“Daniel: Intercession” (continued) - part 6

We see only in part - ‘For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known.’ (1 Cor 13:12)

We see only in part of the divine things.

And yet, in studying through this book of Daniel, it seems as though - if there was anyone whose heart was strong enough, pure enough to see the light of God’s glory in its fullness - surely, it was Daniel.

But we see that, when the celestial person appeared to him in awful divine majesty, he collapsed to the ground, with no stength left in his being, overcome with his nothingness in the sight of this ‘certain man clothed in linen’ who was sent to him by God in answer to prayer, for - we see in v 8, of ch 10, Daniel saying of himself, ‘...I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: my appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength.’  

And, then, in v 9, ‘...when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.’

Whereupon the ‘man’ said to Daniel, ‘O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent...from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.’ 
(vs 11-12)

‘I am come for thy words - words of request for understanding - understanding a revelation given to Daniel, ‘a true revelation of a great conflict’. (v 1)

I have come for thy words - words of request to understand more of why Israel’s deliverance was taking so long - words of intercession for the Lord’s people - words for assurance from the Lord that God’s people would survive and carry out its mission as God’s witness to the world.

He had been praying intensely for a long period of time when this revelation in part was given to him. 

He had prayed earnestly for three weeks - in praying that conveyed a profound sense and acknowledgment that Israel just could not go on without God stepping in soon. 

He needed an answer - he needed to understand the Lord’s mind in this matter, - so - for three weeks, he concentrated on waiting before the living God.

Few in Israel would recognize Daniel as the man who prayed for their restoration to God.

Little did they see that beneath the surface strivings, there were deeper purposes at work - the purposes of God ‘Whose judgments...are true and righteous altogether’, as the God Who works something fundamental and astounding and Whose judgments lead to profound results.

One day, at the end of the three weeks, a ‘certain man’
clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold...body...like the beryl,...face like lightening,...eyes as lamps of fire,...His voice...like the voice of a multitude’ appeared before Daniel in answer to his prayer. (v 6)

This ‘certain man’ is described in fascinating detail.

He was no ordinary man.

If we compare this description to Rev 1:13-16, it so agrees with John’s description of Christ, it is quite likely that Daniel’s visitant was the Son of God.

The Scripture does not specifically say who this ‘man’ was, but - in my mind - it is no doubt but that it was the ‘Son of Man, Christ, before His incarnation.

I go back to Daniel 3:25 on this where it states that in the midst of the fiery burning furnace was a fourth person ‘like the Son of God’.

The appearance of another ‘man’ in the furnace with the Hebrew children under Nebuchadnezzar’s reign is described as one ‘like unto the Son of God.’

Even the heathen, Nebuchadnezzar, was able to discern a hugh difference between those he threw into the fire and this ‘man’ walking with them.

The appearance Christ made then and, - if this also refers to Him in Dan 10 - the appearance made here certainly shows a splendour and a brightness that neither Nebuchadnezzar then, nor Daniel now, could not help but comment on it.

This ‘man’ said to Daniel, ‘I was sent to you - from the first day that you set your heart to understand, your words were heard, and I have come for your words, but there was a delay in arriving - the king of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days’. 

He had been dispatched at the beginning of Daniel’s prayer three weeks earlier, which meant that God responded quickly to Daniel’s request. 

The seed of the Lord’s blessed those living in the ‘New
Jerusalem’ - are given the promise in Isa 65:24 that the Lord will anticipate their prayers and answers before the prayer is even prayed: ‘Before they call, I will answer.’

He ‘...knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him’, Jesus said in Mt 6:8.

We know, from v 12, that Daniel was told that God’s response was immediate; there was no problem, then, as 
far as Daniel’s supplications being heard and answered.

The problem in this instance lay in the hindrances and delays in the delivery of the answer.

And this is what I would like to address this evening in relationship to prayer and intercession and, then, also, leave us all with a word of encouragement.

One of the basic principles of prayer seen here is this delayed response - the kind of response that sometimes - perhaps I should say, oftentimes - accompanies earnest intercession - when a believer engages in protracted and earnest prayer.

It shows us the importance of our prayers - prayers such as these that actually touch the fulfillment of God’s work in Christ - such prayers are important enough to engage spiritual forces to battle. 

We see in this chapter that the celestial being first entered into war with and overcame the spirit of the king of Persia, the one hostile to the Lord’s people before coming to Daniel. (v 13)

It was this prayer of earnest and prolonged supplication for God to be honored in His own people as a witness to the nations that precipitated war in the heavenlies to keep the answer from reaching the earth. 
 
We do not know where such battles take place, nor how they are carried out, in the spiritual world.

We only know from Rev 12:7 that they are waged ‘up in heaven’.

It reads there: ‘There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.’

And this fierce battle is being waged against the Christ - against His redeeming work in His travailing Church.

But, let me remind you, that all along, while the war took place during Daniel’s travailing prayer, Daniel was unaware of what was going on in the spiritual realm. 

And - it is a blessed thing that he did not know, for he probably would have done something similar to what, perhaps, some of us may be prone to do - spend those three weeks fighting the evil one rather than just praying and seeking the Lord’s face as he did.

When James 5:16 tells us that the ‘prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective’, this is not just a fanciful thought: there is tremendous spiritual energy represented here.

It is true - we often do not realize the mighty forces that are unleashed when the righteous man devotes himself to intercession before the throne of grace, - therefore, it is no wonder that the New Testament believer is told to put on Christ, his Armor, and stand fast in Him while he is making his request known unto God.

It is He Who overrides the resistance if He so chooses, but - also remember - opposition to the immediate delivery is also in His hands as He sees fit.

And, as seen in Job 1:12 and 2:6, the force of opposition is never allowed to go beyond the limit God sets for He will not allow the believer to be tested beyond his limit. 
(1 Cor 10:13)

Thus, we know from this account, first, that the intercession of a righteous man triggers a violent reaction - spiritual warfare, if you please - in the heavenly realm, letting us know how important such intercession is in the divine scheme of things.

And, then, we also see in this passage the reality of 
Isa 49:23: ‘...they shall not be ashamed that wait for me’ and, here is where we all can take encouragement. 

‘The vision is here but the time appointed is long’, Daniel was heard to say.

It certainly was a grievous thing for Daniel - the time was long - the Lord, after He gave him the revelation of Christ’s coming to atone for the sins of the people, had not come yet - ‘the time was long’. 

This burdened spirit of Daniel’s is a token of true love for the Lord: those who love the Lord Jesus are wounded when He is wounded by ‘Christians’ who are careless toward Him - who dishonor Him; it burdens the tender heart the Church carries toward its divine Head. 

Their sins are a sorrow to all the living members of the Church; yet, this burden makes the Church spiritually healthy for they are the ones who drop to their knees in prayer on behalf of these spiritual rebels - and wait on Him in supplication for the Lord’s intervention in their lives. 

Sometimes - it seems so long before the answer comes - ‘how long, how long, Lord, before we see your hand touch this case?’, we ask.

And, what is His immediate answer to usward who are interceding for them - v 19: ‘Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed...peace, be strong, yea, be strong.’

First, let peace rule your heart because you are ‘greatly beloved’ - you need not fear anything.

Whatever is happening, or whatever is not happening, you are beloved, and you can rest in quiet assurance until the answer comes.

‘My love is covering you - I have redeemed you with the blood of My Son, I have drawn you into fellowship with Him, so rest in His Peace.

Just be still, be calm, because ‘you are beloved of Me’ is His message to us.  ‘Peace’, O greatly beloved!’

Next, ‘be strong, yes, be strong.’

That is not so hard if we will just know that God is ruling.

He ruled the world before we came on the scene and accomplished His will.

He will continue ruling it after we are long gone.

So why do we fret and worry as though He has resigned from His thronely place on high?

Why are we so anxious and distressed over how long it takes?

Is His measuring line the same as ours? - by no means!

God sets the measuring line of all things, including the length of time before His answer comes.

His life and His work is not governed by the ticking of the
clock nor by the days on a calender.

He can wait and He often does wait.

But - we must remember - we are ‘called intercessors’, greatly beloved, and ‘more than conquerors through Christ Who loved us’ - and in Him, we are more glorious than conquerors because of the length of the battle through which we have stood steadfast and true to Him, waiting, yes waiting long - sometimes - but always trusting Him.

God deserves this - He deserves that we rely on Him - for how can we distrust the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose Word is true, Who has given us the promise of His own security, of His ultimate conquest, and the triumph of His own cause, the God Who cannot and does not lie?

Psalm 22: listen to the Psalmist who was plagued with doubts, when it seemed as though God was deaf to his prayers.

He took comfort in knowing that his forefathers probably had the same kind of troubles: ‘Our fathers trusted in Thee: they trusted, they relied, they believed and Thou didst deliver them. They cried unto Thee, and were delivered: they trusted in Thee, and were set free, were not disappointed, were not put to shame.’ (vs 4-5).

This is the ground and the foothold for the strength of the praying Church, of each one of us who is called to prayer and intercession.

This work demands strength - of that, we have no doubt -   strength of character, strength of mind, strength of spiritual stamina - the strength and confidence of the Lord Himself.

Be strong then!

Fall before the Lord in earnest prayer, and ask Him to give you this strength - to take away any whining, complaining, fretful ways - and make you as you are - greatly beloved - called to be strong in Him.

And - remember - there is no cause for alarm after all.

Have we not known the Lord long enough to know that when things seem to be at their worst they are going at their best - that the battle being waged is at its fiercest point while we are waiting over on the winning side?

We surely must know by now that there is an undercurrent that we cannot see that is stronger than the upper flow that we do see. 

There come waves on the beach, and each seems stronger than the one before it: but then, there follows one that just sucks them all back and it looks as though the sea is losing its strength.

But - the next strong one is coming - just wait - you will see it.

Everything is moving forward - making headway toward good - toward the Lord’s goal and purpose - even though it may seem as though it is not.

But - persistent, consistent prayer - like the constant waves on the shore - holds everything within the confines of its influence.

How often has this been proven in our lives down through the years - in many situations, in many hard places.

Even our teenagers, by the grace of God, were kept covered with prayer - as, I am sure, yours were and are.

Through it, we knew that the Lord was working in their hearts and minds to accomplish His work in them.

Today - it is of increasing importance to all parents of our growing young people to intercede on their behalf - the battle is getting stronger, the weapons seemingly more powerful.

But, please believe me when I say this: prayer - prayer flowing from a spiritually strong, peace - encompassing heart - holds influences at bay: it confines the wickedness of men, it frustrates the evil plans of those who are fortunate enough to be under the power of such a praying man and Church.

The length, the breadth, the depth, and the height of prayer is God’s measuring line in the Church.

In it, He reigns!

In it, the Lord God omnipotent reigns - and the Lord Jesus is at His side, interceding and holding the sword of His truth before Him.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall yet perform His Word and His truth will one day be fully known and understood.
 
Until then we may not always see this - we may see only in part - and the answer may not always come in haste - but it will come: ‘the battle is not yours, but God’s.’

So, I keep urging all of us - be faithful to the Lord and His truth - be His people, ‘dearly beloved’, in prayer before Him - be strong; yes, be strong - let your heart hear the message given to Daniel: ‘O man, greatly beloved, fears are not for thee...peace is yours to take, be strong, yea, be strong.’ 

O, that we would also be able to answer as Daniel: ‘I was strengthened - let my Lord speak; for Thou hast strengthened me.’

SONG: # 153  “Give thanks with a grateful heart...”

And, I close, with this benediction: ‘Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all!
      
                              AMEN.