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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. Rodney den Boer > Those who know the LORD will be strong in the face of great persecution | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Daniel 11:32 sermon Sing: Ps 149:1, 2; Ps 26:2; Ps 85:3; Hy 52:1, 2, 3; Hy 52:4, 5 Optional note to read before Bible reading: We saw in chapter 10 how God prepared Daniel to receive this vision of ch11-12. God prepared Daniel by sending a heavenly messenger, by allowing him to have insight into an angelic conflict, and by strengthening him – the angel touched Daniel and spoke to him. And now, the angel reveals some world history from the time of the Jews’ return to Jerusalem, until the time of Christ. He speaks about the Persian empire in v2, the Greek king Alexander the Great in v3-4. And then, after Alexander died an early death, his kingdom was divided into four, among his generals, including the Seleucid kingdom in Syria, and the Ptolemaic kingdom in Egypt: or as our text tells it, the kings of north (Syria) and the kings of the south (Egypt). Read: Daniel 11 |
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ,*
Persecution of the church is like a fire that separates gold from impure metals. The fire burns, the gold is purified, but the impure metals are dissolved. And persecution has that effect on the church. Hypocrites are exposed as impure metals. They were only acting; they did not truly know God. But true faith is revealed as gold that will last through the fire. And so, the question I’d like to ask you this morning is this: would you stand in the face of persecution?
Here in Australia, we have for a long time enjoyed freedom to worship God. We thank him for that. But there are many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world who do not have this freedom, and throughout the history of the church, many of God’s people have been killed for confessing faith in Jesus Christ. And so, we sometimes wonder, would I be able to stand if persecution came here? Would I deny my faith if the pressure became that intense and my life was threatened? Would you stand? As we’ve seen throughout our series in Daniel, we can expect suffering for the sake of the gospel. When the pressure increases, will you be strong? The message of our text is that…
Those who know the LORD will be strong in the face of great persecution
- A glimpse into future persecution
- An encouragement to know the LORD
1. A glimpse into future persecution
Our text, as I mentioned earlier, is selective, and focuses on what is most relevant for God’s people Israel. Their land was sandwiched between the northern and southern kingdom, they were caught in the crossfire between the kings of the north and the south. And then we learn, in the section we read, about a very violent ruler from the north whom we know from history as Antiochus IV, Epiphanes, who has already come up in ch8. He goes to the south and fights them in v25-27, he has victory, and then he goes back to his own land with riches and he attacks Judea: his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant – against God’s people. He hated God and his people.
Later he again went south to fight Egypt, but this time, ships from Cyrus come, and those ships came with Roman troops. In history there is a famous moment when the Roman general, Popillius Laenus, told Antiochus to go home, then drew a circle around Antiochus and told him to respond before stepping out of the circle. Antiochus retreated, but he was angry, and he took out his anger against God’s people, the holy covenant. He massacred a lot of Jews.
And then we read in v30 that he would “show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.” In other words, some of the Jews would join him. In WWII the Nazi Germans took over the Netherlands, there were some Dutchmen who deserted their own people and sympathised with the Nazis. That’s what some of the Jews would do – they’d desert their own countrymen and side with Antiochus. They would side with the enemy.
And Antiochus, the angry king, would commit terrible blasphemies, defiling the temple, taking away the sacrifices, and put there the abomination of desolation. He put an altar to the god Zeus in the temple of the living God. How awful.
Dear congregation, this gave Daniel a glimpse into the future coming for God’s people: they would be attacked from without and attacked from within. The devil rages against the church. There were serious tests coming for God’s people. The angel gave Daniel a glimpse into future persecution.
And we’ve seen that we, too, can expect the church of Jesus Christ to be attacked from without and from within. Our Lord was hated, and we can expect the same treatment as him. We don’t know what the future holds, perhaps we’ll enjoy the freedoms God has given us for some time longer, but perhaps they’ll be taken away soon. Are you ready? Will you stand?
2. An encouragement to know the LORD
The text continues by saying that those who know the LORD will be strong and carry out great exploits. Notice first the contrast in this verse. Not everyone among the covenant community will be strong. But some will forsake the covenant. They will give in to the pressure of persecution. They will join the false worship of Antiochus. And we see that in times of persecution. It reveals the true hearts of people: some have a fake faith, they show up to church every Sunday and say all the right things on home visits, but they don’t have a living relationship with God, and so when the pressure turns up, they give in, they forsake the covenant.
But those who know the LORD shall be strong. What does it mean to know God? It means, certainly, knowing things about him, knowing that he is good, wise, just, almighty, merciful, eternal, unchanging, invisible, infinite. But it means more than that. The Jews at the time of Jesus knew a lot of things about God, but Jesus told them in John 7, that they did not know God. To know God means to have a living relationship with him. Think of how a husband and wife know each other. They know many things about each other, but it goes so much deeper. And so, a true knowledge of God leads to loving him and trusting him, you think about him throughout the day, you have feelings of love and affection for him, and you rejoice in him. These feelings might go up and down like they do in any relationship, but they will be there, if you know the LORD.
And a true knowledge of God also leads to courage. We don’t find courage in ourselves to withstand attacks or persecution. In ourselves, we’re so weak we couldn’t stand for a moment. But God reveals himself as very strong for his people, and faithful to them, and when we know him, we can be courageous.
Our text reveals specifically that he is sovereign over every event, even the attacks against him and his people. We see that because he reveals these events in great detail before they even happened. Who can prophesy like that? Only a sovereign God. He is absolutely in control.
And further, this text shows God’s faithfulness to his covenant. The phrase holy covenant is mentioned three times in these verses. God made a special relationship with his people, and he confirmed it by oath, and nothing could break that relationship. Antiochus couldn’t. He could try, but he was limited. He was attacking God’s holy covenant. He wasn’t just picking a fight with people, but with Almighty God. And God sticks up for his people; they are his people with whom he has covenanted, with whom he has allied, with whom he has bonded in a special relationship.
People who knew their God, their sovereign and faithful God, who had a living relationship with him – they would be strong and do great exploits. There’s an immediate application to the Maccabees, to Mattathias and his sons, who led a revolt against Antiochus IV and were joined by many Jews, and they were successful, they overthrew the Seleucid armies. They didn’t do everything right, but they knew God, they were strong and did great exploits.
And throughout the history of the world, you can think of many great saints who knew God and were courageous for him: think of Athanasius, who stood firm against the heresies of Arius, and was exiled multiple times from his city; or Martin Luther and other reformers, who stood strong against the deformed RCC; or martyrs like Felicity and Perpetua, two brave women in the early church, killed for their faith. They were called to deny their Lord, but they were brave, and strong, and died trusting Jesus. Think of Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie, who bravely ministered the word of God in WWII concentration camps. They knew their God, and they were strong.
Now this text would have been an encouragement for God’s faithful people in this time. Between the OT and NT, God didn’t send any prophets to his people anymore. But they had this word. And from his word, they could know him. They could read the stories of Daniel. Their God preserved the Jews in Babylon. Their God rescued three men from the fire. Their God preserved Daniel in the lion’s den. Their God was the Ancient of Days, ruling over all the kingdoms of this world. Their God was in control of the suffering they now experienced. That suffering, as v35 shows, had a purpose and it was limited. Maybe it would feel like a never-ending tunnel, but there was an end to it – God has determined that. He had revealed it ahead of time. They knew their God from the Bible, and that was sufficient for them. They could trust the Bible.
Dear brothers and sisters, we know God even more fully today. We know God especially in the person of Jesus Christ, who reveals the Father to us. Jesus Christ is the Son of Man, who rules heaven and earth. He has been raised in glory. He is sovereign. And he is faithful. He sealed the new covenant by his blood. Just before he died, he instituted a meal of remembrance and poured wine to remember his blood that would be shed and said, this is the blood of the new covenant. His blood sealed the covenant. He covered all the sins of his people. And so, we can be sure that nothing can separate us from his love. We know God in Jesus Christ.
And his word is sufficient for us, too, just as it was for God’s people then. His word is sufficient for any trials and suffering that are coming for us in the future. Through his word, we can know God and have a living relationship with him.
So, the question of our text to each of us this morning is this: do you know God? You can fake it for a very long time. You can pretend by coming here every week, by saying all the right things. If that’s you, the Bible says you are a hypocrite. And if that’s you, then you will eat and drink judgement upon yourself every time you eat the Lord’s Supper. The Lord calls you to repent.
We can be sure that hard times will come for us and our children. Maybe our freedoms will be removed. And those who know their God will be strong. Do you know God? His word is sufficient for us to know him. Get to know him more, especially in the person of his Son, Jesus. Jesus reveals the Father to us. Get to know his heart, the way he thinks and acts. Know him from his word. I wonder, if you had all your Bibles taken away from you one day, how much of God’s word would you have stored up in your heart and mind? Memorise his word to prepare for suffering.
In God’s kindness, he has added the sacraments to reveal his goodness in visible form. In the Lord’s Supper, God reminds us and assures us that he is faithful to his covenant. No matter what happens in the future, we can sit together at the Lord’s table and know that his promises are real, he is faithful. And as we know him, we can be strong in him. Will you stand in the face of persecution? Will you be strong? If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you will. He will hold you fast. Amen.
*This sermon was originally prepared for a Lord’s Supper celebration.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Rodney den Boer, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Rodney den Boer
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