A conspiracy can be defined as an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons.
With that in mind, let’s look at an incident that occurred while God’s people were in captivity thousands of years ago. After years of rebellion against Jehovah, and a lack of emotional or spiritual will to change; inspite of corrective efforts from the men and women inspired by God, God’s people finally ended up under the powers of a vicious enemy nation – the Babylonians.
The Babylonians had a tradition of seeking out young, gifted and talented young people among their subjects to serve in the royal courts. Among those of Hebrew descent was Daniel. He was a fine young man, with an unflinching faith in Jehovah, who served the king with integrity.
As is always the case when one stands out, his non-Jewish colleagues were envious of him, so they conspired against him. After a long deliberation, they agreed to strike where it will hurt him the most – his devotion to Jehovah. They knew Daniel expressed his devotion through regular prayer and worship, so they presented a flattering proposal to the king, that everyone should worship the king for the thirty days, and anyone that violated the decree should be throne to the lion’s den.
According to scriptures;
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
Daniel knew the faithfulness of God. And because he was given to study and meditation of the holy writ, he understood the provision Jehovah presciently made for those among His people who still believed in Him while in captivity. This covenant was enacted at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, during the reign of King Solomon thousands of years back. Let’s have a look at some excerpts from that chapter;
“When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to a land far or near; yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’; and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.
Armed with these verses, Daniel had all he needed to be victorious in the line of fire. He was caught while praying, arrested and brought before the king. The decree stood, so he was throne into the lion’s den. While there the hungry lions were powerless against him. He was vindicated, and his conspirators were throne into the lion’s den. They were completely torn apart, and their bones were broken in pieces. After this mind blowing encounter, the king made this profound statement;
To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
So I decree that every conspiracy against God’s people, turns out to be a reason for the demonstration of His power. And that the faithfulness of His people is rewarded, while His enemies are brought down. Amen.
~ Sabali
Healingsprings fellowship 