Daniel: Thriving in a Modern-Day Babylon: Part 5 A Floating Hand, A Cat Nap, And The Cross

A Floating Hand, A Cat Nap, and The Cross

Daniel 5 & 6

1. Learn from the past so God can use you for His future.
Daniel 5:2 “While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups
that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from
them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.”

Daniel 5:4 “While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood,
and stone.”

Daniel 5:22-28 “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled
yourself. For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple
brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from
them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear
nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls
your destiny! So God has sent this hand to write this message. “This is the message that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has
numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been
weighed on the balances and have not measured up. Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been
divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Romans 3:23(NIV) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Hebrews 9:27-28 “Just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also
Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come
again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Daniel 6:3 “Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers.
Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.”

2. Who you are when no one is looking matters.
Daniel 6:4 “They couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and
completely trustworthy.”

Daniel 6:5 “They concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection
with the rules of his religion.”

Daniel 6:7-9 “Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or
human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. And now, Your Majesty, issue
and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be
revoked.” So King Darius signed the law.”

Daniel 6:13 “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays
to his God three times a day.”

Daniel 6:16 “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”

3. Your number one evangelistic tool is your integrity.
Charles Dickens “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past
misfortunes, of which all men have some.”

Isaiah 43:18-19(NIV) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”

Peanuts Cartoon

Philippians 3:13-14 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing:
Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and
receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Daniel 6:20 “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to
rescue you from the lions?”

Daniel 6:21-22 “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would
not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”

4. Consistency in your prayer closet, will produce courage in the lion’s den.
Daniel 6:23 “The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was
found on him, for he had trusted in his God.”

Colossians 4:2-6 “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too,
that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is
why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among

those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious
and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”

Sally Lloyd-Jones “Jesus was left in the blackness utterly alone and abandoned by God, suffering the fate
that we, the guilty ones, deserved. God did not shut the mouths of Jesus’ lions like he did Daniel’s; he let
them tear him apart. His body was left entombed in the icy grip of death for three days before the angel
finally came to roll away his stone… “When Daniel came forth from the lion’s den, he came out alone,
and no one else was saved by God’s deliverance of him. But when Jesus came forth from the tomb, he
came out as the head of a mighty company of people who have been redeemed from the pit through his
death…Because of the work of Christ on behalf of his people, the divine judge says: ‘Not guilty! You may
go free!’”