As this goes to post, mid-term elections are less than twenty-four hours away. Lots to talk about there, but what happens after the election? Not who is going to remove all of those hideous signs stuck in every median, roadside, and green space --although, if you know whose job it is, be sure to send them to our neighborhood --but what about the inevitable disappointment that comes with "your" candidate losing or "your" candidate not doing as promised? We've all been there. How do we respond to those things? How do we handle the fear that creeps into our minds when we see a moral issue abandoned for immorality? How do we live under policies we're sure will tear our country or county apart? In Daniel 6 we see how Daniel of the Bible responded to some terrible policy making.
Daniel was an Israelite, kidnapped by the Chaldeans and sent to Babylon for something of a social experiment. The king of Babylon took David and some of his exceptional Jewish friends and attempted to make Babylonians out of them; his country could benefit from Israel's "best and brightest." Now, Daniel and his friends made it a habit of obeying God and, so long as God's way did not differ from the king's way, he let them have their fun. In Daniel 6 is where we find that some issues developed. Daniel's success led to some jealousy among the other people in the king's cabinet, so to speak. You see, Daniel had done such a great job, the king, Darius, wanted to make Daniel their boss. They weren't too pleased with that idea and sought a way to find fault with him. Was he cheating the king? taking too long a lunch break? sleeping with one of the king's harem? No, no, and no. But he was praying and serving his God all day, every day. That, they decided, would be their "in."
They went to the king and, after some grotesque flattery, got him to put his stamp on an edict that made petitioning any "god" other than the king punishable by a trip to the den of lions. He went for it, and they went to spy on Daniel. It didn't take them long. Daniel 6:10 says that when Daniel heard the law had been signed, he went home and prayed at his open window (facing Jerusalem) as he always had. No doubt, Daniel saw this as a cause for great prayer; not a time to abandon it. His enemies had their intel and ran straight to the king with it.
Was Darius so distracted by the weightier issues of his role, he signed his best guy's death sentence simply to get rid of his pesky governors? Did he not consider how this could be used against Daniel who faithfully, visibly prayed to the Hebrew God? Or did the king not know this was Daniel's routine? Did the sycophantic twaddle of Daniel's adversaries make his head swim with grandiose thoughts of his own importance and, well, he deserved that sort of respect? Whatever his motives, the king's edict could not be reversed, and Daniel was cast into the lion's den. The king spent the night without food, entertainment, or sleep. We might even assume Daniel got more sleep that night than the king (!) for when the king got to the den of lions the next morning, his plaintive call was met with the strong shout of his very best guy:
Oh, king, live forever! (v. 21) May the king who rashly (?) ignorantly (?) pridefully (?) signed an order forbidding me to pray to my God, upheld the villainy of my enemies, and condemned me to ravenous lions live forever! Impressive. To make all of this more extraordinary, this was a pagan king. Daniel had been abducted and sent to this land; this was not his home. But he had submitted to this king's authority. He prayed for his good. Daniel's extreme loyalty to an earthly king, in a place he did not belong did not outweigh or override his loyalty to his God. Rather, it was because of his loyalty to a heavenly King, he could pray for the blessing of the king he served in Babylon. It was because he trusted his God's sovereignty over every kingdom, Daniel could pray for the good of the kingdom of Darius.
And the same is possible for us today no matter who is our boss or mayor or union rep or teacher or even our president. Every trial, every pressure in life reveals where we have placed our trust. Trust in anything or anyone other than Christ is evidenced by panic and chaos, fear and disappointment, vitriol aimed at others or a withdrawal from the lives of our neighbors. Trust in people or things which cannot ultimately deliver us is often found to be empty and can leave us with feelings of betrayal or apathy. But trust in the One True King, the God who made heaven and earth, who is merciful and faithful and mighty --trust in the Almighty alone is characterized by rest and peace.
So, when the elections are over, when your candidate is or isn't in office, let's pray. For our country and communities, our leaders and those who would be, for our family and friends who may be struggling with the impact of new policies, those on the "other side of the aisle," and for our own hearts, that Christ might be at the very center and our trust might be in Him. And, if we're out and about, let's help get rid of some of those signs.
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