Daniel in the Lion's Den (Daniel 6)
Virtue is defined as the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. Integrity is defined as an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting. Integrity is conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong, absolute devotion to telling the truth and faithfulness to high moral standards. Virtue and integrity perfectly "define" the man, Daniel! Wikipedia has these entries on virtue and integrity.
Virtue (Latin: virtus, Ancient Greek: ἀρετή [Ed comment: See word study of this great Greek word - arete]) is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting collective and individual greatness. The opposite of virtue is vice. (Ref)
Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. It is generally a personal choice to hold oneself to consistent moral and ethical standards. (Ref)
Daniel was a man of virtue, not vice. Daniel was a man of principle not passion. And what made Daniel such a virtuous man, such a man of character and peerless integrity (read how "peerless" in Ezekiel 14:14, 20-note!)
Daniel "set his sails" early in life to chart a course that would enable him to become one of the men of highest character and integrity in the history of the world. When faced with the choice to compromise his moral and ethical standards, undoubtedly instilled in him by godly parents in Jerusalem, Daniel as a captive in pagan Babylon made the most critical choice of his life.
Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego. 8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials... (Daniel 1:7-9-note)
Later in life Daniel was elevated by the pagan regime to the position of one of three commissioners over all the satraps (Da 6:4-note). Given the fact that a man or woman of integrity may become a target for those who lack integrity we are not surprised at the fallout of Daniel's fame! This promotion evoked great jealously in the other godless, pagan leaders who sought to take Daniel's life by deceptively coercing King Darius to "establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions' den." (Daniel 6:7-note) Men of integrity are committed men. Daniel was committed to honoring His God regardless of the cost! And so...
Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. (Daniel 6:10-note)
Daniel held fast to his beliefs in face of certain death. In short, Daniel began his life by not compromising his beliefs (Da 1:8) and maintained this uncompromising mindset all the days of his life. That is integrity on display for the lost world to see! Oh that God would raise up a generation of such godly men and women in America which is rapidly becoming a pagan nation like ancient Babylon!
Warren Wiersbe emphasizes that "We must be careful to protect our own personal integrity. When integrity goes, then character starts to decay; when character goes, we've lost everything important. No matter what you may possess—money, popularity, talent, friends—if you don't have character, you don't have anything. But character depends on integrity. People with integrity are people who are honest with themselves, with others, and with God. They don't wear masks and they don't waste energy pretending to be what they aren't. They're not afraid of what others may find out about them because they have nothing to hide. The alternative to integrity is hypocrisy, and that eventually leads to duplicity —becoming two persons inside, neither of whom knows the other. Without inner wholeness, we can't function successfully in life or enjoy all that God wants us to enjoy. We must cultivate integrity. That means knowing God, God's forgiveness, God's truth, God's church, and God's love. John's First Epistle is a guidebook for the kind of personal integrity that comes from a faithful walk with Jesus Christ, what John calls "walking in the light." No shadows—nothing to hide." (Pause for Power)
Clearly Daniel was a model of integrity, a quality this lost world has lost but still admires. Wiersbe observes that "People want someone to look up to. A pastor should be a person others can imitate, but it is a weighty responsibility to set the right example. As king of Israel, David "shepherded them with integrity of heart" (Ps. 78:72). Character is the foundation of pastoral ministry. Having character means being the same on the inside as we profess to be on the outside. The word integrity is related to the mathematical term integer. An integer is a whole number. Integrity means our character is whole, not split into fractions. All too often Americans have seen pastoral and political leaders embarrassed by their private failures. We shepherds cannot hold the sheep to a higher standard than we live by ourselves. We need persons in our lives who ask the hard questions and hold us accountable for our private thoughts and deeds. Blessed is the pastor who cannot go incognito. For the sake of the sheep, shepherds must be holy." (The Dynamics of Pastoral Care)
Daniel was a man like David, a man of integrity. "So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart" (Psalm 78:72). Wiersbe observes that "Integrity means having one heart (see Give Me An Undivided Heart), whereas a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8-note). David's sole purpose was to serve the Lord. David was a man of ability. He "guided them by the skillfulness of his hands" (Psalm 78:72). Integrity ties your heart and your hands together. Your heart serves the Lord, and your hands are busy for Him. We need people like that today. No amount of dedication can compensate for a lack of skill, but no amount of skill can compensate for a lack of dedication. We need both. David exhibited the traits of a true ruler--humility, integrity and ability. They also are required of you for faithful service. Where has God placed you for service? Are you a faithful leader or follower? He rewards His faithful servants. Dedicate yourself to the Lord today and serve Him faithfully.... Integrity is the key word. David was a man of integrity. Saul was a man of duplicity. He was double-minded, looking in two directions at once. But David kept his eyes on the Lord." As I like to say David (and Daniel) were men of "VERTICAL VISION (see note)" "living each day with a heart toward heaven" in contrast to living with your eyes on the world ("HORIZONTAL VISION.")
John 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.
(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)
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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. Daniel began his career as a young captive in Babylon. Repeatedly he put his life on the line to remain faithful to the Lord. He refused to compromise, and God elevated him to a position of prominence. When we take that kind of attitude and accept whatever God has for us, we can be sure of success, no matter what form it takes. —H. V. Lugt (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries)
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SUFFER FOR TRUTH - In Daniel 6 we see Daniel willing to suffer for truth than to live a lie. In Job 31:4 the suffering saint Job asks "Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps?" (Of course this is rhetorical! Yes He does! cp Pr 15:3-note). -- As professional golfer Ray Floyd got ready to tap in a routine nine-inch putt, he saw the ball move ever so slightly. According to the rule book, if the ball moves at all the golfer must take a penalty stroke. Floyd was among the leaders in a tournament offering a top prize of 108,000 dollars. To acknowledge that the ball had moved could mean losing his chance for big money. Writer David Holahan described what some golfers might have done: "The athlete ducks his head and flails wildly with his hands, as if being attacked by a killer bee; next, he steps back from the ball, rubbing his eye for a phantom speck of dust, all the while scanning the playing partners and the gallery for any sign that the ball's movement has been detected by others. If the coast is clear, he taps the ball in for his par." Ray Floyd, however, didn't do that. He assessed himself a penalty stroke and wound up with a bogey on the hole. The patriarch Job also showed remarkable honesty in matters not seen by human observers. He maintained his integrity by fearing God and shunning evil (cp Job 1:1). Job knew that the eyes of the Lord were on him at all times, and that was what really mattered to him. The true test of our integrity comes when no one is watching us. If we remember that God sees what others don't and that it's His approval that matters, our integrity will improve. —M.R.De Haan II What is the take home message? It is better to suffer for the truth than to be rewarded for a lie.
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Like the prophet Daniel, we need to live with such personal integrity and honesty that even our worst accusers can’t make their charges stick.
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The words spoken by David in Psalm 26:11 could easily have been spoken by Daniel - As for me, I will walk in my integrity. (Ps 26:11) In June of 1994, 62,000 men gathered at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis for an event called Promise Keepers. One goal of the conference was to challenge men to demonstrate integrity by adhering to the principles for godly living set forth in the Bible. According to one report, the men started meeting that goal right away. During a break, the hallways were jammed with men. One hungry guy who was stuck by a food stand bought a hot dog, but the mustard was clear across the concourse. Undaunted, he handed the dog to the next man and requested, "Mustard." Off it went. The woman who sold the snacks laughed and said, "Honey, you aren't going to see that hot dog again." "Yes, he will," someone replied. "These guys are Christians." Sure enough, the hot dog made it back—with mustard. David vowed to walk in integrity (Ps. 26:11). But he could do so only because he trusted the Lord to help him (Ps 26:1,2). We should do the same. Let's surprise people with our integrity—even with something as trivial as a hot dog. J. D. Branon Integrity is Christlike character in work-clothes.
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A GOOD NAME - Daniel had a Good Name (Daniel 1:20, 21-note, Daniel 5:11-note, Daniel 6:3-note) - "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." (Proverbs 22:1) Followers of Jesus Christ (of which Daniel was an OT representative!) are called to be people of integrity. They are to be upright and honest, choosing a good name above riches (Prov. 22:1) in a world that is seeking quite the opposite. In a poll of executives, for example, Gallup discovered that 80 percent admit to driving while drunk, 35 percent overstate tax deductions, 75 percent take work supplies for personal use, and 78 percent use the company phone for personal long distance calls. A study by the Office of Technology Assessment determined that one-third of the US government's telephone bill is spent on personal calls. Time theft and unauthorized absenteeism are also common offenses in the workplace. General Motors reports losing 9 percent of employee hours due to absenteeism. White-collar crime in the US is estimated at $40 billion per year. The Lord desires that His people act in a different way. We are always to do what is right and to speak the truth (Ps. 15:2). Integrity pleases Him, and it also benefits us. It gives us blessings far better than riches: freedom from guilt, a positive witness for Christ, and an intimate relationship with God. A good name is truly a priceless possession! --D C Egner
Help me, dear Lord, to be honest and true
In all that I say and all that I do;
Give me the courage to do what is right
To bring to the world a glimpse of Your light.
--Fasick
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The first governor-general of Australia, Lord Hopetoun, inherited a brass-bound leather ledger that became one of his most cherished possessions. John Hope, one of his forebears, had owned it three centuries earlier and had used the ledger in his business in Edinburgh. When Lord Hopetoun received it, he noticed the prayer inscribed on the front page: "O Lord, keep me and this book honest." John Hope knew that he needed God's help to maintain his integrity. Honesty is essential for the Christian. Shading the truth, withholding the facts, juggling figures, or misrepresenting something are dishonest activities that displease God. For this reason, and to demonstrate the new nature that comes through salvation, Christians should strive to live uprightly before God and man. The use of our time on the job, for example, must be above reproach. We should give an honest day's work to our employer. To do less will destroy our verbal witness and brand us as dishonest. Speaking of a mutual Christian friend, an acquaintance of mine said, "He's true blue, all wool, and a yard wide," indicating that our friend was genuine, truthful, and trustworthy. We too must strive to be honest in motive as well as in action and acknowledge our need of the Lord's help to do so by praying, "Lord, keep me honest." —P.R.Van Gorder. Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.
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Integrity - After the Civil War, a large insurance company offered Robert E. Lee the title of president and an annual salary of fifty thousand dollars. Lee protested that he was not worth that much. A representative explained that the company only wanted Lee's name, not his services. Lee firmly replied, "That is not for sale." Daniel was not willing to worship God privately and sell his name to a heathen cause even if the fee was his own life. Disregarding his possible demise at the lions' club, he demonstrated that he was the real lion—courageous in his integrity against all odds. People of integrity are sincere and honest; they avoid deception, artificiality, or shallowness of any kind. They are truthful and forth-right at all costs. They know themselves and therefore are whole and complete. Jesus was a man of integrity. He refused to endorse the corruption of the Pharisees, though they might have made Him a leading rabbi. He rejected the king making desires of the populace, though they would have dressed Him in royal robes. He resisted the temptations of Satan, though he promised Him the world. If we sing the praises of God's name, we will not be tempted to sell our own.
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How Is Your Character? (Psalm 41:1-13) When was the last time you heard a preacher or Sunday school teacher talk about integrity? I hope it's been recently, because integrity is an important part of the Christian life. To have integrity means to have character. Integrity is the opposite of duplicity. A person who practices duplicity is a hypocrite, a pretender. Integrity means to have one heart and one mind and to serve one master. It means not being divided, not always changing. David wrote, "As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever" (Psalm 41:12). God knows us by our character, whereas people judge us by our conduct. When we become more worried about conduct than about character, our conduct starts to go down the wrong road. Conduct and reputation are closely related, but neither one guarantees good character. For example, the Pharisees had a great reputation, but their character was evil. God sees us. He knows all about us, and He says, "Put Me first in your life." Not only does God see us, we also see Him. "Set me before Your face forever" (Psalm 41:12). That is what gives us integrity: knowing that we're walking, living, thinking and speaking before the face of God. When we fear Him, we don't have to fear anything else. And when we walk in integrity and honesty, when we flee duplicity and hypocrisy, we can face anything. David was able to face all his foes because he had integrity. He prayed, "Unite my heart to fear Your name" (Ps. 86:11). Integrity unites, so it helps us put our lives together. Today, let's walk in integrity before the face of God. Don't be so concerned with your reputation and conduct that you fail to look after your character, because you cannot hide that from God. How is your character? Are you unified--do you have one heart and one mind to serve one Master? (Warren Wiersbe - Prayer, Praises and Promises)
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On the Level - " Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the LORD dwithout wavering." (Ps 26:1) Integrity means that your life is whole, that your heart is not divided. Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters" (Matt. 6:24). That's integrity. Duplicity means trying to serve two masters. Our Lord also said that nobody can look in two directions at the same time. If your eye is single, then your body is full of light. But if your eye is double, watch out. The darkness is coming in (Matt. 6:22,23). If you look at the darkness and the light simultaneously, the darkness crowds out the light. In Psalm 25:21 David prayed: "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You"; and in verse one of today's passage, "Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity." When we do business with or are ministering to someone, we want that person to have integrity. When we have integrity, David tells us, we don't have to be afraid of sliding. "I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip" (Psalm 26:1). He also says, "My foot stands in an even place" (Psalm 26:12). The word even means "a level place." David says, "I'm on the level because I have integrity. I have nothing in my heart against the Lord. I am not disobeying Him." We also need not be afraid of testing. David writes, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart" (Psalm 26:2). He says, in other words, "Lord, I can go through the furnace. I can go through the X ray. Go ahead and test me. I'm not afraid." When your life is whole before God and others, when you're practicing integrity, when you have a good conscience, you don't have to be afraid of the battle or the furnace or the X ray or the testing. God will see you through. When you walk with integrity, you walk on solid ground. Never try to serve two masters. Always keep your heart undivided before the Lord. (Warren Wiersbe - Prayer, Praises and Promises)
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Riches of the Soul - Give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me. —Proverbs 30:8 -- With the hope of winning a record jackpot of $640 million, Americans spent an estimated $1.5 billion on tickets in a multistate lottery in early 2012. The odds of winning were a staggering 1 in 176 million, but people stood in lines at grocery stores, gas stations, and cafes to buy a chance to become rich. Something inside us makes us think more money will solve our problems and improve our lives. A man identified in the Bible as Agur had a different perspective on riches when he asked God to grant him two requests before he died. First, he said, “Remove falsehood and lies far from me” (Prov. 30:8). Integrity is a key to living without anxiety. When we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to fear. Deceit enslaves; honesty liberates. Second, he said, “Give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me” (v.8). Contentment springs from trusting God as our supplier and gratefully accepting what He provides. Agur said of the Creator that He “established all the ends of the earth. . . . He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him” (Pr 30:4-5). Integrity and contentment are riches of the soul that are available to all. Our Lord is pleased to give these treasures to everyone who asks.
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Integrity leaves a legacy for one's children to follow in our steps. "A righteous man who walks in his integrity-- How blessed are his sons after him." (Pr 20:7- see Spurgeon's Devotional). Charles Bridges comments...
The faithful man is here fully drawn—rich in the blessing of his God. Take the history of the father of the faithful—Abraham was the just man—accepted with God, and “walking before him” in his integrity. And did not the covenant of his God engage an everlasting blessing for his children after him? (Gen. 17:1, 2, 7) And thus does every child of Abraham, walking in the same integrity, secure “an inheritance for his children’s children.” (Pr 13:22. Cp. Ex. 20:5, 6; Ps. 25:12, 13; 37:26; 112:2) It is ‘not however for the merits of the parents, that they deserve it; but such is the mercy of God to the root and the branches, that, because the fathers are loved, their children also are embraced.’4 But we must show our integrity, as did our father Abraham, in the practical habit of faith; not only “taking hold of the covenant” on our children’s behalf, but bringing them under the yoke of the covenant. (Pr 22:6, with Ge 18:19) Christian parents!—let integrity as before God, be the standard of our family responsibility. Walk not according to the maxims of the world yourselves, nor allow them in your children. Make God’s word—his whole word—our universal rule; his ways—however despised—our daily portion. “Seek first,” for our children as for ourselves, “the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” (Mt 6:33) Thus walking in our integrity—look for the honored blessing of being the parents of a godly race. Our children are blessed after us.
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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. Daniel began his career as a young captive in Babylon. Repeatedly he put his life on the line to remain faithful to the Lord. He refused to compromise, and God elevated him to a position of prominence. Both men made doing God's will their prime objective; both achieved success. —H V Lugt (Ibd)
Outside God's will is no true success
In God's will, no failure.
Let's summarize what "integrity" looks like in Daniel 6 (some of these characteristics overlap).
(1) Da 6:2-note - 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-note - 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-note 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-note 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-note 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-note 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-note 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-note 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-note 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-note 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-note 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-note The man of integrity will experience "success" (see Daniel 1:21-note)- 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-note, cp 1 Timothy 4:8-note). Integrity is inseparable from fruitful Christian ministry.