hot wax

18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting.  No diversions were brought to him, and he could not sleep.

• Darius spent the restless night fasting. He even refused all entertainment and pleasure

 
19 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.

• Darius wanted to check on Daniel personally

20 When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?”

• Darius called Daniel's God the Living God (the giver of life)

21 Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever.

• This is the fourth time we have seen this expression in Daniel ("O King, live forever!")
• Nebuchadnezzar – King of Babylon (605–562 BC)
• Belshazzar – Grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, Co-Regent of Babylon (553-539 BC)
• Darius – Governor of Babylon under Cyrus (559 – 530 BC)
• Cyrus – King of Persia (559 – 530 BC)

22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths. They haven’t hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God.  24 The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel   were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives.  They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

• It was custom of the orient to assume a man's unity with his family and also to assume that if the husband and father was guilty, the wives and children were implicated
• There was a fear of the children growing up and avenging for the family

 
Darius Honors God
25 Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live in all the earth: “May your prosperity abound.  26 I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:
    For He is the living God,
    and He endures forever;
    His kingdom will never be destroyed,
    and His dominion has no end.

• Darius declared everyone to have fear and reverence for Daniel's God:

1) He is the Living God
2) He endures forever
3) His kingdom will not be destroyed
4) His dominion will never end
    27 He rescues and delivers;
    He performs signs and wonders
    in the heavens and on the earth,
    for He has rescued Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”

• The God of Daniel is still able to do... all that we think or ask!
• God rescues and saves… from situations that seem impossible.

28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.