Daniel 6
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Daniel 6
MacArthur says that… Integrity (from the Latin word integer, “entire”) may be defined as the condition or quality of being undivided. It describes those who adhere to their ethical or moral standards without hypocrisy or duplicity. People with integrity lead lives that are one with their stated convictions; they what they preach.” They are honest, sincere, and incorruptible. In biblical terms, those with integrity are “above reproach”—a quality that is to characterize all believers (Php 2:15-note; 1Ti 5:7), but especially elders (1Ti 3:2; Titus 1:6, 7-note). The Bible stresses the value of integrity by condemning hypocrisy. Jesus repeatedly denounced the religious leaders of His day as hypocrites (Mt. 6:2-note, Mt 6:5-note, Mt 6:16-note; Mt 15:7; 22:18; Lk 12:1, 56; 13:15). Matthew 23 records His blistering malediction on the scribes and Pharisees for their lack of integrity, because “they say things and do not do them” (Mt 23:3). After a series of curses, each introduced by the phrase “woe to you” (Mt 23:13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29), and after repeatedly denouncing them as hypocrites, Jesus concluded with a stern rebuke: “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?” (Mt 23:33). (MacArthur, J: 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press) (Or see his sermon A Ministry of Integrity which discusses Biblical examples like Job and David) Also Recommended (click following link to read chapter 1 in preview mode): The Power of Integrity Building a Life Without Compromise INTEGRITY IN THE BIBLE Integrity - Study the 27 uses of the English word integrity in the NAS - Ge 20:5, 6; Jdg 9:16, 19; 1Kgs 9:4; 1Chr 29:17; Job 2:3, 9; 4:6; 8:20; 27:5; 31:6; Ps 7:8-note; Ps 15:2-note; Ps 25:21-note; Ps 26:1-note, Ps 26:11-note; Ps 41:12-note; Ps 78:72-note; Ps 101:2-note; Pr 2:7; 10:9; 11:3; 19:1; 20:7; 28:6; Amos 5:10 Fathers and mothers (but especially us as fathers for we are accountable to God to be the godly leaders of our families) read (and heed) Solomon's advice (something that he seems to himself have failed to heed! Witness his son - 1Ki 11:43, 12:7,8, 13)… A righteous man who walks in his integrity How blessed are his sons after him. (Proverbs 20:7) WHAT TO LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN - by C H Spurgeon (From Faith's Checkbook on Proverbs 20:7) ANXIETY about our family is natural, but we shall be wise if we turn it into care about our own character. If we walk before the Lord in integrity, we shall do more to bless our descendants than if we bequeathed them large estates. A father’s holy life is a rich legacy for his sons. The upright man leaves his heirs his example, and this in itself will be a mine of true wealth. How many me may trace their success in life to the example of their parents! He leaves them also his repute. Men think all the better of us as the sons of a man who could be trusted, the successors of a tradesman of excellent repute. Oh, that all young men were anxious to keep up the family name! Above all, he leaves his children his prayers and the blessing of a prayer-hearing God, and these make our offspring to be favored among the sons of men. God will save them even after we are dead. Oh, that they might be saved at once! Our integrity may be God’s means of saving our sons and daughters. If they see the truth of our religion proved by our lives, it may be that they will believe in Jesus for themselves. Lord, fulfill this word to my household! Chuck Colson exaggeratedly (albeit rightly) said "The three most important ingredients in Christian work are integrity, integrity, integrity." It’s a fact of life that you never know when your integrity will be tested. But is is also true that integrity shines brightest against the backdrop of adversity. People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do. Satan does not need to accomplish much to destroy integrity. Because integrity has to do with wholeness, even a small chink destroys it. Integrity is a true 24/7 concept. Consistently right choices create (or reveal) integrity. One evil choice creates a fault line of potential catastrophe. A person of integrity is unimpeachable. He or she stands by principles no matter what the consequences. In fact integrity can cost you a relationship, reputation, promotion, job, even your life. Do you speak the truth (Biblical truth in love) no matter what people want to hear? That's integrity. "In our society, those whose lives are marked by moral soundness, uprightness, honesty, and sincerity are usually thought of as people of integrity. However, society’s standards often fall far short of God’s. Spiritual integrity calls for the highest possible standard of behavior and requires supernatural resources available only to those who trust in Him." (John MacArthur) Seek to have a life that bears scrutiny. Do you have singleness of heart, of mind, of vision, of purpose? That's integrity. Paul said it this way "one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Php 3:13,14) Integrity manifest a single heart, a single mind, a single eye, a single focus - ONE THING - Integrity presses on toward the goal! People of biblical integrity tend also to be people with unashamed boldness. Integrity enjoys God's favor (cp Da 1:9) for He delights in granting special grace and favor to those whose hearts are set on pleasing Him 1Chr 12:33 describes men "with an undivided heart" where undivided heart in Hebrew literally = they were without a heart and a heart! That's Biblical integrity! Integrity practices what it preaches! If your enemies were out to get you, and did an audit of your lifestyle, could they find room to criticize you? Daniel’s life of utmost integrity was such that his enemies could find nothing with which to accuse and besmirch him! Why did Daniel's enemies know he would defy the King’s law in Daniel 6:10ff? Because Daniel was a man of integrity—he was consistent -- He did not pray to show his integrity, he prayed because of his integrity. If you had to write your epitaph, what would you say? In fact you are "writing your epitaph" today with the choices you make and by the way you live out those choices. Your friends and family will remember you for something, what will it be? May our earnest desire be that when we are laid to rest our life will have earned the epitaph—He/she was a man/a woman of Integrity. True be told, when it is all said and done, integrity is all that really counts. The Bible teaches that a believer's integrity is never for sale and never to be sacrificed. "A person with integrity is one whose thoughts, beliefs, words, and actions are all in perfect harmony. For the Christian, integrity involves having every area of life in submission to the truth of God’s Word, with nothing inconsistent or out of sync. A person with integrity is not like Talkative in Pilgrim’s Progress, who was described by those who knew him as a saint abroad but a devil at home." (John MacArthur) "What enables a person to persevere is integrity. Integrity means that we are able to live without compromising what God has made us to be. Integrity enables us to stay on course, instead of panicking and bailing out. Integrity is strengthened through repeated tests. The trials God sends purge us of sin and enable us to mature in integrity." (R C Sproul) Integrity in leadership is inseparable from humility in leadership… Ultimately, our integrity in personal ministry comes from daily honesty with Christ. Don’t depend on someone else to keep you ethical. - Scott Morton THE POWER TO LIVE WITH INTEGRITY Where does the power to live with integrity come from according to… Gal 2:20-note Php 2:12-note, Php 2:13-note Php 4:13-note (But check the context - Php 4:11, 12-note) Col. 3:16-note, Col 3:17-note 1Th 5:23,24-note 2Ti 1:7-note, 2Ti 2:1-note Horace Greeley - Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wings, those who cheer today may curse tomorrow, only one thing endures—character. The Puritan writer Thomas Watson might as well have said the following of Daniel - The plainer the diamond the more it sparkles. The plainer the heart is the more it sparkles in God's eyes. (Does you heart "sparkle" in His eyes? cp 2Chr 16:9) A clear conscience is a prime benefit of integrity, and it enables one to stand firm when the storms of life come upon us. If your heart does not condemn you, but affirms you, you can be a tower of strength for "The man of integrity walks securely" (Pr 10:9) where the Hebrew for "securely" means safety, security, place of refuge; feeling of trust, assurance, without concern, confidence. A person of integrity will have a good reputation and not have to fear that he or she will be exposed or found out. Integrity provides a safe path through life. Lose all rather than lose your integrity, and when all else is gone, still hold fast a clear conscience as the rarest jewel which can adorn the bosom of a mortal… Serve God with integrity, and if you achieve no success, at least no sin will lie upon your conscience.
Daniel 6
MacArthur writes that "in those days there was very frequently on the top of a house a kind of a little upper room, we see them even in the New Testament time, a place of retreat and they didn't have glass windows. What they did was put a lattice work over the windows and they would let them be open and the warmth of the area of Babylon, which is a very hot place, and the breeze could blow through and cool them. And so he would go up there and through the lattice work he would be visible and he would face toward Jerusalem because that's where the longing of his heart was, the people of God and the city of God which symbolized God to him. And he would pray, no doubt, for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6), the restoration of the city and whatever else was in his heart, the confession of sin and anything else and he did it just the way he always did it… perseverance (in prayer, prioritization of prayer!). (Daniel in the Lions' Den Grace to You) Toward Jerusalem - The site of the Holy Temple, where prior to its destruction the Shekinah cloud had manifested the glory of Jehovah. To be sure the glory had departed in 586BC just before the Temple was destroyed (cp Ezek 11:23-note), but God had promised to return (Ezek 43:2). He had also promised to restore Jerusalem (Jer 29:10, 14). Jerusalem was still the city of God. As an aside it is interesting that Muslims pray toward Mecca five times a day. Daniel could have closed the windows. Daniel could have prayed in another room. Daniel could have been more discreet. But Daniel was a man of integrity with uncompromising devotion to His great God who had been so faithful to him for 80+ years. Daniel took seriously Solomon's prayer that spoke of prayer toward Jerusalem. After completing the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (1Ki 8:10, 11, 12, 13, 14), Solomon spoke a prophetic prayer to Jehovah… When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; 47 if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly’; 48 if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers (Alludes to the unconditional irrevocable Abrahamic Covenant), the city which You have chosen (Jerusalem), and the house which I have built for Your name; 49 then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You, and make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them (1 Ki 8:46-51, cp Jonah 2:4 where he was even in a belly of a fish!) Paul writes the balancing Biblical principle regarding disobedience to the government… Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. (Ro 13:1,2-note) Scripture makes one exception to the charge to be subject to the government and that is when obedience to civil authority would require disobedience to God’s Word (Ex 1:17 Da 3:16, 17, 18 Da 6:7,10 Acts 4:19, 20, 5:28, 29). The psalmist laments… If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. (Ps 137:5, 6). Young's Literal translation of Psalm 5:7 reads… And I (David), in the abundance of Thy kindness, I enter Thy house, I bow myself toward Thy holy temple (no actual temple at that time but Hebrew word also used of the tabernacle 1Sa 1:9; 3:3) in Thy fear. Three times a day - Daniel had prioritized prayer and a daily pattern. Recall he was one of 3 commissioners (presidents) and could have easily rationalized that he was simply too busy to pray! We need to imitate Daniel (Heb 6:12). We need to make it a priority because if we don't, prayer will soon be squeezed out of our busy schedule. How much priority did Daniel give to prayer? Prayer was so important to Daniel that he was willing to die rather than give up his right to pray to God! Now, that's a picture of commitment! If you want to know how to pray in the hard times, pray in the easy times. Related Resources on Prayer: Pithy Prayer Phrases Prayer Quotes Prayer Devotionals and Illustrations Prayer Hymns and Poems Spurgeon's Gems on Prayer Guide to Praying for Missionaries David had a similar pattern of prayer. Knowing who these men are (Daniel and David), what does this say about the role of prayer in the life of one who would desire to also be a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22)? As for me, I shall call upon God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur (strong word meaning make a loud noise), and He will hear my voice. (Ps 55:16, 17)
Daniel 6
MacArthur - The law of the Medes and the Persians said: "On account of the guilt of one, all his kindred must perish." (Daniel in the Lions' Den) Persian kings were known for being cruel in their treatment of enemies and Darius was no exception tossing in their families for good measure, by this preventing any family members from seeking to take revenge on the king. This "den debacle" could have been worse had Darius chosen to also toss in the 120 satraps who were in effect co-conspirators (some think he did execute all of them). Keil - The condemning to death of the wives and children along with the men was in accordance with Persian custom, as is testified by Herodotus, iii. 119, Amm. Marcell. xxiii. 6. 81, and also with the custom of the Macedonians in the case of treason (Curtius, vi. ii.), but was forbidden in the law of Moses; cf. Deut. 24:16. The fate of the conspirators is a fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham when God declared… I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. (Ge 12:3a) Maliciously accused - Literally this phrase means “eaten his pieces,” (Akal - 399 = eat + Qerats = 7170 = pieces) and is an idiom which means they had spoken maliciously or slandered (Also used in Da 3:8). Daniel had been falsely accused of disloyalty to the king. They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them - This fact is a striking contrast with Daniel's deliverance and underscores the power of God to deliver completely. These lions were not what some liberal commentators have described (in order to explain away the miracle) - tame, toothless, tired or satiated! Proverbs says… He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him. (Pr 26:27). Wiersbe recalls several Scriptural illustrations of this saying… Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew male babies destroyed in Egypt, and at Passover, all the Egyptian firstborn died. He commanded the newborn Jewish babies to be drowned in the Nile River, and his own army was drowned in the Red Sea (Ex 14,15). Haman tried to destroy the Jewish nation and ended up being hanged on the gallows he had made for Mordecai (Es 7:9, 10; 9:25). Even if sinners aren’t judged in this present life, they will be judged after they die (Heb. 9:27), and the judgment will be just. (Ibid) He who leads the upright astray in an evil way will himself fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit good (as in Da 6:28). (Pr 28:10) The righteous (i.e., Daniel) is delivered from trouble, but the wicked (Daniel's accusers) takes his place. (Pr 11:8) Another Persian king, Ahasuerus, carried out a similar retribution against evil Haman who had plotted to have all the Jews in Persian empire destroyed (what a picture of Satan's emissary)… So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided… The king took off his signet (signet) ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. (Esther 7:10-note, Esther 8:2-note) EBC - What Darius did seems arbitrary and unjust. But ancient pagan despots had no regard for the provision in the Mosaic law (Dt 24:16): "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin." (Even in Israel this humanitarian rule had been flouted, as when Abimelech ben Gideon had nearly all his father's sons massacred, or when Queen Athaliah nearly exterminated the Davidic royal line and Jehu had all Ahab's sons decapitated.) (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary OT 7 Volume Set: Books: Zondervan Publishing) Ezekiel adds - The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. (Ezekiel 18:20, cp Ro 14:20) Daniel 6:25 Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language who were living in all the land: "May your peace abound! king : Da 4:1 Ezra 1:1,2 Es 3:12 8:9 Peace : Ezra 4:17 1Pe 1:2 2Pe 1:2 Jude 1:2 Daniel 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE EVANGELISTIC POTENCY OF A GODLY LIFE Then Darius - Theologically this is quite a proclamation. John MacArthur (among other conservative commentators) postulates that = Impacted by Daniel and the Lord, Darius expressed himself as if he had come to a point of personal trust in God for his salvation. (Daniel: God's Control over Rulers and Nations) Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language - As a result of Daniel's faithfulness, the renown of Daniel's God was proclaimed throughout the 120 provinces of Medo-Persia. As noted elsewhere, while the Jews refused to fulfill their task to be light to the Gentiles, God used a pagan king to announce His majesty and splendor to the known world! One wonders what impact these truths had on the Gentile hearts? One faithful man affected literally an entire Gentile empire! How great is our God! You never know the impact you will have on the unbelieving watchers. Pastor Chuck Smith tells the following story… We had a very lovable young man around here for several years. Due to drugs and an accident, he had mental and speech problems. God used him in special ways. While he was in the mental ward at Orange Co. hospital, his Psychiatrist called the church asking how he could get saved. He said we have a young man over here that seems to know only one thing but he knows it well, he tells me all the time that Jesus loves me. I need to know this Jesus. Kay was going through one of those times when she was discouraged and feeling a little down, and she said, "Lord I just need to be assured of Your love for me." Presently the phone rang and this young man who slurred his words so much that he was difficult to understand said, "Sister Kay", and then in the clearest, most distinct way he said, "Jesus wants you to know that he loves you." He then reverted again to his stuttering slurring speech pattern. (Chuck Smith - Sermon Notes) I agree with Ray Prichard's comments on King Darius - What amazing words coming from the lips of a pagan king. Or perhaps he is a pagan no more. Perhaps like Nebuchadnezzar he became a believer in the one true God. We won’t know for sure until we get to heaven, but I would not be surprised to see Darius there. (How to Tame Lions - Dr. Ray Pritchard - January 2000) Daniel 6:26 "I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. make: Da 3:29 Ezra 6:8-12 7:12,13 tremble : Ps 2:11 99:1-3 119:120 Isa 66:2 Jer 10:10 Lk 12:5 Heb 12:29) (for : Da 4:34 De 5:26 1Sa 17:26,36 Ho 1:10 Ac 17:25 Ro 9:26 1Th 1:9 Rev 4:10 5:14 enduring forever: Ps 93:1,2 146:10 Mal 3:6 Heb 6:17,18 Jas 1:17 his kingdom : Da 2:44 4:3,34 7:14,27 Ps 29:10 145:12,13 Isa 9:7 Mt 6:13 Lk 1:33 Rev 11:15 Daniel 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD IS GLORIFIED THROUGH THE DANIEL'S TRIAL I make a decree - This is a remarkable proclamation lauding many of the attributes of God and kingdom. Clearly the omnipotent God God could have orchestrated events so that Daniel would not have been thrown into the lion's den, but by allowing him to go in and bringing him out unhurt, the Lord received great glory! We need to remember this story the next time we try to escape the fiery trial, not realizing that the Lord might desire us to walk through that He might be greatly glorified!
Daniel 6
MacArthur has an excellent summary of the characteristics of a man of integrity, a man God uses in His kingdom work… let us seek to emulate and imitate (in the power of the Spirit) Daniel, God's man in Babylon and Medo-Persia… Let me ask you a simple question? Who gets the glory in the chapter? Daniel? Not Daniel… not Daniel for a minute. Daniel was just there, that's all. God got the glory. I believe that if you see one thread through the book of Daniel, it is not the exaltation of Daniel; it is the majesty of God who stands against the nations of the world and upholds His sovereignty. Finally, the prosperity. "So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, even in the reign of Cyrus the Persian." He prospered. Now I want you to listen to me. As I close, I want to sum up very rapidly, in just a couple of minutes, listen. As we look at this chapter, what do we see about Daniel? Do you remember when we studied chapter 1 and 2? We took all of the characteristics of the virtue of Daniel as a young man and we cataloged them and we studied them… and we saw what makes a virtuous, godly man. Well, here we are, twenty… well, no, sixty, seventy years later, what do we see in him again? What are the elements of character that we could translate to ourselves? What makes a man able to affect a nation? What makes a man or a woman have an impact that is as far reaching as an Empire? What is it in Daniel? Let me suggest some things. I'm going to run them down, just listen to them, think them through. First of all, this man transcended history. He was great and he was useful to God because he transcended history. He got his feet out of the muck of human issues. He sought the kingdom of God. Secondly, he lived a consistent life from start to finish. He was virtuous when he was young and so he was virtuous when he was old. And I, really believe that there's no way to measure with a human measure, the power of a virtuous life of that many years. The tragedy is that most of us find our virtue coming and going through those years… not Daniel. What are the lessons we learn about a man of God? (1) He transcends history. (2) He lives a consistent life from youth to old age and this makes for great usefulness in his old age. (3) He utterly fulfills his calling. In other words, he lives in the absolute center of God's will. His only desire is that God's will be fulfilled. (4) He has a right attitude. They kept saying about him he has an excellent spirit… he has an excellent spirit. (5) He will be envied and he will be hated by the world around him, but he will never be embittered by it. (6) He is condemned but if he is condemned, he is condemned for his righteousness for there's no other flaw, he is as an elder of the church should be… what?… blameless. (7) He is known for his virtue and integrity even by his enemies. (8) He is a faithful citizen. He is subject to human laws until they would cause him to violate the laws of God. (9) He is willing to face any consequence within the framework of God's will and leave the outcome to God. (10) He will serve faithfully no matter what it costs him personally. (11) He never defends himself. He leaves that to God. (12) He strengthens the faith of others giving them hope in God. Didn't you see this in the king? I mean, the king was even believing because of the great faith of Daniel. (13) He is delivered from all harm and he is preserved for every purpose within the will of God. (14) He is a vehicle for God's glory. I wish we could just preach on that. We… we as Christians are to be, above all things, a vehicle for God's glory. (15) He will be avenged by God. His enemies will be dealt with by God, he doesn't have to deal with them himself. (16) He is exalted by those around him as well as by the One above him. Principles manifest in this chapter that show the virtuous life of a man of God. (Daniel in the Lions' Den) Success comes in various forms. Some view it as the accumulation of great wealth gained through suffering and sacrifice. But for the believer, success comes only through doing God's will. A young man named John W. Yates was so poor that he had to put cardboard in his shoes to cover the holes. Yet when he opened a bank account at the age of fifteen, he deposited his meager earnings under the name "John W. Yates and Company," acknowledging God as his partner and manager. He carried that practice into his business. In time, he became a multimillionaire. Another young man, Oswald Chambers of Scotland, showed so much artistic promise that he was invited to study under Europe's greatest masters at age eighteen. But he declined the offer and enrolled in a little-known Bible school, where he eventually became a teacher. Later, he went to Egypt and ministered to the spiritual needs of British soldiers. Chambers died there when he was only in his forties, but he left to the world a rich legacy of devotional literature. Both men made doing God's will their prime objective; both achieved success. Oswald Chambers of Scotland showed so much artistic promise that he was invited to study under Europe's greatest masters at age eighteen. But he declined the offer and enrolled in a little-known Bible school, where he eventually became a teacher. Later, he went to Egypt and ministered to the spiritual needs of British soldiers. Chambers died there when he was only in his forties, but he left to the world a rich legacy of devotional literature. Outside God's will is no true success In God's will, no failure. MARKS OF A MAN OF INTEGRITY Let's summarize what "integrity" looks like in Daniel 6 (some of these characteristics overlap).. (1) Da 6:2 - Integrity perseveres - It's not "on" one day and "off" the next. Age 80+ and still running the race with endurance (Heb 12:1-note). Even as Daniel 3x/day set his face toward Jerusalem, the City of God (while living in Babylon, "the City of Man"), so too we are to run the race with endurance fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith (Heb 12:2-note). And we look back and are encouraged by the faith of the "great cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 11, especially the example of Daniel who "by faith… shut the mouth of lions" (Hebrews 11:33-note). "The equipment and enablement God gives to His devoted servants always wear well for a complete lifetime." (Lehman Strauss) (2) Da 6:3 - Extraordinary spirit ~ excellent attitude, an attitude that pervades everything we do. Integrity pursues excellence in all it does, whether someone is watching or not, whether anyone on this earth every knows or not. Men of integrity are God-pleasers not man-pleasers. Proverbs 15:3 says God's eyes are everywhere watching the evil and the good so God always knows and He will reward us for our labors performed with integrity at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2Co 5:10-note). (3) Da 6:4 Faithful = Trustworthy, Reliable. Integrity can always be counted on to follow through. Our words don't "outrun" our actions. Integrity practices what it preaches! (4) Da 6:4 No negligence - Integrity seeks to avoid "sins of omission" (5) Da 6:4 No corruption - Integrity seeks to avoid "sins of commission". Integrity by grace through faith assiduously guards the eyes (see Ps 101:3) and the heart (see Pr 4:23-note) so that the well spring of our life (our heart) might not be contaminated and we might not experience moral decay and corruption which can be very subtle and very deceptive. We don't even know we are "decaying" morally. On the other hand James says we are practicing "pure and undefiled religion" when we keep ourselves "unstained by the world" (James 1:27-note) (6) Da 6:5 No "accusability" - The NT version of this aspect of integrity is "above reproach" (Titus 1:6-note The man of integrity lives a "blameless" life, like Job who was "blameless (Hebrew word "tam" = basic meaning = being complete ~ integrity), upright (righteous), fearing God and turning away from evil" (Job 1:1) (7) Da 6:10 Consistent, prevailing, prioritized prayer life - "As he had been doing previously." The man of integrity makes persistent prayer a priority not matter how busy he is with the everyday affairs of the world! (8) Da 6:10 No compromise because of firm conviction - The man of integrity obeys God before he obeys men. Daniel prayed even though he knew the law against prayer had been signed by King Darius. We see this principle in Acts 5:28, 29 (9) Da 6:16, 20 Integrity exhibits a consistent Christian life - The witness of Daniel to the pagan king was that Daniel was a "servant of the Living God" - the God Who you (Daniel) "constantly served" (10) Da 6:21, 22, 23 The man of integrity is fearless and bold - Notice that when Daniel speaks in Da 6:22, 23 he is still in the Lion's Den -- and yet he is speaking calmly to Darius without any suggestion of fear of the lions. (11) Da 6:22 The man of Integrity has a clear conscience before God first and then before man. "I was found innocent before Him (GOD); and also toward you, O king (MAN), I have committed no crime." In his last letter shortly prior to his execution Paul wrote "I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers (One wonders if he is not alluding to Daniel?) did" (2Ti 1:3-note, cp Ac 23:1 24:16) A clear conscience is a primary benefit of integrity, and it enables one to stand firm when the storms of life come upon us. If your heart does not condemn you, but affirms you, you can be a tower of strength for "The man of integrity walks securely." (Pr 10:9) Hebrew for "securely" (see word study - betach) means safety, security, place of refuge; feeling of trust, assurance, without concern, confidence. (12) Da 6:23 The man of integrity is a man of faith - He trusts in God. He walks by faith not sight - He glances at the Lions but he fixes his gaze on His Lord. (13) Da 6:24 The man of integrity does not seek to avenge a wrong done - He trusts that God is His covenant Defender. Paul alludes to this in Ro 12:19-note (14) Da 6:25-27 The man of integrity lives in such a way that God is Glorified. (cp Mt 5:14, 15, 16-note, Php 2:14, 15-note) (15) Da 6:28 The man of integrity will experience "success" - In this present life (sometimes he receives material success but always and more importantly he receives spiritual success) and in the life to come (Da 12:13). Integrity is inseparable from fruitful Christian ministry.