Last week we saw that humanism is not an invincible enemy. Over and over through history God has brought humanistic societies to the place where they recognize (it may be only momentarily, but they recognize) their total bankruptcy either intellectually, morally, economically, socially or in some other fashion. And it is imperative that Christians be ready to stand in the gap that has been left and be ready to provide answers for culture, or for a family that is falling apart or for a business. There are two things that we can always count on. On the one hand, we can count on humanism's answers failing men and setting them up to look elsewhere for solutions. Secondly, we can count on God's blueprints to work, since God is the manufacturer and has given the manufacturer's manual. What we can't always count on is for their to be men and women who can provide such answers when asked. Daniel was ready, not just intellectually, but in every area of his life. He was ready to be used by the Lord at a moment's notice to stand in the breach and take territory for King Jesus.
Let me outline ten essentials which are pre-requisite to standing in the gap. It may be where you can stand in the gap for a friend whose life has been torn apart. Or it may be like Daniel where you are able to stand in the gap before the mighty. But all of us need to be preparing ourselves to the best of our abilities to do our part.
Ten Essentials For Standing In The Gap (vv. 14-30)
God-Given Wisdom (v. 14)
The first essential is God-given wisdom. Verse 14 says, "Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch..." There are two words for wisdom in the Aramaic here. The first is the application of learned knowledge. The more we study the ways of God, the more information we have at our disposal to handle difficult situations. But wisdom is the God-given ability to apply that knowledge to the specific situations of life. We are not told what Daniel said during this time, but God used his learned wisdom in some way to influence Arioch.
The second word is literally in the Aramaic "taste," and according to one commentary refers to a more subjective, immediately given discernment. The Aramaic word "taste" refers to instincts of judgment, discernment and a sense of the realities of the situation. We speak of people having a highly developed taste in many areas of life. They can tell the difference between foods, clothing that to others are virtually indistinguishable. Tea is the big drink where I came from, and there were people with such a highly developed sense of taste that they could tell the country and even the region where the tea leaves came from. Others can distinguish tiny traces of spices in food that nobody else even notices. Well, that same word is used to describe a sense of the situation; an insight into what was happening that enabled Daniel to be able to stand in the gap.
Reformed people have tended to emphasize the first idea of a God-given ability to apply knowledge to situations. We are big on learning. But I think that the concept in the second word is something that we ought not to neglect. To stand in the gaps of life, we need God-given discernment, illumination, insight. And God promises both to those who ask Him in faith. Over and over again I have used ordinary knowledge to seek to minister and have seen little effect. But I have also seen God breaking through in ways I had not planned as I submitted myself to Him and asked for wisdom and discernment.
God-Given Boldness (vv. 14-16)
Secondly, God-Given boldness is also important. Daniel's boldness can be seen all through this passage. It would have been easy to panic, but Daniel dialogues with Arioc. Then, rather than assuming that he can't gain access to the king's court, in verse 16 it says, "So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation." That may have seemed like a brash thing to do, and he probably wouldn't have done it under normal circumstances. But dangerous times call for bold acts. And God is the giver of this boldness when it is needed.
The boldness God calls you to may be entirely different, but it is still boldness. I think of the little Jewish maid who had been captured by Syria in 2 Kings 5. Here she was in Namaan's heart, a person of no significance, who was only to speak when spoken to. Yet when she heard of her master's leprosy, she knew that the situation called for something. She said, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy." It was such a litte statement for that little girl, yet because of her wisdom, discernment and boldness, that statement led to her master and possibly the king being converted. When God opens up opportunities to influence, to witness, to minister, couple your discernment with boldness. I think of Little John's cartoon statement to Robin Hood, "Faint hearts never won fair ladies." Well, faint hearts never win the spiritual battles because they fail to stand in the gaps as God opens the opportunties. And you say, "Well, I'm not bold." Neither were the disciples. They were fearful. They had fled. Yet in Acts they pray for boldness. They said, "Now Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by strethcing out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." This sermon is not intended to make timid people feel guilty. It is intended to encourage you to go to the giver of boldness. On many of these essentials, we need to be shaken by the Holy Ghost and given the essentials which we would ordinarily lack.
Godly Support Of Other Christians (v. 17)
The third essential is godly support from other Christians. Verse 17 says, "Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions..." Even though Daniel was the point man, he knew how much he needed the support of his companions who over the past three years had helped keep him accountable, had encouraged and prayed for him. How many times do we go through life bearing burdens alone because we don't want to impose upon others? I used to be a certified loner when I was growing up. I was taught to be independant. Yet God showed me, that I, even I needed others in the body. That is one of the reasons we have instituted home groups. They are not only intended to be outposts of conquest, but they are also places of accountability, encouragement, prayer and growth. Though people, like Naaman's maid, have occasionally been able to stand in the gap without the support of other believers, God's normal pattern is to desire that we have the support of a group like this. Even for unfallen man God had said, "It is not good that man should be alone." In a sense he wasn't alone because God was with Adam, yet God Himself indicated that that wasn't sufficient. Adam needed a helper and a companion. And even the strongest of you in this congregation need the help and the companionship of others. Paul says "the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you.'" And that is especially when God calls upon is to stand in the gap. And men and women in politics or in lonely positions need your support.
Prayer (v. 18)
Another essential is prayer. Verse 18 shows the reason he called his friends. "that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." Men and women of God who have stood in the past in history have always been men and women of prayer. Luther, Calvin, Knox, George Wishart, and others may come to mind. Men who were extremely busy, yet were driven to prayer, and because of that were used mightily. But there are thousands of unknown names of housewives and men who have stood in the gap and profoundly impacted their families, their business and neighborhoods through prayer.
I want you to notice how important prayer is. We often speak of an attitude of prayer throughout the day. Daniel had that as he walked with the Lord throughout the day. But that was not a substitute for set aside times of prayer. In his busy schedule he set aside time for seasons of prayer, spontaneous prayers in the night, and his regular habit. Turn to Daniel 6:10 to see the habit of prayer that Daniel had developed even at this early age: "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 since early days."
I am not saying that this is God's pattern for you, but I can say that those in Scripture who have been used by God to stand in the gap have been men and women of prayer.
Guidance (v. 19)
And often it has been in seasons of prayer that God's guidance and leading have come as to what they should do. Verse 19 says, "Then" [notice that word, "then." It was as a result of prayer that God led. "Then"] "the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision." If Trinity is to stand in the gap in Omaha we need discernment and guidance. We need the characterstics of these verses. But will they come without prayer? I doubt it. I long for more of a Spirit led ministry, and less drivenness by the expectations of others. Pray for me. Pray for God's guidance and empowering. I think we are a congregation that loves to work, and work is good. But I long to see more vision and guidance given by God's Spirit.
A God-Centered Perspective (vv. 20-23)
Worship (vv. 20-23)
Another major theme we see in these verses is a God-centered perspective. When Daniel receives this vision, his first impulse is not to run to his friends or even to run to Nebuchadnezzar to show him how he had abilities that no one else had. His first impulse was to worship and praise God; to express his confidence in God's control and wisdom; to express thanksfulness for all that God has done. This is a beautiful prayer. "Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we have asked of You, for You have made known to us the king's demand.""
Praise (vv. 20-23)
Worship and praise are a prelude to usefulness. And that is because worship and praise take our hearts away from our self-centered agendas to seeking God's glory. And even the order here is significant. He begins by worshipping God for who He is, but this awesome picture of God leads him to praise God. And as Daniel praises God and exalts Him on high, it gives Daniel faith to trust God's control of the situation. Worship and praise makes God big in our sight, but the bigger our God, the bigger our faith. And that leads logically to thanksgiving.
Many writers have epxressed their sorrow that the American church is so self-centered, and so it is no wonder to me that the church is also prayerless, robbed of God-glorifying worship and praise, with little faith to expect much from God in our own life time, and little time spent in thanksgiving. All of these four subpoints promote a God-centered perspective on life.
Trust (vv. 20-21)
Thankfulness (v. 23)
Action (v. 24a)
But this is not a call to pietism with no action, or action with no experience for God. They are all in balance in Daniel's life. We see Daniel's action orientation in verses 14, 16, 17 and again in verse 24. In verse 24 it says, "Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation." He didn't just wait for God to bail him out. He took steps necessary to avert disaster. Prayer is not a means of God getting the work done for us, as if God were a servant. Prayer is seeking the resources to make us successful in the ministry. Too many people want God to zap them with victory so that they don't have to struggle with battle. But God doesn't zap farmers with a harvest. They have to plough and plant and harvest. When Christ told his disciples to pray for workers for the harvest, they did exactly that, but in the next chapter, they willingly went themselves. And if we pray for missions, but do not do our part, God will curse our prayers. If we pray for our children's salvation, but never speak to our children of spiritual realities, God will curse our prayers. If we pray that our nation would come back to God but refuse to be salt and light in our society, God will curse our prayers. Men and women who have stood in the gap have always been men and women of action in balance with dependance upon God's leading and empowering.
A Heart For Society (v. 24b)
But I want to re-read that last part of verse 24 because it shows something else about Daniel that has been a key to those who have stood in the gap. It says, "He went and said thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation." I think that is a remarkable statement. These wise men were the instruments of Satan, and it might have seemed like good riddance to Daniel. But he has a heart for these men who are headed toward hell. His desire is to rescue them from destruction. And we need to pray that God would give us a heart for the society that is all around us on the brink of falling into hell. When we are callous to the destiny of the lost, our hearts have not yet been touched as men and women after God's own heart.
It is unlikely you will stand in the gap for your relatives if you do not have a heart burden for their welfare. It is unlikely that you will stand in the gap for your society if you do not weep for your society now. Jesus poured his life out for Jerusalem because His heart broke for Jerusalem. He cried out, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" One of the things that has struck me with force as I prepared this sermon is how much I need God's grace in this area. This would give me much more passion in my prayers; much more passion in my ministry. And if you are to have a minister who can stand in the gap, I need a Spirit given burden and passion that would put fire into preaching; that would put fire into my counseling; fire into my outreach. I need more of a burden. And I share this with you that you might pray for me. We need more men and women who can stand in the gap. I want to stand in the gap for God.
Humility (vv. 25-28)
In verses 25-28 we see humility. And I believe that this too has been a characteristic of those who have been on fire for God. There is nothing like pride to quench the flames and dry up the spirit. Let's read the description of Daniel's humility.
The set up for pride (v. 25)
Verse 25 says, "Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, "I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation." Arioch is trying to take some credit to himself. I have found what you have been looking for. I have found what no one else was able to find. And this could have been used by Satan as a perfect set up to bring pride to Daniel's own heart. After all, Arioch claims that Daniel is able to do this.
The invitation to pride (v. 26)
Again, the way the king phrases his question, could have been a perfect sedgeway into taking credit to himself. "The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, 'Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?'" We like to be thought well off.
The justification for pride (v. 27)
And certainly, the inabilities of the other wise men in verse 27 could have been a justification for pride. I am doing what no other man alive has been able to do.
Rejection of pride (vv. 28-29)
But Daniel rejects any inclinations toward pride that may have existed. He wants to make it abundantly clear to Nebuchadnezzar that God alone must be looked to. Verse 28: "But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days." The last phrase in verse 29 says, "and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be."
Statement of humility (v. 30)
And then negatively, in verse 30 he denies that he is any better or wise than the others. "But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart." What an incredible testimony. Would we have been able to do that? Or would we have tried to take some credit to ourselves?
In Tom Peter's book "In Search of Excellence" he mentions a psychological study where adult men were asked to rank themselves on their "ability to get along with others." 100 percent of the men ranked themselves above average. 60% ranked themselves in the top 10% of the population and 25% of the men humbly thought they were in the top 1% of the population. Humility does not come naturally. I have seen it in my own heart. I have had people say that they see it in members of our church. And if our church is to be used by God to stand in the gap, we must bury pride six feet deep, and keep burying it every time it resurrects itself. James says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, and if we are to be successful in standing in the gap, we need God's grace, not His resistance.
Uncompromising Rejection Of Humanistic Solutions (v. 27)
The last item that I have highlighted as an essential for standing in the gap is giving an uncompromising rejection of humanistic solutions. In case Nebuchadnezzar thought that he got his wisdom from the same source as the wise menhe says in verse 27, "The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king." He did not want the glory of God's kingdom being robbed by giving any credit to humanism. Yet unfortunately that is precisely what Christians do in our day. They prefer the political solutions of man over Old Testament civil law, which they think is too harsh. They prefer psychology which is easy on the flesh over the counseling of the Bible which crucifies the flesh. They bow to humanism in family, church and state, and then wonder why God does not bless their efforts. And God says, "I will not share my glory with another."
There is a desparate need in our day for people who can share God-given wisdom with boldness. In our fragmented society, there is a crying need for strong Christian body life, for a spirit of prayer. We need God's guidance more than ever. We need all of these essentials. Let's pray that the church would be filled with the spirit, that we might be men women and children who would stand in the gap. Amen.
"When God wants to drill a man and thrill a man and skill a
man, when God wants to mold a man to play the noblest part.
When God yearns with all his heart to create so great and
bold a man that all the world shall be amazed, watch His
method. Watch His ways. How he ruthlessly perfects whom He
royally elects. How He hammers him and hurts him and with
mighty blows converts him into trials shapes of clay which
only God understands. While his tortured heart is crying and
he lifts beseeching hands, how God bends but never brakes,
when His good He undertakes. How he uses whom he chooses and
with every purpose fuses him, by every act induces him to try
his splendor out. God knows what He is about."