Daniel and the King's Law Part II

Daniel and the King’s Law Part II

Daniel 6:16

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions, now the king spake and said to Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

From the scripture we shall find that human wisdom is not sufficient to deliver the souls of men from the power of inflexible law. King Darius had signed a law “that whosoever shall ask any petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions” (Daniel 6:7). “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10). The decree was established that it could not be changed according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which altereth not (Daniel 6:8) Daniel knew that the law was signed and that his prayer would not go undetected, but, Daniel prayed to his God though it appeared it would cost him his life. And being seen in the act of praying Daniel was accused in the presence of the king, and the penalty of being cast into the den of lions was demanded that the sentence be executed according to the writing of the king. “Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.” (Daniel 6:14). “Then the king commanded and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions” (Daniel 6:16).

King Darius had made a law that he must abide by; and, as was said earlier King Darius is typical of God, the law giver, and as king Darius must abide by his law, so it is that God must abide by His own law. For our God is a just God, but that is not all, our God is a “just God and a Savior” (Isaiah 45:21). So how can our God be a just God, and at the same time a Savior, of sinners, law breakers, ungodly persons, criminals, persons who deserve eternal death, and that according to the law of our God? The wisdom of king Darius was confounded, he was unable to deliver the object of his favor, this is not so with God. For, before God made the worlds He formed (in His counsel) a people for Himself (Isaiah 43:21) and set them apart in Jesus Christ (Jude verse 1; I Corinthians 1:2) their surety (Hebrews 7:22) to be kept safe forever. They are so united to Christ Jesus that the law and justice of God considers them one “from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2), So that in God’s judicature Christ and all His members have been slain for the sin of those chosen in Him from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8; Ephesians 1:4).  For Christ’s goings forth as Surety, Great High Priest, and Mediator have been from eternity, when Wisdom was set up in all His offices (Proverbs 8 throughout). God has sanctified His elect in Christ from everlasting, considering them one with Him and one in Him, they are chosen together with Him in the everlasting covenant of grace, Christ Jesus is God’s elect (Isaiah 42:1), Christ’s people are chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Psalm 65:4). Thus it is written: “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me (Jeremiah 32:40). “And I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies, I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD,” (Hosea 2:19-20), whom to know is life eternal (John 17:3; I John5:20).

Our Lord Jesus made this statement: “I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). Men of carnal mind may complain, thus, Christ Jesus had not yet been crucified, and therefore it could not be said, in truth, that He had finished the work. To this it may be rebutted: The counsel of God is virtually done (Isaiah 46:10) His determinations to all generations stand fast (Psalm 33:11): “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations” (Psalm 105:8). “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed so shall it stand:” (Isaiah 14:24). The determinations of His heart are virtually done, and He considers them done, and since “He is of one mind and no one can turn Him, (Job 23:13) whatsoever He has determined, shall certainly come to pass in time. It is for this truth that Christ Jesus is considered a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world: God in the covenant of grace, had determined that His Holy Son should be crucified because of covenant union with His people who are sinners, His elect, so that the Persons in the Godhead have from eternity rested in the certainty of the event; and certain it is that worms of earth should find a sure place of rest in God’s Christ as well.

When Christ Jesus was crucified, He had all His members in covenant union in Him: so that, in the reckoning of God, Christ and all His members were nailed to the tree; and put to death according to the penal sentence of the law of God: for Paul speaking in the room of the church of God said “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20) then it was that He washed all His church from their sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5). Christ Jesus put all the sins of all His people away by bearing their sins in His own body on the tree; (I Peter 2:24) and because He had brought in everlasting righteousness for His members by fulfilling the law and the prophets in their room and stead (Matthew 5:17-18): the law of God finding the church of God standing in perfect righteousness in Jesus Christ, by covenant grace union: freely justifies them in Christ. Therefore the justice of God requires that eternal life be granted to those in union in Christ Jesus from everlasting. All the blessedness that is in Christ Jesus, wrought out, for His body the church is laid up in store for His body in the fullness of Christ. The Blessing of covenant union in Christ, is not subject to limitations of time, for it was established in the covenant of grace before the creation of time. Time had no bearing on the things determined and decreed: the will of God was the only determining factor, and the application of the blessedness of the covenant was irrespective of time for it was settled on in eternity, and the covenant was ratified in time in the death of Christ. Abraham is the spiritual father of the whole election of grace and is and was justified by the same blood as believers today (Galatians 3:10).

The children of God are taught that they are justified by the blood of Christ according to the terms of the everlasting covenant of grace and have access to God through the perfect righteousness that is theirs through union in Christ Jesus (Isaiah 54:13; John 6:45) Faith is not the cause of justification but the instrument that is used of God to teach His children that they are justified in His sight, therefore did Habakkuk write “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just (the justified, writer) shall live by his faith (2:4). When someone is taught, there must be a teacher; and so it is with spiritual truth, “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34). God Himself is the teacher; and He teaches by revelation, for it is written, “He saith (Christ Jesus saith, writer) unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:15-17).  “It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me” (John 6:45). And by Ezekiel the Prophet the Son of God said: “For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day,” (34:11-12) “I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment,” (34:15-16) “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David: (Christ Jesus, writer) he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd (34:23). “Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God, (34:30-31) (this is the spiritual seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel Galatians 3:7; Romans 2:28-29; 9: 6-8). “Therefore it is of faith, (not as a cause, but as an evidence of justification, and sanctification in Christ Jesus, writer) that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, (the Jew, writer) but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,” (Romans 4:16). See the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the gospel, in the truth of it, preached at www.13thstbaptist.org  webcasting live at listed service times.     AJ Ison    

  

     

   

But the legalist may protest saying they are sinners! No: they are in Christ and in Him is no sin, (I John 3:5).